A frequent topic of conversation in the ECHL remains expansion, as the league would like to get to 32 teams – enough for every NHL team to have a minor-league affiliate at this level.

Any coach will tell you that a hockey team cannot be carried just by its star players. Depth is pivotal.

The ECHL’s holiday break is a tough time for coaches and a great time for players.

When Tye Felhaber took to the ice Monday night to make his NHL debut, it felt as if there was a collective applause from the entire Double-A level of hockey.

I recently was texting with an ECHL coach about what he expected from a game that night. It was three hours before puck drop, and he sent me his lineup – and then the opposing team’s.

I got a good look Saturday night in person at Sergei Murashov, the outstanding 20-year-old rookie goaltender for the Wheeling Nailers, as he thwarted 48 of 52 shots in a 6-4 victory over the Fort Wayne Komets.

Don’t look now, but the Iowa Heartlanders suddenly are a factor in the ECHL.

ECHL teams have had four weekends of play, enough time for us to get a sense of interesting early storylines.

Michal Stinil leads the ECHL in scoring three weeks into the season – he leads all skaters in goals (eight) and points (14) through eight games – and it’s kind of cool to see.

Ruslan Gazizov spent the previous three seasons playing for one of the top junior hockey clubs anywhere in the world. The now 20-year-old Russian forward was a highly-productive player for the OHL’s London Knights, helping them win the OHL championship last season and competing for the Memorial Cup.

The best part of ECHL hockey is the goaltending.

The emergency backup goalie, affectionately known as the EBUG, is one of those eccentricities that exists in hockey. When a team unexpectedly loses one of its rostered goalies, especially when they’re on the road, it’s become a necessity.

The ECHL has two expansion teams this season – the Bloomington Bison and Tahoe Knight Monsters – with another on the way in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The 2024-2025 ECHL season is off and running, and the opening weekend didn’t disappoint.

The last few seasons in the ECHL has brought a lot of intrigue. There have been new teams, plenty of new exciting players and prospects, and there’s been a three-peat champion bringing a little consistency to the mix.