Surma, Cody Signed by IceMen
Published on September 1, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Evansville IceMen News Release
EVANSVILLE, IN.--- With their inaugural training camp beginning to loom on the nearest horizon, the fledgling Evansville IceMen of the all-new Central Hockey League "Super League" continue to proceed with lots of notion to their forward motion expressly in preparing for the upcoming 2010-11 pro hockey campaign.
On this date, General Manager / Coach Rich Kromm has announced that two more prominent members of last season's IHL Huber Trophy title timber team, the Muskegon Lumberjacks, are set, signed, sealed and delivered for the premiering IceMen club. Center DAMIAN SURMA and left wing MARK CODY are the latest two players to come to terms, inking contract deals with the Evansville club. Adhering to club policy, terms of the respective pacts were not disclosed.
SURMA, 29, (SIR-mah), will be commencing his 10th pro season, bringing to the IceMen organization a veritable wealth of professional experience including a stint in the National Hockey League. In the 2009-10 Muskegon decorated season, the strong 5-9, 200lb sparkplug attained some sound and solid numbers in the Lumberjacks inexorable ascent to the league's regular season grand prize. Obtained as a free agent after launching the campaign with the CHL Wichita Thunder, the native of the Detroit suburb of Lincoln Park, Michigan stepped into the lineup and promptly proceeded to contribute considerable offense for the league's highest scoring machine. In 56-games, he registered 46-points on 19-goals, 27-assists with 40-PIM and +6 rating. Included in his offensive output were 4-PPG, 10-PPA, 2-GWG, 1-SHG and a superb .429 rating in the OTSO where he converted on 3/7 opportunities with 2-of those snipes of the GWG variety.
Overall, finishing sixth in team scoring, the former sixth round choice of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft tied for runner-up in Muskegon team scoring in last spring's Turner Cup Playoffs with 5-points in 7-games on 3-goals, 2-assists with 15-SOG.
GM/Coach Kromm is looking forward to having one of his top centers back with him; this time here in Evansville. "Damian has achieved a very productive pro career starting when he was drafted and played for the NHL Carolina Hurricanes. Likewise, his minor pro hockey pursuits have been both effective and productive. He is very skilled, strong on the puck and a very creative player. We expect Damian to provide some solid veteran leadership for our team this season."
A crafty veteran of some 463-pro games combined in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, UHL,IHL and overseas in Italy, Surma's resume shows that he scored his first-ever NHL goal in his first-ever NHL game for Carolina in the 2002-03 season. In the 2004-05 season, he fired a pro career-high 32-goals for the ECHL Florida Everblades. In the following season of 2005-06, he helped spark the Kalamazoo Wings to their first league championship in 26-years, effectively ending Muskegon's two-year reign as league kingpins. In that season, he was a prolific 71(26-37-63) with 55-PIM. His all-time pro career numbers read; 463-games; 142-goals, 166-assists, 308-points.
CODY, 28, is entering his fifth pro season and his second under the tutelage of Coach Kromm. In his first and only season in Muskegon last year, the 6-1, 200lb rugged, rock-ribbed ruffian left wing collected 10-points in 51-games on 3-goals, 7-assists along with 120-PIM and +5 rating.
His physical prowess and dexterity are invaluable assets to the overall make-up of his team and Kromm is acutely aware of that. "Mark is a big, physical presence up front for us. He likes the physical game and always finishes all of his checks. In addition, he has a very strong work ethic and is an outstanding team player. He will give our club lots of grit and energy especially for our forward units."
Originally signed by Muskegon as a free agent in September of 2009, the Halifax, Nova Scotia product has seen previous service in the CHL in 2007-08 with the Texas Brahmas. Cody played his junior `A' hockey in the Maritime Provinces with both the Halifax Oland Exports and the Truro Bearcats of the MJAHL before taking the Canadian college path to St. Thomas U. where he performed his act for two seasons. In the 2001-02 season with the aforementioned Halifax club, Cody earned both his spurs and reputation by amassing a mammoth 359-PIM in 48-games while engineering 37-points on 14-goals, 23-assists. The ensuing season with the same team, in 23-games, he accrued an astronomical 180-PIM.
Today's signings of center DAMIAN SURMA and left wing MARK CODY bring to four the total number of players presently under contract for the IceMen upcoming season. Previously, the "New IceMen Cometh" team announced the signings of goaltender MATT LUNDIN and defenseman JORDAN LITTLE.
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