CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The Corpus Christi IceRays were honored to host Art Berglund, a USA Hockey Hall of Famer during the opening round of the 2013 NAHL Playoffs against the Amarillo Bulls.
Berglund, who was vacationing in the Coastal Bend was a special guest to IceRays owner Tim Lange.
In addition, general manager Pat Dunn along with head coach Justin Quenneville hit the links at Northshore Country Club with Berglund, who has been involved with USA Hockey for five decades.
"It was quite an honor to spend some quality time on the golf course with such a hockey legend and Hall of Famer," said Dunn. "He really kept us entertained during the round and I wish it never ended."
Berglund was the chair for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Player Selection Committee and managed his second U.S. Olympic Men’s Team in 1988. He was also director of player personnel for three U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Teams (1992, 1994, 2002), including the silver medal-winning squad at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In 1992, the NHL awarded Berglund with the Lester Patrick Award for his outstanding contributions to the sport of hockey in the United States. Eight years later, the American Hockey Coaches Association named Berglund the recipient of the Jim Fullerton Award, which recognizes an individual who demonstrates a love for the purity of the sport. In 2005, USA Hockey presented him with its Builders Award for his lasting contributions to the long-term growth and success of USA Hockey.
Berglund was selected into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, the Colorado College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and in 2008, both the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.
In 2010, Berglund entered the USA Hockey Hall of Fame along side Derian Hatcher, Kevin Hatcher, Dr. V. George Nagobads, and Jeremy Roenick.
He retired from USA Hockey on June 30, 2005, but continues to this day as a consultant for the organization.
