Alright, it has been a full 6 seasons since I created Richard Physt and we are also coming up upon the same time of year as when I did. In light of this, I felt it appropriate to take a walk down memory lane and how Physt came to be the guy he is today. In late November of 2017, i'm talking like 27th or 28th and was excited to see how many people were here. This draft was popular for making Offensive Defensemen specifically. Hell there was minor outcry that it lacked Centers. It also seemingly lacked a lot of those old, physical, Defensive Defenseman. I'll admit it influenced my decision to make Physt what he is. I still know next to nothing about how to build an effective player and I probably wont figure it out for a few years. I would also welcome GMs and former GMs from that time, as well as guys in the know who may have known about more talk about me than I knew. This will be a journey and I cant wait to know what it is like to be so accomplished. That said, lets dive in to the Beginning of our walk down memory lane.
S38: Welcome Rookie.
Before the draft could even happen I began to feel good and very welcome as @Mike Izzy featured the Richard Physt in one of his pre draft prospect articles. #CAMP-IZZY: S38 Draft Report Legend has it those who are featured usually go on to have a lot of success in the SHL. For some this remains to be seen. The night of the draft I had 3 teams who were fairly interested in drafting me but even I knew I wouldn't go very high due to not really being a high scoring kind of guy. At the time I also had SKATING as my weakness and boy was I dumb about that to be honest and it probably scared off many GMs. Round 1 came and went, with a few friends getting drafted like @ml002 and Cal. Round 2 also blew by with little fanfare for me and I really only started to pay attention when Round 3 was around the corner. Round 3 was my round 1, the highest I could see Physt going in this draft as a relatively unknown farm boy from Saskatchewan and a destined bottom 4 defender. I was particularly excited when the St. Louis Scarecrows, Montreal Militia, and Kelowna Knights as I had wonderful talks with the GMs of each of these teams and felt I would end up with one of these three. As round 4 came and went, I started to get concerned about what I had done. Was I not good enough? Did I make a mistake in building up Physt? Is this going to be a miserable misadventure doomed to end up with a player that I have spent years crafting only to feel let down and left out? Some days I still ask these questions, but it is because these questions, and indeed the quest to be able to saying no to all of these that drives me every day. Honestly @Samee then GM of Kelowna expressed surprise at my still being on the board at Round 5 and with their first pick of the round, picked up the big blueliner.
The excitement I had in just finally being drafted was a wonderful feeling and I began in gusto trying to pull up my socks to join in to make these knights the best they could be. Going into S38 with Kelowna as a whole we were at a cool 170ish TPE, I am not going to count it out or anything like that but this is close enough. S37 was a down year for the Knights, a 7th place finish after the rest of the 30s held wonderful cups and consistent playoff appearances. I knew Physt wouldn't be a HUGE part of the success but I could do something for sure. I would start in the 3rd pairing along side Deku Izuku and spend the whole year there. With 9 fresh rookies, of whom I think only 2 or 3 have actually made it to the SHL being still active. In this lineup it was a young team looking to build. Winning the first 4 straight was a blast and gave many of us hope and even settling into the 1-1 sims over the course of the rest of the early part of the season seemed not too bad. About midway in the season things starting to look bleak as we hit a 5 game skid that prompted GMs Samee and @nour to take action, shuffling lines and looking into bringing in new talent. Whatever they did brought two big back to back shootout wins that got us back on track and after a couple more 1-1 sims, lead to a nice 5 game winning streak that saw serious conversation about finishing second behind the Prince George Firebirds who had broke the bank in a bid to buy a 4 Star Cup. With 7 games left to make it happen the Knights would go 3-3-1 to fall two points short of 2nd place and the 2nd bye giving us a round 1 meeting with the Montreal Militia. The team was 27-16-7 and Physt finished with 8 points, all assists, a -1 +/- 27 pims including 1 fight, 48 hits and 32 shots blocked. Hardly exciting numbers but nothing horrid either.
Going into the playoffs this team felt good and a matchup against a Militia squad who finished the year 3-7 things looked good going into round 1. Things did NOT get off to a hot start for Kelowna losing 3-0 in game 1 at home, and it took overtime to snag a 5-4 win before we could feel good, particularly because Physt would be instrumental in the overtime winner, getting an assist on it, a foreshadowing of Physt's playoff style. The big challenge would be to take back home ice advantage from Montreal. But the Militia had our number beating us 2-1 and then 3-1 in some close, defensive games and sending things back to Kelowna to go on the downswing. This is where I got to learn the joys and pains of PBPs for the first time and really felt alive. In spite of being heavily out shot, Kelowna managed to snag a 2-1 win that breathed much needed life into us. Physt was an even +/- and had 6 hits, being that rough customer to play with for Montreal. Plenty to be excited for in game 6, we knew we still needed a win and wanted everything possible to take it and I myself was more active in this PBP than any yet so far. But 3-2 the game would end and the Montreal Milita would move on to come up against the Detroit Falcons, a rematch from the S37 4 Star Cup finals. That year kind of felt rough as I felt in spite of our young team, we had a great shot at challenging for the cup. I would learn, much like the team in time, that it takes a lot more to snag it.
