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Hall of Fame NomineesAfter looking at the hundreds of players who have come through the Tornado system over the past ten years there were a great many players from which to choose. For the inaugural Hall of Fame class, 27 players have been nominated based on componets in the following catagories: Play On The Ice; Leadership and Work Ethic; Community Service; Post-Tornado Career; Fan Favorite; Other Acheivements. It is up to you, the fans, to select this year's 10 honorees. Please read more about these outstanding athletes below, then on the link below to vote.
Jonathan Awe
Jonathan Awe went on to complete four years at Northeastern University after his time with the Tornado. Since then, Awe has moved between the East Coast Hockey League and the American Hockey League where he now plays with the Houston Aeros. Ben Bishop
Ben Bishop immediately followed his Tornado career by getting drafting by the St. Louis Blues in the 3rd round in 2005. He played three seasons at the University of Maine, leading his team to two Frozen Four appearances. He now has NHL playing time under his belt and is still in the St. Louis Blues system. Brett Blatchford
Brett Blatchford is one of only five Tornado players to have three National Championship rings. Blatchford has transferred his success onto the University of Notre Dame at which he is currently playing his fourth season. Jason Bloomingburg
One of the most popular players during his three years with the Tornado, Jason Bloomingburg, didn’t take long to make a name for himself in college hockey. Bloomingburg played for the Wayne State Warriors of the College Hockey America Conference where he served as team captain for three years. After college, Bloomingburg signed with the Alaska Aces of the East Coast Hockey League. He later played for the Pensacola Ice Pilots and the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL. Bloomingburg is now the assistant coach for the Texas Tornado. Brad Cooper
The hometown player played two seasons with the Tornado before beginning his career in NCAA hockey. He played for Providence College before reaching the team he currently plays for at Lake Superior University. Brandon Crawford-West
Immediately following his time with the Tornado, Brandon Crawford-West was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penquins in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Crawford-West went on to play in the United States Hockey League, followed by two seasons with Miami University (Ohio). Jason Deitsch
Deitsch, who played for the Tornado during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons, won the United Hockey League Championship as a member of the Kalamazoo K-Wings in 2006. He has since played in several professional leagues. He currently plays for the Texas Brahmas of the Central Hockey League. Bryan Esner
After his two seasons with the Tornado, Bryan Esner played four full seasons with Northeastern University. After his college career he played with the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League. Esner now plays for the Gwinnett Gladiators in his third season in the East Coast Hockey League. Luke Flicek
Since his time with the Tornado, former forward Luke Flicek has played four full seasons with the hockey team of the Army. Flicek scored two goals and two assists for Army in their first playoff win since 1978, and led the team in scoring as a sophomore in 2005-06. Ryan Fuller
Ryan Fuller holds the Texas Tornado record for most career games played with 213. After his days with the Tornado, he had stints with both the Laredo Bucks and the Texas Brahmas of the Central Hockey League. Jason Guerriero
After setting all the early career scoring records for the Tornado during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons, the former Tornado team captain headed off to Northeastern University and was named to the Hockey East All-Star first team after becoming Northeastern's first-ever Hockey East scoring champion in 2004-05. After several seasons of American professional hockey, Guerriero moved to Europe where he now plays in Germany. Justin King
Justin King played four seasons as a forward with the Tornado, amassing 42 goals and 59 assists in his time in Texas. Trevor Ludwig
Immediately following his career with the Tornado, Trevor Ludwig was drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2004. Ludwig completed four full seasons with Providence College before making his move into professional hockey. Ludwig now plays for the Dallas Stars affiliated Idaho Steelheads. Nick Mazzolini
Tornado fans remember "Mazz" for his incredible stick work and his ability to make something out of nothing, especially when shorthanded. It was Mazzolini that netted a shorthanded game-winning goal in the 2005 National Championship game that gave the Tornado the lead for good during their repeat performance. Mazzolini currently plays back in his hometown for the Alaska Aces of the East Coast Hockey League. Billy McCreary
Billy McCreary played two seasons with the Tornado. Following that, McCreary played in three seasons at Providence College. McCreary has since played four years of professional hockey. He currently plays for the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League. Austin Miller
This hometown player played three seasons with the Tornado before moving onto play NCAA hockey with Providence College. Al Montoya
In the ten-year history of the Texas Tornado, Montoya has been the highest NHL draft pick, going 6th overall to the New York Rangers in the 2004 Entry Draft. Montoya has since played in multiple games with the Phoenix Coyotes and is still in the team’s system. Matt Nickerson
Former Texas Tornado defenseman Matt Nickerson was a 3rd round draft pick of the Dallas Stars in 2003 and scored a goal for the Dallas Stars in a 2005 NHL exhibition game against Edmonton. Nickerson now plays for the Springfield Falcons in the American Hockey League. Sean Roadhouse
Sean Roadhouse played three seasons with the Tornado, accumulating 37 goals and 59 assists during that time span. Karl Sellan
Karl Sellan moved onto the Central Hockey League after his stay with the Tornado, where he has had a successful career. After three good seasons with the Arizona Sundogs, he now currently plays for the Missouri Mavericks. Billy Skwarczewski
Billy Skwarczewki played two seasons with the Tornado. He followed up his career with the Tornado with stints with the Detroit Dragons of the All American Hockey Association and the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League. Geoff Smith
Geoff Smith went on to play four full seasons with Miami (Ohio) University of the NCAA after his two seasons with the Tornado. Dinos Stamoulis
Dinos Samoulis played for Providence College for four years after his two seasons as a member of the Tornado. Samoulis then went on to play multiple seasons in the East Coast Hockey League and the American Hockey League. Samoulis currently plays for the Reading Royals of the ECHL. Scott Talbot
Scott Talbot led the Tornado to their first-ever National Championship and later went on to the University of Calgary where he became the university's Male Athlete of the Year following his freshman season. Talbot now plays for the Arizona Sundogs of the Central Hockey League. Tom Train
After four full seasons with the Tornado, Tom Train is now in his fourth year with the University of Alabama-Huntsville of the NCAA. Ron Vogel
Ron Vogel has played for multiple professional teams from various leagues since his time with the Tornado with stints in five professional leagues in eight years. Andy Wozniewski
Wozniewksi has the honor of becoming the first former Tornado player to play in an NHL game. On October 5, 2005, Wozniewski made his NHL regular season debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wozniewski has also spent time with the St. Louis Blues. |
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