Longtime friends share ownership in minor league hockey team

Article in WestNewsMagazine.com focuses on Stuart Fraser and Mike Barack

WestNewsMagazine featured the following article by Warren Mayes about two friends since childhood, who also happen to be owners of the Texas Brahmas. Here is the article in its entirety.

Two good friends from Parkway Central, Mike Barack and Stuart Fraser, who have known each other since the fifth grade, remain tied together after all these years.

They own a minor league hockey franchise. The Texas Brahmas play in a state-of-the-art facility in North Richland Hills, Texas, which is between Fort Worth and Dallas. The Brahmas play in the Central Hockey League, which is two steps from the National Hockey League (NHL), with several players tied to the NHL.

Fraser was the principal owner since he joined Andy Moog in 1998 and has been the majority owner since the 1999-2000 season. Barack joined the ownership group this year and is the general manager and a partner in the ownership group.

The friendship between Fraser and Barack dates back to their meeting in the fifth grade when both of them moved into the Woods Mill Park subdivision. They met attending elementary school in Creve Coeur at River Bend.

"We have been friends ever since," said Fraser, who is 47.

The duo graduated from Parkway Central in 1979 and from the University of Missouri in 1983. Fraser earned a degree in history, while Barack, 48, picked up a broadcast journalism degree. Both also played sports while at Parkway Central.

"I tried to play high school hockey and was an early cut but (I) lettered in tennis," Barack said.

I played a lot of roller hockey but no ice hockey," Fraser said. "I played some tennis in high school and football in junior high."

After college, the two began working in their chosen fields.

Fraser lives in Armonk, N.Y., which is just outside New York City. He works for Cantor Fitzgerald LP and has spent his entire career in the financial business.

Fraser is the vice chairman at Cantor Fitzgerald and has managed the company's fixed income brokerage business for 15 years. Fraser created the first Electronic Trading System for bonds and holds 17 U.S. patents for trading systems and supporting applications.

Barack worked in broadcasting, public relations and sales prior to his position with the Brahmas and previously spent time in the International and American Hockey Leagues in Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis and Springfield, Mass.

Barack also worked for the St. Louis National Football League (NFL) Partnership, the 1994 United States Olympic Festival and the St. Louis Ambush of the National Professional Soccer League. He wrote one record album, "The St. Louis Blues 1980-81 Year of Records" and broadcasted one season with the St. Louis Vipers of Roller Hockey International.

In early 1998, Barack said he was offered a chance to manage a team that was starting from scratch in Fort Worth, Texas.

"I jumped at the opportunity," Barack said. "The team was looking for investors from the start, and based on Stuart's business knowledge from his position as vice chairman at Cantor Fitzgerald, I asked for his advice. The next thing you know we received a check and he has been an owner ever since. I joined the ownership group within the past year."

When Barack went into the business, Fraser said he was a constant "advisor" to him.

"It eventually developed into ownership interest in the Brahmas," Fraser said. "Then it grew into me becoming a majority owner soon afterward. As the team owner, I'm responsible for being the financial backstop, which forces me to take a strong interest in everything we're doing on the ice and off. Mike runs the show, but we both decide on the direction and focus."

Fraser said he did not jump into owning a minor league hockey team as a way toward riches or fame.

"You don't have a minor league hockey team to make your fortune," Fraser said. "However, it is a blast and it is even better when you're working with one of your best friends. The key is to remember that winning is great, but it's more important to give the fans a wonderful experience at a fair price. The hard part is getting people to come check out the games and to appreciate the value it offers for a family night out. Once they do, they typically return, but it's no gimme."

Because Fraser lives in New York, the two "correspond regularly." Barack said Fraser follows the team closely although cannot make it to as many games as he would like. Fraser said he tries to catch at least one Brahmas game a year in person, but with the Central Hockey League (CHL) showing games over the Internet, he is able to watch most of them.

The two said they get back to St. Louis as often as they can.

"My son, Scott, is a freshman at Washington University, so we visit a few times a year," Fraser said. "But I usually get back a couple of times a year. I made the last two Cardinals' World Series in St. Louis and I've been to a couple of Parkway Central reunions and our 30th is coming up this summer. I visited Mizzou a number of times as a member of the Strategic Development Board of the School of Arts & Sciences. And I still have some of my greatest friends living in St. Louis, so it's always great to come home."

Both still follow the local sports teams.

"Stuart and I attended some World Series games in 2004 and 2006, so we follow all the St. Louis teams very closely," Barack said. "The Blues are still dear to my heart. One day the team will win a Stanley Cup and it will be a dream come true. The team currently has some very exciting young players, and unfortunately this season all of the injuries have been devastating."

Fraser agreed.

"I will always be a Blues fan and follow the team today," Fraser said. "(Blues President John Davidson) J.D. lived in my neighborhood in New York and he's a great guy. It's funny that he also lived in Woods Mill Park when he was the Blues' goalie."

The future looks good for their franchise. At press time, they were in first place in their division.
"I'm looking forward to the Brahmas winning the Presidents Cup this spring and growing the success of the franchise with Mike," Fraser said.

That is Barack's dream as well.

"My first goal is to help us win a championship," Barack said. "Just like the Blues, it would be a dream to help manage our franchise to a CHL title. We have all the ingredients this season with a great young coach (Dan Wildfong) who is on his way up."

Photo Credit: Texas Brahmas