With the dawn of another season of FHL hockey upon us, the Bandicoots have been busy assessing the roster and training to make another run at the Furry Cup. Even with rumors flying around and angry fans calling into local furry sports talk shows and FSPIN Radio, the entire organization is optimistic about the prospects for the 2014-15 season. With that being said, the season unofficially started with the FHL Draft, where newcomers and free agents were pooled together for the teams to divide among each other.

With that said, here is how the Bandicoots fared in the draft:


1st Round: Antero Ansikorpi (D, Wolf, Victoria) - The front office has had their eye on this big lupine since he announced he was leaving his native Finland to pursue a career in the FHL. Highly heralded, Antero has struggled to find his own after an All-Star campaign in 2011-12 for Jacksonville, and an attempt to establish himself in Victoria provided solid results, with 10 goals and 17 assists in 42 games. He will be looking to shake off the bitter taste of the Totem Paws' tailspin at the end of last season, though settling in Bridgeport should be easier with fellow Finn and good friend Vesa Turunen.

2nd Round: Rikko Browning (D, Jaguar, Bridgeport) - A stellar finish to the '13-14 campaign and playoffs earned Rikko a contract extension through 2015. It quickly became clear that GM Thomas Renton and the coaching staff wanted to improve a porous defense that allowed 122 goals, and while the addition of Ansikorpi was a hint, the resigning of the feline blueliner made it clear that the 'Coots were looking to build from the goal line out. Rikko's connection with goaltender Saaz Hallertau was also a factor in bringing back for another season.

3rd Round: Rain (C, Wolf, Bridgeport) - Even after a disappointing season (7 G, 14 A, -8 in 39 games), it was head coach Sebastien Giroux who was behind bringing back Rain. "He was a solid performer for us," he said, "even if the numbers didn't show it." The New England native will be asked once again to anchor the second line, and while the decision was made early on not to bring back fellow lupines Aurelio and Viktor Andreev, Rain is optimistic on improving on his stats from the previous season.

4th Round: D.L. Leonine (RW, Lion, Salt Lake City) - A grizzled veteran with a little gray in his mane (though he says he's been trying to take care of that!), D.L. will provide experience to a young core of forwards. His numbers may not be all that impressive as he only scored 7 goals in 41 games, but given that he was part of a potent Killer Bees attack, he was not asked to provide as much. The firepower may not be the same as in Salt Lake City, but D.L. has the skill in the offensive zone to score and set up goals as he pleases.

5th Round: Amora Zeckel Akecheta (G, Avian Wolf, Newfoundland) - 2013-14 was a season that Amora would like to forget. She stood in front of a Beothuks defense that was not very good; a 3.41 GAA was proof of that as she was forced to make a lot of tough saves. While a 9-17-2 record is seen as not too good by many pundits, the front office saw a lot of potential in Akecheta, and she will provide incumbent netminder Saaz Hallertau with a challenge to the No. 1 spot. With some luck and preparation, the Bandicoots hope to have a solid goaltending duo for 2014-15.

6th Round: Manian Di Freeze (RW, Dragon, Rookie) - The lone rookie drafted by the Bandicoots, Di Freeze had a few teams interested in him before the Bandicoots snapped him up. Scouts loved the fact that the draconian winger had a lethal shot that found the target more often than not, and that he could step in and win faceoffs if his center was thrown out. However, Manian's situational awareness left a bit to be desired, which in turn affected his transitional game, but a little coaching should iron that out over the upcoming season.

6th Round (from Baltimore): Kay Malise (D, Polecat, Baltimore) - After trading up to get the last pick of the 6th round, the Bandicoots went with this rugged defenseman who has built up a reputation as one of the league's most feared enforcers. Malise picked up 6 fighting majors last season, and even then, most were reluctant to drop the gloves with this tough, gritty mustelid. But Kay was not a one-dimensional goon, scoring 10 goals from the blue line, and while a -8 rating may not say so, he plays a smart, no-nonsense game that the team can use in the defensive zone.


With the draft concluding, the players soon drew their focus on the World Championships, which is currently in progress. Nine Bandicoots are representing their nations and regions in the tournament, though one very vocal omission from the US Atlantic squad was captain and FHL goal-scoring champion Chris Delucci. After hearing the news, he took to Twitter to voice his "deep disappointment" on not being able to represent his country, adding "If I won five Furry Cups, I would trade them all to win a World Championship for America." There were no crocodile tears from the alligator, who then said that no matter who made it out, he would be rooting for the US all the way from his offseason home in his native Florida. "Don't care who gets it, as long as the gold comes home to the USA." he later tweeted.