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It's been foretold, unfortunately, that the Admirals will be the first to leave the league.
Maybe on the 2nd try, they might get lucky that time around. Until then, we can only hope.
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1952 Brand Changes
Introducing the Cape Breton Islanders
A few months after acquiring the Saint John Admirals, new owner Henry Walsh announced a press conference to reveal the team’s new identity. As he had previously made known, he wanted the team to represent all of Cape Breton Island, so he renamed the team the Islanders. He also revealed that the team’s new colours would be black, light blue and white.
He would then reveal the team’s new logo. The new logo still features a roundel but is now black with white and light blue borders. Gone is the STJ monogram, and in its place is the shape of Cape Breton Island in light blue.
The next step was to introduce the new uniforms. The references to the Canadian Navy were removed; the uniforms now only have one light blue stripe surrounded by two stripes: white on the black home jersey and socks and black on the white away jersey and socks.
Let me know what you think about the rebrand. You can also start ramping up the sending of prospects for the draft; I still need more skaters.
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Kingsfan11 wrote:
1952 ECHO Awards
Playoffs MVP — W Daniel Hebert (MON)
During the playoffs, Hebert was a key player for the Generals, scoring seven goals, including the overtime winner in Game 5 to clinch the Sound Cup. He also contributed four assists en route to Moncton's first championship.
MVP — C Allan Wilson (MON)
Wilson was the leading man for Moncton, getting himself a league-high 73 points and leading in assists with 48.
Defensive Player of the Year — D Glen Wallace (MON)
Wallace tallied 163 hits and 53 takeaways over 58 games this season.
Defensive Forward of the Year — C Jacques Tremblay (CHA)
Tremblay accumulated 65 points in 57 games this year, but his 95 hits and 41 takeaways led him to win his third DFOY award. He previously won the award in 1948 and 1949.
Goalie of the Year — G Emmett O’Leary (MON)
O’Leary was the best among all goalies this year. He led the league in save percentage (.929), goals against average (2.18), wins (34), and shutouts (7), which earned him the first GOY award of his young career.
Rookie of the Year — D Jean Tremblay (FRE)
Not many expected the 3rd round defenseman to win this award, but he blew away his competition, getting the most goals (14) and points (36) for a rookie while also amassing 74 hits and getting 14 takeaways in 56 games. Funnily enough, Tremblay beat out his teammate and 1st overall pick goalie Victor Carbonneau to the award.
Let me know what you think. Comments and criticisms are appreciated. You can continue sending prospects for the next ECHO Draft, and i will reiterate that I do not need goalies at the moment so focus on skaters.
Happy to see O'Leary doing well. Keep up the good work.
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1952 Retirements
W Marc-Antoine Lacroix
Teams: Montréal Métros (1945-52)
Sound Cups: 1 (1946)
Awards: None
Lacroix was the first-ever star in the ECHO for the Métros, leading the team in goals in 1945-46 and was a consistent scorer for his hometown team. He was also an iron man for Montréal, having missed only two games over the 7 ECHO seasons he gave the Métros. Towards the end of his career, Lacroix was relegated to more of a depth role, and after scoring 17 pts over his last two seasons, the 36-year-old Lacroix decided it was time to hang up his skates.
W William Weber
Teams: Charlottetown Monarchs (1945-50), Trois-Rivières Tigres (1950-52)
Sound Cups: 1 (1947)
Awards: None
Weber had a successful 7-year ECHO career, playing 298 games split between Charlottetown and Trois-Rivières. He recorded 85 goals and 94 assists, accumulating 179 points. Weber was a strong skater and a valuable asset to his teams. He was a crucial player in the 1946-1947 season when he helped lead the Charlottetown Monarchs to a championship victory. Weber decided that at 38, he had played enough and hung up his skates to be with his wife and children back in his hometown of Charlottetown.
Other Notable Retirements
C Rob Marshall
Teams: CHA (1945-46), MTB (1946-52)
C Steven Prince
Teams: MON (1945-46), MTM (1946-50), FRE (1950-52)
W Robert White
Teams: QUE (1945-52)
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1952 Coaching Changes
Ottawa Knights owner Anthony MacDonald, usually known for his calm and patient demeanour, lost his cool and fired head coach Emerson Lee after a disappointing 1951-52 season. MacDonald would hire Norman Evans, the experienced head coach of the Ottawa Otters of the OJHA, to replace Lee.
