The Hockey News ranks CHL logos

Vote online for the Brahmas

Over the month of August, The Hockey News will rank the logos of 16 North American leagues as part of their Logo Rankings + Tournament. Included are the logos for the 16 active Central Hockey League teams.

Read about the event here.

About the Brahmas' logo, THN wrote:

"Sometimes the first goal of an emblem is to do no harm and Texas has a solid entry with no obvious faults."

I guess that's a positive. There's still time to submit your vote online for the Brahmas.

Read about THN's opinion of the CHL logos here, see the current standings and place your vote here.

One on One - with the Texas Brahmas' Tyler Skworchinski

The dynamic center talks about his rookie season and re-signing for the 2008-09 campaign

Tyler Skworchinski joined the Texas Brahmas last November after being released from the Stockton Thunder (ECHL) and had an impressive rookie season by any measure.

During the regular season, Skworchinski tallied 47 points (24 G, 23 A) with 43 penalty minutes in 55 games played. He scored 17 points (8 G, 9 A) in his last 12 games. He played in 13 playoff games, scoring 9 points (2 G, 7 A). On special teams, Skworchinski had five powerplay goals, ten powerplay assists, two short-handed goals and a team-leading three short-handed assists. He also led the Brahmas in shooting percentage.

In March, the 25-year-old from Marathon, Ontario was named to the 2007-08 CHL All-rookie team.

I spoke to Tyler recently about his rookie season with the Brahmas and his outlook on the coming season.

Q: Where did you begin playing hockey?

A: I grew up playing midget AAA actually, away from home. I went to a team in New Liskeard in Northern Ontario; they play in the Great North Midget League.

Q: How did you end up at Michigan Tech?

A: I played Junior in Manitoba my last two years, and the assistant coach of the Huskies came up to watch and ended up seeing me play. I guess he kind of liked what he saw and I flew down for a visit and I liked what I saw and I ended up at MTU.

Q: After graduating with a degree in business administration, was it your intention to go pro?

A: It was. Growing up as a kid, playing hockey, your dream is to go and play professional hockey, whatever level it is. I wanted to play at least one year, just to say that I did it and if it worked out and I played longer, great, that’s a bonus. One year was something that I definitely wanted to do just to say that I had done it and to reach that goal of mine. It went from one year to two years now.

Q: How was it that you came to be recruited by the Brahmas?

A: The Brahmas’ scout, Steve Papple, contacted me during the summer before last season. I talked to him and I talked to a few other teams and I ended up signing with Stockton in the East Coast League. I went there to start the season and that didn’t work out; I ended up getting released four games in. I didn’t really have too many options at that point and I was weighing what I wanted to do, whether I wanted to keep playing, look for another team or if I wanted to shut it down and uh, get a real job (laughing). Dan (Wildfong) called me and said they still wanted me down there and I ended up going down to Texas two days later.

Q: The season had already started when you signed with the Brahmas, correct?

A: Yeah, I came in, I think after the team had already played nine games. I came in on a Thursday night, I believe, and I practiced on Friday and then played that night.

Q: That’s kind of a tough situation, coming in to play on a team after the season has already started. Were you able to bond pretty quickly with the other players?

A: Oh yeah, everyone was great coming in. Like you said, it’s kind of a tough situation. All of the guys had been together for over a month and had gotten to know each other and had time to play together. You know, coming in and not knowing anyone, everyone was really great. They helped me out with whatever it took to get me on the same page as everyone else and I was fortunate to have the teammates that I did to help smooth that transition.

Q: Who was your roommate?

A: I roomed with Mark Cody until he was released and then I roomed with Doug Krantz when he came in after his college career was over.

Q: What was your first impression of Coaches Wildfong and MacPherson?

A: Coming in, the first time you see Dan, you’re kind of intimidated. Here’s a guy, you know, with the kind of resume he has as a player and you know, you kind of look at him – he’s an intimidating guy. I didn’t really know what to expect and a lot of the guys said he’s a great guy, very friendly, things like that, but he was an intense coach, he expected you to work hard. Coming in, in a situation like that, you know you want to make sure that you make a good impression, you know, they’d never seen me play before. They were very good, they took the extra time to show me the system, show me things that I needed to do to be on the same page. I can’t say anything bad about those two, they’ve been nothing but great to me. They helped me a lot as soon as I got down there.

