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Digging Up Greatness: How the Raptors S75 Championship Squad was Built - Jayba1t - 04-22-2025 One year ago today, the S75 Colorado Raptors cemented themselves into franchise, and league history. Now let's tell their story. *technically it was actually 1 year and 1 month ago, but I just thought of this yesterday and insisted that I should write about it anyways. Need to celebrate greatness. Going into S75, the Raptors were feeling hopeful about their chances to contend with the top teams in the SMJHL. They began to emerge from a rebuild, ready to make some noise and put the league on watch. The Raptors had been under new management with @NYR73 and @Takk806 after the previous one stepped down a season prior (good riddance). With a new pack of Dinos built up, it was time to unleash Jurassic Park onto the other teams and cities in the J.  To put it shortly, Colorado had a phenomenal regular season. Led by standout performances from their star-studded first line, Shadow Fenix, Jussi Mutou and Xavier Beausoleil, as well as waves and waves of depth, including Brandon Gilleyes, Leonard Wood, Pinli Switchbang, Brooklyn Physt, Herman Stahl, and on and on I could name, the Raptors won 44 games in S75. That was good for a .674 win percentage and 3rd place in the league. Offense, offense, offense was the story as a combined 320 team goals was the highest scoring season in franchise history. Shadow Fenix had himself perhaps the greatest individual Raptor performance all-time, with a whopping 101 points centering the first line. And the others were no slouches either, with 6 forwards all scoring above a point per game pace. Imagine seeing that the top scoring Raptor line come off, just for the "depth" that was 70 point scorers now staring you down. Scary! Now it was time for the playoffs. Colorado had a quite a run of success in the FHM era. Out of 34 seasons played in the "FHM GM era", they only had 10 seasons going below a .500 win percentage. This was highlighted by a run of 14 consecutive winning seasons, spanning from S54 to S67, that had three GMs behind the wheel, NONAME, LordBirdman, Jumbobone. However, despite all the regular season success, the elusive Four Star Cup was still on the minds of Raptors and fans alike. It had been 48 seasons (as of S75) since the Raptors last championship. To put that in perspective, the Raptors last won the cup in S27, which occurred in April of 2016! Wowzers. It had been almost 8 whole IRL years since any Raptors player had gotten to touch the cup. To put that into even more perspective, I was like probably 10 back in 2016, or as NYR likes to say I wasn't even born yet. Scary stuff. This iteration of the squad kept that at the back of their mind. Just one season ago, they had cruised through the first three rounds, knocking opponents out in 5 and 6 games. Then came the Detroit Falcons. After battling to the end, giving everything they had, blood, sweat and tears, they had just fallen short. One game. Detroit took Game 7, and it was total heartbreak across the land of Dinosaurs. They were oh so close, but the relatively inexperience showed. The Raptors last finals appearance was all the way back in S50, and they had just missed the playoffs in S73. So while a tough loss to take, it was a good opportunity to learn. For their outstanding regular season showing the Raptors earned themselves a bye. They dealt with Carolina in 6, number 1 seed in the league Quebec in 6, and finally Newfoundland in 5. They did it. After 48 seasons, the Raptors had finally brought the championship back home to Colorado. And with it came the fame, the glory, the everything. A shriek, no, a roar of pure, raw emotion reverberated through inGen arena as the seconds ticked down, and once the buzzer hit, it was tears, hugs, high-fives, screams of joy. THIS team had finally ended a decades long drought, and had shown themselves to be resilient in the face of adversity. No matter how painful, or how close it could have been in S74, they did it. And all of Dinoland, current Raptors, former Raptors, fans, could have a team that they truly, truly felt proud about.    