Coaches Named for USHL Prospects & All-Star Game
Published on January 19, 2009 under United States Hockey League (USHL) News Release
The United States Hockey League is pleased to announce the coaching staffs that will man the benches for the 2009 Prospects/All-Star Game, to be held in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Wednesday, February 4. The USHL annually selects an NHL scout to act as the head coach of each team. The associate coach of each team is the assistant coach of the team that leads the respective division at the season's 30-game mark.
Ernie Vargas, a scout with the Minnesota Wild, will be the head coach of the West Division All-Stars. He will be joined on the bench by Lincoln Stars Assistant Coach Nick Fouts. Brian Hunter, also a scout with the Minnesota Wild, will be the head coach of the East Division All-Stars. His associate coach will be Green Bay Gamblers Assistant Coach Jon Rogger.
Vargas starred at Coon Rapids (Minn.) High School and was a member of the 1982 WCCO All-State hockey team. That same year, he was a sixth round selection of the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL Entry Draft. Vargas played four years at the University of Wisconsin and was a member of their 1983 NCAA Championship team. Following college, Vargas enjoyed a four-year minor professional career in the IHL and the AHL. He has been a scout for several NHL teams, beginning in 1991, and has been with the Wild since 2003.
Hunter played his high school hockey at Woodbury (Minn.) High School, graduating in 1991. Upon graduation, he played with the USHL's North Iowa Huskies, who were coached by current Waterloo Black Hawks Head Coach P.K. O'Handley. From there, Hunter was off to Michigan Tech University, where he played for three years before an injury ended his career. The following season he joined the Michigan Tech coaching staff. He began his scouting career in 1997 and has been with the Wild since 2006.
Fouts, from Lake Stevens, Wash., is in his second season as an assistant coach with the Stars. Fouts played with the Stars for three seasons before a four-year college career at New England College. He played minor professional hockey for three seasons before joining the Stars' staff. Fouts is a current USHL record holder - he is tied for the most penalty minutes by a player in a single game, accumulating 40 on January 24, 2000.
Rogger, a native of St. Louis, Mo., is in his first season with the Gamblers. He previously served under current Gamblers Head Coach Jon Cooper while the two were with the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL. They teamed up to guide the Bandits to a national championship last season. Rogger played college hockey for four seasons at Ferris State University. As a coach, Rogger was the head coach of the West Michigan Warriors AAA hockey club. He also has head coaching experience with the Chesterfield (Mo.) Falcons and Parkway (Mo.) Central High School.
"We're honored to have Ernie Vargas and Brian Hunter - two long-time friends and supporters of the USHL - join us for our All-Star festivities," said USHL Commissioner Skip Prince. "Congratulations as well to Nick Fouts and Jon Rogger of their selection as assistant coaches, as well as for the successes of the Lincoln Stars, who lead the West Division, and the Green Bay Gamblers, at the head of the East Division, at the mid-way point in our season."
The festivities in Sioux Falls will kick off with the 2009 USHL Prospects/All-Star Game Banquet, to be held on Tuesday, February 3. Olympic gymnast and gold medalist Shawn Johnson will be the keynote speaker. There will also be a silent auction featuring sports and entertainment memorabilia. Proceeds from the All-Star dinner silent auction will benefit the local Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Stampede Foundation for Kids.
Tickets for the All-Star Dinner are $50 per person ($500 for a table of 10) for the full program and $20 per person for families and individuals that would just like to hear Shawn Johnson speak and get her autograph. The All-Star Dinner packages are currently on sale and can be purchased ONLY through the Sioux Falls Stampede office, call 605-336-6060 (ext. 201) to order your tickets.
On the night of the game, the Stanley Cup will make its first-ever appearance in Sioux Falls at the Sioux Falls Arena. Fans can view hockey's Holy Grail and have their pictures taken with it during the game.
Tickets for the All-Star Game are currently on sale and are available at the Sioux Falls Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Dinner packages are on sale at the Stampede office: 605-336-6060 (Ext. 201).
The USHL is celebrating its 30th season of junior hockey in 2008-09. With over 140 players already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 16 NHL Draft picks playing in the league, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.ushl.com.
United States Hockey League Stories from January 19, 2009
- Hawks to Honor Pavelski - Waterloo Black Hawks
- This Week in the USHL - USHL
- Coaches Named for USHL Prospects & All-Star Game - USHL
- Ice And Musketeers In Friday Night Home Tilt - Indiana Ice
- Stampede Look to Continue Four-Game Winning Streak at Home this Weekend - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Hartzell named USHL Goaltender of the Week - Sioux Falls Stampede
- USHL Names Players of the Week - USHL
- Storm Add Another Player to Roster - Tri-City Storm
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