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Yorba Linda Yowlers MLD team thread Topic

yogsloth

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Yowlers Announce Trade

After suffering from a pair of key injuries to their blueline, it was no secret the Yowlers were shopping for additional help defensively. Coach/gm yoglsoth called a brief press conference to announce a surprising aquisition:

Combermere Cay leading scorer Jesse Tillanen.

"Well, after Fido and Torpedo both got hit with significant injuries, we knew we had to do something. I made a few calls around the leauge, and we were able to work something out with Combermere. That's a team that is stacked with quality defensemen, but they've had some injury issues themselves up front. They needed a wing, and we're very pleased with the deal we were able to work out."

Tell us about new Yowler Tillanen.

"Jesse is a long-time player in the MLD. He's a really strong skater - really great with the puck. He's had some injury issues himself, but we're confident that's all in the past. He's a very smart player that was a bit of a late bloomer. He really established himself a couple of seasons ago, and as you noted before, he was actually leading the Cay in scoring at the time we acquired him."

In fact, Tillanen, wearing uniform #2, scored the game-winning goal and had an assist in his first game with the Yowlers.

"Yeah, what a debut. Of course, the drawback is that even though he hasn't played very many games in his MLD career, this is actually his final season."

Going the other way is orginial Yowler oddity Pauli Ermakov. A spare part in the first MLD season, due to injuries to several Yowler regulars, he found himself starting in the playoffs on a line with Chad Clemente and Jaromir Lemieux. He responded with a team-leading 13 goals and a staggering +30 in 26 games as the Yowlers won the inaugural MLD championship. Due to the largely inane balloting by MLD officials, Ermakov went on to win the Calder trophy in both seasons 2 and 3, despite playing fewer than 20 games each time. He wore #44 throughout his Yowler career.

"We'd like to thank Pauli for all his years of service with the organization. Nobody will ever forget his dominant performance in the playoffs our first year. Unfortunately, in recent seasons, he's just never really been able to match that performance. He's the type of guy that's always been able to pull a jaw-dropping move in practice, but have trouble getting it to flow in a real game. He's a far better player than his scoring numbers indicate. We wish him all the best in Combermere, where he has several seasons to prove himself."

Keep watching as the Yowlers continue to ride red-hot goalie Anton Boucher throughout MLD season #9!

2/8/2008 10:30 AM

yogsloth

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Yowlers Announce Next Wave of Retirements
Concluding their excellent cup-winning season 9, the Yorba Linda Yowlers are proud to announce the next wave of Honorees.
D Claire Strauss GP G A PTS
Regular Season 526 82 127 209
Playoffs 111 9 35 44
A top defensive defenseman, original Yowler Strauss is finally calling it a career after 6 full and 2 partial seasons. A cagey veteran at the age of 24 when he joined the Yowlers, he was immediately looked to for a steadying defensive presence. In fact, as the original Yowlers roster was being assembled by GM yogsloth, Strauss was an early consideration for Franchise Player. He was the first Yowler to be judged a perfect "100" on defensive skill by talent scouts. He was often given the task of being paired with (and mentoring) more inexperienced blueliners. Although primarily a defensive player, he is one of the few MLD veterans that just seemed to become better and better at scoring as the years went by. He retires as the team's 4th leading scorer all-time with 209 points. He also had an impressive +140 rating. He took home the team's "Unsung Hero" award in season 4. He wore #8 his entire Yowlers' career.
LW Bennett Joseph GP G A PTS
Regular Season 506 54 142 196
Playoffs 52 9 14 23
Joseph is an excellent example of what dedication and perseverance can truly mean for professional hockey players. A huge contributor to the Yowlers in season 1, Joseph suffered a broken leg on the second-to-last game of the season. Until that point, he had been one of the top playmakers and faceoff men on the squad. His injury forced him to miss the entire cup-winning run of the season 1 playoffs. He returned for season 2, but was a shadow of his former self. Although he played every game, he simply could not regain the offensive touch or defensive abilities he showed in season 1, and was largely ineffective in the Yowlers quick one-round playoff exit. The following five seasons saw Joseph up-and-down between Yorba Linda and minor-league Anaheim, never playing a complete season or appearing in the playoffs. His dedication to the game never wavered, however, as he fought his way back into the Yowlers' lineup full-time for season 8. His final two seasons saw him emerge as a dominating two-way winger, especially in the playoffs, where he had an amazing 22 points in the team's eight playoff rounds. He retires with a "Defensive Forward" of the year award, as well as the "Unsung Hero" for season 6. He was a +104 for his career and won a staggering 60.3% of his faceoffs. He wore #11 throughout his career.
C Tomas Sillanmaki GP G A PTS
Regular Season 511 73 71 144
Playoffs 82 11 9 20
Not only is Tomas the first non-original Yowler to retire with honors, he is actually the first player that joined the squad in season 3 to hang up the skates. Tomas burst onto the MLD scene with a fantastic 25 goal rookie campaign, 3rd on the team. His sophomore season, he actually lead the team with 19 goals (tied with Chad Clemente). It seemed the Yowlers had drafed a bonafied sniper with their season 3 2nd round pick. Unfortunately, Sillanmaki was never again able to capture that offensive flair, scoring only 29 goals the rest of his career. He still managed to turn in several solid seasons of hockey, however, usually saving his best for the playoffs. He became a solid penalty-killer, and his signature move was carrying the puck in deep, only to curl and pass back to the point for a streaking defenseman to hammer one into the opposition's net. In addition to his "Best Newcomer" award his rookie year, his defensive work earned him the "Defensive Forward" award his final season. He wore #20 his entire career, in honor of his favorite player, Luc Robitaille.
D Jesse Tillanen GP G A PTS
Regular Season 347 40 130 170
Playoffs 51 4 21 25
Tillanen, an offensive defenseman with a flair for making a breath-taking play, becomes the first player who did not play his entire career for the Yowlers to be given an honorary retirement. In fact, he played a mere 3/4 of a season for Yorba Linda, coming over in a trade with Combermere 20 games into season 9. At the time, the Yowlers were in a need of "warm body" on the blueline to compensate for a run of injuries. What they got was so much more - Tillanen became arguably the best player on the Yowlers' squad for the rest of the season. In Combermere, he had struggled through a number of injury and inconsistency-plagued seasons. He showed signs of true offensive talent, but an unwilingness to play while hurt led to clashes with the coaching staff, and relegation to the 3rd pairing. The Yowlers took a chance on him, and he responded by becoming a dominant force with the puck, finishing tied for 4th in league scoring with 46 points. Never a playoff performer in the past, he absolutely controlled the game for all four playoff series, leading all scorers in the playoffs with 15 points. He took home the Conn Smythe trophy for his efforts. He wore #2 during his tenure with the team.

