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3033 words - first article I've written

“LUNDBERG SHOOTS...WIDE!!! THE ADMIRALS SWARM THE PUCK... PASS BACK TO CARTIER... AND THE BUZZER SOUNDS!!!! THE TORONTO NORTH STARS HAVE WON THE S35 CHALLENGE CUP!! THE PLAYERS POUR ONTO THE ICE IN CELEBRATION!”

The announcer's voice blared through the television's speakers as the once raucous Portland crowd fell silent, knowing his call would forever be part of history.

Sitting with his eyes glued to the screen was Jack Tanner, a defensive prospect who recently declared for the SMJHL draft, his shaggy brown hair swept messily to one side and soft, freckled face unwilling, or unable, to look away.

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It had been a series for the ages. The SHL was guaranteed a first time champion and Portland was looking to atone for last season's Finals loss while Toronto was desperate to shake off the stigma of being the only Original Six team without one. It had been a long and painful 35 seasons for North Stars fans and Portland leading off with a blowout win in Game 1 surely didn't help. Toronto bounced back, though, taking a game on the road to even the series. The series shifting back to Toronto, Portland won both to take a commanding lead, each by a one goal margin, pushing the North Stars to the brink. Toronto battled back, winning Game 5 convincingly and eeking out a game-winning goal with 17 seconds remaining in Game 6 to force an all-or-nothing Game 7. Yes, this series would go down as an instant classic but Tanner's favorite part was still to come.

The friends and family he was watching with began chattering excitedly as the players went through the handshake line. Tanner smiled a bit as they talked about Toronto finally breaking the drought, the incredible comeback, and how crushing it must be for the Admirals as the Cup presentation ceremony was prepared. It didn't seem that long ago that he was watching the Finals by himself, getting weird looks and sarcastic remarks from friends when he'd decline plans to watch. Now his town has seemingly overnight become SHL experts as one of their own gets closer and closer to the show.

For many, the final buzzer was the climactic moment in the series with everything else a nice, feel-good epilogue – but not for Tanner. As Eriksson triumphantly lifted the Cup into the air, pumping it a few times and taking it for a spin around the ice, Tanner knew this was the real climax. The culmination of the blood, sweat, and tears of dozens of players over a handful of seasons led to this moment: Champions.

“Jack.” Hearing his name brought the conversation to the fore and he turned his head to face a friend. “Where are you going to get drafted?”

It was the question he'd faced dozens – no, scores – of times the last few weeks since the defenseman began the draft process. The question everyone wanted to know but the one he couldn't answer.

“Second or third round...maybe?” he answered tepidly, hoping to convey exactly how little he cared about this particular line of questioning.

“What? Why? Dude, don't you think you'll get picked in the fir...” his friend began to follow up. Tanner cut him off.

“Honestly I have no idea, it was just a guess.”

He turned back to face the television, bringing that conversation to an unceremonious close, and saw the North Stars players were crying and kissing the Cup. This was the part of the game he loved most, grown adults with their emotions moved to tears because they wanted to win so badly. These were the toughest athletes in the world and here they were on international television with tears streaming down their faces. Tears of joy, of relief, of triumph. Tanner blinked away a tear of his own as all of his emotions and anxieties came bubbling up.

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That right there, that was what he wanted. That was why he was moving to another continent. That was the image that would be seared into his brain - not the series-winning goal, not the insanely clutch Game 6 winner, not any of Harter's remarkable saves that secured the championship. It would be the players with the Cup, the tears, the exhausted faces of players who gave everything they had and then some. That's what he'd see on cold, rainy days when he doesn't feel like running or when he's tired and thinking about skipping the last set in the weight room. That's what he'd remind himself of when he's in the grocery store and that carton of Goldfish just looks so tasty or when his legs are shot but the game's on the line and coach is sending him over the boards. That's the image that drives him.

–----–

Jack Tanner grew up in the small village of Doolin in County Clare, Ireland where his mother ran a small pub with live music and his father commuted to Limerick where he worked for a multinational company. Tanner's love for hockey began when he was five and his father returned from a business trip to North America with a hockey sweater.

“It was so bizarre for me,” Tanner explained. “At that time I didn't even know what a puck was and here I was wearing a hockey sweater to school. It's just... crazy to think about how different things would've turned out if not for that business trip.”

Which team's logo is on the jersey currently hanging on his wall? Which player's name? The world may never know. “Don't worry about it, that doesn't matter,” Tanner laughed.

There wasn't much to do growing up in Doolin aside from the periodic music festivals so young Tanner threw himself head first into the culture and mythology of both the SHL and SMJHL, watching as many games as he could and scouring every box score he could find. Nothing could sate his newfound love for hockey. As if to complete his hockey conversion, the very next IIHF tournament featured his home country of Ireland taking home the gold medal. Tanner watched every game.

