Zydeco Name Brandon Billie Director of Hockey Operations

The Baton Rouge Zydeco have announced the hiring of Brandon Billie as the organization’s new Director of Hockey Operations, adding an experienced evaluator and operations executive to the club’s front office.

Billie joins the Zydeco after serving as Head Scout for the Columbus River Dragons of the Federal Prospects Hockey League, where he was responsible for player evaluation and talent identification at the professional level. His background also includes extensive leadership experience across junior and senior hockey, having held roles as a general manager, franchise owner, and head coach.

A former professional goaltender, Billie brings first-hand playing experience at multiple levels in North America and Europe, competing across the EOJHL, GMHL, FHL/FPHL structures, ECHL systems, and European leagues. His playing career provides a comprehensive understanding of player development pathways and positional evaluation.

During his time in scouting and hockey operations roles, Billie has played a direct role in identifying and advancing high-impact talent across multiple positions. Players evaluated and supported under his watch include FPHL award winners Ryan Hunter (Rookie of the Year), Jake Kelly (72-point season), and Stepan Timofeyev (Rookie of the Year and Forward of the Year, now in the ECHL), along with forwards Narek Aleksanyan (Baton Rouge), Kyle Heitzner (Blue Ridge), Steven Klink (Watertown), Joel Texmo (Columbus), Danny Martin (Blue Ridge), and Chris Hunt (Athens). On the back end, Billie has helped place defensemen Josh LaBelle (FPHL Champion, Watertown), Nathan Balkwill (Columbus), Michael Greco (Athens), Lucas Texmo (Columbus), Aaro Tuovinen (Monroe), Cam Bakker (now in the ECHL), and James Farmer (Carolina), while also aiding the development of goaltenders Travis Smith (Watertown) and Trevor Babin (Columbus) and Hugo Koch (Topeka).

As Director of Hockey Operations, Billie will oversee the Zydeco’s day-to-day hockey operations, including roster logistics, player administration, scouting coordination, and operational planning, working closely with the coaching staff and management to further the organization’s competitive goals.

“I've known Billie for over 15 years and he’s proven at every level from playing to coaching and especially recruiting bringing more then 3 rookies of to the FPHL, we are lucky to have him." Said team General Manager MJ Graham. 

The Zydeco continue to strengthen their organizational structure, with Billie’s hiring representing another step toward sustained on-ice success and long-term stability.