3/28/2008 4:24 PM

yogsloth

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Yowlers Announce First Retired Jersey

Unbridled passion. Consummate professionalism. A fiery, uncotrollable desire to stop the puck. These are the attributes that one can use to describe Yorba Linda Yowlers' retiring goaltender Anton Boucher.

Boucher arrived at the first Yowlers' training camp one of four hopefulls to claim the starting position. Not particularly blessed with a small 5'8" stature, and possesed of a frenetic, scrambling goaltending style, Boucher was a 23-year-old veteran of 3 seasons in the QMJHL and two more bouncing around between different UHL teams. Two things stood out about Boucher - that crazy, almost techniqueless style, and his unquenchable desire in game situations to stop the puck. Of the other goaltenders in camp, only Mal Pokela even earned a contract - the names of the other two have disappeared into the mists of MLD history.

His style actually led to Boucher being labeled "uncoachable" coming out of juniors - a tag that almost certainly prevented him from gaining a tryout at the ECHL or AHL levels. He had a knack for making the easy save look dangerous, and making the difficult save look like an Act of God. His frantic dives, scoops, lurches, and rolls made it common for Boucher to exhaust himself during a game - sometimes losing as much as 10-12 pounds of water weight in a single contest. When he would get in trouble, it would be due to inadequate rest between games. Without it, he had some difficulty fending off both opposing snipers and impending dehydration. Critics simply could never adjust to his style, with talent scounts never rating his saving ability higher than 85, even after nearly 500 total games in the MLD. Fans loved his style, however, as you knew you were in for a thrillride full of close calls and daring escapes whenever Boucher was in net.

His accomplishments truly add up to an outstanding Hall-Of-Fame resumé.

His regular-season career tallies of 247 wins and 67 shutouts (all accomplsihed in only 8 seasons) are records that will probably never be broken, especially with the upcoming changes to goaltender eligibility rules that will soon go into effect in the MLD. His 19 shutouts in one season similarly stands as a record that may last the ages. Especially impressive is his record during the "Long Puck" era of the MLD in seasons 1-3, before defense took over as the norm: 24 total shutouts! He took home two Vezina trophies, and some pundits argue he was robbed of a 3rd in his final season, when he was narrowly edged out by Yorkton Millers' stalwart Denis Petajamki Jr.

It was in the playoffs where he truly shined, however. Although his exhausting style led to the Yowlers' coach yogsloth usually using a "platoon" situation (using Boucher as often as possible, with backups providing relief when necessary), Anton was in net for all three of Yorba Linda's cup-deciding championship games. His marks of 41 wins and 6 shutouts are also exceedingly impressive.

Boucher's #1 will be retired before the first Yowlers' game, and will be the first such honor bestowed upon any Yorba Linda player. Afterwards, Boucher will move into the Yowlers' front office as special assistant to the GM, in charge of fan development.

ANTON BOUCHER

Regular Season Statistics

	GP	W	L	T	GA	GAA	SO	SA	S	S%	TOI
Season 1	56	38	13	1	190	3.75	1	1492	1302	87.27	50:36:23
Season 2	68	45	15	6	120	1.82	12	1873	1753	93.59	65:55:14
Season 3	61	42	10	9	101	1.64	11	1772	1671	94.30	61:30:15
Season 4	55	24	23	8	99	1.78	8	1693	1594	94.15	55:44:05
Season 5	59	33	22	4	111	1.89	8	1698	1587	93.46	58:37:38
Season 6	33	11	15	7	64	1.96	4	965	901	93.37	32:42:27
Season 7	33	17	11	5	62	1.87	4	957	895	93.52	33:11:23
Season 9	64	37	23	4	100	1.56	19	1768	1668	94.34	64:10:03
	429	247	132	44	847	2.00	67	12218	11371	93.1	422:27:28

Playoff Statistics

	GP	W	L	GA	GAA	SO	SA	S	S%	TOI
Season 1	6	3	2	19	3.43	0	167	148	88.62	5:32:25
Season 2	5	2	3	12	2.40	0	156	144	92.31	5:00:00
Season 3	10	6	4	17	1.60	2	293	276	94.20	10:38:01
Season 4	11	7	4	24	2.04	1	338	314	92.90	11:46:48
Season 5	18	12	6	35	1.76	2	540	505	93.52	19:55:29
Season 7	5	2	3	12	2.13	1	167	155	92.81	5:38:29
Season 9	14	9	5	34	2.18	0	442	408	92.31	15:37:07
	69	41	27	153	2.06	6	2103	1950	92.7	74:08:19

3/30/2008 7:56 PM

yogsloth

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bump for new info coming soon!

