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A Whirlwind Offseason for a Pesky Forward
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"Quite a whirlwind off season for you, eh?"

These words could never be more true. Kelowna looked to be on a war path, but the Anaheim Outlaws chopped us off at the knees. Our off-season was cut short, disappointing fans as well as the final year players whose last chance at the Four Star Cup had ended. To describe the locker room after game five, it was somber. Not many words were said from the time that final horn went off to the ride back to our hotel. Everything undressed and didn't say anything. We had a lot of hope and were dreaming big heading into the off-season, but we had a harsh reality check. Some players were already thinking of training regiments to get ready for next season, to go for another strong push. Others were realizing that this was the last time they'd be playing with some of the people in the locker room. I can't blame them, I thought I was one of the players that would be gone. I didn't expect to be called up, no, I expected to be left unprotected in the expansion draft.

Why did I expect to be left unprotected? We had too much talent on the roster. I look around the locker room every game and I'm in awe of the talent we have. Our forwards are superb, being able to dominate both sides of the ice every game. Our defense was solid, with only room to grow. Our goalies were amazing, with the our backup poised to takeover after Cillian Kavanagh went up this off-season. It was a fun season, I enjoyed an expanded role with the team. I was a top penalty killer, while also being entrusted with power play time. Five of my assists came from the power play, something I never expected to be used for when I came into Kelowna as an islander with nothing but grit.

It wasn't just an abundance of talent that had me believing I had played my last game in a Knight uniform, it was a conversation earlier in the season with one of the general managers. He called me into the office to talk. I figured it had to be about the expansion draft, because I hadn't done anything at that point to get traded out of Kelowna. Anyways, I was called in. As soon as I sat down, I was asked how I liked the team. I thought it was a good team, with only minor issues with some players here and there. After the small chit-chat, we got straight to the point. I was asked how I felt about the expansion draft and if I wanted to be protected. I honestly had no feelings either way, I was here to play hockey. It didn't matter what logo was on the front, I was here to make a name for myself and help a team win a cup. Judging by the facial and body language, I didn't respond the way the general manager wanted. All he had to say was good to know, and after that I was sent on my way for the day.

As it got closer to the expansion draft, the lists for who had to be protected by each team needed to be sent in. Hours before our general managers would post the protected list in the locker room for anyone still there, I was given a personal call. "We are going to leave you unprotected for the draft," the voice said as I was getting ready to head to the rink to pick up some things I needed before I flew back to Hawaii for the off-season. I wasn't mad or frustrated or anything, I understood it needed to be done. More important people and prospects had to be protected, I was just one of the odd men out. It's happened before and it'll happen again in the world of hockey. So I mentally started preparing myself for the draft. I wanted to be ready to get a call from my new general manager telling me when training camp for the season would be. I accepted that I would be putting my former teammates through the glass next season.

Come draft time, I was a bit excited. I could be one of the leaders for a new franchise, a player that could mentor and help foster a winning culture for a new team. I could be one of the players that set the first year records. So many thoughts rushed through my mind, would I carry myself different for the new team? Would I still play my hard nosed play style? In the end it didn't matter, my name would never be called. Kelowna would make a trade to protect their unprotected players, and in return a non-key member of the team was drafted. Honestly, I was disappointed. I looked forward to being on a first year team. I experienced it in high school, and I remembered all the fun times I had with that team. In the end I'm happy to be back with Kelowna, but I know some of my team mates were not exactly happy with my response to not being drafted. It got back to one of the general managers, and in the morning I woke up to a text that simply read, "Sorry, I'll never sacrifice a pick for you again." It is what it is I guess, one more season with Kelowna. Hopefully next year will go better.

How do I know for sure it's one more season, well because of my rights being traded at the SHL level. After contract negotiations with Chicago was settled, I asked where they expected to be after next season. I wanted to play in the SHL, but sadly they didn't have any room as they were already calling up a forward. I get it, teams that draft well will have a hard time getting everyone up when they want. Luckily for me, the general manager was understanding for what I wanted, and offered to trade me to a team that could bring me up next season. I said it was fine, I didn't want to pressure him to move me. All I could say is I hope they could get something good in return for me. After a week, I got a call from Chicago's general manager. "The next few hours you might get a call from a general manager, I gave him permission to talk with you. Ask questions, figure out if this is the team you'd want to go to," I was told. Not ten minutes after that phone call, I received a phone call from a Tampa area number. "Hey it's Tampa Bay Barracuda general manager, I'm calling because I saw you were on the market. I've talked with your general manager and I understand you want to be called up next season, that is something we can for sure do. I'm sure you've heard about us, though I wish it was under better circumstances. I'll be blunt, it will still be a rough few seasons. Saying that, I see a bright future for ourselves. I see a bright future for you. Can you see yourself being a Barracuda after this next season?"

After that phone call, I knew the deal would be done. I told Chicago's general manager that Tampa would be a good fit, and waited for the deal to go through. I was excited, and when I finally saw the notification on my phone that I would be traded to Tampa for a second round pick in S58. Some of my Kelowna teammates weren't sure how I'd take the news. Some were offering congrats, other condolences. I know what happened to Tampa, but I'm confident they'll only get better. I mean, they have to. There is no possible way to go down from a 0-50 season. So yeah, quite the whirlwind off season for me. Now give me some space, I'm trying to prepare for next season.

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~1340 words

Sven Holmberg

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Barracuda

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Former USA Fed Head, Carolina Kraken Co-GM, Tampa Bay Barracuda GM
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