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majesiu · 12-11-2018, 05:59 PM

Edmonton, After the Season 44 Playoff Series against Winnipeg Jets

In one of the many dramatic events of last season, the biggest changes personnel wise happened in teams that find themselves on the opposing sides of the power ranking spectrum - the Edmonton Blizzard and New England Wolfpack. Two franchise player exchanged their places as top players in their respective teams - Oisin Fletcher that switched to the C from the wing and Tigole Bitties becoming the leader of the Pack. Among those Juggernaughts, one other player was traded, one of the leading TPE earners in S41 class and arguably the best player from that class currently, making a great jump in his sophomore season, albeit still in limited third line minutes.

So why was he silent and withdrawn ever since the whole trade happened? Probably it would be best to ask him directly:
It's a combination of many factors. I loved being part of the old Wolfpack, it was a very warm and welcoming place I felt right at home the moment I was drafted with the third overall pick back in the season 41 draft, still as rather unknown in sim leagues world commodity. My first big league games were Challenge Cup games, it can't get any better and I was even big part of the Finals, though that breakaway goal for the win in OT game 3 (that we ultimately lost) still haunts my dreams. I bonded immediately with our MVP, both on the ice and in the locker room - Oisin Fletcher - can't imagine that I could play in any other team than he.
We had a good thing going there with the best player in SHL and growing core of S39-S42 players that I felt I could lead in the future and become finally a player that spends his whole career in one place, that is my dream in the sim league (but so far, well, I have terrible luck of being traded away after the rookie season - NSFL, GOMHL and now SHL on this list). Unfortunately, it wasn't possible with sudden management changes that led to the Edmonton trade.
Even though the Blizzard locker room is a great place and everyone was very welcoming I didn't feel comfortable after the change of the scenery, I stayed aside on focused just on my hockey skills which worked quite well to be frank, since I had the best season of my career, despite not playing huge minutes.

While not being as active in outside appearances, he kept with the development blossoming into an all-around wing, that can pass, defend and shot, while not spending too much time in the penalty box, compared to the rookie season it was admirable progress:
S43: 8 G | 8 A | 16 P | 43 HIT | 14 SB | -19 | 16.25 AMG
S44: 9 G | 19 A | 28 P | 64 HIT | 5 SB | +7 | 14.52 AMG
Having much better line partners certainly helped with assist numbers and having positive +/- and this kind of production with just 14.5 MPG while being handcuffed to the third line is certainly something to be proud of.

It certainly has been a ride of emotions for him, he is certainly a different person than one that started his career 5 seasons ago, speaking of - do you remember his draft video?

But what is next for Czerkawski, is he really back?
That remains to be seen, but recent events definitely made him question his dedication and he voiced that instead of spending the whole offseason on training and trying new types of equipment he is much more likely to visit his motherland and rest a bit more. You can count on his steady improvement, but he might not shot for start anymore. That may change if a bigger opportunity arises for him - you can only expect a player to fill in the meaningless role for so long (seriously it's my 5th season in the league while earning maximum TPE and I barely get playing time). I'm not talking about the change of scenery, because that would devastate Piotr even more, but if the league decides it is time for expansion he would be more than happy to fill in bigger shoes in the Blizzard uniform, keep in mind that his promise and bond to play with Oisin Fletcher takes precedence over everything.

Time for some of the questions from amazing Edmonton teammates starting with @Evok, I played my whole career with so far:
Interview

What would be the biggest achievement Czerkawski could achieve in your opinion?
Everyone dreams about becoming the best player in the league and it's no different for me, I'd love to hoist MVP title one day. Challenge cup is another thing I really want and breaking some unique league record would be perfect to fit into my wiki page. Sadly, because of the trade, I doubt I have legitimate shot at any team records now, so it's time to focus on the league-wide ones, which are hardest to break.

