[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6147]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING THE ALASKA ACES

 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize 
Alaska's one and only professional sports team and an organization that 
has become part of the fabric that makes up the Alaskan society, the 
Alaska Aces.
  The team started as a small semi-professional hockey team in the late 
eighties known as the Anchorage Aces, but quickly gained the support 
and popularity of the community and rose through the ranks to become a 
professional hockey organization in 1995. In 2003, after becoming the 
Alaska Aces, the team joined the East Coast Hockey League and almost 
immediately became one of the league's powerhouses, winning three ECHL 
Kelly Cups in 2006, 2011, and most recently 2014.
  The Aces have produced some of the biggest Alaskan professional 
athletes such as Scotty Gomez, who went on to win two Stanley Cups and 
became an NHL All-Star on multiple occasions, and Eagle River's Brian 
Swanson, whose hockey career took him to the National Hockey League, 
Europe, and finally back home to the Aces before he retired in 2012.
  As good as the team has become, it is their dedication to the 
community that made them a staple with multiple generations of 
Alaskans. Whether it was their ``Skate with the Aces'' events in which 
families could skate with the players and get to know them after home 
games or the ever-popular military appreciation games, this 
organization has made a lasting impact on the lives of many hockey 
players and fans alike.
  The Aces are full of fond memories and traditions such as the cowbell 
crew, which is the name given to its enthusiastic fan section. Then 
there is Bobby Hill, also known as ``The Horseman,'' who is not only 
the Alaska Aces superfan in charge of keeping the energy alive at every 
home game by going up and down the length of the ice riding a hockey 
stick, but is also a Special Olympics Gold medalist.
  The Alaska Aces will be dearly missed in what is certainly an 
unfortunate end for such a storied franchise. Economic times have taken 
a hit on many sectors of the Alaskan economy, and we have seen the 
impact with our sporting events, but Alaskans are resilient and our 
sports teams and athletes are no different. Hockey has a rich history 
in Alaska and is culturally ingrained in the fabric of our State. 
Alaska has over 45 hockey associations, reflecting the passion and 
involvement shared by Alaskans of all ages. It is this passion and 
dedication to the sport that will surely keep the spirit and memory of 
our Alaska Aces alive.
  I want to commend the leadership of the team's owners, the dedication 
of its fans and players, and the community for making the Alaska Aces 
one of the league's best franchises and perennial contenders for the 
ECHL Kelly Cup every season. The Aces play their very last game on 
April 8, 2017; however, the memories that countless Alaskans have with 
our hockey team will not fade, but will last a lifetime.

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