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*Jayba1t* · 06-11-2024, 07:12 PM

Over the span of S66-S70, the Seattle Argonauts were a perennial contender in the West, with multiple Conference Final and Cup Finals appearances, culminating in 2 Challenge Cups wins to show for it. Now almost 10 seasons later, I wanted to take a look back and reflect on the glory days as a washed veteran now. Most notably, the 3 seasons that were S68, S69 and S70 brought upon some decent player success, award nominations and even a few wins. However, by my side, were the same two teammates on one forward line throughout the whole time. They would be pivotal in elevating center Max Manning's play on the ice.

The Players

Vaseline Podcalzone: The 6'1", 185 pound Russian right winger was drafted with the 23rd pick in the 2nd round, back in S56. Making his Argos debut in S59, Podcalzone would go on and blossom into a dominant power forward, with elite puckhandling skills, well-developed offensive instincts, while also making his presence known with his physicality on the ice. As Seattle began to turn the corner after a few middling seasons, Podcalzone would really begin hitting his stride in S64, putting up a point-per-game season, while also recording 150+ hits. He took on increased responsiblities with more icetime, in all situations, and would not look back after. Podcalzone played some of his best hockey yet from S68-S70, averaging 25 goals, 55 assists and 80 points. As usual, Podcalzone dished over 150 hits and was an important player on the penalty kill, and especially on the explosive power play, providing nearly 30 power play points a season. The mix of potent offense and grit was a golden combination that formed one-third of Manning's line. The physicality Podcalzone provided a crucial spark for the other two and was there to intimidate any opponents that were looking to cause some trouble.

William Salming: In the same draft class, Seattle also selected the 6'1", 180 pound Finnish right winger with the 44th pick in the 3rd round. Following a similar trajectory as Podcalzone, Salming would also go on and play his first game in S59. Salming quickly found his role as a reliable two-way forward, focusing on both sides of the ice. From passing and shooting the puck to generate offense, and then falling back to check and stifle the opposition, Salming was an all-rounder that could be trusted upon in any situation the coach put him in. In S64, he took a big step forward in his play and put up 60 points, 90 blocks and 120 hits, all while logging significant time on the penalty kill. During Seattle's period of contention, Salming stepped up and would provide about 50-60 points a season, alongside blocking 50+ shots and throwing 150+ hits. He also responded well to penalty kill, and now added power play responsibilties. On a line that had a high ceiling with a consistent and deadly offense, Salming provided the essential foundation that was defense, with his responsible 200 foot game. He played fiercely, up and down the ice, and provided stability for the other two.

Max Manning: Centering the two wingers was the Canadian center, whom the Argos selected with the 20th pick of the S61 draft. 5 years younger than Podcalzone and Salming, Manning would go on and debut for the Argos in S64. The first few seasons were okay for a youngster looking to establish himself. As S66 rolled around, Manning had spent seasons worked on his goal scoring and playmaking capabilities, and showed some improvement then. With two consecutive 50 point seasons in a depth role with the Argonauts, there was hope that he could step up as older veterans began to age. The speedy 6'3", 195 pound center was recognized for his strong playmaking abilities and vision on the ice, though the defense was still a work in progress. Based on his skillset, one would expect him to be racking up the assists, and feeding his wingers, perhaps Podcalzone that were better shooters. However, from S68-S70, Manning, out of nowhere, would breakout and put up his best 3 seasons, by a long shot.

The Lineup

Starting in S68, the line would be formed. Seattle would most often run Podcalzone on the left wing, Salming on the right, and Manning centering them both. This configuration for 3+ seasons (really 4 seasons) would be super advantageous in developing line chemistry. In addition, the roles that the coach instructed each of them to play meshed beautifully and only further enhanced the line's playing potential. Podcalzone was essential for the grit, toughness and his mastery of using the body to separate puck and opponent, while his equally capable playmaking and shooting also loomed as a threat. An intimidating power forward. Salming was perfectly balanced, as all things should be, providing scoring when needed but also having his eyes set on defense, at a moment's notice, with elite vision, positioning and skating. A reliable two-way forward. And finally, Manning would serve as a generator of offense, and with his ability to pass, get open and find others on the ice, he would funnel pucks to his trusty wingers and maybe finish off some great chances created. A creative playmaker. Serving as the 2nd line, and then eventually being upgraded to the 1st, the three would go on and frequently see matchups against other teams' best lines. With all the pieces in place, 26-24-15 was ready to make some waves around the league.

The Stats

S68
Seattle's record: 54-9-3, 111 points, 1st in the league, Challenge Cup winners
LW Podcalzone: 30 G, 56 A, 86 P, +51, 60/53 TA/GA, 152 H, 25 PPP
RW Salming: 8 G, 53 A, 61 P, +47, 32/36 TA/GA, 152 H, 47 SB, 2:22 ASHTOI
C Manning: 66 G, 47 A, 113 P, +46, 250 S, 46 PPP, 21:28 ATOI

Podcalzone-Manning-Salming immediately make their impact on the team, with both Podcalzone and Manning recording their best seasons to date, and Salming very close to his career highs. Each of them played to their role as advertised. Podcalzone was his usual physical self, putting up 150 hits, the career norm at this point, and also was 3rd on the team for scoring. He puts up his 2nd 30 goal season, and 2nd 50 assist season. Manning records 66 goals, which comes as a surprise, considering his playmaking was what others touted him for. He likely traded the sudden explosion of goals at the expense of his passing, which was the lowest among the trio, although still an acceptable number. Salming records his 60 points, comparable to his last few seasons, and has a dependable defensive game as well, with a load of penalty killing duties. The line was also stingy in terms of goals allowed, so even though the scoresheet did not accurately reflect Salming's huge impact at the other end of the ice, it is something that his teammates greatly appreciated him for.