Interview

Oisin Fletcher took you under his wing when you joined the SHL and continue to do so right now, who else had an impact on your career?
A lot of people, SHL has an amazing player base and it's easy to miss people that impacted my career. We had so many influential figures in the New England Wolfpack like Xander Green, Mia Landvik, Toivo Kossonen, Spitfire or from the younger generation Manuel Goetze or Raven Silverwing. Even in my rookie season in SMJHL I had a pleasure of meeting a lot of great mentors, whether GMs at the time or the scout that brought me there - @Beaver. I still have plenty to learn and improve so hopefully I'll find more players like this in the Edmonton.

Interview

Was being part of team Czechoslovakia an anchor after the NEW/EDM trade?
It's certainly a thhing I take big pride in, because almost always if I have a choice I prefer staying loyal and at least representing Czechs gives me this opportunity. We are still a young team, but I believe we have as big potential as any other national team and we should prove to be contenders in the IIHF soon enough!

Interview

Any idea what could boost Czerkaski's motivation?
It's hard to tell, definitely a season on the side focusing only on the ice-related events helped with the burnout and stress he felt, so he should be back to the decent levels of motivation. I think he might not be as 100% as in the past, but he is certainly going to be around.

Interview

The whole Edmonton Blizzard team wanted to say they loved you and missed you, what do you think about this?
It's fantastic and the reaction has been a really cool thing, especially considering I wasn't part of the locker room for better part of last two months and it brings me closer and closer to the point of return!

The GM in Montreal and now in the Edmonton: @Keygan
Interview

Opinion on the team thus far?
It's nice to travel around the world and Edmonton has been an amazing fit on ice. I think we have the best rooster in the league and we should be contenders for the years to come, being so deep basically at every position.

Interview

Opinion on the role you've played on the team thus far?
Well, it didn't improve from my rookie season and I'm already in my 5th season in the league overall - can't play the role of 9th forward forever and the clock is ticking. I'd love to play together on the same line as Oisin Fletcher in the near future.

Interview

Can the Blizzard break their Challenge Cup drought?
Sure do, I don't believe in curses or any stuff like this and we put ourselves in the best possible position to do it. We will give 110% and will try until the blue fox (Fennec?) is on the championship banner for everyone to see! Hopefully, it is in Season 44 (well, it wasn't Sad

), but since anything can happen we will try until it's done.

Interview

Best and worst experience post trade?
I already had spoken about it, but the best would be the reception in the Edmonton post-trade because I was very close to ending my career at that point and it convinced me to try at least for some more time. The worst was realizing I was already in the trade talks the minute after the new GM was announced, just so he could bring his old player back, despite assurances from him that I could remain and become vital part of the team future, that was certainly the last straw that decided that even if I had the choice I wouldn't want to go back to that team while they have this kind of management. But let's focus on the future now, because it certainly looks exciting

Two more from the legend himself @ErM
Interview

How has it been making a run in the playoffs?
I've always elevated my play on the highest stage, back even in the Militia days (being 4th in points/goals in their playoff history), and it's nice being back in the playoffs. Obviously, I'd love to have a bigger role, but I accept we have better players ahead of me, and even though we came up short this season everyone did everything in their power to bring the cup to Edmonton.

Interview

What differences have you seen between the Blizzard and New England teams?
The mentality is definitely different now and this team is much younger overall, with a core of the players being away from the regression, hopefully, I'll be able to stay in one place for much longer now than in the past. The thing I miss the most is the unique atmosphere Wolfpack locker room had in the past, though from my short time in Edmonton it's a special place too.

The person that brought me to the Czechoslovakia

@caltroit_red_flames
Interview

What sort of player do you see yourself becoming during the prime of your career?
I still plan to become a team-first player and to focus on three main aspects: Defence, Passing and Puck Handling while being a good player all around. Even though my size could rack up hits I'm not hunting after them and rather spent time generating a scoring chance or preventing a team from the opposing team.

Interview

How do you feel about Czechoslovakia's recent acquisition of InciteHysteria?
Great news! Czechoslovakia has an excellent track record of acquiring top-shelf talent in recent years and I certainly hope it will continue, so we can finally bring together some Trophies to the Prague. The drought and being on the bottom of IIHF ranking has lasted for far too long.

