Ken Carroll Re-Signs With Bossier-Shreveport

BOSSIER CITY, LA - The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs bolstered their defense on Wednesday with the return of goaltender Ken Carroll and the addition of defenseman Simon Mangos. The 2008-09 Central Hockey League season will be Carroll's eighth in purple and teal, while Mangos will be making his return to North America after two seasons abroad.

"We're getting two experienced players here," Head Coach Scott Muscutt said. "One that we hope will keep Mudbugs hockey on the edge and another that we hope will help grow this program to another level. Both players will be instrumental in our defensive approach to the game."

Carroll returns to the Mudbugs for a ninth professional season to build on his legacy as one of the greatest goaltenders in CHL history. The Oil City, Ontario native holds the all-time league record for career shutouts and needs just three more victories to move into fourth place all-time in CHL goaltender wins. Carroll is Bossier-Shreveport's all-time leading goaltender in games played, wins, and shutouts in both regular season and playoff competition.

"I'm really excited to play another year here. It's a great city with great fans who want us to win, and we want it just as bad as they do," Carroll says. "For me, that itch to keep playing grew bigger and bigger as the summer went on. We just have to focus on getting wins and making progress as the year goes on, because the ultimate goal is the championship."

Last season, Carroll rebounded from an injury-shortened 06-07 campaign with an impressive 17-8-3 record and helped lead the Mudbugs to a CHL record-breaking 1.91 team goals-against average. On December 14th, 2007, Carroll became the all-time CHL leader in career shutouts with a 34-save blanking of the high-powered Colorado Eagles. With five shutouts last year, Carroll's record total sits at 26 entering this season. The 5-10, 175-lb. netminder also teamed with John DeCaro last year to set a league record for consecutive scoreless minutes, going a stretch of 218:57 without allowing a goal in November. Carroll earned back-to-back Sher-Wood CHL Goaltender of the Month awards (for December and January) and also was named Oakley CHL Goaltender of the week twice during the 2007-08 season.

"There's a glitter in Kenny's eye right now that excites me as a coach," Muscutt said. "He's excited, he's working hard and he's going to continue making us a better team. When you've got a goaltender that has been in the top three in this league every season he's been here, that's a great guy to have on your hockey club. "

The 32-year-old Carroll was selected to four consecutive All-Star Games from 2004 to 2007 and has twice won the league's Most Outstanding Goaltender award. He was also named WPHL Rookie of the Year and helped the 'Bugs capture their third consecutive President's Cup Championship in 2001.

Mangos joins the Mudbugs for his fifth professional season out of Ferris State University. The 5-10, 194-lb. defenseman has spent the past two seasons playing for the Manchester Phoenix of the English Elite Ice Hockey League. Appearing in 62 games last year, Mangos registered 12 goals and 31 assists for a career-high total of 43 points to go with 34 penalty minutes. He also scored 15 goals and totaled 39 points the prior season with the Phoenix.

"Simon is a player who's got phenomenal speed, great vision for the game, and a grit that usually doesn't accompany players with those two qualities," said Coach Muscutt.

Before going to England, the Brampton, Ontario native played two seasons in the ECHL, suiting up for Fresno and Texas in 04-05 and Victoria in 05-06. In 134 ECHL games, Mangos totaled 17 goals, 41 assists, 58 points and 74 penalty minutes. At Ferris State, Mangos was a four-year teammate of the Mudbugs' Brett Smith and also played with Jason Basile, Matt York and John DeCaro. The now 28-year-old blueliner played in 153 games over four seasons with the Bulldogs.

"There's an ongoing joke between Simon and I," remarks Muscutt. "I've been talking to him from the time he was still at Ferris State trying to get him down here, and it always ended up that he got a better opportunity somewhere else. Now we laugh because this is his long-awaited debut for this team."

The Mudbugs now have 11 players under contract for the 2008-09 CHL season, which begins on October 17th when 'Bugs host Texas at 7:05 pm at CenturyTel Center.