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***sve7en*** · 11-29-2020, 08:19 PM

[1791 words]

Good evening all, and welcome to the Carolina Kraken annual offseason banquet. While the season didn’t end in the way that we hoped, we can look back on another season of excellent play and celebrate the careers of some incredible players and people. Tonight, we send off a number of Kraken legends and once again look towards the future of our franchise, and we will close this banquet with a viewing of the SMJHL Awards Show.

One award that has been revitalized in the last few seasons has been the Onoprienko Trophy for the SMJHL’s most underrated player. GMs are now asked to nominate a player from their team and a reason for why they were chosen, and starting next season we will be opening this discussion up to the roster as well. That’s not the only change being made though, as this will now be a fully recognized Carolina Kraken award.

At the start of season 53, my first one on the management side of the organization, I scouted and then pushed for a specific player late in the fourth round at 39th overall. He didn’t raise any heads when he joined, didn’t make much money, only hit 260 TPE before the draft, and fell to the third round of his SHL draft. He switched positions and roles whenever we needed, frequently led the team and most of the league in corsi, moved to center to facilitate two top 25 point scorers, was always down to put in minutes on the penalty kill, and was one of the top hitting forwards as well.

Today, he still flies under the radar, but now he’s an updater, has climbed to the top 20 of one of the best young classes in the league, and wore a letter this season for the Kraken after blossoming into a huge locker room influence for both Carolina and Tampa Bay where he’s soon to depart to. He leaves behind a legacy of determination, humility, and ambivalence for the spotlight where he could have easily been the Kraken Onoprienko Award nominee each of these last three seasons.

I’m proud to announce that the first Panda Panico Nominee for the Onoprienko Award has been named a finalist for tonight's SMJHL Award Show. Congratulations…

GRAPE FRUIT
(@peej2189, @canes2112)

Beyond Panda, Carolina is losing the remainder of their on ice leadership core. Captain and MVP Nominee Axel Foley is off to Edmonton, Alternate Captain Adam Friedland is off to Baltimore, and former MVP Nominee Linus Grimstad is off to Los Angeles. They have been incredibly valuable pieces of the locker room, and their influence will be felt throughout this team for seasons to come. I’m excited to see what legacies the four of you will forge.

That being said, there is once again a need for leadership positions to be filled. After a team vote, the Carolina Kraken have elected a new Captain…

ALEKSANDER KOZLOV

(@FlappyGiraffe)

New alternates were also decided by team vote. Carolina has a long history of rookies and late round picks rising up into vacated leadership roles, and this season is no different. Please join me in welcoming your new Alternate Captains...

GRAPE FRUIT, FREYJA HELLSTROM, and KAI ICHINOSE

(@canes2112, @Calliope, @Gumbaman)

I’m incredibly grateful to have been a part of the four of these young stars’ SHL and SMJHL journeys so far, even getting to draft Fruit twice. Their love for the Kraken and their positive influences on rookies and the people around them are incredible, and I’m excited to watch you continue to grow!

With the future once more in good hands, we can reflect on another season in the history books. Once again we were thwarted by the one seed in the semifinals, once again in 7 games. While it hurts, to be able to hang our hats on hanging with a historically good Vancouver team makes it hurt a little less. Once again, Carolina has racked up nominees for 6 more awards, including the seasonal Carolina MVP nominee in Axel Foley who saw three nominations alongside Grape Fruit, Freyja Hellström, and Panda Panico.

No award or all-league committee can understand the Kraken like one on the inside though, and that’s where the Kraken season awards come in. As always, these awards are voted by the team, including departing members of the roster.

Our first award tonight is the Kain Webb Award for Leadership, and our nominees are..

Adam Friedland

Axel Foley

Kyle Murray

The winner of the Kain Webb Award for Leadership this season is someone who fully embraced the philosophy of live by example. Their demonstration of love for their teammates was really only trumped by their ability to make a difference leading by example as a captain on the ice. Congratulations...

AXEL FOLEY

(@Mazatt)

Our second award tonight is the Cristoph Klose Award for the Top Forward, and our nominees are..

Linus Grimstad

Pana Panico

Vincent Wolfe

As tradition demanded, Carolina was once again a force to be reckoned with in the offensive zone, racking up a conference best 163 goals en route to a first place standing in the conference, in large part to these three who combined for 57 of those goals. One stood above the others though, scoring 12 goals on the powerplay - double that of anyone else on the team. Congratulations...

PANDA PANICO

(@peej2189)

Our third award tonight is Carolina’s version of the Quilha Agante Award for the Top Defenseman, and our nominees are…

Adam Friedland

Axel Foley

No defenseman in the league could hold a candle to this player, and no forward could best this player all season long. They racked up one of the best all around defenseman seasons seen this era, and their (tied for) team leading 42 points dwarfed the rest of the league, let alone Carolina, while also putting up the third best point shares total among skaters in the SMJHL. Congratulations...

AXEL FOLEY

(@Mazatt)

The fourth award tonight is the Jordan Nugent Hall Award for the Most Dedicated Player, and our nominees are…

Axel Foley

Aleksander Kozlov

Freyja Hellström

Kai Ichinose

It’s no surprise to me, nor should it be to any of you, to see the list of people up for this very contended award consist of the departing captain and a number of people about to don letters for the organization. While all have shown immense dedication to themselves and the organization, one of these players is about to see their dedication realized as they head to the SHL after just three seasons as a strong Rookie of the Year candidate. Congratulations...