I wasn't on the team for this run but did manage a few seasons prior, so I was curious to see how the roster was built, and if I had any part in it (hopefully minimal if none at all). Let's see how the S75 roster was built, and where each player was acquired from. We'll start from highest TPE first. [S73] RW - Xavier Beausoleil (425 TPE) @Takk806 Acquired via: Draft, S72, 1st overall GM: Jaybait Would you look at that! It's yours truly here. Wow. So, looking back to my perspective. "It was the S72 draft and Colorado had just won the draft lottery through St. Louis. For the first time in 20 seasons, we had a 1st overall pick, and I was determined to find the next franchise cornerstone. This was an opportunity of a lifetime for me, and I needed to capitalize on this pick to kick start the Raptors rebuild I'd just sent us into. So, after various scouting conversations, I really enjoyed talking to Beausoleil. He was a tall, strong power forward who also had the qualities of a future leader and captain. After we talked, I knew he was the one, to start it all off." Beausoleil lived up to that billing throughout all four seasons as a Raptor. He had a 73 point rookie season and didn't look back from there. He improved season-on-season, and capped it off with an 30 goal, 89 point season playing alongside two other offensive powerhouses we will mention shortly. And not to gloss over the fact that he averaged over 200 hits a season. Did I cook with this pick? Maybe. [S73] LW - Jussi Mutou (425 TPE) @ThisSeemsFishy Acquired via: Draft, S72, 19th overall GM: Jaybait Wow again! What on earth is happening? A second Jaybait mention. Cue the flashback! "With one forward drafted already, I figured we might as well try and find a player we can pair with Beausoleil during their time here. *Jussi Mutou walks in.* Him, I want him. Mutou was an offensive-minded winger who I saw potential just gushing out of him. I think he also went a bit underrated in the draft, but when he was still there at 19th we immediately made the call. Mutou's scoring talent would be amazing to pair alongside our power forward we just grabbed 1st overall. If we were going to succeed, it would be off the backs of Mutou and his new teammate Beausoleil." Mutou and Beausoleil immediately hit it off as he too recorded an impressive 74 point rookie season, and kept getting better, maxing out at 94 points at the end. The combination of Beausoleil's strength, and Mutou's speed made for a coach's wet dream. Offense just oozing out of these two, and Mutou did his part with being a shot machine. A 1-2 punch that could punish if defenses were napping. Did I cook with this pick? Ok yeah it was a pretty good one, need some self glaze there. [S73] LD - Valerija Serapin (425 TPE) @Will3 Acquired via: Draft, 41st overall GM: Jaybait A third? This must be AI generated. "After initiating a team-wide firesale that blew up the previous core, we had loaded up with picks galore for the S72 draft. Our final pick was a 3rd, but at this point the remaining players available had dwindled down. I took a look at my notes and noticed a defenseman that had seemingly flown under the radar of GMs by that point, especially as some were passing. Serapin was a tall, lanky defenseman who could do a serviceable job at that. My scouts weren't sure if he could produce at the J level, but he would fit the mold of a 6/7 D." Looks like my intelligence turned out to be about right, as Serapin actually found ways to chip in offensively, as he managed four straight seasons with 30 points, a respectable number. And of course, he was rock-solid on defense. His long range and tall frame were particularly useful for takeaways and blocks.  [S73] RD - Brooklyn Physt (425 TPE) @CptSquall Acquired via: Trade from KEL GM: NYR73 Wait another S73? Jaybait strikes again? Wait never mind. Also I'm not NYR unfortunately so I'll have to just talk about the moves from my perspective here.  Physt was drafted by the Kelowna Knights, but as Colorado looked to gear up following a heartbreaking loss, they acquired defenseman Physt from the Knights for right wing James MacAvoy, a Colorado S76 4th round selection and an Anchorage S76 4th round selection. Physt filled a gaping hole in the roster for the Raptors. They needed a defender who could quarterback the offense and power play, while also have defensively responsible play on their own end. And Physt fit the bill perfectly, as she scored 21 goals and had 65 points in S75, along with 113 blocks and 119 hits while also playing crucial minutes in all situations. But wait! I signed James MacAvoy, and the S76 ANC 4th came from a S74 YUM 3rd that I got for trading away Grisha Uskjal. So technically, I played a part here too. (bro thinks he's on the team) [S74] RW - Leonard Wood (425 TPE) @MuNk22 Acquired via: Draft, S73, 45th overall GM: NYR73 Alright, now as we move away from the S73s this is totally NYR's ship. And my oh my, was his first draft an absolute banger. Just looking at the list of players, he picked up Leonard Wood in the 4th round of the draft. He was a high-flying winger that was creative and crafty on offense, not afraid to get into a tussle with opponents. Again, with a player like this as long as the defense was passable, teams would be happy. Wood would go on and play an important role on the 2nd line in S75. 