1953 ECHO Free Agency

Quebec would make the first move of Day 1 of Free Agency by bringing former Trois-Rivières winger Lachlan MacNeil on a 3-year deal worth 220k per year, and Fredericton would then land the top free agent in former Charlottetown goalie Stanley Fraser by signing him to a 5-year deal worth 1.16m per season. Halifax would follow that up by giving former Ottawa defenseman Gilbert Houle a 5-year contract worth 790k annually, and then the Montréal Métros would give former Cape Breton goaltender Andy Fox a 4-year deal worth 460k annually. Moncton would conclude the day’s signings by giving former Fredericton center Les Conner a 4-year, 510k per year deal.

Cape Breton would start the signings on Day 2 by inking former Ottawa defenseman Gerald Mulder to a 4-year deal worth 690k annually, and then the Montreal Beavers would give former Moncton center Richard Tardif a 4-year worth 370k per season. Fredericton would then sign former Trois-Rivières center Andre Michaud to a 3-year deal, giving him 210k per year. Finally, Charlottetown would conclude the day by bringing in former Moncton winger Steve Wetherell on a 5-year, 490k per year deal.

Day 3 would commence with Halifax giving former Cape Breton winger Paul Marchand a 3-year deal worth 160k annually, and then Cape Breton would bring in former Quebec winger Nicholas Marriott on a 3-year, 230k-per-year deal. The Beavers would then sign defenseman Sully Morrison, who went undrafted in 1952, to a 3-year deal worth 60k per season, and Moncton would follow that by signing former Quebec center Dustin Fraser to a 3-year deal, giving him 300k annually. The Métros would then sign former Halifax defenseman Chris Davis to a 4-year deal worth 220k per year, and Fredericton would make the final signing of the day by bringing back defenseman Paul Girard on a 3-year deal worth 390k per season.

On Day 4, Fredericton would sign defenseman Anthony Lavoie, who went undrafted in 1952, to a 2-year deal worth 130k per year.

Day 5 would see Cape Breton bring in former Beavers defenseman Maxime LeBlanc on a 3-year deal worth 100k annually, and Charlottetown would give former Cape Breton defenseman Ryan Wilkinson a 4-year, 60k-per-year deal.

Day 6 would see two signings: Cape Breton giving former Charlottetown center Charles Morin a 3-year deal worth 280k per year and Trois-Rivières signing former Halifax center Michael Nelson to a 3-year, 60k-per-year deal. 


Top Free Agents
1. G Stanley Fraser, CHA » FRE
2. D Gilbert Houle, OTT » HFX
3. D Chris Davis, HFX » MTM
4. G Andy Fox, CB » MTM
5. W Steve Wetherell, MON » CHA
6. D Ryan Wilkinson, CB » CHA
7. C Richard Tardif, MON » MTB
8. D Gerald Mulder, OTT » CB
9. C Les Conner, FRE » MON
10. D Paul Girard, FRE » FRE

Trades
Day 1: The Montreal Beavers trade their most recent 4th-round pick, center Yves Drouin, to Charlottetown in exchange for winger Octave Marcotte.

Day 6: The Montréal Métros trade 1952 3rd pick defenseman William Gray to Trois-Rivières for 1953 4th round pick center Alan Anderson.

Day 11: Trois-Rivières trade centers Emmanuel Gatewood and Vincent Robertson to the Métros to acquire center Alex Fortin.

Let me know what you think of what your team did during this free agency period. Comments and criticisms are appreciated.

1953/54 ECHO Regular Season



St.Lawrence Division: For the second year in a row, the team that finished 4th in the division the previous year wins it; this year, that team is the Montréal Métros, who were helped out by a 75-point season from center Edouard Lefebvre and a 56-point season from center Yvan Roy. Joining the Métros in the playoffs is Trois-Rivières, who were led by center Alex Fortin’s 71-point season and stellar goaltending from Emmett O’Leary. Way behind the two playoff teams, we find last year’s division champs, the Ottawa Knights, who never could catch the top two despite brilliant seasons from Gabriel Caron and Lee Harper, especially after trading away center Doug Fournier. The Montreal Beavers fell further away from the playoffs this year, sunk by an injury-ridden season and below-average goaltending. Once again, we find the Quebec Reds at the bottom of the division, who did barely better than last year due to having the oldest roster in the league.

