Press Release

(January 7, 2011) The ECHL announced that the announcers for the audio broadcast of the 2011 ECHL All-Star Classic presented by CCM and brought to you by Mercy & Memorial Hospitals will be Dustin Bixby of the Gwinnett Gladiators, Jeff Harris of the Victoria Salmon Kings and Bob Mills of the Bakersfield Condors.

Offered free of charge by the league to all ECHL teams the audio broadcast begins at 6:45 p.m. PT on Jan. 26 followed by the 19th Annual ECHL All-Star Classic at 7 p.m. PT.

The audio broadcast is produced by Doug Lane of NHL Radio and is scheduled to be aired live on 970 AM Fox Sports Radio in Bakersfield, Calif., 1350 KTIK The Ticket in Boise, Idaho, KJQS-AM 1230 in Salt Lake City and Fox Sports Radio 1230-WCWA in Toledo, Ohio.

The 2011 ECHL All-Star Classic presented by CCM and brought to you by Mercy & Memorial Hospitals will be hosted by the Bakersfield Condors at Rabobank Arena and played on Jan. 26, 2011.

Bixby is in his eighth season with the Gladiators and was a member of the radio broadcast crew for the 2004 ECHL All-Star Game in Peoria, Ill. A recipient of the ECHL's American Conference Media Relations Director of the year award for the 2006-07 season, he has been in the broadcast booth for the Gladiators since the organization relocated to Gwinnett from Mobile, AL. He has also served as substitute studio host for the Atlanta Thrashers Radio Network handling the pregame, intermissions and post game show during the 2010-11 season.Prior to joining the Gladiators, Bixby was the Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations Director with the Baton Rouge Kingfish during the 2002-03 season. He got his start in hockey during the organization's final season in Mobile as the Mysticks director of Broadcasting and Media relations in 2001-02. A native of Crofton, Maryland, Dustin graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Mass Communication in January of 2001.

Harris is in his fourth season as the Assistant General Manager, Director of Media and Community Relations and the broadcaster for the Salmon Kings. In his current role, Harris splits his time between the hockey operations department and the media and community relations department. The Calgary, Alberta native works closely with General Manager and Head Coach Mark Morrison on all facets of the hockey operations department after adding the assistant general manager’s duties prior to the 2008-09 season. Within the media and community relations department Harris is responsible for the strategic planning for the department and managing relationships with both media partners and community leaders. Prior to joining the Salmon Kings he spent a year with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League as the team’s Communication Coordinator. A graduate from Mount Royal College with an Applied Degree in Journalism, he has also spent time in both professional baseball with the Vancouver Canadians as well as in professional basketball with the Calgary 88’s.

Mills is in his first season as Manager of Media Relations and Broadcasting with the Condors. He is responsible for assisting with radio and TV broadcasting and is also responsible for press releases and helping to maintain the team’s web site. Mills earned his degree in Telecommunications with a Radio Broadcast focus from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, in May 2009. Following graduation, he worked as Associate Broadcaster and Account Executive for the Gwinnett Gladiators in 2009-10. Prior to his time in Gwinnett, Mills served as the play-by-play voice for the Bowling Green State Falcons during the 2008-09 season.

There have been 53 players from the All-Star Game who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 37 since 2002 when the lineups began having players who coaches felt were prospects to move up to a higher level.

The fourth class will be inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame on Jan. 26, 2011 during a luncheon ceremony presented by BFL Canada and the Bakersfield Convention & Visitors Bureau at the Marriott Bakersfield Hotel, the official host hotel of the 2011 ECHL All-Star Classic.

The past eight ECHL All-Star Games have generated more than $1 million each for the local economy as guests, players, coaches and fans occupy hundreds of hotel rooms and spend three days in the host city.

The game has been available live on the NHL Network the last eight years as well as being broadcast on multiple regional networks. The audio broadcast has been carried on XM Satellite Radio as well as being available in all ECHL markets.

The Stanley Cup and the Patrick J. Kelly Cup will both be on display throughout the event, marking the 11th time in the last 12 years that the NHL championship trophy and the ECHL championship trophy have been displayed together at the All-Star Game.

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