Login

the5urreal · 08-20-2021, 07:32 PM

When we last heard from Atticus Hale, it was shortly after the SMJHL draft in which he had been selected 14th overall by the Carolina Kraken. He had just signed his first professional contract and was gearing up for the Season 60 SMJHL pre-season to begin. A lot has happened since then, so it’s about time we caught up with Atticus to review this past season, the events of the offseason, the SHL draft, and everything in between.

Atticus Hale is seated amongst the crowd, surrounded by his family. His father, Bob, at the end of the row and mother, Stephanie, on his left. His brother Brad is seated to his right. His grandparents, Robert and Dorothy in the next row down. Atticus recalls taking an eternity to pick an outfit for the occasion before eventually settling on a dark gray suit. It was the first and only suit he had ever owned. As his family talks around him, Atticus can’t help but check his phone every 10 seconds or so, seemingly looking for some indication of how the evening will play out for him. There’s a buzz in the air, but it’s mostly quiet in this room full of people. It’s the SHL draft and it’s about to get underway.

**Good evening and welcome to the Season 61 Simulation Hockey League entry draft…**

Let’s back up a little bit. Atticus had an entire season of ups and downs leading up to this pinnacle moment.

“I remember entering the locker room for the first time. It was pretty overwhelming. Crazy to think that just a year and a half ago, I wasn’t even sure if this is what I would be doing for a living...if I would make a career out of this. And here I am, walking into an SMJHL locker room where several players I looked up to had come before me.”

“I think Tomas Lind was the first one to greet me before the rest of the guys came to chat up us rookies. Once I found my way to my locker, things started to sink in and feel more real. Like, I’m a professional hockey player now. Couldn’t really believe it. The offseason flew by and before I knew it we were prepping for the pre-season.”

It wouldn’t be long before Atticus took the ice for the first time as a member of the Carolina Kraken; a pre-season game against the Detroit Falcons.

“That first game was definitely surreal. I battled the butterflies the entire game. Wasn’t my best game, that’s for sure. It took a few games to really get into a groove, but I feel like I played much better in games three, four, and five. I was feeling less overwhelmed and focused on just playing to my strengths and not overthinking things.”

It was in the sixth pre-season game where it appeared that Hale had put it all together - a home game against the Quebec City Citadelles. A game which was attended by several family members including his parents.

“The game against the Citadelles was when I felt like I had finally arrived. I remember being super focused...in the zone. I ended up scoring two goals that night. It felt great to be able to do that in front of my family. Was definitely having a blast and just playing great hockey!”

A week later, the Simulation Major Junior Hockey League would begin it’s 60th season. The Carolina Kraken opened at home against a Nevada Battleborn team everyone knew was at the beginning of a hard rebuild.

“That week off at the end of the pre-season didn’t do me a whole lot of good. I was in a groove and feeling good about my game. Patya, Ellis, and I were starting to click...things were looking up. Going out there for the first regular season game brought the butterflies back and that overwhelming feeling. Regardless, I think I played pretty well that night. We won 3-0 against Nevada which was honestly kind of expected against a team in the initial stages of a rebuild.”

“The next few games were alright. We were playing pretty well as a team. We were starting games strong but had some trouble closing them out so we lost a couple nail biters in there leading up to the game against Maine.”

The Kraken were 3-3 to start the season and were headed to Maine to play the Timber. Hale’s father, Bob, was making the trek north as well to catch his son in action. It was the first regular season game he was able to attend so he jumped at the chance.

“My dad was on the road a lot as a coach, so making the drive from Pittsburgh up to Portland was no big deal for him. I offered to fly him in, but he wasn’t having any of that! That being his first regular season game, I felt like I had to make the most of it…”

**Picking up the rebound is Ellis Lee. Passes over to Atticus Hale. Hale banks it back to the blue line. Vincent Fox wheels it over to Hale. He flips a pass into a tight space, eyeing Lee behind the goal. Lee flips it toward Perevalov who moves it to Fox - great puck movement here. Fox lasers one to Hale. Hale moves into the circle… he fires a wrister… GOAL! It eludes Bloody Oath and goes straight into the back of the net! That’s the first of Hale’s career right there! And that’s his dad in the stands, obviously thrilled!**

“...so yeah, it felt great to get my first goal with my dad there! I would have liked for it to have come sooner, but I honestly couldn’t have asked for better timing than that. Maybe I should have asked my family to come to all my games!”

At the halfway point of the season, Atticus would find himself at a crossroads. Through 34 games, he had only managed to compile four points with his lone goal being the one he had scored against Maine in the seventh game of the season. His shooting percentage was a microscopic two percent.

“I was really frustrated. I don’t like to make excuses, but I was carrying this weight, and the deeper I fell into the slump, the heavier that weight got. I was in my head and couldn’t help but think that I was letting everyone down. My family had done so much for me...had made so many sacrifices. If I didn’t succeed, it was as if all those sacrifices were for nothing. That’s what I kept telling myself. I was putting a ton of pressure on myself to succeed and wasn’t enjoying the game like I should have been.”

