SF Bulls Inaugural Season - Part 1: On-Ice Accomplishments
April 16, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Francisco Bulls News Release
The SF Bulls' inaugural 2012-13 season was a memorable one, filled with highlights at the Cow Palace and on the road. Below is a list of just some of the accomplishments completed by Pat Curcio's squad in their historic first season.
Playoff-Bound in Year One: Four expansion teams began their tenure in 2012-13, but only the Bulls ended up seeing post-season action. In the Kelly Cup Playoffs, the Bulls stole a win in Alaska in Game 2 to become just the second California-based team in the ECHL (out of seven) to win a playoff game in their first season. Three hard-fought games at home with the Bulls within striking distance at the end of regulation, ultimately resulted in Alaska holding on. It was an exciting end to an amazing season.
A Year of Firsts: With so many rookies in the lineup-a total of 32 played throughout the season-it was a year of first for many Bulls players. A total of 11 players scored their first professional goals with the Bulls. Dean Ouellet was the Bulls' rookie leaders in goals with 24. He bookended the season by scoring the Bulls' first goal in team history in their first game with 3:59 remaining in the first period on October 12 versus the Bakersfield Condors. He then scored the last goal of the season, late in the third period against the Alaska Aces in Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Ouellet also scored the Bulls' first hat trick, netting three goals in a 6-3 win over the Stockton Thunder at the Cow Palace on November 24. Thomas Heemskerk recorded the team's first shutout with a 1-0 win against Alaska in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. He also became the first Bulls player to win a league award, earning Player of the Week honors on November 25.
Epic Opening Night: After a test run with the preseason game on October 3, the Bulls' Opening Night was set for Friday, October 12. No one knew what to expect of the game or how big the crowd would be. Expectations were exceeded from all points of view. A sold out crowd of 8,277 witnessed the return of professional hockey to the Cow Palace. The Bulls mounted a third-period comeback, scoring twice, but ultimately came up just short in a memorable 4-3 loss.
AHL Call-ups: A number of players were recalled and reassigned by AHL and NHL clubs to the Bulls, including Thomas Heemskerk, Taylor Nelson, Mikael Tam, Andrew Crescenzi, Jamie Devane, Daniil Tarasov, Yanni Gourde, Marek Viedensky and Tommy Grant, but four Bulls players also earned their first AHL call-ups this season. Peter Sivak and Sacha Guimond were loaned to the Worcester Sharks. Sivak recorded four goals and one assist in nine games with the Bulls' AHL affiliate. Guimond played in six games, split between Worcester and the Norfolk Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Fort Wayne Komets. Late in the season, Kris Belan made the jump to the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs, where he recorded one assist and seven penalty minutes in eight games. Dean Ouellet earned a tryout with the Hamilton Bulldogs, playing in five games.
Award Winners: The Bulls presented End of Season Awards at Fan Appreciation Night on March 29. Captain Scott Langdon won the Defensive Player of the Year and the Fan Favorite Awards. Defenseman Dylan King won Most Improved Player. Kris Belan was named the Rookie of the Year. Bulls' leading scorer Peter Sivak won the Offensive Player of the Year and Dean Ouellet was named the team's Most Valuable Player.
HP Pavilion Game: With the NHL locked out, the SF Bulls took Bay Area hockey's center stage. The likes of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Theo Peckham, former San Jose Sharks forwards Torrey Mitchell and Ryane Clowe made their presence felt in the Bulls locker room as players or coaches. But perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Lockout was the December 17 game at HP Pavilion at San Jose, home of the Bulls' NHL affiliate, the San Jose Sharks. With nearly 13,000 in attendance, the Bulls and Stockton Thunder entertained the crowd with 10 goals and three fights.
Tickets: Season Ticket and Partial Plan Holders renew your season tickets by June 1 to receive special Bulls merchandise incentives. Season tickets are already on sale for the 2013-14 season. To get your tickets today or find out any information regarding the upgrades to the Cow Palace for Season Two, contact the Bulls office at 855-SF-BULLS.
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