The ECHL Hall of Fame was formed in 2007-08 in conjunction with the ECHL’s 20th Anniversary. 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 20 teams in 16 states in 2011-12.

The fifth class of the ECHL Hall of Fame will be inducted at a luncheon that will be held in conjunction with the 2012 ECHL Board of Governors Midseason Meeting at the Embassy Suites in North Charleston, S.C. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. The fifth class of inductees is Bill Coffey, Sheldon Gorski, John Marks, Dave Seitz and Bob Woods. Click here for ticket information for the 2012 ECHL Hall of Fame induction luncheon.

The inaugural ECHL Hall of Fame class inducted in 2008 was Henry Brabham, Patrick J. Kelly, Chris Valicevic and Nick Vitucci while the second class in 2009 was John Brophy, Blake Cullen, Tom Nemeth and Rod Taylor. The 2010 ECHL Hall of Fame class was Cam Brown, E.A. “Bud” Gingher, Olaf Kolzig and Darryl Noren. The 2011 class was Richard Adams, Phil Berger, Luke Curtin and Joe Ernst. The fifth class, inducted in 2012 was Bill Coffey, Sheldon Gorski, John Marks, Dave Seitz and Bob Woods. 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 Princeton, N.J. and in the ECHL section at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.

Hall of Fame members are selected in four categories: Player, Developmental Player, Builder, and Referee/Linesman. Players must have concluded their career as an active player for a minimum of three playing seasons, though not continuous or full seasons. Development Players must have began their career in the ECHL and went on to a distinguished career in the NHL, playing a minimum of 260 regular season games in the NHL, AHL and ECHL. Builders may be active or inactive whereas Referee/Linesman must have concluded their active officiating career for a minimum of three playing seasons.