Brahmas bolster training camp roster

Published on October 4, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Fort Worth Brahmas News Release


Fort Worth- Four more players were signed by the Fort Worth Brahmas today as the club continues to prepare for their 2004 Training Camp, which opens a week from today at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Euless.

Signed to a contract agreement was forward Chad Peck. Defenseman Scott McCallum, forward Brian Bansner and goaltender Larry Sterling were signed to tryout agreements.

Peck, a native of Danford Lake, Quebec will be entering his third full season as a professional. Last season he split time with two teams in the WHA 2. He began the year with the Lakeland (Fla.) Loggerheads, picking up 7 points (3G/4A) in 15 games played. He then moved on to the Alabama Slammers, where he played in the final 37 games of the regular season, and produced 37 points on 19 goals and 18 assists. Peck also dressed in two playoff games for the Slammers.

In 2002-2003, Peck played for the Jacksonville (Fla) Barracudas, totaling 10 points (2G/8A) in 19 games played. Before turning pro, he played one season of junior hockey with the Halifax Exports of the MJAHL in 2001-2002.

McCallum will return to Fort Worth after finishing the 2003-2004 season in a Brahmas uniform. The former Phoenix Coyotes draft pick originally came to the Brahmas on February 3, 2004 in a trade with the Austin Ice Bats. He played just four games with the Brahmas, scoring one goal, before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

For McCallum, 6'4", 230, the 2004-2005 campaign will be his fifth professional season. He has played in 206 professional regular season games, splitting time in the East Coast Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. His best individual season as a pro came in his rookie year of 2000-2001 when he produced 7 goals, 20 assists, and 88 penalty minutes in 72 total games with Pensacola and Wheeling of the ECHL.

A native of Dauphin, Manitoba, McCallum prepped for his pro career with four seasons of junior hockey in the Western Hockey League, from 1995-1999, where he split time with the Tri-City Americans and Brandon Wheat Kings.

Brian Bansner is another familiar name for Brahmas fans. Bansner, 6'3", 221, skated in the final five games of the Brahmas 2003-2004 season, registering one assist and picking up 31 penalty minutes. Before coming to Fort Worth, Bansner played three seasons of collegiate hockey at Utica College (NCAA Div. III-ECAC) in Utica, New York from 2001-2004. As a collegian, he totaled 43 points (17G/26A) and 99 penalty minutes in 74 career regular season games.

Larry Sterling is a rookie goaltender who will compete with Dan Murphy and Tyler Nilsson for the Brahmas two goaltending positions. Sterling, 6'2", 180, last played a full season in 2002-2003 with Detroit Compuware of the NAHL, posting an impressive 38-11-5 record with a 2.31 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. Last season, Sterling attended the University of Findlay (NCAA Div. I-CHA) but did not play for the Oilers because of NCAA eligibility issues. The NCAA ruled him ineligible because he played in four Ontario Hockey League games with the Plymouth Whalers in the fall of 2000. This spring, Sterling accepted a full scholarship to the University of Minnesota State-Mankato before the NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible on June 5, 2004.

Al Sims, the Brahmas second year head coach, is looking forward to seeing all four players signed today on the ice next week.

"All four of these players—Peck, McCallum, Bansner and Sterling—are solid hockey players who have the ability to make our hockey team. Peck and McCallum have legitimate professional experience and certainly have the tools to be effective players. Bansner and Sterling are young players that are eager for an opportunity to play on the professional level. We'll see how things work out in training camp," stated Sims.

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.

IN OTHER BRAHMAS NEWS:

Center Joey Bastien, who signed with the Brahmas back on March 14, 2004, has decided to play professionally in Norway. Thus, Bastien has been officially removed from the Brahmas training camp roster and will not be taking the ice with the Brahmas next week. Fort Worth will still retain Bastien's Central Hockey League rights for the 2004-2005 season should he decide to return from Norway.

The deletion of Bastien from the Brahmas roster, coupled with the additions of Peck, McCallum, Bansner and Sterling, puts the Brahmas training camp roster at 25 players—14 forwards, 8 defenseman, and 3 goaltenders. Sims said on Monday that he expects to add a "handful" of additional players to Fort Worth's roster before training camp starts next week.

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Central Hockey League Stories from October 4, 2004


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