Bria Sent to Odessa to Complete Trade
Published on May 20, 2009 under American Association (AA) News Release
BOSSIER CITY, LA - The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs of the Central Hockey League today announced that the rights to defenseman J.R. Bria have been traded to the Odessa Jackalopes, completing the mid-season deal that brought forward Mark Johnson to the 'Bugs. The Mudbugs acquired Johnson on November 5, 2008 in exchange for future considerations.
Bria played 62 games for Bossier-Shreveport in 2008-09, his second professional season out of UMass-Lowell. The 5'11", 205-pound blueliner scored his first two career goals with the Mudbugs and also set new career highs with 16 points and 81 penalty minutes. He also registered one assist and 15 PIM in seven playoff games for the 'Bugs. The 26-year-old Bria split time between the Corpus Christi Rayz and the ECHL's Pensacola Ice Pilots during his rookie season of 07-08.
Johnson appeared in 44 regular season games for the Mudbugs last year, bringing hustle and toughness to the club's stable of forwards. He recorded six goals (three of which were game-winners) and five assists for a total of 11 points on the season to go with 51 penalty minutes. The Glencoe, Ontario native scored the shootout-winning goal as the 'Bugs beat Tulsa on February 13 and had his only multi-point game of the season on March 1 with a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win at Wichita.
The third-year pro came up big for Bossier-Shreveport in the postseason, scoring two big goals during the team's opening round victory over the Rocky Mountain Rage. Johnson helped start the Mudbugs' comeback with a third-period goal in their Game 2 overtime win over the Rage and then notched the series-clinching goal in Game 3 the next night. He also added two penalty minutes and 12 shots on goal in seven playoff games for the 'Bugs.
Johnson has spent his entire pro career in the CHL, playing his rookie season with Youngstown and returning to the SteelHounds in 2007-08 before being traded to the Jackalopes late in the year. The 23-year-old winger then played the first seven games of this season with Odessa before joining the Mudbugs.
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