Silver anniversary: 25 key moments in Corpus Christi IceRays history
Len Hayward
Corpus Christi Caller Times
Published 6:02 a.m. CT Sept. 22, 2022
The IceRays are celebrating their 25th season, and with that silver anniversary we dug into the Caller-Times archives and with some help from former longtime IceRays writer and Caller-Times Sports Editor Greg Rajan to find out some of the key moments from the IceRays history in Corpus Christi. ...
Oct. 27, 1999: The team begins to eject fans for chanting “You suck” at the opposing goalie, igniting a season-long controversy. ...
Dec. 9, 2002: Port Aransas businessman Doug Frank, who also owns the New Mexico Scorpions, takes over as IceRays owner after the CHL strips the franchise from (Bill) Davidson’s group because of a failure to pay outstanding league fees. ...
May 27, 2010: The IceRays make it official, announcing their move to the Tier II junior North American Hockey League after 12 years as a minor pro franchise. ...
Read more at: Silver anniversary: 25 key moments in Corpus Christi IceRays history
Wranglers roundup: Amarillo remains undefeated on the season
Hart Pisani
Amarillo Globe-News
Published 6:34 a.m. Sept. 27, 2022
Through the NAHL Showcase and two-game series to open the season, the Amarillo Wranglers are literally perfect.
Amarillo is 6-0-0-0 on the season after beating the Shreveport Mudbugs 4-1 on Friday and 2-1 in a Shootout Saturday. The Wranglers are the only team in the NAHL without a loss this season. ...
The Wranglers are off this week and next before opening home play at the Budweiser Bull Pen on Oct. 14. ...
Read more at: Wranglers roundup: Amarillo remains undefeated on the season
NAHL Weekend Preview
September 30, 2022
As the calendar turns from September to October this weekend, NAHL teams are still sizing up their rosters and line-ups for what will be a busy schedule for the next two and half months leading up to the holidays in mid-December.
All NAHL protected lists and rosters must be reduced to 24 players by October 4th, so this weekend is one last chance for players to make a statement.
While it is still early in the season, standings remain tight. All 29 teams have won at least one game and there remains only one undefeated team remaining (Amarillo Wranglers).
This week saw four more players make NCAA Division I commitments as the current season total is now up to 87 committed players. ...
Watch all the action on HockeyTV
Click here for updated scores
Read the Division Previews at: NAHL Weekend Preview
Weekend Recap for NAHL Week #4 (if I counted right ) ...
NAHL | Chippewa Steel
NAHL: Sasaki's worldwide hockey odyssey takes him from Japan to Chippewa Steel
Brandon Berg
Oct 5, 2022
Updated Oct 5, 2022
Chippewa Steel rookie forward Kazumo Sasaki is the youngest player on his team.
As of this week, he was also the youngest player in the entire North American Hockey League.
But that hasn’t stopped the Japan native from making an immediate impact as he scored his first two NAHL goals this past weekend with the Steel and has been turning heads early in the season. ...
Read more at: NAHL: Sasaki's worldwide hockey odyssey takes him from Japan to Chippewa Steel
Bugs Beat: Shreveport posts ‘unacceptable’ effort in weekend split
OCTOBER 10, 2022
By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports
Even though Friday produced a victory against Odessa on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum, Shreveport Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell wasn’t pleased. You can imagine his feelings following the team’s Saturday night dud.
The Jackalopes scored less than 2 minutes into the game and were never threatened as Shreveport closed out its six-game homestand with a 4-1 loss.
“The whole weekend was unacceptable,” Campbell told The Journal.
The defeat didn’t produce a Campbell locker-room tirade like the first homestand, but the team was back at The George before dawn Sunday morning. ...
Read more about Repercussions at: Bugs Beat: Shreveport posts ‘unacceptable’ effort in weekend split
Happy Thanksgiving!
NOVEMBER 24, 2022
On this Thanksgiving Day we take time out and are reminded to give thanks.
On behalf of the NAHL, NAPHL and NA3HL, along with its respective Board of Governors and Members, the league staff would like to wish everyone and happy and healthy Thanksgiving.
First and foremost, we thank all of the players that play in our three leagues. Thank you for chasing your dreams and entertaining us each and every game. We do all of this for you!
