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ready to be graded

50 SHADES OF VADER

(not expecting people to read every game recap -- although there may be juicy tid bits throughout and fun little shots at people -- nor am I looking for feedback either, just looking to get paid, yo)

Game 1 – In a 4 to 2 win over the Winnipeg Jets, Vader did not have a point in the game but was a +3 with 1 shot and 1 hit in just over 24 minutes of game time. Interesting enough, the first game of the season was against Marc-Andre Malkin, son of Vader, or in the case of a few other people, Vader’s multi, but we will get to that later. Running season total : 0g, 0a, 0pts, +3, 0 pims, 1 hit, 1 shot, 0 shot blocks.

Game 2 – A 7 to 1 win over Buffalo, Vader managed to assist on two goals, the third and fourth goals of the game including one on the power play, and was a +5 in the game. He also got called for a tripping minor for his first penalty of the season but had seven hits, two shot blocks and one shot on goal in just under 24 minutes. Running season total : 0g, 2a, 2pts, +8, 2 pims, 8 hits, 2 shots, 2 shot blocks.

Game 3 – In a close 2 to 1 win over Toronto, Vader played his most minutes in a game so far this season as he broke 25 minutes but did not have a point to show for his efforts. Outside of his three hits in the game, Vader didn’t really do much of anything else. Running season total : 0g, 2a, 2pts, +8, 2 pims, 11 hits, 2 shots, 2 shot blocks.

Game 4 – The first loss of the season came from the hands of the pack as they beat the chiefs 3 to 2. Vader was a -2 in the game with no points and had a shot and two hits in just under 25 minutes in the game. Running season total : 0g, 2a, 2pts, +6, 2 pims, 13 hits, 3 shots, 2 shot blocks.

Game 5 – Rivarly game against the Steelhawks and the chiefs win 4 to 1. In exactly 25 minutes on the ice, Vader did not have a point but did have two shots, one hit and two shot blocks one of which was off a weak little shot from some guy named Cody Black. Running season total : 0g, 2a, 2pts, +6, 2 pims, 14 hits, 5 shots, 4 shot blocks. With 10% of the season gone, Vader’s point total isn’t looking real good but the hits and shots are all on pace for career highs while shot blocks is close and the PIMs are down. The +/- is a good sign as well as Vader has been a minus his first two seasons in the league.

Game 6 – return match with the pack and even though the chiefs won the game, vader was still a -1 with 2 PIMs and once again no points (which makes 5 out 6 games by the way). He also had one shot, one hit and one shot block in just over 23 minutes in the game. Both of vader’s minus games have been against the pack which leads vader to start thinking about joining them to boost his numbers…. Running season total : 0g, 2a, 2pts, +5, 4 pims, 15 hits, 6 shots, 5 shot blocks.

Game 7 – First game of the season against the Rage, a 4 to 2 win, and Vader plays over 25 and a half minutes in the game but does not register a point. However, he is a +1 with two hits and two shot blocks and outplays Mr. Crutchfield who was a -2 in the game with 3 shots, 1 hit and 2 shot blocks. But for Vader, that makes 6 out of the 7 games this season without a point and leaving those wondering why he put so much TPE into scoring over the off season. Running season total : 0g, 2a, 2pts, +6, 4 pims, 17 hits, 6 shots, 7 shot blocks.

Game 8 – Return match against the Rage and the chiefs win the game in which Vader finally scores his first goal of the season. After getting a pass from Kudleychuk, vader rips a one timer from the point and finds the top corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1 on the power play. However, that would be vader’s only point of the game as he was a +1 with 3 shots and two hits in over 26 minutes in the game. Crutch was a -5 by the way, but even the best ones have a bad game every now and then. Running season total : 1g, 2a, 3pts, +7, 4 pims, 19 hits, 9 shots, 7 shot blocks.

Game 9 – Minnesota crushes Buffalo by a score of 8 to 1 and for the first time this season, vader plays a major offensive role in the win. Vader got the secondary assist on the first goal, scores his second goal of the season from the slot off a nice pass from Sarantez and adds another goal on a blast from the point off of a feed from Hawkins. Vader has two goal and an assist for a three point game, +3, two shots, four hits and two shot blocks. Feeling bad for Buffalo, vader starts to wonder what it would be like to go there and maybe help turn that franchise around… Running season total : 3g, 3a, 6pts, +10, 4 pims, 23 hits, 11 shots, 9 shot blocks.

Game 10 – chiefs crush the panthers 5 to 1 as vader’s only point comes on an assist on the second goal of the game. He is +2 in the game with two more shots and four hits in just over 25 minutes on the ice. Running season total : 3g, 4a, 7pts, +12, 4 pims, 27 hits, 13 shots, 9 shot blocks. Through 20% of the season, the points have picked up nicely and the hits, shots and shot blocks continue to trend better than or close to the previous two seasons in the league.

