2017–18 Odense Bulldogs season

2017–18 Odense Bulldogs
2017–18 record22–2–7–19
Home record12–2–4–7
Road record10–0–3–12
Goals for141
Goals against149
Team information
CoachMikael Gath
Assistant coachMads True
CaptainJacob Johnston
Alternate captainsDale Mitchell, Martin Larsen
ArenaRet&Råd Fyn Arena
Average attendance1,240
Team leaders
GoalsDale Mitchell (21)
AssistsDale Mitchell (34)
PointsDale Mitchell (55)
Penalty minutesAnthony Camara (114)
Plus/minusMartin Larsen (12)
Goals against averageRobin Rahm (2.45)

The 2017–18 Odense Bulldogs season is the 27th season in the Danish Hockey League since the team was promoted in 1990.

Following a semifinal exit the year before, head coach Peter Johansson left the club along with other star players, such as 16/17 league leading goalie Tadeas Galansky. Two time topscorer Dale Mitchell, was the only foreign player to extend his contract, making it his fourth year in a row as a Bulldog.[1] Bulldogs signed 55-year old Finnish Kari Rauhanen as head coach.[2] But after only ten regular season games, he decided to stop due to "personal matters". The board immediately hired Mikael Gath as new head coach.[3]

Midway through the season, Bulldogs fired star-player Anthony Camara due to unacceptable behaviour.[4]

Significant events

  • September 23: The board presents a financial deficit on 1.5 million DKK.[5]
  • October 11: Head coach Kari Rauhanen quits his job for personal reasons, and Mikael Gath was hired as new head coach.[3]
  • January 3: Anthony Camara gets fired due to unacceptable behaviour.[4]
  • February 12: Goaltender Robin Rahm leaves the club due to illness in near family. Hannu Toivonen signs as new goalie.[6][7]
  • February 27: The board presents that club desperately need one million DKK in one day to avoid bankruptcy.
  • March 1: The board successfully reached 1.052.000 DKK before deadline.

Preseason

The preseason was scheduled for five games, from August 18 to September 1.[8] It should have been six games, but was shortened to five because of a cancel from Gamyo d'Épinal. Odense were supposed to host a four team-tournament between themselves, Rungsted Seier Capital, Eispiraten Crimmitschau and of course Épinal. But the French team did not want to participate anyway, so the tournament was rescheduled to a three team-tournament.[9]

Bulldogs won four out of their five pre-season games. The only loss was against Rødovre Mighty Bulls, were they lost 3–0 on away ice.[10]

Schedule and results

2017–18 Game Log: 3–1–0–1 (home: 2–1–0–0; road: 1–0–0–1)
# Date Home Score Visitor OT Decision Attendance Record
1 18 August Rungsted 3–5 Odense 1–0–0–0
2 22 August Odense 3–1 Hvidovre 2–0–0–0
3 29 August Rødovre 3–0 Odense 2–0–0–1
4 31 October Odense 2–1 Rungsted OT 3–0–0–1
5 1 September Odense 5–2 Crimmitschau 4–0–0–1

Regular season

League table

Pos Team
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
5 Esbjerg Energy 50 23 6 5 16 151 130 +21 86 Qualification to Quarter-finals
6 Rungsted Seier Capital 50 21 6 3 20 154 142 +12 78
7 Odense Bulldogs 50 22 2 7 19 141 149 −8 77 Qualification to Play-in
8 Gentofte Stars 50 18 4 8 20 108 134 −26 70
9 SønderjyskE 50 18 4 7 21 135 143 −8 69
Updated to match(es) played on 27 February 2018. Source: Metal Ligaen

Schedule and results

The 2017–18 regular season schedule were published on July 5, 2017.[11]

2017–18 Game Log: 22–2–7–19, 77 Points (home: 12–2–4–7 ; road: 10–0–3–12)
September: 4–0–2–2, 14 Points (home: 3–0–1–0 ; road: 1–0–1–2)
# Date Home Score Visitor OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Report
1 8 September Odense 5–1 Aalborg Rahm 1,625 1–0–0–0 3 Report
2 12 September Gentofte 5–2 Odense Rahm 257 1–0–0–1 3 Report
3 17 September Odense 2–3 Hvidovre OT Rahm 904 1–0–1–1 4 Report
4 19 September Rødovre 2–0 Odense Rahm 658 1–0–1–2 4 Report
5 22 September Odense 5–2 Frederikshavn Rahm 1,282 2–0–1–2 7 Report
6 24 September Frederikshavn 2–3 Odense Rahm 1,034 3–0–1–2 10 Report
7 26 September Herlev 5–4 Odense OT Lauridsen 515 3–0–2–2 11 Report
8 29 September Odense 7–3 Esbjerg Rahm 1,504 4–0–2–2 14 Report
October: 3–1–0–2, 14 Points (home: 3–1–0–1 ; road: 2–0–0–1)
# Date Home Score Visitor OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Report
9 1 October Herning 2–4 Odense Rahm 1,736 5–0–2–2 17 Report
10 13 October Aalborg 4–1 Odense Rahm 1,819 5–0–2–3 17 Report
11 17 October Odense 3–2 Gentofte SO Rahm 1,140 5–1–2–3 19 Report
12 24 October Odense 1–5 Rødovre Rahm 837 5–1–2–4 19 Report
13 27 October Odense 2–0 Rungsted Rahm 1,402 6–1–2–4 22 Report
14 28 October Rungsted 3–4 Odense Rahm 702 7–1–2–4 25 Report
15 31 October Odense 5–1 Herlev Rahm 789 8–1–2–4 28 Report
November: 4–1–0–2, 14 Points (home: 1–1–0–1 ; road: 3–0–0–1)
# Date Home Score Visitor OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Report
16 3 November SønderjyskE 1–7 Odense Rahm 3,142 9–1–2–4 31 Report
17 5 November Odense 2–1 Herning OT Rahm 1,205 9–2–2–4 33 Report
18 14 November Hvidovre 2–4 Odense Rahm 425 10–2–2–4 36 Report
19 17 November Odense 4–0 SønderjyskE Rahm 2,567 11–2–2–4 39 Report
20 21 November Esbjerg 4–1 Odense Rahm 1,312 11–2–2–5 39 Report
21 24 November Odense 2–3 Aalborg Rahm 1,399 11–2–2–6 39 Report
22 26 November Gentofte 2–4 Odense Rahm 176 12–2–2–6 42 Report
December: 5–0–2–3, 17 Points (home: 3–0–1–1 ; road: 2–0–1–2)
# Date Home Score Visitor OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Report
23 1 December Rødovre 3–7 Odense Rahm 1,053 13–2–2–6 45 Report
24 3 December Frederikshavn 1–2 Odense Rahm 1,077 14–2–2–6 48 Report
25 5 December Odense 4–2 Rungsted Rahm 937 15–2–2–6 51 Report
26 8 December Herlev 3–2 Odense OT Rahm 412 15–2–3–6 52 Report
27 12 December Odense 3–0 SønderjyskE Rahm 1,001 16–2–3–6 55 Report
28 15 December Herning 7–3 Odense Rahm 1,626 16–2–3–7 55 Report
29 16 December Odense 0–1 Hvidovre OT Rahm 876 16–2–4–7 56 Report
30 19 December Odense 4–2 Esbjerg Rahm 996 17–2–4–7 59 Report
31 22 December Aalborg 6–2 Odense Rahm 2,003 17–2–4–8 59 Report
32 30 December Odense 2–3 Rødovre Rahm 1,825 17–2–4–9 59 Report
January: 3–0–2–5, 11 Points (home: 2–0–1–2 ; road: 1–0–1–3)
# Date Home Score Visitor OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Report
33 2 January Odense 4–5 Frederikshavn SO Rahm 777 17–2–5–9 60 Report
34 5 January Rungsted 5–0 Odense Rahm 852 17–2–5–10 60 Report
35 7 January Odense 3–2 Herlev Rahm 812 18–2–5–10 63 Report
36 9 January SønderjyskE 4–3 Odense SO Rahm 2,372 18–2–6–10 64 Report
37 12 January Odense 3–1 Gentofte Rahm 1,725 19–2–6–10 67 Report
38 14 January Odense 2–3 Herning Rahm 1,088 19–2–6–11 67 Report
39 16 January Hvidovre 1–4 Odense Rahm 432 20–2–6–11 70 Report
40 23 January Esbjerg 3–1 Odense Rahm 1,134 20–2–6–12 70 Report
41 26 January Odense 1–4 Aalborg Rahm 1,416 20–2–6–13 70 Report
42 28 January Gentofte 2–1 Odense Rahm 382 20–2–6–14 70 Report
February: 2–0–1–5, 7 Points (home: 1–0–1–2 ; road: 1–0–0–3)
# Date Home Score Visitor OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Report
43 1 February Rødovre 6–0 Odense Rahm 2,645 20–2–6–15 70 Report
44 6 February Frederikshavn 3–7 Odense Rahm 1,243 21–2–6–15 73 Report
45 9 February Odense 2–3 Rungsted OT Rahm 1,622 21–2–7–15 74 Report
46 11 February Herlev 6–2 Odense Rahm 420 21–2–7–16 74 Report
47 20 February Odense 2–5 SønderjyskE Toivonen 1,494 21–2–7–17 74 Report
48 23 February Herning 8–2 Odense Toivonen 1,815 21–2–7–18 74 Report
49 25 February Odense 2–1 Hvidovre Toivonen 998 22–2–7–18 77 Report
50 27 February Odense 1–6 Esbjerg Toivonen 777 22–2–7–19 77 Report

