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*Tomen* · 02-01-2020, 06:08 PM

Alex wasn't quite the natural born hockey player as one might expect contrary to his older brother Eduard. His older brother installed some important values in Alex though which helped Alex become the hockey player he is now. He wasn't the best Skater as a young kid but had an incredible work ethic and decided to step into his older brother's footsteps in getting drafted to the SMJHL and then subsequently to the SHL. Alex tried to emulate his brother from the get go and was more of a scorer than his brother but once it was apparent that he would easily eclipse his older brother in height he decided to focus a bit more on the defensive side of his game and developed that part to become a disruptive force without laying down due to his enormous range. Alex paths was quite interesting if you compare him to his older brother... Alex was drafted high in the SMJHL and lower in the SHL which was quite the opposite of his older brother who was drafted low in the SMJHL but then drafted high in the SHL.

Thank you all for the amazing sigs & player cards
Germany

3. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 5 (Maximilian Wachter, Alexis Metzler) at 16:25
5. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 6 (Steven Stamkos Jr., Brynjar Tusk) at 19:48
8. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 7 (Brynjar Tusk, Alexis Metzler) at 13:55
9. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 8 (Anton Fedorov, Mikelis Grundmanis) at 15:12
10. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 9 (Dickie Pecker) at 19:43 (Empty Net)

Jabs · 02-01-2020, 08:55 PM

PBE affiliate

Keygan · 02-01-2020, 11:13 PM

When Conor Tanner was just a young boy he was already surrounded by the constant of hockey. Before he could walk he could skate, before he could talk he could chirp. His first word was "Duster" after he father Connor Tanner would continuously chirp the other team relentlessly no matter winning or losing.

When he was three he entered a five and under league and he lead the league in goals scoring an impressive seventeen, probably assisted by the fact that the goalies were barely capable of keeping themselves upstraight let alone stopping shots from an impressive three year old.

By the time he was five and had graduated from the league he was skating faster than anyone else on the ice, essentially skating circles around the competition, putting up an unruly seventy five points in only thirty two regular season games. He was a winner and obessed with winning from a very young age. He always was a phenom and will continue be one throughout his time in the SHL.

CFJ · 02-01-2020, 11:22 PM

Prince Devitt as you may all know that he picked up hockey at a very later time in his life. With him being already athletic phenom in the Pro Wrestling scene in Japan and in Europe and picking up some injuries here and there. His crazy mind decided to take up hockey and he picked it up flawlessly. Playing in the Scottish and Irish Professional Hockey Leagues sproadically while winding up his career in New Japan Pro Wrestling, he declared for the SMJHL Draft he was picked up 5th overall by the Kelowna Knights. After that it was no looking back for Prince Devitt, got drafted 9th overall by the Calgary Dragons as some say he should've been drafted a little earlier in the draft in the Top 5. His presence with Dragons resulted in him playing the Challenge Cup Finals later in the S50 season and became a Challenge Cup Champion, now he's looking to win more with the Dragons Franchise becoming a full time member of the team.

Thanks to prettyburn, TML, Carpy, JNH, Jepox, Engi, Karey, Flappy, Skolpadder, Mook, DollarAndADream, Smirnov and Toe for the sigs.

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Crossfit's First Career SHL Goal, 4. Manhattan Rage , Crossfit Jesus 1 (Pedro Sarantez, Nucky Toohoots) at 5:51

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Devitt's First Career SHL Goal, 5. Calgary Dragons , Prince Devitt 1 (Barry Batsbak 21, Mike Izzy 14) at 10:43