S39: Meet your SHL team.
Didn't have long to mope though, the S39 SHL draft was on it's way and much like the S38 SMJHL draft, there would be lots of jockeying to be one of the lucky sods who'd go in round 1. I, for the most part, stayed back from this as I knew Physt wasn't worth it. What I did have going for me was attitude. I may not get to 2000 TPE, but I am here every day and love hockey like a second wife. That passion and the drive to be a locker room leader is part of why even I saw myself going at the end of round 1 to beginning of round 2, funny enough, my tpe level to date sees me to about the same place. Looking at things I had done most all of the IP threads and was rather excited to just play somewhere. With Samee, my former GM in Kelowna, now in Seattle I did honestly see myself ending up there as he would show a penchant for nabbing his boys from Kelowna for better or worse. Up until 2 days before said draft things were quiet, and I started to doubt myself again. I stated repeatedly and joked half heartedly that I would likely wind up the last pick in said draft. But that day @Symmetrik spoke to me on Discord and made his intentions clear to draft me as soon as made sense, I figured I'd go toward rounds 2-5. I asked what he planned for and he revealed that, baring West Kendal throwing caution to the wind and taking me 5th, he'd grab me at 8th. I sort of summed it up with "Wow that high for a Defensive Defenseman? I left out the part about feeling like Physt was nowhere close to that but it was cool to hear. He said I was Namedropped by the likes of ml and @Nobody and that it was more about Squally than Physt, though he said I had a great season. I made mention I was a WJC GM and he liked that. So I became the 8th overall pick, sorry that I am going to be a total bust compared to most other 8th overalls boys haha.
S39 Regular season, SMJHL.
Going in with the new found confidence, and being about 235sh TPE I felt Physt might actually be able to be solid, knowing the cap was 350, I also felt confidant hitting that cap before the end of S40. Especially as I would end the season at about 310ish TPE. I also thought this young Knights team could really catch fire going into the fun that would be S39 and cap off the S30s with yet another cup. Only 4 rookies, 2 of which are still active with their current players. I felt we could go far, Physt was also on the up and up being in the TOP 4 with, at first Noah Nørup, before hitting his stride with Sigurd Hansen. Starting with 2 wins felt great like last year especially with them being against Montreal, though dropping the next 3, including being murdered by PGF 8-2 was just torrid. Again mid season we went on a 5 game win streak to be followed by a brutal 6 game losing skid and as we went on we lost more than we won and fell to a 24-21-5 record to fall to 6th spot here. This team seemed like it couldn't catch a break sadly. We were the only team in the playoffs with a negative +/- and it just felt like Simon T was shitting on us. But we were 6th seed and the last two seasons 6th seed has knocked off 3rd seed. I was a little hopeful. Physt also exploded for 2 goals and 22 assist for 24 points TRIPLE his rookie campaign! +10 +/- 56 pims with 1 fight, 81 hits and 39 shots blocked. Big, Physical, and actually useful and this core looked stronger on paper than the season showed.
Playoofs.
So it comes to playoff hockey in the sim world, its 2018, the world is new and I think Simon T is going to bring some magic...yeah no. We didn't get a PBP as the Vancouver Whalers, who were swept in last year's playoffs, found themselves on the other side of that, killing the Knights in 4. Man I was pissed. What happened?! This team isn't THAT bad is it? Turned out I had a bit of an inflated sense of the team and we weren't QUITE where we needed to be. Physt quickly found himself back at home on the 3rd pair with Izuku and 2 assists, 11 hits, and one shot blocked is not a horrible showing, in spite of the scores. That team gave up 19 goals in 4 games, over 5 against per. Oof. Not much to say so far about it. This team seemed so much better on paper than Simon T and the SMJHL gave credit for.
S40: The New ways meet the Old ways.
Again I must begin during the S39 Offseason, another year as a co GM in the WJC and also a rare time when Symm actually reached out to me past contracts. With the Toronto North Stars not having their S41 first rounder, Symm informed me of his intention to attempt to contend for a playoff spot in S41 and asked if I would come up. Being the team orientated kind of guy I am, and being able to compare myself to the crop of inactive defenders that were on the S39 and S40 North Stars in the bottom 4, I reasoned that I would be the 4th defenseman and agreed. I informed Nour that S40 would be my last and be prepared to use me as he saw fit, weather it would be to trade me if the team suffered, or at least be ready to replace me one I went up. He was understanding and happy to have me aboard one last time.
