Brière Eager to Pick Up Where He Left Off

Jul 6, 2018

Carson Brière was born to be a hockey player.

Following in the footsteps of his NHL father, Danny, Brière arrived in Johnstown in late October after a brief stint with the rival Philadelphia Rebels.

It was the beginning of a special season for Brière, who said he had to earn his role with the Tomahawks and find that chemistry with his new teammates.

“I had to earn my role to start,” he said. “This season I want to be a constant presence on the ice and contribute. Coach Mike had trust in me to put me in different situations on the ice. As I went along during the season, I started getting comfortable with my teammates and that made the adjustment a lot easier.”

Brière found his groove as the season went along. He found chemistry with Joey Baez and Christian Gorscak, forming the “Young Guns” line.

The Haddonfield, N.J. native collected 10 goals and 12 assists in 39 games played for the Tomahawks in 2017-18. Over the course of the season, his efforts to contribute on the ice garnered him the Most Improved award as voted by the fans.

With last season in the rearview mirror, Brière focused on training in the offseason to prepare for Main Camp.

“I wanted to be a little stronger this season,” Brière said. “I did a lot of cardio and tried to shave of some weight to be a little faster. So far, the competition at camp has been very good. There’s a good pace to the games.”

As a member of the visiting team, Brière knew how passionate the Johnstown fans were but in his words, he said playing in Johnstown is a “great experience.”

“There is no other feeling than scoring a goal in front of the fans at the War Memorial,” Brière said. “It’s an awesome experience.”