Former Wildcat, NAHL alum Costello named ECHL MVP

The ECHL on Friday announced that former Wichita Falls Wildcat forward Chad Costello of the Colorado Eagles has been selected as the CCM ECHL Most Valuable Player for 2011-12.
 
The CCM Most Valuable Player award is presented annually to the player selected to be the most valuable to his team as determined in a vote of ECHL coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors and media members.
  
Costello, who was named First-Team All-ECHL last week, was fourth in the ECHL with 76 points (29g-47a) despite playing just 47 games. He was tied for fourth in the league in plus-minus at +21 and tied for sixth with 47 assists. He also appeared in 11 American Hockey League games this season with Springfield and Worcester tallying four assists.
 
A native of Johnston, Iowa, Costello was the ECHL’s Plus Performer of the Month for December after leading the league with a plus-minus rating of +19, and he was the league’s Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 11 after posting five points (3g-2a) and a +7 rating in three games.

Costello played in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) during the 2004-05 season for the Wichita Falls Wildcats.  That season, he finished second in team scoring with 63 points in 56 games played, while also finishing in the Top 10 in the NAHL in points and goals (29).  Costello played his collegiate hockey at Northeastern University and over the course of his five-year professional career, has spent time in the AHL, ECHL, CHL and IHL.