Tanner became an unstoppable force at that point, living and breathing nothing but hockey. It was an hour to the closest rink so he made the most of every minute, working his way through the Irish youth leagues and always striving to improve his game. He started out wanting to play goalie but Tanner's mother was not excited about the prospect of her boy taking slap shots off the head for years to come and sold him on playing defense – or in her words: “the goalie's best friend.” Today Tanner chuckles remembering how specious the argument was that could possibly change his life forever, “I was a gullible little shit, wasn't I?”

Does he wish he'd have stuck with the goaltender position? “No. No, definitely not. Sometimes I trash talk our goalies a little too much at practice and end up between the pipes in goalie gear... it's not pretty.” He hasn't learned his lesson though, and when he does make a save his teammates hang their heads, knowing he won't let them forget it. “As usual, mama knew best all along.”

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Every season as he watched a team celebrating their Challenge Cup victory, Tanner was emboldened in his efforts and developed an unshakable feeling that with enough hard work even a kid from a tiny Irish village could lift the Challenger Cup someday. This attitude, however, turned out to be a blessing and a curse. Along with his confidence and work ethic came an addiction to winning – some would say he felt entitled to win.

“I was at some unimportant youth tournament with [Tanner],” said a former competitor who asked to remain anonymous. “We were all hanging out the night before the championship and he was very laid back and sociable. The next day after we beat his team he was a completely different person. It was a surprising transformation.”

He was always the highest when his team was on top and always the lowest when they were on bottom. Try as they might, his parents and coaches were unable to keep his emotions in check and on more of an even keel. As if burnt out by the emotional roller coaster, by his mid-teens he couldn't ignore the incredibly low odds of his decade-long SHL dreams coming true. Luckily for him, a fiery Irish lass by the name of Grace O'Malley had something to say about that. “Oh yeah, she's... something else,” Tanner said diplomatically with a smirk when asked about it, knowing his quote would be published. “She deserves a lot of the credit for where I am today.”

Grace grew up in the same village as Tanner and they'd known each other more or less their entire lives. For most of the youth of Doolin, their wildest ambitions were to move to the “big” cities of Galway or Limerick and slave away in boring fields like academia, law, or finance. Because of that, Jack Tanner's dreams of moving to North America to pursue professional hockey resonated with Grace as she, too, wanted to escape their small town. They grew close as she humored his passionate rants about hockey and he patiently sat through her waxing poetic about eating crepes along the Seine in Paris or painting murals in Zurich. When Tanner's ambition started to wane at the age of 15, saying he needed to be realistic about his future, Grace was there to ream him out. She's always been quick to anger but her temper usually flamed out quickly – not this time. After fighting for several days she dug up his old VHS tape chronicling Ireland's run to the IIHF Gold Medal. They watched in cold silence until the clock hit all zeros and Irish players streamed onto the ice to celebrate. She paused the tape and pointed at the screen.

“That's who you are, not some businessman sitting in a cubicle for the next 50 years. You used to be willing to push yourself further than you thought you could just to taste victory, now you're ready to accept defeat without ever trying. That's the worst kind of losing. It's like I don't even recognize you anymore.”

She stood and walked out, leaving him alone on the couch with a screen full of euphoric faces frozen on his television staring him down.

–----–

Coach's Statement:

“First and foremost, Jack Tanner is a good kid. The way he jokes around and is light-hearted with his teammates makes you want to say he doesn't take anything seriously but the day of the game there's nothing he wouldn't do to put us in the best possible position to win. Winning might be the only thing he takes seriously [laughs]. That passion and drive combined with his vision and puck skills will make for a lethal combination for whichever SMJHL team ends up with him.

I understand there's some concern over his defensive skills as he didn't have to play much defense this season and when he did he played a more cerebral, disciplined game as opposed to physical. There's nothing to be worried about there. I've always said the best defenseman is the one who doesn't let the other team have the puck, not the one who blocks shots or has highlight reel, bone-crunching hits. Him not having to play a lot of defense should be looked as a positive rather than a negative. I hope whoever picks him doesn't try to make him into a player he's not.”

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Draft Profile:

Jack Tanner is an offensive minded defenseman who posted an impressive 69 points in 55 regular season games for various Irish youth teams this season and is expected to make the jump and contribute to an SMJHL team during the upcoming season. Despite Ireland’s early exit in the tournament, Tanner had an impressive showing at the most recent European Youth Cup, scoring 4 goals and 12 points in 4 games. He logged heavy minutes in all four contests and was relied upon in all situations, including taking control of the team’s first power-play unit.

Tanner is a tough player to defend because of his ability to create space with his legs. He possesses the ability to accelerate and jump into open lanes quickly even from a stand-still. He has impressive lateral explosiveness and he often utilizes changes in speed to beat his defender in open space. Tanner also generates enough straight line speed in stride to cover his defensive zone responsibilities despite being extremely aggressive in jumping into offensive attacks. Typically this recklessness would lead to odd-man rushes the other way but due to his speed and skating skill he is able to keep those to a minimum. In our viewings, Tanner consistently attacks the net from all areas of the ice and sees the ice very well, leading to truly breath-taking passes.

