A lot has happened in the nine years since Craig Patrick brought the Austin Bruins to town as a new NAHL franchise, but he remains fixed on how he was inspired to bring the team to town.

Patrick discovered Riverside Arena when his son Garrett played a pee wee tournament in Austin as a youngster and he thought the town would be a great fit for junior team way back then.

Patrick was also inspired by his sister Jill Greig, who passed away from cancer in 2015.

“Jill wanted me to start the team and she was very supportive,” Patrick said. “She bought a jersey at our first Paint the Rink Pink night before she knew she was sick. She came back the next year very sick and bought another jersey. It was tough.”

Patrick acknowledges that he’s made some mistakes, but he’s learned from them and he wants the organization to continue to improve. He also wants the Robertson Cup Trophy.

“We really want to win a national championship,” he said. “We also continue to thank our sponsors and fans.”