IHL 2 Rockford IceHogs

Mizzi And Cloutier Named 2006-07 Team Co-MVP's

Published on April 7, 2007 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Rockford IceHogs News Release


Rockford, Ill.- Another regular season came to a close for the Rockford IceHogs on Saturday, its eighth in the United Hockey League, and the club handed out its 2006-07 team awards prior to its game against the Chicago Hounds. A total of eight awards were announced by the club.

For the seventh time in club history, the IceHogs awarded co-MVP's. The WXRX Jim Stone and Double T co-MVP's for the IceHogs are goalie Frederic Cloutier and center Preston Mizzi. Cloutier had the most successful season of any goalie in IceHogs history. The St. Honore, Quebec native set a new Hogs high-water mark for wins (39 coming into Saturday) and was on track to set the Hogs single-season record for goals against average and save percentage.

Mizzi became the Hogs all-time leading point scorer, overall goal scorer and leading lamp lighter on the power play and short-handed. In his second season with Rockford, Mizzi becomes just the second season skater in club history to win two team MVP's. Former Hogs goalie J.F. Rivard was named co-MVP following the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons. Mizzi was also given the award for leading point scorer as the Hogs centerman had 74 points coming into Saturday's game.

Nathan Lutz became the first IceHogs player to win an award three times in his Rockford career. The Hogs team captain was named the club's Top Defenseman for 2006-07. Lutz also won the award in 2003-04 and 2004-05. The Mistatim, Saskatchewan native currently leads all Hogs d-men in scoring and helped anchor down the stingiest IceHogs defensive unit in the club's eight-year history.

Rockford's Most Improved Player is center Kevin Ulanski. After spending his rookie season in the ECHL last year where he had 8g-19a-27pts, Ulanski was a spark plug for the IceHogs in '06-07. The Madison, Wis. native led the Hogs in scoring for a good majority of the season before an American Hockey League call-up. Ulanski's totals coming into Saturday's final match-up are 25g-40a-65pts with Rockford (not including his Milwaukee stats), 38 more points compared to a season ago.

The IceHogs had the youngest team according to age in the UHL this season and first-year winger Kaleb Betts was named the club's Rookie of the Year. A rookie out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Betts led all Hogs first season pros in goals with 17. The hard-hitting winger also established himself as one of the more physical players on the IceHogs.

Speaking of heavy hitters, second-year forward Chaz Johnson was anointed the IceHogs Heavy Hitter for 2006-07. Johnson, currently on AHL call-up to the Rochester Americans, has established a reputation around the UHL as one of the fiercest body checkers in the league. Johnson's energy level on the ice is rarely matched and his bone-crushing hits have helped change the momentum of games.

Always a tightly contested award, the IceHogs 2006-07 Unsung Hero was awarded to defenseman Luke Fritshaw. Like Ulanski, Fritshaw saw sparse playing time in the ECHL last season, but blossomed in the UHL during his second professional campaign. Fritshaw, who earned his first career AHL call-up on Friday to Milwaukee, leads the IceHogs in plus/minus with a team-record rating of +33 heading into the Hogs finale on Saturday.

The final award handed out on Saturday night was Fan Favorite. The award was given to Lutz, who is the club's all-time leader in games played for defensemen. In his fourth season with the IceHogs, Lutz was honored with his own Bobblehead Doll earlier in the season (as voted on by the fans) and was a mainstay in the Hogs lineup this season.

Next Home Game: Friday, April 13 vs. Quad City Mallards. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. Game One of the First Round of the 2007 Colonial Cup Playoffs commences at the Rockford MetroCentre. The playoff match-up is the second all-time between the archrivals.

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from April 7, 2007


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