The regular season began and as usual we started off with 2 straight wins Starting with a 4-3 win over Prince George that saw Physt first fight Doug Dimmadome and then take part in a Line brawl, squaring off against Jamie Bryan in two draws on the night. To say Physt was mad about the way the S39 playoffs ended is an understatement. Of course we would lose the next two against Colorado just to stay even. Followed by a 5 game win streak, not bad so far. Early on we won more than we lost, however we soon settled into a 1-1 level for a fair bit of the season after our 7-2 start. With 14 games left, we hit our stride. 9 straight wins, 9! We were on FIRE! sure St. Louis would beat us the next two after that but we'd close out those 14 with a 12-2 run to end 1st rather easily including capping the season off with a commanding 5-0 win over then 2nd overall St. Louis Scarecrows. 34-16-0 to top the table and nab that 1st round bye. 2 goals, 16 assists for 18 points, a down year I know, a massive +14 though with 5 fights, 76 hits and 48 shots blocked. That is textbook Physt right there.
Playoffs, ah the playoffs, we had to wait to see who we wanted....well I don't remember who we wanted to be honest. But we quickly found out that it was those Colorado Mammoths who beat the Halifax Raiders in 5 games. Games begin and....we lose 4-3 in OT, what a ball buster. But being outshot 20-6 in one period is pretty crazy. We did win the next 2 5-4 and 4-3. For a team that did so well Colorado is determined not to be counted out and rightfully so. In that 4-3 win the Knights exploded in the second getting all 4 goals. With Cash Savage opening up the game's scoring and right after that, faceoff, Colorado attacks, Izuku steals, sends it to Physt who hits the blueline and blasts it in to quickly knot it up at 1s. Game 4 is make or break for the Mammoths and they need a win. they get it 4-3. its a 3 game series and each team needs 2. Critical game 5, winner is in the driver seat and it goes to overtime. 2-2 is the score and we just besieged Colorado 14-2 and got the win, credit to James Dekens for the OT winner. Series is back the favor of the Knights. Game 6 is what it is for now and again, close game boys and girls, 5-4 is the score. The Kelowna Knights are going to the 4 Star Cup finals baby year. Six game series was a challenge but this is when we felt like this was OUR cup. Now on to see who we have in the finals. ALL the way from the 1st round without a bye its the Detroit Falcons who beat Montreal in 6 and defending champion St. Louis in 5 stunning games. Game one in Kelowna, how tough is this going to be? Probably 4-3 right? Wait 5-1? what's this? Oh Detroit got outshot 36-18. Yeah that'll do it. Physt was quiet but the win instilled confidence. Game 2 in Kelowna and we sure could use a win to show our dominance and make life rough for the Falcons. Physt with the key role in a game where we were getting shots but not doing much scoring yet. An early 4-0 lead shows just how miss matched the Detroit Falcons seem as well as the 38-17 shot difference. 4-3 was the score so a bit of a scare for the Kelowna Knights. Game 3 is in Detroit where they need to show some life in the series with a win and to say that home ice is still theirs. Credit where it is due they actually out shot Kelowna 29-27 but Sebastian Primeu was NOT on his game making 9 saves on 14 shots and being pulled. AA would come in and let in another for a commanding 6-3 win and 3-0 series lead for the Kelowna Knights going into game 4. Physt did pick up an assist but it was overshadowed by the rest of that game. First period of game 4 has Kelowna out shooting Detroit 13-7 but the Falcons are up 1-0. Second period shows 9-5 shots in favor of the Knights in green and a 22-12 difference but a 2-1 score for those Falcons, fighting off elimination for now. 3rd is trucking along and there isn't much to say other than that Detroit is playing possibly their last period of hockey and have cranked the pressure to 11. 11 might be too high as Mikhail Lokitonov ties it up midway through ad when all is said and done the Falcons will out shoot Kelowna 12-6 that period. James Dekens will cap it off and bring the cup to Kelowna in a sexy 4 game sweep. Wow, a cup, we FINALLY won something massive and are truly great.
Onward and upward, I may have been capped at 350 but to go up for the SHL i'd have to break the bank and whip out my next form 530ish TPE on the up and up. Join me next time for The Evolution of Physt 2.
3207 words that are ready for some DRASTIC grading boys.
10-07-2018, 01:11 AM(This post was last modified: 10-07-2018, 01:14 AM by DeletedAtUserRequest.)
Id pop in here and there and notice that there wasnt allot of SHL chatter in Kelowna the first few seasons after EJ and Jenny... but Richard Physt brought that pure SIM enthusiasm back to the green and gold... Players in that LR began to focus on there TPE and winning games and it was the beggining of the Kelowna dyansty we now see today...and you were a big part of that. I knew when you were sitting at 235 tpe that i had to bring you in to Austria.
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