Sports stats



Inductees Selected for Cincinnati Hockey Hall of Fame

January 31, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Cincinnati RailRaiders News Release


CINCINNATI, Ohio - Don Biggs, Rick Dudley, Rocky Farr, Billy Goold, Floyd Smith, Jack Murray and Bob "The Bear" Queenan have been selected as the first inductees into the Cincinnati Hockey Hall of Fame. On-ice ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday, February 15 at Cincinnati Gardens during the first intermission of the Mighty Ducks 8:05 p.m. American Hockey League contest with the Philadelphia Phantoms.

The inaugural class of Cincinnati Hockey Hall of Fame members were selected by Hall of Fame chairperson Sharon Asplan, Mighty Ducks VP of Communications Don Helbig and select members of the Cincinnati media. Future inductees will be selected by members of the Cincinnati Hockey Hall of Fame, select members of the Cincinnati media and fan balloting through the Mighty Ducks official Internet website at www.cincinnatimightyducks.com.

Biggs spent seven of his 15-year professional career wearing a Cincinnati Cyclones uniform. During his career in Cincinnati, Biggs played in 458 games for the Cyclones, recording 147 goals and 297 assists for 444 points with 730 penalty minutes. He ranked first on the now-defunct IHL Cyclones career leader list in games (426), goals (137), assists (275) and points (412).

Dudley spent six of his 13-year professional career in Cincinnati, playing for both the AHL Swords and WHA Stingers. Well known for his pugnacious style, Dudley combined for 177 goals and 213 assists for 390 points with 947 penalty minutes in 385 games between the Swords and Stingers. Currently the general manager of the Florida Panthers, Dudley posted three 40-goal, 80-point seasons while wearing a Cincinnati uniform, including 40 goals and 84 points in 64 games for the Swords 1972-73 Calder Cup championship team.

Farr played three of his nine professional seasons in Cincinnati, posting a record of 61-30-14 in 116 games for the Swords. One of the most popular players in Cincinnati pro hockey history, Farr led all AHL goaltenders with 52 appearances for the Swords in 1971-72 and went 34-11-2 with a 2.64 goals-against average (fourth-best in AHL) in 48 games for the 1972-73 Calder Cup championship team.

Goold spent his entire five-year professional career in Cincinnati with the IHL Mohawks, tallying 111 goals and 255 assists for 366 points in 302 games. Goold was a member of four consecutive Turner Cup championship teams (1953-54 to 1956-57) and led the Mohawks in scoring twice (1953-54 and 1956-57). He posted career-bests in goals (32), assists (62) and points (94) in 60 games for the Mohawks in 1955-56.

Smith coached the Swords for three seasons and was behind the Stingers bench for the final year of the WHA in 1978-79. He won the Louis A. Pieri Memorial Award as the top coach in the AHL after leading the Swords to the 1972-73 Calder Cup championship. That season, the Swords established AHL single-season records for the following, all of which have since been broken: most points (113); most wins (54); most home wins (32); most road wins (22); most points at home (65); and most road points (48). With the Stingers, Smith coached Mike Gartner and Mark Messier when both were teenagers playing in their first professional seasons.

Murray (Cincinnati Enquirer) and Queenan (Cincinnati Post) each began their careers with their respective papers in 1968. Both began their hockey reporting as beat writers covering the Swords (1971-1974), the most successful modern-day (post 1970) hockey team Cincinnati has seen and its only American Hockey League Calder Cup winner.

Since the Swords were declared inactive due to the arrival of the WHA, Murray and Queenan have reported the birth and subsequent demise of the WHA Stingers, the CHL Stingers, the CHL Tigers and ECHL-IHL Cyclones, as well as the birth of the AHL Mighty Ducks and rebirth of the ECHL II Cyclones over the past four decades.

Hall of Fame inductees will be available to sign autographs for fans in the Legends Museum prior to the Mighty Ducks game against the Phantoms and will be on hand to drop the first puck.

The evening will also include the Mighty Ducks wearing Swords jerseys and a banner-raising ceremony to commemorate the 1972-73 Calder Cup championship team, presented by American Airlines.

The Swords jerseys will be auctioned off after the game. All proceeds will benefit the Anthony Munoz Foundation and Habitat for Humanity. Munoz, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will participate in the pre-game and intermission festivities.

Additionally, the first 3,000 fans will receive a Mighty Ducks puck courtesy of Fifth Third Bank.

Tickets can be purchased at the Cincinnati Gardens Box Office.

Tickets can also be purchased by phone through Ticketmaster at (513) 562-4949; toll-free at 1-800-289-5353; at all Ticketmaster outlets or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com. Mail orders, including $1 per ticket for postage and handling, should be sent to the Cincinnati Gardens Box Office, 2250 Seymour Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45212.

Ticket prices are $15, $12 and $10. Children age 12 and under can purchase any available seat for $7 when accompanied by a full-paying adult.

• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...

American Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2003


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.

OurSports Central