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***39alaska39*** · 03-12-2021, 10:37 PM

There are always a few underdog stories that stick with you in your mind: Rudy vs being good at football, the 1980 US Men’s Olympic team vs the Soviet Union, and Lebron James against his hairline. In my opinion, the S44 Colorado Raptors 4 Star Cup finalist team is one of those underdog stories that I can’t help but think about. Despite trading almost all of their key veteran players at the trade deadline, the Raptors snuck into the playoffs before beating Montreal and the #1 team in the SMJHL, the Detroit Falcons, in a series that still gives Tig Murphy nightmares. While they would eventually lose in the 4 Star Cup Finals to the St. Louis Scarecrows, they carved their names into Raptors history with the Meme Dream Team. This deep dive is going to be a look at where the members of that team are now and how their careers have gone to this point. Let’s go down the rabbit hole.

First, let’s get some people out of the way right now: Julien Treadway, Xavier Cross, Guy McCool, Eren Yeager, AJ Robertson, Tim Murda, Nate Forsberg, Zach Holt, Aleksandr Aleksandrov, Kjell Spolander (one half of the infamous Spolander brothers from the early S40s), and Rolly Rollerson played their only real stretch of meaningful hockey in the S44 Playoffs and have little of note that occurred with them outside of that playoff run with the Raptors.

First on the list of actual players is Zivan Zidek. A third round pick of the Raptors that year, Zidek would not have a particularly remarkable SHL career after being drafted by the Hamilton Steelhawks and making his debut in S46. Zidek would score just 14 goals and 60 points in 300 games with the Steelhawks. Despite playing just 158 minutes in the entire S51 season, Zidek did win the Challenge Cup with Hamilton and his name was selected as one of those to be engraved. He also won a WJC Gold Medal in S44 with the Czech National Team.

Keegan Angello was a once promising player that connected a few good SMJHL seasons, but he never managed to make that next step to being a legitimate SHL prospect or an elite SMJHL player. After sitting out the entire S45 season, he signed with the Montreal Militia and put together back to back 30+ point seasons. He retired after the S47 season.

Konstantin Voloshin was an extremely promising rookie on that S44 Raptors squad, putting up almost 30 points as a rookie and being selected in the first round of the SHL draft. However, Voloshin wasn’t able to keep making the necessary strides to become a contributing SHL player and he flamed out after two seasons with the Toronto North Stars. Just 10 goals and 19 points in 100 games after a promising rookie season in the SMJHL showed how far Voloshin’s stock had fallen before he retired.

Jakub Novak was another player that showed promise in his rookie year with the Raptors, being selected by the Manhattan Rage in the second round. However, much like Voloshin, he was unable to put things together as a truly elite player in the SHL. Playing just 150 games in New York before being traded to Winnipeg, Novak never broke 25 points in a single season. He was a respectable third line center, but one wonders if Manhattan was hoping for more when he was selected. He would retire after the S50 season and finished with 39 goals and 77 points in 200 total games.

Lillie Jacobs was a player that was acquired by the Raptors at the trade deadline in one of their trades, but was a contributor to the organization. Having won the 4 Star Cup as a rookie with the Vancouver Whalers, the gutted Raptors organization leaned on them as a steady presence who had been there before and knew what it took to win. Another player that was drafted by Manhattan, Jacobs would never score more than 23 points in the SMJHL and never suited up for the Rage, being traded to the Tampa Bay Barracuda before they were called up. Jacobs would finish with just 150 games played in the SHL, scoring 14 goals and 37 points, a generally unremarkable career as a depth player on some very bad Tampa Bay rosters.

Similar to Keegan Angello, Veikka Toivanen was a talented prospect coming into the SMJHL who never fully put it together in order to make it to the next level as a player. Acquired from the Montreal Militia at the trade deadline, Toivanen was expected to be a key player on the young team in the run up to the playoffs, and he was just that. Scoring seven points in 12 games after being acquired, Toivanen was a steady presence on the blueline and was a key player in the Raptors run to the finals. Toivanen wasn’t able to turn that skill set into a position on an SHL roster however, sitting out the S45 season before making a disappointing return with the Raptors in S46 (just one assist in 50 games), he retired.

Nico Wallner was one of the few Raptors veterans who wasn’t traded at the deadline and was an important on-ice figure in mentoring one of the players that has yet to be mentioned. Already in his fourth season with the Raptors in S44, Wallner took a sabbatical from hockey following the season, a sabbatical that lasted two full years until he elected to sign for the Los Angeles Panthers, playing just six games in S47 before being a seventh defenseman for the next five seasons. Wallner would finish his SHL career with just 1 point, a powerplay assist in S49, before retiring after the S52 season.

