ECHO Hockey Inc.

Tournament will result in 1,000 hotel room nights for Gwinnett 

June 17, 2008 (Duluth, GA)—Over 1,000 inline hockey players will converge on the county this week for the 2008 East Coast Hockey Organization (ECHO) National Championships at the South Gwinnett Athletic Association (SGAA) Dual Deck Hockey Arena in Snellville June 19-23. Teams from Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and the Turks & Caicos Islands will compete in this sold-out event.

100 teams will be playing in 16 divisions, ranging from 8 & under up to Adults. For the first time, ECHO Hockey will also host a Women’s Division Inline Hockey National Tournament. Though this national event is not new to the Atlanta area, this is the first time Gwinnett has hosted the event.

“ECHO chose to move its National Championship event to Gwinnett because of our excellent sports facilities and great hotels,” explains Rob Patton, Sports Marketing Director of the Gwinnett Sports Commission. “The SGAA Dual Deck Hockey Arena has two rinks within one facility to maximize the tournament schedule. A two-rink facility like the Dual Deck Arena was really needed to accommodate the growth of the Men’s division, as well as the addition of the women’s divisions to the championship.”

The ECHO National Championships will result in 1,000 hotel room nights for Gwinnett County, with the Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place serving as the host hotel.

Eric Perrin, forward for the Atlanta Thrashers, will be signing autographs on Thursday, June 19 from 2-3pm in the Atlanta Thrashers Tent at SGAA Dual Deck Arena. ECHO participants will participate in a drawing to win a hockey stick autographed by Ilya Kovalchuk, forward for the NHL Atlanta Thrashers hockey team. The Atlanta Thrashers mascot, Thrash, will entertain crowds beginning at noon on Saturday, June 21^st. Darren Eliot & Dan Kamal of the Atlanta Thrashers will also make an appearance on Saturday.

The ECHO National Championship is free for spectators to attend. SGAA Dual Deck Arena is located at 2115 McGee Road in Snellville, GA. Please visit www.echohockey.com for team playing schedules or contact Rob Patton at 770-814-6042 or rpatton@gcvb.org.