Noga, Ross

TO MANAGE THE ADELAIDE AVALANCHE IN 1999, Steve Oddy and Jim Thilthorpe chose a 35 year-old native of Vancouver who had arrived here in 1993 married to an Australian. He was accountable for the international signings and the day-to-day operations of the Club such as travel arrangements, training and meeting scheduling, and sponsorship. He was also focused on continuing the relationship between the Club and the Junior Development Program which was the breeding ground for future Avalanche players.

There were five development players in the 2000 squad, all 18 or 19 years-old: Henry Keane, Jarrad Chester, Scott Chandler, Duncan Lecornu and Ryan Murray. They all benefited from a few games in the new League and they all played international tournaments. [622] The co-founders of the Adelaide club were grateful. In 2016, Steve Oddy said publicly, "Jim (Thilthorpe) and I will never forget what you did for the Avalanche, Ross. Without you, the team would have folded after the first year. You are a legend".

Noga was born in 1964 in North Vancouver. A player, coach, administrator and referee, he helped bring three Goodall Cups to Adelaide in 1997, 2000, and 2001; managed the National Junior Team between 2002 and 2007; and the Mighty Roos between 2008 and 2013. [621] He received three gold medals in World Championships — the first in Bulgaria in 2004 as manager of the U20 Division 3 team; the win and promotion to Division 1 in Newcastle in 2008 as manager of the National senior men's team; and then again in Melbourne in 2011. [621]

A part of the Australian ice hockey community since 1993, Noga took part in the sport as a player, coach, manager, chef de mission, referee and linesman. He signed-off his address in the Avalanche program in the inaugural year of the AIHL with, 'As the late Bob (Badger) Johnson used to say, "It's a great day for hockey." And that's how he finished his retirement in 2016.

“When old guys retire, people always say ‘you’ll be back’ but I don’t think I will be,” Noga said. “I’m at the point where I turned 50 last year and it’s a new stage of my life with new challenges. But I’ve got no regrets whatsoever. I’ve had a pretty good run being involved for 10 years with the national teams and 21 years of ice hockey in Adelaide. I got to coach a lot of these kids and see them develop, playing the best sport in the world without a doubt”.