Atlantic Division: Charlottetown makes its way back into the playoffs after missing them for the past four years, led by great seasons from Jacques Tremblay and Ken Chang and in-season acquisition Doug Fournier. Joining the Monarchs in the postseason will be the 2-time defending champion Moncton Generals, who were led there by an 81-point season from center Allan Wilson and a 63-point season from winger Daniel Hebert. Missing out on the playoffs by a single point was Fredericton, who kept pace with Moncton and Halifax all year but ultimately fell short despite great goaltending play from Stanley Fraser. Speaking of Halifax, the Highlanders finished 4th in the division and missed the playoffs for the first time in ECHO history after losing their last five games, including a stunning 4-3 loss to basement dwellers Quebec. At the bottom of the division, we find Cape Breton, sunk by significant injuries to their defensive core and poor goaltending play.


In-season Trades:
Early in the season, Charlottetown would trade defenseman Kevin Taylor and center Carson MacDonald to Ottawa to acquire center Doug Fournier.

1954 Sound Cup Playoffs Bracket


Let me know what you think of this regular season and the updated graphics. Predictions are welcome, and so are questions about the ECHO universe (ECHOverse?)

1954 Sound Cup Playoffs (Round 1)

Charlottetown Monarchs vs Moncton Generals
Game 1 in Charlottetown started quickly, with the Monarchs' Jacques Tremblay scoring a wrist shot four minutes into the game. A few minutes later, Charlottetown winger Ken Chang deflected his teammate Jacques Tremblay's slapshot into the back of the net, putting the Monarchs up by 2. However, the defending champions, Moncton, would not let it go quickly. Early in the second period, Moncton defenseman Anthony Campbell's shot found the back of the net, cutting the Monarch lead in half. But a few minutes later, Charlottetown winger Arthur Laroche put his team back by two with a quick wrist shot on the powerplay. Monarchs rookie winger Richard Bisson then scored, blasting the puck past Generals netminder William Parker, putting his team up 4-1. Once again, Moncton did not take it well. Midway through the third period, Generals winger Craig Therrien blasted the puck past Charlottetown goalie Peter Chiasson, reducing the lead to 4-2. However, a couple of minutes later, Monarchs center Quinton Labelle replied with a slapshot of his own, putting his team back up by three. This did not deter the defending champs, and a minute later, center Vincent Kirouac's shot found twine, making the score 5-3. Unfortunately for Moncton, Charlottetown held firm defensively for the rest of the third period, taking Game 1 with a score of 5-3.

The second game of the series between the Moncton Generals and the Charlottetown Monarchs was a thrilling and intense affair. Although the game started slowly, it quickly picked up pace, and midway through the first period, the Generals took advantage of a powerplay opportunity to take the lead. Oscar Wilson, the center for the Generals, deflected a powerful shot from defenseman Glen Wallace past the Charlottetown goalie, Peter Chiasson. The two teams continued to battle it out for opportunities throughout the game, with occasional scraps breaking out after whistles. However, it wasn't until midway through the second period that Moncton defenseman Rick Murray blasted the puck into the back of the net, extending the Generals' lead to two goals. But the Monarchs refused to give up, and late in the second period, winger Jean-Marie Ryan scored a beautiful wrist shot to cut the Monarch deficit in half. Early in the third period, Charlottetown winger Steve Wetherell scored a well-placed wrist shot, which tied the game at two apiece. The two teams continued to battle it out until the end of the third period, but neither could break the deadlock, and the game went into overtime. Late in overtime, Moncton defenseman Bartholomé Carpentier was penalized for hooking, which proved costly for the Generals. On the ensuing powerplay, Monarchs defenseman Dennis Pellerin took advantage of the situation and sent the puck into the back of the net with a quick shot, giving Charlottetown a 2-0 lead in the series, leaving the 2-time defending champions on the brink of elimination.