“I had a long chat on the phone with my dad and he reminded me of all the lessons he had taught me over the years. He really helped me get out of my head and back into the focused mindset that I took pride in as I learned the game growing up. He just told me to stop putting this unnecessary burden on myself. That everyone was rooting for me and no matter what happened they would all be proud of what I had accomplished. Then in true Bob Hale fashion, he said he expected me to get my ass back on the ice and back to work! It was the kick in the butt I had been missing since coming to Carolina. He had always been there to make sure I wasn’t slacking off; pushing me to improve or to add that new aspect to my game that would give me an edge. That was up to me now.”

The final 32 games of the season would see Hale, Patya Perevalov, and Ellis Lee, dubbed the Rookie Line, develop a rapport that improved with every game. Atticus compiled 15 points over that stretch, ending the season with a respectable 7 goals and 12 assists while averaging only 9:12 of ice time a game.

Carolina would finish the regular season with a 36-26-4 record, enough to win the South East Division and a first round bye in the playoffs. A pleasant surprise by most predictions.

“In the back of my mind, I was wondering if the long break between the end of the regular season and our first playoff game would set us back, but then I’d remember what my dad had told me. Keep my head down, focus on staying sharp, and improve where I could.”

The Carolina Kraken would eventually face off against the Quebec City Citadelles. In the first two games of the series, the Rookie Line carried the offensive load despite limited ice time. The rapport the linemates had developed over the second half of the season had carried over into the playoffs. Unfortunately, after a series of close games, the Kraken were eliminated by Quebec City four games to two.

“I’m really proud of the guys. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of teammates to start my professional career. We came together and surprised a lot of people. Sure, it would have been great to make a deep run and get a cup for the guys headed up to the SHL next season, but that’s just not how it played out. We’ll be back stronger next season, just watch.”

The end of the playoffs ushered in the offseason - one filled with a flurry of action. Atticus Hale was eligible for the SHL entry draft and many GMs had taken notice. Hale had also made Team USA for the World Junior Championship tournament.

“Making Team USA was an honor. We didn’t make it to the medal rounds this season, but it was the first of many surprises for me in the offseason and a great experience for me. I would love to be a part of it again next season. It definitely won’t be as hectic! Talking to scouts while training with my teammates, most of whom I’ve never played with, was certainly exhausting. Trying to keep one from affecting the other was tough.”

As SHL draft scouting picked up and analysts released mock after mock, it was clear that Atticus had put himself in a position to be selected in the top five. A prospect he says he could have never imagined.

“If you would have asked me midseason where I expected to be selected in the draft, I probably would have put myself in the second round. It was nice to know that my hard work and perseverance didn’t go unnoticed in the second half of the season, into the playoffs, and even in the World Junior Championship.”

**Good evening and welcome to the Season 61 Simulation Hockey League entry draft…**

The only certainty coming into the draft was that the first overall pick would be Melvin Majestik-Moose. Everything else was speculation. SHL GMs are notorious for keeping their cards close to their chest. Although Atticus Hale had spoken to numerous scouts and GMs, it was unclear how the night would play out.

“No idea. That’s where I thought I was going to go. I had some really great conversations with a number of teams and felt good about most of them. Moose was going to Manhattan, everyone knew that much. The mock drafts I had seen were mostly all over the place. Nobody really knew.”

Predictably, the Manhattan Rage selected Melvin Majestik-Moose first overall. Sitting in the crowd amongst the family cared so much about, Hale was about to have his moment.

**With the second pick in the Season 61 Simulation Hockey League entry draft, the New Orleans Specters select… Atticus Hale, center, Carolina Kraken…**

Atticus stands quickly, clearly surprised by the turn of events. His mother immediately embraces him as Brad pats him on the back. He hugs everyone around him before moving to the end of the row and giving his father a big hug. He turns to the camera with a big grin.

“I can’t believe it! Wow!”

Atticus pulls the purple and black jersey over his head before turning to shake the hands of everyone on stage and posing for pictures. As he walks across the stage, he looks out over the crowd toward his family and gives one last fist pump.

Later that same week, Atticus Hale would be named to the SMJHL All-Rookie Team. One last surprise before starting his sophomore season with the Carolina Kraken and one of the newest Specter prospects. No pressure, Atticus.

Please add 2x draft media bonus. 2,093 words.

DeletedAtUserRequest · 08-20-2021, 07:40 PM

Stud rookie ^

|

|

|

|

Huck24 · 08-20-2021, 08:55 PM

***Benpachi*** · 08-20-2021, 09:22 PM

Great read! Excellent work, love the depth and effort. Keep up the great work!!
Kraken

Navigation

Extra Menu

About us