Topeka ScareCrows

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Topeka Scarecrows
CityTopeka, Kansas
LeagueCentral Hockey League
Operated1998–2001
Home arenaLandon Arena
ColorsBlack, 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 there franchise was terminated by the league midseason.

After the professional team disband, the ownership group would then start a new junior hockey team with the same name in the Tier I Junior AUnited States Hockey League playing from 2001-2003. The team was sold and then moved to St. Louis, 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[]

  • November 13, 1997 CHL commits itself to the goal of having a franchise in Topeka for the 1998–1999 season. Co-Founders Arnold Diamond and Ed Levy begin team development beginning in 1996 and making way for team and league expansion.
  • February 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 Landon Arena (seating capacity 7,779).
  • July 20, 1998 Installation of Landon Arena ice equipment is finished.
  • August 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 , 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.
  • October 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 Landon Arena.
  • November 20, 1998 The CHL Topeka Scarecrows earn their first shootout win,4–3, in a game against the Wichita Thunder in the Kansas Coliseum (seating capacity 9,600).
  • 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.
  • October 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, and 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 accepts position as general manager of the United Hockey League expansion club in New Haven (the ). He is replaced by ScareCrows former assistant general manager Doug Miller.
  • October 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.
  • February 20, 2001 The CHL's board of governors 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.
  • February 22, 2001 The Topeka ScareCrows returned to the ice in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 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 Landon 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 Oct 1, 1974
2 Alex Mukhanov D 1999–2000 1 16 Moscow, Russia May 17, 1976
42 L 2000–2001 1 10 Fargo, ND June 20, 1975
R 1999–2000 1 17 Ottawa, ONT January 26, 1977
G 1998–1999 1 2 Thornhill, ONT Oct 2, 1976
6 D 2000–2001 1 14 Soldotna, AK January 24, 1977
10 R 1999–2000 1 151 Tara, ONT May 16, 1975
16 C 1999–2001 2 124 Vancouver, BC May 27, 1975
R 2000–2001 1 8 Virden, MAN May 5, 1977
44 L 2000–2001 1 98 Beamsville, ONT Feb 7, 1970
D 1998–1999 1 6 St. John\'s, NF July 28, 1974
D 1998–1999 1 4 Surrey, BC
40 Brett Seguin C 1998–2000 2 82 St. Mary\'s, ONT February 20, 1972
44 D 1998–1999 1 89 Regina, SASK May 25, 1974
D 1998–1999 1 27 Welland, ONT April 4, 1972
33 L 1998–1999 1 96 Barrie, ONT Jul 3, 1976
9 L 2000–2001 1 0 Winona, MN Aug 9, 1976
23 Chris Felix D 2000–2001 1 100 Bramalea, ONT May 27, 1964
G 1998–1999 1 0 Braintree, MA Feb 7, 1974
6 R 1999–2000 1 60 Rutland, VT September 20, 1975
21 D 2000–2001 1 89 Moncton, NB January 28, 1976
10 C 1999-1999 1 2 Manhattan, KS