6/7/2008 12:36 AM

yogsloth

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Yowlers Announce Next Wave of Retirements

10 seasons into the MLD, like every franchise, the Yowlers continue to see key players ride into the sunset. The following two players retire with full honors:

D John Sleeman GP G A PTS

Regular Season 487 147 132 279

Playoffs 49 18 12 30

One of the true success stories of the Yowlers' pro scouting department, John Sleeman was acquired in season 4 as a reclamation project. That story has been well-chronicled in this column before; suffice it to say, Sleeman was a huge part of the Yowlers' cup winning team of season 5, bringing home the Conn Smythe trophy as MVP of the playoffs. That same season he won the team's "Defenseman of the Year" and "Most Improved" awards. Sleeman actually retires with more career goals, assists, and points than any other Yowler that doesn't have his jersey hanging from the rafters. Despite a reputation for sub-par defensive ability, Sleeman finishes his career as a +13. He remains the only defenseman in MLD history to score 50 goals in a season - the main reason he wore uniform #50 throughout his Yowler career. Sleeman will continue on with his pro hockey career, having recently signed a contract with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL.

C Felix Vahakoski GP G A PTS

Regular Season 453 55 54 109

Playoffs 9 2 1 3

A model of veteran dependability, Felix Vahakoski toiled for years to become a solid defensive fourth-line center for the Yowlers. Although he played most of season 1 as a rookie, his penchant for unruliness eventually cost him a full-time role in the playoffs. He only played 3 games (and a total of 27 minutes) for the inaugural MLD champions in those playoffs. Afterwards, he failed to make the team in season 2, and began the year in the MLDML with Anaheim Hills. Despite not playing a single MLD game in seasons 2 or 3, he worked tirelessly on his checking and defensive games, eventually becoming captain of the Anacondas. A brief season 4 callup showed a more focused Vahakoski, as he netted 5 goals in only 19 games. However, his tendency for game misconduct penalties kept him traveling north and south on Imperial Highway between the two franchises through season 8. By season 9, however, Felix had shown great maturity and restraint, and became the rock-solid centerman the team had always envisioned him to be. By his final season, he actually led all Yowlers forward in goals with 18, was a +15 (+47 for his career), and won over 56% of his faceoffs. He retires as the Yowlers' second most penalized player of all time with 388 PIMs. He took home the team's "Unsung Hero" and "Most Improved" trophies for season 10. He wore #34 throughout his career. He moves directly into an amateur scouting position for Yorba Linda, where he hopes to be able to advise gm yogsloth on potential "diamonds in the rough".

6/9/2008 9:04 PM

yogsloth

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Yowlers Announce 2nd Retired Jersey

With a long history that is already well-documented in this forum, the Yowlers bid a tearful farewell to their top goal-scorer of all time, Markus Levy.

MARKUS LEVY

Regular Season Statistics

	GP	GLS	AST	PTS	PPG	SHG		PIM	S	S%	FW%	TOI
Season 1	82	81	30	111	10	0	67	4	331	24.5	59.8	22:07:21
Season 2	50	16	13	29	1	0	18	14	81	19.8	62.7	13:46:12
Roswell Aliens	31	3	9	12	0	0	7	2	39	7.7	51.7	9:00:41
Season 3	82	17	25	42	5	0	45	0	108	15.7	56.9	23:15:53
Season 4	82	13	14	27	0	1	6	0	130	10.0	61.2	22:57:01
Season 5	19	5	5	10	0	0	5	0	27	18.5	70.2	5:06:09
Season 6	19	0	5	5	0	0	-4	2	16	0.0	70.1	4:58:20
Season 7	82	15	20	35	2	0	29	0	105	14.3	58.9	22:11:28
Season 8	19	2	2	4	0	0	4	4	16	12.5	63.2	5:15:55
Season 9	19	3	5	8	0	0	0	0	27	11.1	66.7	4:57:29
Current Season	82	14	24	38	0	0	12	4	98	14.3	63.0	23:39:52
	567	169	152	321	18	1	189	30	978	17.3	61.1	157:16:21

Playoff Statistics

	GP	GLS	AST	PTS	PPG		PIM	S	S%	FW%	TOI
Season 1	26	4	13	17	1	1	0	49	8.2	70.9	7:03:09
Season 2	6	1	1	2	1	-4	0	7	14.3	58.8	1:42:06
Season 3	11	6	2	8	3	3	2	27	22.2	62.0	3:14:56
Season 4	12	2	2	4	1	1	0	25	8.0	71.0	3:42:51
Season 5	24	1	3	4	0	-1	0	29	3.4	67.1	7:11:28
Season 7	6	1	0	1	0	-2	0	6	16.7	47.4	1:49:40
Season 8	20	2	5	7	0	8	0	28	7.1	67.3	5:10:27
Season 9	26	4	2	6	0	-8	0	33	12.1	61.5	7:24:50
Current Season	6	1	3	4	0	1	0	10	10.0	51.7	1:36:58
	137	22	31	53	6	-1	2	214	10.3	65.0	38:56:25

6/11/2008 7:54 PM

yogsloth

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Sparky Clemons

Regular Season Statistics

	GP	GLS	AST	PTS	PPG	SHG		PIM	S	S%	FW%	TOI
Season 1	82	18	73	91	3	0	59	20	96	18.8	0.0	29:09:44
Season 2	82	36	43	79	9	0	48	2	235	15.3	0.0	29:04:24
Season 3	82	31	51	82	9	0	43	2	256	12.1	0.0	29:31:32
Season 4	82	9	33	42	1	0	2	2	122	7.4	0.0	28:24:12
Season 5	82	13	31	44	0	0	20	4	103	12.6	0.0	28:51:43
Season 6	82	7	35	42	1	0	-5	0	112	6.3	0.0	28:59:31
Season 7	82	19	39	58	2	1	34	0	136	14.0	0.0	28:40:13
Season 8	19	7	8	15	0	0	14	2	46	15.2	100.0	6:50:47
Season 9	82	12	24	36	0	0	13	4	113	10.6	0.0	28:21:48
Current Season	82	12	33	45	1	1	25	4	100	12.0	0.0	29:11:24
	757	164	370	534	26	2	253	40	1319	12.4	100.0	267:05:18

