Providence, RI (April 6, 2006): The Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society has reached another milestone in its mounting 5-year drive to enroll former Reds and other ex-pro hockey players to its membership. 

Al Simmons, a journeyman defenseman who played the last of his five pro seasons here with the Reds in 1975-76, this past week became the 100th ex-pro hockey player to sign on as a member of the local hockey historical society.

“I think what the society is doing is a great service to the Rhode Island community.” Simmons said from his Worthington, Ohio home. “I played only one year in Providence but the town and fans were great to me. Restoring the Reds history is very important.”

After hockey, Simmons worked hard to achieve a successful business career. Like most other players, he lost many a tooth getting hit in the mouth by a puck or stick. Today, at age 45, ironically he is a prominent dental surgeon his Ohio hometown area.

The society is proud of its membership achievements. In all, the non-profit group has grown from 8 founders to the 560 members it embraces today. 

“At the start we never dreamed we could enroll 100 members, let alone 100 players,” said Tom Army, vice president of the organization. “Finding players after 30 or 40 years is not easy. And we have picked up a least a dozen new players in the last year.”

Army added that most of the new player-members are coming from the 1970s period, the last decade the Reds held their American Hockey League franchise. “Until recently we were a little weak in representation from the ‘70s. Getting guys now from that era is a very encouraging sign for us,” he concluded.

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