Q: What was your impression of NYTEX and the fans?

A: I was very impressed by the fans; you can’t ask for better support. It was loud every night. For me the NYTEX Centre is a perfect fit. I grew up playing in smaller rinks with 2,000-3,000 fans. They’re right on top of you. That place is great. I was very comfortable playing there. It was always easy to get up for those games.

Q: On the road, you played in a lot of bigger arenas. As a player, do you prefer the larger or the smaller venue?

A: I really enjoy playing at the NYTEX Centre. I’d rather play there than at a bigger rink that’s half full. At the NYTEX, it’s always a good atmosphere. It’s always loud. You know, there are always fans there on top of you during the game. In college, we had the smallest rink and that was with 5,000 seats. I played in Wisconsin and Minnesota where there were 12,000 to 15,000 fans. You know, I’d have to say I’d rather play in front of 15,000 fans but I would definitely rather play at the NYTEX, sold out with 2,000 fans than at a 5,000 seat arena that’s half full.

Q: At NYTEX, the fans get really wild. For example, when the Brahmas score a goal, you have a group of guys that pull of their jerseys and swing them over their heads. As a player, do you feed off of that support from the fans?

A: Oh, absolutely. There’s no doubt about it. I don’t think you’ll find a player that doesn’t feed off the energy of the fans. You know, when were’ doing well and you maybe score a goal or two and the fans are just crazy wild you just keep that momentum because of them. Or if things aren’t going well and the fans are in it, they give you that extra energy, that extra motivation to pick up the game a little bit and try to get a win.

Q: It’s a lot of fun for the fans to get rowdy and razz the visiting teams…

A: Yeah, they have some pretty creative cheers and I think it’s great when the fans can do that. I think the fans are very good in that they don’t go over the line but they’re right on the line. They do a lot of things that get on the other team’s nerves, but they don’t do anything that’s offensive or in bad taste. It definitely adds to the atmosphere, that’s for sure.

Q: There’s been a great rivalry between the Brahmas and the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs for a number of years; of course this was Dan and Forbes’ old team. They have a great fan base that buses in and they sit in one section and make a lot of noise. Is that kind of fun to see as well?

A: When I came in, I heard a lot about Bossier. Other than Dan and Forbes, there were other players like Blair (Manning), (Craig) Minard and (Scott) Sheppard; they all played there and they talked a lot about it. When I got to see it, the back and forth between the fans, you know their section would chant and the whole rest of the rink would chant for the Brahmas…It was pretty awesome to see actually. It was kind of like they were having a game and we were having a game.

Q: Coming in as a rookie, you had an outstanding year. In college, you did very well but I think you really had a break out season with the Brahmas. How do you feel about your play and what do you think your main assets are?

A: I’m very happy with the way the year went. At the start, it was a bit of a transition, I didn’t score too much at the start but that came with adjusting to the league, adjusting to pro hockey and adjusting to a new team. You know, I felt good, it just seemed like I wasn’t getting too many points. But luckily was able to get put with Anders (Strome) and Jordan (Cameron) and I definitely benefited greatly from playing with those two guys; they’re great players and they definitely helped me out. I’m a pretty competitive guy, I don’t like to lose and I feel I work pretty hard. I’m not afraid to do whatever it takes whether it’s penalty killing or face-offs; I like to get some points if possible. I kind of pride myself on doing the little things right. I like to use my speed as an advantage. I think I have pretty good speed that I developed during my four years at school. I think overall, my competitiveness and my work ethic is over-and-above anything else.

Q: Speaking of Anders and Jordan, you know Anders signed to play over in Denmark and Jordan is going to be over in Germany. Some key players won’t be playing for the Brahmas this year. You’re going to have some new players this season and this time, you will have the benefit of going through training camp with these guys. How do you feel about coming in with a new squad this season?

A: It’s very exciting. It’s tough to replace guys like Anders and Jordan; they’re such great players. It’s tough to fill the hole that they left, but guys like myself, (Mark) Carragher and (Greg) McConnell I think have to take that next step and help fill the hole that they left. I think Dan and Forbes have done a great job bringing in the guys that they’ve brought in to improve on last years’ team with the hope of winning a championship. There’s a lot of turnover in professional hockey with any team. I think for myself, having the training camp this year is going to be helpful with getting some chemistry with the new players.