29 R 1999–2000 1 7 Sudbury, ONT
D 1998–1999 1 39 Woodstock, ONT Jan 5, 1967
22 L 1999–2001 2 88 Glen Williams, ONT Sep 11, 1976
6 R 1999–2000 1 60 Sudbury, ONT September 16, 1974
G 1999–2001 2 9 Madison, WI June 12, 1977
12 & 14 C 1999–2000 1 31 Brandon, MAN May 26, 1975
7 Grant Bell D 1998-1999 2 12 Aspen, CO
29 D 1998–2000 2 28 Trebic, Czech February 24, 1978
32 F 1999–2000 1 0 Shaunavon, SASK
14 Jason Lafreniere C 1999–2000 1 2 St. Catharines, ONT Jun 12, 1966
27 L 2000–2001 1 151 Medicine Hat, ALTA Jun 12, 1976
11 L 2000–2001 1 43 Owen Sound, ONT May 27, 1974
27 L 1998–2000 2 116 Brantford, ONT Jan 6, 1975
16 R 1998–2000 2 155 Prince Albert, SASK Aug 6, 1976
32 John Gibson D 1999–2000 1 13 Kingston, ONT September 30, 1970
17 W 2000–2001 1 148 Sudbury, ONT May 30, 1974
4 D 1999–2001 2 154 Owen Sound, ONT Nov 2, 1972
19 L 1998–1999 1 16 Gloucester, ONT April 27, 1972
D 1998–1999 1 0 Rochester, MN Aug 4, 1969
D 1999–2000 1 10 Edina, MN April 18, 1974
D 1998–1999 1 75 Brantford, ONT Aug 6, 1971
19 D 1999–2000 1 83 Calgary, ALTA Oct 1, 1973
7 D 1998–2000 2 182 Windsor, ONT Oct 8, 1971
D 2000–2001 1 118 Sudbury, ONT July 13, 1977
33 G 2000–2001 1 17 Toronto, ONT Mar 10, 1975
G 1998–1999 1 0 Valleyfield, PQ November 20, 1977
Marcus Nilsson R 1998–1999 1 2
10 C 2000–2001 1 65 London, ONT Nov 3, 1975
39 G 1998–2000 2 4 Most, Czech Rep. Nov 8, 1977
33 Mike Degurse L 1999–2000 1 15 Amajinnang, ONT Apr 10, 1974
44 D 1999–2000 1 93 Winnipeg, MAN April 16, 1975
D 1998–1999 1 0
28 D 1998–2000 2 127 Milton, ONT April 26, 1975
‡ D 1998–1999 1 Pickering, ONT June 28, 1978
9 F 1998–2000 2 131 Kiev, Ukraine March 15, 1977
R 1998–1999 1 6 Sault Ste. Marie, ONT October 30, 1976
61 L 2000–2001 1 170 Sudbury, ONT Jan 12, 1971
20 R 2000–2001 1 40 Chatham, ONT June 27, 1975
14 Randy Best D 1999–2000 1 12 Woodsbury, MN May 3, 1974
23 Rod Branch G 1998–2000 2 28 Fort St. John, BC April 14, 1975
4 Roy Gray D 1998–1999 1 4 Toronto, ONT April 22, 1976
7 D 2000–2001 1 40 St. Paul, MN May 26, 1977
21 R 2000–2001 1 2 Thunder Bay, ONT Apr 3, 1978
L 1998–1999 1 40 North Vancouver, BC Aug 7, 1975
33 R 1999–2000 1 8 Ottawa, ONT April 18, 1972
C 1998–1999 1 48 Brandon, MAN May 12, 1976
31 G 2000–2001 1 33 Scarborough, ONT Mar 4, 1975
40 G 2000–2001 2 58 Pisek, Czech
11 & 63 D 1999–2001 2 302 Kiev, Ukraine June 25, 1977
47 L 1998–2000 2 59 Lipetski, Russia Dec 1, 1975
12 R 2000–2001 1 103 St. Albert, ALTA Dec 7, 1976
26 R 1998–1999 1 136 Montrose, MI November 13, 1972
77 D 1998–1999 1 123 Anjou, PQ June 23, 1972
D 1998–1999 1 10 Edmonton, ALTA Nov 4, 1975
C 1999–2000 1 99 Gardiner, ME June 21, 1971
D 1999–2000 1 10 St. Jerome, PQ October 30, 1970
24 R 1999–2000 1 86 Harrow, ONT April 29, 1972
R 1998–1999 1 50 Brantford, ONT May 19, 1975
F 1998–1999 1 17 Kincardine, ONT April 26, 1977
G 1998–1999 1 0 Phoenix, AZ March 31, 1976
21 R 1998–2000 2 167 Regina, SASK January 20, 1975
10 L 1998–1999 1 87 Virden, MAN April 4, 1969
9 D 1998–1999 1 0 Addison, IL February 17, 1973
17 W 1999–2000 1 7 Milwaukee, WI October 20, 1978
8 & 25 D 1998–2000 2 10 Pisek, Czech September 22, 1978
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