Now in the playoffs, the line stepped their game up even further, by going 1-2-3 in team scoring, all going above a point per game pace. The regular season chemistry building did wonders for all three, and their outstanding performances propelled Seattle to their 2nd straight Challenge Cup. They elevated their game and responded to the spotlight, passing with flying colors.

S69
Seattle's record: 50-13-3, 103 points, 2nd in the league, eliminated by WPG 4-3 in the Conference Finals
LW Podcalzone: 29 G, 50 A, 79 P, +34, 173 S, 151 H, 30 PPP
RW Salming: 18 G, 37 A, 55 P, +52, 61/54 TA/GA, 133 H, 2:29 ASHTOI
C Manning: 55 G, 54 A, 109 P, +52, 239 S, 37 PPP, 21:46 ATOI

S70
Seattle's record: 46-14-6, 98 points, 3rd in the league, eliminated by WPG 4-1 in the Conference Finals
LW Podcalzone: 15 G, 59 A, 74 P, +19, 176 S, 162 H, 29 PPP
RW Salming: 14 G, 28 A, 42 P, +12, 40/42 TA/GA, 153 H, 2:21 ASHTOI
C Manning: 63 G, 47 A, 110 P, +23, 252 S, 43 PPP, 22:19 ATOI

In the second and third season, they still manage to put up impressive seasons, albeit with a much more reasonable PDO. S68 may have blessed them with some puck luck, but even then, all three played as advertised, fulfilling their assigned role on the line, all the way to the end. Regression has likely begun to catch up as well for Podcalzone and Salming. Manning, a little younger, still could relatively maintain his performance. As a team, Seattle's contention window began to close as their core aged, so it was also expected that players would begin to tail off a bit. Yet, until the end of S70, they managed to make it to the conference finals, before being knocked out by WPG. In one final last push in S71, Seattle has solid regular season but is eliminated by LAP, and with that, in the offseason, Manning was traded to WPG, signalling the end of an era.

The Present

And now, 9 seasons later, Podcalzone and Salming are still playing on the Argonauts. Heading into a rebuild during S72 and a few rough seasons later, the future looks bright for them after building up an impressive prospect pool over the recent drafts. The two grizzled veterans have stuck around together, playing on the team for almost 20 seasons now, although not on the same line anymore. They keep chugging along, and today provide experience and a veteran presence on the young Argos squad. Both approach 1200 SHL games, and while Podcalzone has hit the coveted 1000 point mark, Salming is near, almost at 900. Both seem to still play to their original roles, and have put up respectable numbers, as older veterans, getting less ice time, and helping out the youngsters. It will not be long until Seattle is roaring back into the playoffs again, and the S56 draftees may get to see it happen as well. Being drafted together, making their debut together, reaching their primes together, winning championships together, and now experiencing the tail end of their career together. Whatever Seattle has gone through, Podcalzone and Salming have gone through together.

Manning on the other hand spent two seasons with the Aurora before being flipped to the Platoon. He also is playing out his remaining days and providing some depth minutes to a Baltimore roster that is pretty loaded. His role has fluctuated in the recent seasons, as he tries to fit in whereever the team needs him most. From some playmaking, to even shoring up his defense to become a two-way player, he's got to experience some new settings on different teams, and new roles as a player.

The Legacy

So in the end, balanced skillsets, a perfect combination of roles, clever coaching, legendary chemistry, with a sprinkle of luck in there, allowed Manning to have his best 3 seasons, that were fuelled by his two teammates. When asked what changed so much in between S67 and S68, he credited his linemates for his newfound success.

"Yeah, Podcalzone and Salming have been super helpful. They've been providing me with guidance and tips throughout the season, and on the ice are elite players on their own. Huge shoutout to them for their efforts, which shouldn't go unnoticed. Super grateful to play with these guys. Although I got some award wins, it was really the whole line contributed to that."

The two linemates played with Manning for 4 seasons, which is honestly a relatively short time in their illustrious 18 season career. They are in different places now, and have watched their teams move in different directions. But one thing is for sure. In their short seasons together, Podcalzone and Salming have made a lifelong impact on Manning and his career, and the trio were integral part of Seattle's two championship wins, in which the banners fly high above Climate Pledge Arena, forever immortalizing the legendary playoff runs of the late S60 Argonauts.

Tl;dr @yosh and @Salming 10/10 linemates
@notorioustig and @adamantium 400 iq GMs

yosh · 06-11-2024, 07:31 PM

***notorioustig*** · 06-11-2024, 11:18 PM

The good ol' days

Salming · 06-12-2024, 01:58 AM

Vamos, Max. It was an honour to play in the same line and see your amazing scoring talent season after season.

adamantium · 06-17-2024, 01:43 PM

i am smart

sigs by me bitch

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