News release
2 June 2010
The Elmira Jackals introduced Malcolm Cameron as their new Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations on Wednesday night at a First Arena press conference. Cameron is the eighth head coach in Jackals history and comes to Elmira with a strong coaching background in the ECHL.
With a .645 winning percentage in seven seasons in the ECHL, Cameron is one of the most successful coaches at this level.
Cameron coached the Florida Everblades the last two seasons, leading the Everblades past the Jackals in the first round of the 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs this past April. In his first season with Florida, 2008-2009, the Cameron-led Everblades took the ECHL's Brabham Cup, going 49-17-2-3 to lead the league.
Prior to his time with Florida, the two-time All-Star coach Cameron led two ECHL teams to significant turnarounds.
After a 17-44-0-2 2004-2005 and having suspended operations for the 2005-2006 season, the Texas Wildcatters brought in Cameron as their coach for 2006-2007. That season, he led them to a record of 41-22-5-4, and the 46-point improvement from 2004-2005 is the fifth largest in league history.
In 2007-2008, Cameron's Wildcatters set an ECHL record for the fewest regulation losses in a season, going 52-9-4-7 and recording 115 points, the second most ever by an ECHL team. The 115 points that season tied for the most that season with Cincinnati, which had 55 wins, earning the Cyclones the Brabham Cup via a tiebreaker.
When Cameron joined the Long Beach Ice Dogs in 2004-2005, they were coming off of a 23-44-0-5 inaugural season. However, Cameron's first season with Long Beach proved to be far more successful, as the Ice Dogs went 43-20-4-5, a 44-point turnaround and the sixth-best improvement from one year to the next in league history.
The Ice Dogs went 36-27-4-5 in 2005-2006 under Cameron.
The Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native's Columbus Stars of the UHL were in first place in 2003-2004 when the team suspended operations.
Cameron's career as a head coach began in 2002-2003, taking the Cincinnati Cyclones to the playoffs with a 36-29-7 record.
JACKALS BID FOR ATTENDANCE RECORD AGAINST KELLY CUP CHAMPIONS
The Elmira Jackals will attempt to set a club mark for single-game attendance when they open their 2010-2011 season at home against the defending Kelly Cup champion Cincinnati Cyclones at First Arena on Friday, October 15. The Jackals defeated the Cyclones 5-2 in the 2009-2010 season opener at First Arena.
On opening night, the Jackals will open the First Arena Recreational Rink to a viewing party, giving fans a unique and exciting option for watching the game.
The Jackals' current single-game mark of 4,325 fans was set on Nov. 6, 2009 against the Trenton Devils. Elmira won its first seven games of the 2009-2010 season but fell in overtime on that night, 4-3, to Trenton.
NICHOLS REAFFIRMS JACKALS' STATUS IN ELMIRA, SLOGAN DECLARED
The Elmira Jackals announced exciting events at First Arena for the 2010-2011 season. The Jackals will wear special "holiday themed" jerseys for a home series in December and will also host wiener dog races, a popular attraction at a Jackals home game this past season. More events will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Elmira Jackals announced their Protected List on Wednesday, consisting of 21 players.
ECHL 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 2009-10 and has not been traded or released, OR
2. Signed a Standard Players Contract in 2009-10 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 2009-10 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 a Standard Players Contract on or after the first day of the 2009-10 regular season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR
Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players and cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2009-10.
FIRST ARENA TO HOST TWIN TIERS LARGEST INDOOR YARD SALE
First Arena will host the "Twin Tiers Largest Indoor Yard Sale" on Saturday, July 17 from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Anyone with items that they would like to sell may set up a table.