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***Nike*** · 02-16-2025, 10:09 PM

On the eve of the eighty first season of the Simulation Hockey League, the Chicago Syndicate are happy to announce our captains for the upcoming season. As the Syndicate pave their way out of a long and slow rebuild, there is a new sense of opportunity among the young and growing bunch.

OUR ASSISTANT CAPTAINS FOR SEASON 81

It is a great honor to share the first of our assistant captains for this upcoming campaign – Sad Ketchup ( @Tylar ). Since being drafted by the Syndicate in the Season 73 entry draft, we have known exactly the kind of player we were going to get when we got to this point in Ketchup’s career. As the team has matured around him, so has his play. Only once in his career has his play dipped below point per game pace. And with a shiny new toy, Slava-Ukraini Heroyam-Slava, playing down the middle between Ketchup and Mograine for the Syndicate this season, its no doubt that the trio is expected to be one of the SHL’s highest flying top lines. Congrats to Tylar on being named ass captain by your teammates.

And while every franchise builds up hope that their players entering their prime will also step into leadership roles, there are players who occasionally step into the spotlight of leadership even earlier in their career. The Syndicate will have one such player rounding out their assistant captains group for Season 81. I am thrilled to announce that Sam Volta ( @Tripl3tsGamer ) will also serve as an alternate captain for the Syndicate this year. While only in his sophomore season in the big leagues, it has been Volta’s locker room presence, leadership and sick beats that have really brought energy to Chicago. As Chicago looks to the future in our forward group, its probably very little surprise to anyone that knows the kind of game that Volta can bring that big things are expected from Volta as Chicago enters its upcoming competitive window. Volta and his new linemate Zeus Storm will be a terror for opposing defenses this year and, likely, the next decade of SHL hockey.

Congratulations to both Volta and Ketchup for their new A’s. With all of that, we have a very special announcement to make with this season’s captaincy reveal.

YOUR CAPTAINCY, MY LORD

It should come as no doubt to anybody who has played in Chicago for the last 15 seasons that there is a very special and consistent group of leadership that makes the Syndicate franchise such an incredible place to be in the SHL. And this season, marks an extraordinary milestone for our newest Chicago Syndicate Captain. Her steady presence in Chicago over these last 15 seasons has brought consistency through transition and has ensured that our Chicago leadership group and community still has strong roots to who we were as a franchise in the S50s and 60s when Chicago was consistently among the league's best.

And as we approach the new season ahead, we can’t help but marvel as we recall all these years we’ve gotten to spend together with our Season 81 captain. Beginning the season with exactly 1000 career points, and just 10 games shy of his 1000th game in a Chicago Syndicate uniform, it is my great pleasure to announce that Dave Heinrich ( @Tesla ) will serve as Chicago’s Captain this season and wear the “C” for his 1000th contest as a member of the Syndicate. A truly dedicated Chicago legend who has seen ever stage of the franchise’s recent history. Playing for the tail end of our championship rosters, through the entirety of the rebuild and will hopefully enjoy another crack at that elusive SHL Challenge Cup this season as our Captain. There is no player that we, collectively, would rather play with.

Chicago looks forward to a special celebration for Dave during our 10th contest of the year against the Pride. A career that spans 15+ seasons and 1000 contents is a rarity in the SHL these days. Even more rare is doing so for a single franchise throughout. It is an absolute testament to Dave’s commitment to this city, these fans and this franchise that we get to celebrate his achievements all throughout this season. There is no better player to wear the “C” for Chicago this season. And someday, when Heinrich’s number and jersey hangs in the rafters in Chicago, it will absolutely have a captain’s patch to represent the leadership that Dave brought to the Syndicate locker room.

Editor’s Note:
@Tesla THANK YOU! For all that you have done for Chicago. You have been an immense gift to our little corner of this community for your entire career. Your loyalty to our team and your beautiful humor has been the glue that has held us together so many times when these past few seasons were long. I am so thankful to have had a chance to get to know you better over the last 15 seasons. And to have had the opportunity to share Chicago with you for 2 straight players (for me...Dave's longevity too good) has been such a blessing. People want to play for Chicago because they want a chance to be here with YOU. I hope that tells you how important you are to all of us. And I hope that after these 1000 games we will find a way to celebrate 1000 more with you – don’t you worry, that special locker room role and our promise to always swear fealty to Queen Tesla if the SHL ever were to move to a feudal system remains intact until the day the SHL closes its doors. Queen Tesla reigns supreme syndicate

We have been, and continue to be, so lucky to have you on our team and in our community. And I am so lucky to call you my friend. We love you, Tes. :chisnuggle: :hugheart:

And SHL - if you don't know Tesla yet, she's the best SHL person anybody could ever meet. Don't miss out (and congratulate her on 1K games, I mean cmon!)