Riley Gill Explained

Riley Gill
Played For:Worcester Sharks
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Hershey Bears
Position:Goaltender
Birth Date:1 January 1985
Birth Place:Northfield, Minnesota, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:201
Catches:Left
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2010
Career End:2017

Riley Gill (born January 1, 1985) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Allen Americans of the ECHL, where he won Goaltender of the Year in 2016–17 and backstopped the team to two Kelly Cup playoff championships in 2015 and 2016.

Playing career

Gill attended the Western Michigan University from 2006 to 2010 where he played NCAA Division I college hockey with the Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey team. He completed his four-years at Western Michigan University with an NCAA career 2.94 goals-against average and a .915 saves percentage.[1] and established team records for the most games played (111) and the best all-time save percentage in WMU history.[2]

Gill began his professional career in the ECHL by joining the Kalamazoo Wings near the end of the 2009–10 ECHL season. During the 2012–13 ECHL season, he was selected as the ECHL's playoff MVP in helping the Reading Royals claim their first Kelly Cup.

At the end of the 2012–2013, Riley Gill was selected as the Sher-Wood Goaltender of the Year. "Gill led the league in wins (25-tied) and shootout wins (four) and set a new SPHL record with five shutouts. His 2.43 goals against average ranked second, while his .918 save percentage was tied for third-best. Gill’s strong play helped Louisiana to a 20-point improvement from last season, as the IceGators finished tied with Fayetteville for most points (73)."[3]

On August 6, 2013, Gill was signed by Royals AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, to a one-year contract.[4] Gill later joined the Allen Americans of the ECHL. While playing with the Americans, he won ECHL Goaltender of the Year after the 2016–17 season in which he tied for more shutouts in a season and set a new career high.[5] Gill re-signed with the Americans in the offseason of that year,[6] but only played in two games during the 2017–18 season.

Awards and honors

AwardYear
College
All-CCHA Rookie Team
SPHL
First All-Star Team 2012–13[7]
Goaltender of the Year2012–13[8]
ECHL
Playoff MVP 2012–13[9]
ECHL Goaltender of the Year2016–17

Notes and References

  1. http://www.mlive.com/kwings/index.ssf/2010/03/post_4.html Former Western Michigan goaltender Riley Gill doesn't have far to go after signing with Kalamazoo Wings | MLive.com
  2. http://www.royalshockey.com/news/news.asp?story_id=2022 News – Reading Royals
  3. Web site: Louisiana's Riley Gill Named Sher-Wood Goaltender of the Year. SPHL News .
  4. Web site: Bears sign Ruegsegger, Gill to AHL deals . . 2013-08-06 . 2013-08-06.
  5. Web site: Daniels. Tommy. AMERICANS RILEY GILL NAMED ECHL GOALIE OF THE YEAR. allenamericans.com. May 14, 2018. April 13, 2017.
  6. Web site: GILL RE-SIGNS FOR FOURTH SEASON WITH AMERICANS. echl.com. May 14, 2018. June 23, 2017.
  7. http://www.thesphl.com/view/thesphl/news/news_69909 Pointstreak Sites | SPHL Southern Professional Hockey League | Fayetteville, Louisiana Head All-SPHL First Team
  8. http://www.thesphl.com/view/thesphl/news/news_72924 Pointstreak Sites | SPHL Southern Professional Hockey League | Fayetteville, Riley Gill Named Sher-Wood Goaltender of the Year
  9. http://www.echl.com/royals-gill-named-most-valuable-player-of-kelly-cup-playoffs-p184066 ECHL| Princeton, Most Valuable Player of Kelly Cup Playoffs