USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Saints' Montgomery Is Named USHL GM of the Year

Published on May 12, 2011 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


DUBUQUE, Iowa - With a first year team in the Clark Cup Final, it is no surprise that the chief architect is getting some recognition. USHL general managers voted Fighting Saints Head Coach and General Manager Jim Montgomery USHL General Manager of the Year.

Starting from scratch, Montgomery and his staff assembled a roster that will compete this weekend in the Clark Cup Final against the Green Bay Gamblers. It is only the third time in USHL history that a brand new roster of USHL players has gone on to compete in the Final. Lincoln won the Clark Cup in 1996-97, their first season, and Fargo lost to Indiana in 2008-09 as an expansion team. The original Dubuque Fighting Saints won the Clark Cup in 1980-81, but they did so with a roster of players who had played together in Waterloo the previous season.

The hard work of Montgomery and his staff paid off throughout the season, as only three players from the initial roster are not with the team for the playoff run - one of whom the Saints would have liked to keep but for the constraints of roster space.

Dubuque began to build their roster through the tender process, which allowed the team to sign free agents prior to any draft. Such consistent contributors as Derek Docken, Zemgus Girgensons, and USHL Rookie of the Year John Gaudreau were added through this manner.

In the expansion draft, Montgomery and the Saints acquired Jordan DiGiando, Scott Wamsganz, and eventual captain TJ Schlueter - spotting undervalued assets throughout the league who ultimately became important parts of the Fighting Saints' squad.

The 2010 Futures Draft paid immediate dividends as the Fighting Saints added Riley Barber, in addition to several other players who will see significant time with the Fighting Saints in the coming years.

Some of the final pieces of the puzzle came together in the USHL Entry draft. The Fighting Saints selected their two goaltenders, Jackson Teichroeb and Matt Morris, along with two NHL draft picks - Nick Luukko and Vinny Saponari.

As has come to be expected by Fighting Saints fans, Montgomery was quick to spread the credit around when informed of the honor.

"This is definitely a hockey operations reward," he said. "The yeoman's work that Bobby Kinsella, Adam Micheletti, and Joe Coombs put in, along with myself, to create team identity and execute that with character kids who are talented hockey players for good families is why we received this award. I'm not big on individual honors, but I view this as a team and organizational award."

The Fighting Saints begin the Clark Cup Final tomorrow night in Green Bay. Pregame starts at 6:35 on Dubuque's Super Hits 106 and superhits106.com.

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United States Hockey League Stories from May 12, 2011


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