CHL Best of the Best Poll Results Announced
March 8, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release
TEMPE, AZ (March 8, 2011) - The Central Hockey League (CHL) released today the results of the annual ¬ËBest of the Best ¬â¢ poll as voted on by CHL players, coaches and operational staff from all 18 CHL teams (each team submitted one ballot). The poll consists of 50 categories ranging from ¬ËBest Overall Player ¬â¢ (Colorado ¬â¢s Riley Nelson) to ¬ËBest Mascot ¬â¢ (Rio Grande Valley ¬â¢s Sir-Sting-A-Lot). Each team provided three top choices for each category, with first place votes counting as five points, second place votes counting as three points and third place votes counting as one point.
The Allen Americans led the way among all CHL teams as they were represented in 17 different categories and finished first seven times (also the most of any team). Allen ¬â¢s Bruce Graham was voted ¬ËBest Power Forward ¬â¢ and his teammate Kip Brennan was voted ¬ËBest Fighter - Heavyweight ¬â¢. Other categories that the second-year Americans finished first in were ¬ËBest Team Logo ¬â¢, ¬ËBest Team Uniforms ¬â¢, ¬ËBest Cheerleaders/Dance Team ¬â¢, Best City ¬â¢ and tied for the ¬ËMost Attractive Place to Play ¬â¢.
Nelson wins the ¬ËBest Overall Player ¬â¢ category for the third straight season and represents one of six categories that the Colorado Eagles finished first. Nelson was also recognized as ¬ËBest Player on Face-Offs ¬â¢ and ¬ËMost Gentlemanly Player ¬â¢. Other categories the Eagles were represented as the best were ¬ËBest Shooter in Shootouts ¬â¢ (Kevin Ulanski), ¬ËBest PA Announcer ¬â¢ (Reed Saunders) and tied for ¬ËMost Attractive Place to Play ¬â¢. Overall, the Eagles were represented in 16 categories.
The Missouri Mavericks showed up in 15 different categories earning first place in six categories (tied for second among all CHL teams). The Mavs were identified as having the ¬ËBest Fans ¬â¢, ¬ËBest Game Notes ¬â¢, ¬ËBest Team Website ¬â¢, ¬ËBest Use of Social Media ¬â¢, ¬ËBest On-Ice Promotions ¬â¢ and Robby Nolan was voted as the league ¬â¢s ¬ËBest Goaltender ¬â¢.
Joining Brennan as the tops in the physical categories are familiar faces David Simoes of Rapid City who wins the ¬ËBest Fighter - Pound for Pound ¬â¢ for the third straight season and Colt King also from Rapid City who wins the ¬ËBest Bodychecker ¬â¢ also for the third straight season.
In other on-ice categories, Bloomington ¬â¢s Jason Christie was voted the ¬ËBest Coach ¬â¢ and his team was anointed the ¬ËHardest Working Team ¬â¢, Fort Wayne ¬â¢s Colin Chaulk was voted ¬ËBest Leader ¬â¢, Bossier-Shreveport ¬â¢s David Rutherford netted a hat trick being named the league ¬â¢s ¬ËBest Stickhandler ¬â¢, ¬ËFastest Skater ¬â¢ and ¬ËMost Annoying Player ¬â¢, Rio Grande Valley ¬â¢s Darcy Campbell was voted ¬ËBest Offensive Defenseman ¬â¢ and Texas ¬â¢ Jason Krischuk was voted ¬ËBest Defensive Defenseman ¬â¢. In a new category added to this year ¬â¢s poll, Dayton goaltender Jeff Jakaitis was voted ¬ËMost Valuable to His Team ¬â¢.
Some of the recognized teams and individuals in the off-ice categories include the Rapid City Rush with the ¬ËBest Arena Music ¬â¢, the INTRUST Bank Arena (home of the Wichita Thunder) winning ¬ËBest Arena ¬â¢, Bossier-Shreveport broadcaster Travis Huntington winning the ¬ËBest Broadcaster ¬â¢ and the NYTEX Sports Centre (home of the Texas Brahmas) being anointed the ¬ËToughest Building to Win In ¬â¢.
Blake Sebring of The News Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Indiana covered the results of the 2010-11 Best of the Best Poll.
Central Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2011
- Arizona Snaps 12-Game Road Winless Streak, Tops Laredo 2-1 - Arizona Sundogs
- Americans Slip in Third Period, Fall to Jacks 5-2 - Allen Americans
- Clayton's Hat Trick Lifts Bugs Over Gems - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- PrairieThunder Loses 4-3 in Overtime to the Texas Brahmas on Tuesday Night - Bloomington PrairieThunder
- Bucks Fall to Sundogs, 2-1 - Laredo Bucks
- Mavs Hold off Eagles, 3-2 - Kansas City Mavericks
- Gems Have Three Game Win Streak Snapped, Fall to Mudbugs 5-4 - Dayton Gems
- Brahmas Take It Down to Final Wire to Win 4-3 in OT - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Eagles Comeback Falls Short Against Mavs, Nolan - Colorado Eagles
- Thunder Sneaks by Oilers in OT - Wichita Thunder
- Jacks Take Over Fifth Place with 5-2 Win Over Allen - Odessa Jackalopes
- Alex Penner Called-Up to AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers - Colorado Eagles
- Robby Nolan Named Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week - Kansas City Mavericks
- RiverKings Support Warriors Center Efforts - Mississippi RiverKings
- Oakley CHL Goaltender of the Week Announced - CHL
- Oilers in Best of Best - Tulsa Oilers
- Rush Represented in Thirteen Different Categories of 2010-11 'Best of the Best' - Rapid City Rush
- IceMen Land in CHL Best of Best Awards - Evansville IceMen
- PrairieThunder Coach Jason Christie Named "Best Coach" in CHL Poll - Bloomington PrairieThunder
- Mudbugs Named Among CHL's Best - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Americans Reign Supreme in "Best of the Best" - Allen Americans
- Mavericks Shine in CHL's Best of the Best Poll - Kansas City Mavericks
- Eagles, Nelson Top League's "Best of the Best" Poll Again - Colorado Eagles
- Jakaitis and Labenski Named Among the Best in the CHL - Dayton Gems
- Jacks Recognized Among League's Best - Odessa Jackalopes
- Sundogs Sign D-Man Blatchford, Waive Grenache - Arizona Sundogs
- Mallards Recognized in CHL's "Best of the Best" Poll - Quad City Mallards
- Sundogs Recognized in Annual CHL 'Best of the Best' - Arizona Sundogs
- Lewicki Among Best of Best in CHL - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
- RiverKings Among CHL Best of the Best - Mississippi RiverKings
- CHL Best of the Best Poll Results Announced - CHL
- INTRUST Bank Arena Best in League Again - Wichita Thunder
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