Futa named OHL Executive of the Year

The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Owen Sound Attack General Manager Michael Futa is the OHL Executive of the Year for the 2004-05 season.

Futa, a 37-year-old native of Rexdale, Ontario, guided the Attack to a franchise record 40-18-7-3 record and 90 points to finish second overall in the OHL during the regular season.

The Attack spent 16 weeks in the Canadian Hockey League’s Top-10 rankings this season, including two weeks in the second place spot – the highest the franchise has even been ranked in the Top-10. The Attack also set a new club record for fewest goals against in a season with 187.

Futa has largely utilized the OHL Priority Selection to build his club that included recent first round picks Bobby Ryan (2003), who was second in team scoring with 37 goals and 89 points in 62 games, and Payton Liske (2004). The club also featured first round CHL Import Draft picks Stefan Ruzicka (2003) and Andrej Sekera (2004), who were among the club’s offensive leaders.

Forwards Ryan (Second Team) and Brad Richardson (Third Team) were selected to OHL All-Star Teams this season while Sekera and fourth round pick Bob Sanguinetti were named to the OHL’s All-Rookie Teams for the 2004-05 season.

Futa rounded out his roster with key players like defencemen Paul Bissonnette and Kyle Lamb and goaltender Mike Brown.

Futa was a key member of Owen Sound’s committee that hosted the 2005 Bell OHL All-Star Classic last February. The team welcomed capacity crowds to both the All-Star Skills and Three-on-Three Competition and the All-Star Game itself.

Futa was also responsible for implementing a satellite program with Ontario universities to support the post-secondary studies for the Owen Sound Attack players.

Futa, the Director of Operations for Ontario’s Under-17 Team this year, played professional hockey in Europe for five years. After returning to Canada, Futa coached the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors for parts of two seasons and was an assistant coach with the Oshawa Generals before being named the General Manager of the Attack in 2002.

The OHL Executive of the Year is selected by the Ontario Hockey League’s Executive Council and is the OHL nominee for the Canadian Hockey League Executive of the Year Award.