2025 ECHL HALL OF FAME CLASS IS BURROWS, GAGNON, HICKS AND THORNBOROUGH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Nov. 12, 2024

2025 ECHL HALL OF FAME CLASS IS BURROWS, GAGNON, HICKS AND THORNBOROUGH

2025 Induction Ceremony presented by BFL Canada and Sutton Special Risk set for Friday, Jan. 17

KALAMAZOO, MI – The ECHL announced Tuesday its 2025 inductees for the ECHL Hall of Fame are Alex Burrows, Dave Gagnon, Jamey Hicks and Glen Thornborough.

The 2025 ECHL Hall of Fame ceremony, presented by BFL CANADA and Sutton Special Risk, will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, January 17, 2025 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites, Arcadia Ballroom.

The four will be formally inducted as the 17th class of the ECHL Hall of Fame at a banquet that will be held in conjunction with the 2025 Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Weekend presented by Discover Kalamazoo and FireKeepers.

“The opportunity to commemorate ECHL history and the game of hockey, coupled with Kalamazoo’s 50th Anniversary Season celebration, is what our Hockey Heritage event is all about,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “This year’s ECHL Hall of Fame Class recognizes both a championship winning goaltender and point-scoring forward that achieved great success in the ECHL, an alum who developed in our League and went on to great heights at the National Hockey League level and a builder who helped significantly grow the ECHL before embarking on his prosperous front office career in the hockey industry.  It will be our honor to welcome these new inductees by bestowing our League’s highest honor during the ceremony and throughout the weekend’s events.”

“BFL CANADA is once again honored to be the Presenting Co-Sponsor, alongside Sutton Special Risk, of the 2025 Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Weekend Banquet,” said Nellie Lindner, BFL CANADA Vice President, National Practice Leader - Film and Entertainment. “We are excited to be celebrating all the inductees in Kalamazoo. It certainly is extra special as the last Hockey Heritage Weekend in Kalamazoo was back in 2016, and almost a decade later, we are back there to also celebrate the K-Wings 50th season.” 

Tickets include a plated dinner in conjunction with the ECHL Hall of Fame ceremony and are on sale for $60 per person.

Individual Ticket Sales – 2025 ECHL Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 

Alex Burrows began his professional career in the ECHL with the Greenville Grrrowl in 2002-03, and went on to post 111 points (47g-64a) in 134 games over two-plus seasons in the League. He was recalled to Manitoba of the American Hockey League early in the 2004-05 season, and the next season, made his National Hockey League debut with Vancouver, on his way to a 13-year NHL career with the Canucks and Ottawa Senators. He totaled 409 points (205g-204a) in 913 career NHL games. Following his retirement as a player, he served as an assistant coach for Laval of the AHL and Montreal of the NHL, where he currently serves as a player development consultant.

Dave Gagnon ranks seventh among goaltenders in ECHL history with 272 career appearances and 155 wins, while he is tied for 13th with 14 career shutouts. In nine ECHL seasons with Hampton Roads, Toledo and Roanoke, he compiled an overall record of 155-76-27 with a 2.90 goals-against average and a save percentage of .907. He was at his best in the postseason, capturing Riley Cup championships with Hampton Roads in 1991 and Toledo in 1994, earning Playoff Most Valuable Player honors in both seasons. His 41 career playoff appearances rank eighth among goaltenders in league history with his 27 postseason wins stand sixth all-time.

Jamey Hicks was a prolific point producer over his career in the league, totaling 480 points (162g-318) in 352 career games over six seasons with Birmingham and Arkansas, and scoring 30 or more goals in four of his five full seasons. During the 1997-98 season, he led the ECHL with 119 points (44g-75a), earned a spot on the All-ECHL First Team and was named the League’s Most Valuable Player. That same season, he put together a 32-game point streak, which stands as the third-longest in league history. 

Glen Thornborough was an instrumental figure during his time at the League Office from 2000-08, ending his tenure as the Senior Vice President of Marketing/Licensing. During his time with the ECHL, he increased the revenues for ECHL Properties, while creating several exclusive partnerships, several of which remain in place to this day. He assisted in forming the first-ever Team Business Services department in any of the top three professional hockey league offices (NHL, AHL, ECHL) and worked to get the ECHL All-Star Game on television on a yearly basis, first with ESPN2, and later NHL Network. After leaving the ECHL, he spent nearly five years at CCM/Reebok before joining the Boston Bruins/TD Garden in 2013 where he currently serves as President of TD Garden and Chief Operating Officer of the Bruins.

The inaugural ECHL Hall of Fame class was inducted in 2008, and over the years, 63 individuals have been enshrined. Inductees are enshrined in the ECHL Hall of Fame, which is open around the clock online at ECHLHallOfFame.com, as well as being recognized at the league office in Shrewsbury, New Jersey and in the ECHL section at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.

The third-longest tenured professional hockey league, behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League has grown from five teams in four states in 1988-89 into a coast-to-coast league with 29 teams in 22 states and one Canadian province for its 37th season in 2024-25.

Hall of Fame members are selected in five categories: Player, Coach, Developmental Player, Builder, and Referee/Linesman. No more than five candidates may be elected to the ECHL Hall of Fame each year with no more than three Players, one Coach, one Developmental Player, two Builders and one Referee/Linesman. The Coach, Developmental Player, Builder and the Referee/Linesman categories are dependent upon the number of candidates in the Player category.

The nomination and/or selection of candidates will be determined by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee and its Chairmen, Joe Ernst and Patrick J. Kelly. 

Only members of the Selection Committee, the Board of Governors, teams or persons affiliated with the ECHL may submit official nominations which must be made in writing to the league office. Fans are encouraged to contact their team to propose names for nomination. 

About the ECHL

Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 29 teams in 22 states and one Canadian province for its 37th season in 2024-25. There have been 752 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 12 who made their NHL debuts in the 2023-24 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 29 of the 32 NHL teams in 2024-25, marking the 27th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.

About BFL CANADA

BFL CANADA was founded by Barry F. Lorenzetti in 1987 and has been headquartered in Montreal since its beginning. The President, CEO and Founder was quickly joined by others who shared his vision. From then on, the company became what it is today thanks to the constant addition of professionals who are recognized as leaders in their respective industries.

From modest beginnings to great success, BFL CANADA is proud of its achievements and the mark it has left on the insurance industry.

Today, BFL CANADA caters to the needs of clients, both large and small, from all industry segments.

About Sutton Special Risk

As a Managing General Underwriter since 1978, Sutton Special Risk has always focused on delivering flexible and affordable insurance solutions for our clients. Our attention to service means we respond quickly and effectively.

To provide our clients with exceptional security and global reach, Sutton underwrites business on behalf of several ‘A’ rated carriers. Our carrier partners share our appetite for risk and our willingness to customize plans to suit our clients’ needs. Our partnerships allow us to offer industry-leading high sums insured and broad coverage, including special hazards.