As the series shifted to Moncton for Game 3, the Generals knew they were in a do-or-die situation and couldn't afford to make any more mistakes. The game started as a fiercely contested defensive battle between the two teams, with both sides getting in the way of the other's scoring chances. However, the game's momentum shifted when Charlottetown's Game 2 hero, Dennis Pellerin, was forced to leave early in the 1st period after blocking a slapshot from Moncton's Daniel Hebert. Late in the first period, the Generals broke the deadlock and would be the first to score when center Faith Hebert unleashed a powerful wrist shot deflected by winger William Woods right past Monarchs goalkeeper Peter Chiasson. After that, the game's intensity would increase dramatically, with both teams creating great scoring opportunities and becoming increasingly physical. This physical play would take its toll on the players. Charlottetown center Doug Fournier would be forced to leave the game after taking a big hit from Moncton defenseman Rick Murray in the middle of the second period. Despite being down by a goal, the Monarchs refused to give up and continued to push forward. Early in the third period, they could finally respond with a goal of their own, as winger Ken Chang fired a blistering wrist shot past Moncton's goalkeeper William Parker on the powerplay, tying the game at one apiece. The Monarchs quickly gained the lead a few minutes later when center Yves Drouin unleashed a scorching slapshot that found the back of the net, putting Charlottetown up 2-1. A few minutes later, center Timmy Overton scored an impressive goal despite Charlottetown being on the penalty kill, making the score 3-1. Then, center Quinton Labelle deflected winger Richard Bisson's shot into the back of the net, giving the Monarchs a commanding 4-1 lead. The Generals' defence was struggling to contain the Monarchs' attack, and things went from bad to worse when Charlottetown defenseman Ryan Wilkinson, who was playing through an injury, scored a rebound goal from winger Ken Chang's shot, making it 5-1. Chang would contribute to the carnage again late in the third period when he scored a quick shot, putting the score at 6-1. The final score would be 6-1, as Charlottetown completed a stunning sweep of the 2-time defending champions. (CHA wins 3-0)

Montréal Métros vs Trois-Rivières Tigres
Game 1 of the Saint Lawrence Division Final started slowly, with the first goal coming late in the second period. Trois-Rivières center Antoine Verret scored on the power play, putting the Tigres in the lead. Just before the end of the second period, center Michael Nelson scored off defenseman William Gray's rebound, extending Trois-Rivières' lead to 2-0. Early in the third period, the Tigres continued their domination, with wingers Ted Gagne and Jérémie Bonheur scoring, making it 4-0. A few minutes later, winger Ephraim Gauthier's slapshot found the back of the net, making it 5-0. The Métros responded with two goals late in the third period, with centers Edouard Lefebvre and Edward Cho scoring a goal each. However, Trois-Rivières held firm defensively and won the game 5-2 to take the opening lead in the series.

In the second game of the series, Montréal, determined to avoid going down 2-0, took the lead early in the second period when center Yvan Roy deflected winger Jean Sirois' wrist shot past Trois-Rivières' goalie Emmett O'Leary. A few minutes later, Montréal winger Sage Steeves deftly maneuvered the puck around the defender before firing a lightning-quick shot past the Tigres netminder, giving the Métros a 2-goal advantage. Trois-Rivières winger Ephraim Gauthier cut the lead in half with a wrist shot that beat Montréal's goalie Andy Fox. However, early in the third period, the Métros responded with winger Georges Héroux scoring on the powerplay, followed by Sage Steeves' second goal of the night to make it 4-1. Edward Cho scored with a slapshot, extending the Métros' lead to four. Tigres center Antoine Verret would score to reduce the deficit to 5-2, but Montréal's Sage Steeves completed his hat trick a minute later, securing a 6-2 victory and tying the series at 1.