Q: How do you feel about the Brahma’s performance last season and were you surprised you made it as far as you did?

A: We definitely weren’t surprised. We knew all along we had a good team, a competitive team that could play with anyone in the league; that was proven throughout the year. We hit a tough stretch there around Christmastime where we could’ve gone either way. We ended up pushing through and had a really strong second half. I think when it comes down to the playoffs, at any league, at any level; anything can happen…it’s a new season. We were basically playing playoff hockey almost the whole second half; it was just a dogfight to get into the playoffs with our conference. We kind of benefited from that. We rode the momentum into the playoffs and I think the only surprise was that we ended up sweeping Bossier. We weren’t surprised that we won but we might’ve been a little surprised that it happened so quickly.

Q: What was your feeling about the series against Colorado?

A: That series, you know, coming in there against the defending champs…I think we played them once or twice during the season, and they had a really good team. They had a lot of good players and we knew that one was going to be a real battle. We heard about their record at home and that it’s a tough place to play, which we experienced. The first two games, they beat us pretty handily. We didn’t have our strongest two games and it is a tough place to play. I though we did very well as a team to re-group from that to come back and battle back to that seventh game. We gave them a three goal lead and just weren’t able to come back.

One or two goals away from the finals, I think that’s something guys this year will have in the back of their minds, that they were that close. It looks like there are a lot of guys returning from that team, so I think that’s going to be some motivation, to get back and improve upon that. I think it’s good that happened in the first year, to form a base for the kind of success that this organization wants to have…the kind of standard, the quality standard that they’ve set. We set the bar so high; it makes you want to work harder to exceed that.

Q: Maybe beat down by the Brahmas, they went on to face Arizona, and were swept in four games. Did that surprise you?

A: Maybe a little surprised that it was a sweep. Not having played them last season, it’s hard for me to say anything without having seen them play. You look at the stats and they guys that Arizona had, the numbers that they put up, it’s not hard to see how good of a team they had. I’m not surprised that they won, but the fact that they swept was a surprise, just knowing how difficult it is to play in Colorado. I don’t know if it had anything to do with us taking them to seven. Once you get into the finals, all bets are off about what it took to get there and I think you’re just so motivated and excited to be in the finals with a chance at a championship, the fact that you just played a seven-game series isn’t really that relevant.

Q: During the regular season, was there a particular team that was the toughest to play?

A: That’s a tough question. I always thought Bossier was pretty tough to play, they have a lot of skill, quick forwards, and they just work relentlessly so I thought they were pretty difficult to play. You’d think after playing them 13 times, or whatever we did, you’d find a way to beat them in the regular season. It just seemed that, the more we played them, the tighter the games got. I think because of their work ethic and their skill level, I think they’re a pretty difficult team to play.

Q: You’ll be playing them about the same number of games this season but you have a new rival now that you are in a different division and that’s the Laredo Bucks. Over the history of play between the two teams, the Bucks have dominated the Brahmas, but last season, the Brahmas met the call and did well. Do you have any thoughts on playing the Bucks this season?

A: It’ll be nice to see a different team more often and to get some more rivalries going. We went down there for one game and we ended up winning down there. They have a great team and a lot of great players. I think for me, the toughest part was going down there at the end of February and it was 95 degrees out (laughing). It was really hot and you don’t expect that. It was a little different from what I was used to. In February, we used to have several feet of snow and freezing temperatures. So that was a bit of an adjustment. But they have a good team and they’ve had a pretty good track record from what I understand with championships and winning that conference. I think it’s going to be a tough test and I think it’s one that we’re going to meet.

Q: I spoke to your former teammate, Pete Rouleau the other day. He’s excited about coming down and joining the team. Pete’s a small but dynamic forward who really hasn’t had a chance to do anything in the pros yet. Can you talk a little about how he came to the team’s attention?

