# 2017–18 Odense Bulldogs season

The 2017–18 Odense Bulldogs season is the 27th season in the Danish Hockey League since the team was promoted in 1990.
Following a semifinal exit the year before, head coach Peter Johansson left the club along with other star players, such as 16/17 league leading goalie Tadeas Galansky. Two time topscorer Dale Mitchell, was the only foreign player to extend his contract, making it his fourth year in a row as a Bulldog. Bulldogs signed 55-year old Finnish Kari Rauhanen as head coach. But after only ten regular season games, he decided to stop due to "personal matters". The board immediately hired Mikael Gath as new head coach.
Midway through the season, Bulldogs fired star-player Anthony Camara due to unacceptable behaviour.

## Significant events

* September 23: The board presents a financial deficit on 1.5 million DKK.
* October 11: Head coach Kari Rauhanen quits his job for personal reasons, and Mikael Gath was hired as new head coach.
* January 3: Anthony Camara gets fired due to unacceptable behaviour.
* February 12: Goaltender Robin Rahm leaves the club due to illness in near family. Hannu Toivonen signs as new goalie.
* February 27: The board presents that club desperately need one million DKK in one day to avoid bankruptcy.
* March 1: The board successfully reached 1.052.000 DKK before deadline.

## Preseason

The preseason was scheduled for five games, from August 18 to September 1. It should have been six games, but was shortened to five because of a cancel from Gamyo d'Épinal. Odense were supposed to host a four team-tournament between themselves, Rungsted Seier Capital, Eispiraten Crimmitschau and of course Épinal. But the French team did not want to participate anyway, so the tournament was rescheduled to a three team-tournament.
Bulldogs won four out of their five pre-season games. The only loss was against Rødovre Mighty Bulls, where they lost 3–0 on away ice.

### Schedule and results
## Regular season
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 5 | Esbjerg Energy | 50 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 151 | 130 | +21 | 86 | Qualification to Quarter-finals |
| 6 | Rungsted Seier Capital | 50 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 154 | 142 | +12 | 78 | Qualification to Quarter-finals |
| 7 | Odense Bulldogs | 50 | 22 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 141 | 149 | −8 | 77 | Qualification to Play-in |
| 8 | Gentofte Stars | 50 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 108 | 134 | −26 | 70 | Qualification to Play-in |
| 9 | SønderjyskE | 50 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 135 | 143 | −8 | 69 | Qualification to Play-in |

### Schedule and results

The 2017–18 regular season schedule were published on July 5, 2017.
2017–18 Game Log: 22–2–7–19, 77 Points (home: 12–2–4–7; road: 10–0–3–12) :

## Player statistics

Updated 25 January

### Skaters

Regular Season :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Dale Mitchell | 47 | 21 | 33 | 54 | 0 | 73 |
| Søren Nielsen | 45 | 18 | 20 | 38 | +6 | 36 |
| Anthony Camara | 27 | 15 | 22 | 37 | +3 | 114 |
| Rasmus Bjerrum | 46 | 10 | 19 | 29 | –7 | 28 |
| Sebastian Ehlers | 44 | 5 | 21 | 26 | –1 | 16 |
| Jacob Johnston | 48 | 10 | 15 | 25 | –9 | 36 |
| Yannick Vedel | 48 | 13 | 9 | 22 | +2 | 12 |
| Martin Larsen | 48 | 8 | 12 | 20 | +11 | 92 |
| Nick Walters | 48 | 5 | 14 | 19 | +12 | 24 |
| Henrik Nielsen | 39 | 7 | 10 | 17 | +9 | 30 |
| Dylan Walchuk | 48 | 3 | 13 | 16 | –6 | 20 |
| Jonas Hansen | 48 | 5 | 7 | 12 | +2 | 12 |
| Andreas Pedersen | 48 | 1 | 10 | 11 | –6 | 30 |
| Asger Petersen | 40 | 4 | 4 | 8 | +2 | 6 |
| Ned Lukacevic | 8 | 3 | 5 | 8 | +6 | –5 |
| Jamie Lewis | 30 | 1 | 6 | 7 | –1 | 24 |
| Mads Schaarup | 48 | 1 | 6 | 7 | –6 | 45 |
| Nicolai Eriksen | 30 | 2 | 2 | 4 | –2 | 9 |
| Frederik Sørensen | 40 | 2 | 2 | 4 | –8 | 32 |
| Rasmus Knudsen | 23 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| Jakob Wittendorf | 42 | 3 | 0 | 3 | –2 | 2 |
| Lucas Bjerre Rasmussen | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 4 |
| Christian Larsen | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –2 | 10 |

### Goaltenders

Regular Season :
| Player | GP | GAA | SV% |
| Robin Rahm | 45 | 2.45 | .921 |
| Andreas Lauridsen | 3 | 4.81 | .859 |
| Hannu Toivonen | 2 | 5.84 | .821 |

## Player of the Month

* September: Søren Nielsen
* October: Robin Rahm
* November: Dale Mitchell
* December: Yannick Vedel
* January: Robin Rahm
* February: Ned Lukacevic