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***Frenchie*** · 07-19-2023, 12:02 PM

Hello everyone, welcome to the annual review of the Carolina Kraken! On behalf of myself and @sve7en, a heartfelt thank you to our amazing squids who’ve been nothing short of exceptional in this past year. S71 was a very important building year, with a class of 7 squidletts among our ranks, and we did not expect to do this good this fast, and that’s thanks to their hard work, dedication, camaraderie, support and motivation which they feed into our locker room.

Obviously, most of the SMJHL’s team’s goal at the beginning of the season is to push for a 4-star cup, and we were no different albeit with our expectations in check. What ensued was glorious and resulted in a season I won’t ever forget. With a final day 6th position lock, a first-round sweep and incredible seasons on personal levels for our players. This hints at what can only be described as fantastic seasons to come, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what our squids and new squidletts will do.

With that in mind, now comes the time to highlight specific squids who have stood out and kick off our S71 Carolina Kraken Awards! As always, the awards are voted on by the team and management.

Slothface Leadership Award

This award goes to the player who throughout the season demonstrated great leadership as its name would imply. Whether that be on the ice, by leading the way, being the model rookies need and look up to or in the LR by speaking up when it is time, their contribution has no equal and is paramount to our team’s success. This award wishes to recognize a commitment to mentoring and representing the best in all of us.

This season’s Slothface Leadership Award could only go to one person, our very own captain, Johnny Wagner-Svenson. JWS is that quiet voice who speaks up at proper times, an established presence in our team and league and has been nothing short of a stand-up professional and an amazing teammate. It is with bittersweet pride that we wish him the best as he moves on to the show in Tampa Bay

Cristoph Klose Award – Top Forward

This year’s top forward ended up being a pretty close race, from start to finish. With multiple players in their 3rd season on the team taking a big step up in production and in their contribution on the team, final season players such as FITTED PRIMETIME 99 CUDDLES and Johnny Wagner-Svenson felt the heat. This season saw Timo Lambert (@narb111) put up an amazing 87 point season and a few more youngsters such as Svatos (@JustAnotherHockeyFan), Kastrba (@hewasajazzman) and Aumy Junior II (@st4rface) putting up respectively 71, 63 and 62 points, important step ups from their previous seasons which were crucial in our stellar season. That being said, leading the way was JWS with 47 goals 49 assists and 96 points, good for 8th best in the league for both goals and points. For this reason, Johnny Wagner-Svenson is this year’s recipient of the Cristoph Klose Award for the top forward!

Quilha Agante Award – Top Defenseman

Contrary to its forward counterpart, the race to top defenseman wasn’t nearly as close. Impressively enough, it was our two defense rookies in Westley Kirkpatrick and Lazer Gato (@wizard_literal) who would duke it out. Both answered the call when they were thrusted into the action on the first pair together, playing against the best players of the league night in night out, and they held their own and then some. At around the midseason point, Kirkpatrick would kick it into overdrive and from there on out, it was a one-sided affair. This isn’t to say Gato didn’t do well, but its more of a testament to how much of an exceptional rookie season Westley had, a season that would see him 7th in the league for most goals for defensemen, 9th in the league for assists for defensemen and 6th in points for defensemen, collecting respectively 17, 35 and 52 along the way. For this reason, Westley Kirkpatrick is this year’s Quilha Agante Award winner!

Petr Klimek Award – Best Two-Way Player

The Petr Klimek award for two-way player goes out to the player who excels on both ends of the ice. This player both acts as an offensive dynamo, but also as an elite element of the team’s defensive strategy. This award is unique in that it isn’t awarded specifically to a forward or a defenseman, and as such contribution must be weighed in such a way that the greatest impact on the team’s performance prevails. Being a solid two-way is a balancing act, one that isn’t easy as its far too common that prowess in one end of the rink causes a lackluster showing on the other. With may good options this season, this was a close call, with 5 players being in contention. In the end, two stood out more, with Timo Lamberts incredible defensive abilities given his outstanding offense output and Westley Kirkpatrick with offense skill that can’t be glossed over given his status as a rookie and his position, as well as the early showings of an elite defensive vision. For that reason, Westley Kirkpatrick is this year’s Petr Klimek Award recipient!

