Kings Sign Ninth Forward
August 27, 2003 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Lubbock Cotton Kings News Release
LUBBOCK â Lubbock Cotton Kings Head Coach and director of Hockey Operations Kirk Tomlinson announced today that the team has signed forward Jim Shepherd.
"He is a good all-around player," said Tomlinson. "The consummate professional â a jack of all trades."
Shepherd, 6-0, 190-pound forward is the tenth addition to the Cotton Kings roster and the ninth forward signed. He played 66 games last year for the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL posting 15 goals and 48 points. Shepherd also played four games against Lubbock while with the Austin Ice Bats back in 1999-2000 posting one goal and three assists.
Shepherd, 26, is a native of Kingston, Ontario â big hockey country. Notables to come from Kingston include National Hockey League veterans Doug Gilmour and Kirk Muller. Hockey Night in Canada's commentator "Grapes," Don Cherry, often espouses his love for the Kingston players.
"What a guy (Gilmour) â the best hockey player in the world today â Dougie Gilmour. And don't you forget it, from Kingston, Ontario," said Cherry in a past Coach's Corner segment. "...I love this guy."
"He (Shepherd) is a finisher, a sniper", said Augusta Lynx play-by-play voice Kyle Schultz. "He will probably lead the team in shots."
Shepherd shot the rubber 229 times last season and if surrounded with the right talent, he can really do some good things offensively, said Schultz.
"I just hope he has a little more luck with scoring," said Tomlinson. "Sometimes you get the bounces and last year he didn't." Last year he scored on over six percent of his shots and if he could double that, he would be a 30-goal scorer, said Tomlinson.
Season tickets for the coveted gold level are going fast but are still available by calling 747-PUCK(7825). Single game seats go on sale September 29.
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Central Hockey League Stories from August 27, 2003
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- Van Tighem hanging up his skates and whistle - New Mexico Scorpions
- Thunder Add Defenseman - Wichita Thunder
- Kings Sign Ninth Forward - Lubbock Cotton Kings
- Mudbugs Re-Sign Jim Sprott - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
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