CHL Colorado Eagles

Pankewicz retires, becomes assistant coach

Published on August 10, 2009 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Governors' Cup champion Colorado Eagles announced today that longtime captain Greg Pankewicz is retiring and will take over the team's assistant coaching job. Pankewicz has been a member of the team since its inception, acting as an assistant captain in 2003-04 before assuming the team's captaincy ever since.

His retirement brings to an end an 18-year professional career highlighted by 21 games combined between the National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames, and two Central Hockey League championships with the Eagles (2005 & 2007) -- both as team captain.

Pankewicz retires as the second-leading point producer in franchise history, but with the highest points-per-game average in the team's record book (trailing Riley Nelson by 32 points with 65 fewer games played). His 464 points (207-257-464) in 304 career games for Colorado computes to a 1.53 points-per-game average.

He is also the all-time leading goal-scorer in team history with 207; last season, Pankewicz became the first player in Eagles history to record 200 goals. The former NHL player retires after leading Colorado in points last season (with 85) for the fourth time in seven seasons as a franchise (2003-04, 2004-05 & 2005-06 were the others).

Known for his blazing slap shot and scoring touch, last season, the Drayton Valley, Alberta native was the CHL's co-leader in goals with 38, compiling 15 of them via hat tricks. Of the 24 hat tricks in Eagles' history, Pankewicz is responsible for 11 of them. He also retires with the most game-winning goals in team history, as nearly 20 percent of his career tallies (41 of 207) were game-clinchers.

"Panks" also brought intensity and toughness to the team, always playing with an edge. He compiled 1,130 penalty minutes in six seasons on the team, second only to noted fighter Fraser Filipic (1,184).

His best complete season came in 2003-04 when he registered a career-high 96 points (46-50-96) with a +38 plus/minus rating and 11 game-winning goals. Those stats looked to be in jeopardy of being surpassed when Pankewicz got off to a blazing start in 2006-07, before a shoulder injury curtailed his regular season. Through the first 18 games of that campaign, #89 scored 20 goals and added 16 assists, with three hat tricks in the season's first seven games.

He returned for the Eagles' playoff run on the same torid pace, leading his squad to its second President's Cup title. In 25 playoff games, Pankewicz accumulated a league-leading 32 points (17-15-32) and a +21 plus/minus (second only to Nelson's +25) -- all career highs -- in earning CHL Playoff MVP honors.

In his seven seasons with Colorado, Pankewicz earned several league honors, topped by his 2004-05 CHL MVP Award. He was voted by his peers as the CHL's Best Overall Player in 2003-04 and 2004-05. And the four-time All-Star owns the CHL's career record for most points and goals in All-Star Games with 18 and 9 respectively (including his goal and assist in last season's game as a member of the host team).

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics

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Central Hockey League Stories from August 10, 2009


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