A few minutes with...Kyle Deck

The Brahmas' newest defenseman talks about his hockey career thus far, attending an NHL training camp and joining the team for the 2009-10 campaign

I had the opportunity to speak with Kyle Deck by phone today. We talked about his hockey career and his opportunity to come to North Texas to play for the defending CHL champions. Here is some of our conversation.

Q: Tell me a little about how you got your start playing hockey in Saskatchewan…

A: I started with a league in Weyburn - AA Pee Wee and then Bantam. Then from there, my last year in Bantam, I actually got called up to play AAA Midget in Saskatoon with the Blazers and that’s kind of where it all started. I got drafted to the Kamloops Blazers. I was there for a month and then got sent home...I was traded to the Regina Pats at Christmas. That was nice because the Pats are near my home town. It was a half-hour to the rink from our farm. My family got to come and watch whenever they wanted to, and all my friends.

Q: Did you always play defense?

A: I actually started out as a forward. It was weird, I played forward during my Bantam draft year and then I got drafted as a defenseman (laughing), so I’ve been playing defense ever since.

Q: Were you still attending High School in Sedley while you were with the Pats?

A: No, I attended High School in Regina where all the other guys went. I got to graduate at home, but no, I went to High School in Regina and played hockey there. I went home on the weekends when I could.

Q: After you graduated in ’04, you stayed with the Pats and captained the team for your last two seasons. Didn’t you end up getting pretty sick during the final season?

A: Yeah, I had Bronchitis for, I think it was two weeks or something like that, and then I had knee surgery. That was kind of crappy for my 20-year-old year, but that’s the way it goes.

Q: After the Pats, you decided to go to the University of Regina and played there with the Cougars. How was the transition for you after so many years of playing in the WHL?

A: It was different; it was fun. You know, when you move into the University, you’re on your own. You live by yourself. It was a lot of fun but I didn’t like the school part – I’ve always been more of a hands-on kind of guy, so doing books wasn’t my kind of thing. But you know what, I’m glad that I did it and I saw that it wasn’t for me.

Q: Did you play with the Thoring brothers there?

A: Yes, I played with Cody and with Clay.

Q: Do you keep in touch with those guys?

A: I talk to Clay every now and again but you know, not as much as I should. I’m so busy in the summertime with farming.

Q: And you said you don’t really use the Internet and it seems that’s how people keep in touch nowadays…

A: Yeah, exactly (laughing). Everyone is always talking about the Internet – yeah, I stay off of that stuff. I’ve always got something to do and so I don’t get on there that much.

Q: Tell me about how you hooked up with the Flint Generals…

A: It was through Al Dumba, who was our color guy for the Pats. His son was down in Flint and they had a bad year with injuries. I talked with Al at Christmas and told him I wasn’t enjoying the school part of University. So word got out and at the end of the season, he called and asked if I wanted to come down and I jumped on that opportunity right away.

Q: After finishing the regular season in Flint and getting some playing time during the playoffs, you had the opportunity to go to the Detroit Red Wings training camp. How was that experience?

A: That was once in a lifetime for me. I always wanted to go to an NHL camp. I got to skate with Franzen, Zetterburg, Datsyuk and Chelios was even there. That’s any kid’s dream and it was a dream come true for me. Especially to skate with those guys and work out and see what they do; see their commitment every day and you know, that’s why they won the Stanley Cup last year and were the runners up this year. It was a great experience. I’m glad I did it and I took a lot from it.

Q: Did that translate into a lot of your success with the Generals last season?

A: Oh, for sure it did. I wanted to get called up – that was my biggest thing. I wanted to do what I could to get up there – you know. I’d like to play in the NHL; every kid would like to play in the NHL one day, so I kept it in the back of my mind. I tried to do little things, you know, do what they (the Red Wings) do. One of my friends told me, when you go there (to the training camp), watch Nick Lidstrom. Watch what he does and I really did that…just watched the little things that he does and you know, you watch a player and you take what you learn to your own game and you’d be surprised what happens.

Q: How were you recruited to play for the Brahmas?

A: A scout had called and asked what my plans were for this year. I talked with him a bit and you know, I always wanted to go to Texas, so why not go down there to play hockey?

Q: Did you know much about the team or the league outside of what you may have heard from some of the guys that you played with before?

A: Not too much. I just know what I’ve heard from some of the other guys. It sounds like a good league and there’s a lot more teams than in the IHL so that’s kind of nice – you’re not playing the same guys every second night (laughing). I’m excited and I think it’s going to be a good time.

Q: The Brahmas have signed Jamie Carroll; are you familiar with him from Port Huron?

A: Yeah, he’s a great player. I played against him all year…quite a few times, actually.

Q: And now you'll be teammates…

A: Yeah, and that’s good. I had a player that came from Port Huron and he told me that he was a great guy…he has what you need to win championships.

Q: During the off-season, how are you staying in shape?

