Corpus Christi Rayz 2005-06 season in review

Published on March 29, 2006 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


The Corpus Christi Rayz would like to thank all of their fans, season ticket holders and sponsors for their unwavering support throughout the 2005-2006 season. The Rayz have been thrilled to bring hockey to South Texas for the better part of the last decade, and look forward to a strong return to the ice in October for their ninth season of professional hockey. We greatly appreciate the passion and exuberance of our fan base that has steadily grown throughout the history of our team.

On Sunday, the Rayz concluded their eighth season in Corpus Christi on the final day of the Central Hockey League's 2005-2006 campaign. The season was one of ups and downs for the Rayz, but in the end, more than 132,000 fans came out to watch Rayz hockey at the American Bank Center and set a franchise attendance record for fans in a season. This year the Rayz averaged over 4,100 fans per contest for the second consecutive season. The large crowds were treated to excitement and surprises all year long, including several great prizes won at various Rayz games. The Rayz teamed up with Fine Jewelry Outlet to give away more than $36,000 worth of diamonds throughout the season. With help from Time Warner, the Rayz sent a lucky fan on a weekend trip to Las Vegas to see a middleweight prize fight between "Sugar" Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. The Rayz also gave away tickets to see the Houston Astros, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans as well.

This season also saw the Rayz reaffirm their relationship with the community. Corpus Christi raised money and donated tickets for various South Texas charities all year long. With help from the Caller-Times and Berry Company, the Rayz were able to designate ticket blocks at all games to donate to school children and charitable organizations. Last weekend's Second Annual Pack the House For Charity Night broke a single-game attendance record as the Rayz welcomed 7,584 fans to an overtime thriller against the rival Laredo Bucks. Proceeds from that game alone helped raise more than $5,000 for local South Texas charities. In November, the Second Annual Cool School Day Game, once again featured more than 3,000 local area students attending a matinee Rayz game.

Second year programs such as Rayz Rewards and Rayz Days of Summer allowed fans to get up close and personal with the team. The return of specialty nights such as Family Day, Men's Night, Ladies Night and College Night helped give fans the unique experience of forming a relationship with specific nights of Rayz hockey, while taking advantage of discounts. Additionally, special guests such as WWE Hall of Fame Wrestler, Sgt. Slaughter, Texas Gubernatorial Candidate, Kinky Friedman, Wrestling Commentator, Jerry "The King" Lawler and the most storied trophy in professional sports, the Stanley Cup thrilled fans from beginning to end this season.

The last five months helped the Rayz establish themselves further inside the hockey community at all levels of play. The Rayz sent three players to higher levels of training camp this season, including veteran Shawn Legault who was called to the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings training camp in October. The Rayz also had goaltender Scott Reid spend more than a month of the season in the American Hockey League, seeing stints with three different AAA level clubs. On the ice accolades were received by the Rayz in the form of All-Star selections to captain, Bernie John and Reid. Second year Rayz forward Ryan Carter was named the Most Underrated Player in the CHL. Corpus Christi also broke out this season against their biggest rivals. The Rayz became the only team this season to beat the Laredo Bucks in consecutive games in Laredo, posting an incredible 4-3 shootout win, followed by a 3-0 shutout. Corpus Christi had points in five of their final eight games of the season against the Bucks.

The Rayz had a flare for the dramatic this season, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. 37 of the 64 Rayz games this season were decided by one goal (or two, including an empty net tally). Although the Rayz fell short of their goal of making the post-season, the Rayz did succeed in making the American Bank Center a fun, safe and enjoyable venue to watch the Rayz play their home games. The Rayz are committed to carry over their off-ice success into next year, while directing Corpus Christi back to the playoffs. As the Rayz head into the seven-month off-season, the organization would once again like to recognize and thank all of the fans, season ticket holders and sponsors that have kept the Rayz in business over the last eight seasons and been with us for the last year. Without your support we could not continue to bring South Texas the finest in sports entertainment. On behalf of the entire Rayz organization, thank you all for helping to make Rayz hockey flourish in our community. The Rayz look forward to welcoming you back to the American Bank Center in October for the 2006-2007 season. For ticket or sponsorship information, please call the Rayz at (361) 814-PUCK. Once again, thank you and we wish you a happy off-season.

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