Checkers Takahito Suzuki Heads For All Star Game
Published on January 20, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
Estero, FL - Monday, January 20, 2003: Checkers Japanese rookie Takahito Suzuki is gearing up to represent Charlotte in this week's East Coast Hockey League's 11th Annual Compuware All-Star game to be played in Estero, Florida. The Florida Everblades are serving as the host city for this season's All-Star classic. Suzuki is the lone representative for the Checkers this season, and will attempt to help lead the Northern Conference All-Stars to victory over the Southern Conference All-Stars.
"I am very happy to play in the All-Star game," commented Suzuki. "It is a privilege to represent Charlotte and I will do my best." In addition to the All-Star game, Suzuki will also be taking part in the ECHL skills competition which is staged on Monday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m.
At the All-Star break, Suzuki is the Checkers fourth leading scorer with 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points. He also has one hat trick to his credit this season. The 27 year-old is playing his first professional season in North America. He is the third Japanese player to ever play in the ECHL, but the first to ever score a goal and get a point.
Suzuki will also be participating in the ECHL's "Skills Competition" which will be held tonight in conjunction with the All-Star game. Suzuki will participate in the Sher-Wood Puck Control Relay, where each player must skate to the far face-off circle to pick up a puck and then carry it through the pylon course. When a player crosses the starting line the next player begins. If a player loses control of the puck, he must regain control and return to the point where control was lost. Suzuki will also participate the Itech Breakaway Relay where six shooters skate in and attempt to score on an opposing goaltender in less than 45 seconds. Each goal scored is a point for the respective team while each save made is added to the respective goaltender's saves from the rapid-fire competition to determine the winner of the Itech Goaltender award.
RADIO & TV FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME:
The East Coast Hockey League Compuware All-Star Game will be televised live on NHL Center Ice in the United States and on NHL Network in Canada.
The game is also being broadcast live by Comcast Sports Southeast / Charter Sports Southeast to its more than 3.9 million subscribers in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The ECHL, in association with Yahoo! Broadcast, is also making the telecast available online with live broadband video. The live broadcast video requires a minimum connection speed of 100 Kbytes and Real Player. Dial-up customers will be able to listen to the radio broadcast on Yahoo! Broadcast, marking the fifth consecutive year that Yahoo! has carried the ECHL All-Star Game audio broadcast live on the Internet. Fans can get the audio and video by logging on to the East Coast Hockey League website at www.echl.com.
In addition, the East Coast Hockey League has selected Pointstreak to broadcast real-time statistics from the Compuware/ECHL All-Star Game. For the ECHL All-Star Game, Pointstreak's system will literally be broadcasting the game goal-by-goal to media, fans, players, parents and league members around the world. Fans and media will be able to tune in and follow the game by going to Pointstreak's website at www.pointstreak.com or by going to the ECHL's website at www.echl.com.
American Hockey League Stories from January 20, 2003
- Checkers Get Three-Day Rest for All-Star Break - Charlotte Checkers
- Farkas traded, Nielsen and Herperger acquired and assigned by the Canucks to the Moose - Manitoba Moose
- Flames Weekly - Saint John Flames
- Griffins Embark on East Coast Swing - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Sound Tigers Complete Second Leg Of Seven Game Trip - Bridgeport Islanders
- Wolves Auction Items in Memory of Jennifer Ferraro - Chicago Wolves
- Rochester Heads to Cincinnati for Two Games this Week - Rochester Americans
- Daigle named American Hockey League Player of the Week - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Rookies, 1st-Rounders Top AHL All-Star Rosters - AHL
- Checkers Takahito Suzuki Heads For All Star Game - Charlotte Checkers
- Daigle Named AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Moose Start Six-Game Homestand Tuesday - Manitoba Moose
- Bulldogs Unbeaten in 14 Games on the Road - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
- Columbus/Syracuse Shuttle Adds Extra Flights - Syracuse Crunch
- Admirals Finish Week with Win, Tie, Loss - Norfolk Admirals
- Falcons Fodder - Springfield Falcons
- Bears Square off with Pens, Sens and Admirals this Week - Hershey Bears
- Pirates' Hot Streak Cools off - Portland Pirates
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