Stars Sign First Player with NHL Experience in Levins
September 11, 2003 - United Hockey League (UHL)
Columbus Stars News Release
Rugged winger joins Star's family to be close to his own; Levins will act as a player/assistant coach
Stars also sign Left Wing Eric Naud for inaugural season
COLUMBUS, OH - The Stars did not lead Scott Levins to Columbus, but the first-year United Hockey League club will give him a place to shine.
Levins enters his 15th year of professional hockey, including 124 games in the National Hockey League, with a wealth of experience to share. Levins signed a contract to be the Star's first player/assistant coach announced General Manager Robb W. King and UHL Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Malcolm Cameron today.
Levins moved to Central Ohio in 2002 with his then-newlywed wife, Dana (nee Delphin) to be closer to her family in and around Dover, OH. The right-wing from Spokane, WA had played since mid-1999 in the European hockey leagues and had planned on returning to the Sheffield Steelers' team he lead to a Challenge Cup and League championship last season. That was until he heard about the UHL-expansion Stars. Now the 33-year old Levins is looking forward to his role as veteran leader and offensive threat in Columbus.
The multidimensional Levins has lead two leagues in power play goals, the American Hockey League in 1998-99 with the New Haven Beast and the British Ice Hockey Superleague last year with Sheffield.
Levins also has UHL experience having played in 11 games and garnering eight points (4g - 4a) and 46 PIM for Quad City early in the 1999-2000 campaign. He is only the second played signed by the Stars that has seen UHL duty.
Although the Winnipeg Jets picked Levins in the fourth round (75th overall) of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft , the six-foot, four-inch forward also knows a thing or two about expansion teams. He holds the honor of being the first player to score a goal in a professional game for the Florida Panthers organization, as well as the first player to receive a regular season fighting major penalty. Levins' toughness, which he shrugs off as his desire to "always stand up for my teammates", has earned him worldwide distinction. Levins is a featured fighter on www.icewars.co.uk, a web site that logs and lauds fisticuffs in the English league.
"My plan was to play another year in Europe," said the former Winnipeg Jet, Florida Panther and Ottawa Senator. "But when the Stars started I felt I had to explore my options close to home. I am definitely excited about the assistant coach role."
ERIC NAUD JOINS STARS FROM ECHL'S PEE DEE PRIDE: The Stars have signed left wing Eric Naud for the 2003-2004 season. Naud joins Jasmin Gelinas as the second player with experience in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to commit to Columbus for this season.
Naud is a 25-year old native of LaSalle, PQ who played in 26 playoff contests in the last three seasons for Pee Dee. The United Hockey League will be the fifth professional league in which Naud has played in his seven-year career. The Boston Bruins selected Naud in the third round (53rd overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
The six-foot one-inch scorer put up 34 points in three straight seasons; in the Western Professional Hockey League in 1998-99 with the Abilene Aviators, then the next two seasons in the ECHL with the Jacksonville Lizard Kings and the Pee Dee Pride.
The Columbus Stars Hockey Family includes the professional United Hockey League Stars, the Junior B Central States Hockey League Stars and the various age groups (Mite through Midget) of the Columbus Stars Youth Travel Hockey Program. The Columbus Stars Ice Center, located just off of Schrock Road on the north side of Columbus will provide a unified location for practices and games. The Center is scheduled to open in early October. Director of Hockey Operations/UHL Head Coach Malcolm Cameron will provide a unifying structure with player development and the joy of the game at its core.
For more information contact Packy Moran at 614/985-7827 or via e-mail at info@columbusstars.com.
United Hockey League Stories from September 11, 2003
- Stars Sign First Player with NHL Experience in Levins - Columbus Stars
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