The ECHL has announced that Ryan Crelin will succeed Brian McKenna as the league’s next commissioner. Crelin has been with the league since 2005, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer. Ray Harris, the Chariman of the ECHL Board of Governors, had this to say about Crelin’s appointment:
I am extremely happy to welcome Ryan as the Commissioner of the ECHL. It has been a distinct pleasure to work with Ryan for the past 13 years and witness his growth within our organization first hand. His effort and devotion to our League is inspiring and I am confident that he will continue the success and growth of the ECHL.
Beginning in 1988-89, the ECHL has developed into a third tier of development for many organizations around the NHL. Organizations like Toronto and Pittsburgh have invested plenty of resources into their respective teams, using them as a place to stash goaltending prospects and those who have certain weaknesses in their game. When the 2017-18 season began in the NHL, 66 players on opening night rosters had previously spent time in the ECHL, including Tom Kuhnhackl, Francois Beauchemin, Micheal Ferland, Jonathan Quick and Mike Hoffman.
Even the Stanley Cup final holds former ECHL players, including Ryan Reaves, Braden Holtby and Jay Beagle. Deryk Engelland, who has become the heart and soul of a Vegas Golden Knights team because of his connection with the community, formed that bond with the city of Las Vegas while playing for the Las Vegas Wranglers in the early part of his career. While the league isn’t known for producing high end talent, they do have an impact on teams around the league and will only continue to do so as organizations move to more thorough development models.
This announcement comes after Laurence Gilman was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, despite being believed by many to be a front-runner for the ECHL commissioner job. Gilman will instead join the Maple Leafs as an assistant GM, and help run the Toronto Marlies. His decision is Crelin’s gain, as the former COO will be promoted after just one year in his previous role.