The biggest strength of Tanner’s is his efficiency moving the puck. He scans the ice well in all three zones and when he makes a decision on where to move the puck, he delivers hard passes onto the tape. In the offensive zone, he has shown the ability to be deceptive with his passes but needs to work on his shot in order to draw wingers to him at the next level. In the defensive zone, he handles pressure well, he can make decisive decisions or resort to his physical skills to give him an extra second to make a decision. When Tanner possesses the puck in the offensive end, he often will take advantage of any open passing lane he receives. While he's certainly a pass-first defenseman and his shot needs work, he is comfortable taking one-timers from both the point and his off-wing and he shoots the puck consistently hard. His slow release is the biggest red flag his shot has but he has made noticeable improvement in that aspect over the last year. It should improve even more with an SMJHL coaching staff.

Without the puck, Tanner tends to play responsibly with his gap and almost always goes for stick checks before body checks in the neutral zone. Although he is listed a shade under 6’0, he appears to have the mass and lower body strength to impose his will physically but typically does not. It's unclear whether this is a product of playing in a league he doesn't need to be physical in to dominate, whether he's generally averse to the physical aspect of the game, or if this is simply his choice in how he'd like to play the game. He also does not tend to get caught running around defensively as he plays disciplined hockey, stalling out the offense until he sees an opportunity to retrieve a puck.

Along with his impressive physical skills, Tanner showed competitiveness and plays with an edge. He absolutely loathes losing and plays at top speed on most shifts, always trying to make plays offensively. He tends to do everything fast and hard with the puck, especially passing. This sometimes gets him in trouble, as he can get caught trying to do too much offensively or making one too many moves on a rush.

Jack Tanner has very high offensive potential and his projection is a dynamic top-4, powerplay defenseman. Due to playing in an inferior league, he has not played a lot of time in his own end the past two seasons but his value is in his unique offensive ability. The biggest risk is that Tanner may not be able to play his defensive position as well at higher levels, but his offensive upside makes him worth a gamble. If his defensive game translates and his offensive game continues to improve... watch out world.

–----–

Three years after that fight with Grace, Jack Tanner has rediscovered his insatiable need to win and has taken it out on all competition he's faced. As a result of his hard work and impressive talent, yesterday he boarded a commercial jet with his parents and girlfriend bound for <city where the SMJHL draft will be held> where he's currently meeting with coaches and front office personnel to hopefully convince one of them to take a shot on a relatively unknown kid from Nobodycares, Ireland. At his sending-off party, he was heard joking with friends about what they would do with the Challenger Cup when he brings it back home. Not “if” he brings it home, “when.”

“Oh no, none of that was serious,” Tanner explained later, a bit embarrassed the conversation was overhead but with just a bare hint of mischievous glint in his eye. “I would never do that stuff to the Cup. It'd be an honor just to touch it.”

His family is cautiously optimistic about his chances after seeing the success of similarly offensive defensemen last season and was looking forward to getting in some sightseeing between interviews as well as trying some North American fast food. Wherever he ends up, he has his sights set on the Four Stars Cup. “That's the goal, right? What's the [player] record for most Four Stars Cups won? 2? Maybe 3? I'd love to beat that.”

But that doesn't mean he's holding out hope that he's drafted by a contender. “I'll be happy wherever I end up - there's so much churn in the SMJHL that every team has a shot each season pretty much. Look at Detroit and Vancouver – Detroit went from being Champions to picking 1st overall this season and Vancouver did the reverse. Not to mention there's something romantic about being drafted by a struggling team and helping them build up to be a contender. It seems like a more... satisfying path.”

In the face of all his talk of team success and championships, his parents have to keep reminding him that developing his game, making connections with some SHL teams, and most of all having fun should be what his SMJHL time is all about. “Winning isn't everything,” they keep telling him.

They're right. It's the only thing.

Jack Tanner (D) - [Player Page] [Player Updates]


