Brooks Bandits win National Junior A Championship

[CF84]

I didn't know where to put this, but I just wanted to say how proud I am of the Brooks Bandits.

They had a record regular season of 53-4-3, a 33 game win streak, and a 5-0 2019 National Junior A Championship Cup run. It's been amazing to watch them win the 2013 RBC and 2019 National Championship Cups out of 133 teams!

The Flames have always been my favorite team, but it's great to also have an amazing junior team to cheer on.

I hope this is okay for a first thread

[btimbit]

That was a fun tournament. I try and catch most Bandits playoff games and this was a blast.

Also, it's not called the RBC cup anymore

[CF84]

Originally Posted by btimbit

That was a fun tournament. I try and catch most Bandits playoff games and this was a blast.

Also, it's not called the RBC cup anymore

Thanks for the correction I thought that maybe the cup had it's own name, separate from the tournament name.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by CF84

Thanks for the correction I thought that maybe the cup had it's own name, separate from the tournament name.

I only corrected you because I just found out yesterday haha

[Cecil Terwilliger]

It’s ok I still call it the Centennial Cup.

[Roof-Daddy]

They must do a great job of recruiting players. They've won 5 of the last 8 AJHL championships and been to the final 6 times. I noticed Spruce Grove were the champs in all 3 of the years Brooks didnt win and have also been a finalist 6 times out of 8 years.

Also it seems they recruit kids from down east quite often as well, sometimes just for a year or two. Is that how junior A teams build their rosters? He who recruits best wins the most? As opposed to major junior where they build thru the bantam draft mostly.

[jayswin]

Wasn't there some articel recently on how a lot of US players specifically come to Brooks because of their hockey program?

[jayswin]

Here it is. Can't embed, but it's about Brooks becoming a pipeline for NCAA players.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5286655/b...y-ncaa-talent/

[jayswin]

The normally quiet community is known for agriculture, oil and gas and food processing.
So why are teenage athletes from across North America lining up to move there? You can find the answer at the Centennial Regional Arena.

About three years into Papaioannou’s tenure, more and more NCAA teams started snapping up Brooks alumni.
“Coach Paps,” as he’s known, and assistant coach Scott Cunningham, have taken several trips to New England schools to forge new contacts.
In the years since, Brooks has cemented its status as a pipeline to American University Hockey.
“I was really interested in going the NCAA route over the WHL,” said University of Wisconsin prospect Corson Ceulemans. “Brooks has a great history, so I knew they’d be good and help develop me.”
With alumni like Cale Makar making a splash in the NHL, that reputation is only growing.

More here

[DoubleK]

Too bad their coach is an absolute psychopath.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Too bad their coach is an absolute psychopath.

Details?

[CF84]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Too bad their coach is an absolute psychopath.

You shouldn't just make a fly by comment like that without any substance at all.

Do you know him or know someone who knows him personally? Do you cheer for an opposing team? Did you or do you play in the AJHL? Did he kick your dog? This sounds like it might be coming from someone who may just be bitter, but I don't know that.

You leave far too many questions unanswered lol

[DoubleK]

He was suspended for 15 games after his actions at the RBC a couple years ago. Google it.

There's a reason he's still in the AJ and hasn't moved on.

[CF84]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

He was suspended for 15 games after his actions at the RBC a couple years ago. Google it.

There's a reason he's still in the AJ and hasn't moved on.

I know he was suspended for 15 games, but how does that make him a psycopath? He was frustrated by a disallowed goal and the Bandits played the third period angry. That's not the best way to win a game, but I hardly think psyco when a coach doesn't manage his team properly. Maybe I'm not remembering something that happened, but I do remember how frustrated the whole town was with some terrible reffing.

Please elaborate if I'm missing something.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by CF84

I know he was suspended for 15 games, but how does that make him a psycopath? He was frustrated by a disallowed goal and the Bandits played the third period angry. That's not the best way to win a game, but I hardly think psyco when a coach doesn't manage his team properly. Maybe I'm not remembering something that happened, but I do remember how frustrated the whole town was with some terrible reffing.

Please elaborate if I'm missing something.

He had a ongoing feud with the BCHL commissioner (John Grisdale) at that time this all happened.

That disallowed goal happened to come against a BCHL team as well.

That 15 game suspension was going to be rescinded until Grisdale had it his way. Absolute psychopath is a stretch.

[btimbit]

I have quite a few friends and family in Brooks. Lots are season ticket holders, a few are billet families, and one is even on the board of directors. I've never heard anything negative about their coach other than in this thread

[Northendzone]

To me it would be nice if they had a higher Alberta content on thier roster, but that being said, very impressive season, capped with a championship.

In addition it seems that some of thier players are are getting opportunities to play in the us college system

As for the comment above on the coach. Who drops that and the does not expand on it?

[Derek Sutton]

Well the results speak,for themselves and as long as they're winning, there is no reason to change what they're doing. Now the coach/ GM has not endeared himself to many of the other coaches in the league and most of the GM's do not deal/ trade with Brooks. This leads to recruiting.... They are one of the only teams in Alberta that consistently trades kids to MB, ON or further. Many kids are hesitant to sign with Brooks as they don't have a history of bringing in 16/ 17 years olds, develop them for 3 or 4 years and send them off to University. They often trade their young players away (usually a great distance away) for veterans to load up for the playoff run, they will then completely retool in the off season. They're the only team in the langue who operates this way. They also recruit very heavily out of the US and bring in older players for only one or two seasons before the players have to move on.

They do get a lot of players committed to NCAA schools (which is much easier for American kids) and they also bring in kids who are already committed. They have some great connections for recruiting and for advancing their players. The team also has money and they aren't afraid to let the GM spend it. Whether it be for recruiting trips or used to lure WHL veterans to the team, they are certainly one of the top 2 wealthiest teams in the league. I grew up in the area and there's a different type of arrogance (little man sydrome on steroids/ spoiled, entitled rich kids) that the "who's who" of Brooks carry themselves with and the coach fits right in that way.

You'd think they should be the model franchise for the league but that is not the case, they are in many ways the outcast. As I said at the start though, the results show that Brooks is consistently at the top of the AJHL and one of the top,teams in Canada. Their method is not what the other teams in the league follow, their financial situation gives them a huge leg up and nobody, be it the coach, the BOD, the residents of the area or the players give a F...

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

He was suspended for 15 games after his actions at the RBC a couple years ago. Google it.

There's a reason he's still in the AJ and hasn't moved on.

I'm not sure what the next step for him would be. I can't see him going to the CHL as most likely it would not be in a dual role and what makes him so good as a coach is the players he himself can sign, trade, recruit etc... The guy is a total control freak and he gets to pull all the strings in Brooks he is also paid quite well. My buddy who use to sit on the BOD for the team says he's had chances to coach Div 1 but has turned them down because right now and as long as they're winning he answers to no one and he likes it that way.

[Deegee]

Pretty incredible run for Brooks, but there is quite a bit of financial disparity in the AJ.