Meanwhile, Henry Walsh, the owner of the Cape Breton Islanders, was determined to start fresh and leave behind almost all traces of the "old" team. He would fire head coach Tommy Reynolds, who later admitted to being a "yes man" for the former owner, his childhood friend Ethan Griffiths. After interviewing several candidates, Walsh finally found the perfect fit in Nathaniel Matthews, the former head coach of the St. John's Whalers of the MJHL.
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1952 ECHO Draft
Round 1
1. QUE | W Nicolas Béland | Victoriaville, QC - Burmy87
Desperately needing some help on the wing, the Reds would select the Victoriaville native Nicolas Béland, who should be high in the depth chart with his incredible talent.
2. CB | G David Taylor | Saint John, NB - DireBear
After seeing Quebec pass on Taylor, the Islanders would make the easy choice and select the top goalie prospect with the 2nd pick. Taylor should start as a backup behind Andy Fox, but don't be surprised if he's the starter by the end of his rookie contract.
3. FRE | W Maxime Savard | Fredericton, NB - Kingsfan11
The Stars would take the hometown kid in Savard at number 3 despite better wingers still on the board. Savard should be a great help on the wing for Fredericton, who needs to improve in that department.
4. OTT | C Lee Harper | Hamilton, ON - Dan O'Mac
At number 4, the Knights would get the best center in the draft in Harper, who was slated to be a top pick in the OEHL draft but decided to declare for the ECHO draft instead. Harper is an excellent addition to Ottawa's roster with his quickness and remarkable ability to get goals from anywhere in the offensive zone.
5. TRV | C Emmanuel Gatewood | Richmond, QC - Kingsfan11
Trois-Rivières would follow by taking the 2nd best center in Gatewood, who should immediately impact a Tigres squad looking to improve their performance from last year.
6. CHA | C Yvon Robichaud | Granby, QC - FC Macbeth
Charlottetown would continue the run of centers by taking Yvon Robichaud. The Granby native should provide some depth at center for the Monarchs in his rookie season but could gain a more prominent role.
7. MTM | C Jacques Saint-Louis | Quebec City, QC - idm
The Métros would also select a center with their first-round pick, taking the small and speedy center in Jacques Saint-Louis. He should provide some depth at center for a Métros team looking to return to the Sound Cup Finals.
8. HFX | W Stephen Collins | Ottawa, ON - FC Macbeth
Halifax would make an easy decision and take the 2nd best winger of the class in Stephen Collins. The Highlanders will count on his playmaking abilities to get the puck in the net by any means.
9. MTB | D Martin Pickford | Val-d’Or, QC - Jayhawk
The Beavers would be the first team to select a defenseman in this draft, going with the interesting character that is Martin Pickford. The hard-hitting defenseman should add depth to the team's defence and has the potential to climb the depth chart quickly.
10. MON | W Samuel Lamothe | Saint-Agathe-des-Monts, QC - DireBear
The defending champs would end the first round by taking a winger in Samuel Lamothe, whose speed and playmaking abilities should help the Generals remain contenders.
Round 2
During the second round, Quebec chose center Ed Herring for their team despite some concerns raised by others. Following Quebec, Cape Breton selected winger Edmund Hull, while Fredericton chose Vincent Carroll as their goalie. Notably, for the second year running, Fredericton has selected a goalie whose initials are VC. Ottawa added James Vachon, known for his hard-hitting defensive skills, to their team. Trois-Rivières opted for center Antoine Verret, while Charlottetown chose defenseman Geoffrey Jeffries. The Métros selected talented hometown winger Philippe Trasolini, and Halifax added center Carl Blais to their roster. The Beavers team selected playmaking winger Leo Banks, and the round ended with Moncton choosing defenseman Anthony Campbell.