Alonzo Garbonzo Award – Rookie Award

The nature of the SMJHL being a constant revolving door means we see a lot of new faces come and go, and team turnarounds are very quick. This season was one of the bigger seasons the Kraken have had when it comes to the size of its squidlett crop. The season would see no less than 7 faces become main stays in our locker room and cornerstones of our project. Each one bringing on their very own special touch and gracing our lives with their unique personalities, this was probably much harder than most years and every rookie in their own way is deserving of this award. We can only name one winner, and in more ways than one, this player stood out. It’s a name you won’t be too shocked to see pop up. As a rookie, this player led our defense core, led our locker room in more times than I can count, was one of the best defensemen in the league, rookies and vets alike and is in the contention for rookie of the year. This player has undertaken a ton of responsibility in the team, in the war room and in the league, and this is a user that is destined for incredible things, building on a recent fourth overall selection. This season’s Alonzo Garbonzo Award goes to none other than Westley Kirkpatrick, congratulations!

Kurtis Hunter Award – Team's Choice MVP

Throughout this award ceremony, a lot of players have been brought up as being MVP’s in their own ways. As is a recurring theme here, only one player can be named in each category despite many having good reasons to aspire to it. This season, two players stood out in their own ways, and these two players would lead team voting for their incredible contribution on and off the ice. Without surprise, both JWS and Westley have left such an indelible mark on the S71 edition of the Kraken that their names would be the first ones to come out. This season’s Kurtis Hunter Award and team MVP goes to our captain, our mentor and anchor who’s sailing off to greater things, Johnny Wagner-Svenson. When you have a player in the mold of JWS, leading on ice through hard work and determination and off the ice with ever important interventions in times of need, that’s when you realize the importance of such a player. This season couldn’t have been made possible without these two ingredients combined, and they’re what held this team up throughout this incredible season. Thank you, Johnny!

Last but not least, the two most important awards of this team.

Jordan Nugent Hall Award – Most Dedicated Player

In the words of one wiser than me, “Dedication, while fairly easy to define when it comes to sports, gets a bit weird when you enter the sim league world”. What’s more dedicated between a rookie with fresh eagerness or a veteran with steadfast resolve that keeps showing up. Is it quantified by jobs, how much you earn, the number in the bank page? Is it based on unquantifiable factors such as how you support your team, how you drive activity, personality?

As GM’s in the SMJHL, Sve7en can come to value different things, but we connect on most. Among these, passion for the league, a central element in our way to gauge dedication. Passion is variable and expressed in different ways, but when you look closely, it shows. This seasons Jordan Nugent Hall Award winner expressed this passion every day since joining the team, from day 1 when he was drafted as a second rounder from which he would go on to establish himself as the unequivocal steal of the draft. We’re incredibly proud of you, Westley Kirkpatrick, and congratulations are in order as you are this year’s recipient for this award.

Michael Fitted Award for the player who best demonstrates what it means to be a Kraken

“As is it's namesake, it is simultaneously clearly and incoherently defined by its name. The Fitted Award voting describes it as being for those who demonstrates a team-first mentality, someone who's always propping up their teammates and being an all-around good teammate. Different than a leadership award, MVP award, or award for dedication, this award is for those that embody the Kraken spirit of passion, support, and love for their peers”.

The descendant of Michael Fitted being on our team, winning the award in past seasons, he would go through his final season watching a new face emerge that would embody such elements, that would embody what being a Kraken is. This isn’t something you can teach; this is something you have or don’t. Congratulations to none other than Westley Kirkpatrick!

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RECAP

Slothface leadership award: Johnny Wagner-Svenson @AgentSmith630

Cristoph Klose Award - Top Forward : Johnny Wagner-Svenson @AgentSmith630

Quilha Agante Award - Top Defenseman : Westley Kirkpatrick @Pyro182

Petr Klimek Award - Best Two-Way Player: Westley Kirkpatrick @Pyro182

Jordan Nugent Hall Award - Most Dedicated Player : Westley Kirkpatrick @Pyro182

Kurtis Hunter Award - Team's Choice MVP : Johnny Wagner-Svenson @AgentSmith630

Alonzo Garbonzo Award - Rookie Award: Westley Kirkpatrick @Pyro182

Michael Fitted Award for the player who best demonstrates what it means to be a Kraken : Westley Kirkpatrick @Pyro182

[1744 words]

***AgentSmith630*** · 07-19-2023, 12:23 PM

Woah! I'm so happy to be honored this way! I'm glad I could be a Kraken this time around, and hope I can continue to be an inspiration to all the squids out there!

Dainjah · 07-19-2023, 12:39 PM

You two rock :D

wizard_literal · 07-19-2023, 12:48 PM

Let's goooo!

Pyro182 · 07-19-2023, 02:27 PM

Lets get kraken bois Kraken

**PapaSorin** · 07-19-2023, 06:38 PM

Jesus pyro, leave some awards for your teammates... Towel

Fitted2106 · 07-19-2023, 09:03 PM

LETS FUCKING GOOO

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