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ECHL Mourns Loss Of Chiarella

October 2, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL and its member teams mourn the loss and express their condolences to the family and friends of Phil Chiarella, who died on the weekend at age 66 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

"Phil was a great partner and a friend to the ECHL. He will be missed by all of us who did business with him," said ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all of his associates at SP Apparel."

Chiarella was vice president of SP Apparel which has been an ECHL partner since 2002-03, producing jerseys for teams and the ECHL All-Star Game. He launched Micron Skates where he was part of the team that developed the molded skate boot and later was executive vice president of Bauer when the company was sold to Nike. He played linebacker for Quebec in the Continental Football League and later worked as both an assistant coach and head coach before beginning his career in the sporting goods business.

"Phil was a very good and successful businessman and a very generous person. He was a bon vivant," Montreal Canadiens president Pierre Boivin, who was president and CEO of Bauer, told The Montreal Gazette. "Inside the growling exterior of a tough football player was a kind and generous human being."

Chiarella is survived by his wife, Lindsay, daughter, Tracie Berton, and two granddaughters, Cloe and Nichola. A memorial service will be held at noon on Tuesday at St. James United Church, 463 St. Catherine Street West, Montreal, Quebec.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to ProCure and the Palliative Care Unit of the Montreal General Hospital in Memory of Phil Chiarella.

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