Jack Tanner -- Offensive Defenseman -- MTL & SF -- 1250 TPE
5'11", 210lbs, #37
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SMJHL Career Statistics
S36 -- 50 GP | 21:01 TOI/G | 8 G 19 A | 86 SOG | 0-0-2 Fights | 28 PIM
S37 -- 50 GP | 21:10 TOI/G | 7 G 28 A | 111 SOG | 0-0-2 Fights | 36 PIM
S38 -- 50 GP | 19:10 TOI/G | 19 G 20 A | 160 SOG | 0-0-1 Fights | 25 PIM
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SMJHL Playoff Statistics
S37 -- 17 GP | 21:45 TOI/G | 4 G 10 A | 36 SOG | 0-0-1 Fights | 9 PIM | GWG G3 v Halifax
S38 -- 13 GP | 19:48 TOI/G | 6 G 6 A | 58 SOG | 0-1-0 Fights| 9 PIM | Hat Trick & GWG G3 v PGF, GTG G6 v PGF
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SHL Career Statistics
S39 -- 50 GP | 22:44 TOI/G | 9 G 22 A | 77 SOG | No Fights | 4 PIM
S40 -- 50 GP | 24:01 TOI/G | 7 G 24 A | 88 SOG | 0-0-1 Fights | 9 PIM
S41 -- 50 GP | 24:31 TOI/G | 16 G 30 A | 135 SOG | 0-0-6 Fights | 34 PIM
S42 -- 50 GP | 24:24 TOI/G | 8 G 30 A | 111 SOG | 2-1-3 Fights | 30 PIM
S43 -- 50 GP | 25:24 TOI/G | 17 G 31 A | 154 SOG | 301 iCF | 1-0-1 Fights | 24 PIM
S44 -- 50 GP | 21:59 TOI/G | 12 G 22 A | 111 SOG | 229 iCF | 2-0-1 Fights | 53 PIM
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SHL Playoff Statistics
N/A
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IIHF Career Statistics
S36 -- 11 GP | 5:33 TOI/G | 0G 1A | 0 SOG | 0 PIM
S37 -- 13 GP | 14:49 TOI/G | 1G 1A | 5 SOG | 0 PIM
S38 -- 10 GP | 13:57 TOI/G | 0G 1A | 7 SOG | 0 PIM
S38 WJC -- 7 GP | 22:26 TOI/G | 1G 2A | 11 SOG | 0 PIM
S39 -- 13 GP | 16:58 TOI/G | 2G 5A | 16 SOG | 2 PIM
S40 -- 11 GP | 21:54 TOI/G | 4G 7A | 21 SOG | 2 PIM
S41 --  13 GP | 22:05 TOI/G | 3G 5A | 24 SOG | 2 PIM
S42 -- 13 GP | 23:14 TOI/G | 1G 12A | 27 SOG | 53 iCF | 0 PIM | GWG in Final v Canada ~Gold Medal~
S43 -- 13 GP | 23:23 TOI/G | 4G 2A | 27 SOG | 53 iCF | 2 PIM ~Gold Medal~
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Notes:
Drafted #6 Overall in S36 SMJHL Draft (MTL)
S36: RIGHTFUL Esa Anrikkanen Winner
Drafted #2 Overall in S37 SHL Draft (POR)
S38: Hat Trick G3 vs Prince George
S39: Led rookies in scoring
S39: All-Rookie Team (only unanimous)
S42: 1st Star & GWG in IIHF Final
S42: Gold Medal with Team Ireland
S43: Gold Medal with Team Ireland
S44: Gold Medal with Team Ireland
S45: Gordie Howe Hat Trick vs Manhattan Rage: Game 177 - 2 goals, 1 assist, and beat up Clint Eastwood.
5/18 career PS%




One sig is tweed's and the other was a karlssens/Copenhagen collab

AC | Bank | Claims

Good stuff man! awesome work!

scrub

KARI KEKKONEN | D | RETIRED
NAME: Kari Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: Oulu, Finland
HEIGHT: 6'1"
WEIGHT: 185 lbs
NUMBER: 33
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SMJHL CAREER STATS
S19 KEL: GP: 40, G: 10, A: 26, P: 36, +/-: 16, H: 42

