The SHL Entry Draft always creates quite the buzz around the league. It is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and dedication, which is all paid off with an announcement, a walk across a stage, and cemented with a hand shake. For many, it is an opportunity to showcase your game at the next level. For all, it is an opportunity to prove to the league and the world that you are deserving of the opportunity. For the Texas Renegades, this draft was no exception. Deener has placed a heavy emphasis on rebuilding and re-branding the team, and for him, that was all going to begin with this draft. It was an opportunity for him to cement his legacy as the Renegades GM, and bring the team back to its former self from only a few seasons ago. The Renegades are a team in transition, and the S25 SHL Entry Draft was the preface in a novel that is yet to be written.

It has been a very busy off-season for the Renegades. Since the end of the S24 playoffs, Deener has been very active trading away players who are on the tail end of their careers, or have expressed an interest in testing the free agent market. His ability to turn older and declining players into future assets has been absolutely astonishing, and has inspired the confidence of his players and other GM’s alike. Not even an hour after the announcement of his retirement, Jordin FourFour, one of the SHL’s most dominant goaltenders and a key piece to Texas championships, was traded to the Minnesota Chiefs, along with a third round pick in S26, for the 12th overall pick in the S25 SHL Entry Draft. The Renegades GM was not done, as he was able to successfully trade this pick to the New England Wolfpack for a first and third round draft pick in the S26 SHL Entry Draft.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the Renegades S25 draftees.

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Originally posted by Deener@Aug 5 2015, 08:20 PM
<div align="center">[b]With the 8th overall pick in the S25 SHL Entry Draft, the Texas Renegades are proud to select... From the Prince George Firebirds..





Travis Kudleychuk! </div>[/b]

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Travis Kudleychuk stands with Renegades management after being being drafted 8th overall.</div>

Travis Kudleychuk, or “Kuddles” as he is affectionately referred to, was a player that the Renegades have had on their radar for quite some time now. Kuddles is a prototypical two-way center that has worked hard to hone his craft over his short time in the SMJHL. He prides himself on his ability to play strong on offense and play even stronger on defense. This was certainly reflected in his stat line, as Kuddles was +3 over the course of the season, and very responsible in his own end of the ice. Although not known for his ability to score, Kuddles is a very proficient passer, whose offensive awareness inevitably makes all of the teammates around him better. Kuddles posted five goals and 25 assists in S24 for the Prince George Firebirds. He is not a slouch in the faceoff circle either. Kuddles posted a face-off win percentage of 53.63%, good enough for best on the team among some other great centers.

Aside from the stat line, what really sets Kudleychuk apart from his draft class is his ever-constant media presence. He is constantly writing articles and earning money at, seemingly, every chance that he gets. He has also gone on to start his own scouting service, which has proved to be a very profitable venture for him. He’s amassed quite the bank account and will only look to bolster that more later on in his career.

Kuddles is a can’t miss prospect, who will certainly make a splash for this young Renegades squad when the time is right. Give him another year or two in the SMJHL, and Travis Kudleychuk will become a household name in no time.

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Originally posted by Deener@Aug 5 2015, 08:27 PM
<div align="center">[b]With the 11th overall pick in the S25 SHL Entry Draft, the Texas Renegades are proud to select... From the Vancouver Whalers...





Geoffrey Allen! </div>[/b]

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Geoffrey Allen donning his Renegades hat after being selected 11th overall.</div>

Geoffrey Allen was one of the guys rated very highly on the Renegades draft board. Rumor has it, if not threatened by another team taking Kudleychuk at #9, the Renegades were planning on taking him at #8 overall. Everything seemed to fall in place for them as they were able to snag both Kudleychuk and Allen in short succession. Allen, by all accounts, is a great player both on and off the ice. He has a very strong locker room presence and projects to be a leader for the Whalers in the coming season. Top 5 in TPE at the time of the draft, Allen was one of the best rookies in the SMJHL in S24 according to the stats. He is a pure scorer, who originally projected to be a playmaker, and has augmented his abilities for the sake of the Vancouver Whalers organization. His play on the ice has been exceptional, finishing in the top 4 for points for rookies, and leading all Whalers rookies with 38 points. He was also integral during the Whalers Four Star Cup run, amassing eight goals and eight assists over the 17 game span. He also contributed three game winning goals, which certainly helped on the Whalers run to the cup.

Allen has been semi-active in the media. He started the season very strongly, garnering quite the bank roll while writing consistent analysis of the Whalers pre-season. He certainly dropped off during the middle of the season as the Whalers play began to suffer. Despite this being , if not the only concern the Renegades have with him, Allen has assured all doubters that his presence in the media will increase.

Geoffrey Allen was a steal at the 11th pick overall, and surely would have been top 5 in draft classes past. His ability to score the puck, alongside Kudleychuk’s ability to win faceoffs and pass the puck, will prove to be a deadly combination for the Renegades in the coming seasons.

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Originally posted by Deener@Aug 5 2015, 09:44 PM
<div align="center">[b]With the 38th overall pick in the S25 SHL Entry Draft, the Texas Renegades are proud to select... From the Colorado Mammoth...





Sergei Volchenkov!</div>[/b]

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Sergei Volchenkov poses with Renegades management after he is selected.</div>

Sergei Volchenkov is a prototypical defensive defenseman. Standing at six feet, six inches tall, and sporting a 245 pound frame, Volchenkov is an imposing figure on the blue line. He's very comfortable in his own end of the ice and is proficient at skating and passing alike. He's very good at knocking players off the puck and sending his teammates up the ice on an outlet pass. Volchenkov spent his entire rookie season with the Vancouver Whalers mostly 3rd pairing minutes. His season was very underwhelming as he was only able to post one goal and 5 assists. He was able, however, to stay positive over the fifty two game season. His real area of strength was in the defensive end of the ice, where he tallied 53 hits as well as 31 blocked shots only averaging 9 minutes per night. Despite his shortcomings, Volchenkov had a great post-season for the Whalers in their Four Star Cup bid. He posted six assists, twenty five assists, and 12 blocked shots and increased his minutes to 14 per game.

Volchenkov is one of the quieter members of the site. Despite not having many posts, he has amassed a decent amount of money, to the tune of $7 million dollars. That may not be enough to get him through the season, but there's no reason to believe that he can't elevate his level of activity to accommodate his needs.

Volchenkov is a player that is low risk with a potential for high reward. He's shown that he can be an active and productive member of a team, but it's going to rely on his wanting to be elite at the next level of competition.

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The Texas Renegades are a team that, while they may be rebuilding, are looking to do it in the quickest and most efficient manner possible. Deener has made it his mission to make sure the team is competitive, and has put the entire league on alert that he is always willing to act in the best interests of the team. That all starts with the S25 SHL Entry Draft and will extend into next season as well. The Renegades are poised to draft well next year as well, with four picks in the first round, the Renegades are doing their best to make sure that their team is stacked from top to bottom well into the future.

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Awesome article! outdid mine by a longshot haha

28 is old you fucking moron

I like this.