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Alyxander · 02-26-2021, 01:40 AM

As a new user and the newest addition to the Newfoundland Berserkers, I thought I would take this opportunity to deep dive into not only Samuel Savage, but his role as an Agitator. It isn't the most popular role in the league by any means, and there's plenty of reasons for that. Who doesn't want to be the Crosby's or McDavid's of the SHL? What could be better than being a perennial All-Star, an MVP contender, the leading goal scorer on a great team? Agitators may be the furthest thing from that in hockey, while a Sniper’s greatest games are marked by beautiful hat-tricks and exhilarating game-winners, an Agitators crowning accomplishments are pinning guys to the ice for a second or two longer than they should be allowed to, or talking enough shit until someone gets sick of it and ends up in the box for a high-stick. Before I get too ahead of myself let me introduce you to my first deep dive; The Art of Agitation: An Analysis of Samuel Savage and More.

Agitators are often some of the most divisive players in hockey, if they're on your team, you see them as a warrior willing to do anything for the logo on his jersey, meanwhile the rest of the league hates their guts. If anything, Agitator is actually a nice name for them, most people within the Hockey world, players, coaches, etc., refer to them as “Pests”. Pests aren’t to be confused with Grinders or even Enforcers. While all three of these roles are known for using their physicality to impact the game rather than athleticism or puck skill there are some key differences. With Grinders, there are plenty of similarities with Agitators but the primary distinction is disposition and intent. It’s a total simplification but one could say Grinders are a “chaotic good” role while Agitators can find themselves on the “chaotic evil” end of the spectrum. Grinders and Agitators both share the claim to fame of their work ethic and just general energy output on the ice, what they spend that energy on is typically very different. After making a big play a Grinder will typically put their head down and rush back down the ice to stay involved in the action, while an Agitator will take their time to get in your ear and make sure they don’t let you forget that you got out-played by them. Simply put, Grinders are working class heroes, while Agitators are the perfect sports villains.

Enforcers vs. Agitators is one of the most interesting dichotomies in sports to me, in some ways, they’re two sides of the same coin, occupying an almost identical space, while being complete opposites in the most core values of their play style and personality. George McPhee summed it up well by saying "Pests are really the guys who have no courage. They start stuff and don't back it up." Agitators start stuff, Enforcers end it. Just by the nature of being shitheads, Agitators get involved in fights plenty of times over the course of their careers, but in my opinion, the greatest Pests in hockey history are the ones that avoid dropping the gloves at all costs, the ones that drive their opponents to their breaking points, getting a quick hook to the jaw and then watching from the bench as their team scores the power-play goal. It’s just such typical villain shit. It’s the kid in school who torments you mercilessly, saying anything he can to get under your skin while nobody around you does anything to stop it, and then one day, when you’ve finally had enough, you hit that prick until his nose starts bleeding. You get suspended. He goes to math class. By all accounts, Agitators suck. But as a sports fan and a storyteller at heart, I love them.

This brings me to my player, Samuel Savage. Savage is the newest Pest in the SHL and the final addition to the Newfoundland Berserkers’ roster as the buckle down for a playoff push in a promising season. The start to Samuel’s career has been a mixed bag but overall, really positive. The main blemish being the 2-3 record that NL has had in their 5 games with Samuel in the line-up. However it’s hard to argue that Savage hasn’t been a positive force for the squad as despite only averaging 7:23 on the ice per game, he has already racked up 2 Assists, 3 Hits and a +2 +/- featuring out of his typical Center position as a 4th Line Winger. With such a short history to speak off, I will use the remainder of this article to look ahead to Savage’s future, my goals for him both statistically and story wise.

The easiest way to summarize my dreams for Samuel Savage is this; the ultimate team player. A captain for club and country, an important leader in the locker room. Hated by all except those who share the same jersey as him, it’s truly the greatest compliment a Pest can receive in hockey. Early on I have developed Savage’s defensive and mental stats, he has an incredibly strong defensive stick for such an early game Center, as well as all the ability needed to utilize his 6’3” frame to deliver some crushing hits. However there is one aspect that Samuel has already set himself apart from other Pests with, Passing. Doing all the dirty work for the boys and getting the opposition off their game are the core tenants of Agitation, but having the passing talent to make them pay is how you become the best teammate anyone could want.

Forgive my somewhat scatterbrained declaration of love for the Agitators of hockey but I will try to wrap it all up concisely with this. My vision for Samuel Savage is this, villain to most, hero to some, winner to all. Here’s hoping Samuel Savage will be pissing off your favorite players and drinking cup beers for years to come.

Approved +5 TPE @Alyxander

DeletedAtUserRequest · 02-26-2021, 02:10 AM

+1

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Alyxander · 02-26-2021, 12:22 PM

(forums glitched with this reply, this reply can be deleted)

Alyxander · 02-26-2021, 12:24 PM

(forums glitched with this reply, this reply can be deleted)

Alyxander · 02-26-2021, 12:25 PM

Thank you for the +1 my man!!

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