Swift Current Outlaws
From Good Hockey Wiki
| Swift Current Outlaws | |
 | |
| Tier Level | [[Tier 1]] |
| League Number | 1 |
| Date Founded | August, 2006 |
| Season Founded | Season 6 |
| City | Swift Current, SK |
| Home Arena | Outlaw Garden |
| Colours | Green, Yellow |
| General Manager |  Nikita Chrustjov
|
| Head Coach | Mstislav Danilov
|
| Captain | Isidor Gromov
|
| Play-off Wins | Seasons 7, 9, 13 |
| Play-off Finalists | Season 7, 9, 13 |
The Outlaws are a professional hockey team based out of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada. They are members of Tier 1 of the GHL.
Contents |
[edit] Franchise History
The Outlaws steamrolled the opposition in their first full GHL season and promoted to tier 3 after registering a 35-2-1 regular season record and a stunning 6-1-0 playoff run.
In the off-season Chrustjov signed free agent forwards Ariel Laumeyer, Loyd Wattles and Joacim Burdge. The trio would carry the team to two consecutive 1st place finnishes in league 53, a league championship and promotion to tier 2, after a spirited playoff final series against arch enemies Koala Infestation. Game 1 of the series became historic as it was decided in quadruple OT. Ariel Laumeyer, who scored the game winner on a breakaway, was named Playoff MVP.
The team spent four seasons in league 16, tier 2. After a tough struggle to stay in the league in their first season, the Outlaws later became a top team with the addition of goal scoring wingers Rico Aharonof and Swift Current-native Shane Slyton, goalie Granville Shindle and stud defenceman Isidor Gromov. In season 13 Chrustjov traded for PP specialist Bradly Swindler (who scored the 1000th goal in franchise history), and signed famous defender Hung Maddaloni plus another PP specialist in Daren Duman. These moves put the team over the top, and they entered the season 13 playoffs as the #1 seed.
In a tight first round matchup against rivals The Great White North Hosers Isidor Gromov delivered a nasty hit on GWNH superstar and league 16 scoring leader Zakarias Deyarmin, who left the game and the series on a stretcher. The hit, which was condemned by the entire GHL community, only rendered a 2 minute minor and the Outlaws could go on to win the series. The Outlaws swept McLaren in the second round and defeated Team of Svipdag 2-1 in the finals, a series mostly remembered for sloppy defensive play and questionable goaltending.
GM Chrustjov and the Outlaws had finally reached their goal, promotion to tier 1. It remains to be seen whether the team can establish itself in the top league, or if a return to tier 2 is a more likely scenario.
[edit] Captaincy
Season 6-7: Truman Brissette
Season 8: Jayson Orobona
Season 9-17: Loyd Wattles
Season 18-: Isidor Gromov
[edit] Head Coaches
Season 6-14: Abram Skeen
Season 15-: Mstislav Danilov
[edit] Retired Numbers
#86
Worn by legendary defenseman Syvatoslav Fomin. Syvatoslav was a veteran leader on the young Outlaws team that won the league 877 playoffs in season 7. Before the start of season 8 he was traded, and two seasons later he was kicked out of the GHL for having repeatedly abused officials. A few years later he died in a tractor accident on his parents' farm outside of Krasnoyarsk in Siberia.
[edit] Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | League | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs | |
| Season 6 | 877:4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 18th | Missed the playoffs | |
| Season 7 | 877:4 | 38 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 71 | 187 | 45 | 1st | Champions, (2-1 vs. SlapShock) | |
| Season 8 | 53:3 | 38 | 27 | 9 | 2 | 56 | 118 | 80 | 1st | Lost in Semifinals, 1-2 (Suicides) | |
| Season 9 | 53:3 | 38 | 33 | 5 | 0 | 66 | 145 | 55 | 1st | Champions, (2-0 vs Koala Infestation) | |
| Season 10 | 16:2 | 38 | 21 | 15 | 2 | 44 | 106 | 75 | 9th | Missed the playoffs | |
| Season 11 | 16:2 | 38 | 24 | 9 | 5 | 53 | 137 | 78 | 7th | Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-2 (PSU Icers) | |
| Season 12 | 16:2 | 38 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 59 | 184 | 67 | 2nd | Lost in Semifinals, 1-2 (I Am Jacks Hockey Team) | |
| Season 13 | 16:2 | 38 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 68 | 186 | 47 | 1st | Champions, (2-1 vs Team of Svipdag) | |
| Season 14 | 1 | 38 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 52 | 121 | 70 | 6th | Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-2 (Kentucky Thoroughblades) | |
| Season 15 | 1 | 38 | 20 | 16 | 2 | 42 | 118 | 94 | 9th | Missed the playoffs | |
| Season 16 | 1 | 38 | 24 | 13 | 1 | 49 | 137 | 75 | 7th | Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-2 (Simon Gagne for Cy Young) | |
| Season 17 | 1 | 38 | 23 | 12 | 3 | 49 | 102 | 75 | 7th | Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-2 (The Slapping Studs) | |
| Totals(including playoffs) | 460 | 320 | 117 | 23 | 1678 | 877 |
[edit] Record book
Seasons 6-16. Playoffs included in all-time records, not included in one season records.
