Vipers to retire Schultz and Berthiaume jerseys March 11th
February 24, 2006 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Roanoke Valley Vipers News Release
ROANOKE, VA - The Roanoke Valley Vipers, member of the United Hockey League (UHL), proudly announced today that they will be officially retiring the jersey numbers of former Roanoke hockey players Dave Schultz and Daniel Berthiaume in a ceremony during their game on Saturday, March 11th against the Richmond RiverDogs.
Schultz, who wore the number 16 jersey for the Salem Rebels (EHL) during the 1969-70 hockey season, set the NHL record for the most penalty minutes in one season with 472 as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers during the 1974-75 season. In addition, Dave "The Hammer" Schultz led the NHL in penalty minutes three consecutive years with 259 in 1972-73, 348 in 1973-74, and 472 in his record-setting 1974-75 season. Schultz retired in 1980 with career totals of 2294 regular season and 412 playoff penalty minutes.
Berthiaume, a longtime fan favorite among Roanoke hockey fans, was named head coach of the Vipers midway through the current 2005-06 season. "Bert" enjoyed a long and illustrious career in hockey as a goaltender, including seven seasons spent in a Roanoke Express (ECHL) uniform. Berthiaume played in the NHL for 10 seasons as a member of each the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota North Stars, L.A. Kings, Boston Bruins, and Ottawa Senators. Berthiaume's career also included stints in the American Hockey League (AHL), International Hockey League (IHL), and Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL). In 1997 as a member of the Central Texas Stampede (WPHL), Berthiaume received the Outstanding Goaltender Award, making 1533 saves in 3034 minutes in net, and compiling a 30-20-0 record with a 3.28 Goals Against Average. The Longueuil, Quebec native finished his playing career last season with the Port Huron Beacons before the club moved to Roanoke and became the Vipers. Berthiaume made the trip south with the team and became the assistant coach before his promotion to head coach in early February.
Join the Vipers for this once-in-a-lifetime event, while you cheer on your Vipers as they host their in-state division rivals the Richmond RiverDogs! Bring the whole family out to the game to meet these two hockey legends. Don't stand in long lines at the box office, get your tickets today by calling (540) 345-PUCK (7825) - good seats are going fast!
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