Game 11 – Buffalo comes into Minnesota and yikes beats the chiefs 4 to 2. Vader assisted on the second goal, a power play goal, and was even in the game with no shots, three hits and a shot block in over 25 minutes in the game. Running season total : 3g, 5a, 8pts, +12, 4 pims, 30 hits, 13 shots, 10 shot blocks.

Game 12 – for the first time this season, the chiefs lost back to back games as Hamilton won 4 to 1. No points for vader as he was a -1 with 4 PIMs, but four shots, three hits and one shot block in the loss and played just under 23 minutes. Black rubs it in vader’s face in this game as Black has 2 assists and is a +2 but more importantly, gets the win. Running season total : 3g, 5a, 8pts, +11, 8 pims, 33 hits, 17 shots, 11 shot blocks.

Game 13 – return match with the panthers and the chiefs sneak out a 3 to 2 win in a shootout. Vader is held pointless for the second straight game but is still even. He also had 2 PIMs, one shot, two hits and one shot block in over 28 minutes of action due to the overtime period. Running season total : 3g, 5a, 8pts, +11, 10 pims, 35 hits, 18 shots, 12 shot blocks.

Game 14 – chiefs face the pack again and the chiefs come away with a 4 to 1 win. In fact, vader breaks the pack curse again him with an assist in the game and actually comes away as a +2 in 26 minutes so any thought of going there was quickly thrown out the window after this game. Vader also had four hits and one shot block in the win. Running season total : 3g, 6a, 9pts, +13, 10 pims, 39 hits, 18 shots, 13 shot blocks.

Game 15 – in the first game of a home and home with Hamilton, the steelhawks win 2 to 1 on the road. Vader was a -1 with no points, but had six hits, two shot blocks and a shot in the loss along with no points. Fellow Austrian Pellegrino scores a goal while black has an assist and seven hits in the win for them. Running season total : 3g, 6a, 9pts, +12, 10 pims, 45 hits, 19 shots, 15 shot blocks. 30% of the season is now over and vader is on pace for a career high in points, hits and +/-. Shots are more than one per game which is what vader was hoping for, but the shot block total is still a little lower than what he was expecting.

Game 16 – Hamilton wins the second game of the home and home with the chiefs by a score of 3 to 1 and thus taking 3 out of the 4 games against the chiefs so far this season. Vader is held pointless in the game and contributes 6 penalty minutes in the loss along with four hits and three shot blocks in nearly 24 minutes on the ice. Black was a -1 however, with 7 PIMs but once again, he comes away with the win. Running season total : 3g, 6a, 9pts, +12, 16 pims, 49 hits, 19 shots, 18 shot blocks.

Game 17 – another game against the pack and another win for the chiefs by a score of 3 to 1. In a shocking turn of events, vader only plays just over 19 minutes in the game and basically produces nothing on the ice as he had no points, no shots, no hits, no PIMs, but one lonely shot block on his stat sheet for the game. But hey, at least he was even I guess. Some will call this the turning point in vader season or was it just an abnormality?? Running season total : 3g, 6a, 9pts, +12, 16 pims, 49 hits, 19 shots, 19 shot blocks.

Game 18 :admirals: – in the chiefs first game against the admirals this season, the chiefs come away with a 5 to 3 win and vader chips in with an assist, but is still even in the game with 2 penalty minutes, one shot, five hits and no shot blocks. Unforetunately, he still plays a shade under 20 minutes in this game, but should does like the colors and logo of that Portland team though… Running season total : 3g, 7a, 10pts, +12, 18 pims, 54 hits, 20 shots, 19 shot blocks.

Game 19 :admirals: – another game against Portland and another win, but this time in a shootout by the score of 4 to 3. Vader played even less minutes in this game as he was around 17 and a half minutes and probably played one of his worse games of the season as he was a -1 with no points, 2 penalty minutes, one shot, one hit and one shot block. Maybe this was the turning point game of the season for vader?? Running season total : 3g, 7a, 10pts, +11, 20 pims, 55 hits, 21 shots, 20 shot blocks.

Game 20 – first match up against the blizzard and Edmonton would be left in the cold in this one as the chiefs won 2 to 1. Vader was pointless for the second straight game and was also even. He had two more penalty minutes, one shot, two hits and three shot blocks in the win. He played twenty and a half minutes in this game which was certainly up from the last game but no were near where it was earlier in the season. Running season total : 3g, 7a, 10pts, +11, 22 pims, 57 hits, 22 shots, 23 shot blocks. 40% of the season gone and vader is still on pace for a personal high in points, hits, shots and shot blocks have rebounded nicely as well. Penalty minutes jumped up a little too much these past 5 games, but the +/- is still holding strong in the first half of the season.