* indicates player no longer on the team
| Category | All-time leaders | Record (games played) | One season leaders | Record | Season |
| Points | Ariel Laumeyer | 490 points (348 gp) | Loyd Wattles | 81 | 13 |
| Goals | Loyd Wattles | 198 goals (293 gp) | Rico Aharonof* | 46 | 12 |
| Assists | Ariel Laumeyer | 311 assists (348 gp) | Dick Culkin* | 52 | 7 |
| Games played | Octavio Bliler | 404 games played | - | - | - |
| Penalty minutes | Erick Pospicil | 368 PIM (305 gp) | Isidor Gromov | 62 | 14,15 |
[edit] Current Roster
| # | Age | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth | OA rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 
| Felipe Stellfox | 27 | R | Season 13 | Fraser Lake, British Columbia | 96 |
| 84 |
| Granville Shindle | 34 | R | Season 11 | Waterdown, Ontario | 95 |
| Defensemen | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Age | Hand | Acquired | Place of Birth | OA rating | ||
| 17 | 
| Erick Pospicil 
| 32 | R | Season 9 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 90 |
| 19 |
| Rashad Kaak | 20 | R | Season 17 | West Arichat, Nova Scotia | 72 |
| 21 |
| Claud Ascol
| 34 | R | Season 13 | Pembroke, New Brunswick | 109 |
| 26 |
| Miles Corley
| 35 | R | Season 17 | Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec | 82 |
| 32 |
| Isidor Gromov C
| 33 | R | Season 10 | Grozny, Chechnya | 96 |
| 34 |
| Minh Wickert | 20 | R | Season 18 | Niverville, Manitoba | 70 |
| 75 | 
| Miika Hibley 
| 30 | L | Season 14 | Kurikka, Finland | 105 |
| 85 |
| Collin Joos | 30 | R | Season 8 | Klamath Falls, Oregon | 81 |
| 98 |
| Octavio Bliler | 30 | L | Season 7 | Neguac, New Brunswick | 88 |
| Forwards | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Position | Age | Hand | Acquired | Place of Birth | OA rating | ||
| 9 |
| Ariel Laumeyer A
| C | 33 | L | Season 8 | Huntington, West Virginia | 113 |
| 16 |
| Octavio Durante
| LW | 26 | R | Season 13 | Argentia, Newfoundland | 87 |
| 33 | 
| Ali Drehmer | LW | 31 | R | Season 7 | Vetlanda, Sweden | 102 |
| 39 |
| Rico Mart | RW | 35 | R | Season 6 | Alamagorda, New Mexico | 91 |
| 46 |
| Bryon Silagy 
| LW | 31 | L | Season 18 | Cape Dorset, Nunavut | 98 |
| 48 |
| Donovan Lim 
| RW | 24 | R | Season 17 | South Bend, Indiana | 94 |
| 54 |
| Quinn Zumot
| C/RW | 30 | R | Season 11 | Knowlton, Quebec | 98 |
| 65 |
| Bradly Swindler
| RW | 32 | L | Season 13 | Tupelo, Mississippi | 101 |
| 67 | 
| Krejci Lelonek
| C | 24 | L | Season 15 | Poprad, Slovakia | 86 |
| 71 |
| Jerrell Brancazio
| RW | 24 | L | Season 18 | Vernon, British Columbia | 87 |
| 76 |
| Reynaldo Jump | RW/LW | 21 | L | Season 17 | Wiarton, Ontario | 83 |
| 81 |
| Daren Duman
| C | 33 | R | Season 13 | Bridgeport, Connecticut | 110 |
| 91 |
| Mario Novitske
| C | 31 | L | Season 8 | Port Stanley, Ontario | 97 |
| 97 |
| Shane Slyton A
| RW | 33 | R | Season 10 | Swift Current, Saskatchewan | 111 |
| Staff | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Position | Age | Hand | Acquired | Place of Birth | OA rating | ||
|
| Nikita Chrustjov | GM | 115 | Season 6 | Kalinovka, Russia | |||
|
| Mstislav Danilov | Head Coach | 52 | Season 15 | Samara, Russia | 98 | ||
| 87 |
| Vasiliy Nazarov
| Assistant Coach | 49 | L | Season 9 | Kazan, Russia | 43 |
[edit] Recent news
#77 DECIDES TO HANG THEM UP June 2009
Outlaws captain Loyd Wattles will not return for season 18. After 10 seasons with the team, serving as captain for 9 of them, the 36 year old veteran center has decided not to renew his contract. "I'm getting up there in age, I'm gonna have to start thinking about a life after hockey", he comments. He is expected to officially announce his retirement later this month. Outlaws GM Nikita Chrustjov, possibly looking a little choked up at the press conference: "Loyd Wattles has been the heart and soul of this franchise for a long, long time and it's sad to se him leave. He will be remembered forever."