As the series shifted to Trois-Rivières for Game 3, the two teams knew the importance of this game, and that showed when the game started as a defensive battle, with neither team giving any chances to the other. One team had to crack eventually, and that would be Trois-Rivières, as midway through the first period, Montréal center Yvan Roy fired a wrist shot that beat Tigres netminder Emmett O'Leary right below the glove to give the Métros the opening lead. Later in the first period, Trois-Rivières would strike back with winger Jérémie Bonheur's wrist shot, finding the back of the net to tie the game at 1. Barely a minute later, Bonheur would get the puck to his winger teammate Nathaniel Cardinal, who would fire a shot that would make it past Montréal netminder Andy Fox and into the back of the net to give the Tigres the lead. Of course, the Métros wouldn't just sit there and take it; early in the second, center Yvan Roy would tie the game at 2 with a powerful wrist shot. Trois-Rivières would then get a powerplay on which they would capitalize with winger Ephraim Gauthier blasting the puck into the back of the net to give his team the lead again, and then a few minutes later, winger Jérémie Bonheur would put the Tigres up by 2 with a powerful slapshot of his own. Of course, this did not deter Montréal, and a few minutes later, defenseman Bob Jenkins would cut the lead in half with a well-placed wrist shot, only for Trois-Rivières to reply not even a minute later, with defenseman William Paquette firing a shot past Métros netminder Andy Fox to restore his team's 2-goal lead. The defensive battle would then resume for the rest of the second and most of the third until Montréal took a costly penalty as Tigres winger Ephraim Gauthier would score again on the powerplay to put his team up by 3. Trois-Rivières would clamp down defensively to win the game 6-3 and give themselves a 2-1 lead and a chance to send the Métros home in the next game.

Game 4 was a do-or-die game for the Métros, and they showed that when, midway through the first period, winger Tristan Loubier blasted the puck past Trois-Rivières' Emmett O'Leary to put Montréal up 1-0. A few minutes later, Métros center Emmanuel Gatewood would make his former team pay with a quick wrist shot to double the Montréal lead. Trois-Rivières weren't just going to let the Métros do whatever they wanted, and late in the first period, Tigres defenseman Hugh Jefferson would make it 2-1 with a powerful slapshot. The teams would start to get physical after that, and a couple of big hits would be thrown around. Eventually, late in the second period, the Tigres' Hugh Jefferson would get called to the penalty box for roughing. This penalty would prove costly, as on the ensuing powerplay, Montréal winger Sage Steeves would blast the puck into the back of the net to restore his team's 2-goal lead. The third period would marked by the Tigres trying to get back into the game, but the Montréal defense, especially goalie Andy Fox, would stand firm to take Game 4 by a score of 3-1 and force an ultimate Game 5 back in Montréal.

The Aréna de Montréal was buzzing with excitement for Game 5 between the Montréal Métros and Trois-Rivières Tigres. The players knew that the outcome of this game would determine who would move on to the Sound Cup Finals, and both teams were determined to give it their all. As the game began, it became apparent that it would be a defensive battle. Both teams played cautiously, not wanting to make a mistake that would give their opponent an advantage. The players were physical, with big hits on both ends of the ice. The goaltenders were also on their game, making some spectacular saves to keep the game scoreless. Montréal's Andy Fox and Trois-Rivières' Emmett O'Leary were both outstanding, denying their opponents any chance of scoring. Late in the first period, Montréal's center Jacques Saint-Louis broke the deadlock, firing a quick wrist shot that beat O'Leary to give the Métros the lead. This goal gave the home team a much-needed boost, and they continued to play solid defence throughout the rest of the game. Trois-Rivières tried to mount a comeback in the third period, but Montréal's defence stood tall, not allowing the Tigres any quality scoring chances. Midway through the third period, Montréal's center, Yvan Roy, scored a crucial goal to double the Métros' lead, and from that moment on, the game was effectively over. The Métros played an intelligent game, controlling the puck and not taking any unnecessary risks. They sealed the victory with an empty-net goal by winger George Blake, sending the Tigres home with a 3-0 win. Montréal's goaltender, Andy Fox, had an outstanding game, stopping all 23 shots he faced to record a shutout. (MTM wins 3-2)



