THE NATURE OF THE BEAST: INSIDE THE GTA’S HIDDEN HOCKEY GEM

BY: FOUAD SULEIMAN

 

Nestled in an industrial hotbed of several warehouses and factories near the border of Brampton and Mississauga lies one of the Golden Horseshoe’s best kept hockey secrets. The Brampton Beast was established as the ECHL’s only Canadian franchise after a merger with the now defunct Central Hockey League in 2013.

The Toronto area is undoubtedly the epicentre of the hockey universe. However as Beast play-by-play commentator Chris Ballard says, this can make the job of selling the team to the public a very tough task.  “We’re the only Canadian team in the ECHL, and as easy as it sounds to sell hockey in Canada, sometimes your work is cut out for you.”

The Beast are one of the lesser known cooks in the very crowded kitchen that is the GTA hockey market. Most of Toronto’s hockey conversation centres around the fortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Marlies prospects hoping to graduate to the big club, or the next generational talent born and raised in the city being primed for stardom.

 

 

The Beast play their home games at the Powerade Centre, which also doubles as a community athletic centre.

The Beast play their home games at the Powerade Centre, which also doubles as a community athletic centre.

Many of the teams members see Brampton however as its own unique market, while still being an offshoot of the hockey crazed Greater Toronto empire.

“It’s a small-town feel. How often do you get front row tickets to see the Leafs play? Here you can follow your team on a regular basis, not break your budget, and get to know these players” says Ballard.

A Beast game is a far more intimate hockey experience than many other of it’s more popular counterparts. Players from both teams can often be seen warming up in the same concourse in which fans are buying concession stacks and players are often available for autographs.

IMG_0302

Team members say work ethic and commitment are two of the key traits that shape the Beast’s identity.

Often little attention is left, however,for the semi-pro club. Ballard says that the ECHL product is one that rarely gets the respect it deserves.

“A lot of people are quick to dismiss the product but this is a high level of hockey being played here and I believe it’s a product that deserve to be pushed and to be recognized by the fans in the GTA.”

At last count, 576 former ECHL players have donned an NHL uniform, 74 of which are suiting up for NHL teams for the 2015-2016 season.

Among most notable of these graduates are two time Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, starting net-minder for the New York Islanders Jaroslav Halak, and Montreal Canadiens Centre David Desharnais.

 

The roster is a relatively young collection of players, the youngest of which are aged 21 while the elder statesman is 31 year old forward Bryan MacGregor. The team employs a number of NHL draft picks, while many others have played professionally in Europe.

The team also owns the ironic distinction of being an affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, who are farming and under the control of players in the enemy territory of their oldest nemesis. This is their first season in their relationship with Les Habitant as in their first season they were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning. After being approached by a number of teams including some Canadian franchises, general manager and president Cary Kaplan said the choice was a no brainer. “Montreal is the best franchise in the history of hockey by a mile. I grew up as a Leafs fan but no one would say the Leafs are better historically than Montreal.”

The game's five starters stand at attention for the anthems before a Saturday night game against the Manchester Monarchs

The game’s five starters stand at attention for the anthems before a Saturday night game against the Manchester Monarchs

The Beast operate on a tier system within the Canadiens’ organization. The next level to be called up to is the team’s AHL affiliate the St.John’s Ice Caps and from there to the big leagues. This system can create a somewhat complicated situation for the roster.

Much is made in sports rhetoric about the fragility of team chemistry. When trade talks swirl around the rumour mills of any pro sport, one of the first things pundits will talk about is the effects it will take on the “dressing room.” This dynamic is certainly amplified within the semi-pro ranks.

In the professional realm, there exists the sense of security brought upon by guaranteed contracts, no movement clauses and the surety of reaching the plateau league. While roster turnover still exists in the pro leagues, it’s nowhere near as turbulent as that of an ECHL team. The roster moves and injuries of the bigger clubs have a trickle down effect into the the third tier.

The most recent example was the loss of the Beast’s number one goaltender Eddie Pasquale to the Ice Caps. As a result of the injury to star goalie Carey Price,the Montreal Canadiens called up Mike Condon from the Ice Caps thus leaving the void to be filled by Pasquale.

Defenseman Matthew Maione says the team is always prepared to play with whomever enters the dressing room. “Left side right side, doesn’t matter if you’re a lefty or a righty, that’s just the way it is.”