Loyd Wattles is a native of Howick, Quebec and was a late bloomer. He was never drafted and only played in pond hockey tournaments for several years, before being signed to a four year contract by the Outlaws at age 26. In his rookie season in league 53 he scored 44 points in 37 games. The next season he was named captain and the rest is history. In his 324 games with the Outlaws, Wattles scored 209 goals and added 232 assists for a total of 441 points. He scored 40 game winning goals and was a +111 over the course of his career.
[edit] News archive
March 2009
The season ended in a disappointing loss to Simon Gagne for Cy Young in the first round of the playoffs, but GM Nikita Chrustjov has already started to make moves in order to prepare his club for the next season.
In the draft the Outlaws picked 19 year old winger Reynaldo Jump. "Surprised this kid was still available", Chustjov comments, "obviously he's 3-4 seasons away from being GHL ready but a couple of years in our gym should help his development, don't you think?".
A few days later Chrustjov signed free agent sniper Donovan Lim to a four year contract. A skilled 22-year-old out of South Bend, Indiana who is believed to have future star potential. "This is the first time in years that we have been able to get a young player with this kind of upside under contract. I'm excited about this kid, but I hope he is ready for a decade of grinding on our fourth line before he gets decent linemates and ice time," Chrustjov smirks.
The Outlaws also signed low end defensive prospect Rashad Kaak to a very cheap contract. Rumour has it that Chrustjov is searching the market for a stay at home defenseman to replace Kapiton Karpov's minutes and that he also has been involved in negotiations regarding a young Finnish powerplay specialist.
March 2009
Scoring winger Rico Aharonof, defenseman Kapiton Karpov and tough guy Scott Dugay have not been offered new contracts and will hit free agency in a couple of days.
GM Chrustjov comments at the press conference: "Rico is a great guy and used to be a damn good hockey player, but since we moved to Tier 1 Rico has mostly been a big ball of suck on the ice, so it was an easy decision to let him walk. Kapiton Karpov, well, he has been great for us as a tough, defensive defenseman but it's time for us to get younger on the back end, so as far as I'm concerned he can go back to the motherland and teach kids the art of elbowing. Scott Dugay... well. The guy leaves it all on the ice every night but the total absence of anything resembling skill or hockey sense makes it hard to offer him more than he earns now, and the little ****** demands more than 3 million per season. Thanks, but no thanks. Don't let the door hit your behind on your way out!" At this point a red-faced Nikita Chrustjov is fist pumping and yelling what is probably obscene phrases in russian in front of a terrified bunch of sports journalists.
September 2008
At a press conference held today, one day before the season opener against the Puckheads, GM Nikita Chrustjov surprisingly announced that coach Abram Skeen has been fired. "Abram has been a good coach, he has led us to 3 championships and the club is now an elite team in the GHL, largely thanks to him", Chrustjov says, "but I feel that it's time for a change. Our prospects have not developed the way we hoped, and we failed to get anything done in the playoffs". The new coach is Mstislav Danilov, a 48 year old Russian who served as an officer in the Red Army before joining the Acid panthers in season 4. Danilov took the Panthers to Tier 1 last season but was not offered a new contract. When asked about his strengths as a coach, Danilov simply answered "discipline, discipline and more discipline" and left the press conference to prepare his first practice with the Outlaws.
September 2008
The team has chosen to let legendary floater forward Abraham Zoltek walk as a free agent. The Outlaws veteran was a major disappointment last season and did only manage to get 1 assist in 38 games. "This is not a team player", GM Chrustjov comments, "he doesn't have the work ethic to play on a checking line and as an offensive player he was in way over his head in Tier 1. He has been here for 8 seasons though and hopefully he can find a team that fits him, we wish him, and his nose, all the best". Zoltek put up 96 goals and 60 assists for 156 points in 311 games as an Outlaw.
September 2008
The Outlaws made the Tier 1 playoffs as the 6th seed, only to lose 2-0 in the first round against Kentucky Thoroughblades. The Thoroughblades became GHL Champions after winning against Simon Gagne for Cy Young in the finals.
July 2008
The Outlaws have brought in 25 year old defenceman Miika Hibley from killer colonel of league 96. "A very talented kid with huge upside", says head coach Abram Skeen, but he also points out that the young Finn should not be seen as a replacement for Hung Maddaloni: "That would be unfair and unrealistic, however I am convinced that this kid will be an important part of our blueline for years to come".
June 2008
Superstar defenceman Hung Maddaloni has not been re-signed and is now a free agent. "We could not meet his salary demands, I have to say he is one greedy son of a b*tch", GM Chrustjov comments. The 35 year old defenceman registered 11 goals and 25 assists in 33 games with the Outlaws and was a +26, while averaging over 30 minutes of ice time per game.
