April 24, 2019
Louis Zatzman

Saturday afternoon marks the opening game of the Ottawa Outlaws 2019 season, and the team is giddy about the opportunity of taking the field. There’s a host of new aspects to the Outlaws this year, but none are as important as some changes at the top. 

For the first time in years, the Outlaws will have multiple full-time coaches for the whole season. The addition is emblematic of the increased resources at Ottawa’s disposal this year. Luke Phelan and DJ Janssen will be co-Head Coaches, splitting their roles into offensive and defensive coordinators. 

“DJ's mind could cover the full gamut of anything that a Frisbee field could throw at it, but he's definitely an offensive guru,” said Phelan. “I've definitely gravitated more towards the defensive side of the disc throughout my playing career and captaining career. I think our skills complement one another pretty well.”

Last year, captains Erik Hunter and Nick Boucher found that duties such as calling lines limited their on-field performance. They will remain captains this year, and Derek Alexander and Karl Loiseau will join them. Phelan and Janssen being onboard will let Ottawa’s players focus on playing. 

“We have a really talented group of captains, and freeing up the captains to be captains and players, and not have to do the coaching role as much, I think that really gives them a lot more freedom to hit their ceiling as players,” said Phelan. 

Ottawa’s stars, Alexander, Alec Arsenault, and Loiseau, should have monster seasons for the Outlaws. They are an offensive triangle that combined for 129 assists and 100 goals in 2018. Only five teams in the AUDL last year rostered three teammates combine for over 100 in both categories. Alexander is one of the league’s best throwers, Arsenault one of its most athletic receivers, and Loiseau one of its most skilled options in both categories. 

“Alec, watching him from his initial tryout when he was a super athletic but completely raw athlete, really, who didn't know much about nuance, to watching him evolve into this dynamic offensive force that he is now, with a reputation in the league, and gets the respect of the team's top matchup, that's been cool to watch. Not at all surprising,” said Phelan.

“Karl’s usually the smartest guy on the team, the most athletically capable… He's an invaluable resource, as well. Any question about any situation on the field, and he's got an opinion on it, and he's always got the right opinion on it.”

“Tough to say something about Derek that hasn't already been said,” said Phelan, before launching into a story about Alexander organizing and leading the team’s off-season workout sessions. The 35-year-old is improbably pacing the team’s fitness goals. 

The three should shoulder the brunt of Ottawa’s offensive responsibilities, but it’s not just the top of the roster that is expected to thrive in 2019 for Ottawa. The Outlaws are a top-to-bottom team who see their depth as a strength. Sophomores like Adam O’Donnell and Greg Ellis will return as offensive linchpins. Paul Mensah is one of the team’s most dynamic defenders. Rookie Braeden Robinson will shine as an out-of-towner, making the trek to Ottawa from Kingston. Everyone will have an opportunity to contribute.

“We expect to see everybody on the field within the first three or four games, barring any injury,” said Phelan. “That's the kind of depth we have across the board…. Clearly, there is a lot of experience at the top of the roster, and a lot of inexperience with a number of new players. It's going to be exciting to see how those guys are going to react to real games, to real pressure, against all the different opponents we're going to face.” 

The chemistry should be there at the start of the season. The team has been spending plenty of time together over the off-season, from practice, to weekly workouts, to getting together to watch Raptors playoff games.

After planning to make the playoffs last season, the Outlaws were disappointed with their season. But they took a step forward from their 2017 year, increasing their win total. One of the Outlaws’ goals this year is to expand further on that progression. Beating the Rush at their home stadium of MNP Park in their home-opener - something the Outlaws have never before done - would be a vital step towards that goal.

More importantly than simple wins or losses is the long-term process in Ottawa. The team is building for the future. That can involve empowering rookies to earn priceless in-game experience early in the season, or it can involve recruiting future stars a decade down the line.

“We want to give our fans reasons to show up, so we want to play really well at home,” said Phelan. “We want to put an entertaining product on the field. We want to make those two-and-a-half-hours that you're in the stand unforgettable. We want to get kids pumped up because the Ottawa Outlaws stars five years from now are probably sitting up there.”

Ottawa’s first game will take place Saturday April 27 at MNP Park Stadium. Whether a future star is in the stands or not, Ottawa will have plenty of stars in Outlaw jerseys to open the season.