George Awada (born June 2, 1975) is an American former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
player who played in the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL),
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
, and
Elite Ice Hockey League
The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level ...
(EIHL).
Career
Awada's career began at junior level in the
USHL
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...
, icing for the St. Paul Vulcans. Awada started well and in his first season as a Vulcan managed 38 points in 47 games. His points return would again improve for the following season, 1994–95, with 54 points in 42 games, well over a point a game average.
This potential was noticed and Awada moved into
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
hockey the following year, playing for
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In the fall of 2023, it ...
in his native Minnesota. Awada would stay in St. Cloud for four seasons despite only managing 13 points in his first two terms. This would change for the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons and Awada again found his point scoring touch. In his final season for St. Cloud, Awada would ice alongside future
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
player
Tyler Arnason.
Awada's improvement in point scoring was noticed and he was chosen to play at
AHL level for the
Albany River Rats
The Albany River Rats were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.
History
Before the formation of the franchise
Without a viable indoor arena with ...
, where he would finish the 1998–99 season, featuring in 10 games and scoring 8 points. He was kept on for the following season, and became a first team regular, icing in 63 games and helping out with 16 points along the way. Despite establishing himself as a first team player, Awada moved to the lower
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
standard for the 2000–01 season, and became a
Richmond Renegades
The Richmond Renegades were a professional ice hockey team in Richmond, Virginia that played in the East Coast Hockey League from 1990 until 2003. The Renegades played at the Richmond Coliseum, which they marketed in later years as ''the Freeze ...
player. He would instantly establish himself as a regular, and in 72 regular season games scored 41 points, helping the Renegades into the post season.
Awada would start the 2001–02 season in Richmond, but after just two games moved to the
New Orleans Brass
The New Orleans Brass were a ice hockey, hockey team in the ECHL from 1997 to 2002. The team was at one time affiliated with the San Jose Sharks. Home games were played first at the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium (New Orleans), Municipal Audito ...
, ECHL rivals of the Renegades. Awada's improvement would continue and it would prove to be his most productive season at ECHL level, comfortably breaking the 50 point barrier. Awada would again reach this milestone the following season, this time for the
Florida Everblades
The Florida Everblades are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Estero, Florida, in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area. They play in the ECHL and are affiliat ...
.
Awada would choose to make a significant move in the summer of 2003, flying across the Atlantic to play for the
Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix were a semi professional ice hockey team from Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group ''Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey'' to bring top-level ice hockey back to M ...
, a then newly established organisation playing in the
EIHL
The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level ...
, the highest standard of ice hockey in the
U.K.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
Awada quickly became a key player for the Phoenix, and scored 48 points in 52 regular season games. Despite making the post-season, the Phoenix organisation would be dogged by financial troubles and would be suspended in the summer of 2004.
Despite this, Awada remained in the EIHL, signing for the
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants (known officially as the Stena Line Belfast Giants due to sponsorship) are a professional ice hockey team based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They compete in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League, Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). T ...
. Again he would become a fan favourite and a regular point scorer. Awada was eventually named club captain and lifted the EIHL league title in the 2005–06 season.
Awada remained as Giants captain until the 2009–10 season when injury forced him out for much of the season and was replaced by
Colin Shields
Colin Shields (born 27 January 1980) is a former Scottish professional ice hockey forward who played most of his career in the United Kingdom's Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). He is the EIHL's all-time leading point scorer.
Playing career
...
. Awada retired at the end of the 2009-10 season, though returned to the Giants during the 2011–12 season to provide injury cover and played 36 games before retiring for good at the conclusion of the season.
In September 2022, it was announced that Awada would return to the Giants as an assistant coach for the 2022-23 EIHL season.
Career statistics
*League statistics only, not including cup competitions, correct to 22/07/08
References
External links
*
George Awada Personal Profile Manchester Phoenix Official Website.
George Awada Personal Profile Belfast Giants Official Website.
Giants Complete Roster Elite League Official Website, 22/07/08
{{DEFAULTSORT:Awada, George
1975 births
Albany River Rats players
American expatriate ice hockey players in England
American men's ice hockey right wingers
Belfast Giants players
American expatriate ice hockey players in Northern Ireland
Florida Everblades players
Living people
Manchester Phoenix players
New Orleans Brass players
People from Mendota Heights, Minnesota
Ice hockey people from Dakota County, Minnesota
Richmond Renegades players
St. Paul Vulcans players
St. Cloud State Huskies men's ice hockey players
Ice hockey players from Minnesota
20th-century American sportsmen