11. QUE| C Ed Herring | Richmond, QC - Kingsfan11
12. CB | W Edmund Hull | Yarmouth, NS - FC Macbeth
13. FRE | G Vincent Carroll | Moncton, NB - Burmy87
14. OTT | D James Vachon | Sydney Mines, NS - DireBear
15. TRV | C Antoine Verret | Beloeil, QC - Burmy87
16. CHA | D Geoffrey Jeffries | Moncton, NB - idm
17. MTM | W Philippe Trasolini | Montreal, QC - Kingsfan11
18. HFX | C Carl Blais | Ottawa, ON - Kingsfan11
19. MTB | W Leo Banks | Pembroke, ON - DireBear
20. MON | D Anthony Campbell | Yarmouth, NS - Kingsfan11
Round 3
In the draft's third round, the Reds picked winger Fred Twist, while Cape Breton opted for defenseman Roger Legault. Fredericton selected winger Thomas Welkin with their pick, and Ottawa made an intriguing decision by drafting defenseman Cooper Deebie, who was known to disappear in critical moments. Trois-Rivières then selected winger Nathaniel Cardinal, who has earned the "Radical Redbird" moniker for his flashiness on the ice, followed by Charlottetown, who picked the hometown goalie prospect Zach Soloway. The remaining four picks of the round were all defensemen: William Gray to the Métros, Tristan Monette to Halifax, Damian Stewart to the Beavers, and Felix King, son of Bernard King, to Moncton.
21. QUE | W Fred Twist | Sydney, NS - idm
22. CB | D Roger Legault | Trois-Rivières, QC - Kingsfan11
23. FRE | W Thomas Welkin | Summerside, PEI - FC Macbeth
24. OTT | D Cooper Deebie | Portland, ON - idm
25. TRV | W Nathaniel Cardinal | Bathurst, NB - Burmy87
26. CHA | G Zach Soloway | Charlottetown, PEI - idm
27. MTM | D William Gray | Lunenburg, NS - FC Macbeth
28. HFX | D Tristan Monette | Saint-Hyacinthe, QC - Burmy87
29. MTB | D Damian Stewart | Toronto, ON - DireBear
30. MON | D Felix King | Montreal, QC - Kingsfan11
Round 4
Quebec would grab another winger for the final round. They went with Stephen Muller, who hails from Montreal. The following two picks were from Rimouski. Cape Breton chose center Frank Fredericks, and Fredericton picked winger Eymeric Masson. Ottawa and Trois-Rivières followed by taking centers Alfred Lefebvre and Vincent Robertson, respectively. Charlottetown then took winger Eli Mullins, and the Métros also chose a winger, Tyler Bourne, with their final pick. Halifax went for defenseman Quinton Burchill, and the Beavers picked winger Nicholas Atkinson. Finally, Moncton went with defenseman Vincent Kirouac to conclude the draft.
31. QUE | W Stephen Muller | Montreal, QC - Kingsfan11
32. CB | C Frank Fredericks | Rimouski, QC - FC Macbeth
33. FRE | W Eymeric Masson | Rimouski, QC - Burmy87
34. OTT | C Alfred Lefebvre | Montreal, QC - Kingsfan11
35. TRV | C Vincent Robertson | Halifax, NS - Kingsfan11
36. CHA | W Eli Mullins | Fredericton, NB - Kingsfan11
37. MTM | W Tyler Bourne | Kentville, NS - Burmy87
38. HFX | D Quinton Burchill | Renfrew, ON - FC Macbeth
39. MTB | W Nicholas Atkinson | Sydney, NS - Kingsfan11
40.MON | D Vincent Kirouac | Saint-Agathe-des-Monts, QC - Burmy87
Undrafted
W Gideon Webster | Fredericton, NB - Burmy87
D Sully Morrison | Grand Falls-Windsor, NL - Burmy87
D Anthony Lavoie | Sherbrooke, QC - Kingsfan11
W Michael Grant | Ottawa, ON - Kingsfan11
C Jacques Beaudry | Montmagny, QC - Kingsfan11
C Leonard Wilson | Miramichi, NB - Kingsfan11
Last edited by Kingsfan11 (11/25/2023 8:30 pm)
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1952 Re-sign Phase
The Montreal Beavers would only give out one new contract: a 2-year deal worth 60k per year to winger Eric Russell.
Quebec secured winger Pierre Lévesque by signing him to a five-year contract worth $470k annually. Next, they re-signed winger Murray Brissett, who agreed to a three-year contract worth $150k annually. Lastly, the Reds retained the services of winger John Bender on a two-year contract worth $40k per year.
