Hockey season is oh, so close

Well, hockey season starts in less than three weeks, and things over at the Ice Bears office are a buzzing.

The ice goes in next Saturday (10/2). The boys start moving into their apartments next weekend. The game program will soon be at the printers. Merchandise and player equipment is starting to come into the arena. All pre-season media interviews and promotions are being arranged. There's even a game ops meeting this week.

Man, oh, man. I am getting excited. How about you? What are you looking forward to the most about the upcoming season?

Next era in Knoxville hockey begins

Next era in Knoxville hockey begins Craigen takes the reigns as new head coach of the Ice Bears

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - It has been a little more than a week since the Knoxville Ice Bears named Mike Craigen as the fifth head coach in the organization's history. Chances are, Craigen has not stopped smiling since.

Mike Murray, Mike Craigen and Kevin Swider
(photo courtesy of Knoxville Ice Bears)

Craigen is no stranger to Knoxville. He played with the Ice Bears for four seasons (2004-2008), 

earning two SPHL championships and racking up 196 points (82 goals, 114 assists) and 896 penalty minutes in 216 games.

After retiring nearly two years ago, Craigen quickly realized he might have hung up the skates a little too soon. A return to Knoxville and the ice, plus a slightly higher paycheck than the capped salary of a SPHL player, were just the thing to lure the 28-year-old away from the security of his telecommunications job back in Canada.

"After retiring from hockey, I missed the game immensely, especially the way the game is played in Knoxville, the people here and the organization," Craigen said. "Once you get accustomed to the way of life down here, it is something that doesn't leave you very quickly."

Persistence paid off for the Buckhorn, Ontario native, who applied for the bench boss spot last season after Scott Hillman left to coach in the Central Hockey League. The honor went to Hillman's assistant, Marc Rodgers. Rodgers and the team parted ways over the summer, opening the way for Craigen's return.

Craigen admits he probably was not ready to head the team last year. He gained valuable experience as the assistant coach of Central Canadian Hockey League’s Peterborough Stars, which strengthened his resolve to coach at a professional level.

"Being away from the game for a few years made me realize how much a part of my life hockey was and how much of a great lifestyle it was. I missed the game and I got the passion back for it," Craigen said. "It's that age old saying, you don't know what you've got until it's gone, and that really was the case."

Knoxville Ice Bears General Manager Mike Murray, along with newly appointed Director of Hockey Operations Kevin Swider, interviewed more than 10 candidates before deciding to give Craigen a shot.

Craigen believes he is the best man for the job because of his knowledge of the league, his comfort level with the city and his rapport with the organization and fans.

Read the rest of the article at ProHockeyNews.com. 

Swider Swaps Helmet and Pads for Suit and Tie

Read full article here: ProHockeyNews.com

Swider Swaps Helmet and Pads for Suit and Tie
League leader joins Ice Bears front office team 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — When you think about the Knoxville Ice Bears, or the SPHL for that matter, the first name that comes to mind is Kevin Swider. He lead the league in scoring six times, collected three SPHL championships 
with the Ice Bears, amassed 676 points (264 G, 412 A) in 374 regular season games and logged 71 points (20 G, 51 A) in 51 playoff games.

Quietly and without fanfare, Swider retired from hockey at the end of last season. The task of replacing the league’s most prolific scorer will now fall upon the Ice Bears' new Director of Hockey Operations - Kevin Swider.

The 32-year-old Livonia, Mich. native decided to make his retirement official after a tough year on the ice, with the team squeaking by the Fayetteville FireAntz in the first round of the playoffs only to fall to eventual President Cup Champion Huntsville Havoc.

Swider's choice to retire wasn't easy, nor was it made quickly. 

Swider Takes Position In Ice Bears Front Office

Press Release from the Knoxville Ice Bears

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Knoxville Ice Bears President and General Manager Mike Murray announced today that Kevin Swider has been appointed Director of Hockey Operations.

Swider joins the Ice Bears organization to transition his decorated playing career, which includes three SPHL Championships, four regular season titles, and six consecutive scoring titles, to building championship team from the front office.

