The Heart of the Brahmas
By Russell Farris

Two years ago, we had no barn to call home
Our team was gone like the fall of Rome
Sticks and gear, they gathered dust
Blades on unused skates began to rust

The fans wept and prayed, and dared to dream
Clinging to hope for a reborn team
In a small one room office, on Sand Street
The heart of the Brahmas still raged and beat

From that small office, the heartbeat grew stronger
New partners, new rink, then they hired the Fonger
Like a phoenix rising, from the ashes they came
Missing the finals the first year by one single game

This year a new season, providing thrills to us all
When the puck drops at NYTEX, our opponents they fall
They say our barn is small, other teams laugh and joke
But when they hit our ice, they all seem to choke

The general from the bench commands with great force
Laying waste to opponents, he shows no remorse
Our forwards and snipers fly like jets into action
Beating defenders and goalies by more than a fraction

Our D-Men with hard checks, maybe a stick a bit high
Dealing out cuts and bruises, maybe a black eye
Our tenders between pipes, standing tall in the crease
Fighting with the warrior spirit, our net they won't breech

It's more than something special, that we have here
Your fancy store bought teams won't inspire us to fear
Hard work, skill, and luck, they all play their part
But all of that means nothing, if you still don't have heart

Our bus might be ugly, our rink might be small
But when it comes to heart, our boys have it all
The regular season has now come to an end
Our quest for the cup is soon to begin!

The Insider Interview - Playoff Edition

Craig Minard

The Brahmas captain speaks about his squad and preparations for the playoffs

Craig Minard, like his teammates, is ready for the playoffs to begin. At 33, the Orangeville, Ontario native is nearing the end of his eighth full season as a professional hockey player and his second season as a Texas Brahma. The 5', 10", 180-pound defenseman has put another solid season behind him, tallying 35 points (5 G, 30 A) and 68 penalty minutes. He finished the season with a +25 rating.

Now just 2 days before the post-season begins, and with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees on their way to North Richland Hills, Minard patiently awaits the opening face-off on Saturday night. With six-post-seasons behind him, Minard is hungry. Hungry for the taste of the ultimate prize for any Central Hockey League player - The President's Cup. Minard is confident in himself and his teammates. Now, only time will tell if he will join his fellow Brahmas in celebration or sorrow.

I spoke with Craig about some of the men on his defensive squad and about the upcoming playoffs. Here is our conversation.

Q: The situation this year is similar to last season where you had a couple of defensemen out at the end of the regular season. We’ve learned that Eric Lundberg is out for the playoffs but Mike Vellinga will be back. Is Mike ready and in shape for the series coming up this weekend?

A: Oh, I think definitely. Mike’s been skating every day. That’s why he made the trip for the last few games, so he could be with the team. You know, sometimes you get a chance to heal up and it’s a good thing, so I don’t see any problems there. It’s not like he’s a first or second year guy who’s not used to what it takes to get into the playoffs. He’s a guy that’s been there, so he knows where he needs to be and that’s why he made the trip. He’s been skating and I think he’s healed up and ready to go. I think everyone’s ready to get on with the playoffs. It’s a different mentality, a different game; a lot of those injuries, even the nagging ones tend to disappear come the playoffs. I think we’re going to be ready to go.

Q: We talked before the season about how well Kevin McLeod played last season and he’s had a magnificent season this year. He was one of the leading defensive scorers in the league and tied with Sam Ftorek (Amarillo) for most goals scored by a defenseman (20). He was also the fourth leading scorer for the Brahmas. Are you surprised with his continued improvement as a player and his ability to bounce back from injuries?

A: Yes and no, I mean, I don’t think you ever look at a defenseman and expect them to score 20 goals; that would be a fairly lofty goal, but I think we talked about this at the start of the year, he’s a capable person, he’s a good guy, he works extremely hard and he does what he’s asked. I think he’s just been fortunate this year to cash in on his chances. He has an amazing shot and his offensive instincts as a defenseman are probably second to none in our league. I think he’s just sort of scratched the surface, whether you want to believe it or not. His talent level is amazing. It’s certainly a surprise to me that he scored 20 goals, but it’s not totally out of his realm. I asked him the other night what he had last year (34 points, 12 G, 22 A) and he couldn’t really remember, but I think he had anywhere from 12 or 15 goals last year as a rookie, so definitely the potential is there. He’s improved like you hope every second year player will. He’s just been a tremendous asset for our team. And like I said, he’s just a great guy; easy to work with, easy to play with and he works hard every day, which is all you can ask.

