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*Otrebor13* · 10-06-2019, 02:34 PM

Welcome back once again to “Visiting the Office of…”! After a long wait, we finally get ourselves another episode of this series!

For today’s episode, I bring the readers a long time GM and member of the SHL community. He has been around the SHL for a very long time, and has been a GM almost as long as he’s been in the league. We’ve had long tenured GM’s on in the past, such as Niclas Wastlund, and today we bring you another one. Today’s episode is with none other than the GM of the New England Wolfpack: Erik Chisling!

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I like to start these interviews with a little bit of background on my guest. You've been around the SHL for a long time, but I'm sure there are still people around the league who do not know who you are, or know much about you. Care to give our readers a little bit about you? What made you join the SHL? Where did you hear about the league? What has made you stick around this long?

Sure! I am from New Hampshire, about an hour north of Boston. I'm a sales professional, B2B type work, a husband, and a father of two beautiful little girls. I'm a beer-league goaltender, and an awful golfer. I got into the SHL in 2011 - I was 20 years old, freshly into my own apartment with my girlfriend at the time, and looking for fun hockey type games as there's only so much that you can do hockey-wise during the offseason. The Bruins did pretty well that year too! I don't really know what has made me stick around this long - perhaps it's just the allure of carving a nice piece of history and the possibility of achieving a lot during my tenure.

Your first player, Erik Chisling, had himself a Hall of Fame career. What did you think about that when you created Chisling? What were your original goals with him as a player and were you expecting to get in to the SHL Hall of Fame?

I didn't really know what I wanted when I made Chisling, only that I wanted him to be a playmaking defenseman. There weren't many of them at all at that time, and I think that my player build kind of reinvented the conceptual defenseman that the SHL targeted. Winning a Challenge Cup and multiple Stevens Trophies were sweet. I wasn't sure if he'd make it, but when I got that call, I remember how excited I was.

Bitties switched positions to become a defenseman, perhaps he’ll take some Hall of Fame worth skills from Chisling

That was the past, now let's take a quick look at the present. Your current player, Tigole Bitties, is one of the league's best defensemen. However, that wasn't always the case, as Bitties was originally created as a forward. What made you make the switch from forward to defense with Bitties? Were you disappointed that you had to make the switch and couldn't see his career out as a forward?

I wasn't ever necessarily planning to be a defenseman. As soon as I joined the New England Wolfpack as a GM, it became abundantly clear that after Jenny, our blue line had a massive void. I regretfully transitioned to the blue liner as my build was already quite strong for defense, and it seemed to work out. As much as I was worried about tarnishing my players' legacy and eligibility for the Hall of Fame, what was needed for the Wolfpack was more of a priority to me than what my player's legacy is.

It's great to see you doing what you can to help your team win games and get them where everyone wants to be.
We've hit the past and the present, and now let's quickly look at the future. You're currently sporting both a goalie avatar and signature on the forums. Is this going to be a future player of yours? If so, do you have any ideas when you may be calling it a career with Bitties and following through with this goaltender?

Yes, Frans Eller will be making his SMJHL Debut in S55 or S56.

A sneak peek at Frans Eller, Ace’s prospect coming to the SHL in the near future

Keeping it brief, I like it, but my SHL wallet doesn’t.

Anyways, let's move away from the individual players and take a look at you as a GM. Your team, the New England Wolfpack, were established in the SHL in Season 10. You were a part of that management group which relocated the Hartford Hydras to New England. What was the reasoning from moving the team away from Hartford and to New England?

First off, the branding was abysmal, and the color scheme was horrendous. Plus, why have a team in basically a NYC suburb when you could be in Boston. Me being a Boston fan, helps. It also was around the time that the Fernando issue arose, and Green and I quickly wanted to separate ourselves from that.

Why did you decide to name the team "Wolfpack"? Were there any other potential names which you were close to going with before ultimately deciding on Wolfpack?

