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dmills3 · 04-19-2019, 02:33 AM

The S46 Vancouver Whalers finished 8th in the SMJHL with a record of 23-21-6, good for 52 points in the standings. Although, they got bounced in the 1st round by Detroit, Vancouver has a lot to be optimistic for the upcoming seasons. Next season they get to keep their top goalie, Casimir Stevens, their top 2 scorers, Borromini Cannellini and Petr Mikulak, and have 8 very active sophomore players that were recently drafted in to the SHL. Jax Duggan went 1st overall to the Winnipeg Jets, Cullen Gray went 8th overall to the Tampa Bay Barracuda, Sami Raanta, Aaron Wilson, and Dale Miller went 11th, 17th, and 27th overall, respectively, to the Hamilton Steelhawks, Theo Morgan went 15th overall to the Los Angeles Panthers, Joe Ackroyd went 35th overall to the Chicago Syndicate, and Igor Volkov went 45th to the Minnesota Chiefs.

I, Ty Neadick, decided to sit down with the GM of the Vancouver Whalers and the recently drafted sophomores to talk about what their first season as Whalers was like and what they thought about the draft. I decided to start at the man that runs the team, Arnost Holub. Here's what I found out:

Arnost Holub

Ty Neadick: Good afternoon Arnost, how has your off-season been so far?

Arnost Holub: It's been great so far, Ty. Thanks for asking. How have you been? It's been a while since I last talked with you.

Ty: I've been real busy, Arnost. Went back to school and got my degree but now I'm back full-time. Let's start rattling off the questions now. Only have so much time.

Arnost: Sounds great man.

Ty: What were you looking for going into the S46 SMJHL draft and why did you pick who you did?

Arnost: I was looking at a lot of 1st gens. I was looking at a culture change of Vancouver of relying on recreates in the first round or 2 and go straight to 1st gens. I wanted a more active locker room and I think we got one of the most actives right now.

Ty: That's a very big change to implement so I commend you on being willing to make that kind of change in the position you have. Also, having been around your locker room, you do have an extremely active locker room and they all seem extremely happy to be there.

Ty: Next question, what did you see in all of the free agents that you signed early and mid-season?

Arnost: A lot of our players got called so I was messaging everyone in free agency. It turns out I lucked into some of the better ones.

Ty: Theo Morgan and Dale Miller have been excellent additions to the team and seem to have extremely bright futures ahead of them. I think they will be able to take the next step this upcoming season and perform very well.

Ty: Now, how optimistic are you of this coming draft class and year for the Whalers?

Arnost: I am very optimistic of this coming draft class and the season for the Whalers, controlling 1st overall gives me a lot of leverage on trading it for more quality picks. Now I'm going for more quality over quantity now, getting the most active ones so that we can get to that next level. Our outlook for this season is great: 2 lines of capped forwards plus a great 3rd line with a capped center and a 300+ winger. Our defense is one of the best since Leppish and Gecko were there. Our goalies are great and we are looking to dominate.

Ty: Not much I can add onto that one. Now on a lighter note, why do you love having Pens fans on your roster, despite being a self-proclaimed Flyers fan?

Arnost: I love to agonize myself, and for some reason I liked the Pens fans I drafted.

Ty: Speaking of agonizing yourself, I heard that you came into some major drug addiction because of that. Want to share your progress?

Arnost: Well after some of my players caught me in my office, I've been going to rehab. Making some improvement you know.

Ty: Absolutely. Take care of yourself Arnost. Speak to you soon.

Arnost: Thanks Ty. You too.

Jax Duggan

Ty Neadick: Good evening, Jax. My name is Ty Neadick and I write for the Vancouver Chronicles. How are you doing tonight?

Jax Duggan: Well, to start, if you could give me 15 fucking minutes to get out of my equipment that would be great.

Ty: Alrighty then. I'll be back in 15.

Ty: Alright Jax. Now how are you doing?

Jax: I'm doing well Ty. What did you say your last name was again?

Ty: Neadick.

Jax: *mumbles* hehehe, tiny dick.

