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.
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