Split 50% between @WithTheMoose and @SchwarzNarr

All of the following interviews are heavily edited and not exact quotes. We did our best to keep the nature and intentions around all interview answers true to the originals while expanding on them a bit to make a better article. Not all teams responded or completed the interview with us, we’ve tried to give as complete and accurate an account as possible.

Fortunately for us, the Vancouver Whalers were another team where we had a more inside track of information. Our very own Adelie de Pengu found himself picked up by the Whalers as a Draftable Free Agent. Short of what we learned in the locker room, we spent some time talking to the general managers, too.

Thank you so much for talking with us! I’ve only heard great things about the team, and I know that de Pengu has been incredibly excited to have a home, even if it is only temporary. Can you tell us a little bit about your team? The logo is definitely unique, and I really like the way highlights look in the tail. Can you share more about the colors? That green really pops after all.

Our current colors are Phillippine Green and Maastricht Blue, and then white, and you can see that the whole logo is dominated by only these three colors. Being one of the original teams within the Minor Junior league, our branding and identity has been relatively consistent throughout our time in the league. Like you said, the colors work well together, and even though it’s a darker green than you might think, when you add it as a highlight in the tail it shows up much brighter than you realize. We were looking to capitalize on the traditions of whaling that are big along the coast of British Columbia, and Vancouver especially. Our logo is a little bit ambiguous, too, though, and it helps to present a front that shows both the whaling industry, but also just looking at the beauty that are whales, and how nowadays it has shifted from hunting into watching.

Personally, I haven’t been involved in the team and the league long enough to know all of the history, and the archives are sometimes a bit jumbled, causing some of that to be lost.

I absolutely love when brandings and locations are able to use the history of the area to help enrich the story a bit. Thank you so much for sharing. Let’s shift our focus and talk about your team. Where are you right now in the season?

Unfortunately the Whalers are having a bit of down season so far. At this point in the season, we’re currently sitting near the bottom of the league. We only have a few points ahead of the 10th place team and the team right above us in 8th place has a 6 point lead on us. While it will be a tough fight, we’re hoping to be able to climb up at least one more spot into 8th before the end of the season. Even though it’s been a bit of a rough season, we are feeling super grateful to not be at the pure bottom of the league.

How do you see playoffs going for you all being closer to the bottom than the top right now?

In true Whaler fashion, we typically come alive by playoffs. We are hoping that this season isn’t any different, and that we can make a deep run. We kind of consider ourselves a dark horse contender for the Four Star Cup finals. While it won’t be an easy fight by any means, we are definitely looking to work hard throughout the entirety of playoffs. Hopefully it pays off.

Looking forward to next season, how do you think things shape up? Any concerns you have with expansion in the SHL on the horizon? Are you worried how that will impact your rosters at all?

Expansion is always tough on our minor league teams. We tend to lose a few more players in those seasons, but watching those guys go up and get to be in the major leagues is always a good feeling. For sure our starting goaltender, Jon St. Ark is going to be getting called up. If nobody else shifts around, we’re going to have a good amount of the team hitting their TPE caps through the end of the season and start of next season and that is definitely a good sign for us. We’ll be a lot stronger than we were this season.

Hopefully it works out for you that way! Is there anything else you want to share about the team? Maybe the team history that seems really important for myself and other rookies that are a part of the upcoming draft? Are there some pieces that you are really proud of that you’d like to share?

I don't have any particularly interesting information pertaining to the team, but with such a storied and historical franchise I'm sure there's something to be discovered. Something I find particularly funny is that the past few times we've drafted a goaltender, they have outperformed the current starting goalie by a good margin - St. Ark was much better than Name Redacted back when he was drafted in S56, our most recent cup-winning season, and as of right now Olof Karsikko is doing better than St. Ark, both of whom have the same amount of games played.

There are a lot of sim leagues, and the SHL has been around for a long time. What brought you to the SHL originally? Did you ever see yourself being in management when you first joined?

I first came to the SHL through another hockey game, and their affiliation with our league. It was a game where you would also manage a team, so while I didn’t think about being a general manager before I even joined, even though I was coming from a GM game, it’s been pretty great since. I didn’t see myself wanting to become a GM in the SHL at first, and the engine that we use here (Franchise Hockey Manager 6) is a lot different than the one that Hockey Dynasty uses. It’s still been a lot of fun to be a part of this league and watch it grow over time.

Why is that? What is it about the SHL that makes you keep coming back over and over again?

There’s a lot that you can’t control, but the thing that keeps me in the league is seeing how well my player and my team can do... or at least, the hope that they can all do well in the future. My majors team is in the middle of a rebuild, so I'm sure you can tell how that's going. Compared to HD, it's nice to not have the whole team's success riding on just my shoulders. I can make sure that I can earn my best, and as a manager for the team make sure I’m looking for the best players, and just hard workers. It’s all of us that make the team succeed, so it’s a little bit less pressure. The SHL is much more team-based as compared to Hockey Dynasty, where you build a team of randomly generated players. It's a lot more luck based as well - the player you want isn't guaranteed to be generated in a draft. In the SHL, all the players can complement each others' strengths and weaknesses with some modicum of control.

Over your time in the league, do you happen to have a favorite moment?

It would have to be when the Whalers won the Four Star Cup back in S56, easily. I’m sure anyone who has ever won would feel the same way. It’s hard to top just … ending the season on top.

Was it a surprise, or were you the favorites that season?

We were definitely the favorites that season, so while it’s always amazing to see yourself winning and on top, it’s never not a great feeling, but it wasn’t quite as much as a surprise as it could be or has been for some teams. We finished top of the league, won the Laurifer Trophy and everything. It's really hard to not feel great when you've had all of these amazing pieces to end the season.

That’s incredible! It tells you a lot about a team that is able to walk away with everything. Thank you so much for taking some time to talk with us and let the whole SMJHL get to know the Whalers better.