Fury sign top offensive-minded defenseman
September 1, 2004 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release
MUSKEGON, MI.--- As training camp for their 13th United Hockey League season rapidly approaches, the reigning league Colonial Cup Champions, the Muskegon Fury, are still continuing the task at hand which consists of constructing a formidable roster bent on a return to the circuit's ultimate victory circle, and with it, a successful defense of a league crown that they have now captured in three of the past five calendar years.
In that compelling spirit, the Fury Club Owner and Team President Tony Lisman, in concert with Director of Hockey Operations / Head Coach Todd Nelson, have announced today that standout defenseman KEVIN HAUPT has agreed to terms and inked an one-year pact with Muskegon. Adhering to club policy, terms of the contract deal were not disclosed. With today's signing, Haupt (hopped) becomes the latest newcomer on the Fury's somewhat altered and re-arranged back line.
When the Fury's training camp sessions commence in less than five weeks, HAUPT, 26, will be broaching his sixth pro campaign and his initial one with both the Fury and the UHL. The 6-0, 205 lb swift-skating "blue-linesman" will make his Fury premiere in 2004-05 with some rather lofty credentials which are sure to elevate and otherwise up-grade an already sound and solid Muskegon last line of defense that did set an all-time UHL Colonial Cup Playoffs record last spring when it allowed a minuscule 14-GA in a perfect 11(11-0) mark for a GAA of a microscopic 1.26.
A former standout, stellar star in both the WHL Junior âA' as well as the ECHL, the native of Edmonton, Alberta arrives on west hockeytown titletown after performing in the 2003-04 campaign overseas in Germany with the Hass-furt ERC club. Playing in 23-games there, he authored 9-points through 5-goals, 4-assists along with accruing 8-PIM.
Prior to his one-year stint in the European theatre, the right-hand shooting sparkplug enjoyed significant success in both the ECHL with the Pee Dee Pride and the WCHL with the Fresno Falcons.
Now, Haupt belongs to minor pro hockey's most winning franchise for the past 12-years and Muskegon Coach Nelson is looking forward with much anticipation to watching his newest defenseman in action. "With the retire-ment of Garry Toor, we were faced with the task of filling a void with a similar type player. With the acquisition of Kevin, we feel quite strongly that we have done that; especially for what Kevin will bring to our hockey club. He is very effective on the power play, moves the puck extremely well and is a real strong skater. Having played an outstanding brand of hockey in major junior âA', the ECHL as well in Europe, he has become a very well-rounded defenseman." The fact that Haupt has achieved a major championship in his career has also been noticed by his new coach. "When Portland won the Memorial Cup Championship, Kevin was one of the major keys to his team's great success. He will make good things happen for us as well as with his superior speed he will create a lot of dangerous offense for us. Our fans will really enjoy watching him in action."
Haupt actually was introduced to the pro game in the 1999-00 season following a masterful five-year career in the prestigious WHL with the revered and renowned Portland Winter Hawks where he was a teammate of two present Fury members; namely Todd Robinson and recently-signed goaltender Brent Belecki. In fact, in the 1997-98 cam- paign, he joined both Robinson and Belecki as a principal performer in Portland's resounding rise to the Memorial Cup crown, emblematic of CHL Major Junior âA' supremacy. In that same storybook season, Haupt, once again, was his team's highest scoring member of the blue line brigade, registering 55-points in 65-games on 16-goals, 39-assists while adding 18-more points in 16-playoff contests on 6-goals, 12-assists. Also included in his five-year stint in the Oregon city were three Western Division titles and two Western Conference crowns.
Haupt's five-year career totals in Portland read: 326-games, 52-goals, 153-assists, 205-points.
As far as his overall pro career is concerned, the Western Canadian called the Pee Dee Pride his home for three years from 1999-00 through 2001-02. In the latter campaign, he recorded his most productive output with 61(7-32-39). With Pee Dee is career numbers were 197(28-72-100).
In the 2002-03 season, Haupt moved on to the WCHL Fresno Falcons in the last season of operations for the WCHL before Fresno was assimilated into the expanded ECHL the subsequent year. With the Falcons, in 52-games, he essayed 26-points on 5-goals, 21-assists.
Today's signing of defenseman KEVIN HAUPT bring to 15 the number of players that the Fury have inked to pacts for the upcoming 2004-05 season. Previously, the Fury announced the signings of goaltender BRENT BELECKI; defensemen NOLAN BROWN, JORDON FLODELL, TYLER PALMER and DAVE VAN DRUNEN; centers BILLY COLLINS, JEFF NELSON and TODD ROBINSON; left wings DAVID AMBLER and BRANT BLACKNED; right wings ROBIN BOUCHARD, RUSTYN DOLYNY, SCOTT HOLLIS and JASON LAWMASTER.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from September 1, 2004
- Leading bomber to light lamps in Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- Skorohod Joins Mallards for 2004-05 - Quad City Mallards
- St. Louis Mills Ice Zone to Host Otters Camp - Missouri River Otters
- Fury sign top offensive-minded defenseman - Muskegon Lumberjacks
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