Blue Tongues Sign Import: Adam Gebara

BLUE TONGUES SIGN CANADIAN PLAYING IN GERMANY
- By Vincenzo Rugari

The Bartercard Gold Coast Blue Tongues have signed their fourth import, with Canadian Adam Gebara set to join the club for the 2010 Australian Ice Hockey League season. The 27-year-old Gebara, from Canada’s nation capital Ottawa, is a versatile offensive defenseman who has played in Europe for the past two years as a defender, and prior to that in America as a forward.

Starting his career with a four-year stint with the State University of New York, Gebara went on to play a year in the Southern Professional Hockey League in the US. For the past two years, he has played in Europe, with the Deggendorf Fire in Germany, and the Nijmegen Devils in Holland, where he played alongside the Blue Tongues’ returning MVP, Brad Smulders.

Gebara said he’s impressed by the team’s ambition in targeting the championship for 2010, and that he can’t wait to help.

“I know how eager the team is to win a championship and I hope to help accomplish that goal.  I am an offensive defenseman, and I take both parts of my job seriously. So, I try equally hard to keep pucks out of our net and to put pucks in the opposing team's net. In doing so, I hope that I can be a part of a Gold Coast Blue Tongues’ championship winning team,” he said.

Blue Tongues General Manager, Dave Emblem said that Gebara will be a “huge asset” to the side.

“For the last couple of years in Europe, Adam has played defence, and prior to that in North America as a forward, and we are looking to playing Adam as an offensive defenceman for the Blue Tongues this year,” he said. “Adam will be huge asset to an already bolstered scoring line up with the additions of imports Dallas Costanzo and Mike McRae, to go along with last year’s league leading scorer, Brad Smulders.”

“As was the case last year, the make up of our imports is so important, and how the guys assimilate with the local based players is what we look for. Our four signed imports are absolute gentlemen, and their keenness to win a championship, meet the locals, and experience our Australian lifestyle will go very far in us having our most successful season in the AIHL”, Emblem said.

Although he’s never been to Australia, and doesn’t know much about the Gold Coast, Gebara says he’s keen to start his adventure down under.

“I love to travel and see the world, and I have heard nothing but good things about Australia. It is a beautiful country and I have always wanted to visit. Being able to live there and play hockey at the same time is just the perfect opportunity for me, as hockey is my life. I know with some of the names of imports that I see in the league, the level should be good and make for some fast, exciting hockey,” he said.