Beast Acquire Blain Brother Jeremie
Brampton Beast Media Release
BRAMPTON, ON – The Brampton Beast, ECHL affiliate of the St. John’s IceCaps and the Montreal Canadiens, is proud to announce the acquisition of former Edmonton Oilers draft pick, defenseman Jeremie Blain.
The brother of current Beast forward Luc-Olivier Blain, the 23-year-old Longueuil, Quebec native was acquired on loan from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves on Tuesday.
Considered a solid two-way defender with offensive upside, Blain has significant experience at both the AHL and ECHL level and was highly-regarded for his capability to play the game at an elevated level on both sides of the puck.
Blain will be a great fit with the Beast as he is already familiar with his brother Luc-Olivier as well as Beast Head Coach Colin Chaulk, who spent two seasons as Kalamazoo’s Assistant Coach while Blain was under contract with the Wings.
Chaulk believes that Blain is exactly the kind of player that the Beast need to help them contend in the ECHL’s tough Eastern Conference.
“Jeremie is a player that can play in any situation on the ice, from killing a penalty to quarterbacking a 5-on-3 power play,” Chaulk said.
“Most importantly, the way he lives his life and the choices he makes when it comes to training, health and the way he treats people, that’s the exact kind of person that the Beast is looking for.”
Blain played four years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League split between the Victoriaville Tigres and Acadie-Bathurst Titan, where he amassed 16 goals and 116 assists in 211 games played between 2008-09 and 2011-12.
The 91st overall pick in the 2010 NHL entry Draft, Blain started his professional career in the 2012-13 season and split time between the AHL’s Chicago Wolves (25GP, 0G, 4A) and the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads (47GP, 7G, 24A).
Over the last two seasons, he split time with both the AHL’s Utica Comets and the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings.
Between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, Blain played in 20 games with the Comets and recorded four assists and eight penalty minutes. He blossomed into a great two-way defenseman in Kalamazoo and suited up for 66 games, netting eight goals and chipping in with 36 assists.
The Brampton Beast start the 2015-16 season on the road but that doesn’t mean you have to miss the team’s Season Opener. The Beast are hosting a Watch Party at the Powerade Centre on Friday, October 16 starting at 6:30pm. Later in the week, head back to the Powerade Centre for Fan Fest, taking place on Sunday, October 18. Get your free tickets at BramptonBeast.com.
