Rockford named UHL's member club of the year
May 9, 2006 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Rockford IceHogs News Release
Rockford, Ill.- The United Hockey League concluded its 2005-06 regular season awards on Tuesday by decorating the Rockford IceHogs as the 2005-06 UHL Member Club of the Year. It's the second straight season in which the IceHogs have received the award. The award is selected by the UHL's Board of Governors.
The 2005-06 season marked the most successful for the IceHogs organization on and off the ice. On the ice, Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Steve Martinson led the club to its most productive season in the club's seven-year history. Rockford set club records for most wins (48), points (105), home wins (27), road wins (21), winning percentage (.691) and least losses (19). Rockford also set club records for longest winning streak (11), best penalty kill (87.0%) and most penalty minutes (2,592).
"It is a great honor to receive the UHL's Member Club of the Year Award," said IceHogs President and General Manager Ryan Washatka. "There are many deserving organizations in the UHL and it means a lot to us for our peers to recognize all of the accomplishments we had this season on and off the ice.
"I am extremely proud of our staff and players for all of their hard work and dedication that went into making this truly a memorable year."
The IceHogs won its first ever Division Title, winning the Western Division, and the club had a UHL-high 14 players loaned to the American Hockey League, the most in club history. Furthermore, Rockford established an affiliation with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals and the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators.
Off the ice, the IceHogs and its fans set a new attendance record in '05-06. The club broke the average attendance mark this season by bringing in 3,961 fans per game during the 38-game regular season, breaking the mark set during the Hogs inaugural season in 1999-2000. Also, 150,548 fans attended IceHogs home games this season, a new high-water mark for the organization and second most in the UHL.
Team owners Dr. Kris Tumilowicz and Craig Drecktrah, Washatka, along with the Northern Illinois Community Foundation established the Rockford IceHogs Charitable Foundation in March, a first of its kind in the UHL. The IceHogs have already helped raise nearly $60,000 with its 7th Annual Jersey Auction and an IceHogs Tip-A-Hog event where the team served as celebrity waiters and bartenders for a night.
The IceHogs Charitable Foundation in return will distribute the proceeds to local non-profit organizations in the Rock River Valley. The IceHogs also helped raise over $2,000 for a local Bowling Scholarship Fund with a Bowl-A-Thon in March.
The IceHogs are the third team in UHL history to receive the award in back-to-back seasons. The Quad City Mallards (1996-97, 1997-98) and Fort Wayne Komets (2001-02, 2002-03) were also two-time winners of the award. The award is determined by the team's overall success on and off the ice during the regular season.
Next Home Game: Wednesday, May 10 vs. Kalamazoo Wings (Game Four): Game time is 7:30 p.m. The Hogs face its first elimination game of the postseason when they face the Wings on Wednesday. It's win or go home for the Hogs as they look to avoid a series sweep by the Wings.
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International Hockey League 2 Stories from May 9, 2006
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