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Muford · 04-10-2021, 05:15 PM

The Process of which Vladmir Petrov walked into his Free Agency was quite a new experience. From what I’ve been explained is this, a lot of other teams thought either I was a RFA (Restricted Free Agent) or that I had re-signed with Tampa Bay and it just had not been posted yet. Well, neither of those were true, and I was finally able to open my doors of welcoming-ness to the rest of the league. The first two teams to really reach out to me.

The First team to reach out to me, were the Edmonton Blizzard. General Managers @Keygan and @TommySalami were very forth coming with their ideas on how I would fit into their scheme and how I would help lead the Edmonton Blizzard into the future. They were fantastic people to talk to, and I already have a history with Edmonton, which felt at first like it could be a match made in heaven. I spoke with both for quite awhile and it felt just right. Edmonton was a great place, and would easily help put Vladmir back on top of the Petrovs and push me into contention to be one of the greats in the league, which is always nice to hear as well. Unfortunately for both Edmonton and Vladmir Petrov, that it just did not end up going that way. Edmonton started making splashes elsewhere in Free Agency and ended up not having enough money for Vladmir even at a minimum contract. In no way to I blame Edmonton, as I was struggling with where I would sign, and I wanted to hear from more teams before I just jumped face first into a new team, even one with such a prized history and a culture I have been a part of for quite some time.

The Second team to reach out to me, and it all started with a quick forum PM, was the Baltimore Platoon. JR got into my DMs quickly after my original article went up and spoke highly of his plans with me in the mix for Baltimore. They were also the first Locker Room I joined outside of Tampa Bay which I was still apart of, due to being a free agent. I will say this, Baltimore has a great Locker Room with some great guys in there. It felt like home right away. They were able to spearhead down to a T of what I would like, and they came with the multi-headed attack which I quite enjoyed. I loved everyone I talked to in Baltimore and was happy to share these past few days with them. Baltimore continued to, repeatedly, move up my list of potential suitors if nothing else, for the comradery that they displayed over and over again. Zoone, MasterSheep, and JR, to go along with Incite and Suave have been nothing short of incredible throughout my time talking with them. Baltimore, admittedly, for me at least, started off quite low on the list, only because I didn’t know anyone there and I was looking for more of a family-esque environment, but they welcomed me with open arms quickly. It was so nice to be involved in their locker room.

The Third team to reach out to me was the Hamilton Steelhawks. This was a team, that I’ll be honest, surprised me from the get, to hear from Hallsy. Such a stacked team repeatedly, and I’ll not even lie about it, I’ve mumbled under my breath “Fuck Hamilton” due to their repeated success and just how they continued to be on top of the league it felt like forever. Hamilton was such an interesting place to hear from, storied success, a fun locker room, with quite a few guys I already know over there. They were something special as well, and I quite enjoyed my time there too. Especially discussing cars in there with JSS and some of the other guys. It was also great to be reconnected with Golden_Apricot, who while I do share Norway with, is always just a prime example of a great fucking guy. Frick is over there too, and what can I say about Frick, besides he’s Frick. All in all, my time in Hamilton was quite an experience that I won’t forget for a long time, but they just did not tickle that fancy that I was looking for.

New England reached out to me next, and one of the first things I did was check out who was over in New England. Of course, my brother, Teylora Petrov is over there, kicking it as a defenseman. He’s such a great guy, that @Bayley. I’ve known him for, what is it? Almost Four years now in leagues, and he is someone I can trust in with whatever I do. He’s a straight shooter and someone that I know would lookout for my best interest in heart. I joined their locker room as well, and it was another place that outside of Bayley and Ace, I wasn’t too sure of a lot of folks over in New England. Another player that was recently traded to New England, made it very special, is my boy FR Finn-Rhys, who I absolutely adore from Edmonton. New England brought a lot of the things that I could want in a team, but I just sat back and watched everything unfold. I quite enjoyed my time there, but something, to me, just wasn’t going to see me in those New England colors this time around.

New Orleans and JoeK reached out to me, and he sold me on quite a lot of things. Becoming a face of a franchise is something that has always been interesting, especially since my last player was a Goalie, and let’s be honest, Goalies aren’t really faces of franchises. Edmonton was known for such a stacked team top to bottom, and not just one player, or at least in my mind. I quite enjoy New Orleans color scheme too, Purple and Black just appease to my greater senses. Joe even tempted me with pictures of Bayley and Charles, which right then and there would have almost made me put pen to the paper to sign there. I appreciate Joe, because we then ended up trading pictures of Doggos back and forth, and he got to meet Chico and the rest of the dogs I have in my household(s). Joe also was able to straighten some other questions and thought processes I had of New Orleans and was a great person to talk to repeatedly, and I would have loved to sign there as well. I enjoyed my talks with Joe immensely, but in the end decided elsewhere to turn.

