George Awada

George Awada (born June 6, 1975 in Mendota Heights, Minnesota) is an American professional ice hockey player, currently playing for the Belfast Giants in the EIHL. Awada's career began at junior level in the USHL , icing for the St. Paul Vulcans. Awada started well and in his first season as a Vulcan managed 38 points in 47 games. His points return would again improve for the following season, 1994–95, with 54 points in 42 games, well over a point a game average.
This potential was noticed and Awada moved into NCAA hockey the following year, playing for St. Cloud State University in his native Minnesota. Awada would stay in St. Cloud for four seasons despite only managing 13 points in his first two terms. This would change for the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons and Awada again found his point scoring touch. In his final season for St. Cloud, Awada would ice alongside future NHL player Tyler Arnason.
Awada's improvement in point scoring was noticed and he was chosen to play at AHL level for the Albany River Rats, where he would finish the 1998–99 season, featuring in 10 games and scoring 8 points. He was kept on for the following season, and became a first team regular, icing in 63 games and helping out with 16 points along the way. Despite establishing himself as a first team player, Awada moved to the lower ECHL standard for the 2000–01 season, and became a Richmond Renegades player. He would instantly establish himself as a regular, and in 72 regular season games scored 41 points, helping the Renegades into the post season.
Awada would start the 2001–02 season in Richmond, but after just two games moved to the New Orleans Brass, ECHL rivals of the Renegades. Awada's improvement would continue and it would prove to be his most productive season at ECHL level, comfortably breaking the 50 point barrier. Awada would again reach this milestone the following season, this time for the Florida Everblades.
Awada would choose to make a significant move in the summer of 2003, flying across the Atlantic to play for the Manchester Phoenix, a then newly established organisation playing in the EIHL, the highest standard of ice hockey in the U.K.. Awada quickly became a key player for the Phoenix, and scored 48 points in 52 regular season games. Despite making the post-season, the Phoenix organisation would be dogged by financial troubles and would be suspended in the summer of 2004.
Despite this, Awada remained in the EIHL, signing for the Belfast Giants. Again he would become a fan favourite and a regular point scorer. Awada has remained with the Giants for four seasons to date and in the process has been named club captain. With his 194 points for the Giants in 187 regular season EIHL games he has been a major factor in their successes and as captain lifted the EIHL league title in the 2005–06 season.
Awada remained as Giants captain until the 2009-10 season when injury forced him out for the season.
==Career statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1993–94 	St. Paul Vulcans 	USHL 	 	47 	19 	19 	38 	71 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1994–95 	St. Paul Vulcans 	USHL 	 	42 	20 	34 	54 	51 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1995–96 	St. Cloud State University	NCAA 	 	22 	6 	2 	8 	16 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1996–97 	St. Cloud State University	NCAA 	 	35 	3 	2 	5 	26 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1997–98 	St. Cloud State University	NCAA 	 	38 	15 	14 	29 	74 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1998–99 	St. Cloud State University	NCAA 	 	39 	14 	16 	30 	38 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1998–99 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 	 	10 	1 	1 	2 	8 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
1999–00 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 	 	63 	8 	8 	16 	29 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	0
2000–01 	Richmond Renegades 	ECHL 	 	72 	18 	23 	41 	49 	 	4 	1 	0 	1 	8
2001–02 	Richmond Renegades 	ECHL 	 	2 	0 	1 	1 	0 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2001–02 	New Orleans Brass 	ECHL 	 	70 	29 	30 	59 	87 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	2
2002–03 	Florida Everblades 	ECHL 	 	72 	21 	29 	50 	67 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
2003–04 	Manchester Phoenix 	EIHL 	 	52 	23 	25 	48 	72 	 	6 	0 	2 	2 	0
2004–05 	Belfast Giants 	EIHL 	 	30 	19 	15 	34 	32 	 	8 	2 	4 	6 	14
2005–06 	Belfast Giants 	EIHL 	 	43 	22 	30 	52 	80 	 	4 	1 	1 	2 	2
2006–07 	Belfast Giants 	EIHL 	 	54 	28 	26 	54 	130 	 	3 	1 	3 	4 	4
2007–08 	Belfast Giants 	EIHL 	 	60 	22 	32 	54 	89 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2008–09 	Belfast Giants 	EIHL 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
Career Totals	Career Totals 	Career Totals	 	751 	268 	307 	575 	919 	 	32 	5 	10 	15 	30
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
*League statistics only, not including cup competitions, correct to 22/07/08
==External links==
*
*
*George Awada Personal Profile, Manchester Phoenix Official Website.
*George Awada Personal Profile, Belfast Giants Official Website.
*Giants Complete Roster, Elite League Official Website, 22/07/08
Category:Albany River Rats players
Category:Belfast Giants players
Category:Florida Everblades players
Category:Manchester Phoenix players
Category:New Orleans Brass players
Category:Richmond Renegades (ECHL) players
Category:St. Paul Vulcans players
Category:St. Cloud State Huskies players