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Randominoe · 10-31-2022, 11:10 PM

Happy Halloween Everyone! 3000 words x2 WJC Bonus

I wanted to start by thanking By-Tor for giving me the opportunity to manage UCORCAL during this season's WJC tournament. The work they are doing behind the scenes to create an appealing tournament cannot be understated, and I'm happy to do my part. On behalf of the UCORCAL coalition, I am proud to announce the following players have been selected to compete in this season's tournament.

Fifth and Last Season of Eligibility
We have eight players who are on the verge of graduating from the SMJHL into the SHL, and many have already bridged the gap into the IIHF tournament and will be conducting double duty. All members of the team will be sent a link to vote on who from this group they would like to be their on-ice leadership team.

Sophie Bordeleau Citadelles

Hailing from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Sophie has left their mark on the SMJHL during their illustrious career for their hometown team. In 264 games over the past 4 seasons, Sophie has gradually developed into a superstar offensive force, scoring 43 of their 110 career goals this past season, and recording a career-high 45 assists in S67 to cap off a 165-assist career, and that is without mentioning their capability to raise their game in the playoffs. UCORCAL will be looking to Bordeleau to build off last season's WJC performance where in 15 games scored 9 goals and 8 assists.

Iam Downski Timber

Iam knows what it takes to be a winner at the junior level, having just capped off their SMJHL career with a four-star cup victory as a part of the Maine Timber. Having seamlessly transitioned from a childhood of chopping lumber in the backcountry of Russia to dominating the SMJHL with the Timber, Downski will play a significant role for UCORCAL in this season's tournament. Iam's finished their SMJHL career having played all 264 possible games, scoring 94 goals and 134 assists for a Maine organization that demanded impactful play from their sophomore season and beyond. In order to accomplish their mission of reaching the gold medal, UCORCAL will need Downski to step back into the fray after a year's absence from representing the coalition and contribute drastically more than in tournament's past.

Pass Forfeit Kraken

Being a recent transfer from the French National Team program into Czechia has surely presented numerous obstacles to Forfeit over the last several seasons, but you wouldn't know it from watching their play in the SMJHL and previous WJC tournaments. For a defensive core that has historically lacked star talent, Forfeit steps in with the talent to seize the opportunity and the stats to back it up after four full seasons with the Carolina Kraken. With 264 games of experience under their belt, Pass was able to rack up 53 goals from the blue line, as well as exactly 100 assists while consistently playing significant SMJHL minutes since their rookie season. This will be Forfeit's first season representing the coalition that took them in from an underwhelming French program, but it won't take long for them to leave their mark on the way to a deep run toward the medal rounds.

Aleksandr Iskandrov Whalers

Aleksandr is the first person on this list to have played for more than one SMJHL team during their four-season career. Vancouver sought out Aleksandr following their rookie season based on both their on-ice performance but also their behind-the-scenes leadership and management abilities. I think it is safe to say that the Whalers are happy to have only had to trade a second-round pick for Iskandrov and now that we reach the conclusion of their SMJHL career, the legacy is still there to be built. Over 264 games for both the Whalers and the Kelowna Knights, Aleksandr scored 89 goals and 155 assists, blossoming after their trade towards the coast into a big-time contributor for Vancouver. Iskandrov knows all about what it is like to represent the UCORCAL coalition, entering their third season of representation, previously scoring 8 goals and 7 assists across the previous two iterations of the tournament. What will Iskandrov accomplish in their last hoorah before graduating to the big leagues?

Miroslav Ketil Whalers

Joining their Whaler teammate above is Miroslav, who will be making their fourth and final showing for the coalition in this season's tournament. Drafted and developed by Vancouver, Ketil will be looking to notch some silverware in their junior trophy case with UCORCAL this season. In 264 games on Vancouver's blueline, Miroslav scored 63 goals and 98 assists but disappointingly failed to garner the coveted four-star cup ring for themself. Ketil is the most-experienced player thus far in terms of representing the coalition at this tournament, having played in three previous world junior championships. In their extensive international junior career, Miroslav has scored 6 times and has 16 assists but has yet to touch that elusive gold medal with the team... until this season.

Oleksander Olli O'Koivu Elk

Oleksander will certainly be disappointed with the conclusion to their SMJHL career, falling just short of the four-star cup with a competitive Regina team around him. UCORCAL will do their best to soften the blow by competing for the medals in this season's WJC with O'Koivu playing a significant role once again. Having spent their entire career with the Elk, O'Koivu demonstrated their two-way ability by transitioning from forward to defenseman to best support their team in their quest for the cup. In 264 games, O'Koivu scored 40 goals and had exactly 100 assists. Like Miroslav above, Oleksander has UCORCAL in their blood having represented the team in the previous three tournaments. Hopefully, O'Koivu is ready to dominate defensively, and add to their previous 2 goals and 10 assists on international ice, as needed for the team this WJC as that's what it will take for the coalition to reach its aspiration of a gold medal.

