Topeka Scarecrows

Topeka Scarecrows
City:	Topeka, Kansas
League:	Central Hockey League
Founded:	1998
Operated:	1998–2001
Home Arena:	Landon Arena
Colors:	Black, Red, Yellow

The Topeka Scarecrows were a professional ice hockey team located in Topeka, Kansas, playing their home games at Landon Arena. The team was a member of the Central Hockey League from their founding in 1998 until 2001 when they were sold. The team would then become the Topeka Scarecrows of the Tier 1 Junior A United States Hockey League playing from 2001-2003.

The team was then sold and moved to Chesterfield, Missouri and became the St. Louis Heartland Eagles.

Facts

Founded: 1998-1999 season

Arena: Landon Arena (capacity 7,777)

Uniform colors: black, red, and yellow

Local Media: Topeka Capital-Journal

History/Milestones

• Nov. 13, 1997 CHL commits itself to the goal of having a franchise in Topeka for the 1998-1999 season.

• Feb. 23, 1998 Shawnee County commissioners sign a contract with Flying Cross Check, L.C.C., the company that will own and operate the CHL expansion team. The five-year pact has options for two three-year extensions.

• April 30, 1998 The Topeka ScareCrows unveil their nickname and logo.

• June 10, 1998 Construction begins on the ice installation at La(o)ndon Arena (seating capacity 14,000).

• July 20, 1998 Installation of La(o)ndon Arena ice equipment is finished.

• Aug. 6, 1998 The Topeka ScareCrows pick their first 10 players in the Central Hockey League expansion draft, then execute the franchise's first trade to secure the rights to left wing Doug Lawrence, a six-year veteran who, should he sign, would come to Topeka from the Tulsa Oilers.

• September 1, 1998 Haywire, the mascot for the Topeka Scarecrows is born.

• Oct. 16, 1998 The CHL Topeka Scarecrows play their first game ever in a sold out Landon Arena (capacity 7,777), a 7-3 loss to the Wichita Thunder.

• November 6, 1998 The CHL Topeka Scarecrows win their first game, a 4-3 triumph over the San Antonio Iguanas at La(o)ndon Arena.

• November 20, 1998 The CHL Topeka Scarecrows earn their first shootout win,4-3, in a game against the Wichita Thunder in the Wichita ThunderDome/ now Ice Center (seating capacity 15,000).

• December 20, 1998 The CHL Topeka Scarecrows beat the San Antonio Iguanas 5-4 to end an eight-game losing streak.

• January 19, 1999 Brett Seguin is the first Topeka Scarecrow to play in CHL All-Star game.

• February 3, 1999 Rod Branch records the first shutout in CHL Topeka Scarecrows history.

• March 18, 1999 Brett Seguin records the first hat trick in CHL Topeka Scarecrows history, against the Wichita Thunder in a 4-0 win.

• April 10, 1999 The Topeka ScareCrows end their season after losing in the first round of their first-ever Central Hockey League playoff appearance after three one-sided games against the Oklahoma City Blazers. Before going three-and-out in the playoffs, the ScareCrows finished the last half of the season with a winning record. Topeka was 18-16-1 from January through the end of the regular season after posting a 10-22-3 mark from October through December. They finished with a 28-38-4 record and averaged 4,793 fans a game.

• Oct. 15, 1999 The CHL Topeka Scarecrows begin their second season in a 3-1 loss against the San Antonio Iguanas, in front of a La(o)ndon Arena crowd of 7,156.

• January 25, 2000 Brett Seguin, John Vary and Bill Monkman are selected to play in the CHL all-star game.

• April 2, 2000 The CHL Topeka ScareCrows' second Central Hockey League season ends with a 35-27-8 record, with eight shootout losses, just 3 points short of making the playoffs. They finished third in attendance, averaging 4,991 fans a game.

• May 3, 2000 Topeka ScareCrows general manager Chris Presson accepts position as general manager of the United Hockey League expansion club in New Haven (the New Haven Hurricanes). He is replaced by ScareCrows former assistant general manager Doug Miller.

• Oct. 13, 2000 The CHL Topeka Scarecrows begin their third and final season at home against the Wichita Thunder 3-2 in a shootout at Landon Arena in front of 4,789 fans.

• Feb 20, 2001 The CHL's decides to terminate the Topeka Scarecrows season with 21 games remaining—10 of which were scheduled for Landon Arena. Saying that the ScareCrows and the Border City Bandits, of Texarkana, Texas, "breached multiple financial obligations under their sanction agreements with the CHL," the Indianapolis-based league terminated the participation of both franchises for the remainder of the 2001 season.