26 goals, 45 assists and 71 points, combined with 259 shots and 185 hits? You bet he was high-flying, and with the threat of being crushed by him, Wood be a second wave of terror teams would have to play against. Beausoleil is coming off the ice? Great, well now you have Wood to deal with. Any team's nightmare. The guy with 89 points isn't playing? Well the guy with only, ONLY, 71 is. GGs. Might I even say Leonard Wood was the steal of the draft, great work from NYR and crew. [S74] C - Shadow Fenix (425 TPE) @ShadowFenix Acquired via: Draft, S73, 31st overall GM: NYR73 Backtracking a round here but it looks like NYR opted for a very similar strategy to me in S72. Find your menacing power forward, and pair him with a playmaking visionary center. This center would turn out to be Shadow Fenix, and like his predecessor Mutou, he too would also have a notable rookie season. 32 goals and 71 points, while directly earning the coaches trust with power play time. In S75 Fenix would be elevated onto the first line, centering Beausoleil and Mutou. Both were already talented offensively, and Beausoleil would provide the bang, but why not just stack that line with a third otherworldly player to create a nearly unstoppable three headed monster. This worked out very well in everyone's favor, as Fenix would go on to have a 101 point season, behind 45 goals and 56 assists. Again, NYR getting mindboggling value for his later round picks.  [S74] LW - Brandon Gilleyes (425 TPE) @Mysterious_Fish Acquired via: Draft, S73, 59th overall GM: NYR73 Alright this is getting ridiculous now. NYR just pulling picks out of his pocket like it's nothing. The last notable Raptors player in my memory has to be, funny enough, me, and I'm notable for all the wrong reasons. But NYR has his NYR magic, as he is of course the draft whisperer. Another pick, another offensive winger. Who could have seen this coming? But of course, the winger actually has to reach that potential to be a player in the league in the first place. Gilleyes just did that. He leveraged his quick feet and smooth strides to get to open spots on the ice, and used that empty space to send pucks home. Obviously he was no slouch at passing either, with a 36 goal, 41 assist, 77 point season on the second line. On the SECOND line? You might be able to see why this team was so dominant. The first line with 80 point scorers switches out with the second line with measly 70 point scorers. Woof. Good luck.  [S74] G - Tanner Pitts (422 TPE) @TannerPitts Acquired via: Draft, S73, 39th overall GM: NYR73 There's more? Why am I even surprised. With one of multiple (Multiple!) thirds, the Raptors took goaltender Tanner Pitts. He was slated to become the #1 for seasons to come behind the pipes in Dinoland. Honestly I have no clue how goalies are scouted but I assume their blocker, rebound control, reflexes, handling shots low, etc. is important. Tanner Pitts checked all of those boxes. With no competition he got starter reps in his first season but with the acquisition of another (to be mentioned soon!) the Raptors were able to lighten his workload in S75 after two seasons of playing around 50 games. In 40 games played Pitts recorded a 3.42 GAA, .894 save percentage but a 70 goalie rating. Maybe team defense was lacking a bit when he was in net. Either way though the team they could count on him to keep them in games.  It is worth nothing that one of the reasons that Colorado had an obscene amount of picks to begin with is because this pick was acquired for Oliver Castillon back in my day. Not taking credit, but just saying :zoomeyes: [S74] LD - Napoleon Dinklage (401 TPE) @christopolees Acquired via: Draft, S73, 41st overall GM: NYR73 LMAOOOOOOO sorry got to act professional here - With the third of the multiple (Multiple!) thirds, the Raptors took left defenseman Napoleon Dinklage. I'd like to say there's some sort of strategy when it comes to drafting but when you have apparently 21 picks in the same draft who cares. Just pick! And that's what NYR and team did. Dinklage turned out to be a reliable second-pairing defenseman, and developed a more refined offensive skillset after a few seasons as well.  