BDonini · 02-02-2020, 04:11 AM

Lallo Selman was never supposed to play hockey. When his parents immigrated from Italy to Italian part of southern Switzerland, Lallo's father was a huge soccer fan who dreamt of one day having his own son who could one day become a professional soccer player. Eventually Lallo was born, while he started playing soccer at 5 years old he was never really too interested in the sport and never seemed to have the same passion for it as his father. A few years later when Lallo was 8 years old, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation visited his school and let the students try ball hockey in their effort to promote hockey around Switzerland. Lallo immediately fell in love. When he got home he forced his parents to sign him up for ice hockey and buy him equipment and the rest would pretty much write itself. Lallo was a natural on the ice, he was always a step ahead and by 11 years old he was playing with and embarrassing 15 year olds. At 12 years old in order to take the next step in his hockey progression, Lallo moved to Canada. Living with his mother's cousin, the father of former SHL star Brandon Donini, Lallo got to play in the much more advanced Canadian development programs and where he would take his game to the elite level that has now made him on of the SHL's most exciting young stars.

***goldenglutes*** · 02-02-2020, 04:19 AM

Signatures by Vulfzilla, Jepox, Jess, rum_ham, Ragnar, and myself
[Image: 9vAsr7c.png]

Leoben · 02-02-2020, 05:28 AM

Josef Kubinec was never a star athlete. He had a normal childhood and wasn't big into sports. He played because his friends played but he didn't have a lot of motivation. This trait would follow him into the SHL initially. He didn't pick up a stick until he was fifteen, opting to play soccer before that. He knew how to skate but not how to play hockey but he really took to it once he got going. He soon surpassed his other friends and decided to make a go of it. He had moderate success but never took his training seriously. He got by on natural talent rather than practice. This made him the envy of players more passionate than him and it really frustrated his coaches. That's kind of been Josef's life though. He was content to just get by, settle for a B when he could have gotten an A with some effort. He knew he would have to put in some effort if he was going to make it in the sport though.

***SpartanGibbles*** · 02-02-2020, 06:03 AM

Collin Gibble's path to the SHL was one that seems to mirror a lot of currently SHL players. Gibble's was hailed as a fantastic player even as a child playing for a travel team. Something just seemed to click for Gibbles when he laced up his skates and hit the ice. Gibbles has always been known for his ability to read the action on the ice and his early career was no different. Coach's would be screaming from the bench when he interrupted the opposing team's rush and sent them trailing the counterattack. Gibbles has always said that the rink was like a second home for him and he always wanted to go pro. Many times he could be found in the empty arena practicing his skating and preparing for the day he might get a shot. The Grand Rapids native was always trying to find an excuse to be on the ice or watching other's play. Many former coaches simply said "It's like he was made to hold a hockey stick"

*Buster* · 02-02-2020, 10:03 AM

Being a Canadian from Toronto, Oliver Cleary ended up gravitating towards hockey at a very young age. On skates by two years old and in hockey camps within a couple years after that, Cleary started playing organized hockey at a very young age. In a time where kids are completely focused on one sport, Cleary was a multi sport athlete and would leave hockey in the winter. Cleary does credit playing other sports as a skill builder for hockey. He credits baseball for his hand-eye coordination and soccer for his speed. Once Cleary hit around the age of 10 though, he began pulling away from his peers and started showing potential for a future career. His work in the defensive zone was improving a ton and for the most part it felt like he was playing keep away at all times. This is when he began focusing fully on hockey, knowing he didn't have the natural talent in order to carry him.

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162 words

ztevans · 02-02-2020, 10:46 AM

Nikolai Evans was quite literally born to play hockey. Evans’ parents were both award-winning SHL players in their own right – Season 38 Sarmad Khan Trophy winner and two-time Challenge Cup Champion Zach Evans and Season 40 John McBride Trophy winner Ekaterina Rudnikova. Nobody can remember the first time Nikolai picked up a stick, but it came naturally to him after growing up around the game, especially watching the dominant Winnipeg Jet teams of the late 30s and early 40s.

Once he was old enough to play organized hockey, he quickly established himself as an extremely talented and electrifying offensive defenseman, playing key roles for various youth and midget teams in the Winnipeg area. That, along with his brash, outspoken personality and his strong bloodline – or as he often called it, genetic superiority – made him a can’t miss prospect before he even filed for the SMJHL Draft, whether you loved him or hated him.