A: We’d actually tried to get him down here before the playoffs after his season ended and he ended up going to the East Coast League instead. It didn’t end up working out. Dan had asked me about him and I could only give high praise for him. He’s a great player. He led the team in scoring my last year and led the team in scoring last season. He's just a great offensive player, real fast. For a small guy, he’s not afraid to get in there and mix it up. I wouldn’t recommend a guy that I didn’t think would be very successful at this level. I think that people are going to very happy with what they get from him. I talk to him quite often, I went to his wedding last summer, and I know him quite well. He was deciding on what he wanted to do. I thought for a while that he was going to go to Europe; I guess he decided not to do that. He wanted to go to the East Coast League with the team he ended the year with (Pensacola Ice Pilots, who folded in June)…and when that didn’t happen, he called me and asked about the team a little bit more. Dan was on me quite a bit. Dan really wanted him and wanted me to call him a few times. I think coming to a team, your first year pro, it’s nice to have someone that you’re familiar with and comfortable with to help that transition. Hopefully I’m able to do that with him. I’m pretty happy and excited to be back on the same team with him.

Q: I’ve spoke to a number of Brahmas fans in the off-season. Everyone was very impressed with your play and definitely looking forward to seeing you out again this season. Do you have anything in general that you want to say to the Brahmas fans?

A: I appreciate all the nice things they’ve done and all of the support they’ve given me and to the team. They’ve definitely made it easy for me to come in and be successful with the type of treatment and the support that I got, so thank you for all the support you’ve given and continue to give and we look to build on last season and reward them for all the hard work and support that they’ve given us.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Brahma Notes

• The next General Meeting of the Texas Brahmas Fan Club will be Thursday, August 14th, at North Richland Hills Public Library Board Room, at 7:00 pm.
• The date has been set for the Texas Brahmas' "Making the Cut 2008" prospect camp. The camp will take place on September 26-28th at NYTEX Sports Centre. For more information or to sign up, click here.
• The annual Brahmas Kickoff Classic will be held on Saturday, October 4 at 1PM. The event will be held at the Lost Creek Golf Club in Aledo. This year a new event has been added to include young Brahmas fans, the Mini Golf Extravaganza. The miniature golf tournament will be hosted at Mountasia Fun Park in North Richland Hills for kids ages 4-17 on October 5th from 2-6 PM. All participants in the adult tournament will receive Brahmas preseason tickets and the chance to win various grand prizes. Proceeds from the golf tournament will benefit the Community Enrichment Center in North Richland Hills. Sign up here.
• The Brahmas have some new additions in the front office. Chad Siewert is the new Corporate and Community Accounts Manager. Kelly Lanter is the new Box Office Manager.
• Congratulations to Assistant Head Coach Forbes Macpherson and wife Amy. Amy gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Jewell Hayden MacPherson last week.
• Happy birthday to three Brahmas defensemen, Craig Minard on August 18th, Mike Vellinga on August 19th and Doug Krantz on August 22nd!
• Former Brahma Anders Strome is tying the knot on August 22nd. Congratulations Anders and Meagan!

One on One - with the Texas Brahmas' Mark Carragher

Mark Carragher recently signed on for his second season with the Texas Brahmas. As a rookie center last season, Carragher notched 19 points (7 G, 12 A) in 63 games played during the regular season regular season. This season, the former University of Southern Maine star is focused on one thing: helping the Brahmas win a championship.

I spoke with Mark recently by telephone from Nova Scotia.

Q: Who influenced you the most early on in playing hockey?

A: Obviously, growing up in Canada, hockey’s a pretty big part of our lives and I started playing at an early age. I learned from my Dad. He played some university hockey and he coached me through my minor hockey days. He got me into hockey early, playing in the ponds and the backyards. He was the biggest influence on my career.

Q: Where did you play during your high school years?

A: I played minor hockey in Charlottetown up until I finished high school and then I went away to college after that.

Q: Did you consider staying in Canada for college or did you plan on heading for the states?

A: After I finished playing minor hockey, I could have played junior here at home but I went to play at prep school in upstate New York instead which opened the doors up for a few universities in the states. So, I thought that it would be a better experience for me. The university style in the states suits my game a little more, so that’s how I got to Southern Maine.

Q: You had a great career playing for the Huskies, especially in your senior year. As team captain, you set or tied several single season and career records and were the all-time leading scorer for the program…

A: Yeah, I had a pretty successful career there. I was lucky to play with a couple of good players. I started out with a pretty good season in my first year and I was able to improve each year and things worked out pretty well for me there.

Q: Did you intend to go pro after graduation or did you consider hanging up your skates and doing something different?

