Ottawa Senators Announce Brampton Beast as ECHL Affiliate
The Beast were split affiliates between Ottawa and Montreal last season.
While the word has been out for a few weeks, today it’s been made official that the Brampton Beast will serve as the Ottawa Senators’ ECHL affiliate for the 2018-19 season.
News Release: The #Sens have announced an affiliation agreement with the ECHL's @BramptonBeast: https://t.co/EbMaR2ujOx
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) September 25, 2018
The Beast are next in line from a long list of previous ECHL affiliations with Ottawa, becoming the fourth team since 2013 (Elmira, Evansville and Wichita are the others). Hopefully the Beast are here to stay, as the proximity to Belleville should make things simpler for prospects moving between teams.
Last season the Beast were split between Montreal and Ottawa, with Sens prospects such as Marcus Hogberg, Macoy Erkamps and (former prospect) Cody Donaghey all spending time there. In their four years in the ECHL, the Beast have yet to win a playoff series, making the post-season once in 2017. Last season didn’t turn out as hoped, finishing last in the North Division with a record of 28-34-10.
With the Belleville Senators roster jam packed with players, the Beast should serve as a good outlet to ensure players are receiving ice time. Last season proved to be difficult for Marcus Hogberg, for example, who despite being sent down to the ECHL, had to battle Habs prospects Zach Fucale and Michael McNiven for starts. The Sens should no longer have this issue, with full control over who’s playing where.
If you plan on following the Beast this season, two players to watch for are goalie Leo Lazarev and forward Artur Tyanulin, who you may remember as heading the Ottawa 67’s rosters between 2014 and 2017.
Brandon Marino, last year’s leading scorer, will also be returning as the Beast’s captain. The team is coached by Colin Chaulk who’s been with the organization since 2015. If you’re interested in reading an in-depth piece about the Brampton Beast and life in the ECHL, the Athletic ran a feature on them earlier this year (paywall). Peter Levi also has a breakdown of the current roster here.
