CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Corpus Christi IceRays will have a team-record number of representatives at this year’s NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, and today added to the list is the “Voice of the IceRays” Rob Sanderson, who has been selected to broadcast the event live on HockeyTV.
The 2019 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament consists of six total games Feb. 18-19 from the New England Sports Village in Attleboro, Mass. IceRays General Manager/Head Coach Ryan Cruthers will serve as Assistant Coach for the South Division team, at least four IceRays players will participate in the event, and Sanderson will broadcast the event along with Denis Puska, the “Voice of the Amarillo Bulls.” Additionally, NAHL correspondent Kirsten Krull will assist with interviews, rinkside analysis and special features.
Sanderson and Puska were selected to do the play-by-play for the event by the rest of their NAHL broadcasting peers, who participated in a league-wide vote. Coaches and roster quantity are based off team winning percentage as of Jan. 22. Top Prospects players will be named Friday, Feb. 1.
The NAHL Top Prospects Tournament showcases the top NAHL players currently uncommitted for college hockey, as well as some potential NHL Draft picks. The two-day tournament includes 120 players to be split into six teams (South Division, Central Division, Midwest Division, East Division, Selects Red, Selects Blue) and will play two games each. The entire event will be available to watch live and on-demand on HockeyTV . More information, including a schedule of games, is available at nahl.com/tpt.
Sanderson, 32, is in his first season with the IceRays. The Rochester, N.Y., native spent the previous three seasons with Chicago of the United States Hockey League, leading the organization to 2017-18 USHL Media Team of the Year honors. His previous hockey broadcasting experience includes calling games for the Rochester Americans and Utica Comets (AHL), Nazareth Golden Flyers and Atlantic Hockey (NCAA), and various tournaments and world championships for USA Hockey, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and HockeyTV. He is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia. Sanderson’s selection is IceRays’ second in three years as Collin Schuck, now broadcaster for the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads, called the 2017 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in Plymouth, Mich.
The IceRays depart today for their first trip out of the Lower 48 since Oct. 2013, as Corpus Christi will visit the Fairbanks Ice Dogs (Feb. 1-2) and Kenai River Brown Bears (Feb. 8-9) over the next two weeks. All four games begin at 10:30 PM CST (7:30 PM AKST) and Sanderson’s calls, live from Alaska, will be carried on Sportsradio Corpus Christi (1230 AM/95.1 FM/96.1 FM), HockeyTV and Mixlr with the pre-game show starting 15 minutes prior to faceoff. For more information, visit goicerays.com/broadcast.
Stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/CorpusChristiIceRays), Twitter (@goicerays) and Instagram (CorpusChristiIceRays). Tickets are on sale now for the IceRays’ final eight home games of the 2018-19 regular season. Visit goicerays.com or call 361-814-PUCK (7825) for tickets or more information.
