Cottonmouth's Longest Tenured Player to Retire, Ceremony Saturday

March 20, 2013 - SPHL (SPHL)
Columbus Cottonmouths News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) formally announce the retirement of forward and co-captain Orrin Hergott. The team will honor Hergott in a pregame ceremony prior to the regular season finale this Saturday night at the Columbus Civic Center at 7:30 PM.

Hergott is the only individual to have skated in the SPHL in each of the nine seasons of its existence. He retires as the league's leader in career games played with 404 games, all of those as a member of the Cottonmouths. He is also the only player to have been a member of both Snakes championship teams in the SPHL in both 2005 and 2012.

Hergott arrived in Columbus in the team and league's inaugural season in 2004-05 after starting his professional career in camp with the former Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League. He enjoyed a stellar rookie season in Columbus, finishing fourth in goals with 24 and fifth in points with 57. The speedster also had the second-best plus-minus on the team at +17 and was tied for second in the SPHL with three shorthanded goals. He also spent three games in 2004-05 on loan to the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays.

Following a successful rookie campaign, he continued a successful pro career in Columbus and was named the team's player-assistant coach for the 2010-11 season following the departure of assistant coach Geoff Beauparlant from the team. He served in that role for one season until the hiring of Brad Prefontaine as a full-time assistant coach for the 2011-12 season. The 2011-12 season was also the only one of Hergott's career where he skated in all 56 regular-season games as he enjoyed his highest offensive output since the 2006-07 season, helping the Cottonmouths secure their second league championship. Hergott was named a co-captain to begin this season along with teammate Sam Bowles after the retirement of former Snakes captain Will Barlow. Hergott skated in just 11 games earlier this season before suffering a season-ending injury that would ultimately hasten his retirement. He leaves the Snakes third overall in career scoring as a member of the Cottonmouths with 298 points, behind the 393 by Tim Green and 306 by Lorne Misita. Hergott is the only player in the SPHL to have more than 400 career games played, finishing with 404.

Hergott's #11 jersey will be raised to the rafters on Saturday night, joining the three other players - current head coach and former CHL and ECHL team captain Jerome Bechard, former CHL goaltender Frankie Ouellette, and former SPHL team captain Craig Stahl - whose jersey numbers have been retired by the Cottonmouths.

The Cottonmouths' season ticket drive for the upcoming 2013-14 season is in full swing. For more details, check out the Snakes' website at www.cottonmouths.com. Season ticket prices are unchanged from the current season with one notable exception: the team now offers a discounted upper level youth season ticket for children ages 12 and under for just $219 for all 28 regular season games.

For more information on these and other exciting upcoming promotions, contact the Cottonmouths front office at 706.571.0086.



SPHL Stories from March 20, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central