Three NAHL alumni to play for 2006 Stanley Cup

June 2, 2006 - North American Hockey League (NAHL) News Release

Frisco, Texas -- With the Carolina Hurricanes advancing to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, which begin on Monday, three former NAHL players now playing for Carolina will have a chance to become Stanley Cup Champions.

Kevyn Adams, Niagara Scenics Kevyn played two seasons in the NAHL. As a rookie in 1990-91 and one of the youngest players in the league, he played in 35 games, scoring 10 goals and nine assists, ranking him fourth on his team. In the 1991-92 season, Adams led the Scenics in scoring and was seventh in the NAHL with 25 goals and 33 assists for 58 points in 40 games. His 25 goals were the third highest total in the league that season. Niagara scored 144 goals that season, so Adams was in on better than one-third of the Scenics goals. The following season, he attended Miami (Ohio) and was drafted by the Boston Bruins.

Doug Weight, Bloomfield Jets In the 1988-89 season, Weight enjoyed one of the greatest seasons by a forward in NAHL history. He led the NAHL in scoring with 32 goals and 60 assists for 92 points in 40 games. He was named a First Team NAHL All-Star. He attended Lake Superior State the following season and was drafted by the New York Rangers in the spring of 1990. Weight was named to the NAHL's 25th Anniversary Team in 2000-01.

Justin Williams, Detroit Compuware Ambassadors Justin played part of the 1998-99 season with Detroit's Compuware Ambassadors. He also played for the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL that year. Both junior teams were owned by Peter Karmanos, who also owns the Carolina Hurricanes (Mr. Karmanos' Compuware team was an 11-time Robertson Cup winner as champions of the NAHL). In nine games for Compuware that season, Justin Williams scored four goals and had two assists. The following season, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers.

A number of NAHLers have already become Stanley Cup Champions, including Danton Cole (Dunnville, Aurora/ New Jersey Devils), Shawn Chambers (Detroit Compuware/ New Jersey Devils/Dallas Stars), Ken Morrow (Detroit Jr. Wings/ New York Islanders), Brian Ralafski (Melvindale/ New Jersey Devils), Brian Rolston (Detroit Compuware/New Jersey Devils), Michael Rupp (Cleveland Jr. Barons/ New Jersey Devils), and Craig Wolanin (Detroit Compuware/ Colorado Avalanche).

Had Buffalo prevailed in Game 7 if the NHL's Eastern Conference Championship on Thursday night, two other NAHLers would have had a chance to play for the Cup

Ryan Miller, Soo Indians Miller has been a highly decorated goaltender at every level of hockey and that was true of his NAHL career as well. Playing in 47 games for the Soo Indians in 1998-99, Miller was named the league's Most Valuable Player, with a 31-14-1 record, a 2.30 GAA, a .924 save percentage and an NAHL record eight shutouts (which was just broken this season by Matt Dalton of the Bozeman Icedogs). He was drafted by the Sabres right out of the NAHL that June in the NAHL Entry Draft.The previous season, 1997-98, he was named NAHL Goaltender of the Year, playing in 37 games and recording a 21-14 record, with a 2.33 GAA, a .915 save percentage and three shutouts.

Miller then attended Michigan State and was named the Hobey Baker Award winner in 2001, becoming the third NAHL grad up until then to win that honor, the others being Kip Miller (1990) and Brian Holzinger (1995). Since then, Jordan Leopold (2002) and Matt Carle (2006) have joined them as former NAHLers to win the Hobey Baker Award.

Miller is the cousin of three other great NAHL alumni, Kelly, Kevin and Kip Miller, all of whom played in the NHL and all of whom were named to the NAHL's 25 Anniversary Team in 2000-01.

Thomas Vanek, Rochester Jr. Americans Thomas began his junior hockey career in the NAHL, playing part of the 1999-2000 season for Rochester, recording six goals and four assists in 14 games. He continued his junior career in the USHL and represented Austria three times in the annual IIHF World Junior Championship Tournament.

Having just completed its 30th season, the North American Hockey League is the oldest and largest junior A hockey league in the United States.

Over its 29 year history, the NAHL has developed more college and professional players than any other junior hockey league in the country.

The NAHL's primary goal is to enhance the development of its players in conjunction with a commitment to academic support. The League's schedule and playoff schedule is designed to minimize school conflicts.

NAHL competition helps players make the transition from midget and high school hockey to college hockey by creating an environment that is highly competitive, encourages skill development and provides time for physical growth and maturity.

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