Corey Bellamy; All in the family

SOUTHAVEN, MS – Corey Bellamy certainly knows a thing or two about family tradition.

Bellamy signed with the Mississippi RiverKings this season after two previous years with Huntsville Havoc and the ECHL Elmira Jackals. An aggressive enforcer forward, his 302 penalty minutes with the Havoc in 2014-2015 were the most in the SPHL and made him a fan favorite.

“I’m at almost 100 pro fights,” Bellamy recently told a fan on Facebook who said they didn’t like to see his on-ice altercations. “You’ve got to get used to it.”

Corey has not one, but two hockey playing siblings. His older brother Rob Bellamy was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2004 NHL entry draft and played 3 years for the AHL affiliate Phantoms. A singer and songwriter who is now pursuing a career in Nashville, Rob spent most of the last 4 years with the Elmira Jackals where he spent some time playing alongside Corey.

“Playing in the ECHL with my brother has been the highlight of my career thus far,” said Corey. “There is no feeling in the world like being able to lace up skates next to the person that you looked up to your whole life and wanted to be like. Rob and I also got to live together while playing in Elmira, which really strengthened the bond between us.”

Enter Kacey Bellamy, the hockey playing sister with some of the most impressive stats. Silver Medalist in both Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014), she has been a member of Team USA since 2008, winning gold twice in the IIHF World Women’s Championships and being named one of the top 3 players for 2009.

Sister Lindsey is involved as well. “She has always supported us,” Bellamy said. “Making us laugh non stop with her bright personality, or singing the National Anthem countless times at packed hockey rinks. Lindsey and my parents have been our number one support system since day one. She has a heart of gold and loves helping other people.”

Corey is optimistic about a championship with Mississippi after a brutal last season with a Havoc team that saw 38 losses, many of which were by only one point.

“We have a very fast team that can make plays, Bellamy told Pro Hockey News. “Every day that we practice and play together we are improving on communicating, being more physical, and getting more pucks to the net. It is also nice to be on a team this year where one guy is not expected to protect the whole team. Everyone protects each other and has each others’ backs, and guys play with more confidence and physicality.”

Bellamy is hopeful that his style of physical play and speed will translate well to the RiverKings style of game. “The goal this year is to win a championship, and I will do anything and everything for the team and the fans to do so.”

Visit Rob Bellamy’s music website: http://www.reverbnation.com/robbellamy