Gorillas get their gladiator

Published on July 27, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release


AMARILLO, TX – The Amarillo Gorillas of the Central Hockey League will have a member of the hockey gladiators in their line-up this fall, with the signing of tough guy Ken Fels.

Fels makes his return to the CHL after spending the past two seasons in the former Atlantic Coast Hockey League and the United Hockey League.

"I am looking forward to the opportunity to come and play in Amarillo," said Fels. "The city was always a great place to play when I was with Lubbock, so I am looking forward to the challenge."

Fels, originally from Bow Island, Alberta, spent the past season with the Port Huron Beacons of the UHL where he appeared in 52 games netted four goals and added four assists for eight points and accumulated 170 penalty minutes.

"I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Ken in North Carolina and he is a great guy," said Gorillas Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager Joe Ferras. "He will bring an element to our team that has been lacking the past two years with his toughness and grit."

In the 2002-2003 season, Fels played with the Ste. Pete/Winston-Salem franchise of the former ACHL where he had five goals and seven assists for 12 points and 187 penalty minutes in 54 games.

Fels began his professional career in 2000-2001 with the Wichita Thunder of the CHL where he appeared in 63 games and had two goals and five assists for seven points and 215 penalty minutes. The following season (2001-2002) he moved to the Lubbock Cotton Kings, where Amarillo hockey fans will remember him the most. The six-foot, 220 pound defender appeared in all 64 of the Cotton Kings games and had one goal and eight assists for nine points and 145 penalty minutes.

"With the dimensions of Amarillo's ice surface, Ken is the type of player that will have many defensemen in the Central Hockey League looking backwards when he is barreling down on them," said Ferras. "A big key to our success the last two years has been our fore-checking, and Ken will greatly add to our squad in that department.

"Ken will primarily be playing forward, but with his experience as a defenseman, it gives us that added dimension when we get into injury problems or penalty trouble."

Fels will participate in the first-ever Hockey Gladiators in Minnesota next month, a tough-man competition that features hockey players fighting on the ice as they would in an actual game setting.

Fels said the event is divided up into two days with an opening round set for Friday, Aug. 20 that fans will not be able to view. The finals will be held on the Saturday, August 21 on pay-per-view.

"I am really looking forward to this competition as it will be excellent exposure for me," he said. "I think this is a great event for the fans to watch."

Other tough guys scheduled to compete are former Western Professional Hockey League and Central Hockey League players such as Amarillo Rattlers Jody Murphy, Corpus Christi Rayz forward Brad Wingfield, Oklahoma City Blazer Charlie Elezi and ex-National Hockey League toughman Lyndon Byers.

For further information on the Hockey Gladiators event please see the website at www.hockeygladiators.com.

The Amarillo Gorillas are excited about their third season in the Central Hockey League. The home and season opener is set for Friday, October 22 against the Odessa Jackalopes at 7 p.m. at The Jungle in the Amarillo Civic Center.

Season tickets as well as 10 and 15 game mini-packs are available and fans can drop by the Gorillas hockey office at 1934 Civic Circle or call 242-7825 to see what great seats are still available. A $50 deposit is required to hold the seats and they must be paid in full by October.

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Central Hockey League Stories from July 27, 2004


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