Jim Riggs
Email: Jim@prairiethunderhockey.com
Position: General Manager
Biography
Jim Riggs brings to the job over twenty years of experience in professional hockey management. He was the original General Manager of the Memphis RiverKings of the Central Hockey League, a position he held for ten years. During his time in Memphis, the RiverKings were twice named the area’s “most popular team”, qualified for the playoffs in seven of ten years, moved into a $40 million dollar facility, won two regular season championships, and won the 2001-2002 CHL League Championship. The RiverKings were also in the forefront of the CHL in the areas of marketing and promotions. Memphis was the first team in all of professional hockey to introduce “human bowling” as an on-ice event and Jim was instrumental in bringing together the “Hanson Brothers” from the movie “Slapshot”. The RiverKings also had the very first sellout in the revived Central Hockey League and all of the team’s attendance and revenue records were set while he managed the team.
Riggs’ professional hockey experience also includes working in the American Hockey League as the Assistant General Manager & V.P. of Communications for the Baltimore Skipjacks(Washington Capitals affiliate) and he started his hockey career with the Carolina Thunderbirds as Marketing and Media Relations Director in the original Atlantic Coast Hockey League and remained with the team for the birth of the East Coast Hockey League.
His league management experience includes serving as the Commissioner of both the Atlantic Coast Hockey League and South East Hockey League (the forerunners of the present SouthernProfessional Hockey League) and the Eastern Professional Hockey League. In addition, Riggs was the first Media Relations Director for the ECHL.
Jim is a native of Pittsburgh, PA and is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University.
