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ECHL Florida Everblades

Olaf Kolzig Honored By ECHL And 'Blades

March 16, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release


ESTERO, FL - The ECHL in cooperation with the Florida Everblades will be inducting goaltender Olaf Kolzig into the ECHL Hall of Fame on Friday night at Germain Arena as the Everblades and South Carolina Stingrays battle for the fourth straight time at 7:30 p.m.

ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna will formerly induct Kolzig into the ECHL Hall of Fame prior to the Everblades game against South Carolina on Friday night. Kolzig will address the crowd and drop the ceremonial first puck before the game. In addition, he will be signing autographs on the concourse during the first intermission.

Friday, March 19 is also Austism Awareness Night at the Everblades game. Kolzig, along with fellow NHLers Byron Dafoe and Scott Mellanby, founded Athletes Against Autism to raise awareness of autism and encourage more research, as well as the Carson Kolzig Foundation for Youth Autism in honor of his son, who is autistic.

Kolzig's professional career spanned 20 seasons, highlighted by part of 16 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Washington Capitals. The first round pick (19th overall) of the Capitals in the 1989, Kolzig played a total of 719 games in the NHL posting a record of 303-297-63-24 with a goals against average of 2.71 and save percentage of.906. Kolzig is the all-time leader for the Capitals in several categories, including; most games played by a goaltender (344), most wins (151) and all-time record for most shutouts (35). He played a total of 20,118 minutes of hockey in the NHL and won numerous awards over his career including the Vezina Trophy (2000) which highlights the NHL's best goaltender. Kolzig also won the King Clancey Memorial Trophy (2006) for outstanding service in the community. The Johannesburg, South African native was the first South African player to be drafted to the NHL.

"Olie the Goalie" began his professional career with the Hampton Roads Admirals of the ECHL. He played for legendary coach and ECHL Hall of Famer John Brophy from 1990-92 while with Hampton Roads and posted a record of 22-12-1 with a 3.16 goals against average and.902 save percentage in 35 appearances. Kolzig also appeared in 139 games with the Baltimore Skipjacks, Portland Pirates and Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League from 1990-96. His most successful season came in 1993-94 while with Portland where he shared the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award with teammate Byron Dafoe as the goaltenders with the lowest goals against average (3.06) in the AHL. He also claimed the Jack A Butterfield Trophy for American Hockey League playoff MVP in 1993-94 with the Pirates.

The Everblades and Stingrays meet on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 for the final two meetings in the 13-game regular season series. In addition to Kolzig's appearance on Friday night, it is also Autism Awareness Night. The Everblades will be making a donation to Autism Speaks, a local chapter dedicated to help fighting autism in our community. Saturday is Guns and Hoses Night. At 4:30 p.m. the police department will battle the fire department on the ice with the Everblades and Stingrays game to follow at 7:30 p.m.

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ECHL Stories from March 16, 2010


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