Hello SHL!

I know I have been away for some time and haven’t really bothered to keep fighting regression as hard as I would have liked too, but we come finally to the end of my SHL Journey with Ludwig.

For those of you who have no idea who I am, that’s fair, really fair considering my site presence has been near non existent for a few seasons now. I was one of the highest active TPE players to play in the league and one of the media giants back in the day. I come now with this post to announce the retirement of LKS after the conclusion of this season, so he can play out 1 more regression crippled season with WKP.

Where to start with all of this?

Well I guess we can start from the beginning and where I feel thanks are due.

I honestly don’t know where the Whalers are now a days for the health of the franchise of the success they carry, but I will always have a soft spot for the blue and green SMJHL team. They drafted me much later than I would have hoped back in the S30 minors draft, but I was so excited to join the team. I had a lot of great players with me that season, and the hatred for the Kelowna Knights and Prince George fire birds was something truly special.

Next up came the S31 draft. What a class that was. I think before we are all said and done here, we might have 5 or more players hit the hall of fame. After being promised I was going to the Manhattan Rage, Winnipeg jets, etc None of those teams took me and I fell down to the Steelhawks. I was still super excited to be a part of the Steelhawks franchise and their colour scheme was one of my favourite. The team unfortunately absolutely whiffed on that draft class and they had to head towards what would be their 2nd of 3 rebuilds in a short amount of time.

As exciting as it was to be drated by the team, Dangles stepping down was a bit much for me so I asked to be traded. Buffalo was the next destination. Now hindsight is 20/20 but honestly I did enjoy playing in Buffalo, the issue? The second Tomen disappeared the team was left in a lurch and scrambling to make something of the momentum it had going and honestly, I wasn’t familiar with the users coming in to manage the team and the direction it was going. So it was off to join up with some familiar faces in West Kendall.

What can be said about the Platoon teams over the seasons I played there. By the end of it all I will have played over 16 seasons in the Toonza red, totaling 800 career games and somewhere over 140+ playoff games as well. I am sadly going to end up short of the teams all time points record for defenseman, but still made some noise there I hope for an all time great. So many of my goals were accomplished there. Winning a cup (3 times!) with 5 finals appearances. I FINALLY was able to win a Stevens after years of praying and wishing. Toss in 3 1st team all stars, a 3rd, 2 stevens nominations, Anton Razov nom, Bojo Biscuit nom, 3 gold medals, 2 silvers, a bronze, and top IIHF defenseman…..

I am thinking and hoping at this point I can get the call to the Hall of fame next.

Currently statistically before my last season I sit at….

GP: 1000
G: 174
A: 543
P: 717
+91
1345 Hits
1595 SB
86 PPG
212 PPPTS

I don’t know how the committee feels, but if Nuck made it in, I think I could swing it myself as a 1st ballot is the hope!

Now onto thanks.

@Tomen - Honestly man thansk for taking the chance on me in Buffalo and Im sorry what happened to you and wish we could have stuck it out and made it work! Great user/ person and I wish you the best
@JR95 - We had been together essentially since the Hamilton days and we were able to win a lot of stuff together. You've been a great GM through my little rants, and complaints, but also there to celebrate the times when the team was on its high. You will drag WKP back to glory sooner than later I bet!
@Zoone16 - Honestly one of the closest people I bonded with in WKP, I can't say enough nice/ great things about you and hope your next player steals all the league records cause you deserve it.
@Acsolap - The WKP defense is yours now man, make us proud!
@.bojo - I dont think I have met someone who is so level headed - smart - and kind. I literally have never seen a shread of hostile blood in your body at any part over the years and you deserve all the fantastic rep you carry. You are a gem.
@JKortesi81 - OG S31 squad. Truly sad we could never connect during the run of these players in the SHL, but doesnt matter we still got to chat when possible and I wish you the best with your expansion team.
@Avakael - You better survive long enough to either take the #2 spot for D man scoring or at least past me, you deserve it and WILL be a 1st ballot HoFer



I really could spend quite a while in here tagging SO many people about how sad it is to leave, but just know so many other of you def still hold a spot in my SHL heart (Toedragon - Grapehead - Incitehysteria - Dangles - enigmatic - Leppish - Jed - TWILS!! - Drunken Teddy - Leafer - Slappy - Hoovuh - ej27 )


As far as recreating?

I can't see myself recreating as long as we use the STHS engine. It's such a simplistic engine that really doesn't help to diversify player 'archetypes' and with the way the caps are built, you really just end up with maybe 1 of 3 player types by the end of it all.

If you want to find me, I spend most of my time over in PBE now GMing the Vancouver Vandals (come check it out!) but can see myself maybe coming back here if/ when we switch the sim engine!

Goodbye all! I will check back on this thread to see any/ all message (I dont expect many at this point haha).