Playoff Statistics

	GP	GLS	AST	PTS	PPG		PIM	S	S%	FW%	TOI
Season 1	26	13	21	34	0	28	0	86	15.1	0.0	9:08:21
Season 2	6	1	2	3	0	-3	0	14	7.1	0.0	2:09:56
Season 3	11	4	10	14	0	6	2	34	11.8	0.0	4:07:07
Season 4	12	1	7	8	1	0	2	19	5.3	0.0	4:34:08
Season 5	24	3	8	11	0	3	0	30	10.0	0.0	9:01:50
Season 7	6	1	4	5	0	3	0	12	8.3	0.0	2:23:50
Season 8	20	0	11	11	0	6	4	34	0.0	0.0	7:14:21
Season 9	26	3	12	15	0	7	4	59	5.1	0.0	9:35:15
Current Season	6	0	2	2	0	-3	0	7	0.0	0.0	2:03:14
	137	26	77	103	1	47	12	295	8.8	0.0	50:18:02

6/11/2008 7:57 PM

yogsloth

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Yowlers Announce Next Wave of Retirements

Season 11 has come to a finish, so it's time to bid farewell to another fine bunch of Yowlers regulars. This season it's the year of the aquisition, as 3 of the 4 players retiring were all mid-season trades to Yorba Linda at some point in their careers.

C Scotty Hutchinson GP G A PTS

Regular Season 583 101 145 246

Playoffs 121 25 27 52

When the Yowlers found themselves in a situation where former Aliens star Russell Moorehead requested a trade back to Roswell, Yorba Linda GM yogsloth knew he wouldn't be able to replace the goals "Rusty" seemed to score at will, so a key component to the trade had to be a defensive center to take some of the load from Markus Levy. Hutchinson was the answer - a strong, two-way center with an impeccable positional ability and a knack for winning faceoffs. "Hutch" played parts of 6 seasons with the Yowlers, where he was instrumental in maintaining the defensive-minded organizational philosophy that has served the MLD's most succesful franchise so well. Although never a real media figure or big star, he truly deserves a lot of credit for his rock-solid two-way play. He went out on a high note, scoring 5 goals in the Yowler's two-round playoff trip in season 11, leading all forwards. He finished his career a +106, and wore uniform #16 for the duration of his stay in Yorba Linda.

LW Cameron Weibe GP G A PTS

Regular Season 468 59 72 131

Playoffs 44 3 8 11

The Yowlers traded Kip Fulton, long-time blueline parter of Sparky Clemons, to Winnipeg in season 8 rather than lose him to retirement. As part of the return, rugged LW Cam Weibe came to Southern California in return. Although he struggled in his first season with the Yowlers, Weibe went on to perform a solid, workman-like role with the team. A quality third-line grinder and garbage goal scorer when he arrived, he added more of a playmaking dimension in Yorba Linda, eventually landing a power-play role. He could often be found crashing the net and punishing opposing defensemen with his substantial, 6'2" 215lb frame. His tough physical presence and "can-do" attitude will be missed by the team. Weibe wore #13 with the team, the only Yowler to ever do so.

D Jon Hanec GP G A PTS

Regular Season 532 82 190 272

Playoffs 93 8 23 31

Another Winnipeg transplant, originial MLDer Jon Hanec came to the Yowlers in a reverse of the Fulton situation. With the Jets set for a rare playoff miss, the high-scoring blueliner was dealt to Yorba Linda for one last crack at the cup. Although he only played 24 games for the team (putting up 6 of his 272 points), he did an admirable job for the team, eventually leading the Yowlers in assists during the playoffs. Hanec returned to Winnipeg after the Yowlers' elimination, where he hopes to find a position with the Jets franchise as a scout.

C Harijs Viikkila GP G A PTS

Regular Season 520 61 64 125

Playoffs 86 6 9 15

Long-time Yowlers' fourth-liner and team practical joker Harijs "Harry" Viikkila is the only Yorba Linda player to have played his entire career with the team to retire this season. Viikkila long had a reputation of being a fun, outgoing jokester amongst Yowler players, media, and fans. He is notorious for once filling Odie Romu's shoes with shaving cream and shaving Kaspars Torppala's pet pig. Unfortunately, his off-ice reputation was usually better than his on-ice performance, as he had terrible troubles translating his junior scoring abilities to MLD ice. He was particularly known for vanishing in the playoffs, scoring 5 of his 6 career goals in one playoff season. He wore #26 throughout his career.

8/20/2008 6:16 PM

yogsloth

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Yowlers Announce Next Wave of Retirements

After an underachieving season 12 that resulted in a four-game blowout at the hands of the Encinitas Blades, the Yowlers are forced once again to say goodbye to another crop of veteran players. It just never gets easier, and this year the team must see off two original Yowlers and an all-star aquired in a blockbuster trade.

