Trio of Texans Sign With The Brahmas

Jul 3, 2015

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TX – The Texas Brahmas are excited to announce the signing of three players that all call Texas home and played their Midget hockey in the Dallas Metroplex last season. Forwards Garrett Culps (96), Kyle Torgerson (96) and Defenseman Niklas McCallum (96) will all don the Brahmas purple and black next season and Head Coach Al Rooney couldn’t be more pleased with the latest signings. All three players played in the DSTHL U18AA League last season and faced one another throughout the year, now after battling out all of last season, it’s their chance to play with one another and help the Brahmas in their quest to finish atop the NA3HL South Division.

“I love what these additions bring to our team, because all three add an element to our team in their own way”, said Rooney. “Garrett and Kyle bring some nice grit and hustle up front with a healthy mix of skill to go along with their game. And Nik plays a simple game and has outstanding size to bring to our backline to start the building process for our Defense corp.”

Culps (5’7”,165) played for the U18 Brahmas team last season, leading the team with 9 goals in the regular season, so he is already familiar with his surroundings and what to expect this coming season. “Garrett practiced with us some last season and quite frankly, he could have played for us last season, but it was probably great for him to gain the experience of being a go-to guy at that level to continue to develop”, added Rooney. Culps finished the season with 19 points in 20 games, so he can be effective at both ends of the ice. “I anticipate that he will be a top PK guy for us this year and as he adjusts to the step up in play he can bring offense as well. He’s not afraid to go to the net, so he will get some gritty type goals for us this year I’m sure.”

Torgerson (5’11”,160) saw plenty of Culps last season as he played for the Allen Americans, scoring 18 goals in 18 games. He totaled 29 points on the season, so he brings a little more offensive flair to the lineup but will also be making the jump to junior hockey where things are a bit tighter. “Kyle has speed and a good shot to go along with it, but he’s not just a pure offensive player’, said Rooney. “He mixes it up along the boards, goes to the dirty areas of the ice, and is a fairly well rounded player so that’s what I think will help him stay in the lineup as he makes the jump to Juniors this season. He’ll have to earn it a bit more this season but I think he will do just that.”

McCallum (6’5”,180), from San Angelo, TX  is the first defenseman signed by the Brahmas for the coming season, and it’s obviously a big signing for multiple reasons. He played for HC Dallas last year and is a sizable addition to the blue line. He’s expected to see time in a shut down type role for the Brahmas this year. “Nik was at our Open Camp Tryout and what most impressed me was how simple a game he plays”, said Rooney. “He doesn’t try to be anything he’s not. He plays simple, effective high percentage hockey in all 3 zones and that fits right in with our model defensively.” McCallum also brought some scoring to his team last year as he finished 3rd on the team in scoring with 7 goals and 12 points in 18 games, all from the blue line. “I think there will be a time where Nik can probably give us some additional offense from the back line, but especially early on, we need him to just be a shut down guy and the offense will tend to take care of itself. He certainly has a good shot, but his first pass from our own zone is where I think he will be most effective in helping us create offense.”

With these three players now on board, it brings the Brahmas signings to 8 players  for the coming season. It’s certainly been a busy off season for GM/Head Coach Al Rooney, but he is real pleased with how the roster is taking shape. He expects to add several more players prior to the Brahmas NAHL Main Camp and then will be in attendance there when it’s held in Detroit from July 23rd to the 26th. Training Camp will kick off in Mid-August as Brahmas prepare for the NA3HLseason in their quest for the Silver Cup Championship.