Cincinnati Swords announce ownership change | North American Tier III Hockey League | NA3HL
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Cincinnati Swords announce ownership change

August 14, 2014
The Cincinnati Swords, proud members of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), have announced a sale of the team from the Queen City Hockey Association, Inc. to the Miami Valley Hockey Association, Inc, (MVHA) owned by Ryan and Jim Colville.  
 
“The NA3HL is the top Tier III hockey league in the country and is a league that is growing every year.  I love the developmental side of hockey and seeing players grow both on and off the ice and achieve their dreams,” said Ryan Colville.  “You bring players in to help them develop as players and as young men with the goal of moving them forward in their careers.  That is the ultimate gauge on success as an organization, how many players you can help move forward in their careers.  The NA3HL gives players a chance to play at the highest level and against the best competition in Tier III hockey and the relationship with NAHL creates a unique experience where players are seen throughout the year.”
 
“We would like to thank Chris Knecht and the Queen City Hockey Association for all their efforts and service to the NA3HL,” said NA3HL President and Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld. “This transfer of ownership will allow Chris and the Queen City group to keep their focus growing the youth program, while the new group led by the Colville’s, will be dedicated exclusively to growing the NA3HL team.”
 
Ryan Colville will serve as President & General Manager of the club taking the responsibilities of building the organization into one of the premier organizations in the NA3HL.  After playing junior hockey in Canada, Ryan was given the opportunity to play Division III NCAA with Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.  He spent two years at Lawrence before knee injuries ended his career. After leaving Lawrence, Ryan was given an opportunity to intern with the Columbus Blue Jackets as the Assistant Video Coach while finishing college at The Ohio State University.  He spent three seasons in Columbus learning from coaches’ like Ken Hitchcock and Gerard Gallant before being hired as the Head Video Coach with the Los Angeles Kings. In his five seasons with the Kings he saw firsthand the transformation of a franchise from near last place in his first season to Stanley Cup Champions in his 4th season and a Conference Finals appearance in his 5th season.  All while continuing to learn coaching under great coaches’ like Darryl Sutter, Terry Murray and John Stevens.
 
His years in the NHL gave him insight and a vision of how a club should operate and conduct itself even if on a smaller scale and smaller budget. “I played at the junior level in Canada and went through the process of going to the NCAA at the Division III level and enjoyed the experience every step of the way.  I want kids to have those same experiences.”
 
Jim Colville will serve as Vice-President in the Swords’ organization with plans in the next few years to take on a larger role in the day-to-day operation of the club. Currently, Jim is a scout with a publication called the “Red Line Report” which scouts and grades prospects at the junior and college level on an independent basis for the NHL draft.
 
“I want Cincinnati to become one of the top organizations in the NA3HL,” continued Colville. “We will grade ourselves not only on wins, but our success as an organization in moving players to higher Junior levels or college hockey and on the experience we can give players while they are in Cincinnati. With the coaches' that the Swords already have in place and my experience in hockey, I think we can offer players the experience, coaching and development that they will need to succeed.”
 
The Swords main tryout camp will be held at Sports Plus in Cincinnati from August 23-25, 2014.
 
 
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