Ty: Sorry, Jax, did you say something?

Jax: No, sir. I'm ready for the questions.

Ty: Okay then, how's it feel to go 1st overall to Winnipeg?

Jax: It feels pretty great, I'm not going to lie. I feel I played a solid season in every aspect and I'm excited to get going this upcoming season and see what I'm capable of.

Ty: Congrats. It's such an accomplishment to go 1st overall. Next question, what do you believe led to your success as a rookie defenseman in the SMJHL?

Jax: Honestly, it's all the management staff. Luke told me what he wanted to see and I did my best to do it. Beyond that it's all his magic and I can't take credit for it.

Ty: Pretty humble from a 1st overall draft pick. Now, do you feel optimistic about being in Winnipeg and why or why not?

Jax: I do, we have a good, young team, and this draft really filled some of the holes we have there. By the time I go up, I think we're going to be a real threat in the SHL.

Ty: How do you feel you'll perform this coming season in the SMJHL?

Jax: I think I had a good rookie season. It's really going to be my challenge this upcoming year to improve upon some of my biggest issues in an effort to help the team.
Ty: Speaking of the the team, are you happy with your situation in Vancouver and why or why not?

Jax: Oh, I love Vancouver, my rookie class mates, and the guys that helped usher us into the J. We're like a family and I wouldn't give that up for anything.

Ty: How many more seasons do you want to be in Vancouver before making the transition to the Winnipeg roster?

Jax: At least 2. I want to have a few good runs at the 4 star, and I want to give Arnost the best possible case for building this team up to be a constant contender even after my year leaves.

Ty: Do you prefer pickle slices, pickle spears, or whole pickles?

Jax: Pickle slices. I'm not the type of guy to just eat a whole ass pickle. And pickle spears, while good for garnishing, are really awful to use as a topping I.E. on sandwiches and burgers.

Ty: Fair enough. Now the last question I have for you is whether you have any pregame rituals or superstitions and what those are?

Jax: My playlist. I always have to listen to my playlist pregame to get me in the zone and ready to play. It has everything from metal, to rap, to pop punk, but mostly heavy pop punk. It's been a lot of the Toronto band PUP lately.

Ty: Thanks for your time, Jax, and good luck this season.

Cullen Gray

Ty Neadick: Hey Cullen thanks for joining me today.

Cullen Gray: Thanks Ty. Happy to be here.

Ty: I'll start you off with a pretty easy question here: Favorite NHL team? Player?

Cullen: Favourite team tight now is the Leafs. It used to be the Sens which I know is a weird jump, but ever since they traded basically everyone away, and Melnyk not selling the team, I've just not been able to like watching them. And basically ever since the Leafs did their rebuild and drafted Matthews, Marner, etc., I've been a fan of the team. I've just moved away from liking the Sens more recently. My favourite player would have to be Mitch Marner, the guy is just amazing on the ice and just my favourite player to watch on and off the ice.

Ty: What do you want to do and accomplish in life?

Cullen: I'm just finishing college right now for game development, so something to do with making games or just programming in general is my goal for a job. More general goals would be create a good family, travel, and just generally try to enjoy everything that happens.

Ty: What makes Vancouver's S47 rookie class so special?

Cullen: Pretty much everyone that was drafted was incredibly active within the locker room and outside of it. Everyone who got drafted is just awesome and I'm really excited for the future of the Whalers, definitely going to be the team to beat going forward.

Ty: What allowed you to lead all rookies in scoring last year?

Cullen: Mostly a lot of luck I'd say. Being put on the first line early on in the season with (Borromini) Cannellini and (Petr) Mikulak was probably the biggest factor, but I'd like to think I had a little something to with it as well.

Ty: Do you like to eat ice?

Cullen: Uhhh... not usually, maybe if it's really cold outside, but probably not.

Ty: Where do you see your player in 5 seasons?

Cullen: After winning 2 consecutive 4 star cups with the Whalers and getting called up to the SHL, I'll be playing for the Barracuda, tearing shit up and hopefully either on our way to a challenge cup win or already having done it.