AXEL FOLEY

(@Mazatt)

The fifth award tonight is the Petr Klimek Award for the Best Two-Way Player, and our nominees are…

Linus Grimstad

Panda Panico

Axel Foley

Like I said last time we gathered here, “the easiest definition of a two way player would be one that excels both with and without the puck”, and not much has changed from the last time. This person is still doing everything asked of them on the ice, still was in the top 10 in hits for their position group, and was 3rd in the league for special teams TOI, racking up penalty kill minutes with their league best power play production. Like the last time, congratulations...

PANDA PANICO

(@peej2189)

The sixth award of the night is one of my personal favorites, both in name and what it represents. The Alonzo Garbonzo Award is a rookie award, but it’s unique in that it’s awarded to a rookie player who played well on the ice and had a great locker room presence. Our nominees this season are...

Freyja Hellström

Kai Ichinose

Kyle Murray

Luukas Lilja

It’s hard to imagine picking one of these four individuals over the other. Three of them were linemates the entire season, one of whom is a rookie of the year nominee, one of whom is one of the highest UDFA picks in recent SHL draft history, and one was the heart and soul of our locker room the entire season. The one defenseman on this list was one of the youngest players in his class and immediately had a massive impact on the locker rooms in both Carolina and where he was drafted, Los Angeles. This rookie class was truly special, but one stood just a hair above. Congratulations...

FREJA HELLSTROM

(@Calliope)

Our second to last award tonight is the Kurtis Hunter Award, the Team's MVP as decided by the team. The nominees this season are…

Panda Panico

Axel Foley

Blunt Man

All three of these players had exceptional seasons in Carolina, two receiving award show invitations, and the other continuing his reign of dominance on the SMJHL as one of three 20 game winners in the league this season. It’s been exciting to watch the team’s perspective on MVP in conjunction with three straight MVP nominees. In season 54 the team rode with Jimmy Wagner as he took home the MVP while last season saw the team deviate from Award Committee nominee Linus Grimstad and choose Blunt Man as MVP. This season the Kraken roster was unified in their selection, but would they agree with the Committee? Congratulations

AXEL FOLEY

(@Mazatt)

It’s common for teams to end at their MVP, but Carolina does things a little differently. There is one award critical to how we exist as an organization, the Michael Fitted Award for the player who best demonstrates what it means to be a Kraken. It commemorates the sportsmanship, dedication, and energy demonstrated by it’s recipient, and truly represents both the passion we all have for the SHL and SMJHL as well as a love for their team in Carolina and the league as a whole. Our nominees for this season’s award are…

Adam Friedland

Axel Foley

Kyle Murray

The Carolina Kraken community and organization is one unlike anything I’ve ever seen to this day. All three of these people are critical to how it exists in its current form, and to see their interactions with teammates, management, and alumni fill me with pure joy every time. The winner of this season’s award is someone that energized the entire community in the last two months since they’ve joined and I’m so happy I was able to get in touch with them after drafting them back in September. Congratulations...

KYLE MURRAY

(@Jimmysmo27)

Congratulations to both the award winners and to the entirety of the Carolina Kraken and organization, and best of luck to the new roster and new leadership. Thank you all for coming out tonight, thank you season 56 roster and teammates for another incredible season, and thank you all for making the SHL one of the best communities online. May Terry Bradshaw’s ghost lead you to the promised land.

Fitted2106 · 11-29-2020, 08:24 PM

Praise terry!

*peej2189* · 11-29-2020, 08:33 PM

Love this team, love the players that have come through here.

Its been one hell of a ride!

Bongo · 11-29-2020, 09:08 PM

RESPECT

FlappyGiraffe · 11-29-2020, 09:33 PM

***Mazatt*** · 11-30-2020, 01:07 AM

It's a great honour to be recognized by the team for the award noms, and dubs.

The Kraken have a bright future ahead of them and it all starts with the new core of leaders appointed by the team, couldn't be more proud to see a group of teammates don the letters this season. Y'all got something big coming up this season, eskeddit

Gumbaman · 11-30-2020, 01:15 AM

11-30-2020, 01:07 AMMazatt Wrote: It's a great honour to be recognized by the team for the award noms, and dubs.

The Kraken have a bright future ahead of them and it all starts with the new core of leaders appointed by the team, couldn't be more proud to see a group of teammates don the letters this season. Y'all got something big coming up this season, eskeddit

It was an honor to call you my Captain. The Kraken blood runs through my veins. I'll do my best with my A and we'll get a cup I promise.
It's such an honor to have been appointed as a Captain. Being a Kraken is amazing and I'm so lucky to apart of such an amazing team. Thank you also for the nominations, it truly means a lot. Kraken

***Mazatt*** · 11-30-2020, 01:53 PM

11-30-2020, 01:15 AMGumbaman Wrote: It was an honor to call you my Captain. The Kraken blood runs through my veins. I'll do my best with my A and we'll get a cup I promise.
It's such an honor to have been appointed as a Captain. Being a Kraken is amazing and I'm so lucky to apart of such an amazing team. Thank you also for the nominations, it truly means a lot.

Thankfully no more of my team's blood will be running through your veins with that fancy M-NTC you got there Heart

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