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ECHL Kalamazoo Wings

Art Missias Receives Al Genovy Award

December 19, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release


Art Missias named the second recipient of the Al Genovy Ambassador Award Award Presented before Kalamazoo's home game this evening versus Fort Wayne

Kalamazoo, MI- Prior to this evening's Kalamazoo Wings home game, in a pregame ceremony, the team honored the late Art Missias as their second-ever recipient of the Al Genovy Ambassador Award.

Missias involvement with southwest Michigan hockey started in 1975, when he began coaching various boys and girls teams through the Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association (KOHA). From 1985 to 2004, Missias led the Portage Northern Hockey team as its head coach.

Whether it was Portage Northern High School, the Western Michigan University women's club team, or a KOHA youth hockey team, Missias passion for the game showed time and time again.

Missias served in leadership roles for the Michigan High School Athletic Association as the Secretary, Vice President, and the President of the Coaches Association.

It was his passion and impact on the community that made Missias the perfect choice for this year's Al Genovy Ambassador Award. Art passed away from the long battle with cancer in 2010. Accepting the award Friday night was his widow Julie.

The Ambassador Award is named after Al Genovy, who was a pillar in the southwest Michigan community since coming to the area to play for the K-Wings in 1974.

Genovy, who passed away in February 2011, played for the K-Wings from 1974-78 and also served as an assistant coach for the team from 1974-76.

Following his retirement from hockey, Genovy contributed to the growth of the sport of hockey primarily by coaching and working with youth players.

The following is the inscription that is on the award:

"The Al Genovy Ambassador Award is named in honor of the first- ever player and first-ever team captain of the Kalamazoo Wings. Al Genovy played for the K-Wings from their 1974 inaugural season through 1978 when he retired from professional hockey.

The Al Genovy Ambassador Award honors and celebrates his lifelong accomplishments on and off the ice as an ambassador in every sense of the word.

As team captain, he helped lay the foundation making K-Wings hockey an integral part of the community.

After retiring from the K-Wings in 1978, Al went on to lead the way growing the sport of hockey throughout the region.

The recipients of this award will epitomize the character and selflessness that made Al Genovy a great ambassador of K-Wings hockey as well as the sport of hockey, and even more importantly, an exceptional individual."

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