Game 21 – the chiefs doubled up the riot by a score of 4 to 2 in their first meeting of the season. Vader was pointless for the third straight game, but was at least a +1. In once again only seventeen minutes on the ice, vader had nothing else to show on the scoresheet as he flashed zero’s across the board. Maybe he was in awe of the great VLAD and was wondering what it would be like to be his teammate someday… Running season total : 3g, 7a, 10pts, +12, 22 pims, 57 hits, 22 shots, 23 shot blocks.

Game 22 – another home and home with Hamilton and this time the chiefs come out the winner in the first game by a score of 3 to 2 in overtime. Vader assisted on the first goal to snap his three game scoreless streak. In twenty minutes, vader was a +1 with 2 PIMs, two shots and four hits. Running season total : 3g, 8a, 11pts, +13, 24 pims, 61 hits, 24 shots, 23 shot blocks.

Game 23 – the chiefs drop the second game of the home and home with the steelhawks by the same score of 3 to 2 but in regulation this time. Vader was pointless in the game but was at least a +1 in just under 19 minutes of action. He had three hits and one shot block with no shots and no PIMs. Conversely in the two games, Mr. Black had 20 minutes of penalties, but was pointless and even in the two game matchup. Running season total : 3g, 8a, 11pts, +14, 24 pims, 64 hits, 25 shots, 23 shot blocks.

Game 24 – chiefs travel to Winnipeg and fall to the jets by the score of 4 to 3. Vader is pointless in his second straight game and plays under 20 minutes once again. He is a -1 and only has one shot block in the contest. Running season total : 3g, 8a, 11pts, +13, 24 pims, 64 hits, 25 shots, 24 shot blocks.

Game 25 – Minnesota stops their 2 game losing streak against the renegades in their first matchup of the season. Vader plays a little more than 20 and a half minutes in the game and contributes only one shot block to the stat line again but is at least even. However, he is pointless for the third straight game, but man, wouldn’t the most feared villain of all time look good in the silver and black though…Running season total : 3g, 8a, 11pts, +13, 24 pims, 64 hits, 25 shots, 25 shot blocks. So, halfway through the season and vader is on pace for 22 points which would barely be a personal best, nearly 130 hits, 50 shots and 50 shot blocks and a shade under 50 PIMs. A little too inconsistence for getting points as they seem to come in a couple of games here and there and too many games in a row where vader does not have a point.

Game 26 – its been a while, but the chiefs play the north stars once again and come away with a 4 to 3 win. Even though vader plays only eighteen and a half minutes once again, he starts the second half of the season off right with an assist on the first goal and was a +1 in the game. He also had 2 penalty minutes, one hit and three shot blocks but no shots on goal. Vader feels bad for the north stars as they are a good team but haven’t won the cup ever… Running season total : 3g, 9a, 12pts, +14, 26 pims, 65 hits, 25 shots, 28 shot blocks.

Game 27 – first game of the season against the platoon and the chiefs win a close one by the score of 2 to 1. Vader assists on the first goal of the game again which is a power play goal, but is one the ice for the west Kendall goal causing him to be a -1 in the game. In just over 21 minutes on the ice, vader had two shots and two hits. Running season total : 3g, 10a, 13pts, +13, 26 pims, 67 hits, 27 shots, 28 shot blocks.

Game 28 – up again are the north stars and this time, Toronto gets the better of the chiefs (maybe foreshadowing for the future?) with a 4 to 2 road win. Vader does not have a point in the game and is a -1 in over a whopping 23 minutes of action. He only has 4 hits to show for his time and nothing else. Running season total : 3g, 10a, 13pts, +12, 26 pims, 71 hits, 27 shots, 28 shot blocks.

Game 29 – a wild game against west kendall that finishes up with the chiefs winning 7 to 6. Vader contributes two assists in the game and a +3 to boot. 2 penalty minutes, two shots, three hits and over 23 minutes finish out vader’s stat line for the game. Vader is also impressed with the hit parade put on by one mcdoodle and vader contemplates what it would be like to be his defense partner one day… Running season total : 3g, 12a, 15pts, +15, 28 pims, 74 hits, 29 shots, 28 shot blocks.

Game 30 – first game against the dragons and the chiefs hold on for a 2 to 1 win. Vader plays over 22 minutes but does not have a point in the game and is even. Otherwise, one shot and two hits complete his day. Running season total : 3g, 12a, 15pts, +15, 28 pims, 76 hits, 30 shots, 28 shot blocks. 60% of the season is over and vader is still trending for about 22-25 pts, a shot a game but the shot blocks are lagging behind.

Game 31 – a matchup with the renegades brings a 5 to 1 drubbing for Minnesota on the road. Vader did not have a point in the game for the second straight game and was a -2. He also only had 3 hits in the game with no hits and no shot blocks in almost 24 minutes. Vader is impressed with this rick james fellow though… Running season total : 3g, 12a, 15pts, +13, 28 pims, 79 hits, 30 shots, 28 shot blocks.

