In its six years of operation, the Vermont Ice Storm has garnered several honors as a team - being named the Organization of the Year in the New England Football League (NEFL) in 2001 and winning the North Atlantic Conference Championship in 2002. Head Coach Perez was named “Coach of the Year” in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006, and this honor is always a reflection upon both the coaching staff in general and upon the entire organization.

In 2002, the Vermont State Legislature honored the Storm with the proclamation of "Vermont Ice Storm Day," and invited the team to the State Capital building in Montpelier. There, in front of the entire political power structure of Vermont, the team was honored with a reading of the proclamation, a thunderous round of applause, and some well deserved picture taking!

In addition, various individual players have earned recognition. In our first five years, in the New England Football League, ice Storm players were always garnering league-wide honors. First, and always most obvious, individual recognition was earned by our Allstar selections – over 50 of them in five years. In the six years of the Ice Storm’s operations, Troy Canada (#25) - each year an Allstar in each league wherein he participated - has also been named twice as an All-American semi-pro wide receiver and kick returner. A former Plattsburgh Northstar and college standout with the Ithaca Warriors, Troy is often confronted with defenses engineered specifically to stop him!

In addition to these Allstar team selections, Ice Storm players have been picked twice as the Most Valuable Player on Offense for the entire New England Football League. In 2001, Brian Kemp was given this most prestigious award, even though it is extremely rare to so honor a kicker. In that season Brian averaged more than 40 yards per punt, and made field goals of 51 and 56 (a league record) yards each. In 2002, Troy Canada was named the recipient of the award, having scored numerous critical receiving touchdowns on the year (including the winning score in the All Star Game), and having run four punts back for touchdowns!

Moving into the Empire Football League in 2006, and up to the “AAA” level, an amazing array of Storm players were named as Allstars. On offense, Brad Ruderman, Jeff Miller, Troy Canada, Austin Partain, Nate Furlong, and Aaron Pyer were first team selections. Partain was a double-selectee, as the league’s #1 Return Specialist.

Second team offensive honors went to John Fahey, John Lovett, and Jason Young. On defense, Lloyd White, Del Randal, Drew Gordon, Kevin Fournier, and Chris Coppins were all first team selections, and Pierre “Peedy” Cotton made the second team.

In the 2006 season, now in the Empire Football League, Del Randal was named the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, Jason Young was named the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Brad Ruderman was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. Added to the 15 first and second team Allstar selections, the Ice Storm garnered more league-wide awards than any other Northern Division team in the EFL in 2006.

However, it is perhaps most important to players on such a close-knit team as the Ice Storm that they receive recognition among their own peers, on their own squad. Each year, at the end-of-the-year-banquet, the Vermont Ice Storm passes out individual awards in order to honor those deserving of same. These awards are not given by the coaching staff but are, instead, voted upon by all of the players themselves.

In 2006, the award for Most Promising Offensive Rookie went to Jason Young, a fast, reliable tailback, who (above) was also named the league’s best rookie. The Most Promising Defensive Player award went to Del Randal, again also named (above) the recipient of the league’s award in this category.

The Most Improved Player award went to Kevin Matott. Playing as a reserve through the first five years of the team’s history, Kevin took over the position of first string tight end in 2006, and scored several important touchdowns. Kevin is known for his relentless off-season training regimine and for being a consistent blocker and a man with excellent hands, even though he’s smaller than any other starting tight end in the league.

The Most Valuable Player on Offense award ended up going to Austin Partain, even though Brad Ruderman (“the best quarterback in New England, behind Tom Brady”) won the award league-wide. Austin possesses blinding speed and is one of those men who always wants the ball. In the middle of the season, he earned the “Player of the Game” award at Watertown, and thus was honored by the press at a foe’s field!

The Most Valuable Special Teams award went again to a man who has been a league-wide Allstar each year of our history and who has not only been named the league’s most valuable player once, but an All American special teams man (return specialist) on two occasions = Troy Canada.

Most Valuable Player on Defense was awarded to Kevin Fournier, a linebacker originally from Essex High school who was named to the first team all-league in 2006 in the Empire League. Kevin, perhaps the fastest linebacker ever to play for the Storm, was noted as such when the Albany Coach stated that he didn’t know “how to stop that guy” during our loss to the eventual National Championship runners-up.

Several new awards were presented in 2006. First, there were awards for the Most Valuable Offensive Lineman (which went to Jeff Miller, see below) and for the Most Valuable Defensive Lineman, which went to Pierre Cotton, in his first year on the Storm (Pierre was also selected to the league’s second team as an Allstar).

Second, and for the first time, the coaching staff was asked to pick out important players for special recognition that had not garnered other, team-voted honors. The coaches chose Brad Ruderman (Allstar in each of his seasons with the Storm, Captain, and league MVP on Offense – who threw for just under 2,000 yards in 2006), Aaron Pyer (Allstar fullback, Captain, and a man known for playing with pain, year-in-and-year-out), and Chris Coppins. Chris has been an Allstar for the Storm and who has played tailback, fullback, special teams, and linebacker. Chris Coppins, the MVP of the 2002 NEFL Allstar Game, has been – over the years – the most important, impact ball carrier in Vermont Ice Storm history. Nevertheless, Chris agreed to change over to play linebacker this season, and ended up (once again) a league-wide Allstar.

At the end of our 2006 banquet night, as is always the case, we awarded the title of Mr. Ice Storm. This award is presented for "Loyalty, Proficiency, and Spirit." It is considered to be the highest honor that our men can bestow upon any player. Former winners include Dave Baldwin (three times), Jeff Miller (twice), and Scott Aguglia.

This year’s recipient – for the third time - was Jeff, “House,” Miller. House is a perennial Allstar, the man in charge of Ice Storm fundraising, and a member of the Vermont Ice Storm Board of Directors. Jeff's contributions to the Vermont Ice Storm, both on and off the field, are hard to over-state. He is a tireless worker, honored player, and trusted friend. He is the man who, along with Russell Humphrey, has engineered – by communicating endlessly with sponsors and potential donors – the Ice Storm’s financial success over the years.