Former Bulldog Aaron Lewicki chosen as the Central Hockey League's Rookie of the Year for the 2010-11 season. (Photo by Dutch Cowgill)

Posted: Mar 23, 2011

Aaron Lewicki Named Central Hockey League's Rookie of the Year

What a productive 2010-11 season it's been for former Ferris State University men's ice hockey student-athlete Aaron Lewicki (Livonia).

Lewicki, who skated for the Bulldogs from 2006-10, can now add Central Hockey League (CHL) Rookie of the Year Award honors to his professional hockey career resume as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees member earned the lofty recognition in an announcement made by this Wednesday (March 23) afternoon by the league office.

The 6-0, 202-pound forward was selected on 24 of the 60 ballots submitted by CHL head coaches, communication's departments and selected media members in the CHL markets. The CHL's Rookie of the Year is 'presented annually to the Central Hockey League player adjudged to be the most proficient in his first year of professional competition.' Lewicki is the first player in Rio Grande Valley's history to earn the honor.

Lewicki was recently named to the 2010-11 CHL All-Rookie Team and was one of five finalists for the league's Rookie of the Year Award. A 2011 CHL All-Star, Lewicki currently has registered a league rookie best 50 points on 22 goals with 28 assists in 60 contests for the Killer Bees this season. His 50-points output on the season is 10 more than any other rookie player in points while his goals production is five more than his nearest rookie competitor. The Killer Bees' forward has recorded seven power-play lamplighters, three short-handed marker, and four game-winning tallies this campaign for Rio Grande Valley.

Lewicki joined Rio Grande Valley, which is based in Hidalgo, Texas, following training camp and started this 2010-11 season on the injured reserve list. The former Bulldog netted his first professional goal on Oct. 29 against the Wichita (Kan.) Thunder in Lewicki's second appearane of the season. He then went on to tally the Cricket Mayor's Cup deciding goal versus the Laredo (Texas) Bucks on Feb. 26. This season, Rio Grande Valley has posted a 24-34-6 record (54 league points) in the CHL's nine-team Berry Conference.

A three-time Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Scholar-Athlete representative, Lewicki concluded his four-year Ferris State career by generating 71 points on 35 goals with 36 assists in 148 games. He was honored in 2009-10 as the recipient of the CCHA's Terry Flanagan Memorial Award for overcoming personal adversity and being an active member on the university campus along with in the surrounding community.

Lewicki played a key role in leading Ferris State to an appearance in the 2010 CCHA Championships for the first time since the 2002-03 season as the nationally-ranked Bulldogs posted a 21-13-6 overall record in 2009-10. The 21 victories by the 2009-10 team represented a tie for the fourth-highest season wins total in the program's history.