Interview

It looks like you may be on a line with Smyth and Winters during the upcoming IIHF tournament, how do you feel about your potential linemates?
Fascinating, I had the opportunity to play a season now with Smyth and looked forward to playing with Winters ever since we played together in one of the WJC tournaments since he is one of the touted and best prospects in the entire league so it's a real treasure he is part of our team. We might not dominate yet, but the experience we get should serve us for the years to come.

Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about the town you grew up in, Radomsko I believe it was?
It is a small city with slightly under 50 thousand citizens located in the Łódź Voivodeship. It's located south enough of the country to have a hockey team and overall interest in the game overall, because in Poland once you get to the North part of the country that consists mostly of the plains field hockey is far more popular than the ice one. It's quite an old town that received town privileges from Duke Leszek II the Black of Sieradz in 1266, but was devastated during World War II, so you won't find many historical relics. But it's my hometown and I love to return there as often as it possible.

Interview

Is there anything you like to do during the offseason before you get back to training? A place you like to visit with friends or family?
As mentioned in the question above I'm likely to go back to Radomsko for some time, staying at my home. When I won't be preparing for the season 45, I'm going to meet with my family and childhood friends, catching up what is happening with them and sharing the stories. I'm probably going to hit some hot country for a week because even though I love hockey I'm still getting used to the Edmonton weather.

Most bloody and first to fight on the team @jRuutu
Interview

What has been your favorite part about living in Edmonton?
People love hockey so much here, basically, leave and breathe it here, our game has the best crowds and always a sellout. It's certainly a welcoming change and the experience I'd recommend to any aspiring player to feel at least once in their career. City life is also great, whenever you need to reload or just the opposite to use up some of the additional energy after the victory.

Interview

Who is the hardest or most annoying defender in Edmonton to play against in the practice?
That's easy, it's certainly you, Ensio Kalju, not only you treat every practice like a real game, but your zeal to fight caused more than a simple ruckus on several practice sessions. We should think about hiring dedicated sparing, boxing, partners just for you!

Interview

Going to hit the magical 1000 TPE mark soon, how does that feel?
To be honest it doesn't feel that magical anymore, after I hit it in several other leagues, especially with how player progression looks non-existent here past some mark, magnified by overcrowding of both SHL and SMJHL. I pump up some attributes but at the end of the day it's hard to see any tangible progress or how does it affect my game, some of it is obviously flawed sim engine, but other is how archetypes (other than Enforcer) are basically the same and lead to the creation of almost duplicate players. What if we had some bigger choices at the start and instead of Strengths/Weakness system archetypes decided about your starting attributes and the caps e.g. You decide to become Sniper, so you start with 70 Shooting, that is capped at 99, but your Defence and Passing starts at 40 and is limited to 80, just an example, but it would certainly create more diversity. Changes to update scale would have to be included obviously, but nothing that wasn't done either here or in other leagues.

Interview

Could you ever see yourself playing in Europe someday?
For sure, I started my career in the Polish Hockey League (as seen in my pre-draft video) and easily can see finishing my career there in the player-coach role. Not sure I'd consider other leagues, because while I'm going to be able to play on a high level I'm likely to stay in the SHL. Europe could be stepping stone for my post-retirement career whether in the coaching role or in the front office capacity.

Interview

If you could add one player from another SHL team into your line, what player would you pick and why?
Manuel Goetze @Mavfatha is obvious since he is a dear friend I played within the Wolfpack, that we weren't able to bring him to the Edmonton. He started the career about the same time I did, so we could play together till we decided to hang up the skates. What is even better our skills complement each other - I'm more about positioning on defense and prefer to pass rather than shoot myself and he is the direct opposition - charges straight into for hits and shoots whenever the opportunity comes up. While we are on the opposing teams now I certainly hope and look forward to playing with him for many seasons in the future if such opportunity becomes reality.

