D'Alvise, Weller Headed to ECHL All-Star Game

PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL announced that former Clarkson standouts Chris D'Alvise of the Stockton Thunder and Shawn Weller of the Bakersfield Condors have been added to the National Conference roster for the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game and All-Star Skills Competition presented by Reebok Hockey and brought to you by Toyota and the City of Ontario.

D’Alvise, a rookie, replaces Dan Sexton of Bakersfield, who is currently playing in the National Hockey League, while Weller replaces fellow Condor center MacGregor Sharp, who is currently playing for San Antonio in the AHL.

Weller, 22, is the Condors team captain and leading scorer, ranking t-10th in the league with 36 points in 33 games. He also leads the wellerclub in assists (24) and plus/minus (+13), while he is just one goal off the team lead with 12. Originally a third-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2004, Weller was acquired by Anaheim in 2009.

Selected in the third round (77th overall) by the Ottawa Senators in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and under NHL contract to Anaheim, the 22-year-old Weller leads the Condors and is tied for 10th in the league with 36 points (12g-24a) in 33 games.

The 2010 ECHL All-Star Game presented by Reebok Hockey and brought to you by Toyota and the City of Ontario will be hosted by the Ontario Reign at Citizens Business Bank Arena and played on Jan. 20, 2010 while the 2010 ECHL All-Star Skills Competition will be held on Jan. 19, 2010.

D'Alvise is in his first full season of professional hockey and leads Thunder rookies with 12 goals and 22 points (12g-10a) in 31 games this season, standing seven goals off the ECHL rookie lead. He became the fifth player and second rookie in Thunder history to collect a hat trick on Nov. 1 at Victoria.

"It's a very well-deserving honor for Chris," said Thunder head coach Matt Thomas. "He's proven to be one of the top, young players in our conference. The strides he's made in his game in the last month make him a worthy representative, along with Judd Blackwater, for our organization on a national stage."

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound pivot parlayed a decorated four-year (2005-09) college career at Clarkson University (NCAA) before he made the jump to the professional level last March with Cincinnati, collecting three assists in just four ECHL games.

D'Alvise skated in 145 career games for the Knights throughout four seasons (2005-09), racking up 105 points (49g-56a), 49 goals and 117 penalty minutes. The native of Mississauga, Ontario guided the Knights to two appearances (2007, 2008) in the NCAA "Frozen Four" Tournament and enjoyed a career-high 29 points (12g-17a) in 39 games as a 2007-08 junior.

A player with prestigious hockey bloodlines, D'Alvise's father, Daniel was a member of the 1980 Canadian Olympic team and his Uncle, Bob was a 1975 All-American selection as a forward at Michigan Tech University.

Seven coaches from the ECHL All-Star Game have gone on to coach in the National Hockey League while 58 players from the contest have gone on to play in the NHL, including 33 since 2002 when the lineups began having players who coaches felt were prospects to move up to a higher level.

The third class will be inducted into the the ECHL Hall of Fame on Jan. 20, 2010 during a luncheon ceremony at the Hilton Ontario Airport, the official host hotel of the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game presented by Reebok Hockey and brought to you by Toyota and the City of Ontario. The featured speaker at the ECHL Hall of Fame luncheon will be Hockey Hall of Fame member and Los Angeles Kings President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille.