The Duo

It wasn’t always this way.

As the German sun sets over the Hannover city skyline, Anton Wagner says “You know, I never thought I’d get this far. Especially without my best friend by my side.”
Widely considered a bust as the second overall pick in the S6 NWJHL Entry Draft, Anton Wagner notched a disappointingly average 21 points in 40 games, 6th on the Stingrays. But then something changed in him. It appeared that Wagner has caught fire in the playoffs, however, netting 7 goals in eight games. However, with four games finished and the NWJHL Western Conference Finals tied at 2 a piece, the pressure is on. After the suspension of Firebirds defenseman Chris R, a rival of many on the Stingrays team (and front office for that matter), it appeared that the Stingrays gained a fire inside them, winning two straight and taking the lead in the series 2-1. However, on the 23rd, the day before Christmas Eve, the Firebirds leveled the series despite another goal from Wagner with a huge comeback consisting of three goals in the third period to comeback from a score of – guess what – 2-1.


Wagner has been active in practice and working his hardest, however he has only shown what many consider to be his “true self” in the playoffs

It all started ten years ago, when Wagner was nine. A new boy had moved to Hannover from Berlin by the name of Klaus Müller. Klaus and Anton became quick friends, both being very athletic boys who were passionate about hockey and soccer. They dreamed of playing on the same team together – no matter which sport – and were very close to doing so. A year ago, when both were 18, both Müller and Wagner received offers from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Wagner was to be playing on the first forward line, and Müller would play on the second defensive pairing. It appeared as if the two were both going to play for the Thunderbirds and forge their path to playing pro hockey together. Then, everything changed.

Almost a year ago today, Anton Wagner got a phone call. It was from Müller.
“I still remember that phone call today,” he said.
This was when Müller told Anton that he had received an offer to start at forward for FC Berlin of the upstart SSL. “I remember he told me that he was sorry that we wouldn’t be on the same team as I was, but he hoped to keep in touch,” Wagner recalled. “During all the time that he was a part of that team, we never did.”


Müller and Wagner (foreground) both participated in soccer and hockey

After a few games, the SSL collapsed, with games not being played because of the lack of places to play (stadiums in Berlin and Barcelona both were shared with other teams), and Müller was out of a job. Then, maybe 10 months later, Wagner was the one with the job. Turd Ferguson, more likely than not the best enforcer in SHL history with two consecutive Bob Probert Trophies in three seasons with the Manhattan Rage, retired. Ferguson was going into sports management and needed a new client to take the SHL by storm. He turned to Wagner, a deadly sniper who was one of the best young players in the WHL after his first season in Seattle. Wagner gladly signed with Ferguson and was selected with the second overall pick in the NWJHL Draft by the Seattle Stingrays.

Fast forward to today, Christmas Eve 2011. Wagner is topping off a disappointing regular season with a clutch performance in the playoffs, including a game winning goal on the power play with under a minute left against the Firebirds in Game 2. He will, more likely than not, be the third overall selection in the S7 SHL Entry Draft, however things can change – which Wagner himself acknowledged. Müller will finally get his shot in a stable league, this time playing hockey. Klaus is set to enter the VHL’s prospect system, the VHLM, in Season 26. The two have been keeping in touch ever since the NWJHL playoffs began, and hope to play each other at some point in the possible VHL-SHL Summit Series which is in negotiations.