Two tough defensemen sign pacts with Fury

Published on July 27, 2004 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, MI.--- With two league titles in the past three seasons and an impressive accomplishment of three crowns over the past five calendar years, the reigning Colonial Cup Champions, the Muskegon Fury of the United Hockey League, continue to build their new roster with designs on the defense of the league's most coveted, crown jewel for the upcoming 2004-05 campaign.

The off-season mission seems to be right on schedule as the reigning kings have advanced another move forward expressly to make a strong bid to retain their royal and regal standing. Today, the Fury Club Owner and Team President Tony Lisman, in collaboration with Director of Hockey Operations / Head Coach Todd Nelson, have announced the signings of two young, rugged, tough defensemen to further fortify a defensive fortress that set an all-time UHL Colonial Cup Playoffs' record for fewest GA in one post-season in Muskegon's inexorable ascent to Colonial Cup III this past May.

Defensemen NOLAN BROWN and newcomer JORDON FLODELL have become the latest two players to agree to terms and affix their respective signatures to the business line of Fury contracts for the 2004-05 UHL season. Adhering to club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

BROWN, 24, will be commencing his first full season with the Fury following a brief but quite impressive stint with the home town team late in the season as he emerged rather prominently in a key cog role for a Muskegon team that climaxed the campaign with a crescendo to the tune of an all-time club record 14-game winning streak. Obtained by the Fury in the fourth round of the UHL annual North American Amateur Draft of March 2004, the rugged, rock-ribbed rearguard from Climax, Saskatchewan stepped off the campus of Mercyhurst College to make a positive pro debut by earning a stellar +7 rating through his team's final five games of the regular season while essaying 5(0-3-3) with 4-PIM.

The 6-1, 210lb mighty, physical specimen sustained his sound and solid effort in the Fury's record-breaking, history-making 11(11-0) playoffs post-season, continuing to skate a regular shift on a Muskegon defensive back line which also shattered the UHL all-time post-season standard for fewest GA at a minuscule 14 in those 11-unblemished games for a GAA of a microscopic 1.26.

Coach Nelson is enthused about the return of his rookie defenseman and likes Brown's future with the Fury. "Nolan keeps it simple. He is an efficient stay-at-home defenseman who possesses a lot of size and grit so he can handle the opposition in the corners quite effectively. In addition, we know that he will offer us strong leadership qualities, especially since he served as team captain at Mercyhurst. He will be a positive influence in our dressing room."

Brown came onto the Fury scene following an outstanding four-year career at Mercyhurst of the Atlantic Hockey Conference. During his career with the Erie, PA school, he helped lead his collegiate squadron to four consecutive 20-victory seasons. In fact, during his career with the Lakers, his team posted a lofty log of 88-49-9 overall and a brilliant (75-20-7) in conference competition. With Brown leading the cavalry charge, Mercyhurst captured three regular season crowns and one second-place finish, along with two conference post-season titles, one runner-up finish and one Final Four appearance. Furthermore, his team achieved two NCAA D-1 playoff appearances.

The second Fury defenseman to sign-in represents the first newcomer to be procured for the new season. FLODELL, 25, will be introduced to Muskegon for the first time in 2004-05, though, actually, it will be his third pro campaign overall. The sturdy, stinging 6-1, 200lb left-hand shooting back end man has been a steady standout in the CHL for the past two seasons with the Tulsa Oilers.

In the 2003-04 season, the Beatty, Saskatchewan native saw action in 59-games, recording 13-points on 2-goals, 11-assists, incurring 111-PIM and registering a +3 rating with the latter output ranking second best on the Tulsa club among the blue line brigade. A paragon of consistency, he also recorded 13-points in his rookie season of 2002-03 with the Oilers in playing all 64-games on 64(6-7-13) with 128-PIM.

Originally, a sixth round choice of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Flodell came in for some high praise from his new head coach. "All of our reports indicate that Jordon will be a big, steady, strong defenseman for us," suggested Nelson. "He moves the puck very well and always makes a good first pass out of his own zone. But, perhaps, what we like the most about Jordon is his grit and all-out determination. He is that top, tough type of guy who is always very willing to stand-up for his teammates and give everything he has to make the team better and make it win!"

Prior to his first two pro seasons in Tulsa, Flodell played for five seasons in major junior ‘A" in the WHL for Moose Jaw, Kamloops and Lethbridge. In the 2000-01 campaign, he played collegiately in the ACAC with Southern Alberta Institute of Technology which has been a rich spawning ground for pro personnel.

With the arrivals of both Brown and Flodell to the Fury defense, a former all-star defenseman of acclaim, himself, "T-Nel" observes that the similar styles of both backline bulwarks can only enhance the fortunes of the Fury. Both Jordon and Nolan share similar styles of play with, perhaps, the only difference being that Jordon has a touch more experience. Both of them will provide us with a calmness and coolness in our own zone that was not always evident last year. They both know how to keep the opposition away from our own net."

Today's signings of defensemen NOLAN BROWN and JORDON FLODELL bring to nine the number of players that Muskegon has inked for the new 2004-05 season with eight of those returning from Colonial Cup III. Previously, the Fury announced the signings of defenseman TYLER PALMER; centers BILLY COLLINS and TODD ROBINSON; right wings ROBIN BOUCHARD, RUSTYN DOLYNY, SCOTT HOLLIS and JASON LAWMASTER.

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from July 27, 2004


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