Seals to Honor Boyer in Pregame Ceremony Saturday
March 21, 2003 - SPHL (SPHL)
Florida Seals News Release
ORLANDO - The Orlando Seals will honor former Seals captain Zac Boyer, who is retiring from playing this season, on Saturday before Game 3 of their first-round playoff series with Macon. The game is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.
After sustaining a season-ending injury in January, the former Solar Bears standout decided to retire from playing to become head coach of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League's first expansion franchise, the Miami Manatees. He will serve as director of pro scouting for the Seals throughout the playoffs until mid-April when he takes over in Miami.
The former draft pick of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks played an integral part in leading the Seals to the inaugural regular-season championship. Boyer, 31, donned the captain's "C" at the start of the season and quickly established himself as a team leader. He recorded 19 goals and 34 assists, twice being named ACHL Player of the Week, as the Seals posted an 18-7 record.
He was the league's top points producer for most of the season despite missing 35 games with injuries and finished in the top 20 in total points. After the injury, he took on the role of assistant coach, helping Seals head coach Stan Drulia prepare the team for the playoffs and a run for the ACHL title.
He also has been very active in the community, teaming with Seals owner David Waronker's Hockey 4 Kids Charity to start "Boyer's Buddies," a program that gives underprivileged children the chance to attend a Seals game.
When the Seals signed Boyer in June, they knew they had a legitimate star and a face familiar to Central Florida hockey fans who remembered him from his days with the Orlando Solar Bears of the now-defunct International Hockey League.
Boyer spent the 1996-97 season as a member of the Solar Bears "Kid Line" with then-rookie linemates Shawn Carter and Brian Felsner. His 74 points (25 goals, 49 assists) earned him a spot in the IHL All-Star Game. Before coming to Orlando, Boyer was a member of the Dallas Stars (NHL) organization, playing five games in Dallas and 89 with the Stars then-IHL affiliate in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
He started his professional career with the IHL's Indianapolis Ice, where he had 20 goals and 26 assists in 113 games during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. Before turning pro, Boyer played four seasons of major junior hockey from 1988-1992 with the Western Hockey League's Kamloops Blazers. He posted back-to-back 100-plus points seasons for the Blazers in 1990-91 and 1991-92, while playing alongside current NHLers Darcy Tucker, Scott Niedermayer and Darryl Sydor. Boyer's Kamloops teams won WHL titles in 1989-90 and 1991-92 and captured the 1992 Memorial Cup as the top major junior team in North America.
• Discuss this story on the SPHL message board...
SPHL Stories from March 21, 2003
- Trax Drop Heartbreaker, 4-3 - Macon Trax
- Seals to Honor Boyer in Pregame Ceremony Saturday - Florida Seals
- Stewart Wins ACHL M-V-P Award - Macon Trax
- Local Surgeon Has Special Place In His Heart for Children's Charities - Mississippi RiverKings
- New Defensman Packs Hard Shot - Mississippi RiverKings
- Tonight's Match-up - Macon Trax
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.