Game 32 – another 5 to 1 game , but this time, Minnesota beats the blizzard. Vader gets an assist in the game and is a +2 to make up for the previous game. He also has 2 penalty minutes, two hits and one shot block. Running season total : 3g, 13a, 16pts, +15, 30 pims, 81 hits, 30 shots, 29 shot blocks.

Game 33 – the chiefs double up the rage 6 to 3 in this matchup as vader gets one point in the game – an assist on the final goal. He was a +1 in the game with three hits in just under 23 minutes played. Running season total : 3g, 14a, 17pts, +16, 30 pims, 84 hits, 30 shots, 29 shot blocks.

Game 34 – the last time buffalo and Minnesota played, the stampede got the win, but not this time as the chiefs with 3 to 1 and guess who got the game winning goal. With the second goal of the game and his 4th of the season, vader put the chiefs ahead to stay in the second period. Vader was a huge +3 in the game along with two shots, four hits and two shot blocks. He was also the number two star in the game. Running season total : 4g, 14a, 18pts, +19, 30 pims, 88 hits, 32 shots, 31 shot blocks.

Game 35 – Minnesota also got some revenge on Toronto in this game as they beat the north stars 4 to 3 in a shootout. Vader contributed with two assists in the game, but was even. Vader had a 2 PIMs and four shot blocks in the game. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +19, 32 pims, 88 hits, 32 shots, 35 shot blocks. 70% of the season is completed and vader is at least on pace for his most points in his 3rd season in the league as a defensive dman. Shots have fallen a little behind while the shot blocks picked up.

Game 36 – the chiefs did not muster much offense in this one as the dragons won the game 3 to 1. Vader did not have a point in the contest but was even at least. He did have two hits, one shot and one shot block to add to those totals in just over 20 minutes of ice time. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +19, 32 pims, 90 hits, 33 shots, 36 shot blocks.

Game 37 – first of back to back games against the rage as surprisingly, both games would be one goal contests. This game finished 2 to 1 in favor of the chiefs as vader had another quiet game. He had no points for the second straight game and was even. He had one hit, two shots and one shot block as he played a little more than 22 minutes in the contest. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +19, 32 pims, 91 hits, 35 shots, 37 shot blocks.

Game 38 – the second game against the rage went to shootout and the chiefs won again but this time it was a 3 to 2 score as the rage blew a 2-0 lead in the third period. Vader was pointless for the third straight game and was a -1 on top of it. He only had two hits along with no shots and no shot blocks in 22 minutes again even with the overtime session. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +18, 32 pims, 93 hits, 35 shots, 37 shot blocks.

Game 39 – the chiefs were riding high after two straight wins as they hosted buffalo and in another close contest, the chiefs came away with a 2 to 1 win. Vader did not have a point for the fourth straight game but was a +1. He also had one shot and one hit as he was on the ice for nearly 23 minutes. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +19, 32 pims, 94 hits, 36 shots, 37 shot blocks.

Game 40 – a trip to the west coast was up next as the chiefs scored four first period goals en route to a 4 to 1 win over the riot. For the fifth straight game, vader was held with a point, but again was a +1 in the game. In just over 22 minutes, vader could only add two hits to his season total bringing him closer to the century mark. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +20, 32 pims, 96 hits, 36 shots, 37 shot blocks. 80% of the season is now over and vader really struggled in the past five games with no points and has fallen behind in his shot and shot blocks totals averaging less than one per game now in both categories. Vader however, did not take any penalties in those five games and is on pace to have his lowest total while achieving his best +/- number so far in his career (of course, anything in the positive this season would be his best considering the first two seasons were in the negatives).

Game 41 – the home stretch to the season started with the chiefs beating the pack in overtime by a score of 3 to 2. For the sixth straight game, vader did not have a point although he was at least a +1 in over 23 minutes played. He also had one shot, two hits and one shot block. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +21, 32 pims, 98 hits, 37 shots, 38 shot blocks.

Game 42 – the chiefs 5 game winning streak came to a halt against west kendall as they doubled up the chiefs by a score of 4 to 2. Vader did not have a point again as his scoreless streak now climbs to seven games and he was also a -1 in the game. In just over 23 minutes, he contributed two hits, which brings his total to the century mark for the season, but nothing else in any of the other stats. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +20, 32 pims, 100 hits, 37 shots, 38 shot blocks.

Game 43 – chiefs get back to their winning ways as they beat the rage 3 to 1. Another game without a point for vader as his pointless streak now hits eight straight games. Playing consistently around 23 minutes a game again, vader was at least a +1 in the win along with getting one shot on goal, but nothing else. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +21, 32 pims, 100 hits, 38 shots, 38 shot blocks.

Game 44 – another game against west kendall and another loss for the chiefs as the platoon absolutely crushed them by a score of 6 to 1. Vader’s pointless streak hits the nine game mark now and even worse, he was a -3 in the game but did at least generate three shots on goal and two hits in just under 23 minutes on the ice. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +18, 32 pims, 102 hits, 41 shots, 38 shot blocks.

