Brahmas swing trade with Ice Bats

Published on February 3, 2004 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Fort Worth Brahmas News Release


Fort Worth – The Fort Worth Brahmas finalized a player trade with the Austin Ice Bats today, sending the rights to goaltender Brent Belecki to the Austin Ice Bats in exchange for the rights to defenseman Scott McCallum and future considerations.

At 6'4", 228, McCallum immediately becomes the most sizable player in the Fort Worth defensive corps. A 23-year old native of Dauphin, Manitoba, he is in his fourth professional season. In 37 games with the Ice Bats this season, McCallum totaled 2 goals, 4 assists and 43 penalty minutes. Last year, during the 2002-2003 campaign, McCallum played in 60 regular season games for the Bats, scoring 1 goal, assisting on 9 others, and piling up 124 penalty minutes. He also skated in 15 playoff games for the Ice Bats in the 2003 President's Cup playoffs, helping Austin to reach the President's Cup Finals for the second season in a row.

Before going to Austin, McCallum played for four East Coast Hockey League teams during his first two professional seasons of 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. In 105 ECHL games with Pensacola, Wheeling, Macon, and Reading, McCallum totaled 10 goals, 23 assists, and 104 penalty minutes. While in Reading in the spring of 2002, McCallum played under Brahmas head coach Al Sims.

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. He was selected in the fourth round, 96th overall, of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes.

The future considerations of this trade with Austin will be executed upon the conclusion of the 2003-2004 CHL playing season. The Brahmas will be acquiring the rights to two additional players on the Ice Bats season ending roster.

Fort Worth's Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach Al Sims believes he has improved his team with this trade.

"We have been looking to upgrade our defense, and Scott McCallum will be able to do this for us. He's strong, aggressive, and knows how to take care of guys in front of the net. He'll make us better right away," said Sims.

Sims also said that the future considerations played a big part in him pulling the trigger on this deal.

"Essentially, we got three of Austin's players in exchange for one player. As a coach, you've got to see the big picture, and by making a three for one move, I feel we came out ahead," he explained.

The trade of Belecki, who goes to Austin after just three starts in Fort Worth and a 1-2 record, means that Fort Worth will go back to the goalie tandem of Tyler Nilsson and Erasmo Saltarelli. Saltarelli, who has been on the 14 day IR since January 17th, will be added back to the Brahmas active roster to take Belecki's spot.

Sims went on to reiterate the team's confidence in their goaltending duo.

"As a rookie, Tyler Nilsson has showed us enough to earn more playing time. He's going to get a great chance to prove his abilities over the last six weeks of this season. And, in Erasmo Saltarelli, we've got a solid, veteran goaltender who should now be healthy enough to play up to his considerable potential. We'll be all right in net with those two," he said.

Mike Barack, Fort Worth's General Manager, sees both the short and long term gains from this trade.

"We're excited about this deal. Not only have we upgraded our defense right now, we have also improved the core of our team overall as we go into next season," Barack stated.

McCallum is not expected to be in Fort Worth's lineup tonight when the Brahmas will play in Bossier City, Louisiana at 7:05 p.m. against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. He is, however, expected to be added to Fort Worth's active roster for the Brahmas set of weekend games in Indianapolis this Friday and Saturday night.

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 3, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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