Gorillas Put on Bonus Display in Competition
October 18, 2005 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
AMARILLO, TX "" The Gorillas, their season-ticket holders and media partners spent a fun-filled evening at the Amarillo Civic Center last night as new and old members of the 2005-2006 roster showed their strengths in the Skills and Drills Competition.
Divided and matched up into two teams, Red and Black, the Gorillas participated in six events ranging from Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Fastest Shot, to Best Stick-Handling and more. Overall, the competition was forced into overtime after a 5-2 final round comeback for the Black team in the Shootout event. At the end of the drills, the overall skills showed in favor of the Black team with a 10-9 sudden-death win.
The event was highlighted by forward Joey Sewell's accuracy, knocking down all four goalie targets in just seven tries; veteran Dave Rattray's speed, skating along the boards in just over 14 seconds; and defenseman Tony Maci's 93 mile-per-hour slap-shot.
Shortly after the competition, fans and media were catered to a buffet dinner by Jason's Deli while players came up one-by-one to auction off their Skills and Drills-worn jerseys. The largest popularity was for the shirt belonging to goalie Shawn Degagne. The returning tender begins his fourth year as a Gorilla, compiling 73 wins and a goals-against-average of below 2.65 for each of the last three seasons. He has also been a Central Hockey League All-Star.
The Gorillas would like to thank all of the partners who participated in last night's event, including Taco Villa, Nationwide Insurance, Chop Chop Japanese Steakhouse, Bud Light, Coors Light and the aforementioned Jason's Deli.
"It was a special night," said Amarillo General Manager Darren McLean. "The food was terrific, the jersey auction was exciting for our fans and the players provided a sneak-peak at their strong points."
The Gorillas open the 2005-2006 season this Saturday, October 22nd, as Amarillo hosts Southern Conference rival Laredo. The Opening Night extravaganza at the Amarillo Civic Center is sponsored by Taco Villa and the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a free magnet schedule courtesy of the terrific Mexican-style restaurant. Be sure to also show up early for the game for Budweiser Pre-Game Tailgate Party! Just bring your food and the Budweiser team will be happy to prepare it for you as the Gorillas prepare for their opener. Great seats are still available!
Meanwhile, Gorillas hockey returns to the airwaves for the October 22nd opener against the Bucks. All 64 regular-season games, as well as playoff contests, can be heard live this season on 1440 AM The Score. If there are conflicts due to football, some of the games will be moved to 1550 AM The Zone. Broadcaster Adam Kaufman will anchor the coverage in his first year with the Gorillas. Amarillo Gorillas Hockey Presented by NewsChannel 10 will begin with Gorillas Pre-Game 20 minutes before the puck is dropped and will also be streamed live on the web at www.amarillogorillas.com. To view the games as well, www.chltv.com will bring you all but seven regular season Gorillas games during the 2005-2006 campaign. Fans should consult the website for pricing and system requirements.
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Central Hockey League Stories from October 18, 2005
- Mudbugs Acquire Shaw from Colorado - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Gorillas Put on Bonus Display in Competition - Amarillo Gorillas
- Oilers Make Roster Adjustments - Tulsa Oilers
- Ice Bats Turn "Lights On" For After-School Programs - Austin Ice Bats
- Defending champs make roster moves - Colorado Eagles
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