Goalie Eddie Pasquale (far right) is currently playing for the St John's Ice Caps due to the injury of Montreal's Carey Price.

Goalie Eddie Pasquale (far right) is currently playing for the St John’s Ice Caps due to the injury of Montreal’s Carey Price.

He also celebrates successes of Pasquale and any other teammates who make the leap as he says that moving up is the goal for every Beast player. Kaplan, understanding this potentially complicated dynamic believes there must be a balance on the roster between young ambitious players with NHL upside and permanent Beast players.

“It’s a good mix. You have to have to some guys who are going to be Brampton Beast players and are going to be committed and maybe a couple years older. Then you have your guys who are a couple years younger who are going up and down to Montreal. It’s about finding that balance.”

Another interesting dynamic that the team and the league must face is the challenges of travelling. The term “road game” takes on a very literal meaning for minor leagues such as the ECHL and AHL as they must get to opposing team’s buildings by a sleeper bus.

This season travel has become far easier on players and coaches due to the leagues realignment, allowing the Beast to only play against teams in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. Maione, who played for the team during the 2014-2015 season says the new system is a very welcomed change as opposed to the gruelling alternative the previous season.

“Last season was extremely tough. We’ve had multiple road trips where we bussed to Allen, Texas, up to Missouri, then across to Wichita, so it was pretty tough that way. And our closest bus trip was 12 hours to Quad City (Moline, Illinois) and we played them like 15 times something crazy like that.”

Coach Colin Chaulk rallies the troops trailing by one goal in an early season matchup VS the Wheeling Nailers.

Coach Colin Chaulk rallies the troops trailing by one goal in an early season matchup VS the Wheeling Nailers.

Maione, praising the new arrangement also says, “it’s not like we had any excuse before but now there’s definitely no excuses.” Head Coach Colin Chaulk says plainly of the arrangement”if it’s something you don’t enjoy, you should find a new profession.”

While the Beast have the luxury of playing in a hockey crazed market, they also carry the burden of trying to capture a market already so bombarded with the game. Kaplan says the team’s main calling card is to be more involved and connected with the community than their competition. “With all due respect to all the major teams in Toronto, no one does more community events than we do.”

Every game on their home schedule is a promotional night featuring either a giveaway or featuring a local charitable initiative. These nights have ranged from “Free Hot Dog Night”, “Military Appreciation Night” and even “Diwali Night”, celebrating the Hindu festival of lights.

The charitable initiative "Stick it to Cancer, one of the Beast's community partners held a barbecue fundraiser outside the arena prior to a home game.

The charitable initiative “Stick it to Cancer, one of the Beast’s community partners held a barbecue fundraiser outside the arena prior to a home game.

The Beast have most recently partnered with Paramount Fine Foods to start the “Saves for Syria” campaign. During the December 6th home game against the Kalamazoo Wings, the Middle Eastern restaurant chain will pledge $100 for every save made by a Beast goaltender to supporting refugee families. Donations are also included in ticket packages for the game.

The Beast have also made ambitious steps to reach and relate to a very large portion of the Brampton population. This passed October, the team hosted the Team India ice hockey team to play a friendly exhibition game. The team, which plays in outdoor rinks near the foot of the Himalayas featured a short roster so to fill it out tryouts were held for Indian Canadian men to take the remaining spots. “A lot of people didn’t know India even had an ice hockey team” says Kaplan who also said that many of the games attendees had never been to a hockey game before.

While it may not be music to the ears of the hockey purist, Kaplan says that the game of hockey is merely a “backdrop” and that the Beast are mainly selling an entertainment product.

The Beast have also symbolically made the fans apart of the team. Much like the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL who dubbed their fans as the “12th man” on the field, the Beast have honoured their loyal followers as the “7th man” on the ice. The Beast, however, have taken this idea to the next level, retiring the number 7 from ever being worn by a Beast player and raising the number to the rafters. The number is never to be spoken by the public address announcer even if an opposing player dons the magic number,  and it is never to be written down on the official scoresheet.

The number 7 hangs from the rafters at the Powerade Centre to honour the teams's fans.

The number 7 hangs from the rafters at the Powerade Centre to honour the teams’s fans.

When it comes to the team’s formula for the future, Kaplan largely takes an all or nothing approach. “Our goal is never to make the playoffs, our goal is to win championships and sell out the building.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

12088107_10153355192988580_4758395452986073703_n (1)

By Fouad Suleiman

Music in videos by: bensound.com