Kevin's first responsibility will be to finalize and execute the Knoxville Ice Bears Youth Hockey School, which runs July 19 - July 25, at Cool Sports in West Knoxville. He has two remaining spots for any of the last minute registrants.

"We are pleased to have Kevin join our organization," Murray said. "He brings a depth of knowledge, tremendous work ethic and a dedication to winning that will strengthen our first-class staff."

Swider joins Murray and will assist in the recruitment of a new head coach and, once the new coach is settled, be a valuable resource in recruiting a championship team.

"I am extremely excited for the opportunity to continue working with the Knoxville Ice Bears in a whole new capacity, " Swider said. "We have had great success as an organization and I have been honored to be a part of it. I look forward to this new challenge."

The 32-year-old native of Livonia, Mich., is the longest tenured Ice Bear, playing all or part of each season of the team's existence since 2002. During his time with the organization, he has amassed 676 points (264 G, 412 A) in 374 regular season games and registered 71 points (20 G, 51A) in 51 playoff games.

Swider has served as the Player Assistant Coach for the past three seasons and, in his new role, will be responsible for a range of duties, including recruiting, managing salary cap, handling travel, and arranging player accommodations, as well as securing new corporate partnerships and season ticket holders.

The Ferris State University graduate has a strong grasp of the SPHL and a good relationship with commissioner Jim Combs.

Kevin and his wife, Angela, have a 9-month-old daughter Avery.

###

Ice Bears begin looking for new head coach

From prohockeynews.com:

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After just one season as head coach, Marc Rodgers is leaving the Knoxville Ice Bears.

A team press release stated the search for a new head coach will begin immediately. Until a new bench leader is found, Ice Bears President and General Manager Mike Murray will assume all hockey operations duties.

“(Marc) Rodgers has been a valued member of the Ice Bears in varying capacities 

Former Knoxville head coach Marc Rodgers (photo courtesy of Knoxville Ice Bears)

for the past four seasons.  His contributions have been appreciated during his tenure,” Murray said. “We want to thank him for his service to the Ice Bears organization over the years. ”

According to Nick Gates at the Knoxville News Sentinel, the coaching change came during a meeting on Monday with the team’s owners and Murray.

Rodgers was an assistant under Scott Hillman when the Ice Bears won back-to-back SPHL championships in 2008 and 2009. Rodgers was named the head coach when Hillman left the Ice Bears to coach the expansion Missouri Mavericks of the Central Hockey League.

With Rodgers at the helm, the Ice Bears finished fourth last season with a 30-23-3 record. The season brought many memorable moments, most notably the goalie fight in January that knocked net minder Andrew Gallant out of action for a month and the bench-clearing brawl against the Fayetteville FireAntz during the last game of the regular season.

In the post season, Knoxville was able to escape Fayetteville in the first round but lost to eventual SPHL champion Huntsville in the semifinals. 

The Ice Bears are heading into an important time of the off-season when player recruitment becomes the focus. Gates reported on Sunday that captain Kevin Swider, considered by many to be the best player in the history of the league with six scoring titles and two MVP trophies, has officially retired. Additionally, veteran forward Tim Vitek has hung up his skates. With two of the franchise's most prolific scorers not returning, finding replacements and rebuilding the roster has taken on new meaning.
Stay with Pro Hockey News for more on this developing story.
Contact the author at kristina.shands@prohockeynews.com  

SPHL concludes annual Board of Governors meeting

CHARLOTTE, NC (June 18, 2010) – The annual meeting of the Southern Professional Hockey League Board of Governors concluded Wednesday in Las Vegas, NV with several topics being discussed, including finalization of the 2011 playoff format. 

2011 Playoff Format:

The top six (6) finishers in the league standings will make the playoffs:

ROUND 1

Series A - #1 Seed will play #6 Seed in a best-of-five series with the #1 Seed hosting Games 1, 3 and 5 (if necessary)

Series B - #2 Seed will play #5 Seed in a best-of-three series with the #2 Seed hosting Games 1 and 3 (if necessary)

Series C - #3 Seed will play #4 Seed in a best-of-three series with the #3 Seed hosting Games 1 and 3 (if necessary).