Legend:   Win (3 points)   Overtime/Shootout win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Overtime/Shootout loss (1 point)

Player statistics

Updated 25 January

Skaters

Regular Season[12]
Player GP G A Pts +/− PIM
Dale Mitchell 47 21 33 54 0 73
Søren Nielsen 45 18 20 38 +6 36
Anthony Camara 27 15 22 37 +3 114
Rasmus Bjerrum 46 10 19 29 –7 28
Sebastian Ehlers 44 5 21 26 –1 16
Jacob Johnston 48 10 15 25 –9 36
Yannick Vedel 48 13 9 22 +2 12
Martin Larsen 48 8 12 20 +11 92
Nick Walters 48 5 14 19 +12 24
Henrik Nielsen 39 7 10 17 +9 30
Dylan Walchuk 48 3 13 16 –6 20
Jonas Hansen 48 5 7 12 +2 12
Andreas Pedersen 48 1 10 11 –6 30
Asger Petersen 40 4 4 8 +2 6
Ned Lukacevic 8 3 5 8 +6 –5
Jamie Lewis 30 1 6 7 –1 24
Mads Schaarup 48 1 6 7 –6 45
Nicolai Eriksen 30 2 2 4 –2 9
Frederik Sørensen 40 2 2 4 –8 32
Rasmus Knudsen 23 1 3 4 0 10
Jakob Wittendorf 42 3 0 3 –2 2
Lucas Bjerre Rasmussen 11 0 0 0 +1 4
Christian Larsen 37 0 0 0 –2 10

Goaltenders

Regular Season[12]
Player GP GAA SV%
Robin Rahm 45 2.45 .921
Andreas Lauridsen 3 4.81 .859
Hannu Toivonen 2 5.84 .821

Player of the Month

  • September: Søren Nielsen
  • October: Robin Rahm
  • November: Dale Mitchell
  • December: Yannick Vedel
  • January: Robin Rahm
  • February: Ned Lukacevic

References

  1. ^ "Peter Johansson og Odense Bulldogs stopper samarbejdet". Odense Bulldogs. 11 April 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Finsk træner skriver under med Bulldogs". Odense Bulldogs. 13 June 2017. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Bulldogs skifter træner". Odense Bulldogs. 11 October 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Bulldogs ophæver med Anthony Camara". Odense Bulldogs. 3 January 2018. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Meddelelse vedrørende årsrapport pr. 30.04.2017". Odense Bulldogs. 23 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Robin Rahm forlader Odense Bulldogs". Odense Bulldogs. 12 February 2018. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Finsk NHL-erfaring til Bulldogs". Odense Bulldogs. 12 February 2018. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Træningskampene på plads". Odense Bulldogs. 3 July 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Odense modtager afbud fra Epinal". Hockeymagasinet. 23 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Nederlag i træningskamp mod Rødovre". Odense Bulldogs. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Odense Bulldogs schedule and results". bulldogs.dk. July 5, 2017. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  12. ^ a b "2017–2018 – Odense Bulldogs – Players – eliteprospects.com – Stats". Elite Prospects.