Banach signed by Brahmas

Published on October 10, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Fort Worth Brahmas News Release


Fort Worth- The Fort Worth Brahmas completed their training camp roster on Sunday morning with the signing of left wing Jay Banach to a contract for the 2004-2005 Central Hockey League season.

The physically imposing Banach, who stands 6'6" and weighs 240 pounds, arrived in Fort Worth over the weekend and will take the ice with his new Brahmas teammates Monday morning at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Euless when the Brahmas begin their 2004 Training Camp. With the addition of Banach, Fort Worth now has 28 players on their training camp roster.

Banach, a native of Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, is entering his fifth season of professional hockey. He is no stranger to the Central Hockey League, as he played two seasons in the CHL from 2000-2002. He spent the entire 2000-2001 season, his rookie campaign, with the Wichita Thunder. He was a key contributor for the Thunder that year, totaling 34 points (18G/16A) while earning 255 penalty minutes. Banach then played the first 33 games of the 2001-2002 season with Wichita before a midseason trade sent him to the New Mexico Scorpions. In 60 games played between Wichita and New Mexico in 2001-2002, Banach finished with 7 goals, 9 assists and 169 penalty minutes.

Banach moved on to the Lexington Men O'War in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL ) for the 2002-2003 season. He skated in 59 games for the Men O' War, registering 4 goals, 9 assists and 191 penalty minutes. His efforts in Lexington earned him a one game call up to the Utah Grizzlies of the American Hockey League (AHL) in the spring of 2003.

Last year, Banach was a member of the Laval Chiefs of the Quebec Senior Men' s Hockey League (QSMHL), scoring 4 goals and assisting on 3 others while picking up 160 penalty minutes.

Banach is a product of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), as he played in 110 games over three seasons with the Humboldt Broncos from 1997-2000.

Brahmas head coach Al Sims believes that Banach could be a valuable player for Fort Worth.

"Jay brings a lot of things to the table. Obviously, he's big and physical, and he's not hesitant to mix it up. But, he's also a capable offensive player. He has what I like to call that ‘power forward' type ability. I'm very excited to have him here," stated Sims.

Brahmas fans and supporters are encouraged to head out to the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Euless to see the club's on-ice practices. Tomorrow, Monday, October 11, through Thursday, October 14, Fort Worth will skate twice a day, from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. This coming weekend the Brahmas will face off with the Oklahoma City Blazers for a home-and-home exhibition series. On Friday, October 15, Fort Worth will travel to Oklahoma City to play the Blazers at 7:30 p.m. at the Ford Center. Then on Saturday, October 16, Oklahoma City will come to the Metroplex to play the Brahmas at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Frisco. Game time for the Frisco contest will be 7:00 p.m. General admission tickets for that game (at just $6) are on sale now by calling the Brahmas office at (817) 336-4423.

The Brahmas will open their eighth season in franchise history and their fourth in the CHL on Oct. 22, 2004. After three games on the road two start the season, the Brahmas will return home to Fort Worth on Saturday, Oct. 30 for their home opener at the Fort Worth Convention Center against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. Season tickets for the 2004-2005 season are on sale now. For more information, please contact the Brahmas office at (817) 336-4423.

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Central Hockey League Stories from October 10, 2004


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