SMJHL PLAYOFF STATS
S19 KEL: GP: 6, G: 0, A: 6, P: 6, +/-: 0, H: 6
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KAAPO KEKKONEN | C | RETIRED
NAME: Kaapo Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: Helsinki, Finland
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 210 lbs
NUMBER: 19
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SHL CAREER STATS
S25 LAP: GP: 50, G: 2, A: 3, P: 5, +/-: -4, H: 75
S26 LAP: GP: 50, G: 4, A: 5, P: 9, +/-: -13, H: 94
S27 LAP: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 9, P: 15, +/-: -2, H: 35
S28 LAP: GP: 50, G: 7, A: 10, P: 17, +/-: -2, H: 96
S29 LAP: GP: 50, G: 13, A: 21, P: 34, +/-: -15, H: 85
S30 LAP: GP: 50, G: 23, A: 22, P: 45, +/-: 4, H: 130
S31 LAP: GP: 50, G: 20, A: 18, P: 38, +/-: 5, H: 162
S32 LAP: GP: 50, G: 18, A: 28, P: 46, +/-: 27, H: 183
S33 LAP: GP: 50, G: 17, A: 22, P: 39, +/-: 20, H: 210
S34 LAP: GP: 50, G: 12, A: 25, P: 37, +/-: -2, H: 131
S35 LAP: GP: 50, G: 10, A: 22, P: 32, +/-: -3, H: 115
S36 LAP: GP: 50, G: 11, A: 20, P: 31, +/-: 10, H: 138
S37 LAP: GP: 36, G: 9, A: 17, P: 26, +/-: -1, H: 72
S37 WKP: GP: 14, G: 1, A: 0, P: 1, +/-: -4, H: 19
TOT : GP: 650, G: 153, A: 222, P: 375, +/-: 20, H: 1545
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SHL PLAYOFF STATS
S25 LAP: DNQ
S26 LAP: DNQ
S27 LAP: DNQ
S28 LAP: DNQ
S29 LAP: DNQ
S30 LAP: DNQ
S31 LAP: DNQ
S32 LAP: GP: 5, G: 1, A: 3, P: 4, +/-: -2, H: 15
S33 LAP: GP: 12, G: 2, A: 3, P: 5, +/-: 0, H: 38
S34 LAP: GP: 7, G: 1, A: 3, P: 4, +/-: 3, H: 23
S35 LAP: GP: 5, G: 1, A: 1, P: 2, +/-: -4, H: 4
S36 LAP: DNQ
S37 WKP: GP: 12, G: 0, A: 2, P: 2, +/-: -2, H: 35
TOT : GP: 41, G: 5, A: 12, P: 17, +/-: -5, H: 115
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TATU MÄKELÄ | D | RETIRED
NAME: Tatu Mäkelä
BIRTHPLACE: Tampere, Finland
HEIGHT: 5'11"
WEIGHT: 180 lbs
NUMBER: 65
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SHL CAREER STATS
S40 BUF: GP: 50, G: 5, A: 17, P: 22, +/-: -28, H: 14, SB: 86
S41 BUF: GP: 50, G: 10, A: 21, P: 31, +/-: -3, H: 9, SB: 78
S42 BUF: GP: 50, G: 9, A: 21, P: 30, +/-: 2, H: 13, SB: 65
S43 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 24, P: 30, +/-: 1, H: 8, SB: 51
S44 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 28, P: 34, +/-: -6, H: 10, SB: 63
S45 BUF: GP: 50, G: 4, A: 37, P: 41, +/-: 10, H: 130, SB: 71
S46 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 36, P: 42, +/-: 25, H: 139, SB: 73
S47 BUF: GP: 50, G: 5, A: 23, P: 28, +/-: -4, H: 137, SB: 76
S48 BUF: GP: 50, G: 7, A: 25, P: 32, +/-: 9, H: 151, SB: 70
S49 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 22, P: 28, +/-: 5, H: 159, SB: 66
S50 BUF: GP: 50, G: 6, A: 20, P: 26, +/-: 14, H: 152, SB: 72
S51 BUF: GP: 50, G: 3, A: 23, P: 26, +/-: 8, H: 143, SB: 50
S52 BUF: GP: 50, G: 9, A: 21, P: 30, +/-: -3, H: 141, SB: 71
S53 BUF: GP: 50, G: 5, A: 14, P: 19, +/-: 23, H: 50, SB: 98
TOT : GP: 700, G: 87, A: 332, P: 419, +/-: 53, H: 1256, SB: 990
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SHL PLAYOFF STATS
S40 BUF: DNQ
S41 BUF: GP: 7, G: 3, A: 2, P: 5, +/-: -3, H: 0, SB: 10
S42 BUF: GP: 5, G: 0, A: 1, P: 1, +/-: -9, H: 2, SB: 10
S43 BUF: GP: 9, G: 0, A: 5, P: 5, +/-: -1, H: 1, SB: 8
S44 BUF: DNQ
S45 BUF: DNQ
S46 BUF: GP: 17, G: 0, A: 12, P: 12, +/-: 11, H: 59, SB: 28
S47 BUF: GP: 13, G: 0, A: 5, P: 5, +/-: 2, H: 32, SB: 18
S48 BUF: GP: 22, G: 2, A: 10, P: 12, +/-: 2, H: 64, SB: 32
S49 BUF: GP: 5, G: 0, A: 5, P: 5, +/-: 5, H: 15, SB: 8
