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Allegiant · 06-13-2024, 02:03 AM

The S38 Manhattan Rage: Fortune from Misfortune

In S36, the Texas Renegades won the Challenge Cup with one of the most well-rounded rosters they had fielded since their glory days a decade or two earlier. Though they failed to repeat, they maintained a strong team going into Season 38 — until a tampering charge cost the team its future in the form of severe draft and cap penalties. In an attempt to save the Renegades’ future, management opted to ship away two of its veteran players in Winston Windsor and Geoffrey Allen for Gunnar Rask, a first round pick, two third round picks, and a fourth round pick.

The trade spelled the beginning of the end for Windsor and Allen’s careers, but the unfortunate circumstances that led to the move provided a window of opportunity for the Manhattan Rage. Already a capable team before the trade, the addition meant that for primarily picks, they had secured one of the top veteran forwards in the league, as well as an archetypal power-play quarterback who had seen a fair amount of playoff success in his own right.

The Rage finished third in the Eastern Conference that year, with a 29-17-4 record, more than good enough to earn them a playoff berth. They had a middling offense despite the substantial additions they made in the off-season, but their defensive performance was among the best in the league. They were also tied for the most wins at home on the year, though they weren’t nearly as good on the road.

Harry Hans led the team in scoring with 53 points, followed by newcomer Allen with 48. Ace Redding, Luke Atmey, and Wyatt Wollker followed with tallies of 47, 46, and 46 respectively. Newcomer Windsor ended with 38 points. In all, the team boasted a fairly diverse offense, with a fairly substantial amount of its production coming from the back-end. Jason Aittokallio was, as ever, an extremely competent netminder to help stabilize the team when its more adventurous defenders opened up holes in their own lines.

The first round saw a tight contest between the Rage and the New England Wolfpack, going the distance with a 4-3 win for the Rage. The second round was much the same, with the Rage triumphing over the Minnesota Chiefs in 7 games. It was only in the final round that Manhattan managed to get it done more efficiently, defeating the Calgary Dragons in 6 games. The playoffs saw a number of different story-lines play out, but it is notable that the Rage’s opponents were largely quite competent.

The New England Wolfpack had been a perennial problem up until that point, while the Minnesota Chiefs were led by Alonzo Garbanzo, Windsor’s former general manager, along with veteran presence in the form of Pedro Sarantez andn Ivan Koroviev. The Calgary Dragons were led by Randy Randleman and Joe Kurczewiski, along with a young Mike Izzy, and a not-so-young Schnitinfritz Jagr.

In the end, the new accusations for the Rage played well: Windsor and fellow defenseman Wollker tied to lead the team in scoring with 18 points apiece, while Allen recorded 15 points. Harry Hans notable struggled with only 10 points in 20 games, but Jason Aittokallio showed off just how much of a star he really was: in those 20 games, he recorded an astounding 0.934 save percentage, taking home the finals MVP.

The S38 Manhattan Rage were interesting for a couple reasons: not only due to the bizarre combination of players that made up the team, a host of former rivals joined in Manhattan at the end of their careers, but also due to the circumstances of the team's construction itself. The Rage were good, but it was the Renegades' misfortune that truly elevated them into a Challenge Cup contender. Adding two star players, even if they were ready to retire, is always going to be a major addition. Even better, they were able to do it without giving up anything consequential other than draft picks.

Sometimes, someone else's misery can be your pathway to success.

*Scrufdaddy* · 06-22-2024, 01:48 PM

Approved @Allegiant @CptSquall

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