BEAST AND NHL’S CANADIENS RENEW AFFILIATION FOR 2017-18 SEASON
Brampton Beast Media Release
BRAMPTON, ONTARIO – The Brampton Beast and the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens will continue to build upon their shared history of excellence into the upcoming season as the clubs are proud to announce they have renewed their affiliation agreement for another season, through the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
For the last two seasons, the Beast and the Canadiens have had an agreement in place that has seen the NHL club send players and prospects to the Beast, and in turn, the Beast coaching staff would assist in the development and growth of these young players.
Last season alone, the Beast benefited momentously from the addition of high-calibre talent and recorded the greatest season in franchise history. Brampton’s success can be attributed in large part to the impact from players designated to the Beast from the Canadiens and their AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps, including Yannick Veilleux, Zachary Fucale and Mathieu Gagnon.
Since the beginning of the relationship between the Beast and the Canadiens in the 2015-16 season, more than a dozen players have become beloved figures in the Brampton community and have created memories that will live on in Brampton’s rich hockey history.
This season, the Canadiens’ American Hockey League affiliate has relocated from St. John’s, Newfoundland and will debut as the Laval Rocket for the 2017-18 campaign. The established relationship from the past two seasons combined with the closer proximity between the Canadiens’ minor league affiliates will promote not only the growth and development of prospects in the Canadiens organization but will help breed a winning culture throughout all levels of the organization.
As the Beast enter their Fifth Anniversary season, Beast President and General Manager Cary Kaplan is proud to extend the club’s affiliation with the Canadiens and is excited to watch the growth of the Canadiens, Rocket and Beast continue into the 2017-18 hockey season.
“For the third year in a row, it’s a privilege for the Brampton Beast to be affiliated with the most storied hockey franchise in the world,” Kaplan said of the Canadiens. “Montreal has been an excellent partner and with the AHL team now in Laval, we fully anticipate that this relationship will continue to grow and prosper.”
Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin has seen the growth and improvement of players who have been assigned to the Beast over the course of the last two seasons and is looking forward to continuing the path of success into the upcoming campaign.
“We built a strong relationship with the Beast organization over the past few years and we feel it is an excellent organization for our young players to develop and also a great hockey market with passionate fans,” Bergevin said in a video message. “Thank you Colin Chaulk and the rest of the coaching staff for their excellent work. We look forward to the upcoming season with both our affiliations, the Brampton Beast and the Laval Rocket.”
The General Manager of the Beast’s new American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket, Larry Carriere has been instrumental in the partnership between the Beast and the Canadiens over the last two seasons and believes the Canadiens’ prospects are in good hands in Brampton.
“The Canadiens are very pleased to have the Brampton Beast as one of our affiliates,” Carriere said. “Colin Chaulk and the entire organization has done an excellent job in developing some of our young players who have played there.”
NOTES:
Canadiens/IceCaps affiliated players from the 2016-17 season: (8) Dalton Thrower, Yannick Veilleux, Zachary Fucale, Guillaume Asselin, Mathieu Gagnon, Connor Crisp, Josiah Didier, Jeremie Blain
Beast Players Who Signed PTO Contracts with IceCaps in 2016-17: (4) Tim Billingsley, Reggie Traccitto, Brandon MacLean, Bryan Pitton