Neal, Marcoux selected as ECHL All-Stars

PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL on Thursday announced the rosters for the 2018 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic, to be hosted by the Indy Fuel on Monday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m. ET at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Fuel forward Michael Neal was selected to represent the ECHL's Central Division, while goaltender Étienne Marcoux was named to the North Division roster. The game will air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network.

Neal, 28, currently leads the Fuel with 10 goals and ranks fourth in team scoring with 18 points (10g, 8a) in 24 games played. The ninth-year veteran from Oshawa, Ontario is making his first All-Star appearance, after accumulating 223 total points (94g, 129a) in 445 ECHL games over the course of his professional career.

Marcoux, 24, leads all ECHL netminders with a .940 save percentage, while his 2.33 goals against average is third-best in the league. The first-year netminder from Laval, Quebec has posted a 7-5-1 record in 15 appearances with Indy this season, recently being named the CCM/ECHL Rookie of the Month.

For the first time in ECHL history, the All-Star Classic will feature not two, but four teams, representing each of the League's divisions. In a format similar to those adapted by the NHL and AHL All-Star Games, the four teams will compete in a 3-on-3 tournament in order to crown a winner. The two semifinal matches will be played within the Eastern and Western Conferences; with the East Division taking on the South Division and the Central Division facing the Mountain Division. The 2018 CCM/ECHL All-Star Skills Competition will take place after the second semifinal game, with the championship round following immediately at the conclusion of the Skills Competition.

The 2018 rosters feature 27 first-time ECHL All-Star selections, 12 rookies and nine players who have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft.

More than 65 players from the ECHL All-Star Game have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 51 since 2002 when the lineups began having players who coaches felt were prospects to move up to a higher level.

The rosters were determined in a vote of coaches, team captains, media relations directors, broadcasters and members of the media. Each of the ECHL teams is represented by a player in the 2018 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic.

North Division All-Stars

G - Etienne Marcoux, Indy Fuel

D - Matt Petgrave, Brampton Beast

F - Woody Hudson, Worcester Railers

F - Alex Krushelnyski, Reading Royals

F - Ty Loney, Adirondack Thunder

F - Joel Lowry, Manchester Monarchs

F - Cody Wydo, Wheeling Nailers

South Division All-Stars

G - Martin Ouellette, Florida Everblades

D - Christopher Dienes, Jacksonville Icemen

D - Nolan Valleau, Orlando Solar Bears

F - Grant Besse, Norfolk Admirals

F - Taylor Cammarata, South Carolina Stingrays

F - Caleb Herbert, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

F - Phil Lane, Atlanta Gladiators

Central Division All-Stars

G - Pat Nagle, Toledo Walleye

D - Kyle Bushee, Kalamazoo Wings

D - Willie Raskob, Quad City Mallards

F - Justin Danforth, Cincinnati Cyclones

F - Mike McMurtry, Kansas City Mavericks

F - Michael Neal, Indy Fuel

F - Artur Tyanulin, Fort Wayne Komets

Mountain Division All-Stars

G - Shane Starrett, Wichita Thunder

D - David Makowski, Allen Americans

D - Cliff Watson, Utah Grizzlies

F - Conner Bleakley, Tulsa Oilers

F - Michael Joly, Colorado Eagles

F - Justin Parizek, Idaho Steelheads

F - Dante Salituro, Rapid City Rush

The CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic is coming to Indianapolis in 2018! The best players in AA hockey take the ice at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on January 15 as part of a celebration of professional hockey in the Circle City, which will include NHL® legend Wayne Gretzky. Visit ECHLAllStarClassic.com for more information and to purchase your tickets, and become an All-Star Insider to get event updates, ticket information and special offers delivered right to your inbox.

About the ECHL

Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 21 states and one Canadian province for its 30th season in 2017-18. There have been 633 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 10 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2017-18 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 31 NHL teams in 2017-18, marking the 21st consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.

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