PrairieThunder names Ralph team captain
October 18, 2007 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Bloomington PrairieThunder News Release
Veteran forward Jason Ralph has been named team captain for the Bloomington PrairieThunder hockey team for the upcoming season, it was announced Thursday by head coach Derek Booth.
Booth also announced that veterans Don Parsons and Jarrod Skalde were named game assistants ahead of Saturday's season-opener at Flint in International Hockey League action at 6:30 p.m. The PrairieThunder's home opener is Oct. 26 against Fort Wayne at 7:05 p.m. at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
The 28-year-old Ralph was obtained by the PrairieThunder in the off-season through the International Hockey League dispersal draft. Ralph helped lead the Rockford IceHogs to the United Hockey League championship last season.
The 6-foot, 190-pound veteran of six professional seasons, missed the first part of last year with a hand injury. He saw action in 34 regular season games, scoring 10 goals with 21 assists for 31 points.
He also scored one goal and had four assists for five points in nine UHL playoff games to help the IceHogs win the Colonial Cup.
Ralph began his career with Bakersfield in the WCHL in 2001-02 after graduating and playing at Union College in New York. He played three seasons in Bakersfield before moving to Rockford where he has played the last three seasons.
During his six-year career, the right-handed shooting Ralph has played in 377 games. He has scored 105 goals while adding 153 assists for 258 points with 819 minutes of penalties.
Ralph, who hails from Carp, Ontario, has played in postseason competition during five of his six years. He has seen action in 36 playoff games, scoring five goals with 19 assists for 24 points.
This marks the second time in his career that Ralph has been named team captain. He held the same position with Rockford during the 2005-06 campaign. He served as player assistant last year with the IceHogs.
Parsons, the leading American-born goal scorer with 623, will be in his 16th season of professional hockey, while Skalde begins his 17th season.
Individual game and season tickets are on sale for all PrairieThunder contests at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, 101 S. Madison St., Bloomington; on the web at www.uscellularcoliseum.com and by phone at 309-434-2679.
Game tickets start as low as $10, while various partial season-ticket packages start as low as $95.
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