CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) invite you to join the first Virginia Open Camp to be held in Chesapeake, Va. from July 8-10, 2016. The camp is a three-day event with invites to the 2016 IceRays Main Camp in July.
“There is a lot of great talent on the East Coast as evidenced by players like alum Anthony Stolarz and forward Regen Cavanagh, and we want to spread our recruiting efforts that direction,” said IceRays general manager Pat Dunn. “The Whalers organization has been very kind to offer help in our scouting efforts by providing their facility to host our first ever Virginia Open Camp, and we’re really excited to see the talent that the East Coast has to offer.”
The IceRays will host the first IceRays Virginia Open Camp at Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex in Chesapeake, Va., beginning on Friday, July 8, 2015 through Sunday, July 10, 2015. Chilled Ponds is home to the Hampton Roads Whalers of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), who became the 2016 USPHL Elite Champions as well as the 2016 USP3HL Southern Conference Champions after a banner season. IceRays forward Regen Cavanagh was selected in the 2015 NAHL Draft from the Whalers after two seasons in the USPHL Elite. Assisting in the organization and operation of the camp will be Patrick Cavanagh, Chairman of the Board/General Manager of Hampton Roads and former ECHL and American Hockey League (AHL) player, and Brad Jones, Whaler Nation Executive Director/USPHL Empire Head Coach.
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 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 52 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 alum to play in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the St. Louis 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.
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 virginiacamp@goicerays.com. The participant must make hotel accommodations individually. If there are any questions, please contact the IceRays Front Office at 361-814-7825.
For a list of all IceRays Camps, click here.
Keep up with the IceRays all off-season long, and 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).