He was primarily utilized on the penalty kill and tough D-zone matchups, but with the ability like Dinklage did to shutdown lethal offenses, that was his calling. The smaller defenseman recorded a stellar 4.38 TA/GA, 116 hits and 62 hits for the Raptors in S75. And anything else aside from his defensive prowess would be a bonus, as seen with 26 points. Nice touch. But wait? Multiple thirds? A third third? No! That means.. This was also one of the picks I got, back in my day when we hosted that firesale, in exchange for Scary Jerry! Wow am I the GOAT or what (just kidding I'm still the worst GM in COL history) [S74] RD - Oranj Konhe (399 TPE) @Esso2264 Acquired via: Draft, S73, 17th overall GM: NYR73 Another draft pick. But to be fair, this was Colorado's own second. And they grabbed a small but skilled and mature two-way defenseman in Oranj Konhe. Despite not standing very tall, he wholeheartedly made up for it with his efforts on the ice. Konhe routinely logged the most minutes out of any Raptor game in and game out, and was used in all situations, like his partner Brooklyn Physt. Their perfectly balanced as all things should be two-way play was naturally complemented each other, since one could go hard on the rush and would have the peace of mind that the other would be watching out for them behind. Konhe especially had high levels of hockey intellect and put up a 44 assist, 51 point season from the blueline. His shot volume wasn't as high, but by deferring to a teammate he'd rack up helpers. [S75] C - Pinli Switchbang (350 TPE) @leviadan Acquired via: Draft, S74, 3rd overall GM: NYR73 Finallyyyyy. We aren't talking the S73 draft. What an unbelieveable haul for one draft. With Colorado's top selection in S74 they opted for center Pinli Switchbang. The smallest player on the team made himself known on the scoresheet with a point-per-game season exactly, a solid showing for a sophomore. He would center the second line with Gilleyes and Wood on his flank, and combined with the all-star first line, would cause relentless pressure for over two-thirds of the game. I'd hate to play these guys if I were an opponent. Switchbang was also a player with very high hockey intellect, and used that to his advantage to sneak into open ice. He'd make accurate passes across the rink, and whenever he needed, he could receive the puck and snap it onto net right away. Switchbang added another level of bang onto the team that added so much depth beyond the headlining stars. [S75] RW - Andrade La Sombra (350 TPE) @Akoustique Acquired via: Draft, S74, 17th overall GM: NYR73 Hit picks after hit picks, it's like NYR doesn't know when to stop. Crazy to think that now we're talking about players on the third line, which La Sombra played right wing on. In lesser minutes, only averaging 16 a game, he too almost put up a point-per-game season. Like how even is this possible. La Sombra was a two-way forward who worked hard on his 200-foot game. Although nothing particularly stood out from the draft, he molded himself into an effective supporting contributor, and was so, so close to becoming the 7th raptor to attain a 66 point season. La Sombra also played with one of the rookies on the team, but no problem for him as he still crushed his matchups. Now imagine you're the opposing lineup who got to avoid the 80-point first line and 70-point second line. It's your lucky day! Nope you still have a 60-point winger to deal with. Absurd.  [S75] LD - Trent Wiseman (350 TPE) @Canadian_Goose25 Acquired via: Waivers GM: NYR73 ALERT ALERT finally someone not drafted. Wiseman missed the registration deadline for the SMJHL draft in S74, but luckily NYR and scouts kept a close eye on him. They successfully picked him up on waivers and right off the bat he was slotted into the third D pairing. He quickly fit into the team's rhythm. The tall defenseman also wasn't afraid of getting physical when he needed to, with 121 blocks and 119 hits in S75, so much so that Wiseman frequently found himself in the penalty box. But, not to worry as playing in a depth role did require him to make himself noticed. Getting rough and rowdy was an easy way to earn the respect of teammates he was standing up for, as well as drawing the coaches' attention. The addition of Wiseman was perfect timing as he starting practicing with the team right before the regular season. [S75] G - Herman Stahl (339 TPE) @Zema [S75] C - Charlie Slurpe (336 TPE) @Serpe x 13 Both acquired via: Trade from STL GM: NYR73 Colorado made their own picks for the entirety of the S74 draft, but wanting to capitalize on the current young core they had brewing, NYR and Takk elected to trade for some more S74s. The Scarecrows were offering up some talent and the Raptors decided to jump straight on that offer. They acquired goalie Herman Stahl and center Charlie Slurpe for Supreme Dalek, two S75 thirds, one from the Raptors and the other from the Kraken, and a S75 fourth. And let me say, what a haul here. Knowing that the S74 crew had a lot going for them in quantity and quality, the Raptors jump on some more developed S75 players to supplement them.  