[Article published by the ECHL on Thursday, December 19.]
PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL, in conjunction with the Wichita Thunder, announced on Thursday that Edmonton Oilers legend Kevin Lowe will the keynote speaker for the 2020 ECHL Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by BFL CANADA and Sutton Special Risk.
The event takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview in Wichita, Kansas, the official Host Hotel of the 2020 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Toyota and will see Jared Bednar, Dany Bousquet, Derek Clancey and Glen Metropolit officially enshrined as the 13th class of the ECHL Hall of Fame. Individual tickets or an entire table for the 2020 ECHL Hall of Fame Ceremony can be purchased.
Lowe has held many positions within the Oilers organization, from player to front office. He was the team’s first-ever draft pick when he was selected 21st overall in the 1979 NHL Amateur Draft. During his 19 seasons in the NHL, including 15 with the Oilers, Lowe played in 1,254 regular-season games and 214 playoff games. He won six Stanley Cup championships, five of which came with Edmonton and one with the New York Rangers.
Besides being the first draft choice in Oilers’ history, Lowe also scored the first goal in team history as he beat Tony Esposito at 9:49 of the first period in Edmonton’s first NHL game on Oct. 10, 1979 at Chicago Stadium. He holds the Oilers’ record for most games played in both the regular season (1,037) and playoffs (172) and is one of only 45 players in NHL history to have played in 1,000 games with one franchise. He also ranks among Edmonton’s all-time leaders as he is eighth in assists (309), 11th in points (383) and third in penalty minutes (1,236). He became the sixth captain in Oilers’ history in 1990-91
He was no less of a leader. In 1990, Lowe became the only player to win the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the Budweiser/NHL Man of the Year Award in the same season. Both awards are presented for leadership qualities and humanitarian contributions. He was also the Oilers’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy that season. His work with the Edmonton Christmas Bureau has set the standard for the Oilers’ commitment to community involvement. He was the Honorary Chair from 1982-83 to 1991-92 and Honorary Co-Chair from 2005 to present.
Off the ice, he has served as the team’s Head Coach, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. He also serves as an Alternate Governor of Oilers Entertainment Group.
Following the format established last season, the Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Toyota will feature a 3-on-3 tournament with four teams competing for the top spot. The host Wichita Thunder will make up two of the four teams and face-off against the other two teams made up of All-Star players from the Eastern and Western Conference. These four teams will compete in a 3-on-3 tournament with rally scoring in order to crown a winner. The 2020 Kansas Star Casino/ECHL All-Star Skills Competition will take place in between rounds of the tournament, with results counting towards the cumulative score.
For more information on the Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Toyota and to purchase tickets, please visit www.echlallstarclassic.com.
About the ECHL
Began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 26 teams in 19 states and two Canadian provinces for its 32nd season in 2019-20. There have been 667 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after playing in the ECHL, including five who have made their NHL debuts in the 2019-20 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 25 of the 31 NHL teams in 2019-20, marking the 23rd consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.
