The Insider Interview – Brett Jaeger

The Texas Brahmas goaltender talks about splitting time with David Cacciola and his excitement about the coming season

Goaltender Brett Jaeger was one of the first of last season’s players to re-sign for the 2008-09 campaign. The 25-year old from Peace River, Alberta joined the Brahmas at mid-season last year and went on to post a 13-6-1 record in the regular season. In 22 games, Jaeger had 2.52 goals against average (GAA) and a .921 save percentage. Jaeger led all CHL goalies in the postseason with a 2.30 GAA and .935 save percentage (goalies playing more than 3 games).

"Keeping Brett around was a priority during this off-season. We believe he has a unique combination of athleticism and puck handling skills, something that is difficult to find in a goaltender," said Brahmas Head Coach Dan Wildfong.

Jaeger played three seasons in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and had a 51-32-15 career record with the Fresno Falcons and Long Beach Ice Dogs. He accumulated a .913 save percentage in his three seasons of professional hockey and 2.83 goals against average GAA. He played in the ECHL All-Star game in the 2005-06 season.

Prior to playing in the ECHL, Jaeger played in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with Medicine Hat, Vancouver and Saskatoon and in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with Drayton Valley. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the AJHL in 2003-04 and the Most Valuable Player in the AJHL All-Star Game.

I spoke to Brett recently about joining the Brahmas at mid-season last year, splitting time with David Cacciola and his excitement about the coming season.

Q: Tell me a little about how you came to join the Brahmas last December.

A: I was contacted by one of Dan’s scouts. I was talking to a couple of teams in this league and a couple of other teams in the other leagues. I looked at the roster and recognized Jordan Cameron and Big Snake at the time. I called Jordan up and then Dan and I started talking and it seemed like a good area; a good fit for me. At that point in time, I just wanted to get playing and find my game back and things worked out pretty well.

Q: How did you feel, coming in to your first game at NYTEX on New Year’s Eve?

A: My thought process was just to go out and be myself out there, not try and do too much, keep the team in the game and give them a chance to win. That’s pretty a goalie’s job; give the team a chance to win. They’ve got to score some goals for you and you have to make some key saves at key times. So I came in and played my game and focused on what I had to do.

Q:I spoke to David Cacciola and he said that you two ended up working pretty well together. He said that with you there, it actually drove him to work on his game and play better and that you both kind of fed off of each other. Do you agree with that?

A: Any time that you come in with another goalie, there’s that healthy competition to get minutes in. It’s been like that since my first year pro. I had a guy, Jamie Hodson, he was in the (Toronto Maple) Leafs system and he showed me the ropes in what it takes to be a pro goalie. He stays out after practice; he’s the first guy out on the ice. He showed me the work ethic in what it takes to make you better. He and I had a good relationship; we pushed each other. There’s nothing wrong with that, working together. We’re all in it for a common goal anyway.

Q: How do you feel about going into the season and working with Cacciola?

A: Cash and I know each other pretty well. We get along and we’re ready to go out and play our game and just try and help the team win and keep the team in games. When Dan says, “You’re playing,” you go out there and give your best effort and do your thing. Dan is going to be making those decisions on who is being put in. All I can do is try and play my best and try and get as many games as possible.

Q: Are you excited about the season?

A: Yeah, I’m excited. I was training pretty hard in the off-season back home. I started skating about a month ago and I feel really good. I feel pretty quick still. I feel like I’m in better shape than last year at this time. I’m pretty excited right now and feeling pretty good.

Q: How did you feel about the Brahmas fans and their enthusiasm at NYTEX?

A: The fans are great here. Growing up in Alberta, I played Junior A in the WHL with Jordan Cameron and we played in a lot of rinks kind of similar to NYTEX. The closer they are, the louder it is. It’s pretty cool that way. The crowd’s right on top of you. I like playing in that kind of environment. The hockey fans here know the game really well and their support is awesome.

Q: Is there anything in particular you’d like to say to Brahmas fans?

A: Corinne and I, my fiancé, are happy to be back here. We enjoy the area and we enjoy all of the support.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith