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***hotdog*** · 04-17-2019, 07:09 PM

(word count: 1550 plus some research i think although i admittedly dont know how that part works, x2 draft week double media)

Congratulations to Emeka Valentine-Okoli (@ProjectSaint) for being selected by the Colorado Raptors with the 29th overall pick in the S47 SMJHL entry draft. As the 29th overall pick in last season's S46 SMJHL entry draft, I am uniquely qualified here to provide advice specific to this draft position. just kidding obviously, it doesn't matter. i will, however, take this opportunity to investigate previous 29th overall picks and see how they panned out, both short- and long-term.

S46: Eko van Otter - LW - Anchorage Armada
Rookie stats: 6 G, 9 A, +4, 48 HIT
2nd year stats: probably some good ones i hope
SHL Draft: 9th overall (+20)
Current TPE: 343

This one is me so I'm not gonna talk about myself. Although maybe I should, to drive up the word count? Nah, I won't. Instead I'll just talk about how I'm not gonna talk about myself, that'll drive up the word count.

IMPORTANT COOL THING ALERT THAT I NOTICED HALFWAY THROUGH WRITING THIS
EMEKA VALENTINE-OKOLI = EVO
EKO VAN OTTER = EVO!!!

EVO29 CREW FOREVER LFG
EMEKA YOU'RE MY GUY NOW

back to our regularly scheduled programming, sorry i just got really excited at that

S45: Monkey D Luffy - C - Lethbridge Lions
Rookie stats: 15 G, 16 A, -4, 6 PPP, 56 HIT, 49% FO
2nd year stats: 17 G, 21 A, +12, 9 PPP, 55 HIT, 50% FO
SHL Draft: 4th overall (+25)
Current TPE: 548

Luffy is certainly a standout here, rising 25 slots from SMJHL draft to SHL draft, in which he was selected 4th overall by Buffalo. Luffy excelled right from the start pretty much, putting together a 31 point rookie campaign, and has shown no signs of letting up in recent activity. Notable, too, is that Monkey and van Otter makes two seasons in a row in which the 29th pick was a player with three names, one of which is an animal, who wound up getting drafted much higher in the SHL draft. Luffy noted his "strict diet of chicken and potatoes" early in his career and its possible a good chunk of his success owes to this offseason preparation. Valentine-Okoli will do well to follow Luffy in terms of activity. @TnlAstatine any special advice for our newest member of the #29crew?

S44: Marshal Ray - C - Montreal Militia
Rookie stats: DNP
2nd year stats: DNP
SHL Draft: Undrafted (f)
Current TPE: 166

Quite a change of pace here moving from the Otterman and the Monkeyman to the biggest bust (not the good kind) possible. Marshal Ray is a long-forgotten center drafted by Montreal. Ray never saw the SMJHL official roster and never logged even a minute of ice time. He got one update in, at least, so he rests in peace at 166 TPE instead of 155. Valentine-Okoli has already posted more on the site than Marshal Ray so no matter how his career pans out, it can't be as bad as Ray's

S43: Maurice Amin - LW - Anchorage Armada
Rookie stats: 4 G, 13 A, -8, 4 PPP, 22 HIT
2nd year stats: DNP
SHL Draft: Undrafted (f)
Current TPE: 209

Amin got off to a promising start on the ice in his rookie campaign as a playmaking winger, notching 13 assists and 17 points. Unfortunately, Amin seemed to get knocked off course somewhere near the end of his rookie season, as he was neither drafted into the SHL nor included on an SMJHL roster the following season. Amin once said he was always into soccer, citing his Brazilian roots, so maybe that sweet round ball pulled him away from the ice. We'll likely never know. What we do know is his assessment that "I’m going to be the best playmaker this league has ever seen" seems to be a bit off base.

S42: Mason Hudson - LW - Montreal Militia
Rookie stats: 8 G, 7 A, -2, 16 HIT
2nd Year stats: 15 G, 21 A, +8, 11 PPP, 31 HIT
SHL Draft: 27th overall (+2)
Current TPE: 407

Hudson is sort of a middle case here. The winger comes from a SHL HOF pedigree and comes from wealth (over $70M in the bank), but the fact that he fell to 29th overall in the J draft and 27th in the SHL draft indicates that GMs were probably not expecting Hudson to follow in the HOF footsteps. Regardless, Hudson got off to a solid start in the first two years, totaling 15 and 36 points respectively. That trajectory stalled, however, as Hudson has ceased to improve. Hudson is still a reliable contributor for the Militia, totaling 33 points in S46 for Montreal, but at this point, he's looking like an SMJHL lifer.

S41: Pingy Pingu - RW - Detroit Falcons
Rookie stats: 11 G, 12 A, +16, 7 PPP, 63 HIT
2nd year stats: 11 G, 13 A, +1, 10 PPP, 37 HIT, 203 Oogles, 182 Boogles
SHL Draft: 20th overall (+9)
Current TPE: 346 (officially retired)

OOGLEY BOOGLEY O YA GRAB THE PINTO BEANS OOGLEY BOOGLEY OOGLEY BOOGLEY O O O OOGLEY LUNGA GUMBA

S40: Kaare Aleksandersen - D - Colorado Mammoths
Rookie stats: 5 G, 11 A, +9, 102 PIM yikes, 161 HIT
2nd year stats: DNP
SHL Draft: Undrafted (f)
Current TPE: 161

Kaare Aleksandersen was drafted 29th in the S40 entry draft to the Colorado Mammoths, and wound up (i couldn't be bothered to find out how) suiting up for Halifax in the S40 season. Aleksandersen was an offensive defenseman who wound up spending nearly as much time in the penalty box as he did on the ice for Halifax, though he was effective in his on-ice minutes. Aleksandersen led the entire SMJHL in hits with 161 and PIM with 102. Perhaps a player that reckless was a red flag, as Kaare went undrafted in the SHL draft and didn't make the official roster for Halifax - or for anyone else - the following season.

S39: Andrew Hawkins - LW - Vancouver Whalers
Rookie stats: 2 G, 6 A, -13, 25 HIT
2nd year stats (SHL): 1 minute played lol
SHL Draft: 54th overall (-25)
Current TPE: 200

Andrew Hawkins, and I say this in the nicest way, is a cockroach in the SHL, sticking around (technically) longer than one would expect. Hawkins was drafted by Winnipeg 54th overall after an unimpressive rookie campaign in the SMJHL and has stuck around on the Jets' big league roster since S40, when he played a most impressive 1 minute in his rookie year. Hawkins has stuck around, playing minimally, for 7 seasons, achieving Tony Ford levels of consistency in not scoring (in this case, not playing). Hawkins did manage to sneak his way onto the ice this season in S46 and tallied 2 assists in over 700 minutes.

S38: Jon Toner - D - Halifax Raiders
Rookie stats: 8 G, 17 A, -3, 12 PPP, 57 SB, 26 HIT
2nd year stats: 7 G, 21 A, -12, 4 PPP, 52 SB, 65 HIT
SHL Draft: 30th overall (-1)
Current TPE: 1355

Jon Toner is an elite 29th overall representative, currently seeing top line minutes for the Los Angeles Panthers and sitting over 1300 TPE. Toner put together an impressive rookie season in S38, but still fell to 30th overall in a deep SHL entry draft. Toner's stats were down a bit in his sophomore season in the SMJHL, but Toner has blossomed into one of the very best defenders in the league today, notably as a key part of the dominant Ireland IIHF team. Perhaps most impressive, Toner's agent has managed to provide Toner with this impressive a career having posted only three topics on the site in a year and a half (update thread, player page, and one random draft media). idk how he's been able to afford training for so many years without posting anything but there must be some good shit in there somewhere lol.

S37: Wuma Duce - LW - Colorado Mammoths
Rookie stats: 4 G, 2 A, -4, 38 HIT
2nd year stats: 9 G, 14 A, -6, 72 HIT
SHL Draft: 38th overall (-9)
Current TPE: 664 (officially retired)

Wuma Duce put together a solid career before calling it quits after S43, eventually joining the Minnesota Chiefs' front office. I am now realizing that this is now too much work to go through and find peoples' career stats so I, like Duce back in the day, am calling it quits here lol. Also there's nobody in the next few that I've ever heard of so yeah we're good ending it here.

All in all, the 29th picks have been a mixed bag. In the last 10 years, we've seen 3 total duds, 2 stick-around inactives, 1 solid player who retired early, 1 all-time legend, 2 on their way to legendary careers, and a pingy. The torch is now passed from one EVO to the next, as Emeka Valentine-Okoli is the next in this legacy. Parting words for the Raptors' third round pick: Your fate is in your hands. Do you want to be a Jon Toner or a Rachel Ray? It's entirely up to you. Also ever since I realized you're also an EVO29, you are officially My Homie so I really hope you do well here :)