One of the next teams to reach out to me was Minnesota and @KlusteR who had nothing but great things to say. We talked back and forth, for what seemed like hours, which was greatly appreciated. I didn’t know much about Minnesota or their past, and he was able to fill me in, as well as sell me on another player there, Rikki @AW13 who another person is I just absolutely love and have shared multiple Locker Rooms with him. On top of that he was able to give me a run down of a lot of the folks he had in Minnesota and I quite enjoyed my talks with him as well as hearing from a few other members, most notably I heard from, BadWolf. While I didn’t talk with BadWolf, just receiving a message was more then enough to make Minnesota seem like a good place to be. Unfortunately, my mind did not end up choosing Minnesota, and I wish them nothing but the best luck in the future, and who knows, Free Agency does come around every year.

Seattle reached out to me as well and were able to start selling me on their team. My boys Gabe and Jeffie were very well versed and able to answer all of my questions, taking the main job of talking to me in Free Agency. I’m not gonna lie, these two guys are pretty fucking ambitious and I quite enjoy talking to both of them, and used to talk to probably both of them daily. While we entered the second stage of questions though, sadly, Seattle no longer had space for me and we ended our talks shortly there after. Seattle would be such an interesting choice to go to, but it wouldn’t happen this year. I guess @Gwdjohnson and @jeffie43 actually don’t value friendship. Just kidding. They are both great individuals.

The Last team to reach out to me was the Los Angeles Panthers. I talked to mostly @Fuzz during my talks with the Los Angeles Panthers and my god, can he sell a team. I already have some history with TDZ, his Co and I will say, their plans for the future are nothing short of potentially spectacular. I also heard from my boy TURG TURG, and I know that Stennett just signed there as well, so their future as well as their present is looking quite dangerous, if I do say so myself. Fuzz painted a beautiful picture for me of how I would fit into LAP’s future, and that where I would sit right along with them in the 60s. On top of all of that, they were able to break down what everything would look like even in the next few years, and were able to show me the money. While I quite enjoyed my talks with Fuzz, there was one place that I just knew I would sign for, at least for this season.

That brings me to my last team, the Tampa Bay Barracuda. The Tampa Bay Barracuda, as we all know, have had not the greatest history, at least in the early Season 50s. When Trella and Dwight took over, they were in a state of rebuild, saw the first winless team ever (I think?) and it was hard for me to even want to be drafted here when I was drafted in Season 56. They were quite welcoming, and it was like a family from the start. As well as even when hearing from all these other teams, I still had Dwight and others from Tampa Bay showing me the way of the Barracuda.

All in all, this free agency period opened my eyes to a lot of teams, and if I could, I would literally clone myself what, 8? Times, to be on all of these teams. Alas, that is not possible, and I don’t really want to multi and become the next multi-gate, so I can sadly only choose one team.

Without further ado, Vladmir Petrov will be signing with the Tampa Bay Barracuda this coming season.

I want to give a special thanks to everyone that talked to me, especially all of the General Managers of each of these wonderful and storied franchises, this was easily one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, and the past few nights have been basically sleepless (even more-so then my regularly averaged 4 hours or so of sleep a night), and it was damn near impossible for me to decide where I wanted to go. I enjoyed talks with all of you, and I was open and honest with all of you, in telling you that Tampa Bay was the top team and was going to be hard to leave. I fully understand if you guys are upset with me that I did not choose your team, but I want you all to know from the bottom of my heart that I quite enjoyed talking with literally every single one of you and this was basically a neck and neck race up until this morning, I had no idea where I was going to go. Every team sold me so well, that it basically was impossible for me to choose, and I think I would have excelled anywhere I went. You are all doing amazing jobs and as I stated before, I wish I could clone myself and be on every team. But for now at least, I got to run it back at least this season with Tampa Bay and see if I have any unfinished business here.

TL:DR for you guys that don’t want to read everything. I loved every team that I talked with, I wish I could clone myself and I will be signing with The Tampa Bay Barracuda for the upcoming season.

JumpierPegasus · 04-10-2021, 05:32 PM

Booford

PremierBromanov · 04-10-2021, 05:35 PM

No balls

***Gwdjohnson*** · 04-10-2021, 05:39 PM

Vlad man gets paid

***bluesfan55*** · 04-10-2021, 05:45 PM

:madge:
was nice to see you in ham moof, have fun with the water dogs

ty to @High Stick King @EvilAllBran and @Ragnar for the sigs

Muford · 04-10-2021, 05:52 PM

04-10-2021, 05:32 PMJumpierPegasus Wrote: Booford

never reached out

RedCapeDiver · 04-10-2021, 06:08 PM

what a tease

*Zoone16* · 04-10-2021, 06:17 PM

Hope you had fun in the bap LR. I’ll continue to torture your orkish decisions...

DELIRIVM · 04-10-2021, 06:21 PM

Thanks for giving us a chance @Muford. Been great having you in the locker room. Seems like a lot of us have a lot in common. Also, thanks for saying good things about the Baltimore LR. We've not always gotten referred to as a great LR, but I couldn't imagine a better place to be in this league. It's a true family-esque place to be. Best of luck in Tampa this year. Will be nice beating you guys. Wink