With the trade, this gave Colorado more breathing room to schedule their goalie starts. Stahl would be the second half of the platoon, as he would split the starts in 1A/1B fashion with Colorado's other tendy Tanner Pitts. The platoon was the play, as a well-rested Stahl posted a 2.34 GAA and .915 save percentage behind a rock solid team defense. Goalie ratings liked his game too, rating him at 72. In 34 games played he also managed 3 shutouts, and although wins is somewhat of a useless stat, went 27-3-0 in net, which has to be impressive even if the stat itself isn't great. Slurpe was a playmaking center through and through. He had an extraordinary pass that he knew how to thread through the toughest of gaps and could hold his own on defense. Slurpe had himself a 56 point season, and for playing a third line with 16 minutes a night that's more than you could ask for. He was also the most proficient on the team in the faceoff dot, winning 54.6 percent of draws. He centered fellow S75 draftee La Sombra, who was on the wing, and together, they provided Colorado with ANOTHER layer of depth that was not their second line. Just waves and waves of offense crashing over and over.  [S76] LW - Nathangus McExplosion (246 TPE) @micool132 Acquired via: Draft, S75, 13th overall GM: NYR73 Ah, look who it is. Relative? Friend? (sorry my bad Micool not sure if McExplosion and McFife are related) of the fabled Angus McFife XVIII (who is gonna win the cup), a Raptors D legend from the late S50s, McExplosion looked to be a balanced and versatile player who could do it all on offense. His sturdy frame meant he would also provide bursts of physicality. Definitely could hit whenever he felt like it. So now, the Raptors have an Explosion to combine with a Switchbang. What do you get when you combine a bang with an explosion? You get a banger, and that's exactly what the S75 Raptors team was. Left, right, up, down. Offense, goals, assists, scoring. Dread it, run from it, the Raptors offense arrives all the same. NYR73 and Takk dropped an ABSOLUTE Banger on all of us. McExplosion put up the least points among all forwards, with a "measly" 47 as a rookie. So yeah, this Raptors squad was particularly vicious. S75 was a very encouraging start for the rookie winger, especially with McExplosion getting exposure to a winning culture. Speaking of winning, Nathangus McExplosion is gonna win the cup. [S76] RD - Chuff D'Lee @CreHuf8 Acquired via: Draft, S75, 27th overall GM: NYR73 And at least, we have reached the final player, and the most "recent" addition onto this championship roster. Chuff D'Lee, right defenseman was taken with the 27th overall pick. He was touted as a safe, steady, stay-at-home defenseman. D'Lee's solid range allowed him to use his stick effectively to defend, but he also was good at physically forcing opponents off pucks if needed. D'Lee wasn't a big factor in the Raptors offense but 25 points was a good amount for a rookie defenseman. He fit in nicely on the third pairing with Wiseman and played a quiet but effective game. Every great team also needs a great supporting cast, and D'Lee's sound play benefitted the Raptors offense big time. PHEW. Now, we're finally done with that, so let's see what the results come out to be. GM Directly Acquired by: Jaybait 3/17 NYR 14/17 Method Acquired via: Draft 13/17 Trade 3/17 Waivers 1/17 NYR and Takk really killed it in the draft, with I think six players alone coming from the S73 SMJHL draft. The craziest part of all of this is that you may have noticed that the 1ST ROUND pick was not even mentioned here. Unfortunately due to some other circumstances, Nick Kodiak struggled with progression and couldn't become a mainstay in the Raptors lineup. He was released after two seasons, because the Raptors roster was brimming with active players. Now, think, on top of their SIX draftees, they could have had a seventh elite franchise player as well. And despite that, they still crushed it anyways. Flabbergasting thoughts. However, drafts will never be 100% certain and despite the 1st rounder not hitting at all the Raptors were still cruising. Don't think NYR will have too many regrets. You can wipe a lot of the tears away with your new shiny cup. The trades for Physt, Stahl and Slurpe also proved to be critical additions, as they filled in key rosters spots while providing a comfortable layer of depth for the coaches to play.  