Interview

Return to New England during the regular season, but playing on Blizzard jersey - was it an emotional moment?
Certainly, the atmosphere certainly was different, even among the crowd that lost beloved players and had to enter painful rebuild, even though the team was ahead of the schedule before that. I recognized many familiar faces and response was overall sympathetic, I certainly didn't have to dodge tomatoes, bullets or pig heads as was the case in some other unfortunate player returns to other teams. We had a great game, which certainly helped ease the tension and I'm looking forward to visiting New England and people I know there for years to come.

Interview

Got any plans for the off-season?
As mentioned in cal question I will visit my hometown and family and friends, but certainly won't be slacking with the on-ice department. I have a rigorous training schedule planned and finally will choose the three final aspects of my game I'm going to improve in. Certainly, it's going to be my two calling cards so far - passing and defense and I'm still on the fence about the final attribute to round up my trinity. Likely it's going to be either puck-handling or skating, we have enough snipers in the league as it is and someone got to create opportunities for them.

The man in charge himself @karlssens:
Interview

What has been the most significant change going from New England to Edmonton?
My role as mop up third line guy didn't change, I saw plenty of familiar faces too, so that's good. My attitude has changed, rather dramatically - from locker room active and good spirited player to the back of the room silent type. Hopefully, it will reverse soon enough, it has been enough of dwelling and moaning from me for quite some time.

Interview

With 28 points and a +7 rating you were able to build off your rookie season and set new career highs. About to enter your third season, what are your expectations and how do you see yourself performing?
It was certainly a nice surprise I was able to improve so much while still playing the third line minutes, as only top earner from S41 class - both Lagerfield and Karlson have much bigger roles in their teams, likely being first liners/pairing next season. I can't count on more minutes next season - Edmonton was able to secure most of its players and their untouchables players from the trade block are almost able to fill the three whole forwards' lines with 900+ TPE players. So I'm going to be content if at least I'm going to keep up the S44 points and help the team get the top seed and hopefully the challenge cup next season!

Interview

After winning a best of 7 series against Calgary in just 5 games you and Blizzard ran into a brick wall in the form of the Winnipeg Jets, losing the first three games of a best of 7 series before ultimately being eliminated in 6 games. Do the Blizzard have what it takes to get over the hump next season and make it to the finals?
Certainly - teams is only improving and was the best rooster wise, but we weren't able to pull it off when it mattered the most in the playoffs. Even though we came up short we are 100% contenders next season and we are going to be more experienced too - let's hope it will make a difference and that we finally are going to break that trophy drought!

Interview

Looking back at S44, which game/moment will you remember the most?
While the season was rather successful, it certainly going to be the moment when new NEW GM was chosen and subsequent trade that sent me to the Blizzard. It's just one of the career-altering moments you simply don't forget, ever.

Okay, thanks for all amazing questions and talk, once again it was great to hear such a response from the team, and let's wrap up this self-centered article with a list of things I'd like to achieve in the next season/future:

Round up my game and finalize my archetype choices
Become an integral part of the best forwards rotation in the SHL
Don't lose a step with the development
Get back into Locker Room and step up overall activity, other than just updating
Whoop some ass in next year playoffs!

That's it folks and see you in the season 45!!!

[Image: 7695_m644.jpg]

trella · 12-11-2018, 06:14 PM

Always a pleasure maj, can’t wait to get you back into the LR!

Thanks to @karey and @JSS for the sigs!

Former USA Fed Head, Carolina Kraken Co-GM, Tampa Bay Barracuda GM

***Evok*** · 12-11-2018, 06:17 PM

@majesiu

***Evok*** · 12-11-2018, 06:19 PM

*Keygan* · 12-11-2018, 06:24 PM

Can’t wait to take another crack at it with you.

karlssens · 12-11-2018, 06:24 PM

It's been a delight sharing a line with ya bud. lets go get that cup next season!

***caltroit_red_flames*** · 12-11-2018, 06:25 PM

Friend Maj! Thanks for the great answers to the questions, glad to hear that you're excited for the upcoming IIHF season. I can't wait to have you back in the locker room, and I loved reading this whole thing.