Pitton Returns Home to Make a Difference in 2016-17
September 22, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Brampton Beast News Release
BRAMPTON, ONTARIO - The Brampton Beast, ECHL affiliate of the St. John's IceCaps and Montreal Canadiens, announce today that Brampton native and former member of the Brampton Battalion Bryan Pitton will once again be returning home to suit up for the Beast for the upcoming 2016-17 ECHL season.
Pitton, 28, is well known across Peel Region, returns to the Beast for his second season with his hometown team. In 2015-16, he appeared in only one contest before an injury forced the 6'3" netminder to the sidelines for the remainder of the season.
He was the club's Opening Day starter last year against the Manchester Monarchs and stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced. Healthy and determined, Pitton is already looking forward to the start of the season.
"I'm extremely excited to get this season going," he said. "Last year I didn't get to show the fans or myself what I had. I'm really looking forward to this year to be able to do that. To be at home close to friends and family with an organization that I feel is moving in the right direction with a great coach and a great staff, I couldn't be more happy."
An experienced veteran of eight professional seasons, simply put, Pitton has found success everywhere he has played. He has registered several great seasons in the American Hockey League with the Springfield Falcons and Oklahoma City Thunder between the 2007-08 and 2010-11 campaigns. He dominated in the ECHL with the Stockton Thunder and Bakersfield Condors and rocked the international hockey scene with stops in Scotland (Fife Flyers) and Poland (KH Sanok). His lone season in the Central Hockey League with the Allen Americans in 2013-14 may have been his most successful, as his playoff numbers, including a 2.20 goals against average and .931 save percentage, helped the Americans to a CHL championship.
As well known as Pitton is around the hockey world, he has made an even bigger impact as an upstanding member of the community.
Last season, while out with his injury, Pitton devoted his time to a variety of important causes across Peel Region and the Greater Toronto Area, including the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program, the MS Society 'Celebrity Server' event and helped deliver equipment to the Moss Park hockey program for inner-city children in Toronto.
This season, Pitton will be continuing his charitable ways and is proud to announce the 'Pitton Saves for Kids' in support of the William Osler Health System Foundation.
The Beast netminder will be donating one dollar for each save he makes throughout the 2016-17 ECHL season and is hoping that local businesses and individuals will pledge to match his donation, either for the full season or on a game-by-game basis.
"Giving back to the community that has had such a huge impact on my life is something I take very seriously," Pitton said. "Last season, I wasn't able to do as much as I wanted to due to the circumstances, but this year I'm hoping to be a lot more involved in the community and I hope to give back a lot more and it starts today with the launch of 'Pitton Saves For Kids in support of the William Osler Health System Foundation'."
Fans attending Beast home games can make their donation at the Fan Services kiosk located inside the Powerade Centre. Donations can be made year-round by contacting Chris Ballard at the Brampton Beast office.
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