The team was built with phenomenal foresight and vision. Again, the first line had 80-100 point scorers. The second had 70. The third "only" had 60. In games this was translate to relentless offensive zone pressure. Other teams just could not even for a SECOND take their eyes off the game when playing Colorado. They couldn't afford to. Any minor gaffe or blunder would almost certainly be punished, as the Raptors were also lurking, ready to pounce and hunt. The D-core was balanced and steady, from top to bottom players knew their role in halting the opponents' offense, while supercharging theirs. And of course between the pipes the platoon kept both goalies well-rested. Once again, just brilliant work from both GMs here.     Jaybait also killed it with a grand total of three players that he brought in (LETS GOOOOOOOO). I'd say two of them were and are still pretty good though. Both have also served as Raptors GM too. And Jaybait left a somewhat of lasting impact, of the good kind, with his vision of the firesale. The surplus of picks, especially thirds, acquired in previous seasons, also was a solid move in hindsight, as it provided Colorado with more draft capital they could go out and use on more impact players. And that would result important contributors like Pitts, Dinklage and Physt playing meaningful games for the franchise.  And in graph format, comparing Colorado rosters over the years. You'll never guess which season I ran the Raptors in by looking at the methods of acquisition.      The other graph is just there to make me feel good. I was a part of the team! And it looks like some of the moves I made did have an impact. @Takk806 @ThisSeemsFishy are some of the greatest to put on a Raptors jersey. So, after 48 seasons of heartbreak, near-misses, rebuilds, and everything in between, the Raptors finally broke through and won their first championship since S27. It wasn't just a victory for them though, as decades of Raptors legends, role-players, all-stars, franchise cornerstones, past players and fans could now rest easy as they saw the cup hoisted. This win was a testament to Colorado's resilience and patience. The team believed in themselves, and pushed forward, no matter if it was a Game 7 finals loss, or just getting blown out and eliminated from playoff contention. S75 was like a season no other. It wasn't just a season of storied success, no, it was the culmination of DECADES and IRL YEARS of grit, passion, dedication, perseverance and hope. And with astute management behind the wheel, Colorado managed to jump over that last obstacle by developing a team through homegrown talent, making timely trades and signing under-the-radar waiver claims. They say hard work pays off. The Raptors had worked hard for many, many seasons, and they finally all saw their efforts pay off, everyone of the past and everyone here today.  No individual in a pack wins alone. Because, when one Raptor soars, we all rise. And, oh did we rise, above the noise, above the doubts, above the pains, above the pressure, above the chaos. After 48 seasons, we didn't just show up to play. We rose to the occasion, played our hearts out and brought home the Four Star championship.     RE: Digging Up Greatness: How the Raptors S75 Championship Squad was Built - micool132 - 04-22-2025 what a squad that was to end the drought. very proud to have been part of it and great media jay! RE: Digging Up Greatness: How the Raptors S75 Championship Squad was Built - ShadowFenix - 04-22-2025 This roster was absolutely stacked. I don't see a single weakness haha. Everyone was active in the LR too, it was hard to keep up with the conversation sometimes because there was so much of it. RE: Digging Up Greatness: How the Raptors S75 Championship Squad was Built - CptSquall - 04-22-2025 The epic memories flooding back. What a time to be alive it was. RE: Digging Up Greatness: How the Raptors S75 Championship Squad was Built - MuNk22 - 04-22-2025 The greatest Raptors team of all time. Great article! RE: Digging Up Greatness: How the Raptors S75 Championship Squad was Built - Akoustique - 04-23-2025 I'll never forget the hype for the championship win. I had to keep myself reserved because I was visiting family at the time of the sim, but to see the elation in that locker room that season was a magical moment I was delighted to be a part of. RE: Digging Up Greatness: How the Raptors S75 Championship Squad was Built - leviadan - 04-23-2025 awesome group of people that got a well deserved cup RE: Digging Up Greatness: How the Raptors S75 Championship Squad was Built - Serpe x 13 - 04-25-2025 Great article, one of the most fun teams I've been apart of in my SMJHL careers! Rap bros for life