Rage Clinch Northern Conference All-Star Head Coaching Duties for Coach Egeland
December 17, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Rocky Mountain Rage News Release
Broomfield, Colo. - The Central Hockey League announced today that based upon his team having the league's top winning percentage, Rocky Mountain Rage head coach Tracy Egeland will serve as the bench boss for the Northern Conference at the 2008 CHL All-Star Game, which will be held at Broomfield Event Center on Jan. 16.
The head coaching positions for the Northern and Southern Conference All-Star teams are based upon winning percentage through games completed as of December 23. Egeland, in his second season with the Rage and his fifth full season overall as a head coach in the CHL, has already clinched the Northern Conference spot by virtue of his club's 17-2-2 record and a league-best winning percentage of .857. Regardless of the results in the league's final games through the 23rd, no other team can displace Rocky Mountain from having the best winning percentage in its conference.
"It's definitely an honor to be named Head Coach of one of the All-Star teams," said Egeland. "But what's so special about it, is that it's a reflection of our entire team and how hard they've worked to get out to this great start. I'm sure we'll have several guys named to the team in the next couple of weeks, but this is an accomplishment shared by everyone on our club, including the 15 or 16 guys that won't be named an All-Star. This is an honor achieved by all 20 guys in our room."
"Everyone's thrilled for Tracy. Our entire team recognizes his character and his commitment to the game, and we've all bought in to his system," said player/assistant coach and team captain Brent Cullaton. "We realized a couple of weeks ago that we were one of the teams that could clinch the top winning percentage, so we held a team meeting and decided as a group that this is a goal we wanted to achieve. We know how deeply he cares for us, and this was something we felt we could give back to him."
The Rage's turn-around from having the worst record in the league during their inaugural campaign a year ago to now leading the Northwest Division by 10 points and owning the CHL's best winning percentage is one of the top stories in the league. Last year, it took Rocky Mountain until the 64th and final game of the season to win its 17th game, a feat already accomplished this past Saturday with a 4-3 win against the Wichita Thunder in just the team's 21st game.
The Southern Conference head coaching position has come down to a duel between Terry Ruskowski's Laredo Bucks (.731, 1st Place Southeast Division) and Marco Pietroniro's Arizona Sundogs (.717, 1st Place Southwest Division). Both teams have three games remaining before Sunday's cut-off date.
The Rage carry a five-game overall winning streak and an 11-game home unbeaten streak (9-0-2) into their next tilt on Friday at the BEC against the New Mexico Scorpions, the only team that has defeated the club in regulation this season. On Saturday, Rocky Mountain hosts the Thunder for the fourth time in seven games.
Tickets for both 7:05 p.m. starts are on sale now with prices ranging from $18-$43 per seat (parking included). Fans can purchase tickets at Broomfield Event Center's box office or through Ticketmaster by logging-on to www.Ticketmaster.com, calling (303) 830-TIXS, or visiting any Ticketmaster retail outlet.
The Rage will host the CHL All-Star festivities on Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 15 and 16, at Broomfield Event Center. The All-Star Banquet, which is open to the public, will be held on the 15th. The banquet features the introduction of the two All-Star Teams plus a performance by Denver resident and 2005 Last Comic Standing winner Josh Blue. On the 16th, the Northern and Southern Conferences will square-off in a battle for supremacy between the most talented players in the league.
For more information regarding tickets to both the All-Star Banquet and the All-Star Game, please visit www.rockymountainrage.com or www.Ticketmaster.com.
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Central Hockey League Stories from December 17, 2007
- Redenbach Recalled to San Antonio - Arizona Sundogs
- Shots from the Point - CHL
- Tapp Named Oakley Goaltender Of The Week - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Rage Clinch Northern Conference All-Star Head Coaching Duties for Coach Egeland - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Nimmo Named Oakley CHL Player of the Week - Amarillo Gorillas
- Oakley CHL Player/Goaltender of the Week Announced - CHL
- SteelHounds Weekly - Youngstown SteelHounds
- Rush announces Scheel's All Sports as team's Official Retail Outlet - Rapid City Rush
- Bucks Deliver Toys To Doctors Hospital - Laredo Bucks
- Eagles Week In Review - Colorado Eagles
- RiverKings news and notes - Mississippi RiverKings
- Rocky Mountain Rage Weekly Update - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Rocky Mountain's Tracy Egeland to Coach Northern Conference in CHL All-Star Game - CHL
- Home For the Weekend - Tulsa Oilers
- Travel/Holiday Coach's Show Schedule Released - Tulsa Oilers
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