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Leoben · 07-16-2024, 06:45 PM

Things started out okay for Klaes Ashford. Selected eight overall by Vancouver in the Season 68 SMJHL Entry draft, he had high expectations to live up to. He performed as expected, putting up nineteen goals and eighteen assists, average rookie numbers. Not great, not terrible.

In the Season 69 SHL Draft, he was taken twelfth overall by Tampa Bay. This pick was criticized by some as a bit risky based on his commitment issues in training but if it worked out, he would be great.

His numbers improved in Season 69 as he was second in points on Vancouver, with 19 goals and 28 assists. But something was off with him. Teammates would comment that he was quiet in the locker room and sometimes he would miss training. Vancouver let it slide because he was still delivering on the ice. In Season 70 he led Vancouver in points, putting up 37 goals and 40 assists. He really came into his own on the ice but was a ghost off the ice. Something was clearly wrong.

Season 71, his best season by far. Again, he led the team in points, 47 goals, 57 assists. 6th in the league for points. It looked like he had finally arrived.

Ashford made his way to Tampa Bay for Season 72. He had little interaction with teammates and he struggled to find his footing in the big league. He had a fairly middling rookie outing with 12 goals and 35 assists. He was contributing at least, and was even nominated to 2nd All-Star team.

In Season 73, his coaches sat him down to see how he was doing. After that meeting he was motivated and healthy, putting up 19 goals and 46 assists, third on the Barracuda in scoring.

This trend would continue in Season 74 as he had 22 goals and 60 assists. Alas, this would be his last season as he completely skipped out on practices.

In season 75, in what would end up being his last season, Ashford but up 12 goals and 33 assists. He was already a shell of himself, even getting in fights with other players.

Before retiring, he managed to get 65 goals, 174 assists, for a total of 239 points. These numbers didn't set the world on fire but they weren't terrible.

While his stats never lit the world on fire, he was a solid player, so what happened? Is is story any different than any other players? It's not like he was Leshaun King who was going to set the league ablaze, before he didn't. With Ashford, it seemed to be lofty expectations that were placed on him and he couldn't handle them. Rather than even try, he just disappeared. Hoping they'd go away on their own.

Before Clarence Worley was drafted, he reached out to his friend for advice. Ashford told him not to worry about position or what anyone expects, just do his thing.

Worley was drafted by Ottawa in the second round, and will probably go late in the SHL draft too. His numbers for his debut season pale in comparison to Ashford, only getting 2 goals and 19 assists while playing defense. He's naturally a forward. Still, Worley is managing his expectations and it will in interesting to see where their careers are when it's all said and done.

*CptSquall* · 07-27-2024, 12:09 PM

Approved @Leoben

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