Benjamin Surkhi-Ze'ev Whalers

Apparently, Vancouver is the hot landing spot for hockey players transitioning from the three nations under the UCORCAL umbrella, as we introduce our third Whaler alumni. Straight from the get-go, Benjamin showcased their offensive prowess as a member of the Whalers and has contributed offensively in each of their four seasons. In 264 games, Ben scored 106 goals and had 127 assists for what was nearly a point-per-game career. They have also represented UCORCAL in this tournament the previous two times of asking, racking up 8 goals and 8 assists, definitely a tally to build upon in their final quest for WJC glory.

Gravy Train Timber

Rounding out our oldest and most experienced players is THE GRAVY TRAIN themself, who, like their pal Iam Downski, is coming off a four-star cup achievement for the ages. That winning mentality will surely do this UCORCAL squad some good as they strive to duplicate that success on the international stage. During their four seasons with the Timber, THE GRAVY TRAIN scored 84 goals and 110 assists in just 219 games as they were scratched often in their rookie season. THE GRAVY TRAIN will have an important role to play in this season's WJC for UCORCAL and is returning after a single-season hiatus from the tournament, before that scoring 5 goals and 2 assists for the coalition.

Getting Up There (Fourth Season of Eligibility)
The next four players are all seasoned veterans of the junior level in their own right, but will likely feature again for their SMJHL teams and hopefully the coalition in next season's tournament. The younger players will look to these guys as examples of what they are capable of with a couple of seasons of hard work and development. Expect to see these names on the scoresheet plenty of times, or making a significant impact elsewhere on the ice.

Munko Aitmukhambetov Knights

Munko is a unique breed among the UCORCAL ranks, insistent on using their body to bully the other players on the ice and get their way, and we will certainly see that during this tournament. Last season for the Kelowna Knights, Munko played top-line minutes and managed to score 11 goals and 33 assists in all 66 regular-season appearances. Meanwhile, Munko has been a regular representative of the coalition since their rookie campaign, scoring twice and notching 7 assists across three tournaments. With Munko just having had a breakout season for the Knights, all signs point to a step-up in performance at the WJC too.

Oles Kobliska Malamutes

Much like Munko, Oles found their stride this past season for a dark-horse-contending Yukon team, specifically in the offensive zone. Scoring 28 goals and 43 assists in 66 regular season appearances is nothing to scoff at, and if Oles is able to transition that offensive touch to the international ice, then UCORCAL has nothing to worry about ahead of this tournament. Oles also featured in the previous three world junior championships for the coalition, scoring 10 goals and 9 assists across the three tournaments. Watch for them to match these numbers in just this tournament alone if afforded the ice time by the coaching staff.

Koty Kochan Raptors

Kochan is another example of a player who truly broke out offensively this past season for the Colorado Raptors. Koty was able to nearly reach point-per-game status with their 24 goals and 38 assists in 66 regular season games for the club. Early reports out of the international camp suggest that Kochan has refined their playmaking capabilities as a center and that is what we should keep a close eye on during this tournament. Kochan was a first-time representative for UCORCAL this past season, scoring 2 goals and 11 assists during the round-robin stage alone. Everything described is a good sign for the UCORCAL forward core that is constantly on the prowl for goal-scoring opportunities.

Bavel Pure Scarecrows

Rounding out the projected significant contributors for this season's UCORCAL squad is none other than Bavel Pure. Bavel was on a top-contending team that just fell short this past SMJHL season, so they will be looking for vengeance in the WJC with UCORCAL. Bavel potted 23 goals and had 24 assists across 66 appearances in the regular season, likely with more in the tank given more ice time and special-teams opportunities. Pure is a two-season veteran with the UCORCAL squad, previously scoring 5 goals and 10 assists across both tournaments. He'll need to turn up early and often at the international camp to earn the playing time they likely deserve to solidify that Czech legacy at the junior level.

Hump-Season (Third Year of Eligibility)
The below players are just passing the mid-point of their junior careers, finishing up their sophomore seasons with likely two seasons to follow. This is the future of the UCORCAL coalition and we will begin to see the signs of what these players are capable of during this season's tournament. There are only two of them but they are mighty and will bring glory to the coalition in short order.

Grayson Yates Kraken

In their sophomore season, Yates united with their UCORCAL teammate below, Raiya Rabinov, to bring what glory they could to a developing Carolina squad. Grayson was entrusted with serious minutes in just their second season of junior hockey, demonstrating to the hockey world that they isaa force to be reckoned with so early on in their career. Yates scored 4 times and had 20 assists, mostly at even strength, but as mentioned saw over twenty minutes of ice time a night. Grayson will be a debutant for the UCORCAL team desperate for talented bodies on the backend, having just transferred from Canada recently. We will see what Yates is truly capable of in UCORCAL colors in the coming weeks.

