
Hamel, Harris, Walker Earn Media Relations Awards
June 12, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release
PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL announced that John Hamel of the
Cincinnati Cyclones is the American Conference recipient of the ECHL Media
Relations Director of the Year award while Jeff Harris and Mike Walker of
the Victoria Salmon Kings were selected as the winners in the National
Conference.
The recipients were chosen in voting by the league media relations and
broadcasters as well as members of the media.
Harris oversees the team's media and community relations department as well
as handling the play-by-play duties for Salmon Kings games. The 36 year old
began his career in media relations in the Western Hockey League in 2006-07
as the assistant communication coordination for Calgary.
In addition to media relations, the 19-year-old Walker is a member of the
media relations department as well as providing color commentary on home
game broadcasts.
Hamel has been the director of public relations and broadcasting and the
play-by-play voice of the Kelly Cup Champions since the team returned to
the ice in 2006-07. He was assistant director of media relations for
Cincinnati from 1996-2000 and was responsible for the management and ice
programming at SportsPlus, the team's practice facility, from 2000-06. He
helped Cincinnati be named the International Hockey League Public Relations
Staff of the Year three years in a row from 1997-2000.
ECHL Media Relations Award Winners
Year Recipient Team
2007-08 John Hamel Cincinnati Cyclones (American Conference)
Jeff Harris and Mike Walker Victoria Salmon Kings (National
Conference)
2006-07 Dustin Bixby Gwinnett Gladiators (American Conference)
Josh Fisher Las Vegas Wranglers (National Conference)
2005-06 Jeremy Zager San Diego Gulls
2004-05 Jeremy Zager San Diego Gulls
2003-04 Mike Kelly Mississippi Sea Wolves
2002-03 Ryan Stanzel Louisiana IceGators
2001-02 Bill McLaughlin Greenville Grrrowl
2000-01 Darren Abbott South Carolina Stingrays
99-2000 Darren Abbott South Carolina Stingrays
1998-99 Mark Simpson Charlotte Checkers
1997-98 Andy Davis Richmond Renegades
1996-97 Peter Kostos Louisiana IceGators
ECHL
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2007-08, the ECHL is the Premier 'AA'
Hockey League and the third-longest tenured professional hockey league
behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League.
ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown to be a
coast-to-coast league that will play with 24 teams in 16 states and British
Columbia in 2008-09.
The league officially changed its name to ECHL on May
19, 2003.
The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 30 teams in the NHL in 2007-08,
marking the 11th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations
with at least 20 teams in the NHL.
There have been 355
former ECHL players who have gone on to play in the NHL after playing in
the ECHL, including 99 in the last three seasons. There have been 210
former ECHL players who have played their first game in the NHL in the past
seven seasons.
There are 15 coaches in the NHL who have ECHL experience including former
Wheeling coach Peter Laviolette, who is head coach of the Carolina
Hurricanes, and former Mississippi coach Bruce
Boudreau, who is head coach of the Washington Capitals.
The ECHL is represented for the eighth consecutive year on the National
Hockey League championship team in 2008 with Detroit Red Wings forward
Aaron Downey.
The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 29 teams in the American Hockey
League in 2007-08 and for the past 18 years there has been an ECHL player
on the Calder Cup champion.
In each of the last two seasons there have been more than 225 players who
have played in both the ECHL and the AHL and there were over 800 call-ups
involving more than 500 players. In the last five seasons the ECHL has had
more call-ups to the AHL than all other professional leagues combined with
over 2,000 call-ups involving more than 1,000 players since 2002-03.
Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com.
ECHL Stories from June 12, 2008
- Condors take home ECHL hardware for website, marketing - Bakersfield Condors
- Nailers broadcaster honored - Wheeling Nailers
- Hamel, Harris, Walker Earn Media Relations Awards - ECHL
- Bakersfield, Gwinnett Named Web Sites Of The Year - ECHL
- Gladiators Add Prough for 2008-09 - Atlanta Gladiators
- Royals Marketing and Ticket Sales Departments Receive Awards - Reading Royals
- Nicole from CW 59 to Attend Falcons Summer Blast - Fresno Falcons
- Cyclones John Hamel Named Conference PR Director of Year - Cincinnati Cyclones
- ECHL Has Seven Of Top 10 Minor League Venues - ECHL
- Germain Arena named a Top-10 Minor Lea gue Venue - Florida Everblades
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.
