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- Aug 20 2009
GSA to Assist ECHL in Sponsorship Campaign - Aug 19 2009
GSA Client Live Sports Radio Featured in Wall Street Journal - Jul 28 2009
General Sports Alliances Engaged to Sell for Xterra - Jul 28 2009
Clough Times at Derby - Mar 27 2009
Peoria Chiefs Retain General Sports Alliances for Naming Rights Sales Campaign - Mar 15 2009
General Sports Alliances Engaged to Sell for the 2009 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival - Nov 01 2008
Tom Glick Featured in Sports Business International - Oct 14 2008
Derby County, Michigan Wolves Announce Historic Partnership - Apr 29 2008
General Sports Alliances to Assist in Naming Rights Consulting for the Florida Citrus Bowl - Apr 14 2008
AIRPORT NAMING RIGHTS: Industry-First Partnership
GSA to Assist ECHL in Sponsorship Campaign
DENVER, CO (August 20, 2009) — General Sports Alliances (GSA) has been hired by the ECHL as the league's preferred sales agency. GSA will immediately launch their national sales campaign to secure new partners for the league and its ancillary events.
GSA's new partnership with the ECHL complements the extensive experience within minor league hockey that GSA President, Chris Foy has had throughout his career. After four years in the NHL, Foy went on to play for the ECHL team, the South Carolina Stingrays. It was with the Stingrays that Foy made his transition from the ice to the front office. Foy continued his success within minor league hockey as the Vice President of Sales for the International Hockey League (IHL) where Foy created and executed national sales programs on behalf of the IHL's member teams.
Chris Foy noted, "Our company is excited about the opportunity to represent the ECHL and build on the history that I have with the league. With each team having a strong, loyal fan base and regional appeal, I feel GSA will be able to introduce the ECHL to several prospects and provide the league with valuable partners."
About ECHL
The ECHL is the premier 'AA' hockey league and serves as the primary development league for the National Hockey League (NHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL). The third-longest tenured professional league, behind only the NHL and the AHL, the ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league with 20 teams in 15 states and one in British Columbia. There have been 407 players who have been called up to play in the NHL from the ECHL, including a record 52 in 2008-2009. Former ECHL coaches currently working as head coaches in the NHL are Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals and Scott Gordon of the New York Islanders, while former ECHL player Dan Bylsma is the head coach of the Stanley Cup champion, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The ECHL has been represented in each of the last nine Stanley Cup champion teams. In 2009 this included Bylsma, Ruslan Fedotenko, equipment managers Dana Heinze and Dave Zeigler, athletic trainers Chris Stewart and Scott Adams and team scout Derek Clancey. The ECHL is the only minor professional hockey league to increase its attendance in the past two seasons.
