CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Corpus Christi IceRays of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are proud to announce the signing of forward Tommy Parrottino from the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) to a tender contract for the 2016-17 season. The forward is the fifth signing for next year and the fourth from the T1EHL.
“I’m excited,” said Parrottino. “I’ve heard the IceRays have a good program down there and draw a lot of fans. I’ve heard Coach [John] Becanic treats his players well, and I’m just excited to be part of the IceRays community and team.”
Parrottino, 17, has played in 18 games with the Jr. Grizzlies this season, recording 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points with 16 penalty minutes and five power play goals. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound forward currently leads the T1EHL in goals scored, points produced, and power play points while sharing the league lead in power play goals scored. He also participated in the USA-Select tournament, recording three goals and three assists for six points in five games. Prior to this season, Parrottino was drafted 252nd overall (16th Round) by the Sioux Falls Stampede in Phase II of the 2015 USHL Draft.
He comes from a strong Little Caesars program, playing 48 games across two seasons from 2013-15 for the U16 squad in the High Performance Hockey League (HPHL), recording 23 goals and 13 assists for 36 points without a penalty minute. Even with the clout, the young forward keeps humble and continues to strive to get better.
“I just practice every day as hard as I can. I don’t really look at the points that much and just try to get better.”
Parrottino comes from the same town as current IceRays defenseman Matthew Acciaioli: Rochester Hills, Mich. The pair of skaters grew up as neighbors and played together growing up, often skating on Parrottino’s backyard rink. After going their separate ways in midgets, the two joined again at the outset of this season with the Jr. Grizzlies before Acciaioli was promoted to the IceRays in mid-October. Their arrival in Oakland was more of a coincidence, but both of their decisions to join the IceRays in different forms was more than just chance.
“I needed a change, and the coaches really put their players out there and push them to the next level. We compete every day in practice, and that’s a big part of [the decision]. It just pushed me to be the best player I can be. [Matt] has told me Corpus Christi is one of the best places to play in the NAHL and that he gets treated very well.”
“Tommy is a big time player that will be a nice compliment to the current players we have in Corpus Christi,” said IceRays head coach John Becanic. “He has a high ‘hockey IQ’ and is a proven scorer in the Tier 1 Elite League.”
Parrottino also has another NAHL connection: his brother, David, who played 20 games between the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings and Port Huron Fighting Falcons during the 2012-13 season. David currently plays for Canisius College at the NCAA Division I level, which is where current IceRays forward Michael Bevilacqua will join following his junior career.
Tommy Parrottino is the fifth forward to be tendered by the IceRays this season and the fourth from the T1EHL, joining Griffin Loughran (Buffalo), Trevor St. Jean (Ohio) and Adam Tretowicz (Buffalo) on the 2016-17 protected list. Parrottino is also the second tender signed this week following the commitment by NAPHL forward Dane Johnson. All five tenders have signed within the past three weeks.
The IceRays return home on Friday, Dec. 11 at 7:11 p.m. against the Amarillo Bulls at the American Bank Center. 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).
