MARINERS UP FOR SIX ECHL AWARDS

PORTLAND, ME – June 5, 2023 – The ECHL announced the finalists for the 2022-23 Team Awards on Monday, with the Mariners well-represented. Maine has finalists for six different league awards, which will be handed out at the ECHL Hockey Summer Meetings on June 28th in Las Vegas, NV.

The Mariners are up for Theme Night of the Year for their first ever “Wrestling Day,” which was held on January 29th, 2023. Following the game, a wrestling ring was constructed on the ice and a full show took place, featuring Maine-native wrestling legends Scotty 2 Hotty and Curtis “Dirty Dango” Hussey. The Mariners are previous winners of the Theme Night of the Year award, taking home the 2018-19 honor for the original “Wild Blueberries Night.” Both Wrestling Day and Wild Blueberries Night are on the theme night schedule for 2023-24.

The Mariners sales department achieved finalist positions for two team sales awards: Group Sales – Year-over-Year Growth and Ticket Department of the Year – Growth. The Mariners led the ECHL in year-over-year attendance increase in 2022-23, averaging 3,789 fans per game – up from 2,851 in 2021-22.

The two individual award finalists from the Mariners are Michael Keeley for Media/PR Director of the Year and Cavan Weggler for Sales Rookie of the Year. Finally, the Mariners are a finalist for the Team Award of Excellence – Growth, which is awarded annually to the ECHL’s “Rising Star” team.

“These award nominations are a reflection of a staff that works tirelessly to provide an exciting, entertaining and diverse experience at every game,” said Adam Goldberg, Mariners Vice President of Business Operations. “None of these recognitions would be possible without the support from the best hockey fans in the ECHL and we are incredibly grateful for the crowds that have been showing up the past four seasons. The entire staff is proud of the work we have put in to make the Mariners a staple in the community and these nominations from our peers in the league are very much appreciated.”

The 2022-23 Team Awards, presented by SponsorCX, will be presented at the 2023 ECHL Hockey Summer Meetings in Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 28. The presentation will also be available for streaming on the ECHL Facebook page at 7 PM ET that evening.

The Mariners kick off their fifth ECHL season on October 20th, 2023 in Trois-Rivieres, QC against the Trois-Rivieres Lions, with the home opener on Saturday, October 21st at 6 PM, also against the Lions. The full schedule for the 2023-24 season, presented by Hannaford to Go, can be viewed here. Full and half season packages plus 12-game plans are on sale now by calling 833-GO-MAINE or visiting the Mariners front office at 94 Free St. in Portland. Prospective package holders can also put down a deposit or fill out an inquiry form at MarinersOfMaine.com. Single game tickets will go on sale in September.