RiverHawks Hit the Road In Search of Talent

Published on August 11, 2010 under SPHL (SPHL)
Augusta RiverHawks News Release


The Augusta RiverHawks are starting its inaugural Southern Professional Hockey League season in a little over two months. This means it is time for Head Coach Brad Ralph and General Manager Gilles Richard to throw the recruiting process into top-gear. Last week Ralph hit the road attending a Pro-Showcase Camp in Niagara Falls, Ontario July 22nd through the 24th. While Ralph was in Ontario General Manager Gilles Richard was doing some scouting of his own in his native New Brunswick, taking sessions from various summertime hockey camps and interviewing prospective players.

The showcase camp in Niagara featured players with experience in each North American professional hockey league, as well as graduating NCAA and Canadian college players and players with junior hockey experience. It's just one of many steps Coach Ralph will take in building the RiverHawks from expansion team to SPHL contender.

"We are starting from scratch with the roster, so it's imperative for us to beat the bushes and uncover talent," said Ralph, who is entering his first season as a pro head coach after a stellar playing career.. "This showcase helped to put me in contact with some very talented hockey players who we may not have otherwise been able to reach. It also allowed me to network and build relationships with coaches in other leagues like the East Coast Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. These relationships are important because they lead to opportunities for our players to advance their careers past this season, as well as building a pipeline for players to find their way to Augusta."

The showcase camp featured two spirited ice sessions each day, a practice session in the morning and a game in the evening. Tensions ran high at times with several fights breaking out during the games as players battled to get noticed by the coaches and scouts. Two of those fights included a player whom Coach Ralph signed at the completion of camp. That announcement will come once the signing is submitted and approved by the SPHL.

"The camp not only showed off the players' respective skill level, but also the players' compete-level," said Ralph. "A high priority for our club in the early going is to show the work ethic, competitiveness and desire necessary for us to win in this league. A stat-sheet or hockey resume does not do show that side of a player's game. That is why it's so vital for me to be able to see these guys in action and be sure that we are bringing in the sort of characters that will help us win."

The event on Coach Ralph's recruiting calendar is another showcase came in Ohio, followed shortly by the RiverHawks' own Free Agent Evaluation Camp. The RiverHawks' camp will be held on August 21st and 22nd, 2010 at the Augusta Ice Sports Center at 1249 Augusta West Parkway. Players can sign up for the camp at www.augustariverhawks.com or by calling 706-993-2645. Hockey fans in the CSRA who are looking to scratch their hockey itch are welcome to watch as the sessions are open to the public.

The RiverHawks' inaugural season will begin with a weekend extravaganza October 22nd and 23rd. Information on season tickets and sponsorships for the 2010-11 season are available by visiting www.augustariverhawks.com and clicking on "Tickets", or by calling 706-993-2645.

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