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WeWantTaro · 08-25-2015, 10:12 AM

The year was 1974. The young 20 year old Taro Tsujimoto was going through his off season training in his home city of Tokyo. It was just another day in the life of one of the most prolific Japanese hockey players. He had finished up his 3rd season with the Tokyo Katanaâ€™s registering a total of 100 points in 82 games (63 goals and 37 assists). He led the league in points that season and was only minutes away from capturing the All Japan Ice Hockey Championship. It was his only goal for as long as he could remember. He grew up listening to his father playing and winning with the Furukawa Electric Tochigi back in 1953. Tsujimoto wanted to continue the tradition and win the cup. Unfortunately 1974 would not be his year. There were eight total teams in the championship bracket playing a best of 3 series. He played a tough tournament gathering 6 goals and 3 assists in the first round beating out his fatherâ€™s old team in two games to none. Tsujimoto and the Katanaâ€™s breezed through the next round and for a second time swept their opponents in two games. They had made it to the championship round and would face off against their bitter rivals the Oji Eagles. While many expected a blow out with Taro Tsujimoto leading the way, the Oji Eagles had other plans. They played a tough first game but the Katanaâ€™s were victorious. They won in a close battle with the final score of 2-1. Many spectators were worried though. For the first time this season, Taro Tsujimoto was held off the score board. The Eagles had figured out a way to neutralize the dominant forward and were able to contain him the entire game. Mentally the first game broke Taro. He couldnâ€™t find his game and the Oji Eagles capitalized on this and won games two and three to capture the All Japan Ice Hockey Championship

With the tournament behind him Taro promised to get back to basics and find his swagger that he carried in to the post season. His power skating coach was running him through drills at his home town rink working on his blue line to blue line speed. What happened next no one would have believed. The rink manager called him over and pulled him into his office. He was handed the phone and his father was on the other line. In a bizarre twist, a young start up team in the NHL had apparently heard of Taro Tsujimoto and selected him with the 183rd overall pick in the eleventh round. The Buffalo Sabres were taking a chance on the young Japanese phenom. Taro couldnâ€™t believe it. He had no idea that he was even being scouted. While his numbers were impressive, the competition was weak compared to the North American Minor leagues and European leagues. This news was what he needed to kick start his game. He hit the ice with a vengeance, prepared to make the team out of training camp.

As the weeks went by, Taro had yet to hear from his new team. He expected that by now he would have been contacted by the GM or coach as to what the next step was to getting him over for rookie camps. It was now early September Taro was confident in his abilities. He was going to take this tremendous opportunity by the horns and make a name for himself and Japan in the biggest stage a hockey player from his nation had ever had. With no word from the Sabres, he decided to pack his bags anyways and essentially knock on the doors of the National Memorial Auditorium.

Taro landed at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport mid-September without anyone noticing. He picked up his bag and carried it out of the terminal. He hailed a cap and was dropped off at the Aud. He couldnâ€™t believe the size of the arena. He was day dreaming of the crowds roaring his name. He could see himself playing with the talented French Connection. This was his time to shine. His day dream was broken up when a security guard tapped him on the shoulder,

â€œUhh, Can I help you?â€
â€œYes sir, Iâ€™m here to talk with Mr. Punch Imlach or Coach Floyd Smithâ€
â€œIâ€™m sorry kid; the premise is closed for players onlyâ€
â€œBut my name is Taro Tsujimoto. Iâ€™m here for training campâ€
â€œnice try kidâ€ said the Security guard. He started laughing and walked away

Taro didnâ€™t understand. Was he not a part of the Buffalo Sabres. He had been drafted like everyone else. Why did no one know who he was? It wasnâ€™t until he finally talked to his father that he realized what had happened. The Sabres apparently had no idea that Taro even existed. It was all a joke meant to show the NHL the loop holes in the draft. Apparently know one in the hockey world outside of Japan knew that Taro Tsujimoto was an actual player. Taro had found that he was in the middle of a HUGE coincident. Seeing that he had spent all the time traveling to the United States he decided he would make the most of it and try out of the minors. He knew that not far down the road in Rochester NY the Boston Bruins farm team was having open tryouts to help bolster the roster. Taro decided that he would prove himself by walking on to the Bruins minor league affiliate and then work his way up to the NHL. There he would be able to humiliate the Sabres for making such a mockery of him.

