NHLers buy stake in NAHL U.S. Junior A hockey team
September 20, 2004 - North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release
Frisco, TX / Santa Fe, NM, September 20, 2004 -- The North American Hockey League announces today that it has granted a membership to operate a club in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The team will be called the Roadrunners and the ownership group includes a number of prominent hockey personalities.
The Roadrunners' first game will also be its first home game, on September 25 against the Central Texas Marshals at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center. Twenty-six of the Roadrunners's home games will be played at the Chavez Community Center.
The Roadrunners colors will be red, white and blue.
The ownership group of the Roadrunners is comprised of four men with vast NHL experience and a prominent Santa Fe professional.
They are Rob Blake, an All-Star defenseman from the Colorado Avalanche; Santa Fe resident Erick Carlgren, an area dentist; Nelson Emerson, a recently retired 12-year NHL veteran forward; an area dentist; Andy Murray, head coach of the Los Angeles Kings; and Glen Murray, a high scoring forward for the Boston Bruins.
The Roadrunners will compete for a playoff spot in the NAHL's South Division against the Central Texas Marshals, Springfield (IL) Junior Blues, Springfield (MO) Spirit, Texarkana Bandits, Texas Tornado and the Wichita Falls Wildcats. They will also play inter-divisional games against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs and Bismarck Bobcats of the NAHL and three teams from Eastern Junior Hockey League at the NAHL's Showcase Tournament in Blaine, MN, in October.
The team will be coached by Scott Langer, who last season was an assistant coach for the NAHL's Lone Star Cavalry and had been operating as interim head coach of the Cavalry for the last month.
Mike Earhart, who has been assisting Langer during the past month, will be the assistant coach.
Last season's edition of the Cavalry finished with a 28-22-6 record, good for 62 points and a fifth place finish in the highly competitive South Division of the NAHL. A core of veterans from that team will join the Santa Fe club, providing optimism that their experience will help the team ease the transition to a new environment.
Two of the top four scorers from last season's team return to play with the Roadrunners. Kirk Golden lead the team in goals with 21 and added 15 assists for 36 points; Jared Brown had 15 goals and 14 assists for 29 points.
Andrew Johnson, whose 149 penalty minutes were second on the club last year is back for another season.
Defensemen Eric Dahlberg, Adam Diskey and Bryan Plascz will again patrol the blue line.
Goaltender Ryan Hatch, who played in 36 games and posted a 2.76 goals against average, also returns.
Entering its 29th season, the North American Hockey League is the oldest and largest junior A hockey league in the United States.
The NAHL's primary goal is to enhance the development of its players in conjunction with a commitment to academic support. The League's schedule and playoff schedule is designed to minimize school conflicts.
NAHL competition helps players make the transition from midget and high school hockey to college hockey by creating an environment that is highly competitive, encourages skill development and provides time for physical growth and maturity.
Over its 28 year history, the NAHL has developed more college and professional players than any other junior hockey league in the country.
North American Hockey League Stories from September 20, 2004
- Barons sweep weekend series at the Soo - Cleveland Barons
- NHLers buy stake in NAHL U.S. Junior A hockey team - NAHL
- NTDP Weekly Release - U.S. National Team
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