Gorillas Players are Best-Of-The-Best
March 8, 2006 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release
AMARILLO, TX - The Central Hockey League this morning published its 2005-2006 annual Best-of-the-Best Poll, a 40-award ballot voted upon by the league's coaches, players and various media representatives. In the balloting, organized in a mathematical system based on players getting nominated as first, second or third place for their respective awards, the Gorillas cleaned up with 14 Top-3 finishes among the 40 awards, second only to the 15 belonging to the CHL defending-champion Colorado Eagles. However, the Gorillas ousted the Eagles in regard to awards given specifically to players by a 12-7 margin.
Assistant captain Derek Hahn was well-represented as the center was named the league's Best Overall Player, Best Stick-handler, Best Play-maker, Smartest Player, third-Best Skater and third-Best Leader.
"As I've said in the past, the personal accolades are phenomenal," acknowledged Hahn. "But, my numbers wouldn't be possible without the play of the guys around me, and all of us in that locker-room have one goal more important than individual awards and that's getting into the playoffs for the fourth straight year. We may have only 11 games left but they're all big and we have some work to do before anyone around here can relax."
Hahn, in his fourth year with the Gorillas, leads the CHL with a career-high 97 points on 31 goals and 66 assists, also personal-bests, in only 53 games. Earlier this season, the likely Most Valuable Player candidate was named an assistant captain and Southern Conference starting center for the 2006 Obra Homes All-Star Game in Hidalgo, Texas. Hahn was also the top vote-getter among players in either conference.
Hahn's line-mate, Scott Wray, who joined the club 13 games into the season after spending 21 contests with the London Racers in the Elite Ice Hockey League, was voted as the second-Best Penalty Killer and second-Most Underrated Player. If the winger is underrated, he has certainly tried to shed that label lately. Wray has four goals over his last three games, including back-to-back game-winners over division-rivals Lubbock and Odessa. On the year, the veteran leads the Gorillas with 32 goals and is second with 32 assists for 64 points in only 41 games. With his Racers statistics, Wray is having a career season - 41 goals, 36 assists and 77 points, all career-highs, in 62 games.
Fellow forward and veteran center, Dave Rattray, also showed his league-notoriety in the balloting by earning the distinctions of Best Defensive Forward and second-Best Player on Face-Offs. Rattray, an eighth-year professional, seven spent in Amarillo, has 19 points on ten goals and nine assists.
On the defensive side, it has been a phenomenal year for captain Mark DeSantis. Over the course of his 13th pro season, the veteran has surpassed career-milestones of 800 regular-season games played, 500 points and 2,000 penalty minutes. He has 41 points (11 goals and 30 assists) and 129 penalty minutes this year. In the balloting, DeSantis was named the second-Best Defensive Defenseman and third-Hardest Shooter, a distinction even more recognized at the All-Star Game when the player-coach won the league's Best Buy Hardest Shot Competition with an 88-mile-per-hour blast.
Despite all of the player honors, the Gorillas were not ignored as a team, nor was one of its members from the organization. Head Coach Joe Ferras' club was named the third-Hardest Working Team behind playoff-bound Bossier-Shreveport and post-season-hopeful Rio Grande Valley.
"For our team to be honored individually, Derek Hahn, Scott Wray, Dave Rattray and Mark DeSantis, it's terrific to be recognized on a league-level," said Coach Ferras. "The awards are all very deserving, not only this year, but in past seasons in their contributions with our club here in Amarillo. As far as being named the third hardest working team, it means a lot to know that when we go into other barns, teams respect us as much as we respect them."
Meanwhile, Stomp was named the CHL's Best Mascot, edging out Austin's Fang the Bat and Youngstown's Crusher the Hound.
"Stomp really plays to crowd at our home games and even occasionally comes out on the road," said General Manager Darren McLean. "Since becoming the Gorillas almost four years ago, Stomp has been as much of a fan-favorite as Dave Rattray, Shawn Degagne, Derek Hahn or anyone else. We're ecstatic that he's getting recognized."
For a complete list of the CHL Best-of-the-Best Poll results, go to the league website at www.centralhockeyleague.com. Or, for a story detailing the Poll's results, complete with interviews from some of the big winners, check out an article from Kollen Long of The Wichita Eagle at http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/sports/14034387.htm.
With Amarillo's 3-2 Jungle victory over Odessa Sunday, the Gorillas improve to 27-23-3 for 57 points, remaining in second place in the Southwest division, nine points ahead of Lubbock and 11 behind the Jackalopes. In the playoff race, Amarillo sits in fourth place in the Southern Conference, tied with Rio Grande Valley, who the Gorillas currently own a tie-breaker against. Austin remains six points ahead. The Gorillas have a game-in-hand on Odessa and four on Austin. They have played the same number of games as Rio Grande Valley and Lubbock.
Amarillo Gorillas Hockey Presented by NewsChannel 10 will be broadcast on 1440 AM The Score Friday night from the Kansas Coliseum with Gorillas Pre-Game set to begin at 6:45 pm. The game will also be available at www.amarillogorillas.com and on CHLTV (www.chltv.com).
The Gorillas travel to Wichita Thursday to take on the fellow playoff-hunting Thunder at 7:05 pm on Friday and then travel to Tulsa Saturday to battle the Oilers at 7:35 pm. Amarillo returns to the Cal Farley Coliseum on Sunday to play host to playoff-hopeful Rio Grande Valley at 6 pm.
Great seats are still available to all upcoming home games! Tickets for Gorillas games can be purchased at the Gorillas Hockey Office, located at 1934 Civic Circle off of I-40 and Georgia, the Civic Center Box Office and all Panhandle Ticket Outlets. These include Randy's Music Mart, the West Texas Event Center in Canyon and United Supermarkets. Tickets can also be charged by phone at (806) 378-3096 or (806) 242-PUCK (7825).
Central Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2006
- Thunder Defeats Eagles 4-2 - Colorado Eagles
- RiverKings weekly news and notes - Mississippi RiverKings
- Ice Bats Face Toughest Road Test - Austin Ice Bats
- Gorillas Players are Best-Of-The-Best - Amarillo Gorillas
- Cotton Kings Game Night Preview (vs. Fort Worth) - Lubbock Cotton Kings
- Killer Bees game notes - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
- Bees Among the "Best" - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
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