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+---- Thread: The Shaun Stephens hockey story (/showthread.php?tid=77640)
- dino_2000_22 - 07-30-2017
This is my first article. 1014 words.
![[Image: Fribourg_Gott%C3%A9ron_vs._Gen%C3%A8ve_S...i_Reto.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Fribourg_Gott%C3%A9ron_vs._Gen%C3%A8ve_Servette%2C_6th_March_2010_-_Suri_Reto.jpg)
What do children dream of becoming when they are born in Switzerland. A choclatier, a cheese connoisseur, a knife maker perhaps? Well Shaun Stephens has other dreams, and after Thursday's SMHL draft he will be one step further in fulfilling his childhood dream, being a professional hockey player. Neither one of his parents could even tell you what this sport their son called Hockey was but they are slowly learning to love it. Other then the 6 in the morning practices driving through storm after storm. It actually took them a while to finally agree to enroll Shaun into the sport. Especially since the only sport they had ever heard of was Soccer. While most kids are starting to play at the early age of 4 or 5 Shaun had to wait until he was a 9 year old to finally step on the ice and play the game he had been watching for years on the television. Shaun was most certainly not the best skater, shooter or checker for his age group but one thing he had that was above and beyond others was his hockey sense and sheer love for the game. His favourite players growing up were Pavel Datsyuk, Pavel Bure, Paul Kariya. Shaun loved to watch how much skill those players had, their shots, their puck posession and most notably there speed.
As the years went by Shaun continually improved all of his physical skills, spending all of the free time he could find after school either on the ice or in the gym. He knew this road would not be easy as there have been very few Swiss players ever leave home for an SHL contract in the pros. In fact it is so rare that Switzerland still does not have a hockey team established to play in any IIHF tournaments. Stephens had honed his skills that at the age of 13 a top tiered junior team in Switerland had come knocking on his door. In fact the president and owner of the Geneve Servette professional club was the one who called. There were looking to start a junior development team and Shaun was a player they had their eyes on to help take that dream to the next level. That season playing for the Geneve Servette U15 squad as an under aged player Shaun only had 1 goal, 1 assist and 4 PIMS. To say it was a struggle would be a giant understatement but now Shaun knew what kind of talent it was going to take in order to get on the same level as his teammates.
![[Image: 151002-logo-GSHC.jpg]](https://www.vandoeuvres.ch/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/151002-logo-GSHC.jpg){kind=logo}
Going in to next season for the Geneve Servette U15 squad Shaun fared much better and actually took a leadership role in the locker room. Shaun scored 11 goals with 24 assists and 46 points for Geneve during the regular season. This led them to their first ever playoff berth where Shaun scored 7 goals with 9 assists and 16 penalty minutes in 15 playoff games. Unfortunately falling 2 wins short of making the U15 finals.
It was a heartbreak that would motivate Stephens to hit the ice and gym harder in order to help take Geneve that extra mile. Shaun knew it would be the biggest and most important season he had ever played knowing that the SMJHL scouts were starting to take notice, and he knew that moving to the SMJHL would be his best bet to play professionally in the greatest league on the planet the SHL. Shaun had a very big decision to make, would he stay and Captain his U15 squad or would it be better off for his development to move up to the Swiss Junior Elite U17 league? As much as he wanted to learn what it was to be a captain, he wanted even more to improve as a player so he decided to take the next step up and showcase his skills on a much bigger stage.
Stephens was one of the top scorers for the club’s U17 team, showing that all of his hard work had finally paid off. Shaun scored 16 goals with 22 assists and 8 penalty minutes in only 32 regular season games. Unfortunately come playoff time the wheels were just no longer turning for one of Servette's top scorers and Stephens only had 1 goal and 2 assist in 10 playoff games, being bounced in the second round of the playoffs by Zurich. Obviously not the way he wanted to end his SMJHL draft eligible year, but he had improved every year and he was hoping the scouts would see that and take a flyer on him. There has been some talks with a few IIHF countries involving Stephens to defect to one of their teams but he knows how big of a decision it is so he wants to wait it out and make sure he makes the right decision. Or wait until the Swiss can field a respectable squad in the future.
All in all it has been a very big mountain to climb for Stephens. Even if he does get drafted into the SMHL this year he knows that there are far more mountains that will be in his way in order to reach his dreams of becoming one of the best Swiss players to ever play the game of hockey.
