CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) invite you to join the 2016 IceRays Pre-Draft Camp to be held in St. Louis, Mizz. from June 3-5, 2016. The camp is a three-day event with four guaranteed games culminating in a Camp All-Star Game on Sunday and invites to the 2016 IceRays Main Camp in July.
The IceRays brand stands for more than just playing junior hockey. It represents a lifestyle both on and off the ice that prepares young men to become the next round of professional hockey players domestically and abroad as well as builds the foundation to become upstanding men in their respective communities and instills core values to enrich quality of life and personal character. The IceRays family extends beyond the Corpus Christi community and the sport of hockey. The team is led by former major junior head coach and 2003 Robertson Cup Champion John Becanic as well as second-year assistant coach and former IceRays player Michael Benedict.
The IceRays have provided quality, family entertainment to the Corpus Christi area since the inaugural 1998-99 season as members of the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL). Since joining the NAHL six seasons ago, the IceRays have welcomed almost 500,000 people in to the American Bank Center, the most out of any NAHL franchise in that span. The organization averages over 3,000 fans per game in one of the premier facilities in the league and the warmth of southern Texas. Over our six-year history, the IceRays have enabled 63 players to sign NCAA college commitments, including notable players like goaltender Pheonix Copley, a second-year professional with the St. Louis Blues organization who became the first IceRays junior alum to play in the National Hockey League (NHL) on Feb. 27, 2016 with the Blues, and goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who made history in 2012 by becoming the first player to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft, going in the 2nd round by the Philadelphia Flyers. This season, two players have made NCAA Division I commitments (Carter Johnson, Miami University; Jimmy O’Brien, Colorado College) with more anticipated by season’s end.
Players that have adorned the IceRays logo hail from various sections of the world. 24 players over the last six seasons have come from beyond the borders of the United States of America, including nine from Canada. This season, four foreign skaters have joined the IceRays including three from Canada: Carter Johnson (Manitoba), Drake Lindsay (Manitoba) and Brad Power (Newfoundland). In the U.S.A. alone, IceRays players past and present have represented 30 of the 50 U.S. states.
This season, the IceRays will hold their 2016 Pre-Draft Camp at The Ice Zone in Hazelwood, Mizz., beginning on Friday, June 3, 2016 through Sunday, June 5, 2016. The Ice Zone is the official practice facility of the St. Louis Blues. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, and each skater will be guaranteed four games not including the Camp All-Star Game, which will conclude the weekend. In total, 80 skaters (48 forwards, 24 defensemen, eight goaltenders) will take the ice on a first come, first serve basis. Players may be selected from this camp for main camp in July.
Registration for the camp is $250 payable by cash, check, or credit card. Payment must be made all at once and submitted prior to registration on June 3. Participants must also complete and return the registration form, consent to treat form, and international try-out notice (if applicable) along with the desired payment. All forms and information should be sent to predraftcamp@goicerays.com. The participant must make hotel accommodations individually. If there are any questions, please contact the IceRays Front Office at 361-814-7825.
The IceRays and the Odessa Jackalopes resume their four-game stretch on Friday, March 4 at 7:05 p.m. from the Ector County Coliseum. The IceRays return to the American Bank Center on Friday, March 11 at 7:11 p.m. to start a weekend set against the Wichita Falls Wildcats. Nominate the American Bank Center to help make Corpus Christi the next Kraft Hockeyville! Submit your essay and tell your story at KraftHockeyville.com. Contact the IceRays Front Office at 361-814-PUCK or go to www.goicerays.com for details on season tickets along with pricing and seating. In addition, stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/CorpusChristiIceRays), Twitter (@goicerays), YouTube (IceRays TV), Instagram (CorpusChristiIceRays), Vine (@goicerays), and Periscope (@goicerays).