• Feb. 22, 2001 The Topeka ScareCrows returned to the ice in Tulsa, Okla., ending a 13-day layoff that included three days in limbo following their suspension Tuesday from the Central Hockey League, with the help of a temporary restraining order issued in Shawnee County District Court on February 16, 2001 that blocked the league from ending the ScareCrows' season.

• March 8, 2001 U.S. District Judge Sam Crow filed an 18-page ruling in which he denies the Central Hockey League's request to lift a temporary restraining order keeping the ScareCrows on the ice.

• March 29, 2001 The ScareCrows' end their third and final home season at La(o)ndon Arena with a 4-1 loss to the Wichita Thunder.

• April 10, 2001 The CHL ScareCrows end the franchise's three-year history as a minor-league professional program by ending their best-of-five Central Hockey League playoff series in a 5-3 loss to San Antonio in front of 2,121 fans. The Iguanas' victory, which the visitors claimed with a three-goal third period that wiped out a 3-2 deficit, gave San Antonio a 3-1 series victory and advanced the Texans to the Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City.

Season-by-season records

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Season	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Playoffs
1998-99	70	28	38	4	60	189	251	1584	4th, Western	Lost in Round 1
1999-00	70	35	27	8	78	245	243	1533	5th, Western	Out of Playoffs
2000–01	69	38	23	8	84	256	245	1533	3rd, West	Lost in Round 1