Raiya Rabinov Kraken

Rabinov did what nobody expected and started their breakout a year earlier than most, becoming a prime offensive contributor for the Carolina Kraken. Despite seeing middle-six minutes at even strength, Rabinov managed to score 23 goals and 28 assists with the help of their presence on the team's powerplay, which is almost unheard of for second-year players. This sparked true excitement for the selection committee of the UCORCAL coalition, and they have been rewarded with their second call-up in as many years to the squad. Last season, Rabinov had 5 assists in 15 games and will look to build on that as the team aspires for the coveted gold.

One-Year Wonders? (Second Year of Eligibility)
The next five players have just completed their rookie seasons for their respective SMJHL squads and now look forward to the SHL draft where their futures will be decided. Also showcased in this category are a couple of loanee goalies who will be supporting the coalition that is goalie-less this season. So much appreciated to them both for their contributions in this upcoming tournament.

Bandit Heeler

The first, and only active, of the loaned-in goaltenders that will be featuring for the coalition in this season's tournament. Heeler was drafted by the Malamutes in last season's draft and instantly became the team's starter. They started 54 games, posting a record of 29-21-3 with a solid .893 save percentage. Bandit will be the starter for most, if not all, of the coalition's games this tournament.

Toasty O'Bigbers Timber

At last season's draft, Maine was unable to secure the future rights of Toasty O'Bigbers, but they were so confident in their abilities and projection that they made a post-draft day swap with Great Falls sending a future first-round pick the other way. In their rookie season, Toasty played bottom-pairing minutes for the eventual cup winners. By the season's end, they had scored 6 goals and 26 assists in all 66 regular season games. This season will be Toasty's debut season as a WJC player, and they'll be doing so for UCORCAL in a significant role on the blue line.

Matiss Ozolinsh Berserkers

Matiss' rookie campaign was almost certainly a bumpy road, being a part of such a young Newfoundland squad that is still rebounding from a three-peat a few seasons back. The good news for Matiss is that they likely featured much more than they would have for a contender, so they managed to pot 15 goals and 16 assists through 66 regular season games. At the youth international level, Matiss featured in a limited capacity for the UCORCAL squad of S66, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists in 11 games as a true rookie. What's in store for Ozolinsh in their sophomore WJC campaign?

Henrik Svensson Whalers

Henrik here is our other imported goaltender who is graciously lending their talents to the coalition in a backup capacity. Henrik was drafted by the Whalers in the later rounds, which does explain their recent spell of inactivity. In their rookie campaign, Henrik was also a backup for the competitive Whalers, featuring in 8 games, and winning 4 of those starts. A .862 save percentage is all Svensson had to show for himself so they'll be looking to improve on that in the upcoming tournament should they see the ice.

Ekaterina Valieva Knights

The last of our players with any experience is Ekaterina here who has been traded to and from in their rookie season. Starting with St. Louis and landing in Kelowna, Valieva managed to put up 9 goals and 7 assists in a limited 47 appearances. As for prior WJC experience, Ekaterina is much like Toasty in that regard, coming into their debut season with UCORCAL. Due to that, Valieva will be hoping to make a statement with their performance in the upcoming tournament.

True Rookies (First Year of Eligibility)
Our last four players are all brand-spanking new player builds being given the opportunity to showcase their abilities ahead of the SMJHL entry draft. All the players in this category aside from Vràna will rotate ice time at some point in the round-robin stage before we commit to one for the medal rounds. While two of them are UCORCAL natives, we also brought in two of USA's extra defensemen to deepen that spot on our roster and provide some new people with the WJC experience.

David Doug Russia

This right-shot defenseman finds themself behind an already deep right side from the players above but will get a chance on the left side rotating in with the other two rookies. Early reports out of international camp indicate that the coaching staff loves the balance of this player's attributes, with a slight lean towards their defensive responsibilities and willingness to play physically.

Matt Ox Usa

Like David, Matt will get an opportunity during the round-robin stage to rotate into the lineup on the bottom pairing. The UCORCAL selection committee is excited to provide players from any nation with the opportunity to experience youth international play, and they particularly appreciate Matt's breakout pass, positioning, and willingness to put their body on the line to save a goal.

Pork Tenderloin Usa

The last of the rotational sixth-defenseman spot on this UCORCAL roster is Pork, who will join their countrymen Matt as the loanees tasked with bringing glory to another nation from their own. Like David, the coaching staff has expressed their admiration for Tenderloin's two-way abilities with a slight focus on their defensive duties, and have disclosed that Pork can be seen lifting weights early each and every morning to not get pushed around by the older players.

Petr Vrána Czechia

This is merely a formality, with the WJC committee suggesting that I bring my own player onto the roster regardless if there was an inclination to play him. With how strong our forward group is, I see no need to mess with the strength of this team, but appreciate that my player's name will be a part of what is hopefully a successful WJC campaign.

I encourage all members of the site, especially members of the team who have been selected above to join the WJC discord here so that we can all follow/cheer the team on together.

***By-Tor*** · 11-01-2022, 09:24 AM

Credit to enigmatic, Merica, and tweedledunn for sigs

**The__Y-man__100** · 11-04-2022, 10:35 PM

Eyyyy we’re going to kill it!

First ever Yukon Malamute draft pick (1st overall S65)

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