From the GM:

As we fast approach towards the re-birth of the Brahmas, I just wanted to pass on a few things which are happening both on and off the ice. What has happened in the past six months is nothing short of amazing as the Brahmas are back, the coaching staff is phenomenal, the ownership has taken an active involvement, we have a beautiful renovated facility, a city that is excited to have us, new sponsors, season ticket holders, fan club, and attitude.

In opening, the NYTEX Sports Centre is looking great with more additions coming in the future. There are currently five suites which have been completely refurbished including new painting and floors. New chairs and seats are being added. An "owners" suite is also being renovated and will be available for rental on a game -by -game basis during the season which will include seating for 20 people, waiter/waitress service, special catering menu, and satellite television.

The Tejas Volleyball Arena is phenomenal with the previous Olympic Hockey rink replaced by new flooring (concrete based) and a new SportCourt flooring over the concrete. Five Volleyball Courts are now in action. Tejas Volleyball has hosted two tournaments over the past few weekends which have drawn multitudes of teams and thousands of players and families.

The concession stand on the first floor continues to add product and the future looks bright for a long term retail restaurant. The second floor concession stand is still a work in progress but will be ready to go by Opening Night.

Seats are being added and we will have approximately 2400 seats in the future. Seats are being added in the Southeast Corner on the second floor, the Terrace area on the North End, and various rows of two, three, and four behind the end zones on both sides and in the corners. We have investigated adding semi-permanent cushion seats on all the new added Club Seats as well as the new Southeast Corner area. We also expect to have a supply of rental seats available for fans in any bleacher areas looking for further comfort.

The Hockey Shop is looking great as well. BrahmaWare is available at the Hockey Shop while the shop also has a wide array of hockey equipment available for the novice as well as the advanced players.

The Brahmas training staff is terrific. Sparky Sorenson (Equipment Manager) is back after a stint in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils and Alan Reid returns as the team's athletic trainer. Reid is also on staff with North Hills Hospital, the Brahmas newest hospital partner.

Brad Bowerman will be back to anchor the team's game night entertainment and Naomi Deufriend will once again return to assist with game operations at ice level. Joe Gumm is expected to re-join the Brahmas family for Public Address duties as much as his schedule will allow. Gumm worked last season handling Dallas Stars pre and post game radio duties. Although Jeff Bowerman is very busy at Texas Women's University, he has helped the Brahmas get back in action with various assistance off the ice.

Many of the former off-ice officials will be returning. The Brahmas official scorers have a reputation as one of the finest in the Central Hockey League.

The Brahmas also now own a team bus. The sleeper bus is the first bus owned by the Brahmas in team history. Jay Little from the NYTEX Sports Centre will be working to insure a terrific travel experience for the players. Jay has also worked with his staff on the quality of the ice. With THREE ice compressors for two rinks, the NYTEX ice should be the best ice in the Central Hockey League. It has generated rave reviews in its first several months of operation.

This upcoming week, the Brahmas will feature the team's first "Making the Cut" program. More than twenty players will be trying out in order to qualify to become one of two players to guarantee themselves a spot on the Brahmas full training camp roster. Players are trying out from the DFW area but also will feature a former Division One college player and several former major junior players. Players are traveling from all over North America to attend this camp. It is a tribute to Dan Wildfong who brought this idea to the management group upon being hired as head coach and Director of Hockey Operations.

Coach Wildfong has impressed everyone this summer. He has actively been recruiting players day and night, working with various junior brahmas players during the week and on the weekends, and has worked closely with management on travel, immigration, contracts, the fan club, and even the fast approaching golf tournament sponsored by Coors and various other partners. Forbes MacPherson has also worked the phones to help secure players and to handle various administrative duties related to the club on the ice.

There is a new excitement level among the players. Speaking with Blair Manning (one of the Brahmas key players) he has been nothing short of enthusiastic regarding the team roster. David Cacciola should make a dramatic impact in goal and Robin Big Snake will obviously become a fan favorite. There just seems to be an overwhelming optimistic view regarding the Brahmas on-ice prognosis.

Off the ice, ticket sales and sponsorships remain brisk. A strong percentage of past ticket holders have re-upped with the team while many new season ticket holders have emerged. Many of these ticket holders have come from the HomeTown area of North Richland Hills which is actually walking distance to the NYTEX Sports Centre. The team's Corporate Care program will be re-instituted with tickets being available for non-profit organizations being made available by corporate support. And many new sponsors have joined forces with the organization.

Dr. Salvatore Trazzera, although based in New York, has kept tabs on the franchise and has made several trips to the facility over the summer. Sal has also been recently named to the CHL's Competition Committee and will be one of three league owners involved in this special group. Frank Trazzera is hands on and is actively involved with the renovation of the facility, the Junior Brahmas, the Tejas Volleyball center, concessions, and of course...the big Brahmas!

Stuart Fraser, of course, has maintained his ownership in the franchise as has Andy Moog. Stuart kept to his promise that he would do what he could to insure the Brahmas to be back on the ice in Tarrant County and close to our fans without leaving the area. Andy Moog has been busy with the Stars (and especially Marty Turco and Mike Smith) but has been in contact with Coach Wildfong regarding the Brahmas hockey operations.

Meagan McClurkan has done an outstanding job getting the Brahmas website back in order with new graphics and features and is working feverishly on a jazzy new game program for the start of the season. The Brahmas recently hired a new Director of Sales to focus on the ticket department, Scott Plourde. Fans may know Scott from yelling at him (he has been an official for many years in amateur hockey here in the DFW area). Stephen Ford continues to do a fantastic job in the ticket department while Amy Jackson has successfully worked with Frontgate Tickets on a brand new manifest to insure Brahmas tickets being made available (which of course, individual tickets are now on sale). Leann Cumbie is another new name in the ticket department working with new clients and customers. Sherri Ford (whose son Duke plays for the Junior Brahmas) has been doing a bang up job with some of our new and past existing corporate partners.

A couple of other side notes. Knute Anderson (one of the NYTEX local owners) has been greatly responsible for putting together one of the largest travel hockey programs in the state of Texas. The Junior Brahmas will boast ten travel teams this fall. Knute, who came over from the Dr Pepper Star Center, has also been instrumental in the adult and house league teams which have also been formed. Adult hockey teams at multi skill levels have already been formed and more are on the way.

Nicole MacNerland has recently been hired as the Director of Skating Programs at the facility. She heads up the figure skating and Learn to Skate programs at the Centre. She recently had worked in Bossier-Shreveport and in Chicago before joining the NYTEX facility.

Cheryl Booth is working behind the scenes in the administrative aspects of the facility and the team although she is "front and center" as she is directing many of the activities at the front desk and the lower level concession area.

There are two individuals, Mary Bradford and Doug Werner, who have taken active roles in the Brahmas new fan club. They have begun to work with Coach Wildfong and other fans to assist the Brahmas players and the Brahmas organization with a host of community activities.

On another front, the Brahmas will soon be meeting with staff from CHL TV. We hope to have selected games broadcast from the NYTEX Sports Centre. Virtually all of the teams in the league will be webcasting from their home arenas this season and the quality continues to improve. This will be a new company offering games at no charge to fans when previously there was a fee to view the games.

That's it for now. We will try and give more information to the fans this season and be as accessible as possible. Please let us know directly any suggestions or comments as we head towards the first puck dropping October 12th (pre-season vs. Mississippi-ECHL), October 19th--first game at Austin, and October 27th--home opener against those rivals from Bug land.