Hoping on a train and the Buffalo Central Terminal and made his way over to Rochester. He signed up at the Rochester Community War Memorial Ice Arena and was given a number. For two weeks he laced up his skates and played with some of the most talented young hockey players in North America. They were all gunning for a few open spots. The first couple of days Taro stood out and was scoring at will but as he got tired he found it harder and harder to keep up with the physical style of play compared to what he was used to in Japan. His small 5â€™ 9â€ 165lb frame took a beating. By the end of the two weeks he was battered and bruised. He could no longer keep the puck on his stick and make the plays he was used to making. He was called into the team office and informed him that he was not going to make it. The strength was just not there. The Bruins organization didnâ€™t have room for a small framed play maker and were looking for that bigger hard hitting enforcer.

Disappointed, Taro began looking for is next option. He knew that he couldnâ€™t elevate his physical game enough to make an impact in North America. He knew that someday, his skill set would be valued, but with the prominent draw for the fans being the hard hitting, glove dropping style that the NHL was, Taro knew that he was ahead of his time. Thatâ€™s when he started hearing about Bob Nelson. Nelson was newly appointed the President of the California Cryogenics Society and was claiming that he could freeze a living human being and bring him back to life in the future. Taro couldnâ€™t believe what he was hearing. Wanting to know more about this new technology, Taro hoped on a plane and flew out to California to meet with Nelson. Taro explained his case.

â€œI canâ€™t make an impact in the hockey world today, but I know that someday I will be exactly what the Hockey world wants and needsâ€

Nelson and Tsujimoto talked through their options. While Nelson believed that it was possible, he also felt that he could make improvements. He developed a way to control Taroâ€™s testosterone levels and electrically stimulate his muscles. It was also increase his growth hormones as well giving Taro that added boost he was missing. The contract signed by Taro meant that he would be frozen for 40 years keeping him under until the year 2014. It was at this point that Taro believed the game would have evolved into a more skill first type of game.

40 years later it was time. Taro emerged from the cryogenic tank a full 6 inches taller making him an even 6 foot weighing 200lbs. He couldnâ€™t believe it. IT HAD WORKED. The added testosterone had worked. Knowing that he hadnâ€™t played the game of ice hockey in 40 years he hit the ice hard. Working on his game and finding that scoring touch. While he stilled possessed the quick release shot he had back with the Katanaâ€™s the added strength was amazing but there were some consequences. He found that he was quick to snap into an ager filled rage and found that he really loved the physical side of the game. With a year on the ice under his belt, he felt it was time to finally make a name for himself in the North American hockey scene but knew he couldnâ€™t use his old name. Taro Tsujimoto had been embraced by the Buffalo Sabres as a long standing joke and Taro wanted nothing to do with it. He looked through the yellow pages of the all too familiar city of Rochester and settled on a name: Tim Buckner.

Taro or as he was now known, Buckner wasnâ€™t sure that he wanted to give the NHL his time. The anger was deep for what had happened in â€™74 and he couldnâ€™t get passed it. Looking around for other options he started hearing rumors of the SHL. A relatively small start-up league that was paving the way to becoming one of the big sports leagues in North America. After weighing the options he decided to finally declare himself for the S25 entry level draft. After participating in the rookie tournament and talking with many of the General Managers, he was eventually picked with the first pick of the third round by the Detroit Falcons (much better than 183rd overall). Buckner is now getting settled in with his new team and looking forward to the future. He is working on elevating his scoring touch even more but not losing that powerful hard hitting game that he owed Nelson so much for. Without him he would have never made the jump to the big leagues like he has. The future is bright for Buckner and the sky is the limits.

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Eggy216 · 08-25-2015, 10:21 AM

Yes! Omg you actually wrote it!

WeWantTaro · 08-25-2015, 10:23 AM

Quote:Originally posted by Eggy216@Aug 25 2015, 09:21 AM
Yes! Omg you actually wrote it!

Finally got around to it. I think it turned out ok too. A little far fetched, but hey that's the fun of it right?

Eggy216 · 08-25-2015, 10:24 AM

Quote:Originally posted by WeWantTaro@Aug 25 2015, 09:23 AM

Finally got around to it. I think it turned out ok too. A little far fetched, but hey that's the fun of it right?

Yep!

TML99 · 08-25-2015, 11:31 AM

Wow the name, it makes sense to me now!

you're a buffalo fan aren't you!

No idea why but I always read your name thinking this guy...

[Image: tumblr_mqso64NS4p1rk5dgco1_1280.jpg]

[Image: tumblr_mqso64NS4p1rk5dgco1_1280.jpg]

but now I realize he is called totoro

WeWantTaro · 08-25-2015, 11:39 AM

Quote:Originally posted by TML99@Aug 25 2015, 10:31 AM
Wow the name, it makes sense to me now!

you're a buffalo fan aren't you!

No idea why but I always read your name thinking this guy...

but now I realize he is called totoro