We also take the time to thank all of the billet and host families who have opened up their homes to all of these players. It is difficult at times to be away from one’s real family and these billet families take the time to become a player’s second family, and often times one they will keep in touch with long after they are gone.
We also are thankful for the partners, families and fans of our three leagues for their support and passion for the game we all love.
We also thank all of the officials and volunteers of the three leagues. At times, their jobs are not easy to do, but are an essential part of the success of the NAHL, NAPHL and NA3HL.
Lastly, we thank our owners, governors and leaders, for without their commitment to these players and their respective communities, none of this would be possible.
Here is wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!
NAHL announces Bauer Hockey Stars of the Week
December 5, 2022
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) today announced the Divisional Stars of the Week presented by Bauer Hockey for the week ending December 4, 2022. The Divisional Stars of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2022-23 season that honors the top performing players in each of the four NAHL divisions. Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered for the Divisional Players of the Week award.
Central Division Star of the Week: Josh Giuliani, Forward, Austin Bruins
Austin Bruins forward Josh Giuliani, 18, had a big weekend to help the Austin Bruins increase their lead atop of the Central Division with a weekend home sweep of the Minot Minotauros. The 6’1/180 lbs. native of Plymouth, MN, had five points and was a +4 in the two wins. On Friday, Giuliani had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 win. On Saturday, he recorded his first NAHL hat-trick, which included the game-winning goal, in a 5-1 win. For the season, Giuliani is tied for 4th in team scoring with 19 points in 24 games played to date. “Josh had a big weekend for us, and we are excited that he has earned player of the week. He has a great shot, and he continues to put himself in spots to get quality scoring chances. We are very happy with Josh’s development over the last 24 games here in Austin and we look forward to seeing what he does with the rest of the season,” said Bruins head coach Steve Howard. ...
East Division Star of the Week: Jake LaRusso, Forward, Northeast Generals
Northeast Generals forward Jake LaRusso, 20, had a big week to help his team pick up a weekend home sweep of the 1st place Maryland Black Bears. The 6’1/195 lbs. native of Colts Neck, NJ, had five points and was a +4 in the two wins. On Friday, he had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win. On Saturday, LaRusso had two goals and assisted on the overtime-winner in a 4-3 OT win. For the season, LaRusso is 3rd in team scoring with 28 points in 23 games played. “Jake had a huge weekend for us. It started in practice with his leadership helping the younger players with the game plan. He has been so good for us on and off the ice, and he had another huge weekend. He scored big goals in both games but also great job defensively. He really plays a great 200-foot game, and we are seeing why he has received a lot of college interest. We look forward to his continued great play as we move into the second half of the season,” said Generals head coach Bryan Erikson. ...
Midwest Division Star of the Week: Sam Rice, Forward, Chippewa Steel
Chippewa Steel forward Sam Rice, 18, helped his team pick up an important weekend sweep of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in a pair of games played in Marshall, MN. The 5’9/161 lbs. native of Prior Lake, MN, had four points and was a +2 in the two wins. On Friday, Rice had a goal and an assist in a 6-3 win. On Saturday, he scored twice in a 4-3 win. For the season, Rice is 3rd in team scoring with 22 points in 27 games played. “Sam has played an incredibly consistent brand of hockey over the last two months. We never have to question what type of effort he is going to give. He is excellent on face offs, super reliable in his own end, and extremely hard to play against. His 200-foot game is outstanding and his ability to produce offensively, especially in key moments, is a big reason our team is having the success we are having. We are extremely lucky to have him,” said Steel head coach Casey Mignone. ...
South Division Star of the Week: Tanyon Bajzer, Forward, Odessa Jackalopes
Odessa Jackalopes forward Tanyon Bajzer, 20, helped his club get back on track this past weekend with a home sweep of the Amarillo Wranglers. The 6’1/170 lbs. native of Cleveland, OH, had five points in the two wins and was a +4. On Friday, Bajzer had an assist in a 4-3 overtime win. On Saturday, he had two goals and two assists in a 5-2 win. For the season, Bajzer is tied for the team scoring lead with 18 points in 22 games played. “Tanyon had a great weekend. He’s starting to turn the corner and making a big impact on our team. We are looking forward to seeing where it takes him moving forward,” said Odessa head coach Scott Deur. ...
See the 4 Divisional 2nd SOTWs and the Honorable Mention recognitions at: NAHL announces Bauer Hockey Stars of the Week