S50 BUF: GP: 6, G: 0, A: 5, P: 5, +/-: -2, H: 18, SB: 12
S51 BUF: GP: 8, G: 2, A: 5, P: 7, +/-: -3, H: 15, SB: 11
S52 BUF: GP: 15, G: 4, A: 5, P: 9, +/-: 4, H: 47, SB: 26
S53 BUF: GP: 4, G: 0, A: 0, P: 0, +/-: 0, H: 6, SB: 13
TOT : GP: 111, G: 11, A: 55, P: 66, +/-: 6, H: 159, SB: 176
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KOLJA KEKKONEN | D | RETIRED
NAME: Kolja Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: Lappeenranta, Finland
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 225 lbs
NUMBER: 8
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SMJHL CAREER STATS
S53 DET: GP: 3, G: 0, A: 1, P: 1, +/-: -1, H: 2, SB: 0
S54 DET: GP: 50, G: 2, A: 8, P: 10, +/-: -6, H: 15, SB: 37
S55 DET: GP: 50, G: 4, A: 12, P: 16, +/-: -24, H: 32, SB: 24
S56 DET: GP: 50, G: 4, A: 17, P: 21, +/-: -20, H: 52, SB: 71
S57 ANA: GP: 66, G: 6, A: 20, P: 26, +/-: 14, H: 52, SB: 70
TOT : GP: 219, G: 16, A: 58, P: 74, +/-: -37, H: 153, SB: 202
SMJHL PLAYOFF STATS
S53 DET: DNP
S54 DET: GP: 7, G: 0, A: 0, P: 0, +/-: 0, H: 2, SB: 3
S55 DET: GP: 4, G: 0, A: 1, P: 1, +/-: -2, H: 3, SB: 0
S56 DET: GP: 5, G: 2, A: 2, P: 4, +/-: 0, H: 3, SB: 7
S57 ANA: GP: 21, G: 2, A: 13, P: 15, +/-: 5, H: 13, SB: 34
TOT : GP: 37, G: 4, A: 16, P: 20, +/-: 3, H: 22, SB: 44
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KEKW KEKKONEN | C | RETIRED
NAME: Karl-Erik-Karl2-Wojtek Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: Lohja, Finland
HEIGHT: 6'4"
WEIGHT: 220 lbs
NUMBER: 69
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SHL CAREER STATS
S61 BUF: GP: 66, G: 10, A: 28, P: 38, +/-: 21, H: 59, SH: 134
S62 BUF: GP: 66, G: 19, A: 36, P: 55, +/-: 9, H: 84, SH: 194
S63 BUF: GP: 66, G: 17, A: 14, P: 31, +/-: -13, H: 91, SH: 148
S64 BUF: GP: 66, G: 16, A: 51, P: 67, +/-: 36, H: 82, SH: 212
S65 BUF: GP: 66, G: 25, A: 41, P: 66, +/-: 33, H: 136, SH: 230
S66 BUF: GP: 66, G: 38, A: 43, P: 81, +/-: 18, H: 64, SH: 222
S67 BUF: GP: 66, G: 40, A: 45, P: 85, +/-: -6, H: 76, SH: 224
S68 BUF: GP: 66, G: 47, A: 46, P: 93, +/-: 45, H: 51, SH: 326
S69 BUF: GP: 66, G: 35, A: 31, P: 66, +/-: 22, H: 43, SH: 269
S70 BUF: GP: 66, G: 33, A: 48, P: 81, +/-: 18, H: 66, SH: 297
S71 BUF: GP: 66, G: 36, A: 41, P: 77, +/-: 37, H: 55, SH: 257
S72 BUF: GP: 66, G: 25, A: 35, P: 60, +/-: -1, H: 58, SH: 281
S73 BUF: GP: 66, G: 31, A: 41, P: 72, +/-: 23, H: 48, SH: 305
S74 BUF/WPG: GP: 66, G: 17, A: 47, P: 64, +/-: 33, H: 101, SH: 164
TOT : GP: 924, G: 389, A: 547, P: 936, +/-: 275, H: 1014, SH: 3263
SHL PLAYOFF STATS
S61 BUF: GP: 9, G: 2, A: 6, P: 8, +/-: 4, H: 11, SH: 24
S62 BUF: GP: 9, G: 3, A: 1, P: 4, +/-: 2, H: 5, SH: 25
S63 BUF: GP: 12, G: 1, A: 2, P: 3, +/-: -1, H: 32, SH: 33
S64 BUF: GP: 11, G: 2, A: 2, P: 4, +/-: -6, H: 12, SH: 41
S65 BUF: GP: 18, G: 4, A: 7, P: 11, +/-: 8, H: 34, SH: 62
S66 BUF: GP: 16, G: 11, A: 9, P: 20, +/-: 3, H: 13, SH: 49
S67 BUF: GP: 4, G: 2, A: 2, P: 4, +/-: -3, H: 3, SH: 20
S68 BUF: GP: 17, G: 6, A: 8, P: 14, +/-: -4, H: 11, SH: 75
S69 BUF: GP: 4, G: 1, A: 0, P: 1, +/-: -5, H: 2, SH: 13
S70 BUF: GP: 7, G: 1, A: 3, P: 4, +/-: -8, H: 2, SH: 25
S71 BUF: GP: 21, G: 12, A: 9, P: 21, +/-: 6, H: 24, SH: 97
S72 BUF: GP: 5, G: 0, A: 2, P: 2, +/-: -4, H: 7, SH: 25
S73 BUF: GP: 6, G: 3, A: 0, P: 3, +/-: -3, H: 11, SH: 33
S74 WPG: GP: 22, G: 3, A: 4, P: 7, +/-: -2, H: 15, SH: 37
TOT : GP: 161, G: 51, A: 55, P: 106, +/-: -11, H: 182, SH: 559
------------------------------------------------------------