Game 45 – the defensive woes continued for the chiefs against the north stars as Toronto also crushed the chiefs by a score of 8 to 3. Vader’s scoreless streak hits double digits in terms of games as it now stands at 10 straight. On top of that, he was also a -2 for the game, but hey, at least he wasn’t a -4 or -5 I guess. He also had one shot, one hit and one shot block in just over 22 minutes. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +16, 32 pims, 103 hits, 42 shots, 39 shot blocks. With the season now 90% in the books, Vader’s point total hasn’t changed for a while and it doesn’t look like he will make the 25 point mark for the season. The physical part of his game has slowed down a bit too as average hits per game went down and shot blocks are still below one per game.

Game 46 – the first game of back to back games against west kendall who have won the past couple of games against the chiefs, but not this game as the chiefs win 2 to 1. However, vader’s pointless streak now hits 11 straight games and is still a -1 which is the third straight game he has been a negative. Vader played just under 22 minutes and had 2 PIMs and two hits. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +15, 34 pims, 105 hits, 42 shots, 39 shot blocks.

Game 47 – the return match against west kendall and once again the chiefs win a one goal game but this time in overtime by the score of 4 to 3. Vader’s pointless streak hits 12 straight games, but at least he is a +2 in the game with one shot in just under 23 minutes of playing time. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +17, 34 pims, 105 hits, 43 shots, 39 shot blocks.

Game 48 – the last game of the regular season against the north stars provided the chiefs with a 4 to 2 win, their third straight. Vader’s pointless streak hits 13 straight games and is a -1 in the game which makes 4 out of the last 5 in the negative. In just over 21 minutes, he has one hit and one shot block. Running season total : 4g, 16a, 20pts, +16, 34 pims, 106 hits, 43 shots, 40 shot blocks.

Game 49 – riding a three game winning streak, the chiefs went into buffalo and thoroughly dominated the stampede by a score of 3 to 0. Vader assists on the second goal of the game to end his pointless streak at 13 games and is a +1 in the contest. He also had 2 PIMs, one shot, two hits and one shot block in just over 22 minutes. Running season total : 4g, 17a, 21pts, +17, 36 pims, 108 hits, 44 shots, 41 shot blocks.

Game 50 – the last game of the season is against the pack and the chiefs continue their winning way with a 4 to 2 victory and end the season with a five game winning streak. Vader does not have a point which means he went pointless in 14 out of his last 15 games…yikes! He was a +1 though with 2 penalty minutes, two hits and two shot blocks in just under 22 minutes. End of Season totals: 4g, 17a, 21pts, +18, 38 pims, 110 hits, 44 shots, 43 shot blocks.

PLAYOFFS

Game 1 – the number one ranked chiefs hosted the number four ranked north stars and it would be toronto’s night as they crushed the chiefs 6 to 2. Vader did not have a point and was a -2 in the defeat. In just under 23 minutes played, vader had five hits and one shot block. Playoff totals: 0g, 0a, 0pts, -2, 0 pims, 5 hits, 0 shots, 1 shot blocks.

Game 2 – Toronto crushes Minnesota again in game two by a score of 6 to 1. Toronto has now outscored the chiefs 12 to 3 in the first two games of the playoff series. Vader does not have a point again but is at least even in the game. In just over 22 minutes, he has two hits and two shot blocks. Playoff totals: 0g, 0a, 0pts, -2, 0 pims, 7 hits, 0 shots, 3 shot blocks.

Game 3 – pivotal game for the chiefs and a must win or else they find themselves in a 3-0 hole. Vader assists on the first chief goal after Toronto had scored two and Minnesota gets another one in the game and we go to overtime #1, no goal. Overtime #2, no goal. Overtime #3, Toronto wins. Vader plays 36 minutes with 4 penalty minutes, two shots, one hit and one shot block. Playoff totals: 0g, 1a, 1pts, -2, 4 pims, 8 hits, 2 shots, 4 shot blocks.

Game 4 – another overtime game and another win for Toronto as they close out the series in 4 straight. Vader did not have a point and if you include the regular season, vader did not have a point in 17 of his last 19 games….double yikes! He was a +1, with one shot, one hit and one shot block in just over 24 minutes played. Playoff totals: 0g, 1a, 1pts, -1, 4 pims, 9 hits, 3 shots, 5 shot blocks.

PRESEASON VADER FREE AGENCY POSSIBLE DESTINATIONS – no order:

Buffalo – it would be interesting thought to go here and help build Buffalo up and try to get all teams closer to equal footing in terms of active players. Their GM seems like a nice guy around boards and maybe with some other active players joining, Buffalo can start to be an attractive destination.

