The 1988–89 ECHL season was the
inaugural season of the
East Coast Hockey League
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
(ECHL). The league's first season consisted of five teams in
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pen ...
,
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is the largest city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, it is the principal city of the Metropolitan statistical area ...
,
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
,
Vinton, Virginia
Vinton is a town in eastern Roanoke County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,059 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Vinton is part of the Roanoke metropolitan area and the Roanoke Region of Virginia.
History
By the late 1 ...
and
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...
. The five teams played 60 games each in the schedule. The Erie Panthers finished first overall in the regular season. The Carolina Thunderbirds won the first
Riley Cup
The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the playoff champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup, named after former American Hockey League president Jack Riley. Th ...
championship.
Regular season
''Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; Green shade = Clinched playoff spot''
Riley Cup playoffs
1989 Riley Cup Finals
Johnstown Chiefs vs. Carolina Thunderbirds
ECHL awards
See also
*
ECHL All-Star Game
The ECHL All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that traditionally marks the midway point of the ECHL's regular season, with many of the league's star players playing against each other. The starting lineup for the teams, including the star ...
*
Kelly Cup
The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the playoff champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup, named after former American Hockey League president Jack Riley. Th ...
*
List of ECHL seasons
This is a list of season (sport), seasons of the ECHL since its inception:
Notes
References
External links ECHL official website
{{Authority control
ECHL seasons, *list ...
*
1988 in sports
1988 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Alpine skiing
* Alpine Skiing World Cup
** Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland
** Women's overall season champion: Michela Figini, Switzerland
American footba ...
*
1989 in sports
1989 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Alpine skiing
* Alpine Skiing World Cup
** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg
** Women's overall season champion: Vreni Schneider, Switzerland
American footbal ...
References
External links
HockeyDB.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:1988-89 Echl Season
ECHL seasons
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