![[Image: 0teX4Il.png]](http://i.imgur.com/0teX4Il.png)
Scouting Report: Stephens has a heavy shot and a very quick release, already posses a professional ready shot. Stephens plays a sound defensive game although there is most certainly room for improvement in that area. He does not have much strength, but relies on his speed to outlast defenders. Stephens is extremely fun to watch and is full of untapped potential. Looks like a left handed shooting Patrick Laine.
Stephens is a very approachable prospect and is always ready and willing to answer anything for anyone. Sometimes it might be a tad bit tongue and cheek, sometimes it might not be the answer you want to hear but he speaks perfect english and will be around all week before the draft begins.
- WannabeFinn - 07-30-2017
I would substantially lengthen the article if I were you. Gotta make that first article 2x payout multiplier count!
- dino_2000_22 - 07-30-2017
Quote:Originally posted by WannabeFinn@Jul 30 2017, 10:14 PM
I would substantially lengthen the article if I were you. Gotta make that first article 2x payout multiplier count!
Ahh yes I most certainly thought about that....but I have read a few "big" word articles recently and they have been filled with nonsense and nothing relevant to what this website is about. I will glady write a 6000 word media article about how many times I poop and pee every day and how when I walk my one foot goes in front of the other but I would rather keep my article full of style and substance rather then rambling on about absolutely nothing for 5000 words. Just personal opinion Next article that is that long that tells me everything they have ate for dinner the last 10 years should just be banished and earn nothing.
- Loco - 07-30-2017
Quote:Originally posted by dino_2000_22@Jul 30 2017, 07:20 PMu a sassy one
Ahh yes I most certainly thought about that....but I have read a few "big" word articles recently and they have been filled with nonsense and nothing relevant to what this website is about. I will glady write a 6000 word media article about how many times I poop and pee every day and how when I walk my one foot goes in front of the other but I would rather keep my article full of style and substance rather then rambling on about absolutely nothing for 5000 words. Just personal opinion Next article that is that long that tells me everything they have ate for dinner the last 10 years should just be banished and earn nothing.
- ontanis - 07-31-2017
Quote:Originally posted by dino_2000_22@Jul 31 2017, 05:20 AM
Ahh yes I most certainly thought about that....but I have read a few "big" word articles recently and they have been filled with nonsense and nothing relevant to what this website is about. I will glady write a 6000 word media article about how many times I poop and pee every day and how when I walk my one foot goes in front of the other but I would rather keep my article full of style and substance rather then rambling on about absolutely nothing for 5000 words. Just personal opinion Next article that is that long that tells me everything they have ate for dinner the last 10 years should just be banished and earn nothing.
haha, cheers, dude! good article, man.
- WannabeFinn - 07-31-2017
Quote:Originally posted by dino_2000_22@Jul 30 2017, 11:20 PMI appreciate the attitude towards media quality, but it doesn't pay as well as it could!
Ahh yes I most certainly thought about that....but I have read a few "big" word articles recently and they have been filled with nonsense and nothing relevant to what this website is about. I will glady write a 6000 word media article about how many times I poop and pee every day and how when I walk my one foot goes in front of the other but I would rather keep my article full of style and substance rather then rambling on about absolutely nothing for 5000 words. Just personal opinion Next article that is that long that tells me everything they have ate for dinner the last 10 years should just be banished and earn nothing.
- dino_2000_22 - 07-31-2017
Ya I understand that, especially being a double up...will just have to write lots more to make up for it
- DeletedAtUserRequest - 07-31-2017
- Evok - 07-31-2017
Great article !
- drodger91 - 07-31-2017
Quote:Originally posted by dino_2000_22@Jul 30 2017, 10:20 PM
Ahh yes I most certainly thought about that....but I have read a few "big" word articles recently and they have been filled with nonsense and nothing relevant to what this website is about. I will glady write a 6000 word media article about how many times I poop and pee every day and how when I walk my one foot goes in front of the other but I would rather keep my article full of style and substance rather then rambling on about absolutely nothing for 5000 words. Just personal opinion Next article that is that long that tells me everything they have ate for dinner the last 10 years should just be banished and earn nothing.
This guy gets it!
Great article too!
- bluesfan55 - 07-31-2017
Good job!