The Calgary Dragons, another team in the throngs of a rebuild, as of the writing of this article, sit fifth from the bottom of the Simulation Hockey League (SHL) standings. With a 0.364 points percentage, the Dragons appear to not really be showing their teeth. And yet, in line with their namesake, there is a hidden beauty that can be seen when gazing on the scales of the beasts, and an even more hidden flame lurking deep within.

Finishing fifth from the bottom in the two previous seasons, 75 and 76, Calgary was hoping that this season would show some improvement, especially after they brought in a promising rookie class, containing many notable S74 SHL draft picks, including dynamic sisters Froya and Sonja Solberg, stud defenseman Kaarlo Koivunen, and a literal orange traffic cone, aptly named Oranj Konhe.

Of course, despite bringing in this young talent, the SHL is a completely different  beast when compared to the minor league these players are used to competing in.  It took some time to build up chemistry and adjust to the new lines and tactics put in place by the Calgary coaching staff. Nevertheless, the coaching staff is not worried, and has full confidence that their growing core will take the correct next steps.

One such group that was mentioned in this regard was the defensive group. Consisting of Cheeks Klapanen, Sven Holmberg, Oranj Konhe, Jaden Tanner, Kaarlo Koivunen, and Lea Cranberry, the younger D-core has shown their growth. Particularly with Klapanen, and Holmberg, and to some extent Tanner, after being drafted in S72, they’ve shown continuous growth over the couple seasons they’ve played.

The core of every winning team starts from the defensive side. History has shown that larger, mobile, and dynamic defenseman are key to winning in the SHL. In addition to the already strong looking defense group in the SHL, the team has a couple more prospects on defense, Frederik Gronlund, and Argenti Gorilla. These two prospects, if they continue to grow, could lead to a healthy logjam of competition for players that want to compete for a roster spot in the SHL. With the ever-aging Rebecca Montagne in goal, the team had an ever growing need for defense, one that the administrative staff was sure to address early.

Speaking of the goalie side, the team currently has S74 draft pick Just Perfection as a backup. To the dismay of the team, the player’s growth did not continue as hoped after the Dragons drafted him. To make up for this new hole, the team drafted a strong prospect in Anastasia Soderstrom from the Detroit Falcons, as well as a frightening prospect in Evil Kyle Murray from the St. Louis Scarecrows.

So while the Dragon’s defensive scales might be shining bright, will the offensive fangs be ready as the team grows to compete more in the coming seasons? Led by S66 draft click Tom Petersen, the younger offensive hands are in a good spot to learn about what they need to compete. S72 draft picks Sunrise van de Schubbekutteveen and Arthur Kaliyev in particular have shown significant strides as they lead their team in points. If these players continue to improve, along with the Solberg sisters, the top two lines of this team could become ones that no team wants to face in the playoffs. There are still a few holes for the forward group, but nothing too big that the team won’t be able to patch them.

Overall, the Calgary Dragons are beginning to heat up in the SHL, and every team needs to beware when they enter the Dragon’s den.