Q: Ross Rouleau has come in to fill a spot on the roster and seems to be developing well as a defenseman for the Brahmas. Were you happy to see him come in and fill that role?

A: Oh, it’s been amazing. Every team has its run of injuries and I think how you fare through those injuries is a big part of your success in the season. Some teams lose defensemen and they can’t recover. We had the luxury of bringing him in at a very critical time of the season and we had a tough stretch and lost a couple of games. To have him step in and play the way he plays is unbelievable. It’s hard to imagine being put in that situation, to come in and not really playing at that level and then come in and be counted on as a fourth or fifth D man some nights…he’s stepped in and done more than I think we’ve asked of him, so yeah, it’s been incredible and we’ve sort of had that all year, even, with Danny Force coming in and playing a game or Adam Davis. It seems everyone has sort of chipped in and it’s really worked well for us.

Q: Another guy who’s come in late in the season, Nathan Saunders, has made a big impact on the team, on and off the ice. Nathan has what Fonger described as a “swagger” to him, sort of like Brent MacSween last year…how do you like having him on your squad?

A: You know, I think you touched on it. Certainly on the ice, it’s easy to see what he brings to the table, every game. But what you don’t see is what kind of personality and what kind of attitude he brings to our locker room. He’s an easy-going guy; he knows what makes him successful. He is young but he’s played a lot of hockey and he knows where he fits and what he needs to be doing. It’s just been unbelievable for us. On the ice he brings that toughness and he certainly has a reputation…he’s a tough guy and he looks out for his teammates. He is one of those unbelievable teammates you don’t always hear about. In the locker room, he does the right thing; he keeps it loose. On the ice, he feels that if anyone touches any of our guys, he’s the guy that wants to take it upon himself to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. He’s done it since he got here. I’m not sure we knew everything we were going to get from him and he’s exceeded our expectations.

Q: We talked in the pre-season about going to Colorado and taking a couple of hard losses after sweeping Bossier-Shreveport. Do you think a lot of the guys are going to be heading into the playoffs with lessons learned from last year’s run?

A: Yeah, I think as an athlete too, regardless of where you were, you take lessons from anything that happens. Certainly, I think having enough of the core of guys who were here last year when we lost, and knowing how close we were, just made us that more hungry to get back there. There’s no question that there’s a number of teams in this league that are capable of winning a championship and we know that, but we have confidence in each and every member of our team and we have confidence in our team’s ability to take what happened last year and turn it into a positive. Its part of playing, you know; certainly last year, we were pretty disappointed. One of the things that Fonger brings to the table is that he’s won a championship and he’s lost one and he knows what need to be said or done. Hopefully we can take what he’s implementing and work it to what we need to be doing.

Q: You have some tough series’ ahead of you. Rio Grande Valley and then either Laredo or Odessa before you can make it to the finals. I wouldn’t want to downplay any of those teams. Where you are now, with this Brahmas team; do you feel that you have what you need to get in there and get the job done to advance to a championship series this year?

A: Definitely. We’ve played every team and we’ve been successful against every team this year and you know every team we’ve played, we beat, so we know that it’s in our realm and it’s just a matter of stepping it up. Obviously, every team is going to step up and we just need to do the same. I mean, if you go into the playoffs wondering and thinking what may happen, I just think you’re taking the wrong approach. We’re going to take the approach that our rink is a tough building to beat us in. We need to win our home games every time and we’re also going to need to go to someone else’s rink and steal a couple. We know every game is going to be hard. Hopefully, we’ve been preparing for that all year and especially down the stretch here…we’re ready. We think we’re as good as any team that’s out there and we’re excited. We want to get going.

Photo Credits: Robert Keith

Brahmas’ first playoff game to be aired on television

Saturday night’s game one will be broadcast on Metro Sports Channel

For the first time in their history, the Texas Brahmas will televise a home playoff game. Game One for the Brahmas will be played Saturday night, and be aired five times on Metro Sports Channel 185 on Time Warner Cable.

