Two Steelheads Named 2009 ECHL All-Stars

The ECHL on Friday announced the starting lineup and roster of the National Conference for the 2009 ECHL All-Star Game and two Idaho Steelheads have been named to the team.Veteran forward Steve Gainey has been named a starter and rookie defenseman Matt Stephenson will compete on the roster for the 17th ECHL All-Star Game hosted by the City of Reading. The game will take place at Reading?s Sovereign Center on Jan. 21, 2009 following the 12th Annual All-Star Skills Competition on Jan. 20, 2009.Gainey, who turns 30 on Jan. 26, is currently tied for the Steelheads team-lead with 29 points (11g-18a). The 6-foot, 180-pound Montreal native was a third round pick by the Dallas Stars in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He saw action in 13 games with the Stars from 2000 through 2004 and played in 20 games with the NHL?s Phoenix Coyotes in 2005-06. The seventh year pro Gainey is the son of NHL Hall of Famer and legendary Montreal Canadien Bob Gainey. The elder Gainey is a five-time Stanley Cup Champion and current Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Canadiens.Stephenson, who is on an American Hockey League contract with the Manitoba Moose, was assigned to Idaho to start the 2008-09 season. The 25-year-old is currently 15th among league defensemen and leads the Steelheads blueliners with 15 points (5g-10). At 6-2 and 205-pounds, Stephenson appeared in five games for the Iowa Stars (AHL) in 2007-08 after finishing his senior season at St. Cloud Stateas team captain during senior year. The National League starting lineup is as follows:National Conference StartersG - Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, Alaska (24 gp, 14-9-1, 2 shutouts, 2.46 GAA, .923 save pct.) D - Dylan Yeo, Victoria (32 gp, 8g, 20a, 28 pts) D - Matt Shasby, Alaska (30 gp, 5g, 15a, 20 pts) F - Wes Goldie, Victoria (32 gp, 27g, 10a, 37 pts) F - Colin Hemingway, Alaska (30 gp, 14g, 27a, 41 pts) F - Steve Gainey, Idaho (31 gp, 11g, 18a, 29 pts)The starting lineups are determined in voting by National Conference coaches, team captains, media directors, broadcasters and media members. Coaches also submitted the top prospects from within their conference to determine the final roster with each of the nine teams having a representative.Other notes:? The American Conference Starting Lineup and Roster will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 31.? There are 13 rookies on the National Conference and 20 of the 21 players are making their first appearance in an ECHL All-Star Game. ? The full National League roster can be found at www.echl.com? There have been 46 players from the All-Star Game who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 29 since 2002 when the lineups began having players who coaches felt were prospects to move up to a higher level.? The Stanley Cup and the Patrick J. Kelly Cup will both be on display throughout the event, marking the ninth time in the last 10 years that the NHL championship trophy and the ECHL championship trophy have been displayed together at the All-Star Game. - www.idahosteelheads.com ?