C Abe "Junior" Gates GP G A PTS

Regular Season 389 33 133 166

Playoffs 135 17 55 72

Although he only played a relatively small number of games, "Junior" a huge impression on Yowler fans. A smallish playmaking center, Gates excelled at the science of hockey. A smallish centerman standing at only 5'9", 160lbs, his "thinking man's game" involved a thorough understanding of puck possession. He dominated the faceoff circle with a career 64.3% win rate, and made his living controlling the puck in the offensive zone, looking for an open winger. Despite only playing fewer than 40% of the teams's games, his 133 assists ranks 5th all-time in franchise history. No bio on Gates would even begin to be complete however, without a mention of his playoff heroics. His small stature and wonky knees led him to almost continuously return to the DL during the regular season, but he always found a way to return to top form during the playoffs. Gates retires as the Yowler's second all-time scorer in the playoffs behind only Sparky Clemons, a whopping 19 points ahead of third place Markus Levy. In fact, although Clemons won the Conn Smythe trophy during the Yowlers' inaugural cup run, Gates turned in the performance of a lifetime that year with a mind-melting 30 points and +16 rating. "Junior" steps immediately into an assistant-coaching position with the Anaheim Anacondas of the MLDML. He wore #18 throughout his career in honor of his favorite player, Dave Taylor. He also took home the team's "Unsung Hero" award in season 2.

RW Butch Tarnojeff GP G A PTS

Regular Season 587 143 228 371

Playoffs 161 32 45 77

The centerpiece of a much-heralded deal with Yorkton at the season 4 draft, Tarnojeff arrived in Yorba Linda averaging almost 80 points a season. Known as a deft playmaker and an even-more feared goalscorer, Tarnojeff immediately became one of the most skilled players ever to wear the Yowler's sweater. After his days with the free-wheeling Millers, however, he had difficulty adjusting to the Yowlers "defense first, defense last" philosophy. Only 136 of his 371 career points came as a Yowler. Like many MLD veterans, he matured as a player by shifting some of his focus to the defensive end of the spectrum in order to keep his job. By the time season six rolled around, he had settled into this role, even winning the team's "Best Defensive Forward" award. Initial difficulties aside, Tarnojeff became an invaluable two-way playmaking forward who played heavy minutes. His final season as a Yowler was also his finest, with 39 points scored, averaging a team-high (for forwards) 17+ minutes per game. He was also a valuable contributor to the Yowler's cup runs in seasons 5 and 9, where his defensive and faceoff skills were often used late in games to secure the victory. Tarnojeff wore #10 throughout his stay in Yorba Linda.

LW Howie Stajan GP G A PTS

Regular Season 492 65 64 129

Playoffs 68 9 9 18

An unassuming winger, Stajan toiled most of his career on the Yowler's third and fourth lines. Often overlooked by Yowler fans, Howie showed a steady improvement and a tenacity that kept him in the lineup year after year. Although he never matched his 19 goals from his second year in the league, his all-around game improved year after year, leading to an eventual "Best Defensive Forwad" award in his final year. His overall numbers, although seemingly unimpressive compared to other Yowler retirees, they must be put into the perspective that Stajan didn't begin his MLD career until season 6 - long after offensive had collapsed into it's current stingy form around the league. Stajan wore #22 throughout his career.

G Mal Pokela GP W L T SO Save%

Regular Season 359 173 118 43 49 92.98

Playoffs 42 23 17 N/A 3 90.28

Long-time Yowlers' goalkeeper Mal Pokela finally hangs up the pads after twelve full seasons with the club. Although he lived mostly in the shadows of Anton Boucher for most of his career, Pokela was a huge part of the franchise's success. Working in tandem with Boucher (and later with Branislav Hanhimaki), Pokela was a bedrock of steady play. He rarely stole the show with a flashy save, but he combined excellent rebound control with the ability to shake off a bad goal to combe back every single time he was called upon to provide the team with the consistency it needed. His playoff records remains under-rated, as he provided key wins in each of the three cup-winning post-seasons for Yorba Linda. In fact, Pokela actually captured 13 of 16 playoff victories in season one! He brought home the team's "Unsung Hero" award in seasons three and eleven. He wore #32 throughout his career.

11/4/2008 10:22 AM

yogsloth

Posts: 449 (0)

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Rookie

Yowlers announce game postponements, venue changes, injuries

(Transcript from live from emergency press conference, Katella High School gymnasium)

Coach yog: Due to the overwhelming fires currently running through the Yorba Linda, Brea, Anaheim Hills, Corona, and Diamond Bar areas, (http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=yorba+linda&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=news_group&resnum=5&ct=title) the Yorba Linda Yowlers franchise needs to announce that all further games for the forseeable future for both the Yowlers and the Anaheim Hills Anacondas are being suspended or moved. We hope to be able to play some of our games at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, the Ontario Reign's schedule permitting. We're committed to making up every game on the schedule, but right now we're completely in scramble mode. We've all had a lot bigger things to worry about the last 24 hours or so.

Several of our players stay in the Cascades apartment complex, as its located only about a mile from the Ice Palace on one side and the Anacondas practice facility on the other. As it stands right now, we know that several of them have lost everything. Billy [Sanderson] and Archie [Peterson] are here in the shelter right now - they got cleaned out. We know Chris Ryan is in the hospital right now. We don't know if his apartment was lost, but we know he was assisting the firefighters in the area as the fought the blaze and got a bit of smoke inhalation. He should be okay, but he's going to be out of commission for a while.

Our biggest concern right now is for Branislav Hanhimaki. Many of our players and staff have been up all night, volunteering as citizen firefighters - digging firebreaks, evacuating citizens, doing whatever we can for the community. Branislav has a place on Fairmont and apparently he and a few other residents got caught by a property when a gas main blew. We ask for the prayers of everyone invloved in the MLD as Branislav suffered some pretty good burns up his arms pulling some people off to safety. He and Ethan Fabrell are pretty close, so I know Ethan is down at the Kaiser Lakeview Hospital with him, along with some of our training staff. We're all just trying to manage as best as we can.

