The Lloydminster Bobcats have announced several additions in recent days.
Firstly, ’97 born player, Chaseton Braid, will be returning to the border city. The organization recently completed a trade with the Bonnyville Pontiacs for Braid in exchange for future considerations.
“Braid will add a lot of experience for us up-front and we are expecting big things from him,” says new Head Coach and GM, Travis Clayton.
Braid is native to Chauvin, Alberta, but certainly no stranger to Lloydminster, having played for the Bantam AAA Heat, Minor Midget AAA Rage, and Midget AAA Bobcats. The forward spent the entire 2014-15 season with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL, and was then traded to the Kamloops Blazers at the start of last season.
He eventually ended up in Bonnyville to finish the season last year with the Pontiacs. While in Bonnyville, Braid earned 2 goals and 5 assists in his 31 games.
Additionally, the team has added to the team behind the bench. Local Taylor Holt is joining the organization’s staff, taking the role of Assistant Coach and Assistant GM.
“I’m really excited to join the Bobcats franchise full time. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to get to coach again and am eager to be behind the bench, and continue to learn from Travis,” says Holt.
Holt has coached alongside Clayton for the past 3 years, helping guide the Lloydminster Midget AAA Bandit Pipeline Bobcats to their Provincial and Regional titles at the AAA level, both in Bantam and Midget divisions.
“Taylor has a great hockey mind and excellent degree of knowledge that will immediately benefit this franchise. He also possesses a proven ability to develop young talent at a high level,” says Clayton.
His extensive resume includes the tremendous last season coaching the Midget AAA Bandit Pipeline Bobcats, with Clayton, who made it to the semifinals at the Telus Cup national tournament in New Brunswick this past April.
Native to Regina, Holt moved to the border city in 2007, to play in the North Eastern Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Lloydminster Bandits. He spent a full season in Lloyd, then joined the Vermilion Tigers, where he played for three years. After his four seasons in the NEAJBHL, Holt was asked to remain with the Tigers as an assistant coach, following which he was offered the position as the team’s Head Coach the season after.
In 2012-13, Holt returned to Lloydminster where he joined Clayton behind the bench of the Lloydminster Bantam Heat. Holt will be joining Clayton and Kris Wiebe to round out the 2016-17 Lloydminster Bobcats coaching staff.