The Metro Sports Channel is a local television channel specializing in Metroplex sports, including high school and college sports. Their tagline, "Hometown Heroes. Bigtime Coverage." fits the Brahmas "Hometown Hockey" appeal. The game will be aired to all Time Warner subscribers throughout the Metroplex.

"We are excited to have our first home game televised," said Brahmas General Manager Mike Barack. "This will be great exposure and we hope to have more broadcasts in the future."

Broadcasting the game will be Pete Stein, the co-host of a nightly sports talk show from 7-10 on 105.3 The Fan. Stein was the play-by-play voice for the Dallas Sidekicks for two seasons and has worked basketball, soccer and baseball games for Time Warner Cable Metro Sports in the last year. Sitting along Stein as a color analyst will be Richie Witt of the Dallas Observer.

Gary Underwood, Vice President of Communications for Time Warner Cable, is pleased to offer Time Warner customers' local professional hockey for viewing.

"We are excited to provide our customers the Texas Brahmas in their playoff run and look forward to more Brahmas content on Metro Sports," said Underwood.

The Brahmas Playoff Game One will be aired on the following schedule: Sunday at noon and 7 PM, Monday at 3 PM and Tuesday at 8 AM and 8:30 PM. Metro Sports Channel can be found on channel 185 for Time Warner customers.

Information courtesy: Texas Brahmas Press Release
Image Credit: Time Warner Cable Dallas

The Insider Interview - Playoff Edition

Nathan Saunders

The Brahmas enforcer talks about his career, joining the Brahmas and why it's not a good idea to mess with his teammates

Nathan Saunders signed with the Texas Brahmas on December 22nd after beginning the 2008-09 season with the Stockton Thunder and the Charlotte Checkers (ECHL). The 6', 3", 228-pound defenseman from Charlottetown, PEI is a fourth-year professional who has played in the AHL, ECHL and now the CHL.

Saunders played four seasons with the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) from 2001-2005. During his time in New Brunswick, he notched 87 points (14 G, 73 A) and 794 penalty minutes. He added 11 points (5 G, 6 A) and 70 penalty minutes through three straight seasons in the playoffs.

He was Selected by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in round four (#119) overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Saunders went pro during the 2005-06 season, playing 20 games with the Portland Pirates (AHL). He split the 2006-07 season between the Pirates and the Augusta Lynx (ECHL). Last season was split between the Providence Bruins (AHL) and the Johnstown Chiefs (ECHL).

With 36 games under his belt, Saunders has tallied 15 points (4 G, 11 A) and 159 penalty minutes as a Texas Brahma. He ended the season with a +15 rating. He has scored two powerplay goals with six powerplay assists and has scored a game-winning goal.

I spoke with Nathan yesterday about his career, joining the Brahmas and the upcoming playoffs. Here is our conversation.

Q: I noticed that you were from Charlottetown, PEI; did you know Greg McConnell and Mark Carragher growing up?

A: Yeah, actually me, McConnell and Carragher all grew up playing minor hockey together. Carragher’s Dad used to coach us all.

Q: You ended up playing for the Moncton Wildcats up in New Brunswick. That team had it rough for a few years before you arrived, but in the years that you were there and just afterwards, they really became a force in the QMJHL. How did you like playing up there?

A: It was a great experience. They treat you like royalty when you play for Moncton. They have great ownership and it was a pleasure to play there. They were rebuilding during my first year and they had a pretty young team, so I got to play with the same group of guys for most of the time I was there, so that made it a lot better too.

Q: In Moncton, You played with a number of guys who are in the CHL now, Collin Circelli from Odessa, Ryan Salvis from Laredo among others. Is it interesting nowadays to see those guys on the ice after playing with them back in those days?

A: Yeah, to see a guy show up in the league you play in from when you were younger, it makes the games a little more exciting. There’s someone to go and talk to after. You get a different point of view on things too – you see how they like it in their cities and how their organizations are.

Q: You also played with Corey Crawford and Steve Bernier, just to name a couple of guys who moved up to the NHL. Do you still keep in touch with those guys?

