Jackals Name Kris Waltze As New Head Coach
May 31, 2006 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Elmira Jackals News Release
Elmira, NY - The Elmira Jackals announced today that former Richmond Riverdogs' player/coach Kris Waltze will be Head Coach for the 2006-07 season.
At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, General Manager Robbie S. Nichols announced Kris Waltze as the Elmira Jackals Head Coach for the upcoming 2006-2007 UHL season.
Waltze comes to the Jackals with a brief, but successful background in coaching. The Two Hills, Alberta native took his first head coaching position this past year with the Richmond Riverdogs as a mid-season replacement of Nichols, now the Jackals GM. Nichols had led Richmond to a 20-21-4 record before handing over the reigns to Waltze. His young apprentice won in his coaching debut, a 3-2 victory over the Roanoke Valley Vipers, and he never looked back. Under Waltze's guidance, the Riverdogs went 20-9-2, a 0.677 winning percentage, but missed the playoffs by one solitary point, finishing in an 8th place tie with Motor City, yet falling short in the tiebreaker.
"Kris is a fierce competitor and leaves no doubt in my mind that he will bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to his new job," said General Manager Robbie S. Nichols. "He has a burning desire to succeed and he is very excited about his new opportunity. Our record in Richmond the last 31 games of 2005-06 proves that as GM and Coach respectively we worked very well together. Both Kris and I am to bring that winning combination to Elmira."
Although Waltze is now preparing for his first full season behind the bench, the 28 year-old boasts plenty of playing experience in the game of hockey. In 8 seasons as a professional player, the rugged right-winger accumulated 91 points (48 goals, 43 assists) and a colossal 1,934 Penalty Minutes in 383 games played. In his rookie season, 1998-1999, Waltze went deep in the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) playoffs. In 15 playoff games that year he had 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) and 28 PIMs as he helped the San Angelo Outlaws to the President's Cup Finals. Waltze again saw post-season action in 2003-04 with the ECHL's Toldeo Storm, putting up 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) in 4 games played.
Waltze becomes the fourth Head Coach in Jackals franchise history, looking to return Elmira to the post season, after missing out of the playoffs each of the previous two seasons.
After completing their 6th season in franchise history in the UHL, the Jackals are gearing up for Season 7. Season tickets for the 2006-2007 UHL season are on sale now at the First Arena Box Office. For more information call 607-734-PUCK (7825).
FIRST ARENA REC RINK
The ice is HOT at First Arena - Visit our website for a complete list of Public
Skating times and Arena Programs at www.firstarena.com The First Arena Rec Rink offers public skating, skating lessons, hockey programs,
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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.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from May 31, 2006
