(Team Press Release) Memphis RiverKings Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Kevin McClelland announced Friday that the CHL team has re-signed forward Don Parsons and signed forward Louis Dumont to contracts for the 2006-2007 season. The two veterans have a combined 2023 points, 911 goals and 1112 assists in 1606 professional games.
Parsons, 37, will be entering his 15th pro season and his 7th with the RiverKings. Parsons is the RiverKings franchise leader in points (552), goals (290) and games played (367). In 811 professional games, the Boston, MA native has 585 goals, 540 assists and 1125 points. His 585 goals rank him 9th all-time in minor-pro hockey history with his 1125 points ranking 26th.
Parsons came to the RiverKings prior to the 2000-2001 season and helped the team to back-to-back CHL President's Cup Championships in 2002 and 2003. Since the start of the 2000-2001 season, the RiverKings have compiled a 215-146-2 5 record. The 5-foot-10, 203 pound Parsons was the CHL MVP in the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons, the CHL Man of the Year in 2003-2004 and has made six CHL All-Star Game appearances. He has also tallied 36 career hat tricks, 19 in a RiverKings sweater.
Parsons' 2005-2006 season was shortened to 52 games by a shoulder injury in February that snapped a 262 consecutive games played streak. In the 52 games last season, he totaled 29 goals and 36 assists.
Dumont, 33, comes to the CHL after playing all but 10 of his North American pro games in the ECHL. He played 14 games in the English BISL during the 1999-2000 season. The Calgary, Alberta native will be entering his 13th pro season after spending last season with the Utah Grizzlies, scoring 16 goals and collecting 55 assists in 65 games.
The 5-foot-10, 180 pound Dumont stands as the ECHL's all-time leading scorer with 891 points, the league's assist leader with 566 and his 771 games played are second all-time. His ECHL career has taken him to the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks, Wheeling Thunderbirds, Louisiana Ice Gators, August Lynx, Pensacola Ice Pilots, Mississippi Sea Wolves and the Grizzlies. He has also appeared in 10 games in the IHL and AHL.
Dumont's best season came in 2001-2002 when he led the ECHL with 102 points and 70 assists. He parlayed that season into a first team All-ECHL selection and a starting spot in the 2002 ECHL All-Star Game. He also won the All-Star Game fastest skater competition. Dumont and Parsons were teammates with the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks in 1994-1995 and with the Louisiana Ice Gators in the 1996-97, 1997-98 and the 1998-99 seasons.
The signings of Parsons and Dumont give the RiverKings five veterans currently signed for 2006-2007. CHL rules state that teams can have a maximum of four veterans (280 games played or more) on their season opening roster. These signings also give the RiverKings a total of 15 players signed for the upcoming season. RiverKings training camp opens on October 9 at the DeSoto Civic Center.
