BRAMPTON, ONTARIO – The Brampton Beast announced the resignation of Head Coach Mark DeSantis Friday morning.
DeSantis served as the Beast’s Head Coach and VP of Hockey Operations since the formation of the Brampton Beast franchise in March 2013. DeSantis was a vital part of the foundation and successes of the organization’s inaugural year.
“I would like to thank Mr. Gregg Rosen and his family, Mr. Cary Kaplan, the whole Brampton Beast organization and of course, the great fans for the opportunity to coach in Brampton.
At this time, I need to step away from my position for personal reasons. I wish the organization all the best in the upcoming season and years to come.”
The Brampton Beast finished sixth overall in the league this passed season. DeSantis brought the team to playoffs in the franchise’s first year of operation. He had a 33-26-7 record in 66 games coached with the Beast. His combined record as a head coach is 68-44-10 with 122 games coached.
“Today is Bittersweet. Being able to hire a Brampton native, who won as a coach and player at multiple levels, and had great character, was a dream come true. We wish him all the best and are strongly behind in him in whatever he chooses to do next. We are sure he will be successful,” said President and General Manager Cary Kaplan.
“Our choice for his replacement was not a difficult one. Mark brought in Brent Hughes to be his assistant in the first year and Brent’s qualifications are impeccable. Brent exemplifies the determination, character and commitment to success both on and off the ice that Gregg Rosen and I believe is essential to the Brampton Beast. Brent has built a great relationship with our core of players returning for the upcoming season and we are confident the Brent has the capacity and drive to lead the Beast towards our first CHL Championship and continuing to increase our loyal Beast fan base. We are proud to announce Brent Hughes as the Head Coach and VP of Hockey Operations effective immediately.”
Mark DeSantis is also pleased with the organization’s decision of promoting Hughes to head coach. “Brent has a great hockey mind and he will do a great job,” said DeSantis.
New Head Coach Brent Hughes was already a familiar face in the Brampton community previous to his career with the Beast. Hughes played with the Brampton Battalion in the 2001-2002 season.
“Mark DeSantis has been a mentor to me, not only as a coach but as a player too. He has taught me so much in the years we have known each other. Mark is a fantastic human being and I will definitely miss working with him. I’m excited for this up coming season. I want to Thank the Rosen family and Cary for this opportunity. To our fans, I want to say thank you for all their support in our first season and there will be more exciting things to come in year two,” said Hughes.
Hughes is actively searching for an assistant coach to join the Brampton Beast coaching staff for this upcoming season. Prior to the Beast, Hughes was former professional hockey player for nine years. He played four seasons in the Central Hockey League and won the President Cup Championship with the Colorado Eagles. He served as a Player Assistant Coach for one season with the Dundee Stars in he Elite Ice Hockey League and in the following season was announced as Player/Head Coach for the team. After retiring from hockey in 2012, he became Head Coach for the North York Rangers Midget AAA Club and Assistant Coach of the North York Rangers Jr. A Club. Hughes was selected as Head Coach for the GTHL’s Midget AAA All Star Classic in 2013.
About the Brampton Beast
The Brampton Beast was founded in January 2013 and is the first ever Canadian team to play in the Central Hockey League. The team is affiliated with the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning and AHL Syracuse Crunch. The Brampton Beast finished in sixth place and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in their inaugural year.