2017–18 Odense Bulldogs season

2017–18 Odense Bulldogs
2017–18 record	22–2–7–19
Home record	12–2–4–7
Road record	10–0–3–12
Goals for	141
Goals against	149
Team information
Coach	Mikael Gath
Assistant coach	Mads True
Captain	Jacob Johnston
Alternate captains	Dale Mitchell, Martin Larsen
Arena	Ret&Råd Fyn Arena
Average attendance	1,240
Team leaders
Goals	Dale Mitchell (21)
Assists	Dale Mitchell (34)
Points	Dale Mitchell (55)
Penalty minutes	Anthony Camara (114)
Plus/minus	Martin Larsen (12)
Goals against average	Robin 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. Bulldogs signed 55-year old Finnish Kari Rauhanen as head coach. 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.

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

Significant events

• September 23: The board presents a financial deficit on 1.5 million DKK.
• October 11: Head coach Kari Rauhanen quits his job for personal reasons, and Mikael Gath was hired as new head coach.
• January 3: Anthony Camara gets fired due to unacceptable behaviour.
• February 12: Goaltender Robin Rahm leaves the club due to illness in near family. Hannu Toivonen signs as new goalie.
• 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. 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.

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

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

Main article: 2017–18 Metal Ligaen season

League table

Pos	Team	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.

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

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

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