A: I’m working out every day; I’m running and actually this week coming up, I’m going to a conditioning camp and will be doing power skating…staying at it every day. That’s what you’ve go to do. Come September when it’s time to go, the legs will still be gone no matter how much you work out, so there’s nothing like skating.

Q: You’re coming on board with a truly fantastic team and a head coach who’s by and far, one of the best in the league. This team has had a lot of success in the past two seasons and is now the defending league champion. How excited are you to be joining a team in that situation?

A: I’m really excited, like I said. It’s going to be a great time…they’re coming off a winning season so the hardest thing is to defend it. I hope I can jump in there and be a good contributor to the team. I’m going to do my best. I’m looking to have some fun this year and see if we can get that championship again.

Photo Credit: Wendy Torello/Port Huron Times Herald

Texas Brahmas home opener set for October 24th

CHL Championship Banner to be raised at NYTEX

Ok, so not a usual source of information but according to the Jr. Brahmas website, the Texas Brahmas home opener will be on Saturday, October 24th at 7:05pm. We should know more when the league releases the official 2009-10 season schedule in the next week or so.

The Brahmas' President's Cup Champions banner will be raised at a special ceremony that night.

More info to come...

Brahmas sign defenseman Kyle Deck

Former Flint Generals standout joins 2009-10 roster

Dan Wildfong has added another solid blue liner to the Brahmas’ roster with the signing of second year defenseman Kyle Deck. Deck, 23, is coming off an impressive season of play in the International Hockey League.

The 6-foot-1, 201-pound native of Sedley, Saskatchewan played junior hockey in nearby Regina with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. He played briefly with the Brahmas’ Grant Jacobsen during the 2002-03 season. During his time with the Pats, Deck tallied 106 points (25 G, 81 A) and 310 penalty minutes in 266 games played. He served as team captain during his final two seasons.

Once his time with the Pats was up and with no professional offers, Deck decided to go to college. During the 2007-08 season, he attended the University of Regina (CWUAA) and played hockey with the Cougars, scoring 9 points (1 G, 8 A) in 24 games played.

After the season was over and unhappy with the college experience, Deck took an opportunity to go pro and signed with the Flint Generals (IHL). He saw playing time in eight remaining regular season games as well as five games during the playoffs. Although he only managed an assist during his time with the Generals, he impressed his coach and earned one of their two spots at the Detroit Red Wings training camp.

"That was phenomenal," said Deck in an interview with mlive.com. "I had grown up watching those guys, the Nick Lidstroms, the (Pavel) Datsyuks, the (Henrik) Zetterbergs. It was a dream come true. I learned a lot there. Just going into Joe Louis Arena was phenomenal, seeing all the people who had been there. They treated you like were on the team. We went out for supper and they treated us great. I got to play with (Niklas) Kronwall, (Brad) Stuart, (Derek) Meech. The biggest thing about the NHL is their passes are on the tape every time and hard. That's the thing I'm trying to do here. I'm trying to get to the next level, too."

His two weeks with the defending Stanley Cup champions boosted Deck's confidence when he reported back to the team. Deck played in 45 games last season, notching 38 points (13 G, 25 A, -4) and 48 penalty minutes. On special teams, he scored 15 points (7 G, 8 A). In January, Deck was honored as the IHL Rookie of the Week after tallying 4 points (2 G, 2 A) in 3 games. He led the league in points (38) and assists (25) and was tied for second in goals (13) amongst all IHL defensemen.

After the season was over, Deck went overseas to play with Jesenice, a Slovenian hockey team of the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League.

Dan Wildfong is looking forward to having Deck on board for the 2009-10 campaign.

"Our defense was one of the elite crew in the league last season, and we look for that same success. With Kyle on our blue line, we are sure to shutdown top lines this season," said Wildfong.

Photo Credit (top): Stuart Bauer/The Flint Journal

Brahmas announce Jordan Cameron’s return

High-scoring forward re-signs for the 2009-10 campaign

The Texas Brahmas continue to re-construct their championship team with the announcement that Jordan Cameron will be back for a third season.

Last season, Cameron averaged over a point per game, notching 60 points (23 G, 37 A, +15) and 40 penalty minutes in 55 games regular season games played. His 37 assists led the Brahmas roster. On special teams, he registered 29 points (4 PPG, 25 PPA) He also did damage on the penalty kill last season setting a franchise record for shorthanded goals with seven (Tony, Tony, Tony!). During the playoffs, Cameron tallied an additional 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 15 games played.

At 6’ 4” and 218 pounds, the Drayton Valley, Alberta native has been a fan favorite and a strong presence on the ice.

“Jordan is a unique player that uses his size and offensive play to his advantage and helps the team succeed," said Dan Wildfong.

Cameron joins Brett Jaeger, Craig Minard, Casey Russell, Jason Deitsch, Jamie Carroll, AJ Gale and Anders Strome on the 2009-10 roster as the Brahmas prepare to defend the President’s Cup.

More to come...