A: I kind of left the door open for any options. Obviously, I wanted to keep playing hockey and my ultimate goal was to try to move on to the next level, so playing pro was definitely a goal of mine…I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do but something I was definitely striving for was to play pro.

Q: How were you recruited to play for the Brahmas?

A: Shortly after I got home after my senior year at school, I was contacted by Forbes MacPherson, who was also from PEI (Prince Edward Island); I didn’t really know a whole lot about the league itself or the team but Forbie was great at selling the Brahmas to me and they made an offer and I was excited to jump on board.

Q: Once you made the trip down to Texas to attend training camp, what was your initial impression of coaches Wildfong and MacPherson?

A: Well, they both have different styles and coaching philosophies I guess you’d say but I liked what they were trying to do. I could tell right from the start that Dan wanted to win and he wanted guys on his team that wanted to win too. We knew right from the start what was expected of us.

Q: You came into a unique situation with the Brahmas having sat out a season in order to move into a new venue and changing the name of the team. Dan and Forbes had to put a team together pretty quickly. You had a lot of veterans coming in as well as a few rookies. Did you all bond pretty quickly?

A: Yeah, you know I think we had a pretty good mix of, like you said, some older veteran guys who have been around the league and we had a good group of young guys too. Dan and Forbes obviously worked really hard; they knew what players they wanted and they did a good job of getting a good mix of guys. I think our team got along pretty well. We all hung around each other a lot. It was tough to come together in such a short time like you said with being a new team and nobody playing on the same team the year before but I think overall, we came together pretty quickly.

Q: Did you find it helpful to have a couple of guys from your hometown there, Coach MacPherson and your teammate Greg McConnell?

A: Yeah, It definitely made it a bit more comfortable knowing that they were there, for sure.

Q: Having played the previous season in Portland, Maine and then coming down to North Richland Hills, Texas, there’s obviously a big difference in the towns, the weather and the people. What were your first impressions of the area and the NYTEX Sports Centre?

A: I didn’t really know what to expect because I’ve never been down south before last year. I have nothing but good things to say about the people, our fans and the way I was treated down there. Everybody was extremely friendly and extremely nice and willing to go out of his or her way to help you out. As far as that goes, I was pleasantly surprised with the hospitality that we received. The weather obviously is an added bonus; we got to do some golfing and stuff. As far as the rink, I like the atmosphere of our rink a lot. It’s not one of the biggest rinks in the league. It’s a rink that other teams don’t want to play at…that’s something we can definitely use to our advantage with the atmosphere that we have in there.

Q: When you say that other teams don’t want to play there, do you think that its because it is such an intimate atmosphere, with the level of the noise and the fan participation, it really affects the other teams’ play?

A: Yeah, for sure. Any time you go into another team’s rink, it’s an intimidating factor that’s going to play a role coming into the game. Our fans are great and it was a great atmosphere. We wanted to make sure that we played hard at home in front of our fans and we wanted to let other teams know that it was going to be a tough place to play in.

Q: How do you feel about your first season pro? You did pretty well; you had 19 points, seven goals, and twelve assists. You played 63 regular season games, twelve in the post-season. All in all you had a very good season for your rookie year.

A: I like to set high goals for myself. My first year was a great learning experience for me. It took a little while to get adjusted to the new style of play and the league itself. Once I got into a routine, I think I did pretty well. I didn’t put up a whole lot of numbers from what I’m used to in the past but I made sure that I played my role effectively and did whatever it took to help the team.

Q: The CHL is a pretty tough-hitting league; I don’t know if it’s rougher than what you experienced playing NCAA. Not being one of the larger forwards in the league, what did you think about the physical play?

A: It’s definitely a very physical league. There are certain teams that are more physical than others obviously and there are a lot of pretty big teams out there. With my size it’s really important that I don’t back down from anything and I make sure that whatever I lack in size, I can make up in other areas, whether it be getting to the puck first or whatever. I make sure that I don’t back down from any opportunities; I definitely have to play bigger than my size.

Q: Did you find it to be an advantage sometimes? You definitely had a speed advantage…

A: Yeah, there are some advantages. I’m not going to lie to you and say I wouldn’t take an extra foot in height or be a little bigger but there are definitely some advantages to it, to be a little quicker or to be underestimated, I guess you would say.

Q: What do you think is the biggest strength that you bring to the organization?

