CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has named Corpus Christi IceRays captain Mason Krueger the NAHL South Division Star of the Week, presented by Bauer, for the week ending Apr. 9, 2017, the league announced today.
Krueger, 20, dazzled in his final regular season junior hockey games of his career, finishing his final weekend with back-to-back three-point games for six total points. The Bettendorf, Iowa native ensured a 100-point career over his three seasons with the IceRays with two goals and one assist in Friday’s 5-4 win including the game-winner as well as three assists in Saturday’s 5-1 win. He factored in to both game-winning goals and at least either the tying goal or insurance goals during the course of both nights.
While the weekend marked the end of a career, the 5-foot-11, 178-pound forward made his mark on the IceRays organization over the last three seasons. Krueger closed his 2016-17 season leading the team in assists and scoring, recording 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points, which also sits him in the top-20 among all NAHL players in scoring as well as multiple IceRays single-season standings, including fifth in points and sixth in goals and assists. In 173 career NAHL games, he recorded 43 goals and 57 assists for 100 points, becoming just the second player in junior franchise history to earn a 100-point season and finishes in second place for all major scoring categories and games played.
“Mason, to me, is a staple of our culture,” said IceRays head coach Brad Flynn to NAHL.com. “He is a hard-working, very good person who has been rewarded with leading our team to a record year and had his most productive season in three years and obtained an NCAA Division I scholarship to Army West Point. We are very proud that in his final week of regular season he earned player of the week. After being a captain in Omaha of the NAPHL, tendering with us, playing three seasons in the NAHL and now going onto the NCAA, he is a great ambassador for the NAHL umbrella.”
This is the second top honor that Krueger has earned this season and third overall, joining his four-point weekend against the Amarillo Bulls to start November, which included two insurance goals in a 3-0 shutout win on Friday, Nov. 4 and the game-winner during their 3-1 win on Saturday, Nov. 5 to earn the first road sweep of the Bulls in junior franchise history. This also came shortly following his commitment to Army West Point.
In total, the IceRays have earned five top weekly honors this season and eight total honors. Krueger joins forwards Andy McGlynn and Brad Power, who each earned the top weekly honor on October 10 and February 20, respectively, as well as the team’s last weekly award winner, Tomáš Vomáčka, who took top honors on January 2 and March 12. Krueger and Vomáčka are the only two players this season to multiple Star of the Week awards as well as earn at least one top weekly honor and one second star designation.
The IceRays begin the 2017 Robertson Cup Playoffs on Friday, Apr. 14 at 7:11 p.m. from George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum to begin a best-of-five series. The IceRays will host two playoff games on Wednesday, Apr. 19 and, if necessary, Thursday, Apr. 20 at 7:05 p.m. from the American Bank Center. Tickets will go on sale this Thursday at 12:00 p.m. CDT, and fans can call 361-814-PUCK with questions. In addition, stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/CorpusChristiIceRays), Twitter (@goicerays), YouTube (IceRays TV), Instagram (CorpusChristiIceRays), Snapchat (@goicerays), and Periscope (@goicerays).