KAL ÅKAR KEKKONEN | D | SEATTLE ARGONAUTS
NAME: Kal Åkar Kekkonen
BIRTHPLACE: The Wilderness, Gielinor
HEIGHT: 6'6"
WEIGHT: 240 lbs
NUMBER: 75
------------------------------------------------------------
SMJHL CAREER STATS
S74 DET: GP: 66, G: 6, A: 14, P: 20, +/-: 3, SH: 83, H: 76, SB: 29
S75 DET: GP: 66, G: 8, A: 22, P: 30, +/-: 31, SH: 129, H: 123, SB: 114
S76 DET: GP: 66, G: 17, A: 21, P: 38, +/-: -10, SH: 193, H: 74, SB: 130

SMJHL PLAYOFF STATS
S74 DET: GP: 17, G: 3, A: 7, P: 10, +/-: 8, SH: 18, H: 16, SB: 5
S75 DET: GP: 14, G: 5, A: 6, P: 11, +/-: 2, SH: 40, H: 26, SB: 27
S76 DET: GP: 4, G: 1, A: 2, P: 3, +/-: -2, SH: 8, H: 8, SB: 8
------------------------------------------------------------

Good read! Looking forward to seeing his path through the SMJHL and SHL.


Now slowly back away from my name.

Jaden Tanner || RD || Calgary Dragons
Age: 22
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 220 lb
Number: 98
-----------------------------------
SHL Regular Season:
S74 | CGY | GP: 66 | G: 3 | A: 16 | P: 19 | +/-: -14 | H: 46 | SB: 98 | GA: 13 | TA: 48
S75 | CGY | GP: 66 | G: 2 | A: 11 | P: 13 | +/-: -21 | H: 48 | SB: 104 | GA: 17 | TA: 38
S76 | CGY | GP: 66 | G: 0 | A: 14 | P: 14 | +/-: -5 | H: 73 | SB: 112 | GA: 21 | TA: 74
-----------------------------------
SHL Playoffs:
S74 | CGY | DNQ
S75 | CGY | DNQ
S76 | CGY | GP: 5 | G: 0 | A: 2 | P: 2 | +/-: -7 | H: 4 | SB: 4 | GA: 0 | TA: 3
-----------------------------------
SMJHL Regular Season:
S71 | VAN | GP: 66 | G: 3 | A: 23 | P: 26 | +/-: 1 | H: 93 | SB: 112 | GA: 17 | TA: 52
S72 | VAN | GP: 66 | G: 5 | A: 25 | P: 30 | +/-: 27 | H: 112 | SB: 86 | GA: 32 | TA: 61
S73 | VAN | GP: 66 | G: 1 | A: 21 | P: 22 | +/-: 35 | H: 106 | SB: 91 | GA: 19 | TA: 57
-----------------------------------
SMJHL Playoffs:
S70 | VAN | GP: 5 | G: 0 | A: 2 | P: 2 | +/-: -1 | H: 6 | SB: 9 | GA: 4 | TA: 4
S71 | VAN | GP: 5 | G: 1 | A: 0 | P: 1 | +/-: -1 | H: 11 | SB: 4 | GA: 3 | TA: 8
S72 | VAN | GP: 5 | G: 0 | A: 0 | P: 0 | +/-: -5 | H: 9 | SB: 4 | GA: 1 | TA: 6
S73 | VAN | GP: 11 | G: 2 | A: 6 | P: 8 | +/-: 1 | H: 14 | SB: 18 | GA: 6 | TA: 15
Jakob Tanner || HoF Goalie || HoF GM || CGY Co-GM
4x Challenge Cup (S24, S26, S30, S31)
1x IIHF Gold (S23, Ireland)
1x 2nd All-Star Team (S29)
1x 3rd All-Star Team (S30)
1x John McBride Trophy (S29)
1x Anton Razov Trophy (S30)
1x Mike Honcho Trophy (S29)
1x John McBride Nominee (S30)
2x Joe McKeil Award (S24, S35)

Wow, that is a great article! Very nicely done. Good luck in the draft!

Mikas Bieksa || D || Vancouver Whalers // San Francisco Pride || 350 TPE
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Mikas Bieksa
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 205 lbs
Birthplace: Vilnius, Lithuania
Birthday: S48
------------------------------------------------------------------
SMJHL Career Statistics
[S48] || GP: 39 || G: 2 || A: 5 || P: N/A || +/-: +1 || HIT: 20 || SB: 28 || PIM: 20
------------------------------------------------------------------
SMJHL Playoff Statistics
[S48] || GP: 19 || G: 5 || A: 0 || P: 5 || +/-: +9 || HIT: 11 || SB: 11 || PIM: 8
------------------------------------------------------------------
SHL Career Statistics
N/A
------------------------------------------------------------------
SHL Playoff Statistics
N/A
------------------------------------------------------------------
IIHF Statistics
N/A
------------------------------------------------------------------
Transactions
[S48] || Signed with Vancouver Whalers || 1 season/$3M
[S49 SHL Draft] || Round 1 #11 overall by San Francisco Pride
[S49] || Signed with San Francisco Pride || 2 season/$2M
------------------------------------------------------------------
Milestones
N/A
------------------------------------------------------------------
Accomplishments
[S48] || SMJHL Four Star Cup with Vancouver Whalers
------------------------------------------------------------------
Awards
N/A
------------------------------------------------------------------


thanks to @Wasty, @Bruins10, @Carpy48 and @iRockstar for the sigs!