Ty: Would you rather be on a team ready to win a cup now on the 3rd line or a team entering a rebuild where you might be the future staple/star player?

Cullen: Tough to say, but I think I'd rather be joining a rebuild, I'd like to be a core part of a team while it becomes the best it can be, not be on the 3rd line while it's amazing and then be there for the rebuild in my prime.

Ty: Why Gray over Grey?

Cullen: Well, first of all, Gray just looks better than Grey, in my opinion. Secondly, Gray is actually part of my real name so that's where it comes from.

Ty: Thanks Cullen. Excited to see how you perform this upcoming season.

Sami Raanta

Ty Neadick: Willkommen Sami wie gehts? Sprichst du Englisch?

Sami Raanta: Ty... I speak English and I'm great.

Ty: Awesome to hear Sami. I'll start off by asking what is it like to be a Vancouver Whaler?

Sami: Being a Whaler is all about the pride to have that logo on your crest and the desire and will to win championships. This team has a fantastic history and it is up to us now to continue with it and bring the Cup back to Vancouver.

Ty: What was it like being drafted with Aaron and Dale to Hamilton?

Sami: It was fantastic. I was happy to be drafted to Hamilton but to do so alongside Aaron Wilson and Dale Miller was even better. I think we can do great things in Hamilton in the future. Getting both guys that late was fantastic.

Ty: What are you most excited for in this upcoming season?

Sami: The fact that our group had time to gel last season and the incredible fact that nearly everyone of the S46 SMJHL draft class and signings stayed active. Now, as everyone developed further, we can do great things next season.

Ty: What is something your player needs to improve upon to justify Hamilton picking you?

Sami: I switched from center to left wing recently because of team needs and because I feel better there right now. I need to get used to that but I played mostly wing last season so I think I can do that. I need to develop my offensive game and have better stats than last year for sure. I need to justify that picking me at 11th overall was the right choice.

Ty: What is something that you would change about the Vancouver team, if there is any?

Sami: Honestly, there isn't anything. We need to hit the ball out of the park with our next draft but I'm sure Arnost and Infidel will do just that.

Ty: What is it like being 1 of 8 people in Germany to enjoy the sport of baseball?

Sami: My friends yawn everytime I start to talk about baseball here in Germany. Nobody wants to play The Show with me there. So it's nice talking about baseball with some people who enjoy it for a change here on Discord.

Ty: Thanks for the answers Sami, I'm sure you'll do great this season.

Aaron Wilson

Ty Neadick: Good morning, Aaron. I'm glad I could catch you before practice. Care if I ask you a few questions?

Aaron Wilson: Good morning to you too Ty and of course.

Ty: What got you interested in calculating stats like corsi and how do you do it?

Aaron: Cannellini suggested it in our discord and not like I needed any confirmation that my player wasn't good but I was curious what my corsi was. At first, I only calculated corsi for our team, then decided to do it for the whole league and added more stats. How I do it? Nothing too complicated, it's a lot of regex matching which is searching for patterns in a string of text. I'm a software developer and this is a fun project to do in my free time. There are a lot of things I hop to add to it in the future. When I first signed up I thought I'd just spend a couple hours on SHL every Sunday and wouldn't be too involved but I've been much more active than that and this project is probably a big reason why.

Ty: What was it like being drafted with Dale and Sami to Hamilton?

Aaron: It's awesome. I'm glad we can be teammates both in SMJHL and SHL. Our builds mesh well together too because Sami is a pass-first player, and Dale and I are scorers so maybe we'll play on the same line, that could be a great storyline.

Ty: Why is Sami 20x better than Dale?

Aaron: I mean, technically Sami is only 1.34x better TPE wise Wink

Ty: What would you name your boat if you had one?

Aaron: JUNE/9

Ty: What do you wish for your player to accomplish this upcoming season?

Aaron: Our first line dominated the league last season but we were a one line team, so I can hope I can provide some secondary scoring while improving defensively. I think something like 20 goals, 40 points, +10, and a 55 FO% is a good objective for this season.

