Thursday, March 13, 2008

K-Zoo native tendered by Brown Bears

The Kenai River Brown Bears of the North American Hockey League have signed Honeybaked defenseman Rob Michalka to a tender for the 2008-09 season.

A solid anchor on Honeybaked’s defensive core this year, Michalka, 18, helped the team to an astounding 46-10-9 record and a second-place finish in the Midwest Elite Hockey League, widely considered one of the top Tier 1 AAA leagues in the U.S.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Michalka, from Kalamazoo, totaled three goals and 16 points along with 118 penalty minutes in 65 games this season. He was also a plus-21.

“Rob adds a certain level of toughness, size and defensive stability to our defensive core,” said Brown Bears coach-GM Mike Flanagan. “He should fit nicely into our returning group and play a very important role in us becoming a more competitive team.

“Rob’s on-ice ability, his strong moral character and his good academics make him the type of young man we want here representing our team and community.”

Michalka is the third tender signed by the Brown Bears this recruiting season – all from the MWEHL - with more expected to follow.

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