NAHL’s Corpus Christi Ice Ray’s come to Byran / College Station

Aug 20, 2019

The Corpus  Christi Ice Rays of the NAHL opened training camp for the 2019-2020 season yesterday at the “Spirit Ice Arena”in Bryan / College Station TX.  Home of the NA3HL Texas RoadRunners.

The three week training camp will prepare the Ice Rays for the upcoming season.  Head Coach Al Rooney and his staff got to work early this week and there were plenty of hardworking high skilled players that took the ice for the Rays.  “It seems that players have brought their “A” games this week to try and hold onto roster spots for this season with the squad.”

RoadRunners head coach Mike Beavis was on hand at the arena setting up for his teams upcoming training camp and looking on as the Ray’s skated this morning.  “It’s great having Al and his team here in our rink.  It should give us a bit of time to talk about relationships and helping each other going forward.”  States RoadRunners  coach Mike Beavis.  Beavis went onto say that building relationships between the NA3HL and the NAHL is key to the development and progression of players.

The executive committees of both leagues have worked to establish these opportunities.  One of the programs that was developed last season was “Practice and Play in the NAHL” Where NA3HL players are able to receive call up opportunities to practice with an NAHL club during the season with hopes of possibly getting into a game or two and in cases, sticking with the club for the balance of the season.

Beavis feels that the more opportunities available for players to get the chance to progress the better so the best way to establish that is to form as many relationships at the NAHL level as possible.  “Todd Watson (Odessa Jackalopes) has been great this summer and we have formed a solid foundation needed to create something very special for guys coming to Texas.  It’s a process for this to flourish but we have both made the decision to see where we can take it.” Beavis and Watson have already begun to help each other and that could begin to bare fruit at training camp in Odessa starting a next Sunday.  At the same time Beavis is trying to establish other healthy relationships as well.  “With the Ice Rays in our building for the next couple weeks and possibly at a few other times this season, it makes sense to try and work together with a few things.  Al is a very good coach and will create a great program in Corpus and we would also like to be a part of that process as well.”  added Beavis

The RoadRunners will begin their training camp on Tuesday September 3rd at the “Spirit Ice Arena” in preparation for the 2019-2020 season.