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CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings sign three netminders

September 6, 2007 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN, MS --- The Mississippi RiverKings of the Central Hockey League announced today that the team has signed three goaltenders to contracts for the 2007-2008 season. The team has re-signed Larry Sterling and Kevin Schieve while also inking Nick Boucher (boo SHAY). The RiverKings now have 18 players signed to contracts for the start of training camp on Monday, October 8 at the DeSoto Civic Center.

Sterling had a record setting season last year, his first with the RiverKings. The 24-year-old Lake Orion, MI native won a CHL leading and a franchise record 31 games while making 51 appearances. He compiled a 31-12-5 record, a 3.05 GAA and a .896 save percentage. The three-year pro was the winning goalie in the 2007 CHL All-Star Game and a two-time CHL Goalie of the Month. He also collected a pair of shutouts, a 4-0 win at Corpus Christi on November 11 and a 3-0 win over Tulsa on January 9.

"We had a pretty good season and it was a lot of fun last year," Sterling said. "I like playing for Mac (RiverKings Head Coach Kevin McClelland). He is one of the better coaches that I've played for. All that made it a pretty easy decision to re-sign."

Sterling played his other two pro seasons with the Fort Worth (now Texas) Brahmas in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006.

Schieve, 27, will be entering his third professional season. He came to the RiverKings in January of last season after starting the season with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. In 15 appearances for the RiverKings, the native of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta went 6-6-1 with a 3.24 GAA and .897 save percentage. Schieve was the winner of a CHL Goalie of the Week award in February and notched a shutout over Odessa on January 20.

Boucher is returning to North American pro hockey after a season in Europe in 2006-2007. He saw action in the Dutch Super Liga with the Basingtstoke Bison and in the English Elite League with the Tilburg Trappers. He played in a combined 45 games with the two European squads last season.

"I have heard good things about the organization and I thought it was a good fit," Boucher said about signing with the RiverKings. "I am glad to be returning to North American pro hockey after my one season in Europe."

The 26-year-old native of Cobble Hill, BC broke just about every goaltending record during his four seasons at Division I Dartmouth from 1999 to 2003. He went 50-40-11 for the Big Green during that time and still holds, among others, the career and single-season wins mark as well as the single game, season and career marks for total saves.

Boucher was a ninth round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000 and started his pro career in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers in 2003-2004. He finished fourth in the balloting for ECHL Rookie of the Year and was a member of the All-Rookie Team, finishing the season with a 20-6-1 record, a 2.48 GAA and .908 save percentage. That season also included a two month call-up to the AHL and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins that saw Boucher play in six games, going 1-0-1, 2.05 and .923.

He moved on to the Pee Dee Pride (ECHL) in 2004-2005 and saw action in 50 games. He split the 2005-2006 season in the UHL with the Elmira Jackals and Muskegon Fury.



Central Hockey League Stories from September 6, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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