Idaho Steelheads Head Coach Derek Laxdal, in conjunction with the ECHL, today announced his protected list of players.The Steelheads have protected 17 players, including Michael Beynon; Mark Bomersback; Kellen Briggs; Craig Cescon; Matt Craig; Taggart Desmet; Marty Flichel; Blake Forsyth; Lance Galbraith; Darrell Hay; Greg Rallo; Kory Scoran; Brent Shepheard; Colin Sinclair; John Snowden; Mike Sullivan; and Travis Wight. Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players? Association which state that teams shall retain the rights to each player that: 1. Signed a Standard Players Contract in 2007-08, and has not been traded or released, OR 2. Signed Standard Players Contract in 2007-08, and was recalled to the National Hockey League, the American Hockey League or an International Ice Hockey Federation team, and has not been traded or released, OR 3. Received a 2007-08 Qualifying Offer for the current season, and DID NOT sign a Standard Players Contract, and has not been traded or released, OR 4. Has been suspended by the team or League, and has not been traded or released, OR 5. Signed Standard Players Contract on or after the first day of the 2007-08 regular season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR 6. Has executed the ECHL Retirement Form, and has not been traded or released Protected lists may exceed 20 players.Teams must complete all Future Consideration trades by 3 p.m. ET on June 13 and must submit their Season-Ending Roster by 3 p.m. ET on June 15. Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players and cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2007-08. The two-time Kelly Cup Champion Idaho Steelheads drop the puck on its sixth ECHL season, 12th overall, on Saturday, October 18 at Qwest Arena against National Conference, West Division foe Utah. Season tickets, including a wide variety of plans to fit any budget, are currently on sale by calling the Steelheads front office at (208) 383.0080. Some seating locations have been reduced for the 2008-09 season.About the ECHL:Began in 1988-89 with five teams playing in four states, the Premier ?AA? Hockey League has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 24 teams in 16 states and British Columbia playing 864 games from Oct. 17, 2008 to Apr. 4, 2009. Nineteen of the 24 teams have played at least five years in their current city.The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,174 per game last season, marking the fourth year in row and the 16th time in the last 18 years that the league has averaged over 4,000 fans. The league has drawn over four million fans each of the last five years and 11 times in the past 12 seasons.- www.idahosteelheads.com -