Charlottetown would give goaltender Peter Chiasson a new 5-year deal worth 400k per year, then re-sign defenseman Dennis Pellerin on a 4-year deal worth 150k per season and finally, would give a new 3-year contract worth 80k annually to winger Alexander Stuart.
Fredericton would hand a new 3-year deal worth 90k per season to defenseman Kevin Larkin and then re-sign defenseman Rémi Bellefeuille to a 3-year contract at 40k annually.
Halifax would give new contracts to 2 of their goalies: a five-year, 490k/ year deal to Alex Davis and a three-year, 40k/year deal to Jamie Scott.
Moncton would only hand one new contract: a 5-year deal worth 280k annually to winger Daniel Hebert.
Top Free Agents
1. G Emmett O’Leary, MON
2. D Robert Leblanc, MTM
3. D Kevin Taylor, QUE
4. C Thierry Rousseau, MTM
5. D Kevin McMillan, MTM
6. W Lloyd Plante, OTT
7. C Norman Campbell, MTB
8. D David Demers, OTT
9. C Alex Fortin, QUE
10. W Earl Barber, OTT
Let me know what you think. C&C are appreciated as are questions about the world of ECHO.
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sheesh, look at the metros with three of the top 5 free agents
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1952 Free Agency
Day one of Free Agency started with a bang as the top free agent, former Moncton goalie Emmett O’Leary, would sign in Trois-Rivières for 1.16M per year for the next five years. Fredericton would follow that by signing former Métros defenseman Robert Leblanc to a 5-year deal worth 1.11M a year. Charlottetown would then sign former Quebec defenseman Kevin Taylor on a five-year deal worth 550k per season, and the Beavers would conclude the day’s signings by poaching center Thierry Rousseau, from their in-city rivals, the Métros and giving him a five-year, 650k per year deal.
On day 2, Trois-Rivières would again start the signings by bringing in former Moncton winger Ted Gagne and signing him to a 4-year contract worth 370k per season. Fredericton would then bring in former Ottawa winger Earl Barber on a four-year deal worth 210k annually. The Métros would then make a free agency signing by giving former Quebec center Alex Fortin a 4-year deal at 420k per season. Ottawa would then bring back winger Lloyd Plante on a 4-year, 50k-per-year deal after letting him test free agency. The day’s signings would end with Cape Breton giving former Beavers defenseman Norman Campbell a five-year deal worth 840k annually.
Moncton would open the signings on day three by bringing in former Halifax center Oscar Wilson on a three-year deal worth 50k per season. Ottawa would then sign former Halifax winger Joseph Drouin to a three-year deal worth 80k annually. Halifax would follow those moves by signing former Trois-Rivières winger Benoit Archambault to a three-year deal worth 50k annually. The final signing of the day would be made by Cape Breton, who would sign former Halifax defenseman Clark Brodhead to a 4-year deal worth 100k per season.
The first move made on Day 4 would see Ottawa signing defenseman Kevin McMillan to a 4-year deal worth 290k annually. McMillan returns to Ottawa after a 5-year stint with the Métros. Trois-Rivières would then sign former Fredericton winger Alexander Ross to a 3-year, 70k-a-year deal. Charlottetown would follow that by signing former Ottawa defenseman David Demers on a 160k-per-year deal until 1956. Cape Breton would close out the day’s signings by bringing in former Métros goalie Phillip Myorca on a 2-year deal worth 80k per season.
Fredericton made the only move of Day 5 by bringing back center Andrew Dupont on a 3-year deal worth 80k per year.
Top Free Agents
1. G Emmett O’Leary, MON > TRV
2. D Robert Leblanc, MTM > FRE
3. D Kevin Taylor, QUE > CHA
4. C Thierry Rousseau, MTM > MTB
5. D Kevin McMillan, MTM > OTT
6. W Lloyd Plante, OTT > OTT
7. C Norman Campbell, MTB > CB
8. D David Demers, OTT > CHA
9. C Alex Fortin, QUE > MTM
10. W Earl Barber, OTT > FRE
Last edited by Kingsfan11 (11/30/2023 6:38 pm)