LairdButler · 02-02-2020, 11:34 AM

Picture it, Badger, Minnesota. The Year is 2005. A young boy tentatively steps out on the ice for the first time. He weebles and wobbles as he slowly tries to make his way to center ice. About halfway there, he begins to fall only to caught up by a pair of strong hands from behind. Guided by these strong hands he is led around the rink, his confidence ever growing. Slowly building speed as they go around the rink, until that moment when the hands let go and he finds himself gliding across the ice on his own. A smile begins to grow as he feels the wind on his face, and hears the sounds of the ice under his skates. He thinks to himself, "There is nothing like the feeling of flying across the ice." He looks up to find himself surrounded by his family, his father, grandfather, great uncles, and cousins, all of whom are wearing their hockey gear. His father hands him a hockey stick and says, " Alright son, it's time to learn to play hockey the Hanson way."

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*Otrebor13* · 02-02-2020, 12:08 PM

Hockey has always been something Theo Morgan knew he would be doing when he was growing up. From an early age, he had it in him. Not only did he possess the skills and the talent to be a great hockey player, but he also had the determination and work ethic to want to reach that level of greatness.

Growing up in BC, Morgan always played at the highest levels. He was never one to shy away from competition, and every time he was on the ice, the opposing team knew he was the one to watch out there. He turned some heads at an early age, getting offers for stuff like scholarships and endorsement deals. However, what really put him on track for SHL stardom was when SHL Hall of Famer Roberto Martucci was watching one of his games. He was very impressed by the skills he harnessed and wanted to get him ready for a life as a professional hockey player.

After a brief discussion after one of Morgan’s games, Martucci became his agent, and the rest is history.

Bruins10 · 02-02-2020, 12:16 PM

Kaspars Claudes road to the SHL was a funny one because he comes from Latvia. Latvia to Tampa Bay and then New Orleans is something that never really crosses your mind as a kid growing up that is forsure. Always thought if I did make it as a professional hockey player, it would be in some lower budget pro league in europe like France or Czech Republic. But, having a brother and close friends who al wanted to play hockey, when everyone around you plays hockey, you will pick up the sport not to get left behind. In the summer I played in arenas and in the winter, my father would prepare a rink on the cornfield in the backyard. Such a well kept rink, the city would sometimes use the rink for their own practices so that all kids can improve on the ice, it helped Kaspars make friends and also always be on the ice. Watching Alexei Kovalevs technical videos and then more stuff on youtube to improve his skills, he was determined to improve.

sailingdrumstick · 02-02-2020, 12:30 PM

Thicc Cheezy has always been a hockey fan, from the age of 2 he would play hockey with anything that was available. And he always showed a natural skill that nobody else seemed to have. The thickest cheezyboii has been a phenom at every level of his hockey career. At the age of 12 TSN did a special on him as "The next great one". It was one of the most popular young star documentaries ever made. By 14 Cheezy was already signed to an agency and flying all over the country to participate in various hockey tournaments. In every tournament he participated in he was the leading scorer, with the scouts fawning at his natural skill that was simply unmatched by any kid his age. At 15 he was the most popular hockey player arguably in the world, and he continued to get better. This next level skill has yet to be on display at the SMJHL level, but we are all sure it's coming eventually.

**bbjygm** · 02-02-2020, 12:34 PM

The first time picking up a hockey stick was like entering a new magical world. There was something about the game that made it more fun than all others. It was almost instinctual to score, to beat goalies with ease even as a child. It was like destiny was pushing McShotty toward this career. He joined a travel team shortly after learning how to play. Many were skeptical that a young boy who had just learned could play but he was the best player on the team from the start. He dominated on the scoreboard, sometimes racking up five or more goals in a single game. It helped that the goalies as kids were not that great and any shot that got in the air would usually go in. Knowing that McShotty had to take advantage of it. Things got harder as he got older but he adapted and fought his way to the SHL.

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