Hamilton – Winning tradition will always attract players to want to go there and that could quite possibly be no different here. Great guys around the league that are active and if they do not make any changes during the season, they definitely could use another defenseman. Some of the star players are getting a little older though, so have to keep that in mind as well and what their future plan is to address that. Pellegrino is also here and I have always wanted to team up with Cody Black, so those are also two additional positives.

Toronto – Definitely would be intrigued to go here if they do not win the cup again this season and try to be part of the first group of players to this for this franchise. Solid group of players from top to bottom as well including a few of them that are about ready to hit their peak or nearing their peak.

West Kendall – Similar to Hamilton, another team with a solid history in place where players want to go to have a chance to win every season. GMs are certainly active around the boards and leaders within the league. Team that seems to always be in the championship discussion every season

Edmonton – another team with a great history and great leadership in place that makes in desirable to go to win championship and have a great time. Goalie is retiring after the season, so that will definitely have to come into play at some point, but have a well balanced mix of youth and older players and similar to Hamilton and west kendall, they are always in the discussion to win in seems no matter what or who is on the team.

Portland :admirals: – going to an expansion team and being part of helping them make the playoffs for the first or helping to grow the team into more active players is always an attractive option as well. Already with a couple great young players in place as well as a couple of nice free agent signings, Portland has set themselves up well to come out of their punishment phase. Their GM is a solid guy around the site as well. MP7 is here as well and has been a great guy in the Austrian locker room.

Seattle – another interesting destination based on a well round roster of up and coming younger guys with a mix of some solid veterans in place. Another team will solid leadership in place that are active around the site. They are always in the hunt for the playoffs and the western conference is pretty tough already but Seattle looks like they have a roster that can not only compete now but also in the future. Gan is another great guy here as well but could I get along with VLAD??

Texas – after a disappointing season and a loaded roster, vader wouldn’t be sure how he would even fit it here, but it would still be pretty cool to get the “renegade” experience even if it was for just one season. Losing their number one goalie might make it tough for a season or two, but with a solid group of characters already in place, it would definitely make for an interesting time for sure.

Winnipeg – they already have a solid group of defensemen in place so it would probably be difficult to break the top 4 but they always seem to be in contention for not only the playoffs but winning it all as well. Obviously, great leadership in place also and they have a guy that is one half of the best podcast duos in the league so that is always a bonus as well. It would be cool to be on the same team as little man and that is a plus although some folks will find it interesting I am sure to play with my so called multi, but more on that later. Berger and Cahill are two of the younger guys I know here as well.

Switching to wing :ph34r: – since wing is vader’s secondary position and since everyone brings up that everyone almost always has checking a weakness, there is a thought to ponder about being a power forward in the mold of the great Ruutu in Los Angeles.

Retirement/going inactive – off seasons are too long, seasons are too short, playoffs are too long cause of play by play that take forever and don’t get done on time, the league is too soft, gorlab got banned and isn’t coming back, other people are allowed to have multi’s over and over again, rezik/kovalev/I forget got banned, there are not enough shit storms, there are too many shit storms, no one wants IIHF, we want IIHF once every four years, IIHF should only be for people that are not in the playoffs or lose in the playoffs, we should expand, we shouldn’t expand, the smjhl isn’t important, the smjhl is important, vader wanted to be a true rookie even though he led all rookies in assists as a defensive dman, blah, blah, blah

But if at this time in the beginning of the season, I had to guess on a prelimary if vader leaves ranking:

1. portland :admirals:
2. hamilton
3. winnipeg
4. edmonton
5. west kendall
6. seattle
7. toronto
8. buffalo
9. texas

POST TRADE DEADLINE/END OF SEASON VADER FREE AGENCY RANKINGS:
Now, quite a bit always changes over the course of the season from players changing teams, to players retiring and lots of movement among GMs stepping down and new ones taking over that have caused teams to drop on the list, others to rise and maybe even a team that wasn’t there originally to pop back in.
1 -- texas
2 -- hamilton
3 -- winnipeg
4 -- edmonton
5 – west kendall
6 -- seattle
7 -- buffalo
8 -- portland :admirals:
9 -- manhattan
10 – toronto

So now what. Texas moved up a whole boat load after trading some players and a change in management and they still made the playoffs. They have a solid foundation in place for now and the future. Allen and BBP are a couple of solid guys around the league and vader would definitely be interested in hearing about their texas plans for the future especially from the goaltending standpoint. Hamilton stays put even though they had a change over in management, but Dangles takes over which is a positive as well. The fact that they once again made the finals is quite impressive. The biggest concern will be starting to bridge that gap to the future with some of the older players starting to hit regression here soon.

Winnipeg, Edmonton and west kendall all hold down the same spots and really could be 3a, 3b and 3c to be honest. All 3 of solid management teams in place. All 3 teams have made the playoffs either once or twice the past two seasons and Winnipeg was very close this season. All 3 have winning traditions and solid players around the league. The big question with Winnipeg and Edmonton will be the fit and whether I have to take a lesser role for a season to earn a bigger role. West kendall maybe having some turnover on their defensive side so there maybe an opportunity to jump right into a decent spot there.