A: I’m a really competitive person so first and foremost I bring a strong work ethic to the team. I think that kind of work ethic, you know, the harder I practice or play in the games, that kind of rubs off on other players.

Q: Did you have any idea that the team could come together so well and as the season progressed, especially after December, that the team was able to accomplish all they did?

A: I knew we had the talent and the team to do it. It was just a matter or whether we could actually come together and put a little run together…once we started to come together in January and things started to fall in place, I think we had a lot of confidence going and we knew we could do some damage and end the season making the playoffs.

Q: Looking back now at the season, was there a particular highlight that you were most fond of?

A: I think the highlight of the year was when we beat Shreveport in the playoffs in four straight. The emotion going into that series was strong; there was a lot of hype going in and we were the underdogs, but we didn’t let that stop us. Finishing them off in four games was one of the highlights of my hockey career thus far and it’s something I’ll definitely remember for a long time.

Q: Can you describe your feelings on the series with Colorado?

A: Obviously it was tough starting out against them. We were still on a pretty big high from the series before and we didn’t start off the series the way that we would have liked. That might have made the difference in the end. But overall, it was tough because we were so close and a few bounces here or there and we would have won one of those games. Going away from the finals was pretty tough to take but I think we played pretty hard and I think we left it all out on the ice and that’s all you can do.

Q: You didn’t play Arizona last season but were you surprised that the Sundogs took the Eagles down so easily?

A: I was little bit surprised for sure. I hadn’t seen them play before. You have to give Arizona a lot of credit for going in to Colorado and beating them twice in their building, something that’s very difficult to do. I like to think that we might’ve wore down Colorado a little bit but momentum’s a big thing in the playoffs and once you get it, it’s tough to get it taken away from you.

Q: What are you personal expectations, coming in to this season?

A: I’m hoping to have a good year. I’m working hard in the off-season so that I come in ready to go once camp starts. Personally, I hope that I can have a break out season. I have a year under my belt now, my first year pro, so I’m kind of hoping to have a break out season.

Q: You’re going to have a different makeup of your team this year. So far the Brahmas have signed a few new forwards, Lance Galbraith from the Idaho Steelheads, Andrew Leach from the Trenton Devils and Pete Rouleau from Michigan Tech. What are your feelings on coming in and playing with some new guys?

A: It’s always tough to bring everyone back from the year before but I think we’ll have a pretty good core back for next season. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the players you mentioned and I’m sure Dan and Forbes have done their homework and are bringing in the right pieces to the puzzle and I’m sure that whoever they bring in is going to fit in fine.

Q: In closing, do you have anything you want to say to the Brahmas fans?

A: I just want to thank them for all their support last year and give thanks for everything they’ve done to go out of their way to help us out. I’m looking forward to next season and hopefully we’ll be able to improve on what we started last year.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Texas Brahmas sign Michigan Tech standout Pete Rouleau

Dynamic forward joins 2008-09 squad

The Texas Brahmas have announced the signing of former Michigan Tech star forward Pete Rouleau. Head Coach Dan Wildfong expects Rouleau will bring great energy to the team.

"It's always good when you can bring in a young player who has proven to be a playmaker. Pete had some great numbers in college and we have the same expectations now that he is a Brahma," said Wildfong.

Rouleau was bought to Wildfong's attention by his former Michigan Tech teammate Tyler Skworchinski.

The 25-year-old, five-foot seven-inch, 165 pound native of Hancock, Michigan skated in 95 games and scored 61 points (19 G, 42 A) over three seasons with the Huskies. He earned the Gary Crosby Award as the team's leading scorer his junior and senior year and won the Huskies' MVP award last season.

Last March, Rouleau signed with the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads but played just one game before being released on waivers. Coach Derek Laxdal said he would have liked to have kept Rouleau on, but players returning to Idaho from it's AHL affiliate Idaho Stars created a lack of space on the roster. Rouleau was then signed by the Pensacola Ice Pilots and played six games, scoring 3 points (1 G, 2 A).

Rouleau spent the 2003-04 season competing for Finlandia University, an NCAA Division III team. He played in 25 games with the Lions and was Findlandia’s leading scorer with 39 points (15 G, 24 A). Prior to that, he played for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League in 2002-03. In 56 games played, Rouleau recorded 24 points (10 G, 14 A).

