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***luke*** · 02-12-2024, 07:29 AM

Dick Clapper
@5ympathies

Finally retiring in S74, Dick Clapper is a worthy player on this list. Drafted in the 3rd round of S46. Dick Clapper played for 28 seasons in the SHL. Only Esa Anrikkanen and Slip McScruff, and Kvalhiem have played more seasons in the SHL than him. With 1684 games played, he has played the 3rd most games in SHL history. So let’s see where he started, and what made him so special.

28 seasons is a long time. Let's start with the first season. Unlike all the other players, I am not doing a season by season breakdown of all his seasons. I will be highlighting his best seasons and breaking down on why he is on this list. As someone who hasn't won any awards, what made him special. Whether thats the longevity, his points, and his peak seasons.

New England: S47-S54

Spending 8 seasons in New England was the original home for Clapper. Starting off in his rookie season in S47, and ending in S54. Clapper spent his whole career in STHS with NEW. On a rebuilding New England team, Clapper found moderate success. With most of his seasons in the 35+ point range. His rookie season was the lowest with 21 points. Then getting 39,39,34,36, and then 47 points in his STHS career. Clapper was shaping up to be a good player in the league. With those 47 points being 17th most points in the league at that point.

Entering FHM, Clapper was primed to be an all star in the league. S53 is the first time Clapper reached over a PPG in his career. Getting 53 points that season, tied for 16th most points in that season. S54 was a regression, only 44 points that season. With New England failing to do much in the postseason, and some players that started to ask out, New England started to blow it up, trading away their good players. With that, Clapper's time in New England was over.

In a tradewith Hamilton, Clapper and Guy Zheng was sent to Hamilton in exchange for 4 1st round picks, (Clean) Andrei Kostitsyn, Kriss Darzins, and Troy McClure.

Hamilton 1st Stint: S55-S57

Going from New England to Hamilton, from a team that was really good but struggled to the playoffs. To Hamilton where winning was ingrained in them since the STHS exploits and early FHM dominance. S55 was Clapper's best season in his career. Scoring 65 points that season, good for 7th in the league in points. Clapper got a 2nd All Star Team that season.
S56 was when Clapper won his first and only Challenge Cup of his career. In the regular season scoring 26 goals, 32 assists for 58 points. T-13th most points that season, even better in the playoffs Clapper was a key contributor to Hamilton’s Challenge Cup. Scoring 21 points in 18 games played, Clapper was nominated for the Anton Razov.
S57 was more of the same for Clapper. In the regular season he scored 68 points in 66 games played. 24th in the league in points. In the playoffs again, scoring 18 points in 14 games played. Leading Hamilton in points for the playoffs, but couldnt get it done against Chicago, as they lost in 5 games in the finals. Yet, Clapper got another Anton Razov Nom off of it.

After that season however, Clapper was moved back to New England. Sending Dick Clapper and a 2nd to NEW, and Hamilton receiving Mitchell van der Heijden in that trade.

New England S58
In his brief time back in New England, playing only half a season here before getting traded away. In the 33 games played, Clapper scored 13 goals, 11 assists for 24 points.

Traded in the middle of the season. New England received BUF 1st, 2nd, and knute knurtsson in exchange for Dick Clapper.

Buffalo S58
Over the final 29 games, Clapper had 28 points. For the season total being 52 points in 66 games played. His lowest point of his FHM career. In terms of P/GP.

Clapper went on to Sign to one of the newest expansion teams in the Atlanta Inferno. With the GM hotdog stating when they signed him Free Agency
“The Atlanta Inferno are extremely excited to announce that we have agreed to a contract with the biggest Dick in the league! We're incredibly big fans of this Clapper and we're super excited to link up with him in the LR and on the ice next season; we think this Dick will slide in extremely well both on and off the ice.”

Atlanta S59-S64
S59 Clapper returned to the standard he had for the past couple seasons in Hamilton. Scoring 72 points in 66 games played. This would be the last big season for Clapper, as regression was quickly catching up to him. 12th in the league in points, this would be the last peak season for him. As he is now 15 seasons into regression, and it's hurting.
For the rest of Clapper’s career in Atlanta, he enjoyed being one of the top players in Atlanta. Scoring 72, 59, 53,56, and 41 points over his time there in Atlanta. Good for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, then 11th in scoring for Atlanta over that timespan.