A: A little bit through computers. Not really so much. I’m going to go see Bernier when they’re in town playing Dallas, so I’ll see him there. Whenever I used to play against him in the American League, I would always make a point of going and saying hi to him after the game or before the game. You keep in touch as much as you can.

Q: Many people probably don’t realize that you played with Eric Lundberg and Brett Jaeger when you all were with the Augusta Lynx (ECHL). Did you know them very well when you played together?

A: Yeah, I knew them both pretty well. I was in Augusta for pretty much the whole season, so I got to know them pretty well. They’re both great guys and it’s been a great experience to be able to play with them again.

Q: How was it that you came to the Brahmas at the time that you did?

A: Well, I started off the season in Stockton, California (Stockton Thunder) and there were so many young defensemen that were signed to American League contracts that there just wasn’t room, so I got traded to Charlotte in North Carolina (Charlotte Checkers) in the East Coast League. When I got there, the coach decided that all I was good for was fighting, so he put me in, maybe one shift a period to send me in to fight guys. That’s not really what I was looking to do…I don’t think it takes much skill to go out there and take punches in the face. I like to play a little bit too, so I told them it wasn’t working out. I went home and relaxed for a month or so and then I came back down and started to play for Fonger.

Q: Was it Fonger that recruited you?

A: I talked to Fonger a lot during training camp…I knew he was going to put together a competitive team. I wanted to go somewhere where there was going to be a good chance to win and somewhere where I would fit in well with the team.

Q: You actually fill out the role as the enforcer for the Brahmas outside of your other defensive skills. Not to label you, but do you like being known for that?

A: I like being known as a guy who is always going to be there to stick up for his teammates and don’t get me wrong, I have no problem fighting. I enjoy it sometimes. It’s not something I want to do day in and day out. But I’m always going to stick up for my teammates. I don’t mind being labeled as that because I can always say no or yes to guys. You get chased around a little more being called a fighter, but I’ve got no problem saying no to guys if I don’t feel like fighting. So, it works out well for me.

Q: You are a good fighter, probably one of the best in the CHL. Did you ever train as a fighter or did that develop for you as a hockey player through the years?

A: I think it’s something that you’re born with a little bit of an edge maybe. But you always want to be able to look after your teammates and look after yourself. I’ve also put a lot of time into it, learning from some pretty talented guys throughout the years. Like Trevor Gillies and Todd Fedoruk. Any time I got a chance to pick those guys brains, I always would after practice. I’ve tried to pick up as much as I could with the guys that I’ve been on teams with.

Q: You seem to have become a popular person among the players. Did you find it easy to fit in with this group of guys, especially coming in when you did?

A: I found it easy to fit in with this group of guys just because they’re such a good bunch and they made it so easy when I got down here. Everyone is a super nice guy and they would do anything for you. I found it really easy to fit in and I have a great time with the rest of my teammates.

Q: You are playing with some very talented defensemen in Minard, Vellinga, Kinnunen, McLeod and the others. What do you think of this group of guys?

A: They’re extremely talented. I’m really surprised how many of our defensemen, I think a lot of them could easily make the move to the American League, if not all of them. I’m just surprised of the amount of talent that’s down here. I’m really happy to be playing with anyone they put me out there with and I have all the confidence in the world in guys like Ross Rouleau and anybody else they put out there.

Q: Yeah, I wanted to ask you about Ross. He was originally signed out of the prospect camp and then was waived before the season got started. He was available to come in and fill a spot when Lundberg went down and he seems to be developing really well. What’s your take on Ross and how he has improved since he’s been back?

A: I think he’s a really solid player…We had a pretty deep line-up on defense so that probably would have hurt his chances through the training camp but I give him all the credit in the world. He kept at it and stayed in shape. He got his opportunity and he’s definitely making the most of it. He’s played a lot of important minutes for us and he’s playing really well.

Q: One of things I enjoy the most in the pre-game is the banter between you and players from the opposing teams. Sometimes guys come up to directly challenge you; sometimes they are just trying to mark their territory with you. At the last game at NYTEX with Laredo, I remember you skating up and telling a few of the Bucks players that you had a really nasty staph infection and if they got too close, you’d wipe it on them. I remember the wide-eyed look on Erick Lizon’s face – it really cracked me up. Does that kind of thing amuse you – that type of challenge, pre-game?

