New CHL Team Announces Ownership
October 9, 2002 - Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release
The new hockey team scheduled to begin play in October 2003 in the Rio Grande Valley announced its ownership group Wednesday at a packed news conference in the Council chambers of the Hidalgo, Texas City Hall. Trey Medlock, originally from Lubbock, will be one of the owners, and will serve as president and general manager of the new team.
Following remarks by Mayor John David Franz of Hidalgo, where the new hockey arena is being built, Rick Kozuback, president and CEO of Global Entertainment, gave some background on the Central Hockey League and its make-up. He mentioned that the Rio Grande Valley team will be the 18th in the league. The CHL is mainly situated in Texas, with teams in several of the surrounding states. Kozuback expects play to begin in the new facility in mid-October 2003 when the new season opens.
Trey Medlock elaborated on the plans for the team and expressed complete confidence that the Rio Grande Valley of Texas will be an excellent location. "People here in the Valley are already fans of soccer and football," said Medlock, "both high contact sports. I'm sure they will become enthusiastic hockey fans in short order."
Medlock also mentioned that the thousands of "Winter Texans" who come to the Valley already have a strong taste for hockey, and will make great fans. Special promotions will also be made in Mexico, to bring people from the border cities, and from metropolitan Monterrey. "Minor league hockey has proven extremely popular everywhere a new team has appeared," Medlock remarked, "and we expect that popularity will be even greater here in the Rio Grande Valley."
A contest to name the team was also announced by Medlock. The contest opens on Thursday, October 10th, cosponsored by The Monitor newspaper in McAllen. Entry blanks will be published three time a week, and everyone is being asked to submit their ideas for a name for the new team. Entries can also be made online at www.myrgv.com. The contest closes on October 25th, with an announcement to be made soon thereafter. A name for the new hockey arena will also be developed. Currently it is being referred to as the Rio Grande Valley Events Center.
In his opening remarks, Mayor Franz stated that he expected the contractors will begin erecting steel for the arena on Thursday, October 10th. To meet the October 2003 opening date, the mayor said that construction will be moving along at a rapid pace.
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Central Hockey League Stories from October 9, 2002
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