Knoxville's Kevin Swider became the first man to win the SPHL's Most Valuable Player Award three times on Wednesday.
Swider returned to the ice after a season in the front office and led the league in scoring for the seventh time in its eight year history.
Here is more on the honor from the Knoxville Ice Bears:
On Wednesday, the Southern Professional Hockey League announced that Kevin Swider of the Knoxville Ice Bears has been selected as the SBK Most Valuable Player in a vote of league coaches and media representatives, becoming the first three-time winner of the award. Augusta's Jim Gehring was voted runner-up.
After spending one season as the Ice Bears' Director of Hockey Operations, Swider returned to the SPHL and led the league in scoring for the seventh time. He also holds the third place title for number of assists in league history with 65, and his +36 rating is tied for first for the league high this season. Swider is also among the league leaders in goals (31 - third), power play goals (10 - third) and game-winning goals (6 - third).
SPHL Most Valuable Player Award Winners
2011-12 - Kevin Swider, Knoxville Ice Bears
2010-11 - Matt Auffrey, Augusta RiverHawks
2009-10 - Rob Sich, Fayetteville FireAntz
2008-09 - Travis Kauffeldt, Huntsville Havoc
2007-08 - Kevin Swider, Knoxville Ice Bears
2006-07 - Rob Sich, Fayetteville FireAntz
2005-06 - Matt Carmichael, Huntsville Havoc
2004-05 - Kevin Swider, Knoxville Ice Bears
Join the Knoxville Ice Bears Thursday, April 5th, at 7:30 pm as they host the Pensacola IceFlyers for the first game of a best of three series to advance to the SPHL Championship series. Thursday's game will be the first meeting between the two teams since March 16th in Knoxville. The game will feature fantastic playoff hockey as well as a special intermission activity for the "Beard is Back" playoff them. As part of the $1000 Thursday season long promotion - $500 will be awarded to the fan with the best real playoff beard and $500 will be awarded to the fan that has the best fake beard.