Q: Is the Ice Palace still standing? (http://www.ocicepalace.com/servlet/Main)

Coach yog: We're pretty sure, although it's pretty deep in the evacuation zone, so we can't get there to be sure. All of Savi Ranch to the southwest has suffered some damage, and of course it's right across the street from Gypsum Canyon.

(http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&address=23641+La+Palma+Avenue&city=Yorba+Linda&state=CA&homesubmit.x=26&homesubmit.y=13)

We don't think the fire got across LaPalma Avenue, but like I said, we just can't even get there to know right now. It's pretty chaotic.

Q: How are are the other players?

Coach yog: Here, I'll let Chad answer this one...

Chad Clemente: Hi, ah, well, I'm not really a current player anymore, but I can tell you we're all pretty tired. My wife and I live in Carbon Canyon, and about 3:00 yesterday we pretty much figured it was time to get out while we still could exit the Western end of the canyon. We packed up the kids, the dog, the photo albums, my memorabilia, and managed to beat the evacuation by a couple of hours. My wife is in Irvine with my in-laws. I couldn't stay put, so I called coach yog and came back up to help out. Me and Shane Myrdahl, Paul Lawton... a few other guys, we've just been helping out as best we can. They keep moving the evacuation points further South and West as the fire has been moving faster than rescue efforts, so we've mostly been breaking down the evac sites and moving them, trying to help people out as best we can. It's tough. My wife was up all night too, just watching the TV. We're pretty sure we've lost everything. The fire swept into the canyon from both ends. It's tough.

Q: Does the team have any other health concerns?

Coach yog: Well, it's pretty obvious the air quality is just abysmal. It's been raining ash for over 24 hours now, and as of right now (10 AM Sunday) they're telling us the fire is 5% contained, but I'd love to know where that f***ing 5% is so I could go there. All our lungs are burning pretty bad. That's nothing to me, but some of these players are going to have to go get some sleep and get themselves ready if we're going to have any chance to pull ourselves together.

We do want to assure our fans, however, that although we're battered, we're still going. The season will continue and we'll keep playing our hearts out the way Yowler fans have come to expect. Thank you everybody.

11/16/2008 11:57 AM

yogsloth

Posts: 449 (0)

Hall of Famer

81 1553 1

Rookie

Yowlers Announce Next Wave of Retirements

Season 13 is in the books, and it marked a year of disappointments for Yorba Linda. Four straight years without a sniff of playoff sucess has Yowler fans anxious, and now the team must bid adieu to three more career players.

D Kevyn Vantanen GP G A PTS

Regular Season 773 91 278 369

Playoffs 118 17 25 42

When Yowlers HOF'er Sparky Clemons retired after season 10, it was going to take a special player to assume the Franchise Player mantle and team captaincy. Kevyn Vantanen, the first draft pick in Yowlers' history, was that player. A smooth-skating D-man with a knack for taking the puck deep into the opposition's zone, Vantanen overcame early injury problems to find a level of consistency in play that could only remind fans of the great Clemons. He seemed to get better as time went by, even saving his finest offensive season for his final campaign, scoring an impressive 52 points in season 13. Vantanen finished a whopping +152. He wore #3 throughout his career.

RW Patrick Yaremchuk GP G A PTS

Regular Season 492 85 78 163

Playoffs 73 7 2 9

Yaremchuk arrived with the Yowlers as a bit of an unknown quantity - a player with a sold all-around game, but no certainty as to how he would fit into the team's lineup. He was quickly a pleasant surprise, as he almost immediately demonstrated an uncanny ability to knock in rebounds on the power play. He was a gifted goal scorer, twice surpassing 20 goals a season (having played his entire career in the low-scoring era of the MLD), and his 12 power play goals places him as the Yowlers' career leader in that statistic among players that did not play in season 1. He was also remarkably durable, never missing a contest during his six season career. His final season was his finest, scoring 21 goals, 40 points, and a terrific +22. He wore #19 throughout his career in honor of his favorite player, Steve Yzerman.

C Kirby Niemenn GP G A PTS

Regular Season 456 69 57 126

Playoffs 27 3 1 4

Another exotic find for the Yowlers, Niemenn was drafted out of a rec league in Yellowknife, NWT. He was long on talent but short on experience, but a sturdy work ethic saw him steadily climb from "project" status to an important part of the Yowlers "goals-by-committe" approach of the last few seasons. Niemenn overcame an early reputation for running around in his own zone to become a steady playmaking center that the team counted on to anchor the third line and 2nd power play unit. He wore #12 throughout his career. Now that his time in the MLD is done, he is returning to his home territory to become an ice-road trucker.

1/9/2009 6:13 PM

yogsloth

Posts: 449 (0)

Hall of Famer

81 1553 1

Rookie

Yowlers Announce Next Wave of Retirements

Season 14 saw the Yowlers struggle during the regular seaons, with a late-season dive costing them the division. The playoffs were a different story, however, as Yorba Linda advanced to the conference final before losing to eventual MLD Champions Hernando. Being that time of year again, however, it's time to bid farewell to a few more fan-favorites:

RW Odie Romu GP G A PTS

Regular Season 592 93 111 204

Playoffs 142 27 26 53

Team MVP from Season 6 Odie Romu retires after an amazing twelve seasons in Yorba Linda. He became a fan favorite very quickly with Yowler fans, as it seemed the team had drafted a bona-fied sniper that improved dramatically every season. His third year in the league he was among the MLD leaders with 28 goals and seemed poised to be the franchise's next dominating offensive leader. While that unfortunately never happened (he never again exceed 13 goals in a season), his all-around game continued to develop and he turned into a valuable two-way forward and dependable playoff performer. Romu wore #21 throughout his career.

