NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and AHL’s Hershey Bears, are proud to announce that former Stingrays goaltender Jeff Jakaitis will be inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame as part of its 2027 class. 

Jakaitis enjoyed a standout seven-year career in the ECHL with Columbia, Charlotte, Gwinnett and South Carolina, spending five seasons with the Stingrays. He is the only three-time winner of the League’s Goaltender of the Year award, capturing the honor in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and is one of just four goaltenders to be named ECHL Most Valuable Player, which he received in 2015. 

“I’m honored to be selected to join such a special group and feel truly lucky to have shared the ice with so many great players and coaches during my time in the league,” said Jakaitis. “I’m especially grateful for the time I was able to spend with the Stingrays. The ownership, front office, alumni, fans, players, coaches and arena staff truly felt like family and I’m proud to share this honor with them.”

“Jeff was an incredible ambassador for the ECHL and the South Carolina Stingrays,” said Stingrays President Rob Concannon. “We always knew that with JJ in net, we had a chance to win every game. He was instrumental in helping the Rays reach the Kelly Cup Finals during the 2014-15 season, earning the league’s Most Valuable Player award for his outstanding performance. During our historic 23-game winning streak that season, JJ consistently came up with big saves at critical moments, helping keep the streak alive and giving our team the confidence to believe we could win every night.”

During the 2014-15 season, he set an ECHL record with four consecutive shutouts and a 321:46 shutout streak. His shutout streak stands as the second best in professional hockey history, behind only Brian Boucher, who had a streak of 332:01 with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes in 2003-04. Jakaitis is tied for the ECHL career record with 25 shutouts, is tied for 15th with a 2.36 goals-against average and ranks 18th with 128 career wins.

“Beyond his accomplishments on the ice, Jeff was equally committed to giving back to the community,” said Concannon. “He was always willing to lend a hand and make a difference in the lives of others. Even after retiring, he continued to give back to the game by mentoring young goaltenders through the Charleston Youth Hockey Association (CYHA). Jeff’s impact on the Stingrays, the ECHL, and the Charleston hockey community went far beyond his accomplishments as a player. He was a winner, a leader, and a tremendous ambassador for our organization. We will always be grateful for everything JJ gave to the Rays and our community.”

Jakaitis becomes the seventh former Stingray player to be inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame, joining David Seitz (2012), Jason Saal (2018), Jared Bednar (2020), Brett Marietti (2022), Brad Dexter (2024) and Jason Fitzsimmons (2024). 

The other inductees in the 2027 class are Matt Hendricks and Derek Nesbitt. The 2027 ECHL Hall of Fame ceremony, presented by BFL CANADA and Sutton Special Risk, will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 26, 2027 at the Grove Hotel Ballroom in Boise, Idaho. The three will be formally inducted as the 19th class of the ECHL Hall of Fame at a banquet that will be held in conjunction with the 2027 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Project Filter.

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The Stingrays return to the North Charleston Coliseum on Friday, October 30th for Emo Night, presented by Fan Cave Tickets, against the Savannah Ghost Pirates at 7:05 p.m. The full schedule can be viewed on our website here.

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