Cincinnati, OH- The Cincinnati Cyclones, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Buffalo Sabres and the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Rochester Americans, and in conjunction with the ECHL, have announced that forwards Justin Danforth and Jesse Schultz, along with defenseman and team captain Eric Knodel have been named to the All-ECHL Second Team.
Currently skating with the Americans, Danforth, who was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team on Wednesday, ranks second amongst ECHL first years with 28 goals and 31 assists, along with a team-leading plus-24 on-ice rating, through 44 games with the Cyclones this season. Before his recall on February 13, Danforth was riding a seven-game point streak totaling seven goals and 10 assists in that time, and he also enjoyed an 11-game point streak from November 18-December 15, accounting for seven goals and 10 assists in that span. Additionally, he has appeared in 15 games with the Americans this season, accounting for a pair of goals and three assists.
He was also the Cyclones’ representative in this season’s CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic, recording a goal and emerging victorious in the Fastest Skater Competition, setting a new ECHL record with a lap of 12.75 seconds.
A native of Oshawa, ON, Danforth turned pro late in 2016-17, skating in nine games between the ECHL’s Reading Royals and the Americans and AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, totaling three goals and two assists in that time. Prior to turning pro, Danforth had an outstanding career at Sacred Heart University where he amassed 124 points (42g, 82a) in 147 games. He also served as assistant captain during his senior season.
Schultz leads the Cyclones and ranks second in ECHL scoring with 18 goals and a League-leading 55 assists in 69 games played. He recently enjoyed an eight-game point streak from March 10-23 where he amassed a pair of goals and nine assists in that time. He also experienced a 13-game heater from November 25-December 27, totaling nine goals and 14 assists in that span.
A native of Strasbourg, SK, Schultz eclipsed 900 career games and 800 career points this season, and is just 10 assists away from 500 for his career. In addition to his ECHL experience, Schultz has close to 400 games of AHL experience, and his time in North America has also been marked by over 160 Central Hockey League (CHL) games, and a pair of NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2006-07. He has also seen time overseas in Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, and Sweden.
Currently in his second season with the Cyclones, Knodel is tied for third amongst League rearguards with 13 goals and 35 assists for in 55 games this season. His 13 goals tie him for fifth in the league, while his 35 assists place him in a tie for fourth amongst defensemen. He has also appeared in six games for the Americans.
The 6-6, 225-pound blueliner skated in 58 games last season, leading the Cyclones in defenseman scoring with eight goals and 20 assists, and he was tied for third with a plus-seven on-ice rating. He was one of the ECHL’s top defensemen at the midway point of the season, and for his efforts he was awarded a spot in the 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic in Glens Falls. He also took part in the All-Star Hardest Shot competition, where he finished in second place with a shot of 96mph.
Knodel split the 2015-16 season between the Utah Grizzlies and the American Hockey League’s (AHL) San Diego Gulls. In 60 games between the two sides, Knodel accounted for 22 points (7g, 15a), along with 16 penalty minutes and a plus-7 on-ice rating. The West Chester, PA, native split the 2014-15 season with the Orlando Solar Bears and the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. In 57 combined games that year, Knodel accounted for five goals and 22 assists along with a plus-16 on-ice rating. He began his pro career in 2014 with the Marlies, following completion of his collegiate career. He dished out a pair of assists in 10 games.
Prior to turning pro, Knodel spent four seasons at the University of New Hampshire, and was named captain during his season year in 2013-14. In 116 games for the Wildcats, he accounted for 20 goals and 41 assists for 61 total points, including a career-high 28 (7g, 21a) during his senior year.
2017-18 All-ECHL First Team
G – Parker Milner, South Carolina Stingrays
D – David Makowski, Allen Americans
D – Matt Register, Colorado Eagles
F – Michael Joly, Colorado Eagles
F – Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman, Manchester Monarchs
F – Shawn Szydlowski, Fort Wayne Komets
2017-18 All-ECHL Second Team
G – Pat Nagle, Toledo Walleye
D – Eric Knodel, Cincinnati Cyclones
D – Nolan Zajac, Reading Royals
F – Justin Danforth, Cincinnati Cyclones
F – Jesse Schultz, Cincinnati Cyclones
F – Matt Willows, Reading Royals
