(Courtesy of the Fort Worth Brahmas)
For five members of the Fort Worth Brahmas, their 2004-2005 hockey season will begin in the American Hockey League (AHL). Defensemen Mark Hynes and Sheldon Nedjelski, as well as forwards Chad Woollard, Martin Paquet and Justin Laverdiere, will be participating in AHL training camps that begin this week.
Brahmas head coach Al Sims is eager to see how his players fare in the AHL.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for all five of these young men, an opportunity that they richly deserve. I know that all five players have worked exceptionally hard over the summer to prepare for these training camps. I have all the confidence in the world that they will represent themselves and the Brahmas in fine fashion,” Sims said.

Hynes, a rookie rearguard from the University of Toronto, is taking part in training camp with the Milwaukee Admirals. The Admirals are the top affiliate for the Nashville Predators. Defenseman Sheldon Nedjelski, another rookie from the University of Calgary, will make his professional debut in the training camp of the Houston Aeros. Left wing Chad Woollard, who tied for the Brahmas team lead in goals last season with 18, will also be in camp with the Aeros. For Woollard, this is his second venture into an AHL training camp. He attended the Utah Grizzlies training camp in the fall of 2002. Houston has a joint affiliation this season with the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild.

Martin Paquet will compete for a roster spot in the training camp of the New York Islanders top affiliate, the Bridgeport (Connecticut) Sound Tigers. Paquet is entering his second professional season, and his first with the Brahmas. Last year, Paquet totaled 50 points (12G/28A) with two teams in the ECHL.

Laverdiere is another first year player for the Brahmas. He will be participating in the training camp of the Providence Bruins, the top affiliate for the Boston Bruins. For Laverdiere, it is an effort to make his hometown team, as he grew up minutes away from Providence in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

Sims went on to say that the fact that five of his players are in line for AHL jobs bodes well for his team.

“To have five of our players at AHL camps speaks volumes about the talent on our roster. I feel that we have a great group of young players assembled here in Fort Worth. My top objective, behind winning hockey games, is to move players up to a higher level. Our organization wants these players to capitalize on their training camp opportunities and win an AHL roster spot,” he stated.

For the Brahmas, their training camp will start two weeks from today, on Monday, October 11. An announcement regarding the location of the Brahmas’ 2004 training camp will be made in the near future. All of the Brahmas training camp on ice practices will be open to the public.

For additional information on the five Brahmas players at AHL training camps, please contact Jeff Bowerman, the Brahmas’ Vice President of Communications at (817) 336-4423.