Angello Ready For New Tests Presented by SHL

Code:

Ready for grading

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - Over a year after being drafted to the Buffalo Stampede, a fresh faced Nolan Angello is close to pulling on the jersey for the first time in a real life scenario, as he prepares to begin his rookie season in the big league. The journey up to this point for the young man from Sarnia has been something of a rollercoaster, standing out as a child of incredible promise in his home province, leading to bypassing the draft and signing in the SMJHL as a free agent after the madness of the "Angello sweepstakes" and becoming arguably the face of the Montreal Militia, leading the team in points and goals for two consecutive seasons (tallying one of the SMJHL's best modern era career PPG stat) and winning a whole heap of accolades, including two Kurtis Hunter awards for MVP selected by the team's management, and a pair of Armin Brovalchuk awards for being the MVP as voted by his teammates. But despite all this, Angello was never able to achieve his goal of lifting the Four Star Cup with the Militia, something that has played a lot on his mind of late. "The only real regret I have about my time in the SMJHL is just the fact we never were able to win the whole thing. We all had a lot of belief and expectations about how good a team we were, but ultimately it came down to us not being able to get past a team in the playoffs who both times went on to win the whole thing. It was a very bittersweet moment this year walking off the ice after the series loss to the Raiders. My head was full of the happy memories and good times I'd enjoyed over the last couple years but to leave such a great place and organisation in that way was really emotional for me." It had been known for some time that S30 would be the last one Angello spent in the SMJHL, a fact that had made his drive to win even deeper. "I remember we were sat in the locker room before Game 6 against the 'crows when we were really up against it, and I've never been the guy on the team who needs his voice to be heard or whatever, but I stood up and told everyone that as far as I was concerned I still had a lot of unfinished business with the Militia and the SMJHL, and I wasn't ready for it to end that way. I don't know if it had any effect or if anyone even really paid much attention but it felt like everyone on the team was really pulling for a common goal that game, and to be able to come back from 3-2 down to take the series was a great feeling for us. Although we couldn't get past the Raiders in the second round I was still really proud of what we'd acheived to get there and I left Montreal with nothing but amazing memories, my whole time there was an incredible experience and I can't thank the management, players and fans enough for everything they did for me during my time there. Montreal is one hell of a place and I'm really going to miss it, and I just hope I didn't let anyone down by not being able to push us on to reach the success we desperately wanted to give back to the city."

Angello's lack of team success in the SMJHL is something that he desperately wants to change as he transitions to playing in Buffalo. The Stampede have had an incredibly rough ride so far since their inception in S25, never being able to move outside of their position as basement dwellers in the Eastern conference. However this offseason, the addition of big name free agents Rider Clitsome, Friedrich Muller and Jed Lloren to the team looks to address this, and as big name prospects graduate into the team including Angello and fellow S30 draftee Theodore Graham, the people around the Stampede organisation believe that this is the season they can show people that they really do mean business. For Angello in particular, the pressure of being thrust into this environment as a 2nd overall draft pick hasn't phased him. He cut a determined figure during the team's training camp this season, putting in extra hours to make sure everything about his game was up to scratch, and as he puts it, the key to a successful rookie season in the SHL for him requires him to avoid overcomplicating the way he plays. "I think why I've been so successful as an individual to this point is really just because I've never tried to think too much about what I do, and none of my coaches have ever tried to make me play in a way that isn't natural to me. That freedom to do my thing out on the ice is really important to me and I feel like that's definitely what I have here in Buffalo. We've been spending a lot of time just trying to sharpen up the basics, working on getting the puck on net, skating drills and a lot of off ice fitness work. I'm not really sure to an extent at this stage what kind of role the team's going to want me to play in my first season so I need to be prepared for anything." At this point in time it looks like Nolan can expect to see himself playing on the Stampede's second line, alongside veteran team presences Dickie Pecker and Robb Wind, and it's hoped that their knowledge and experience can rub off on him and help him adjust quickly. Combined with the very promising first line of Jed Lloren, Rider Clitsome and Nicolas Winter, it looks as if the Stampede should be able to field a very capable top 6 this season, and with the Eastern conference in strong shape, they're going to need to play to the best of their ability to progress out of the regular season. But hope among the players is there. "I really think we have a chance at making the playoffs this season. I know it's an uphill battle and a lot of people will have us out of the picture already, but Casey in net for us is hungry to prove he can be a top goalie in the league this season, we have some great guys playing defense in the likes of Muller and the rookies Graham and Leclerc, and we're lucky to have some of the league's best forwards on our team. We all really believe that we have that capability to make an upset happen and progress into the playoffs for the first time in the history of the Stampede."

While there's still some time to go before the start of the season, anticipation is building across the league, and for rookies like Angello it may run deeper than most. Now is their time to prove their ability to compete among the best in the world and for players like Nolan, prove they were worth the high draft pick used by their team to select them. At this point we have no way of telling how things will go for him or the other young guns taking their first steps on the journey to what they hope will be long and fruitful careers in the SHL, but there's no doubt that for Angello and rookies like him, there's a lot to prove and even more to gain, and it will almost certainly be one hell of a ride to follow them on their journeys.

