The Insider Interview - Aaron Davis The former Fort Worth Brahma talks about his past and his future with the 2008-09 Texas Brahmas
During his time with the Brahmas, Davis scored 63 points (26 G, 37 A) with 29 penalty minutes in 97 games played.
Last season, the Dearborn Heights, Michigan native tallied 45 points (21 G, 24 A) with 30 penalty minutes in 48 games. Seven of his goals came on the power play. During the post-season, Davis added two assists in the three-game series against the Brahmas.
The 45 points by Davis last year were the second-most number of points he has put up in one CHL season, exceeded only by a 55-point campaign with the Austin Ice Bats in 2005-06.
Over the past five seasons, Davis played with four different CHL teams and notched 218 points (77 G, 141 A) He’s also added 146 penalty minutes, 20 power play goals, five shorthanded tallies and had 14 game-winning goals in that time.
I spoke with Aaron recently about his past and his decision to sign with the Brahmas this season.
Q: How were you introduced to the sport of Hockey?
A: We lived pretty close to this ice rink in Michigan and my brother and I ended up going there after school every day to skate. Pretty soon we wanted to play hockey...we started playing street hockey and then on the ice. It pretty much started there and I've been playing ever since.
Q: As a young man, you played in the NAHL. How was that experience for you? A: Yeah, a little bit. There were a lot of younger guys in the ECHL and everyone was trying to get up to the American League. This league was a little older, with more mature guys. There were a few years where we didn't have the greatest teams but we still went out and worked hard. There was a little more patience here than in the ECHL.
A: It was really good. The first year, I was still in High School, playing in Detroit for the Freeze and I didn't really know what to expect. They moved the team to Chicago and sent me and another guy up to Toronto for the summer to train with some people that they knew and I think that helped out a lot. The next year, I played pretty well. I talked to a few schools without making any decisions and then I ended up going to the Grand Rapids Bearcats. The coach helped me out a lot there and I ended up playing pretty well. I got a scholarship to go to Lake Superior State University. I had some good years up there and had a good time.
Q: When you finished up at Lake Superior, how did you come to play in the ECHL?
A: I finished my schooling early so I already had my degree and there was no point in me staying and taking more classes. I had this buddy that was playing and he said I might as well come down for the end of the season so I went over to play with the Trenton Titans. I got a few shifts in but I really didn't play much. I just wanted to get my feet wet in a pro league and that's what I did.
Q: After playing with Trenton, Arkansas and Pensacola in the East Coast League, you signed with the Fort Worth Brahmas. Who brought you in to the CHL?
A: My brother. I was in Pensacola for a while and a bunch of guys came down from Tampa Bay and my spot just kept getting deeper and deeper in the roster so my brother called me up and said they were looking for some guys. I ended up coming out and got a spot on the Brahmas roster. I had a pretty good year that first year, not too bad. I ended up coming back the next year. I sputtered a little bit; I don't know what was going on. I ended up getting traded over to Odessa and I finished up the season there.
Q: Did you notice a big difference in play between the ECHL and the CHL?
Q: You next played two seasons with the Austin Ice Bats and did very well there. Did you enjoy playing with the Bats?
A: Oh yeah, definitely. Bill McDonald was there. He helped me out a lot. I was still pretty young and he helped me with my defensive work and he came out there and helped a lot that first year. He would give us tidbits about some of the things we needed to work on and I began to mature more as a player.
Q: Austin is a great city. Did you enjoy the fans and living in the area?
A: Definitely. My wife and I stayed down there for two full years. She got a job down there doing real estate and she's still doing that now. We went down there this summer. I still have a few buddies there. It's just a great town. It's a totally different atmosphere, everything's a little bit more laid back. The scenery is way different. It's still in Texas but its' more environmentally friendly, more liberal, all that good stuff.
Q: The past three seasons, you've been a very consistent player all around. Last season, you went to play in Mississippi. How did you like playing with the RiverKings?
A: It was good; I played with some really good players. I played in Fort Worth for a couple of years and we didn’t have the best record and I had one year with Austin where we did OK but it was nice to win a lot more games than you lose. Kevin McClelland had a big impact on me and he helped me out a lot. All the guys were great, but we couldn’t beat the Brahmas in the playoffs (laughing).
Q: Were you surprised that the Brahmas beat the RiverKings in that playoff series?
A: Yes and no. We were good at home. In the first game, we played really well and we had some confidence coming into that next game. Then they switched goalies and Jaeger played really well and we just couldn’t find a way to beat him.
Q: NYTEX is a smaller venue and the Brahmas fans are really loud. As an opposing player did that affect you a little bit?
A: Yeah, it would affect some guys. You’re coming into a different atmosphere. When you have the crowd that close and you’ve got some momentum, the crowd helps out a lot in there. I think that helps out playing in a rink like that; the fans are really close and you can really hear them; I would say that helped the Brahmas out a little.
Q: So what was the process by which you came back to the Brahmas?
A: Our coach from last year ended up taking another job in Colorado and they traded my rights to Odessa. Before everything was set there, I actually became an unrestricted free-agent and I had an opportunity to go and sign pretty much anywhere because I didn’t get a qualifying offer before a certain date. It was kind of a good deal for me. I talked with the Brahmas a few times and I talked with a bunch of other teams. I really didn’t know what I was going to do. I just wanted to really think about it. You know I’m getting a little older and I wanted to get with a winning team.
In talking with Dan and everyone, I knew he was putting together a good team just like last year. I ended up sitting down with my wife to talk about it; she’s actually from here, so that helped out. I really want to win – I’m getting older and don’t want to be on any losing team and I’d really like to get that championship under my belt.
The Brahmas went pretty far last year. Dan’s been there almost every year that he played and he’s won it, you have to look at coaches like that, that have actually been there. He was a player just a couple of seasons ago and he knows what the guys need and how the guys are because he’s still young.
He brought in Jason (Deitsch); I played with him in juniors in Grand Rapids for a little bit and I know he’s won some championships. It’s always helpful that you get some guys that actually know what it takes. He knows that, he’s been through it all and he’s won some championships.
I just want to win. I got a little taste of it last year. It’s too bad that we got knocked out.
Q: Speaking of Dan Wildfong, you’ve played against him before. Would you rather play against him or be coached by him?
A: I’d rather be coached by him (laughing). I played against him for two or three years. He’s a hard competitor and that’s how he wants his guys to be. He’s got that kind of coaching style where he’s going to push guys to exceed their limits. If everyone puts it together I don’t see why we shouldn’t be a contender.
Q: Do you have anything you’d like to say to the fans about the upcoming season?
A: We’re going to do our best. We want to bring a championship here; we want to win. I want to win. Keep supporting us; we’ll try to make everyone happy with our performance.
Image Credit: Fort Worth Brahmas
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