LW Peanuts McGuillicuttyGP G A PTS

Regular Season 466 36 87 123

Playoffs 37 7 7 14

Peanuts "Yes that's my real name" McGuillicutty came to the Yowlers from the rolling green hills of Ireland as part of the organization's efforts to find undiscovered talent from around the world. Although never a coach's or fan favorite, Peanuts was known both for his faceoff and defensive skills on the ice and his completely unitelligible dialect off it. He was granted the unusual request of wearing a high number - #66 - in order to help entice him to Southern California. Nobody knows where he's going after life in the MLD as nobody could figure out what he was saying as he packed his gear.

D Scotty Walden GP G A PTS

Regular Season 427 26 169 195

Playoffs 46 0 18 18

Udoubtably the strangest player in Yowlers history, smooth-skating rearguard Scotty Walden leaves Yorba Linda as the second-to-last original Yowler to hang up the skates. Scotty began his career as a dominating puck-mover, racking up over 100 assists in his first three seasons despite missing 50 games with injuries. It was his personality off the ice, however, that always garnered Walden the most attention. Known for his eccentric behavior (putting his shoes on the wrong feet, riding a tricycle to practice, taking home and cooking roadkill, the list goes on and on), Walden never seemed to be able to string a coherent sentence together and barely functioned outside of the rink. He passed every drug test without fail, however. His most outrageous episode certainly came halfway through season six when, before practice one morning, he announced he was going out to grab a magazine. Nothing was heard from Walden for almost seven years, when he mysteriously strolled back into the Yowlers locker room during the pre-season for season 13 with a copy of "People" tucked under his arm. The Yowlers had kept his locker for him the entire time, and he sat down, laced up his skates, and turned in a dominating practice. To this day, he seems completely unaware that he was gone for more than fifteen minutes. Walden is the only Yowler to ever wear #24.

D Randall Passmore GP G A PTS

Regular Season 485 53 110 163

Playoffs 60 4 13 17

Randall "Fido" Passmore came to the Yowlers with a reputation for being a huge (6'4" 235 lbs) physical presence with an affinity for women, metal, and roughing penalties. He delivered on all of the above, but surprised the organization with far more offense than expected as well. A nagging knee injury cost him playing time during several seasons, but he could always be counted on to deliver thunderous hits regardless of the risk of further injury to himself. His final season was by far his finest as he scored 14 goals and reined in his sometimes undisiplined play to limit himself to only 10 PIMs. He wore #37 throughout his career.

3/20/2009 2:30 PM

yogsloth

Posts: 449 (0)

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81 1553 1

Rookie

Yowlers Announce Next Wave of Retirements

Season 15 has come and gone... where does the time go? A brutally disappointing season for the Yowlers, the franchise set records for futility in nearly every catagory. Goals, wins, and points proved to be the most difficult to come by in franchise history as the Yowlers missed the post-season for only the second time ever. What makes it even more difficult to take is that the team iced a largely veteran lineup. Still, the team today says "Bon Voyage" to only two members.

LW Nevin Karrman GP G A PTS

Regular Season 530 49 64 113

Playoffs 52 3 6 9

Karrman, who was accidentally referred to as "Kevin Narrman" at least two-hundred times by coach yog over his career, retires with unfortunately little distinguishment for his MLD career. Consistently mistaken for a snack bar employee, an usher, or a member of the opposing team, Karrman was routinely forgotten by the team as they boarded the team bus or went for pizza after the game. The only person in the organization who seemed to get to know him was the official scorer, as the team has eight years worth of game boxes showing that #28 was, in fact, on the ice. When asked what his plans were after the MLD, we discovered we had accidentally asked the towel boy, so were unable to find out.

LW Javier Moreno GP G A PTS

Regular Season 499 49 74 123

Playoffs 61 10 10 20

Moreno became an instant fan-favorite for the Yowlers' franchise when he was drafted before season 9. A local kid from LA, Javier overcame an impoverished youth spent in East L.A. to become a tireless two-way winger. Blessed with a natural instinct around the net, Moreno also served as a solid checker despite his sleight 5'6" frame. Although he never matched his 14 goals as a rookie, Moreno was one of those players who always seemed to elevate his game during the playoffs, and was a key component in Yorba Linda's season 9 championship. He retires to return to Los Angeles to bring street and ice hockey to the kids in his old neighborhood. He wore #29 throughout his career as a Yowler.

6/2/2009 6:53 PM

yogsloth

Posts: 449 (0)

Hall of Famer

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Rookie

Yowlers re-aquire All-star and fan favorite Kip Fulton

"What a strange trip. What a strange career. What a difference in temperature." These were Fulton's first words after stepping off the plane at John Wayne International Airport upon his re-arrival in sunny Southern California. The day before, Yowlers coach and gm yogsloth dealt minor-league defenseman Sandis Stensson to the Winnipeg Jets to re-acquire the grizzled veteran, traded to the great white north back in season eight.

"Well, after a challenging season last year, and with the increased offense we've seen this season due to the nets being made bigger, we really felt we owed it to our fans to make a real playoff push this season. Obviously, we know Kip very well and we know what he can bring to the table. He'll make a marvelous addition in the playoffs and beyond," said coach yog. "We're giving up a guy in Stensson that has some potential, but after 1½ seasons in North America, the guy still doesn't speak English. Talking to him is a nightmare. I'm not sure even now he understands what's happened to him. All he says is unintelligble gibberish... 'de flim go flip flip flip'... that type of thing. At this point he just didn't fit into our plans, but he's big and strong and there's no doubt he's capable of playing a lot of injury-free minutes. We wish him luck."

