2002–03 ECHL season explained

2002–03 ECHL season
League:	East Coast Hockey League
Sport:	Ice hockey
Season:	Regular season
Season Champ Name:	Brabham Cup
Season Champs:	Toledo Storm
Mvp:	Bud Smith (Arkansas)
Mvp Link:	CCM Most Valuable Player
Top Scorer:	Bud Smith (Arkansas)
Top Scorer Link:	ECHL Leading Scorer Award
Playoffs:	Playoffs
Conf1:	Northern
Conf1 Champ:	Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
Conf1 Runner-Up:	Cincinnati Cyclones
Conf2:	Southern
Conf2 Champ:	Columbia Inferno
Conf2 Runner-Up:	Mississippi Sea Wolves
Finals:	Finals
Finals Link:	Kelly Cup
Finals Champ:	Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
Finals Runner-Up:	Columbia Inferno
Playoffs Mvp:	Kevin Colley (Atlantic City)
Seasonslist:	List of ECHL seasons
Seasonslistnames:	ECHL
Prevseason Link:	2001–02 ECHL season
Prevseason Year:	2001–02
Nextseason Link:	2003–04 ECHL season
Nextseason Year:	2003–04

The 2002–03 ECHL season was the 15th season of the East Coast Hockey League. The Brabham Cup regular season champions were the Toledo Storm and the Kelly Cup playoff champions were the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies.

League changes

The Macon Whoopee relocated to Lexington, Kentucky, as the Lexington Men O' War.

The New Orleans Brass ceased operations due to the arrival of the New Orleans Hornets basketball team. The NBA team moved into the Brass' arena but wanted the Brass to pay for every conversion between the hockey and basketball configuration, an expense the Brass could not afford.

The Mobile Mysticks also suspended operations prior to the season and would relocate to Duluth, Georgia, beginning with the 2003–04 season.

All-Star Game

The ECHL All-Star Game was held at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida and was hosted by the Florida Everblades. The Northern Conference All-Stars dominated the game, beating the Southern Conference All-Stars 8–2. Atlantic City's Scott Stirling was named Most Valuable Player.

Regular season

Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Losses; SOL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
Green shade = Clinched playoff spot; Blue shade = Clinched division; (z) = Clinched home-ice advantage^{[1] [2]}

Northern Conference

Northeast Division
	72	41	19	12	94	268	224
	72	42	21	9	93	235	211
	72	42	24	6	90	265	239
	72	38	24	10	86	229	207
	72	41	28	3	85	262	234
	72	35	31	6	76	240	239
	72	32	35	5	69	261	303

Northwest Division
Toledo Storm (z)	72	47	15	10	104	247	196
	72	48	17	7	103	241	181
	72	36	29	7	79	257	236
	72	34	31	7	75	188	212
	72	28	33	11	67	214	243
	72	28	41	3	59	193	261
	72	24	38	10	58	191	247

Southern Conference

Southeast Division
Columbia Inferno (z)	72	47	23	2	96	265	202
	72	42	22	8	92	248	225
	72	40	26	6	86	244	213
	72	35	23	14	84	239	243
	72	28	36	8	64	217	262
	72	27	39	6	60	203	256
	72	25	39	8	58	197	270

Southwest Division
	72	44	24	4	92	250	211
	72	40	20	12	92	249	210
	72	37	24	11	85	238	236
	72	38	26	8	84	210	195
	72	33	30	9	75	228	241
	72	20	43	9	49	184	266

Kelly Cup playoffs

Northern Conference

Division semifinals

Northeast Division Semifinals Atlantic City vs. Trenton Date Away Home April 2 Trenton 3 Atlantic City 4 April 4 Trenton 0 Atlantic City 4 April 7 Atlantic City 7 Trenton 3 Atlantic City wins series 3 - 0

Northeast Division Semifinals Greensboro vs. Roanoke Date Away Home April 3 Roanoke 2 Greensboro 7 April 4 Roanoke 3 Greensboro 1 April 5 Greensboro 3 Roanoke 2 April 8 Greensboro 5 Roanoke 3 Greensboro wins series 3 - 1

Northwest Division Semifinals Toledo vs. Lexington Date Away Home April 2 Lexington 1 Toledo 9 April 4 Lexington 0 Toledo 3 April 5 Lexington 1 Toledo 5 Toledo wins series 3 - 0

Northwest Division Semifinals Peoria vs. Cincinnati Date Away Home April 1 Cincinnati 4 Peoria 3 April 2 Cincinnati 1 Peoria 2 OT April 5 Peoria 0 Cincinnati 1 OT April 6 Peoria 3 Cincinnati 4 2OT Cincinnati wins series 3 - 1

Division finals

Northeast Division Finals Atlantic City vs. Greensboro Date Away Home April 11 Greensboro 2 Atlantic City 3 OT April 12 Greensboro 3 Atlantic City 2 OT April 16 Atlantic City 6 Greensboro 3 April 18 Atlantic City 3 Greensboro 2 Atlantic City wins series 3 - 1