Photo Credit: Robert Keith

A few minutes with…Jamie Carroll

The Brahmas' newest offensive threat opens up about signing with the Brahmas, his off-season workout and the advantages of playing in a smaller venue

I spoke with Jamie Carroll last week about signing with the Texas Brahmas. Thanks to a technical malfunction with my digital recorder (it was me, I'm sure), I lost a portion of the interview, so we re-recorded it yesterday. Here is our conversation.

Q: Other than the weather and the quality of the golf courses out here, what draws you to come to North Texas to play for the Brahmas?

A: Last Summer, I spoke with Dan quite a bit and he was trying to get me down there last year. I opted not to, something I maybe regret now because they won a championship...I came very close in my first year to winning a championship with Port Huron; we lost in Game Seven in triple overtime in the Final, so winning has been in the back of my mind since that game we lost in Game Seven. You know, I just wanted to go to a program where we’re going to have a good team and I know Dan is going to put together a championship caliber team every season. I got to know Ronnie Vogel quite a bit playing with him in my first year. He speaks very highly of the organization, the ownership and coach Wildfong, so I think those are the main things that drew my attention other than like you said, the weather and the golf courses – I think as a total package, it’s hard to beat at this level.

Q: You played with a number of guys in Port Huron with CHL experience. What’s your take on the league, from what you’ve heard?

A: Just from talking to guys that have played in the Central League before, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the caliber of hockey is pretty much the same. I’m looking forward to playing against more than, you know, the same five teams all season; that was kind of a drag after a while. So I’m excited about that.

Q: The Brahmas typically have a stacked offense with regard to the quality of their forwards. Work ethic and team play have driven their success. How do you see yourself fitting in to this model?

A: I like to think of myself as an offensive guy but I think I fit into team systems pretty well. Whatever Dan has us doing system-wise, I’ll work as hard as I can to put the team first…I’ve talked to Dan quite a bit over the past two summers and he wants me to come in and be offensive, whether it’s on the power play or even strength. Honestly, I feel that I’m going to be looked at to put up points. Obviously, the team system comes first - hopefully I’ll be out there in situations where I can set up line mates or shoot the puck myself. In my first two seasons pro, I was relied on to put up points – hopefully I can do the same for Texas.

Q: What are you doing during the off-season to keep in shape?

A: I’m working out four days a week with a hockey strengths coach. One of my good friends owns a gym here. He has a skating treadmill and synthetic ice, so I’m there four days a week with other professional hockey players; from NHL guys to East Coast guys. I’m doing my workouts and on top of that, we get a lot of ice time. The gym is connected to two sheets of ice, so we get out on the ice quite a bit. So far, I’m really starting to see that my strength and conditioning is improving. The next month or two are going to be huge for me in terms of getting my body ready for the long season but I’m confident that once October 1st comes around, I’ll be ready to go.

Q: Your home ice in Port Huron, McMorran Arena, with 3,400 seats, isn't much bigger than the NYTEX Sports Centre. What's your take on playing in a smaller venue versus some of the larger arenas?

A: When the fans are passionate and they’re right on top of you; that can create a huge home-ice advantage…It’s not necessarily the number of fans you have either...it’s their intensity and their passion for the team. In Port Huron, we didn’t always have the most fans, but the ones who were there on a consistent basis were very passionate and they knew that they kind of had to make up for the lack of numbers. They were always loud and supportive, which was great. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the fans in Texas. It’s not the largest venue, but I’m assuming the fans that they have love the Brahmas and it sounds like they pack the rink on a consistent basis...you want teams coming in on the road thinking - we’ve got to play the Brahmas on their home ice and that’s not an easy thing to do. I can imagine after winning a championship, the fans are going to be that much more into it. At the same time, it will probably create more fans than they had last year based on winning a championship. Hopefully, the success will continue…I can’t wait to get down there.

We are looking forward to Jamie getting down here as well. All indications are that he will definitely be an impact player on the 2009-10 roster.

Photo Credit: Chris Campbell

Bye-Bye Banga

Brahmas forward signs with the IHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks

I don't think anyone is surprised to hear that Travis Banga will not be back in a Brahmas sweater this season. While Banga was a strong competitor and a contributor to the President's Cup win, it was clear that he may not have been a good match for Dan Wildfong's systems and expectations. Now, according to Banga's agent, it has been reported that the 29-year-old center from High River, Alberta has signed with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League. He will join former Laredo Bucks goalie Sebastien Centomo for Muskegon's 50th Anniversary Season.

Banga joined the Brahmas on January 9th after being acquired from the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in a trade for forward Topher Scott and future considerations from Wichita (center Matt Byrnes), Rocky Mountain and Rapid City. It was a controversial trade as it was the first in-season swap between Southeast Division teams in nearly five years.

As a Brahma, Banga put up 24 points (8 G, 16, A, +1) and 36 penalty minutes in 26 games played during the remainder of the regular season. On special teams, he scored four power play goals and four power play assists and also had a game winning goal (01/17/09 vs. Odessa).

During the playoffs, Banga scored three points (2 G, 1 A) in nine games played including the game winning goal in Game 3 of the President's Cup Final.

Photo Credit: Robert Keith