There were a few names, but it was a pretty quick decision due to the feeling of camaraderie and family it evokes. Everything we do, we do as a Pack. It was so long ago that I can't speak of any other options that we entertained, sadly.

That’s unfortunate, I would have loved to have heard some of the potential names that were being discussed, as I’m sure the readers would too. These things are usually kept extremely quiet, so getting a behind the scenes look would have been nice. Nevertheless, that’s completely understandable!

Lastly, the current state of the team. You went through a total rebuild to get the team back on track, and today the Wolfpack are one of the league's best teams. Last season you managed to reach the Challenge Cup Finals but fell short to the Edmonton Blizzard. What do you think went wrong in that series and what do you plan on doing this season to get back to the Finals and hopefully get the Wolfpack another Challenge Cup?

I am very pleased that we're where we're at right now. We fell short against the Blizz. Our defense dried up, for some reason, and we had a hard time solving the Blizzard goaltending. It's how it goes, sometimes. We don't plan on changing much - we picked up Wagstrom and Karlsson, and I think we may be even stronger this year. We plan on winning the Challenge Cup. Anything less is a disappointment.

The Wolfpack suffered a tough loss at the hands of the Blizzard last season. Can they get back to the finals and reverse last season’s ending?

Once again here at VTOO we would like to thank @Ace for taking the time to sit with us and give us some content for our readers. We would also like to wish him and the New England Wolfpack the best of luck for the upcoming season. They have been off to a rough start but the goals are set high. Let’s see if we’re going to have the Wolfpack raise another Challenge Cup at the end of the season!

And with that we say goodbye to the fourth edition of the series. To those who enjoy this content, we appreciate you continually reading our series, it means a lot. Thank you very much, and til next time!

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Previous Editions:
Visiting the Office of… Joe Kortesi!
Visiting the Office of… Niclas Wastlund!
Visiting the Office of... Luke Thomason!

Word Count: Approximately 1200
*Grader Note: Please split the payout for this article 50/50 between Ace and I.

Nokazoa · 10-06-2019, 03:06 PM

Good stuff

*slothfacekilla* · 10-06-2019, 03:12 PM

Good read as always!

Keygan · 10-07-2019, 02:51 PM

When is my office visit happening?

*Otrebor13* · 10-07-2019, 05:09 PM

10-07-2019, 02:51 PMKeygan Wrote: When is my office visit happening?

I don't have as much free time to do these, however I will keep this in mind. I have one in the works and then who knows, maybe you're next? Hmm

Keygan · 10-07-2019, 05:18 PM

10-07-2019, 05:09 PMOtrebor13 Wrote:
10-07-2019, 02:51 PMKeygan Wrote: When is my office visit happening?

I don't have as much free time to do these, however I will keep this in mind. I have one in the works and then who knows, maybe you're next?

I promise my responses are bigger than Ace's

***Ace*** · 10-07-2019, 05:24 PM

10-07-2019, 05:18 PMKeygan Wrote:
10-07-2019, 05:09 PMOtrebor13 Wrote: I don't have as much free time to do these, however I will keep this in mind. I have one in the works and then who knows, maybe you're next?

I promise my responses are bigger than Ace's

Only thing that’s bigger

*Otrebor13* · 10-07-2019, 05:33 PM

10-07-2019, 05:18 PMKeygan Wrote:
10-07-2019, 05:09 PMOtrebor13 Wrote: I don't have as much free time to do these, however I will keep this in mind. I have one in the works and then who knows, maybe you're next?

I promise my responses are bigger than Ace's

My SHL wallet is liking this already

Keygan · 10-07-2019, 05:35 PM

10-07-2019, 05:24 PMAce Wrote:
10-07-2019, 05:18 PMKeygan Wrote: I promise my responses are bigger than Ace's
Only thing that’s bigger

Other than my trophy case :eyes:

karlssens · 10-07-2019, 06:53 PM

Hey I know that guy. He aight.

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