A: I don’t know (laughing); I just like to keep it loose. I mean guys like Lizon for Laredo, I have all the respect in the world for him, he’s a tough kid, and he does his job for the team. Guys like that are usually just being friendly; but if it comes through during the game and we have to fight, then that’s the way it goes, right? Sometimes, there’s other ways of doing it too like guys like Clark coming in here and going after the coach – you want to let those guys know that’s not going to be tolerated and I just tell them that I’m going to do something about it if it keeps up. I mean, it just depends on the situation.

Q: You immediately made a big impact with the fans at NYTEX and you’re definitely a fan favorite. How do you feel about the reception you’ve received from the fans and the experience in general, playing at NYTEX?

A: It’s been great. Everything since I’ve been here has been great. I’ve gotten a lot of help from a lot of different people and I’ve been treated really, really well. So it’s been nothing but a good experience since I’ve been here.

Q: You’ve had a lot of playoff experience and now you are with a team that not only had the talent and drive to make it to the post-season, but a team that many believe have what it takes to make it to the finals. What is your excitement level, going into this weekends games?

A: With the team that we have right now, it’s really exciting going into the playoffs, knowing that you have a chance to win it. At the same time, I think playoffs are a whole different season. Nothing we’ve done means anything now. The last game against Rio or the last game against Corpus, both teams played tough. But it’s that simple, if you don’t come to work, it can be done in four games. Hopefully everything will be clicking for our team and we’ll take a good run at it.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

Texas Brahmas announce 2009 playoff roster

First playoff game set for Saturday night at NYTEX

The Texas Brahmas released their 2009 playoff roster today. Among the 19 skaters listed are goaltenders Brett Jaeger and David Cacciola, six defensemen and 11 forwards.

The Brahmas regular season leading scorer Scott Sheppard will be suited up as will forward Jason Deitsch and All-Star defenseman Justin Kinnunen.

Amateur players will be named later this week. All CHL teams are allowed up to three amateur players in the postseason (two skaters and one goaltender).

FORWARDS: Travis Banga, Brandon Benedict, Matt Burto, Jordan Cameron, Jason Deitsch, Grant Jacobsen, Greg McConnell, Matt Quinn, Pete Rouleau, Scott Sheppard and Tyler Skworchinski

DEFENSEMEN: Mike Vellinga, Justin Kinnunen, Kevin McLeod, Ross Rouleau, Craig Minard and Nathan Saunders

GOALTENDERS: David Cacciola and Brett Jaeger

The Insider Interview - Playoff Edition

Brandon Benedict

After a season in Europe, the defensive forward talks about joining the Brahmas, his contribution to the team and the upcoming playoffs

Brandon Benedict had little time to adjust to playing CHL hockey. After his season in Europe, playing with Totempo HvIK was cut short due to the team's financial problems, Benedict spent a short time at home in Nova Scotia before agreeing to join the Texas Brahmas. He flew into DFW on a Friday night (2/6) during the Brahmas-Eagles game, then joined his new teammates for the bus ride over to Bossier City as the team prepared to do battle with the Mudbugs the following day.

With a very short time to get acquainted with his new teammates and familiarize himself with some of the basics of Dan Wildfongs' systems, Benedict took to the ice on Saturday and scored his first point in the Central Hockey League with an assist on the Brahmas' only goal of the night.

Benedict has played 16 games with the Brahmas, tallying 16 points (5 G, 11 A) and 16 penalty minutes. He scored three powerplay goals, four powerplay assists and ended the regular season with a +5 rating. He scored two goals on March 6th in a 3-0 win over the Corpus Christi IceRays.

I spoke with Brandon this evening about joining the Brahmas, his contribution to the team and his thoughts on the upcoming playoffs. Here is our conversation.

Q: How was the transition for you, coming in to DFW one night and playing in Bossier City the next night with a new team?

A: There was definitely an adjustment period there, especially coming from Europe. It's a totally different style of game here; the rinks are a lot smaller. Things seem to happen a little bit quicker here compared to Europe. I knew it would take some time, and after a week or so, I started to feel a lot more comfortable, after I got to know the guys as well. Yeah, it took some time, but I feel comfortable now.

