The Legacy of the Toledo Scorpions

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The Legacy of the Toledo Scorpions

 

Despite being a franchise for only 15 VHLM seasons (S2-S16) before their move to Bern, the original Toledo Scorpions are still deeply rooted in the early story of the VHL whether it be through the franchise continuation of the Las Vegas Aces or the three Hall-of-Famers and many champions that rose through the ranks to hockey superstardom from humble beginnings rooted in the Spanish club. Toledo was one of the VHLM’s earliest success stories as they made the playoffs 7 of their first 9 seasons and became the third team in history (following the Ottawa Ice Dogs and the Gothenburg Eagles) to win two Founder’s Cups which the Scorpions earned in S5 and S9. We’re going to take a brief look at the legacy of those championship-winning Scorpion teams and some of the players that led the way.

 

S5

Although not much is known about the early VHLM teams, the S5 Scorpions were a balanced team and led by Bourque Trophy (Top Defenseman) winner Hugh Rection and playoff MVP goalie Dominik Stryker. Rection posted a 30-goal, 106-point regular season from the blueline and Stryker went 8-1-0 with a 1.33 GAA and 0.935 SV% in the playoffs to lead the way for Toledo. They were joined by forwards Ned Louvencourt and Anton Razov, defensemen Drew Michaud and late pick up, Gunnar-Rune Rorvik. Stryker would go on to be drafted 2^nd overall by Helsinki in the S6 draft and subsequently lead the Titans to their first ever Continental Cup that season. Rorvik would play another season with Toledo before being drafted 6^th overall in S7 by Seattle and eventually become the VHL’s 7^th member of the Triple Gold Club when he finished his six-year career by winning the Continental Cup with the Bears in S12. Louvencourt would also play six seasons in the VHL while Razov and Michaud would be the only other members of that S5 Founder’s Cup team to play more than one VHL season with two each.

 

S9

When looking at Toledo’s Founder’s Cup winning roster from S9, there’s an instant difference from the S5 team – name recognition. The S9 Scorpions were led by future Hall-of-Famers winger Zach Arce @Arceand goaltender Benoit Devereux @Cowboy, two-time leading VHLM goal and point-scorer and S9 regular season MVP Tyler Vassell, and S9 top defenseman and assist leader James Platts. This team was also the top team in the league with an astounding 65-7-0 record. Vassell’s then record-setting 123 goals and 204 points led an offensive juggernaut to go along with Devereux’s 1.64 GAA and 9 shutouts.

 

 

Devereux would go on the next season to become the first goalie to win VHL rookie of the year honors and also be named Top Goalie. He would win two Continental Cups with Davos along with playoff MVP in S11 during a decorated career. Arce would take a couple seasons to duplicate his VHLM 111-point rate in the VHL but he did in S12 and S13 leading the VHL both times with 125 and 133 points also earning MVP both seasons. He would also win three Continental Cups in a short but brilliant five-season career.     

 

Despite every member of that S9 Scorpions team getting drafted by VHL teams at some point, only six players besides Devereux and Arce would make it to the big league and only three, Vassell, Platts and center Nicholas Miller would play more than one season. Miller, a 7^th OV S10 Vasteras draft pick have the most success of the three with 334 points in 288 games and 35 points in 39 playoffs games winning a Continental Cup in S15 with Helsinki. Platts would score 192 points in 210 games earning a Cup with Devereux and Scorpions’ alumni Sebastien Perrin @Seabass with Davos in S11. Vassell would struggle to maintain his astronomical VHLM numbers producing only 188 points in 288 games.

 

@ke1vi

 

Unfortunately, S10 would be the last time Toledo would make the playoffs before the move to Bern. But, other former Scorpions would also go on to have success in the VHL such as those who played in the final season in Toledo like future HOFer Markus Strauss @gregreg (S17 Cup winner) and defenseman Jordan Berglund (S20 Cup winner). First rounders including two-time Cup winner Fayt Leingod @scoop (S13, S17), Greg Eagleowski @Greg_Di (S18) and Xavier Martinez @BluObieZ (570 points in 492 games) would also have great success but they would be among the last players to be able to say they played for the Toledo Scorpions.

Edited November 11 by animal74