I'd like to open the floor up to any questions anyone may have for Nolan at this point..


1. Do you feel ready to take the bull by the horns and stampede into the league to challenge for Rookie of the Year?

For sure. I'd be lying if I said winning Rookie of the Year isn't something I want to do, I've absolutely got my mind set on achieving my goal of coming into the league and being able to perform well straight away, whether that happens to the extent that I'm given the award is not something I can say, but it'd be great if I were able to help the team to the extent that the league thinks I'm deserving of that kind of prize.

2. Have you taken to time to graze slowly and build up the weight to compete for this season in the SHL?

I feel like the extra season I took to prepare myself in Montreal definitely has helped me come to this point as a more complete player. It would've been nice to be able to step into the league straight out of the draft but the reality is I more than likely wouldn't have been able to have the kind of immediate impact I would have liked, with the way things worked out I was able to take an extra season to really try and advance my game and ensure I was physically mature and ready enough to compete in the big league. I feel like the extra size and strength I added last season and during this past offseason will come into play and help me step things up to a higher compete level when I'm out there on the ice this year.

3. What kind of atmosphere do you expect at the Barn this year? (yes I have just named Buffalos home rink)

I think the atmosphere this year is going to be really special. For a long time the fans of this team have had to endure a lot of rough stuff but it seems like there's finally a corner that's been turned as the team's progressed, you've obviously got the big names we brought in during free agency but you've also got a lot of the team's draft picks finally being ready to step out for the team and make a difference, and I think that's something the fans will find really exciting. When you[ve endured such a long rough patch the hope can start to fade a little but the fans of the Stampede have been incredibly supportive and know that building a good thing takes time. I can't wait to get out there on opening night and witness it in all it's glory, I really expect the atmosphere to be electric.

4. Do you feel like Buffalo will be more like...



OR



Well for me personally, I'm a huge Robin Williams fan so I'd have to go with the first option, and as someone who's confident in what the team is going to be able to do this season, I'd also take that option.

5. What's the biggest thing you've taken away from your time spent with Montreal in the SMJHL?

I think for me the biggest thing I really learnt was the absolute and total importance of the team as an entity. If you've not got a group composed entirely of people who are willing to come together and make compromises and sacrifices, along with the readiness to lay everything on the line, to reach a collective goal, you're going nowhere fast no matter how talented a player you are, and that importance of a good team environment was something that was really stressed hard in Montreal. I've said it before but I had an incredible time there, and although I'm ecstatic to be joining the Stampede this season, it's true that there will always be a special place in my heart for the Militia and the people of Montreal for making the last two years the best of my life so far.

Code:

Total word count, 2014 words.

KEEGAN ANGELLO - CENTER - #91

Do you feel ready to take the bull by the horns and stampede into the league to challenge for Rookie of the Year?

Have you taken to time to graze slowly and build up the weight to compete for this season in the SHL?

What kind of atmosphere do you expect at the Barn this year? (yes I have just named Buffalos home rink)

Do you feel like Buffalo will be more like...



OR

Originally posted by Rabidsponge21@Oct 1 2016, 10:59 AM
Do you feel ready to take the bull by the horns and stampede into the league to challenge for Rookie of the Year?

Have you taken to time to graze slowly and build up the weight to compete for this season in the SHL?

What kind of atmosphere do you expect at the Barn this year? (yes I have just named Buffalos home rink)

Do you feel like Buffalo will be more like...



OR

Man I'm officially hiring you to ask questions on every presser I do from here on out, name your price ;

KEEGAN ANGELLO - CENTER - #91

Originally posted by Angello@Oct 1 2016, 11:34 AM

Man I'm officially hiring you to ask questions on every presser I do from here on out, name your price ;

3000 flurbos

Great article and best wishes in Buffalo buddy!

Player Page - Update Thread
[S70] - Alekss Ivanova - [NBB|MIN] - 499 TPE

Name: Alekss "Nova" Ivanova
Birthplace: Ventspils, Latvia
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 205
Number: 28
------------------------------------------------------------
[S69] Claimed off waivers by GFG
[S69] Traded to NBB
[S70] Drafted 31st Overall by MIN
------------------------------------------------------------
Career Accomplishments:
------------------------------------------------------------
Career Statistics:
SMJHL Regular Season:
[S69] GP:66|G:17|A:23|P:40|+/-:-16|PIM:12|FO:49.9%
------------------------------------------------------------

Ready to be graded

KEEGAN ANGELLO - CENTER - #91

Angello's gonna kill it! You watch! He played with the best of the best of the best.

Originally posted by KleslaR@Oct 4 2016, 08:36 AM
Angello's gonna kill it! You watch! He played with the best of the best of the best.

Thank you dude haha, do Montreal proud without me this season bro!

KEEGAN ANGELLO - CENTER - #91