Seattle holds as well even though they just made a big trade the other day to move VLAD to manhattan. Whether he was there or not really wasn’t going to factor into any decision anyway, its just hard to move seattle ahead of the 3 teams above them, for now. Don’t really know too much about them but GoB is a great guy around the league and does one heck of a podcast as well and again the question here will be fit and future plans down the road.

The two expansion teams come next and buffalo moves up one spot while Portland falls but to be honest, they are really 7a and 7b and could be inter changeable here. Buffalo traded for TDW’s player and made him co-GM which is certainly a positive. Portland falls a bit due to their trade for a defenseman at the trade deadline, but JP is still there and harry and MP7 so they still stay ahead of the bottom teams on the list and neither expansion team is really out of the running.

Manhattan moves onto the list thanks to Kez coming on board as a GM and again, doesn’t really factor in if VLAD is there or not as a co-GM, but the intrigue from my standpoint of what Kez’s game plan is to rebuild the rage into contenders again is worth noting. They did have to move CRUTCH to the panthers but crutch’s player and my player are pretty similar in terms of build so we probably wouldn’t have played on the same defensive pairing anyway (and let it be noted I would gladly play on the second pairing while crutch was on the first).

Finally Toronto. Made it game 7 again the conference finals but couldn’t make it the championship and they could be or will be losing a couple of big name players so it will be interesting to see what their game plan is and how or if they plan on replacing them. The recent LR incident doesn’t really play into my thoughts cause I cant stand these play by plays anyway, but could certainly detract others.

At the end of the day, the free agency process is going to be a fun experience with lots of tough decisions and probably not a decision that will come quickly or easily. Vader isn’t looking to break the bank salary wise cause I can continue to write a couple of Austria articles or goofy articles like this one to bring in an extra 10 mill a year, but rather this will be a decision to shape vader’s final few seasons in the league and hopefully help to bring the team he chooses a championship in the end.


INTERVIEW WITH A SITH LORD:

“Pleased to meet you, you already know my name,
But what’s puzzlin’ you is the nature of my game.”

Q: What led to your decision to play just one season in the smjhl?
A: I wont really talk about that too much since it caused such a fake controversy but I had the opportunity to start out in the top 4 and jump right into playing 20 minutes a game. Not sure what the big deal was about the whole the situation or why people believed what a previously banned member was saying, but to go around bad mouthing someone over this and taking shots in their PTs about vader wanting to be a true rookie, etc, but I stand by my decision and it was the right one. And oh by the way, led all rookies in assists as well too.

Q: What did you learn in those first couple of seasons in the shl?
A: players are faster, stronger and smarter than the minors and you have to make quick and smart decisions. If you make a mistake, you have to get back to cover them up or hope that one of your teammates are back to cover or vise versa in case they make a mistake. The players are so good and talented at this level that is hard for points to come by for a defensive dman like myself so I looked to develop my all around game. I am not looking to become the best player ever or be a hall of famer or anything like that but rather to be part of the key core of a winning team with a fun locker room atmosphere and great leadership in place.

Q: you put some emphasis on developing a little bit of a offensive game over this previous offseason – what was the thought behind it as well as did you perform as expected?
A: I think players on the other team were expecting me to pass way too much so I wanted to develop a little more of a wrinkle to my game so that they would have to respect the fact that I could fire a shot from the point on the power play or jump into the rush and fire a shot on goal if I received a pass. As for the results, I only scored one more goal than I did the season before and I think I generated a few more shots on goal so from that aspect it was a little successful but I expected to score more than four goals and as documented above, I cant go thirteen games without a point and probably close to 20+ games without scoring a goal. Very frustrating but I have to give it another season or two to develop especially since I am giving thoughts to potentially switching to a power forward that doesn’t have checking as his weakness.

Q: Were you able to follow Malkin’s first season with Winnipeg at all?
A: yeah. He got some great advice from his gm’s in Winnipeg on what areas he needed to focus on. I think he ended up with either 14 or 15 points if I remember correctly, so I think he did well and has set himself up nicely for the next couple of seasons. He just doesn’t have the bank account or time to do everything he needs with this player. You know he was a little frustrated at first cause his guy wasn’t scoring or getting points right away, but eventually he was able to chip in and have a solid rookie season in my opinion.

A: and addressing that “white elephant” in the room about a certain person or two claiming he is my multi. Lets put into perspective that I am a grown man, husband, father of three, work for a company that is #1 in its industry in North America, run a youth age group for a hockey association, coach a team in that age group, help coach my son’s team, be a gm in other sim leagues (where by the way, I consistently make the playoffs and win championships), but yet I am going to come into here and run two players…just dumb claims by certain people who are in “leadership” positions to ruin what little fun I have in this league. He came here to do his own thing and build his own player and if people want to toss us out to make themselves feel better about themselves, then enjoy.