In high school, Rouleau led the Hancock Bulldogs in scoring for four consecutive seasons. He was the most valuable player of the Lake Superior Conference three years in a row and All-State his junior and senior years. He played on the 1998-99 State High School Championship team and the 1999-2000 State Runner-Up team. He remains the career point leader with 264 points.

I spoke with Pete Rouleau this evening and he said that he was very excited to be with the Brahmas. An interview with Rouleau will be posted to the Insider on Tuesday.

Photo Credit: Michigan Tech

Center Tyler Skworchinski re-signs with the Texas Brahmas

The Texas Brahmas Insider has learned that Tyler Skworchinski has re-signed with the Texas Brahmas for the 2008-09 season. The Marathon, Ontario native is the third rookie player from the 2007-08 season to re-sign for his second year as a professional.

Acquired on November 11th, Skworchinski had an impressive rookie season with the Brahmas. The 5-foot-11, 196 pound center logged 47 points (24 G, 23 A) in 55 games played, including 17 points (8 G, 9 A) in his last 12 games. He scored 9 points (2 G, 7 A) in 13 games during the playoffs.

On special teams, Skworchinski had 5 powerplay goals, 10 powerplay assists, 2 shorthanded goals and a team-leading 3 shorthanded assists. He also led the Brahmas in shooting percentage.

In March, Skworchinski was named to the 2007-08 Central Hockey League All-Rookie team. He was tied for 8th place in rookie scoring and 3rd among rookies in the "3 Star Leaders", a category created by the CHL to identify superior play on a single game basis.

Skworchinski played four seasons at Michigan Tech while earning a degree in Business Administration. He notched 22 points (12 G, 10 A) in 113 games played with the Huskies.

Skworchinski's smart play and lighting fast speed will be an enormous asset to the team this season as the Brahmas work towards their goal of winning a championship.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

A conversation with...Anders Strome

The Insider speaks with the former Texas Brahma about playing at NYTEX and the decision to sign with a team in Denmark

Anders Strome by all measures had a fantastic season with the Texas Brahmas during the 2007-08 campaign. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, the popular forward brought a strong offensive game to the ice, registering 60 points (34 g, 26 a) and 88 penalty minutes in 64 games played. Strome played all 14 playoff games tallying 14 points (9 g, 5 a) with 10 penalty minutes.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba native played three seasons with the University of Massachusetts-Lowell before turning professional. He scored 35 points (20g, 15 a) in 91 games played with the River Hawks.

Strome spent much of his CHL career with the Lubbock Cotton Kings. During the 2004-05 season, he led the team in scoring with 57 points (35 goals, 22 assists) in 60 games played.

Due to his offensive flair, Strome participated in the 2004-05 CHL All Star game and led the Cotton Kings to the postseason. At season's end, the Cotton Kings named Strome their “Offensive Player of the Year”.

During the 2005-06 season, Strome played in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) with three teams (Long Beach Ice Dogs, Florida Everblades and South Carolina Stingrays). In 54 games, he recorded 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) and 26 penalty minutes.

In 188 games in the CHL over four seasons, Strome posted 227 points (126 goals, 101 assists) and 261 penalty minutes.

I spoke to Anders about playing with the Brahmas and making the decision to sign with a Danish team for the upcoming season.

Q: The Brahmas signed you at the end of August 2007. How did you come to join the team?

A: I ended up talking to Dan and Forbes on the phone; you know, I had played against both of them and with my old team Lubbock folding at the end of the previous season, I got in touch with those guys. I had talked to a number of different teams but that was the situation that sounded like the best fit for myself and for the Brahmas.

Q: Dan, at the time, said that you would add the “offensive punch” that they were looking for and that definitely happened. You had a great year with the Brahmas; 60 points scored in 64 games played and then through the playoffs, can you talk a little bit about your season with the Brahmas, how you felt everything came together?

A: Well, we had a great bunch of guys, you know. I was playing with some really good players, and we came together as a team. You’re right, I was brought in to be an offensive player and I got put in key situations. We were fortunate enough to get off to a good start and we just kept it rolling. You know, we had some ups and downs at times during the season. The coaches had confidence in me and we had a pretty good run there at the end – it’s too bad we lost to Colorado.

Q: Tell me about the final game in Colorado; did you guys really think you could win it?

