ECHL All-Star Skills Competition

ONTARIO, Ca – In keeping with tradition to the ECHLs All-Star Games, the Skills Competition was held as the precursor to the main event at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. History has dictated over the last 12 years, that the team to win in the Skills Competition has gone on to win the All-Star Game.   The National Conference took home the win tonight, with a final tally of 11-10, maintaining the lead against the American Conference the entire night.
 
The competition has been referred to as a friendly atmosphere, and gives the guys a chance to get together to gel as a team for the main event.   Some players are excited about participating, while others are a bit more reserved.   Typically when chosen, they can list the events they are interested in trying, but they don’t know which ones they’ll get until only a few days prior to the event.
 
The crowd was much smaller than typically at a game in Ontario, perhaps around 2,000, but they cheered heartily for their home team players.   Each team in the ECHL usually has one-three representatives and the Reign as the host team, has three, including Peter Lenes, Greg Hogeboom and David Walker.   Walker was also named the Captain of the National Team.  
 
The events began with the Puck Control Relay. This was a race through cones spread out the length of the ice and three players from each team took turns navigating the cones as quickly as possible, while they manipulate the puck through the sharp turns.  
 
The skaters for the American team, Matt Pierce (Cincinnati), Maxime Gratchev (Elmira) and Justin Donati (Elmira) skated; for the National team, Evan Barlow (Idaho), Chris D’Alvise (Stockton), John Lammers (Alaska). In a close race throughout, the National’s, anchor Lammers crossed the finish-line only a half stride ahead of the competition to take the first win of the night.
 
In the individual puck control relay, Jacob Micflikier ( Florida) was defeated by Peter Lenes ( Ontario), to put the National’s ahead 2-0.
 
The next competition was the Fastest Skater.   The skaters individually, from a dead start skate the perimeter of the ice back to the starting point for times.   There were three skaters from each team.   John Swanson ( Idaho), Eric Regan ( Bakersfield) and Adam Miller ( Las Vegas), represented the Nationals.   Brandon Buck ( Florida), Nikita Kashirsky ( South Carolina) and Maxime Tanguay ( Toledo), skated for the American team.   Miller was declared the winner by only a tenth of a second.    
 
In the Hardest Shot competion the players have two chances to drive a shot into an open net from between the circles.   Brendan Milnamow ( Idaho), Taylor Ellington ( Victoria), Sasha Pokulok ( Bakersfield) and David Walker ( Ontario) had a combined score of 94.7 mph.   Pokulok was the one member of the team to break 100pmh, with shots of 101.5 and 101.2 mph.   The American team consisted of Drew Paris (Gwinnett), Matt Schepke ( Charlotte), J.C. Sawyer ( Toledo) and A.J. Thelen ( Florida). Thelen was the winner with 101.9, for the individuals, and the American team average was 97.9 mph. The wins put the American team on the board with two points in this event.
 
The Rapid Fire event was next.   Players have five pucks posted just inside the blue line and must shoot them towards the net, player versus goalie.   Goalies for the National’s were David Shantz, ( Victoria), Richard Bachman ( Idaho), and Timo Pielmeier ( Bakersfield).   The American team was represented by Jeremy Smith ( Cincinnati), Braden Holtby ( South Carolina) and Todd Ford ( South Carolina).  
 
The shooters for the National team were Nick Mazzolini ( Alaska), Vic Bartley ( Utah) and Judd Blackwater ( Stockton).   The American team shooters were Jacob Micflikier ( Florida), Connor Shields ( Johnstown) and Sam Roberts (Gwinnett).
 
The score is determined by the number of goals scored.   The American team was the winner, to close the gap on the Nationals 4-3.
 
In the Shooting Accuracy competition, players are fed a single puck from each side of the goal net, alternatively, to a slap shot position just between the circles, and try to hit targets placed in each of the four corners of an open net. They get a maximum of eight shots.   Ryan Kinsewich ( Utah) set an ECHL record time, striking all four targets in four shots.   Other players in this event were Shawn Weller ( Bakersfield), Greg Hogeboom ( Ontario) and for the American Team, Ben Gordon (Reading), Jeff Prough ( Trenton) and Zach Tarkir ( South Carolina).
 
The final relay included all the players from each team.   This was similar to a shoot out versus a goalie.   All three goalies took turns to stop the shots.   The winner was determined by the number of successful goals.   The National team was the winner. Braden Holtby ( South Carolina) was the outstanding goal tender for the event, but the overall score gave the National team the win.
 
Following the events, individual trophies were distributed and photo opportunities. David Walker ( Ontario) accepted the team winning trophy for the National team.
 
The All-Star game will be held on Wednesday night.   It should be fun.
 
Contact the writer at shellie.lima@prohockeynews.com  
Contact the photographer at jack.lima@prohockeynews.com