Q: you stated you were thinking about moving to wing…what has led to those thoughts?
A: a lot of comments have been made about the lack of power forwards in the league or forwards that come into the league with scoring high but checking as a weakness, so outside of my scoring being low, I feel that I fit the mold of a power forward that can hit, score and play a little defense. If you look at the success that Ruutu has had the past couple of seasons in Los Angeles – high checking, skating, defense and passing while his scoring is lower than those other attributes. He went from 31 points in s27 to 53 in s28 and 46 in s29. Although his goal scoring did drop a little bit between seasons 28 and 29, he led his team in scoring both seasons. Now, I am no where near where Ruutu is right now. Even if I played wing for one season on the third line for a team and then was able to jump up to one of the top lines after that, I would certainly consider that type of move over staying a defenseman. I am still going to put some more work into my scoring and probably get the attribute around 70 either at the beginning of the season or shortly there after. Also have to work on taking the body more and strength and conditioning, so I have my work cut out for me the next couple of seasons, maybe.

Q: what do you expect from Austria this go around in the IIHF tourney?
A: we hope to continue to build on our success from last season to show everyone that it wasn’t a fluke and we belong in the middle of the pack of all the countries. Sucks we got into a draw with Canada and the United States for what seems like the third straight year again as well as Russia who has won the in the past as well as Germany. Ireland is no easy opponent either, so we are going to have to pull off some upsets in the round robin portion and hope some of these other teams ahead of us in the rankings fall apart so we can sneak into the medal round. The IIHF is actually more exciting to me than the shl season and I look forward to it and wish we could actually have friendlies and allow some of the lower end countries in terms of the number of players that they have to get more assigned transfers to balance out the rosters more . We have a great bunch of gals and guys playing for us and a great leader in GAIA, so not only are we making strides now, but hopefully we will be a force very soon in the international world of hockey.

Q: where does vader go from here and what does the future hold?
A: its certainly going to be an interesting off season but yet a fun experience of sitting back and watching some of the other happenings in free agency especially some of the one day auctions that are going to happen to see which teams bid on those players and who ends up with the highest bid at the end of the day. It is certainly going to change the landscape a little bit especially if teams like Portland and buffalo start to attract and sign some of the upper level free agents even if its only for a season or two. This is now going into my fourth season in the shl and should be lining up for a breakout season this time or next season, but once season 37 is over and if I last that long, that will be it for me as it will be one and done which will certainly make a few folks happy around and probably cant come soon enough for them! Whether I stay at defense or move to wing or not will come this season, but I would definitely love to play my last season in the league with little man’s team so we can at least say we got one season together!! Honestly though, if it wasn’t for playing and helping to gain some attention to Austria, I probably would have left after my first couple of seasons in the league.

I am now done with this interview:

player update page
player roster page

oh damn. lol

Doesn't sound like you had a lot of fun playing against Cody Black and the Steelhawks.

:o

Chris McZehrl III - Texas Renegades
Chris McZehrl III - Anchorage Armada

Nice idea for an article.

sigs by ToeDragon84

; Can't beat em, join em?

    -             -     

Originally posted by JNH@Jul 1 2016, 11:37 AM
; Can't beat em, join em?

jnh ->

confirmed

Originally posted by Bojo@Jul 1 2016, 10:40 AM


jnh ->

confirmed

Damn it Bojo, that was supposed to stay in the GM LR until the playoffs were over.

nice work vader, get that $$$

CARTER CRUTCHFIELD || RD || ARMADA || 242 TPE
NAME: Carter Crutchfield
BIRTHPLACE: Los Angeles, California
HEIGHT: 6'1"
WEIGHT: 195 lbs
NUMBER: 2
------------------------------------------------------------
SMJHL CAREER STATS
S65 ANC : GP: , G: , A: , P: , +/-:  
------------------------------------------------------------
SMJHL PLAYOFF STATS
S65 STL: GP: , G: , A: , P: , +/-:  
------------------------------------------------------------
SHL CAREER STATS
S6X ???: GP: , G: , A: , P: , +/-:
------------------------------------------------------------
SHL PLAYOFF STATS
S6X ???: GP: , G: , A: , P: , +/-:
------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSACTIONS
S65 - SMJHL - Drafted Pick 34, Round 3 by the Anchorage Armada
------------------------------------------------------------
CONTRACTS
S65 - ANC: $3,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------
AWARDS / TROPHY CASE

------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by Bojo@Jul 1 2016, 11:40 AM


jnh ->

confirmed

didn't you see my post in HAM's interested propsects thread

and if anyone from admin CP checks my PM's w/ Dangles

    -             -     

come to winnipeg bb or else ill leave Austria ;