A: Oh, it was a tough loss; we really thought we were going to win that game. We battled back from being down three games to one in the series, as you know. And then we won game six in Colorado and we had a really good game. In game seven we battled really hard. We just came up against their goalie who was really hot that night. It was one of those games where both teams played well, but they capitalized on a few things and won it.

Q: Were you surprised that Arizona beat Colorado so handily, sweeping the Eagles in the championship?

A: I was a little, you know. We didn’t see Arizona all year, so it was tough to judge, but obviously they were a good team. Colorado had a lot of experience and they were the defending champs. I thought they would’ve done better but maybe we wore them out a little bit; we gave them a pretty tough series. Maybe that played a bit of a factor in it.

Q: We got the news this off-season that you’ve signed with the Danish team in the Premier League, the Odense Bulldogs. Can you talk a little bit about how that came about?

A: The coach (Dean Fedorchuk) got in touch with me from over there. He’s from the same hometown I’m from and he just took the head coaching job with this team, Odense. He said I was the kind of player he was looking for. He had done his homework and he heard good things about me and he was interested in bringing me over there.

Obviously it was a tough decision to leave Texas because I really enjoyed it there; I really liked playing for Dan and Forbes. I thought the whole organization was a class organization. It was a tough decision to make but the way I sort of looked at it was, it’s a step up for me as far as my career goes and it was just an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.

Q: You’re going to be playing primarily with Scandinavian teammates outside of a few Canadians – Brad Rooney, who you played with at UMass, Tyler Redenbach from the Arizona Sundogs, Dwayne Zinger and a few Americans - Felipe Larranaga, Peter Metcalf and John Laliberte. How do you feel about integrating yourself into the team?

A: It’ll be like anything; It’s nice to know a few guys on the team. I played with Brad Rooney there in college; I was a freshman, he was a senior, so it’ll be nice to catch up with him a bit. I believe the rule is, there’s ten imports, which I think they’ve bumped it up; I’m not 100% sure, but more and more guys are going over there, a lot of good players that I recognize through the Central League and the East Coast League and even the American Hockey League, so they’re doing something to recruit these guys there and I think they want to bring their league up a level.

I’m excited to get over there and see what it’s all about. I don’t know how to speak Danish but I think they speak English, or at least can communicate pretty well. And my name, I think they’re going to think I’m a Dane, because of my name.

Q: You’re engaged…when is the wedding?

A: In August, August 22nd.

Q: My understanding is that the Premier League in Denmark starts up a lot earlier than in the U.S., do you have an idea of when you are heading over there?

A: Yeah, I head over next week, actually.

Q: Are you getting married out there or are you coming back to Canada?

A: They’re flying me back for my wedding. I’ll be home for two weeks. That was part of the deal; I said I had to be home for that. So, I’m coming home a week before the wedding and my soon-to-be-wife and I will be going back to Denmark a week after the wedding. She’s really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a new experience for both of us.

Q: It’s a shorter season over there; I think it’s 45 regular season games and then the post-season. Technically, depending on what happens, you could come back to the Brahmas late in the season. Do you have any thoughts about that?

A: Yeah, you never know, that was something I talked about with Dan. Again, it was a really tough call for me, leaving a good situation like we had in Texas with the coaching staff and the bunch of guys we had. But we definitely left in good terms, as far as the team being supportive of my decision and it bodes well for the Brahmas that we’ve had some guys that have gotten some opportunities. But yeah, I’m always open to going back there. I really liked it, so you never know.

Q: How do you feel about the Texas Brahmas fans, the type of support that you had over the year and how you felt about playing at NYTEX?

A: The whole season was a great experience. The fans were awesome; you know we didn’t have a huge rink, but it was pretty much packed every night and they were as loud as can be. I got to know a lot of the fans really well and the people in North Richland Hills there and I’ve got nothing but good things to say. I know that Dan and Forbes are going to put together another great team this year and I’ll be cheering them on and keeping tabs from over in Denmark. But again, it was an awesome year and it was something I’ll never forget.

We wish Anders and Meagan the best on their upcoming wedding and also the best of luck on his season with the Odense Bulldogs. Training Camp will begin August 1st. The first game will be played at home on August 8th against Frederikshavn.

Photo Credit: Ann N. (lb_ice_dogs_fan)