He's Hahn-Real

March 26, 2006 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Amarillo Gorillas News Release


AMARILLO, TX - Monday, he was named to the Central Hockey League's All-CHL Team. Friday, a banner was hoisted to The Jungle rafters, deeming him the CHL's 2005-2006 Most Valuable Player. Tonight, to join all of the other accolades that have been bestowed upon him this year, he'll receive the Joe Burton Award as the league's scoring champion. He's Derek Hahn. And he's fast becoming the face and name of the Amarillo Gorillas franchise.

Though Hahn still has one game remaining this season, a pivotal one tonight against Lubbock at the Cal Farley Coliseum and also one which could determine Amarillo's postseason future, the center has the scoring title wrapped up, sitting six points ahead of Youngstown's Jeff Christian, who wrapped up his season with a four-point performance last night in the Steelhounds' final game.

Hahn, who appeared on 30 of 50 ballots submitted by the league's coaches, communications staffs and various local media outlets in each team's city to win the MVP award, has an astounding 113 points, including 24 over his current 14-game points-streak. The points-streak is the assistant captain's third such stretch of 10 games or longer this year.

The 113-point total, comprised of 35 goals and 78 assists, has far surpassed Hahn's previous career-high of 78, a mark he hit last year, and it stands as an all-time single-season-high for any Amarillo player over the past nearly 40 years of hockey in the Panhandle. Previously, former Amarillo Rattler Chris Brooks held the mark after a 110-point campaign during the 1996-1997 season, a year in which he was also named an MVP of the now-defunct Western Professional Hockey League.

Hahn has three times had five or more points in a game and has 29 multiple-point contests in the 63 times he has taken the ice this year.

While modest and often quiet, Hahn's career accomplishments did not wait for this season to begin. The center and native of Elmira, Ontario, opened his Amarillo tenure with 25 goals, 52 points and a 2002-2003 CHL Rookie of the Year honor. Since, Hahn's point-totals have only risen. The following year, the righty-shot contributed with 30 goals and 70 points to lead the Gorillas in scoring for the first of what now stands at three consecutive seasons.

All the while, Hahn's been named to three consecutive All-Star games, this year earning his first-ever start and assistant captaincy at the 2006 Obra Homes All-Star Game in Hidalgo, Texas, on January 18th, while leading all vote-getters on the Southern Conference ballot. While there, Hahn scored a shootout goal in the game and won the league's Sher-Wood Accuracy Shootout, going a perfect four-of-four in the festivities.

Throughout the rest of what's been a whirlwind six-month regular season for Hahn, the Rochester Institute of Technology product has been recognized as the Sher-Wood December Player of the Month after a 32-point performance in just 13 games, and he's twice been an Oakley Player of the Week.

Earlier this month, Hahn was also extremely well represented in the CHL's annual Best of the Best Poll, announced as the league's Best Overall Player, Best Stick-Handler, Best Play-Maker, Smartest Player, third-Best Skater and third-Best Leader.



Central Hockey League Stories from March 26, 2006


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