The Central Hockey League's Board of Directors today (June 18, 2002) has announced that N. Thomas Berry, Jr. has been named Commissioner Emeritus of the CHL. Berry has just completed his 5th season as CHL Commissioner, and has a long career in hockey management distinguished by outstanding service. Berry has previously served as Commissioner of the International Hockey League from 1989-1994, when the IHL experienced the most successful period of growth in the League's 55-year history. In his last three years of service with the IHL, Berry served as the League's Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations, overseeing such areas as game operations, coordination of officials, and player discipline. An Indianapolis resident, Berry is well known for his commitment to hockey in the community and the state, and was the principle investor in the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association from 1974-1977.

"Tom has established a reputation as not only an accomplished executive, but as an excellent ambassador to our sport, and has always conducted himself with a tremendous amount of class throughout his distinguished career", said Horn Chen on behalf of the CHL's Board of Directors. "His many contributions to hockey at all levels are well documented."

This past season, Berry, a graduate of Lake Forest (Illinois) College, received the Commitment Cup during the 2002 CHL All-Star Game Banquet in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Commitment Cup is presented annually for outstanding service and dedication to the sport and business of hockey, and Berry played an integral role in coordinating the highly successful merger between the Central and Western Professional Hockey Leagues in May of 2001. The award has been renamed the "N. Thomas Berry Commitment Cup", and will continue to be presented each year to outstanding recipients in honor of Berry's contributions. This past season, under the leadership of Berry and President Brad Treliving, the CHL enjoyed a 16% attendance increase during the regular season, and led all North American minor professional circuits with a per game average attendance of 4,356 in post-season play.

"I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to develop a strong business relationship with Mr. Berry," said Brad Lund, Chief Executive Officer of Express Sports and the Oklahoma City Blazers. "Through our five year history, I have admired the gentlemanly spirit by which he performs his day-to-day duties. In my ten years of involvement in professional hockey, I have never encountered anyone who did not speak kindly of Tom, and he has truly been a great ambassador for professional hockey in this country."