Dearest Brahma Land,
Well, we find ourselves here again. At the end of the road. It’s all down to one game.
Junior Hockey’s version of the Super Bowl. I’ll circle back in a bit to talk about the
matchup. First there are a few things that need to be said. We would never be in the
position we are in now if it were not for you. As an organization we want to say thank
you. From the casual fan who comes to maybe one or two games a year to the new fan
who just discovered us to the season ticket holders who do not miss a shift, thank you.
Thank you to all the groups that came out for a game this season either with their
charity, company, youth sports team, or school. Thank you to all the choir directors out
there who had to teach your kids the national anthem, and then herd them like cats on
game night. Thank you to the billet families who took our players in like they are their
very own. Whether you had a player for a day, a week, a month, or all year we know it’s
not an easy decision to welcome a stranger into your home. To the families of our
players who sent your kids to play for us letting them chase their hockey dreams we say
thank you. Thank you to the scouts who most Brahma fans never see. You work
tirelessly behind the scenes evaluating talent, filling our camps, and keeping the
pipeline healthy and full. Thank you to our coaches who work around the clock 365
days a year. Thank you to the staff of the NYTEX Sports Centre and Brahmas Hockey
Club. Whether you answer calls at the front desk, update websites and social media
pages, maintain the ice, sell tickets, teach skate school, teach private lessons, keep the
building running, or whatever it is you do, thank you. Thank you to our NAHL and KTXA
TV crews, you make us look and sound good each and every game. Thank you to the
sponsors who have a million places you can spend your marketing dollars in DFW.
Thank you for trusting the Brahmas and letting us promote your goods, services, or
brand. Thank you to our doctor and medical staff as well, you guys keep our guys
healthy and safe and whenever someone does go down with an injury or aliment, you
get em back out there fast. Thank you to the staff of Zuroma who not only work hard
serving the people of Brahma Land, but they also provide the best post game meals in
the league. And of course thank you to the ownership group, Frank and Sal Trazzera.
Our ownership group is committed, and very passionate about growing the game down
here in Tarrant County. This little independent rink we have is closing in on being in
business for 20 years, and there is no reason to believe that one day we will be looking
back as we celebrate 50 years of being in business.
It has been a very long season. One full of its fair share of ups and downs. The
Brahmas have battled through more adversity this year than any I can remember. From
the injuries to losing what we thought was our #1 goalie to go to college early, to a
record number of suspensions, coaches getting suspended, or one of our top 6
forwards not being allowed back into the country, it has been a wild ride to say the least.
But through it all we have all stayed Brahma Strong, and ready to rise to whatever
situation is put in front of us. We won the South Division regular season title for the 2 nd
year in a row. We earned home ice for the divisional round of the playoffs. We swept
the Ice Wolves, and then swept the Ice Rays including that final game played out in El
Paso. We returned to the Fogerty Arena and were blanked by Wisconsin in game one.
But we rose to the occasion and came roaring back in game two. Game three had all
the emotions, we went up, we went down, we tied it up, and then eventually won the
game. Yes, I am aware the ending of that game was riddled with controversy. I always
say on the broadcast, being a hockey official is the hardest job out there. Both teams
seasons were on the line, both fan bases were sitting on pins and needles, but only one
could move on. Hockey is a very emotional sport, and when you have an outcome like
we had in this game, it’s only natural for people to lose control of their emotions. I am
absolutely guilty of this. If you were tuning in to the broadcast at the end of the game
when the team was celebrating and the officials on the ice were conferring with each
other, you might have heard me yell something very vulgar at someone from
Wisconsin’s camp. I am not proud of myself and do sincerely apologize to the Windingo
fans who may have heard that especially the individual it was directed towards. In that
wild moment where half the arena was hugging and celebrating, the other half was
enraged. A man came up behind me cursing and point his finger at me. I should have
just turned away and ignored him, but again in the heavy emotion of what was going on,
I reacted poorly.
So now we are down to two teams, us and the Bismarck Bobcats. Bismarck is coached
by Garret Roth. If you recall he was the Oklahoma Warriors coach who won the
Robertson Cup in 2023. Several of the players on the Bobcats won rings with the
Warriors in 2023 as well. They finished first overall this season, and as such will wear
their white jerseys and be the home team tomorrow. I have watched them play three
games this year, the three they just played, and I can say this, it is going to be a good
game. They have a loud fan base (extremely loud thanks to all the plastic horns) that
just grew when we beat Wisconsin. The Fogerty Arena will be a hostile environment
there is no question. Special thank you to all the fans who are already here in
Minnesota and have been cheering us on and thank you to those that are either driving
up now or getting a plane to be here for the big game. The roar of our fans when the
series with Wisconsin ended was electric, and I for one can’t wait to hear what it sounds
like at the big game. I was thinking after the game about a conversation I had years
ago backstage at a music festival in Nevada. I was sitting backstage with this musician
who at the time played for a huge rock band. He also played for several other groups
and pretty much lived on the road. I was in a funk having been away from home for a
long time, so I asked him, “How do you deal with being away from home so much.” I
will never forget what he said back to me. He said that home is not a place, it’s a
feeling. So while we may be 1,000 miles away from NYTEX for the game, many of our
fans are here, while the rest are going to be tuning in to the broadcast. So for those
reasons it does feel like we are home. We hear you, we see you, and we feel you.
LET’S GO BRAHMAS!
-Chad Siewert