Allen Americans Win Ray Miron Presidents' Cup
May 12, 2013 - Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release
GLENDALE, AZ (May 11, 2013) - The Central Hockey League's (CHL) Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Finals concluded on Saturday night at the Allen Event Center with the Allen Americans erasing a 2-0 third period deficit to defeat the Wichita Thunder in overtime by a 3-2 score. The win marks the first franchise title for the Americans who became just the eighth CHL team to win both the regular season and post-season title in the same season.
2013 Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Finals (best-of-7)
Wichita Thunder (2) vs. Allen Americans (1)
Game 1 - Thunder 4, AMERICANS 1
Game 2 - AMERICANS 5, Thunder 2
Game 3 - THUNDER 5, Americans 2
Game 4 - Americans 2, THUNDER 1
Game 5 - AMERICANS 5, Thunder 1
Game 6 - THUNDER 3, Americans 2
Game 7 - AMERICANS 3, Thunder 2 (OT)
The Americans win their first championship in their second Finals appearance (2010 lost to Rapid City), while the Thunder fall in the Finals for the second consecutive season.
The series went back and forth all the way until the end and will go down as one of the best in CHL post-season history. On two occasions, Wichita held a lead in the series taking a 1-0 and 2-1 lead. The Americans become the first CHL team to lose Game 1 of three straight series' and still go on to win the Cup.
Trailing 2-1, the Americans won a close Game 4 and then blew out the Thunder in Game 5 to move to within a game of winning the crown but a great performance in Game 6 by Wichita moved the series to just the sixth Game 7 in CHL Finals history.
In the final game, the Thunder scored goals in the first and second period and led 2-0 after 40 minutes, a position that saw them post an 8-0 record in this year's post-season and a position that saw the Americans go winless in six chances where they trailed after two periods.
Allen forward Brian McMillin was named the 2013 CHL Playoff Most Valuable Player after leading all skaters with 12 goals in the playoffs and finishing second with 20 points (12-8=20). McMillin scored four goals in the Finals including the game winner in Game's 2 and 4.
CHL Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Champions
2013 - Allen Americans
2012 - Fort Wayne Komets
2011 - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
2010 - Rapid City Rush
2009 - Texas Brahmas
2008 - Arizona Sundogs
2007 - Colorado Eagles
2006 - Laredo Bucks
2005 - Colorado Eagles
2004 - Laredo Bucks
2003 - Memphis RiverKings
2002 - Memphis RiverKings
2001 - Oklahoma City Blazers (WPHL - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs)
2000 - Indianapolis Ice (WPHL - Shreveport Mudbugs)
1999 - Huntsville Channel Cats (WPHL - Shreveport Mudbugs)
1998 - Columbus Cottonmouths (WPHL - El Paso Buzzards)
1997 - Fort Worth Fire (WPHL - El Paso Buzzards)
1996 - Oklahoma City Blazers
1995 - Wichita Thunder
1994 - Wichita Thunder
1993 - Tulsa Oilers
CHL Playoff Most Valuable Player
2013 - Brian McMillin, Allen Americans
2012 - Mike Vaskivuo, Fort Wayne Komets
2011 - Jeff Kyrzakos, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
2010 - Les Reaney, Rapid City Rush
2009 - Jason Deitsch, Texas Brahmas
2008 - Rob McVicar, Arizona Sundogs
2007 - Greg Pankewicz, Colorado Eagles
2006 - Jeff Bes, Laredo Bucks
2005 - Chris Hartsburg, Colorado Eagles
2004 - David Guerrera, Laredo Bucks
2003 - Kahlil Thomas, Memphis RiverKings
2002 - Don Parsons, Memphis RiverKings
2001 - Rod Branch, Oklahoma City Blazers (WPHL - Jason Campbell, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs)
2000 - Jamie Morris, Indianapolis Ice (WPHL - Hugo Hamelin, Shreveport Mudbugs)
1999 - Derek Puppa, Huntsville Channel Cats (WPHL - John Vecchiarelli, Shreveport Mudbugs)
1998 - Mike Martens, Columbus Cottonmouths (WPHL - Billy Trew, El Paso Buzzards)
1997 - Steve Plouffe, Fort Worth Fire (WPHL - Chris MacKenzie, El Paso Buzzards)
1996 - Jean-Ian Filiatrault, Oklahoma City Blazers
1995 - Ron Handy, Wichita Thunder
1994 - Ron Handy, Wichita Thunder
1993 - Tony Fiore, Tulsa Oilers
Central Hockey League Stories from May 12, 2013
- Allen Americans Win 2013 CHL Championship - Allen Americans
- Allen Americans Win Ray Miron Presidents' Cup - CHL
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