BOSTON, MA -- The Eastern Hockey League is pleased to announce that Rocky Russo (Philadelphia Little Flyers) has been named the 2016-17 Coach of the Year in the EHL. The award was voted on by all of the head coaches in the league.

"Rocky is one of the hardest working coaches in the EHL," said Mark Kumpel, the EHL's Director of Hockey Operations. "Being named Coach of the Year is an unbelievable honor, and Rocky deserves it. To have the respect of all your peers is an incredible feeling."

In a year that includes a 30-game winning streak and 33-game unbeaten streak, Russo's Little Flyers have been steady at the top since the beginning of September. With sustained success comes pressure along the way, and great respect from all your opponents.

"Rocky is the reason the Little Flyers are who they are," said Walpole Express head coach Jon Lounsbury. "I don't think there's a harder working guy out there. He's got a drive to win and his players play off his energy. We have had some good battles and it's well deserved. Best of luck to Rocky down the stretch."

The Little Flyers are in the EHL Semi-Finals again, as they get ready to face-off with the New Jersey Rockets this weekend. With this being Russo's 3rd straight season winning the Regular Season, he knows he hasn't got here on his own, and there's still more work left to take care of.

"I am honored to receive such a prestigious honor," said Russo. "The EHL is extremely competitive and features many quality coaches who run first class organizations. To receive recognition from such a great group is very humbling. I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Giacobbo for their support and giving our staff the resources we need to properly run our program. I would like to thank George Lewis and Mark Catron for all of their hard work and diligence towards our team's success. The Coach of the Year Award is not an individual award, it is a group effort to achieve success at this level, and in saying that I accept this on behalf of our entire staff and most importantly our players. Without them committing to the goals we set out to achieve, we would not be in this position."

Be sure to watch the Little Flyers in this weekend's Semi-Final action.

• Game 1 - Friday at 3:30pm
• Game 2 - Saturday at 3:30pm
• Game 3 - Sunday at 1:00pm (If Necessary)

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