The defenseman with the powerful stride and booming slapshot has had a strange career to say the least. After being paired with MLD HOF'er and career scoring leader Sparky Clemons for his first several seasons, Fulton saw his role reduced with the Yowlers and was eventually dealt to Winnipeg for forward Cam Weibe. With the Jets, however, Fulton found himself in the bizarre role of playoff-only player. He played 100 regular-season games with the franchise, spread over six seasons. He struggled every year to try and establish himself with the team, but due to his retirement status (he was acquired after he had already played five full seasons for Yorba Linda), he was never slotted in for a full-time role.

In the playoffs, however, he always regained his dominating form. In 86 playoff games, Fulton had 36 points and was a +22, capturing the MLD Cup in season 15 (to add to his two cups won in Yorba Linda.)

For documentary purposes, readers may be interested to follow the full history of the Fulton trades, as they were very complicated. Essentially, Yorba linda dealt Fulton and a season 10 conditional draft pick to Winnipeg for Weibe (who would go on to score 77 points in 248 games and win a cup with the Yowlers) and a season 9 first round pick.

That pick, D-man Bryan Timperi, was then dealt back to Winnipeg along with a guarantee that the conditional pick would be a first-rounder (previously, it could have been a second-rounder depending on Weibe's games played, although it should be noted that Weibe played enough games where it would have been a first-rounder anyway) and a third round pick before season 11 for Winnipeg's first round pick D-man Walter Schanin. Winnipeg used the third-round pick for D-man Peter Torgmeyer. Then, of course, Fulton was dealt back to Yorba Linda for Stensson.

So, ultimately, the Yowlers received Weibe (who had a workmanlike career), Schanin (currently producing a point-per-game and slotted to be the next Yowlers franchise player), and retained Fulton in exchange for Timperi (who never played in the MLD), Torgmeyer (who had a respectable career), and Stensson.

"It's great to be back," beamed Fulton. "I look forward to winning my 4th cup back in Yorba Linda... most of the faces here have changed, but this is still a franchise, like Winnipeg, that values its players and has a fine winning tradition. I'd like to thank the Jets franchise and the Lacroix family for the chance to play for them and bring a cup to Winnipeg."

Fulton will be assigned to the Anaheim Hills Anacondas on a conditioning assigment and then will be recalled to Yorba Linda. After his recall, defenseman Jarmo Bethere will present Fulton with his familiar #2 Jersey and switch to #14.

6/25/2009 3:56 PM

yogsloth

Posts: 449 (0)

Hall of Famer

81 1553 1

Rookie

Yowlers Announce Season 16 Retirements, including Franchise Player

Another bitterly disappointing season comes to a close for the Yorba Linda Yowlers, as a divison-winning 101 point campaign ended in a listless 6-game loss to the Pontiac Firebirds. This season finds three more Yowlers hanging up the skates, including the third Franchise Player in Yowlers' history.

D Paul Lawton GP G A PTS

Regular Season 757 112 203 315

Playoffs 119 24 29 53

Taking the "C" on your chest in Yorba Linda is always a difficult proposition, as for most Yowlers fans, it will always stand for "Clemons". Defenseman Paul "Bunyon" Lawton became the third man to take on the mantle of Captain/Franchise Player at the beginning of season 14. Originally drafted by the Yowlers to be a strong physical presence, Lawton immediately surprised and delighted the organization with a blistering slap shop that led to a surprising number of goals right from his first season. Six times in his career (played almost entirely in the "dead puck" era) Lawton scored between 13 to 15 goals. Although never a dominating puck mover or playmaker, Lawton never shied from physical contact and earned his FP status not with his offensive talent, but with his ability to shut down opposing top lines. Unfortuantely for Lawton, the Yowlers didn't meet with much post-season success, winning only two playoff rounds in his three years as FP. Lawton hopes to continue his pro hockey career, having recently earned a tryout with HC Davos of the Swiss league. He wore #27 throughout his career. He is a two-time winner of the both the team MVP and "Outstanding Defenseman" awards (both in seasons 14 and 16), as well as "Best Newcomer" in season 5 and "Unsung Hero" in season 8.

RW Donovan Malarchuk GP G A PTS

Regular Season 440 32 69 101

Playoffs 20 0 4 4

The quintessential "warm body", Malarchuk represented the everyman on the Yowlers team for the last six seasons. Recruited out of a Sasketchewan beer league, he never displayed any particular skill or talent. His most notable achievement was his rotund beer belly, which he took every opportunity to display. Always striving to be living proof that absolutely anybody can play pro hockey if you're willing to play for food stamps, Malarchuk finished a dismal -19 during the regular season and very seldom earned any ice time in the playoffs. He wore the non-descript scrub number of 42 throughout his career. Even he realizes he will be swiftly forgotten by MLD fans as soon as they finish reading this paragraph.

C Hal Ranne GP G A PTS

Regular Season 477 64 117 181

Playoffs 28 3 7 10

Swedish pivot Ranne has been an outstanding faceoff man, penalty killer, and team leader for the Yowlers for the last seven seasons. The franchise will definitely miss his skills, as he had risen to a promient level as one of the best shutdown centers in the MLD. His career started slowly - never pencilled in as more than a fourth-liner, through sheer determination and hard work he steadily improved his standing with the team until he finally seized a leading role. Although Ranne struggled with injuries throughout his career (several times being robbed of playoff action), his offensive game actually improved to the point of leading the team in goals in season 14. Ranne wore #20 throughout his career. He also was a two-time winner of the teams "Best Defensive Forward" trophy (seasons 15 and 16) and is the franchise's only two-time winner of the "Most Improved" trophy (seasons 13 and 14).

7/31/2009 1:34 PM

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