Northwest Division Finals Toledo vs. Cincinnati Date Away Home April 11 Cincinnati 2 Toledo 1 April 12 Cincinnati 4 Toledo 2 April 15 Toledo 1 Cincinnati 0 April 16 Toledo 1 Cincinnati 4 Cincinnati wins series 3 - 1

Conference finals

Northern Conference Finals Atlantic City vs. Cincinnati Date Away Home April 23 Cincinnati 4 Atlantic City 5 April 25 Cincinnati 0 Atlantic City 5 April 26 Atlantic City 3 Cincinnati 1 April 28 Atlantic City 1 Cincinnati 3 April 29 Atlantic City 3 Cincinnati 6 May 2 Cincinnati 4 Atlantic City 3 May 3 Cincinnati 2 Atlantic City 3 Atlantic City wins series 4 - 3 and Gingher Memorial Trophy Southern Conference 1st round Southeast Division Wildcard Florida vs. Greenville Date Away Home April 1 Greenville 3 Florida 2 Greenville wins series 1 - 0 Southwest Division Wildcard Jackson vs. Pensacola Date Away Home April 1 Pensacola 3 Jackson 2 OT Pensacola wins series 1 - 0 Division Semifinals Southeast Division Semifinals Columbia vs. Greenville Date Away Home April 2 Greenville 2 Columbia 6 April 4 Greenville 4 Columbia 6 April 7 Columbia 6 Greenville 4 Columbia wins series 3 - 0 Southeast Division Semifinals South Carolina vs. Pee Dee Date Away Home April 2 Pee Dee 3 South Carolina 0 April 4 Pee Dee 1 South Carolina 7 April 5 South Carolina 3 Pee Dee 4 April 7 South Carolina 3 Pee Dee 4 OT Pee Dee wins series 3 - 1 Southwest Division Semifinals Mississippi vs. Pensacola Date Away Home April 2 Pensacola 1 Mississippi 5 April 4 Pensacola 1 Mississippi 5 April 5 Mississippi 5 Pensacola 1 Mississippi wins series 3 - 0 Southwest Division Semifinals Louisiana vs. Arkansas Date Away Home April 2 Arkansas 0 Louisiana 2 April 3 Arkansas 1 Louisiana 2 April 5 Louisiana 3 Arkansas 1 Louisiana wins series 3 - 0 Division finals Southeast Division Finals Columbia vs. Pee Dee Date Away Home April 11 Pee Dee 2 Columbia 5 April 12 Pee Dee 1 Columbia 2 April 16 Columbia 5 Pee Dee 1 Columbia wins series 3 - 0 Southwest Division Finals Mississippi vs. Louisiana Date Away Home April 9 Louisiana 2 Mississippi 5 April 12 Mississippi 4 Louisiana 0 April 14 Louisiana 2 Mississippi 3 Mississippi wins series 3 - 0 Conference finals Southern Conference Finals Columbia vs. Mississippi Date Away Home April 23 Mississippi 2 Columbia 5 April 25 Mississippi 2 Columbia 3 OT April 27 Columbia 4 Mississippi 3 April 28 Columbia 1 Mississippi 3 April 30 Columbia 1 Mississippi 2 OT May 2 Mississippi 2 Columbia 4 Columbia wins series 4 - 2 and Bruce Taylor Trophy

Kelly Cup finals

Columbia vs. Atlantic City Date Away Home May 7 Atlantic City 1 Columbia 0 May 9 Atlantic City 3 Columbia 0 May 10 Columbia 5 Atlantic City 3 May 12 Columbia 1 Atlantic City 3 May 14 Columbia 1 Atlantic City 3 Atlantic City wins series 4 - 1 and Kelly Cup

ECHL awards

See also: ECHL awards.

Patrick Kelly Cup	Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
Henry Brabham Cup:	Toledo Storm
Gingher Memorial Trophy:	Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
Bruce Taylor Trophy:	Columbia Inferno
John Brophy Award:	Claude Noel (Toledo)
CCM TACKS Most Valuable Player:	Bud Smith (Arkansas)
Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player:	Kevin Colley (Atlantic City)
Reebok Hockey Goaltender of the Year:	Alfie Michaud (Peoria)
CCM Tacks Rookie of the Year:	Jason Jaffray (Roanoke)
Defenseman of the Year:	Jim Baxter (Mississippi)
Leading Scorer:	Bud Smith (Arkansas)
Reebok Hockey Plus Performer Award:	Dennis Vial (Columbia) Mike Glumac (Pee Dee)
Sportsmanship Award:	Rejean Stringer (Columbia)

See also

• List of ECHL seasons
• 2002 in sports
• 2003 in sports

External links

• ECHL website

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2002–03 ECHL Standings . HockeyDB . March 8, 2017.
2. Web site: 2002–03 ECHL Stats . ECHL . March 8, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170309072019/http://3ulgqr468n8z25xfs1186kk2.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ECHL0203.pdf . March 9, 2017 . dead .