Brahmas Add 2 More To The Mix

Aug 4, 2014

The Texas Brahmas of the NA3HL are pleased to announce the signing of Brahmas 2014 draft picks Paolo DiGenova and Thomas Puetz for the upcoming season. These additions add a mixture of skill and grit to the lineup upfront for the Brahmas this year and should impact the team both on and off the ice. DiGenova (95), a 12th round draft pick , is a high skilled forward from Canada and is the Brahmas first of two allotted ‘Import Players’ allowed on the roster. He played 54 games last season for the Ontario Hockey Academy, notching 40 points, including 29 assists. “He was a late round draft pick and has exceeded expectations for us”, said Head Coach Al Rooney. “He participated in our organizations NAHL Main Camp in Detroit last week and it was great to see him first hand, not just on video. He had point-a-game production there in 4 games and handled the speed real well. He can be a very productive top-six forward for us this year, and expect that type of production from one of the Import slots.” Thomas Puetz (95), the Brahmas 9th round draft pick, is a gritty veteran forward out of Plainfield, Illinois who played 32 games of Jr hockey last season in the WSHL and NORPAC, scoring 4 points to go along with 139 pims. “Thomas first caught my eye at our Pre-Draft camp in Chicago when I first came on board with the organization”, said Rooney. “He plays a real honest north/south game, goes to the dirty areas of the ice with no fear and quite honestly, has a great attitude both on and off the ice that I think is a quality ingredient to add to any successful team. His attitude is infectious and he has a genuine love for the game that I think sometimes gets lost amongst Coaches when they recruit solely based on numbers and statistics. I see him as a top penalty killer as well as mentor for our younger guys in their first year of Junior hockey.”  The 2014 Draft is already paying dividends for the Brahmas thus far, and Rooney expects it to keep doing so moving forward. “Some Coaches don’t feel the Draft and/or Draft Picks at this level are a viable asset but I disagree. We had 14 picks this year and will sign at least half of those, if not more. And 2 that we won’t sign is only because they have made NAHL rosters.” Look for more signings and announcements about this season coming soon from the Brahmas.