1954 Sound Cup Finals Preview
Charlottetown Monarchs vs Montréal Métros
The Charlottetown Monarchs and Montréal Métros meet in a highly anticipated showdown. The Monarchs asserted their dominance by sweeping the defending champions, the Moncton Generals, while the Métros overcame a series deficit to reach the finals. Led by the offensive prowess of Jacques Tremblay and Ken Chang, Charlottetown's scoring power will clash with Montréal's disciplined defence, anchored by goaltender Andy Fox. Both teams possess resilience and determination, setting the stage for a thrilling series where the pursuit of championship glory hangs in the balance. Who will emerge as the victor and secure their second Sound Cup triumph? The finals promise intense battles, skillful play, and an unforgettable conclusion to the 1954 Sound Cup Playoffs.

What did you think of the first round? Who do you think is going to win? Predictions are welcome, as are questions about the ECHOverse.

Slapshot Kirby wrote:

Are ECHO games televised at all? My guess is no, as this is a semi pro league, but I could be wrong.

 
Given that the majority of NHL games at this time weren’t televised, I’m inclined to say that the ECHO, being a level below the NHL, wouldn’t have its games televised at all.

1954 ECHO Awards

Playoffs MVP - C Yvan Roy (MTM)
During the playoffs, Roy, the star center of the Métros, played a pivotal role in their run to their 2nd Sound Cup. At 28 years old, Roy was a force to be reckoned with on the ice, leading all players in goals with a total of 7 and points with 13. His impressive performance and unwavering dedication to his team were essential to the Métros' triumph, cementing his status as a key player in their success.

MVP — C Edouard Lefebvre (MTM)
Lefebvre put up a commendable performance this season by scoring an incredible tally of 28 goals, coupled with 47 assists, which helped him accumulate 75 points. His consistent ability to contribute offensively and his significant impact on the scoreboard earned him his first Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, which was well deserved. 

Defensive Player of the Year —  D Robert Leblanc (FRE)
During the season, Leblanc proved a vital asset to his team's defence. He led the entire league in various defensive stats, including an impressive 171 hits, eventually earning him the title of Defensive Player of the Year for the first time in his career. 

Defensive Forward of the Year — C Jacques Tremblay (CHA)
Tremblay has been awarded his 5th DFOY for his exceptional performance on the ice. He has proven to be a force to be reckoned with among forwards, leading in three crucial categories. Tremblay made an impressive 98 hits, 54 blocks, and 36 takeaways. 

Goalie of the Year — G Emmett O'Leary (TRV)
Emmett O'Leary was awarded his third "Goalie of the Year" title for outstanding performances. Throughout the season, he displayed exceptional talent and consistency, earning him a reputation as one of the most reliable goalies in the league. With an impressive record of 32 wins and a goals-against average of 2.79, he proved himself to be a formidable force in the net. Furthermore, his save percentage of .921 was a testament to his quick reflexes, strategic positioning, and ability to make crucial saves under pressure, thereby effectively protecting his team's net. 

Rookie of the Year — D Edouard Lécuyer (QUE)
Lécuyer's exceptional performance on the ice was impressive throughout his rookie season. He consistently demonstrated his remarkable offensive abilities, producing many goals and assists while showcasing his exceptional defensive skills. Lécuyer's dedication and hard work paid off handsomely when he was crowned the Rookie of the Year, a much-deserved recognition of his incredible talent and efforts.

What do you think of these awards? Comments and criticisms are appreciated.

Last edited by Kingsfan11 (2/01/2024 7:17 pm)