Hamilton S65-S68
Returning to Hamilton in Free Agency. He was making the final rounds around the league. S65 he returned to his normal 50+ seasons he was normally used to. Scoring 56 points in S65. Clapper was now at 952 points in 1090 games played. S66 is when Clapper had one last surge, getting 61 points to reach the 1000 point club. The 9th player to reach 1000 points in his career.
S67 Clapper only got 39 points that season. S68 was even worse, with 29 points. With Hamilton rebuilding, the points were not rolling in like they used to.

Traded to Toronto. Toronto receiving Clapper and 2 2nds for Hamilton receiving Faust Faker. Clapper’s time in Hamilton was over.

Toronto S69-S73
S69 was the lowest point for Clapper, only 27 points in 66 games played. S70 was 50 points in 66 games played. S71 was 22 points in 66 gp. S72 was 38 points. S73 was an anomaly, his last PPG season. Scoring 67 points in 66 games played.

After 5 seasons on a rebuilding Toronto team, Clapper was traded for the final time to Montreal.
Montreal S74
S74 Clapper saw a decent season again, 41 points that season.

Then, Clapper retired. Literally a month ago. S47-S74. One of the longest careers in SHL history. I think the user said it himself

Code:
“Almost all of my New England peeps are either with Atlanta now or gone from the site. The league is and always will be wank. And Ace deleting that channel will go down as the most tragic thing that happened in our LR (other than EDM beating us in the finals). It’s cool that New England has seen so much success as of late, but I wish we had some of that success 20 seasons ago.

Hamilton was a great place to go to for the next chapter. Lots of highs there, and a few lows (being ratted one of them). Wish we were able to win a few more cups while I was there, or at least me winning one of the two Razov’s I was nominated for. Crazy how movie nights and secret santa turned into going to Canucks games and even attending JPs wedding.

Buffalo, I enjoyed my half season there, and wish we were able to win the cup together so I could have been an equally good TDL pickup to hotdog. Got back into OSRS again too, albeit briefly, but a very good group of people there. Buffalo 2 will always be a good memory.

Atlanta was necessary for me to make it as long as I did. Even though its been over a year since I played on that team, I am still most active in that discord over any other SHL server. Happy to say I was able to play alongside @goldenglutes for almost the entirety of HIS career. Maybe 2 seasons on different teams throughout it all? Called up together from Kelowna, traded together to Hamilton, what a journey.”

Outside of the in sim stuff, being able to form relationships with people in the locker rooms is what it's all about. The time spent with the people in the locker room. Meeting up with them in person, attending a person's wedding that you met in a sim league. Crazy looking back at 5 years of success of a in-sim player and being able to link so many IRL friendships over that time.

Anyway back to where Clapper stands in the history books. With 1684 games played, 575 goals, 751 assists for 1326 points. Clapper stands 2nd in goals and points in SHL history. 3rd in games played over that time as well. He might have not gotten any accolades over that time. But he was consistently at top player at his peak, and a good player over the seasons he was not. The dedication to 5 IRL years for his player. Rightfully cemented on this list. #53

[Image: DmQhD0a.png]

*5ympathies* · 02-12-2024, 12:08 PM

Pretty sure I lost in the finals 6 times Confused

Thanks to JSS for the signature

scudmuffin19 · 02-12-2024, 12:27 PM

best name for sure

**bbjygm** · 02-12-2024, 03:20 PM

02-12-2024, 07:29 AMluke Wrote: With New England failing to do much in the postseason. New England started to blow it up, trading away their good players. With that, Clapper's time in New England was over.

It was a shame that our core couldn't stay together post S53, we were all entering our primes right as the core fell apart and forced a rebuild.

charlieconway · 02-12-2024, 08:00 PM

Well deserved! Another 27 seasons to celebrate the occasion?

*5ympathies* · 02-12-2024, 09:17 PM

02-12-2024, 08:00 PMcharlieconway Wrote: Well deserved! Another 27 seasons to celebrate the occasion?

just need a 5 year break first lol

Thanks to JSS for the signature

***micool132*** · 02-12-2024, 10:39 PM

i knew that guy

***Gwdjohnson*** · 02-15-2024, 04:34 PM

This guy's kinda cool but he dodged hanging out with me aleks and ferda in Vancouver which was a little weird but doesn't lessen my opinion of him really

***Wally*** · 02-16-2024, 05:52 PM

Pretty sure it’s recreate time! Smile

kidding enjoy the time off!

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