Q: How easy was it to transition into a new group of guys two-thirds of the way into the season?

A: It was very easy. The guys were very welcoming . All the guys on the team are really down-to-earth, you know, easy to get a long with and really welcoming. It's a great bunch of guys on this team. It's one of the best years I've had as far as having fun with the guys. I mean, I've only been here for a month or so but I really like the guys a lot so it's been easy to adjust.

Q: One of the things I noticed at your first game in Bossier was how hard you worked during your shifts and how much of a presence you were on the ice. You've described yourself as a defensive forward and that is very evident. How easy was it for you to learn Fongers' systems and get adjusted to what he wanted out of you?

A: You know, it hasn't been too bad at all. Like I always say, Hockey is a pretty simple game. It comes down to just trying to work hard and there's just little things you've got to do - shooting the puck on net, getting the third man high, the defensive side of the puck...there's not a lot of X's and O's when it comes down to it. When they drop the puck, it's pretty much just trying to perform and win your one-on-one battles. You know, there's some adjustment period as far as systems and stuff. It took a little bit of time, but it wasn't a lot of time like I said. I feel hockey's a simple game. You've just got to go out there and work hard and just focus on the little things and you should be alright.

Q: One of the things that stand out about you are your defensive skills; the way you guard the net and really provide an extra defensive presence as well as being a solid forward. Is that really your style; is that how you came up playing hockey?

A: I try to take pride a little bit, in trying to play defensively. I moved to the wing now too; that's the other adjustment really, because I played center for the last five or six years. All year I've been playing center and I came here and got pushed to wing, which is fine to me. It doesn't matter to me what position I play. But that was another adjustment, to move to the wing. Center's are usually more down low in their zone and stuff, so I'm more up high on their defensemen in our own zone. You've got to take care of your slot area, which is probably the most dangerous area on the ice for their team to score, so you just always try to come down and help the center and our two D in front of our net. You know, it's just as important to keep the puck out as to put the puck in.

Q: With the limited time that you've been here, is there a particular team that's impressed you as an opponent more so than any other?

A: Not really. They all seem to be pretty even, to be honest. Maybe Odessa had the most offense, I thought; maybe some individual skills. I'm trying to think of the teams I've played really, yeah, no, they all seem pretty even. It didn't seem like there was many pretty easy games. They all seemed pretty tight, you know, defensively and offensively, so I wouldn't say that there was really one team that stood out.

Q: Do you find a big difference in the physical play in the CHL versus what you experienced in Europe?

A: Yeah, just because the ice is smaller, therefore guys are a lot tighter together and you can finish your hits a lot easier. On the bigger ice, you've got to skate that much more and when you skate that much more, the guy's trying to get out of the way, basically. You know, the smaller ice has a direct relationship to more hitting.

Q: On top of the 30+ points that you put together in Europe, you've played 16 games for the Brahmas and scored 16 points, including five goals and 11 assists. Are you satisfied with what you've accomplished in the limited time you've been here?

A: I guess, you know, it can always be better. That's the way I look at it. To be honest, I thought I should have better numbers. For instance, in the last game, I was just fighting the puck. Playing the wing again, it was an adjustment there for a bit. I'm not trying to use that as an excuse at all, but it was an adjustment.

We've got a lot of good players and I just want to contribute as much as I can and I feel like we've got, here, you know, you've got Shep, you've got Deitsch, you've got Cam and you've got a lot of guys that are so good offensively that I feel like those are our big gunners now. So I just try to fill in more of a role here as maybe a defensive guy to contribute more offensively. You can never have enough depth on a team. So I just try and fill in with some depth and contribute both offensively and defensively.

Q: You were kind of robbed of an opportunity to go to the playoffs after a good season in Denmark and now you've come back to a team that is successful and heading into the playoffs; a team that very much has the talent to go all the way. What is your mindset, going into this weekend, regardless of who your opponent may be?

A: Personally, I love the playoffs. This is why you play...this is what it's all about. They don't remember the games you play in the regular season. They're going to remember the games that we play in the playoffs. I consider myself to be a guy that likes to perform in the playoffs and hopefully I can just help the team out and get some wins. That's all it's about now; it's winning...it all comes down to wins and losses. Hopefully, we can get some wins this weekend.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith