Ray Giroux has spent only one season with the Aeros, but the lithe defenseman has already made his mark. The former Ivy Leaguer is a consistent scorer on the ice, and away from the rink he's proved to be just as valuable. Each game, he and fellow alternate captain Todd Reirden team up to purchase a block of tickets for children's charities such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association or Child Advocates; the kids also get a locker-room visit and autographed stuff. Plus, Giroux spreads the good hockey word at school appearances, hospitals and homeless shelters. Houston may not yet be a hockey hotbed, but it is a town with a whole heck of a lot of Ray Giroux fans.
Readers' choice: Curtis Murphy