Hard hitting defenseman Jean-Pierre Gay would turn out to be one of the best players to come out of the S44 Raptors. Playing on the first pairing, Gay would go on to have a seven season career in the SHL split between Hamilton and Texas. He carved out a respectable career stat line despite playing just 15:30 on average per game. Six goals and 63 points may not seem particularly impressive, but when you tack on an average of 101 hits per season, Gay’s career is quite impressive for the role that he played with those two organizations.

Former SMJHL first overall pick Alexander Selich is up next, as a player that has been quite impressive in his SHL career, even after switching from the forward position that he played in the minors to the defensive slot that he plays now. Selich put up 57 points this year, and has been a key contributor on three Challenge Cup Championship winning teams in the S40s and 50s. He has come a long way from being a rookie winger leading his team in scoring in the playoffs to being a steady and stable defenseman for a long time in the SHL. His career has been one of the most impressive among the alumni of the S44 Raptors team.

With just two players remaining to be mentioned, perhaps the two most impressive and important players in the S44 run remain. First, Cassius Darrow. First round pick in the SMJHL, first round pick in the SHL, three-time Challenge Cup Champion, one of the best defensemen in the SHL and he was a rookie on the S44 Raptors team. Second in scoring, first in TOI, first in shots blocked during the run, Darrow was a driving force behind the Raptors run that season. Some might argue that he was the single most important player on that team, and those people would have a fair case, but he has been spectacular in the SHL, and this author, as well as the Raptors organization, couldn’t be prouder of him.

Last but most definitely not least, the name sake of the Raptors Playoff MVP Award, the legend himself, Scottey Crawfling. The Raptors goaltender in S44 put together one of the most absurd playoff runs by a goalie, even if his final stat line doesn’t show it due to the overall struggles of the team in the 4 Star Finals. Crawfling first led the Raptors against the Montreal Militia, posting a .926 save percentage in the first round and being the overwhelming reason why the Raptors were able to get past Montreal. In the conference finals against the powerhouse Detroit Falcons, Crawfling again was massive, posting a .923 save percentage as the Raptors were able to upset the Falcons in seven games, taking the critical games six and seven in back-to-back fashion. Crawfling would go on to start against in the SHL briefly with the Manhattan Rage, before serving as the backup to long term starter Peter Larson. Crawfling was able to reach the pinnacle of the SHL, however, winning the Challenge Cup in S52.

This has been a look back at the S44 Colorado Raptors team that made a surprise run to the 4 Star Cup Finals. Hopefully it hasn’t been too dull and I appreciate the time that you take to read it. The Raptors organization is one that I have a lot of love and respect for, and I hope to expand on this topic some other time in the future.

Word Count: 1545 Words

Approved, +5 TPE @39alaska39

Alex Winters (retired)
Matej Winters (retired)
Dominik Winters
S45 Jesster Trophy Winner
Challenge Cup Winning Goal Club: S52

SlashACM · 03-13-2021, 11:52 AM

@39alaska39 yo what about andrew martin

***39alaska39*** · 03-13-2021, 05:21 PM

03-13-2021, 11:52 AMSlashACM Wrote: @39alaska39 yo what about andrew martin

Amusingly, he had been traded the year prior to Vancouver. Neither GM of the team was actually on the team that year in the finals, despite having a player in the minors.

Alex Winters (retired)
Matej Winters (retired)
Dominik Winters
S45 Jesster Trophy Winner
Challenge Cup Winning Goal Club: S52

SlashACM · 03-13-2021, 08:07 PM

03-13-2021, 05:21 PM39alaska39 Wrote:
03-13-2021, 11:52 AMSlashACM Wrote: @39alaska39 yo what about andrew martin
Amusingly, he had been traded the year prior to Vancouver. Neither GM of the team was actually on the team that year in the finals, despite having a player in the minors.

What??? My only claim to fame was I beat kimmy in the finals

***39alaska39*** · 03-14-2021, 03:41 PM

03-13-2021, 08:07 PMSlashACM Wrote:
03-13-2021, 05:21 PM39alaska39 Wrote: Amusingly, he had been traded the year prior to Vancouver. Neither GM of the team was actually on the team that year in the finals, despite having a player in the minors.

What??? My only claim to fame was I beat kimmy in the finals

Yeah Kimmy was still Co-GM, but was on Vancouver while I was head GM and on STL with you lol

Alex Winters (retired)
Matej Winters (retired)
Dominik Winters
S45 Jesster Trophy Winner
Challenge Cup Winning Goal Club: S52

***hhh81*** · 03-14-2021, 04:06 PM

That legendary team!

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