Well written, great length, and dope avatar. Hope to see you on draft day bud!

Originally posted by Tanner@Aug 2 2017, 10:50 PM
Good read! Looking forward to seeing his path through the SMJHL and SHL.


Now slowly back away from my name.&nbsp;

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

i'll playwith anyone
playing with my teammates is part of the intangibles I bring to the table
i play with them a lot.
they didn't like it at first
but after a while, it just felt normal

4-0 and 0-4 aren't that different tbh

FIRE EGGY
HIRE ARTY

Appreciate it everybody, I'm hyped for draft day.

Originally posted by Tanner@Aug 2 2017, 10:50 PM
Good read! Looking forward to seeing his path through the SMJHL and SHL.


Now slowly back away from my name.&nbsp;

Yeah... I cringed a little as I was browsing through league history this week and discovered there was a HoF player with a remarkably similar name.

Oops. I'll take good care of it for you.

Jack Tanner (D) - [Player Page] [Player Updates]


Jack Tanner -- Offensive Defenseman -- MTL & SF -- 1250 TPE
5'11", 210lbs, #37
------------------------------------------------------------
SMJHL Career Statistics
S36 -- 50 GP | 21:01 TOI/G | 8 G 19 A | 86 SOG | 0-0-2 Fights | 28 PIM
S37 -- 50 GP | 21:10 TOI/G | 7 G 28 A | 111 SOG | 0-0-2 Fights | 36 PIM
S38 -- 50 GP | 19:10 TOI/G | 19 G 20 A | 160 SOG | 0-0-1 Fights | 25 PIM
------------------------------------------------------------
SMJHL Playoff Statistics
S37 -- 17 GP | 21:45 TOI/G | 4 G 10 A | 36 SOG | 0-0-1 Fights | 9 PIM | GWG G3 v Halifax
S38 -- 13 GP | 19:48 TOI/G | 6 G 6 A | 58 SOG | 0-1-0 Fights| 9 PIM | Hat Trick & GWG G3 v PGF, GTG G6 v PGF
------------------------------------------------------------
SHL Career Statistics
S39 -- 50 GP | 22:44 TOI/G | 9 G 22 A | 77 SOG | No Fights | 4 PIM
S40 -- 50 GP | 24:01 TOI/G | 7 G 24 A | 88 SOG | 0-0-1 Fights | 9 PIM
S41 -- 50 GP | 24:31 TOI/G | 16 G 30 A | 135 SOG | 0-0-6 Fights | 34 PIM
S42 -- 50 GP | 24:24 TOI/G | 8 G 30 A | 111 SOG | 2-1-3 Fights | 30 PIM
S43 -- 50 GP | 25:24 TOI/G | 17 G 31 A | 154 SOG | 301 iCF | 1-0-1 Fights | 24 PIM
S44 -- 50 GP | 21:59 TOI/G | 12 G 22 A | 111 SOG | 229 iCF | 2-0-1 Fights | 53 PIM
------------------------------------------------------------
SHL Playoff Statistics
N/A
------------------------------------------------------------
IIHF Career Statistics
S36 -- 11 GP | 5:33 TOI/G | 0G 1A | 0 SOG | 0 PIM
S37 -- 13 GP | 14:49 TOI/G | 1G 1A | 5 SOG | 0 PIM
S38 -- 10 GP | 13:57 TOI/G | 0G 1A | 7 SOG | 0 PIM
S38 WJC -- 7 GP | 22:26 TOI/G | 1G 2A | 11 SOG | 0 PIM
S39 -- 13 GP | 16:58 TOI/G | 2G 5A | 16 SOG | 2 PIM
S40 -- 11 GP | 21:54 TOI/G | 4G 7A | 21 SOG | 2 PIM
S41 --  13 GP | 22:05 TOI/G | 3G 5A | 24 SOG | 2 PIM
S42 -- 13 GP | 23:14 TOI/G | 1G 12A | 27 SOG | 53 iCF | 0 PIM | GWG in Final v Canada ~Gold Medal~
S43 -- 13 GP | 23:23 TOI/G | 4G 2A | 27 SOG | 53 iCF | 2 PIM ~Gold Medal~
------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
Drafted #6 Overall in S36 SMJHL Draft (MTL)
S36: RIGHTFUL Esa Anrikkanen Winner
Drafted #2 Overall in S37 SHL Draft (POR)
S38: Hat Trick G3 vs Prince George
S39: Led rookies in scoring
S39: All-Rookie Team (only unanimous)
S42: 1st Star & GWG in IIHF Final
S42: Gold Medal with Team Ireland
S43: Gold Medal with Team Ireland
S44: Gold Medal with Team Ireland
S45: Gordie Howe Hat Trick vs Manhattan Rage: Game 177 - 2 goals, 1 assist, and beat up Clint Eastwood.
5/18 career PS%




One sig is tweed's and the other was a karlssens/Copenhagen collab

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