Ty: What do you wish for Vancouver to accomplish this upcoming season?

Aaron: It's cup or bust, pretty much. We have 7 capped players right now and we'll have 7-8 more by the playoffs, plus a couple of rookies. I like our chances.

Ty: Would you at all change how the draft played out?

Aaron: Not really, although we do need 2 defensemen for the Whalers Five (wink, wink).

Ty: What is it like being filthy fucking rich just one season into the league?

Aaron: I wouldn't say I'm that rich because some people in our draft have more money but yeah, it feels great, I already bought my equipment. But I also think equipment is kind of overrated and you definitely don't need to buy one to develop your player.

Ty: Thank you for your time Aaron.

Dale Miller

Ty: Good afternoon Dale. How are you today?

Dale: I'm well Ty. You?

Ty: Great. Now let's get this interview popping. What was it like to sign mid-season with Vancouver?

Dale: It was definitely an experience. I was just relaxing in my living room when I got a call from a 604 area code and was wondering "Who the fuck could this be?" Good thing I answered it because it would be a phone call that would change my life. Arnost called be asking me if I wanted to fill in an empty slot on the wing. Of course, I said absolutely, but I also wanted to know how he got my number. When I got into the locker room on the first day, Jax Duggan, my old time buddy from back in Erie and my Bash Bro.

Ty: What was it like to be drafted to Hamilton with Aaron and Sami?

Dale: It's really exciting. I feel the 3 of us mesh well together on and off the ice, so continuing that to Hamilton will be really fun. I'm excited and can't wait to develop with these boys.

Ty: Why do you give Arnost, the man that signed you mid-season, such a hard time for being a Flyers fan?

Dale: Being born in Pittsburgh, I've always been a Pens fan, so Arnost and I always butt heads at that fact but he knows it's all in love and I mean no harm in it. The Flyers did destroy the Pens a few times this year, though, so I should probably lay off the banter.

Ty: What is something your player can improve upon this season?

Dale: I feel a lot of my lack of production was due to joining late. I had to adjust to the locker room and the league in general. I still managed to score 4 goals in 35 games and actually led the league in shootout goals. I also shot a 12.9% so I feel getting more minutes and being adjusted to the league, I can definitely score more.

Ty: If you had to abolish one thing that is integral to life today, what would it be?

Dale: Jesus, what kind of question is that? Umm.. well.. I guess normal couches. After being in college and having 2 futons in our room, I have developed some kind of love for futons. Like you can make them a couch and then make them a bed in like a minute or 2. That's fucking insane man. Fuck normal couches.

Ty: Sadly that's all the time I have. Thanks for the time, Dale.

Theo Morgan

Ty: How are you doing this morning Theo?

Theo: I'm doing well thanks for asking.

Ty: What are you optimistic of for this upcoming season in Vancouver?

Theo: I'm optimistic for the whole season really. Not only do we have a very good class of rookies who are all returning, but - I believe - all of our send downs are also returning. I think we're going to be a very good team this season and one to watch for. We knew last season was going to be our preparation for this season. I can't wait to see how this season is going to shape out.

Ty: What NHL player do you feel your SHL player is comparable to?

Theo: That depends really. If you want to know who I believe my player is comparable to in terms of his build, then I would say Vladimir Tarasenko. Someone who has a very good release and is a threat to score goals from anywhere in the offensive zone. However, don't sleep on the playmaking ability as I can still dish the puck out.

That being said, if you're looking for an NHL comparison based on my production last season, well that's a different story. Then I'm probably closer to an Andrew Ladd (xD). Brought in to help the team with offense but I barely produced. But I was a motivator at least and tried to help people get better even when I was pretty invisible all season.

Ty: What is something your player needs to improve upon?

Theo: Based on the regular season I had, everything haha. I think I've improved quite a lot over the course of the season and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do next season. I think we saw a glimpse of it in the playoffs last season, so I'm very positive I'm going to turn it around this season.

Ty: Why do people think putting pineapple on pizza ok when, clearly, it's disgusting?

