When the prestigious Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame held its first-ever enshrinement celebration and dinner on September 20 of last year, six area residents were part of the 16 people who were honored during what many people called “The best sports awards dinner of our time.”

Today, the RI Hockey Hall of Fame announced that its Class of 2019 will be announced – as it was in 2018 – between periods of the Providence Bruins vs. Bridgeport Sounds American Hockey League game on Friday night, Feb. 22 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence.

“There’s already been lots of excitement and interest in the Class of 2019 and our induction dinner,” Vincent Cimini, who co-founded and chairs the RI Hockey Hall of Fame, offered. “People in our state’s hockey community are very appreciative of what our (non-profit) organization has come to be in such a short time.”

In truth, the RI Hockey Hall of Fame was conceived – as well as designed – to honor the best Rhode Islanders possible who have ever laced up the skates and in many cases rank among the best ice hockey stories in the country.

Thus, as Cimini related, “We wanted this Hall of Fame to be more than a simply tribute to great players or a memorial of fond memories. It is an investment in the future or RI hockey – an inheritance of evidence and inspiration we leave to future generations that hockey dreams really do come true.”

Although Cimini did not offer just how many people will be enshrined with the Class of 2019, he did say “this year’s inductee list won’t be as long as our initial group.”

Cimini did, however, announce that this year’s enshrinement celebration will return to the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln and is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 6. He said tickets will go on sale immediately after the Feb. 22 unveiling of the Class of 2019.

Likewise, the P-Bruins have generously offered a special $18 ticket package for the Feb. 22 AHL game and have designed the contest as The Hall of Fame Game.

“The special (ticket) package includes premium lower level seating and a P-Bruins Sports Bottle with $2 of every package purchased being donated to the RI Hockey Hall of Fame,” Cimini adding while noting “we really appreciate the P-Bruins providing us a stage to announce the Class of 2019.”

The inaugural class, as noted, included six people with ties to the circulation areas of the Warwick Beacon, Cranston Herald and Johnston Sun Rise. They were: Ralph Warburton, Sara DeCosta-Hayes, Curt Bennett and Harvey Bennett, Joe Cavanagh and Lou Lamoriello.

Information about the hockey hall can be found at www.RIHOF.com or for the P-Bruins ticket package at www.providencebruins.com/rihockey or by calling (401) 4717.