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Toronto,
ON – The Ontario Hockey League announced that Owen
Sound Attack General Manager Dale DeGray is the OHL
Executive of the Year for the 2010-11 season.
DeGray built the most successful Attack team in
franchise history winning their first Robertson Cup
with a seven-game series win over the Mississauga
St. Michael’s Majors and earning a berth in the 2011
MasterCard Memorial Cup. Along the way the club also
claimed their first Wayne Gretzky Trophy as Western
Conference Champions, and finished the regular
season with a franchise-best record of 46-17-1-4 for
97 points as Midwest Division Champions representing
a 35-point increase in the standings from the
2009-10 season.
“As an organization, we are extremely proud that
Dale DeGray has received this prestigious honor,”
said Attack President Dr. Robert Severs. “This award
is a direct reflection of the hard work and
dedication that he has put forth in helping the Owen
Sound Attack win the 2011 Ontario Hockey League
Championship. Through drafting and very astute
trades, Dale assembled a group of young men that
truly defined the word “team”. Along with the
coaching and training staff, Dale instilled a
culture within our organization that will lead us
down a successful path for years to come.”
Off the ice, the Owen Sound Attack sold out the J.D.
McArthur Arena fifteen straight games, including
eleven home playoff dates from March 12th to the end
of their OHL Championship run. During the 2010/2011
season, the Attack paid homage to the 1951 Allan Cup
Champion Owen Sound Mercury’s, honoring past players
and their families while wearing the blue, white and
red of the former Owen Sound Senior Men’s Team. The
Attack organization also set new highs in
Merchandise and Sponsorship sales while developing a
grassroots Anti-Bullying program that was delivered
in over thirty-five area schools.
DeGray, a 47-year-old from Oshawa, ON, has been the
Attack General Manager since July of 2007 after
spending five years as an amateur scout with the
Florida Panthers. As a player, he competed in three
OHL seasons for his hometown Generals winning an OHL
Championship in 1983. He was selected 162nd overall
by the Calgary Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft
and went on to play 153 NHL games scoring 18 goals
and 47 assists and played professionally in the AHL
and IHL for 14 years. He also spent two seasons as a
coach/GM with the United Hockey League’s Rockford
IceHogs.
DeGray was also recently inducted into the Oshawa
Sports Hall of Fame as part of their class of 2011.
The OHL Executive of the Year Award is presented
annually to the executive whose team demonstrates
success both on the ice and at the administration
level through excellent organization and franchise
success. The winner is selected by the League’s
Executive Council.
DeGray is the second member of the Attack to win
this award following former Attack General Manager
Michael Futa who earned the honour in 2004-05. Other
recipients of the award include Craig Goslin of the
Saginaw Spirit who won the award back-to-back in
2005-06 and 2006-07, followed by Denise Burke of the
Niagara IceDogs in 2007-08, Warren Rychel of the
Windsor Spitfires in 2008-09, and Rick Gaetz of the
Guelph Storm who was last year’s recipient.
The OHL’s Executive of the Year Award will be
formally presented to Dale DeGray at the league’s
annual award ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame on
Wednesday June 8, 2011.
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