Theo: Not sure. This baffles me. Do I like pineapple? Very much. Do I like pizza? Absolutely. Have I ever once had a thought that the two should go together? Absolutely not. I have never tried it and I don’t know who thought this was a good idea, but they’re wrong.

Ty: What do you like most of being in Vancouver?

Theo: The group of guys on the team. Luke and Glyc did a fantastic job at the draft and in Free agency to not only get a group of dedicated guys but also ones that are easy to get along with. And this goes for seasons past, as we have great chemistry with our send downs. I love this group and it’s too bad I couldn’t get drafted to the same SHL team as any of you.

Ty: How did you feel when Luke brought your brother in to make up for your lack of offense?

Theo: That was kind of a low blow. I know Luke was disappointed in my production but to do that? That’s just unacceptable. I love my brother and he’s going to be a great player, but doing that just makes me believe he thought he failed in signing me.

Ty: What is actually the oldest trick in the book?

Theo: Wow a real curveball here. The oldest trick in the book is telling someone that have something on their shirt and then you flick their nose. Not only does it make me laugh but it makes them look like an idiot. Jax falls for it at least once a day, not sure when he’s gonna learn.

Ty: What was it like to be abused by the entire Vancouver team because of your lack of production?

Theo: It’s something I’ve never experienced before, so it was very weird. I just felt like I was letting the team down. I was tried up and down the lineup to get my production going and it just didn’t happen. Maybe if I had a better season we could have finished better in the standings.

Joe Ackroyd

Ty: Alright Joe, I apologize ahead but I don't have a lot of time so let's make this one short and sweet.

Joe: Sounds good Ty. I'm short on time as well.

Ty: You had a really under-the-radar kind of season for Vancouver, but you were really solid. What lead to that success?

Joe: Luke was a great mentor, really told me where I needed to put TPE, and put me in good situations. Having a fantastic team also helped

Ty: Why do you think you fell in draft to where you did?

Joe: I think I'm a development project, and need some time to mature before I hit the SHL

Ty: What celebrity would you rate as a perfect 10? Why?

Joe: Eugenie Bouchard. Do I really need to say why???

Ty: Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?

Joe: Chug a 2L bottle of water right before we hit the ice

Ty: What is your max bench press?

Joe: 225lbs max bench

Ty: What is you favorite NHL team? Player?

Joe: Maple Leafs and Morgan Rielly

Ty: Where does your player need to improve to take their game to the next level?

Joe: Probably defence and skating. Just make sure I am in good positioning all the time

Ty: Pineapple on Pizza? Yay or nay?

Joe: A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y

Ty: Thanks for the time Joe.

Igor Volkov

Ty: Good evening Igor. Mind if I ask a few questions before you go?

Igor: No, man, go ahead.

Ty: Cool. Are you happy with where you landed in the SHL draft?

Igor: Yep.

Ty: What does your player need to improve upon in order to play better this season?

Igor: Probably more TPE.

Ty: Do you enjoy being in Vancouver?

Igor: Yep. Really, any SHL team.

Ty: What is best breed of dogs?

Igor: I'll stretch the definition and say iguanas are dogs. They're interesting.

Ty: Insert a gif to describe Vancouver’s last season.

Igor:

Ty: What NHL player do you feel your SHL player is most comparable to? Why?

Igor: Dastyuk? Ovechkin? Both are Russian, but I'm not sure if either has a build similar to Volkov.

Ty: What is the smelly smell that smells, smelly?

Igor: Rotten eggs.

Ty: Is cereal soup?

Igor: No. I do not use any form of liquid with my cereal.

I would like to thank all of the Vancouver Whalers that participated in this interview and wish them all the best of luck this season as well as the rest of the SMJHL.

Word Count: 4,196

Since I used these people's words in the interview, I would like to divide up the amount that they contributed by 50% of their section. @"luketd" (a.k.a Arnost Holulb), @aaronwilson, @SecondSucks22, @Sami all agreed to not take their cut so give that to @dmills3