All-Time Roster

#	Player Name	Pos	Seasons	Yrs	Games Played	Birthplace	Birthdate
2	Alex Motley	C	1998–1999	1	25	Pleasanton, CA	1/10/1974
2	Alex Mukhanov	D	1999–2000	1	16	Moscow, Russia	5/17/1976
	Andre Quesnel	R	1999–2000	1	17	Ottawa, ONT	1/26/1977
	Andy Adams	G	1998–1999	1	2	Thornhill, ONT	2/10/1976
6	Anthony Zurfluh	D	2000–2001	1	14	Soldotna, AK	1/24/1977
10	Bill Monkman	R	1999–2000	1	151	Tara, ONT	5/16/1975
16	Blair Manning	C	1999–2001	2	124	Vancouver, BC	5/27/1975
	Blake Sheane	R	2000–2001	1	8	Virden, MAN	5/5/1977
44	Bob Berg	L	2000–2001	1	98	Beamsville, ONT	7/2/1970
	Bob Pardy	D	1998–1999	1	6	St. John\'s, NF	7/28/1974
	Brad Klyn	D	1998–1999	1	4	Surrey, BC
40	Brett Seguin	C	1998–2000	2	82	St. Mary\'s, ONT	2/20/1972
44	Chad Antonishyn	D	1998–1999	1	89	Regina, SASK	5/25/1974
	Chris Belanger	D	1998–1999	1	27	Welland, ONT	4/4/1972
33	Chris Bowen	L	1998–1999	1	96	Barrie, ONT	3/7/1976
9	Chris Burke	L	2000–2001	1	0	Winona, MN	9/8/1976
23	Chris Felix	D	2000–2001	1	100	Bramalea, ONT	5/27/1964
	Chris King	G	1998–1999	1	0	Braintree, MA	7/2/1974
21	Chris Maillet	D	2000–2001	1	89	Moncton, NB	1/28/1976
29	Dale Lafrance	R	1999–2000	1	7	Sudbury, ONT
	Dave Gregory	D	1998–1999	1	39	Woodstock, ONT	5/1/1967
22	David \"Duke\" Bouskill	L	1999–2001	2	88	Glen Williams, ONT	11/9/1976
6	Gary Coupal	R	1999–2000	1	60	Sudbury, ONT	9/16/1974
12 & 14	Grady Manson	C	1999–2000	1	31	Brandon, MAN	5/26/1975
29	Jan Melichar	D	1998–2000	2	28	Trebic, Czech	2/24/1978
32	Jason Girodat	F	1999–2000	1	0	Shaunavon, SASK
14	Jason Lafreniere	C	1999–2000	1	2	St. Catharines, ONT	12/6/1966
27	Jay Hern	L	2000–2001	1	151	Medicine Hat, ALTA	12/6/1976
11	Jeff Goldie	L	2000–2001	1	43	Owen Sound, ONT	5/27/1974
27	Joe Coombs	L	1998–2000	2	116	Brantford, ONT	6/1/1975
16	Joey Beaudry	R	1998–2000	2	155	Prince Albert, SASK	6/8/1976
32	John Gibson	D	1999–2000	1	13	Kingston, ONT	9/30/1970
17	John McCabe	W	2000–2001	1	148	Sudbury, ONT	5/30/1974
4	John Vary	D	1999–2001	2	154	Owen Sound, ONT	2/11/1972
19	Jordan Shields	L	1998–1999	1	16	Gloucester, ONT	4/27/1972
	Ken Eddy	D	1998–1999	1	0	Rochester, MN	4/8/1969
	Kevin Fricke	D	1999–2000	1	10	Edina, MN	4/18/1974
	Kevin Lune	D	1998–1999	1	75	Brantford, ONT	6/8/1971
19	Kirk LLano	D	1999–2000	1	83	Calgary, ALTA	1/10/1973
7	Kyle Haviland	D	1998–2000	2	182	Windsor, ONT	8/10/1971
	Lannie McCabe	D	2000–2001	1	118	Sudbury, ONT	7/13/1977
33	Luciano Caravaggio	G	2000–2001	1	17	Toronto, ONT	10/3/1975
	Marco Emond	G	1998–1999	1	0	Valleyfield, PQ	11/20/1977
	Marcus Nilsson	R	1998–1999	1	2
10	Mark Edmundson	C	2000–2001	1	65	London, ONT	3/11/1975
39	Michal Podolka	G	1998–2000	2	4	Most, Czech Rep.	8/11/1977
33	Mike Degurse	L	1999–2000	1	15	Amajinnang, ONT	10/4/1974
44	Mike Hiebert	D	1999–2000	1	93	Winnipeg, MAN	4/16/1975
	Mike Migen	D	1998–1999	1	0
28	Mike Rusk	D	1998–2000	2	127	Milton, ONT	4/26/1975
	Mike Tilson‡	D	1998–1999	1		Pickering, ONT	6/28/1978
9	Oleg Tsirkounov	F	1998–2000	2	131	Kiev, Ukraine	3/15/1977
	Paul Godfrey	R	1998–1999	1	6	Sault Ste. Marie, ONT	10/30/1976
61	Paul Strand	L	2000–2001	1	170	Sudbury, ONT	12/1/1971
20	Peter Brearley	R	2000–2001	1	40	Chatham, ONT	6/27/1975
14	Randy Best	D	1999–2000	1	12	Woodsbury, MN	3/5/1974
23	Rod Branch	G	1998–2000	2	28	Fort St. John, BC	4/14/1975
4	Roy Gray	D	1998–1999	1	4	Toronto, ONT	4/22/1976
7	Ryan Hartung	D	2000–2001	1	40	St. Paul, MN	5/26/1977
21	Ryan McCormack	R	2000–2001	1	2	Thunder Bay, ONT	3/4/1978
	Ryan Phillips	L	1998–1999	1	40	North Vancouver, BC	7/8/1975
33	Scot Bell	R	1999–2000	1	8	Ottawa, ONT	4/18/1972
	Scott Dickson	C	1998–1999	1	48	Brandon, MAN	12/5/1976
31	Scott Hay	G	2000–2001	1	33	Scarborough, ONT	4/3/1975
11 & 63	Sergei Deschevy	D	1999–2001	2	302	Kiev, Ukraine	6/25/1977
47	Sergei Olympiev	L	1998–2000	2	59	Lipetski, Russia	1/12/1975
12	Shawn Gervais	R	2000–2001	1	103	St. Albert, ALTA	7/12/1976
26	Shawn Randall	R	1998–1999	1	136	Montrose, MI	11/13/1972
77	Stephane Desjardins	D	1998–1999	1	123	Anjou, PQ	6/23/1972
	Steve Adams	D	1998–1999	1	10	Edmonton, ALTA	4/11/1975
	Steve Moore	C	1999–2000	1	99	Gardiner, ME	6/21/1971
	Sylvain Thibeault	D	1999–2000	1	10	St. Jerome, PQ	10/30/1970
24	Tom Gomes	R	1999–2000	1	86	Harrow, ONT	4/29/1972
	Tom Stewart	R	1998–1999	1	50	Brantford, ONT	5/19/1975
	Travis Riggin	F	1998–1999	1	17	Kincardine, ONT	4/26/1977
	Travis Sinden	G	1998–1999	1	0	Phoenix, AZ	3/31/1976
21	Trevor Hanas	R	1998–2000	2	167	Regina, SASK	1/20/1975
10	Troy Frederick	L	1998–1999	1	87	Virden, MAN	4/4/1969
9	Virgil Rutili	D	1998–1999	1	0	Addison, IL	2/17/1973
17	Yuri Moscevsky	W	1999–2000	1	7	Milwaukee, WI	10/20/1978
8 & 25	Zbynek Neckar	D	1998–2000	2	10	Pisek, Czech	9/22/1978