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CB2212 · 09-07-2020, 09:20 AM

My path to this league hasn't really been the typical SHL player experience. I joined the circus at a weird time. I could have chose to wait and be drafted like any other junior player but I didn't.
First and foremost I guess I'd like to shoutout my buddy,@jeffie43, who got me in the league. But he wasn't a general manager and I had to make my own path after. Thankfully, someone came, seemingly out of nowhere, and offered me guidance, help and a place to call home.

This person was @hhh81 and that home was Colorado. I had shown no signs of ever being worth anything and yet he welcomed me to his team. it's hard to predict what would've happened to me if I had gone elsewhere but I can't imagine a place where I would've florished like I did there. Soon after I met the co-gm at the time,@NONAME , who would become my General Manager later on. I also met @LordBirdman, at the time he was just slightly more experienced than me although he ended up managing me as well in Colorado.
Frankly I couldn't tell you if we even made the playoffs that year, I played like a dozen games and got a handful of points but it wasn't much. Yet the Raptors welcomed me and treated me like a first round pick. Getting called a steal after a not so good season really pushed me to do better and to do whatever I could to bring everything I could to this team.

The next offseason was pretty special too, I managed to make the WJC roster for my beloved Canada somehow, we took home the silver too. But that wasn't the biggest thing that happened to my career that offseason. I was also drafted to the SHL. Much earlier than I had ever thought I would. The team that took a chance on me was none other than the Edmonton Blizzard, led at the time by @"TommySalami". Somehow I still had the Raptors to thank for having gone so early, after having done so little they were already singing my praises, because all you have to do to be accepted in that team is try and give what you can.

My first full season went a lot better. I grew more confident and started scoring a little more. I still felt like I wasn't doing as well or working as hard as the people around me and yet no one ever made me feel that way. Back then all I wanted to do was to score goals, stay in front of the net and try to tap something in. it worked out okay but I didn't feel all that useful. Once again though no one in Colorado ever criticized my playstyle or anything I was trying to do even though I was getting penalty minutes left and right. We made the playoffs that year and got booted earlier than we should have. That became a theme for my career in Colorado but everytime it was the same attitude. No big deal, we'll get em next year.

There was another offseason where I went off to play in the WJC for Canada, got the Gold so that was pretty cool.

Came back to Colorado rightfully pumped to get going. That season is when I first felt maybe I could be a use to these people, maybe I could play the way they act like I can. My role, like the leadership of our team, evolved. I learned how to stop taking dumb penalties and more importantly I learned how to work in my own zone. The points weren't as high as I'd wished but somehow it didn't matter. Me and my linemates could shut down anybody in the league and I loved it, it felt like I was maturing you know? All I cared about before was putting up goals but I quickly realised that I was a lot better if I gave this team what they gave me, all I had.

Another offseason, another WJC, this time no medal sadly even though I was named team captain, I had no time to be mad at myself though because something magical happened that offseason nonetheless, I was given a letter. It was just an 'A' in my last season in the league as a kind of overager but that was probably, to this date, the best feeling I had in this league. Not only was I a part of the team, I was a leader, someone other players evidently looked up to in the locker room and someone to emulate. Colorado made me this way. Around that same point rumours of an expansion started coming, I didn't think much of it, at this point I'd learned that I could make it work anywhere, I just had to do what I did in Colorado.

My last season started. Once again, my line that year was amazing, I got to play with @ and @Jumbobone19 . That was a special line man! Raiden and I were a bit more offense oriented but all three of us played physical, it was easy when you had a guy like Juni to back you up when something happened. We fought our way through that season and once again made the playoffs. At that point I had learned that I would be exposed for the upcoming expansion draft. For about a second I was dissapointed, but business is business and Edmonton was so stacked that I just kind of had to accept it. and then I realized that if I was dissapointed it was only because I wouldn't get to give back to Edmonton for taking a chance on me what feels like ages ago when they drafted me. I didn't let any of that affect me though as we headed into the playoffs.

Sadly, history was doomed to repeat itself and we got ousted in a heartbreaker of a series against Kelowna. That was the last season for a few of us in Colorado and yet, no one got mad, no one blamed anybody, we all just thanked each other for what we had given one another and those of us that were leaving could only be sad that we wouldn't get to come back and try it all over next season even though we were off to realize our dream of playing in the SHL. But anyway, no big deal, they'll get em next year..

That's how special Colorado was for me. That whole season I was unsure of what my future would hold, would I get to play with Edmonton, would I get exposed and what would happen to me on that new team? A kind of uncertainty I hadn't felt since I first stepped into this weird world.

I felt ready for it though, because I'd done it all before. I had taken a chance with a bunch of strangers and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I had. So all I gotta do is do it again right?

Well it did happen, I caught the eye of @hotdog , GM of the Inferno. Like most people I've had the chance of meeting here, he was nothing but nice with me. He touched base with me a little bit to see how I would feel about joining his team and immediately whatever doubt I had about wether or not things would work out for me again were gone. I felt safe whatever happened because I know what kind of player I am now. I'm probably not gonna make the hall of fame or anything, but I don't care about that anymore. I just want to be the player I learned to be in Colorado, someone whose teammates can always count on and look to, someone who makes the locker room a great place to be and someone who'll make you feel bad about leaving said locker room even if it's for a better opportunity because that's what everyone in Colorado was for me and I could not imagine a better group of players to share a rink with.

And now, this very offseason, I am managing team Canada in the WJC, something I would have had no interest in doing a few seasons ago but now, I feel not only ready to do it but like it's just a natural part of my progression, because after all, if everyone kept saying it maybe it was true, maybe I was a steal in every draft I've been in. Watch out for Canada this year because Captain Canada himself is in charge.

I guess all I really wanted to say is that everything that happened up to this point for me was a learning experience. It was growth. And for that I really had to thank everyone in Colorado and even though I haven't talked about them as much, everyone in Edmonton. Both of these places are full of people who will answer any dumb question you have or applaud whatever nonsense achievement you may accomplish. (Like that time I got 6 points in 1 game, pretty sure that's still a record too.... Had to brag a little)

I can never thank these teams enough, management and players, for having prepared me for what's to come and this rambling was the only thing I could think of to try.

With that said, it's time for a new adventure now. Atlanta, here I come!

- Carlos Brown

PS: I'd like to apologize to anyone I haven't named personally who played a part in my experience here, y'all, without exceptions, have been awesome.