ROUND 2

Winner of Series A gets a bye to Championship Round

Winner of Series B plays winner of Series C in a best-of-three series with the highest-seeded team hosting Games 1 and 3 (if necessary)

PRESIDENT’S CUP FINALS

The highest remaining seed will host Games 1, 3 and 5 (if necessary) in the best-of-five Championship.

“By far, the playoff format was the most discussed topic of the meeting,” stated President Jim Combs.  “The Board evaluated several different scenarios in trying to come up with a format that gave equal weight to competition and economics.  Ultimately, the Board voted to retain the playoff format that was used last season and while not perfect, we feel it offers the best overall balance for the teams involved.”

Team Rosters

Teams will still have an 18-man roster during the season, but will only be allowed to dress 17 players for games, one fewer than last season.

League Standings

For the 2010-2011 regular season, teams will no longer receive a point for an overtime or shootout loss.  The winning team will still receive two points in the standings.

“We feel that eliminating the point for an overtime or shootout loss will increase the quality and intensity of play throughout the league,” explained Combs.  “In researching what effect the loss of the additional point would have had on past standings, we found that the point differential between teams actually decreased, making the overall standings much closer.

2009-2010                                       2009-2010

Standings (actual)                    Standings (without OTL)

Team                  Points               Team                Points

xMississippi          76                  Mississippi          68 

xHuntsville            71                  Huntsville            62

xFayetteville          65                  Fayetteville          62

xKnoxville             63                  Knoxville             60

xPensacola            58                  Pensacola            50

xColumbus           51                  Louisiana             46 

Louisiana              48                  Columbus            44

x-made playoffs

“In the past, teams that have been tied late in the game would change their style of play in order to finish the third period still tied, knowing they were getting a point by doing so,” added Combs.  “Now that it’s either two points or none, the emphasis is back on playing to win instead of playing not to lose.”

Election of Officers

By unanimous vote of the Board, the following individuals were elected to serve as officers for the 2010-2011 season:

Chairman:            Tim Kerr, Pensacola

Vice Chairman:     Mike Murray, Knoxville

Treasurer:            Keith Jeffries, Huntsville

Secretary:             Doug Price, League Office

Roster Deadlines

The SPHL trade deadline will be Monday, February 28, 2011 while the last day for SPHL teams to add a player who has played outside of North America during the 2010-2011 season will be Tuesday, February 1, 2011.

Past and Current Ice Bears Play in Summer Tournament this weekend

From the Knoxville Ice Bears newsletter:

Summer has melted the ice at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum, but many of your local Ice Bears will be playing in an annual summer tournament this weekend, June 4-6, at Cool Sports (Icearium) in West Knoxville.

Games start Friday night at 8:40 pm when seven-time SPHL scoring champion Kevin Swider and Team Knoxville take on Nashville's Southern Ice, lead by former NHL defenseman Jim McKenzie.

The marquee match-up will be played on Saturday at 6:30 pm when Knoxville Cherokee's all-time leading scorer and current GM Mike Murray will face off against the SPHL's all-time leading scorer Kevin Swider.

Admission is free for all games.

Players include:
Team Knoxville: KJ Voorhees, Kevin Swider, Mike Bulawka, Josh Akright

Team Dirty Dogs: Mike Murray, Tim Sinasac, Rich Zalewski, Travis Hansen, Chris Brannen

Team Huntsville: Bill McCreary and Keith Rowe of the Huntsville Havoc (you don’t have to cheer them if you don’t want, we wont make you)

Southern Ice: Jim McKenzie (Former Nashville Predator)

Friday, June 4

Time, Level, Home Team, Away Team, Game #

8:40pm, A, Knoxville, Southern Ice, #4

9:50pm, A, Dirty Dogs, Huntsville, #5

Saturday, June 5

10:20am, A, Southern Ice, Dirty Dogs, #9

11:30am, A, Huntsville, Knoxville, #10

6:30pm, A, Knoxville, Dirty Dogs, #16

7:40pm, A, Huntsville, Southern Ice, #17

Sunday, June 6

12:00pm, A, CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, #23

Hope everyone is having a phenomenal summer and look forward to seeing many of you there!