Brahmas get Belecki in trade with Rayz

Published on January 17, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Fort Worth Brahmas News Release


Fort Worth – The Fort Worth Brahmas executed a player trade on Friday evening, acquiring goaltender Brent Belecki from the Corpus Christi Rayz in exchange for future considerations. The trade was finalized by the Central Hockey League's hockey operations department just prior to the Brahmas 4-3 overtime win over the San Angelo Saints.

A sixth-year pro from Calgary, Alberta, Belecki is widely regarded as one of the top goaltenders in the CHL. This year with the Rayz, Belecki posted a record of 10-14-3 with a .902 save percentage, a 3.22 GAA, and two shutouts. Last season, during the 2002-2003 campaign, Belekci played in an amazing 59 of the Rayz 64 games, totaling a 29-26-3 record with a .920 save percentage and a 2.77 GAA.

Before signing with the Rayz in the summer of 2002, Belecki enjoyed an outstanding season in 2001-2002 with the CHL's San Antonio Iguanas. That year, Belecki went 18-7-5 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.38 GAA, earning a trip to the CHL All Star Game in January of 2002. He also played his way into a call up with the AHL's Utah Grizzlies, appearing in two games for the Dallas Stars top affiliate in the winter of the 2001.

Belecki's best season as a pro came in 2000-2001 with the Asheville Smoke of the United Hockey League. In 56 starts for the Smoke, Belecki ran up a record of 34-17-4 with a .895 save percentage and a 3.05 GAA.

Overall, Belecki, 5'10", 180, has a professional regular season record of 125-101-20. He originally turned pro in 1998-1999 with Miami Matadors of the East Coast Hockey League. Since then, he has tended goal in the ECHL, UHL, AHL, and CHL.

Before going pro, the 27-year old Belecki played four seasons of major junior hockey (1994-1998) with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League. His best season with Portland came in 1997-1998 when he saved his way to an amazing 35-10-5 record in 50 starts for the Winter Hawks.

Brahmas head coach Al Sims, who coached Belecki last season and the beginning of this season in Corpus Christi, is elated to have the netminder back on his team.

"Anybody who has seen Brent play knows how talented he is. He was unbelievable for me last year in Corpus, so I certainly know what he can do. My objective as head coach is to continually make our team better. The acquisition of Brent makes us better at the goaltending position. I'm anxious to see how he does in a Brahmas uniform," Sims stated.

Belecki traveled to Fort Worth late Fort Worth late Friday night and practiced with the Brahmas this morning. He is expected to get his first start in a Fort Worth uniform tonight when the Brahmas host the Oklahoma City Blazers at 7:30 p.m. at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

To make room for Belecki on his roster, Sims placed goaltender Erasmo Saltarelli on the 14-day injured reserve list.

For more information, please contact the Brahmas office at (817) 336-4423.

IN OTHER BRAHMAS NEWS:

BRAHMAS TO BE FEATURED ON "NBC 5 STREET TALK" AT 5:00 TONIGHT

The Fort Worth Brahmas will be featured in a segment of the KXAS NBC 5 television show "Street Talk" tonight, Saturday, Jan. 17, at 5:00 p.m.

The segment will detail the Brahmas success this past Tuesday, January 13, with their first ever "Cool School" game. Over 6,000 FWISD fourth graders and over 1,000 teachers, chaperones, and administrators were at the game, a 4-3 Brahmas win, and helped the Brahmas set a single game franchise attendance record of 10,543.

Mike Barack, the Brahmas General Manager, and Chad Woollard, the Brahmas team captain and leading scorer, will be guests on the program, as they discuss the "Cool School" event.

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 17, 2004


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