Ready to be graded!

WC: 2350

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Sam Walker: And now, we have with us one Finn Krüger! German native, 19 years old, came stateside just a little while ago and declared himself eligible for the Simulation Major Junior Hockey League Draft. We’ve been following him and a few of the other prospects for a little while now, but last night he was selected Fourth Overall to the Colorado Mammoths. We’re going to play a quick clip from the event last night, take a listen.

“The Colorado Mammoths are proud to select with the #4 overall pick from Germany… Finn Krüger! [Indistinct cheering]”

Walker: As I’m sure you can tell, it was an exciting event for everybody involved. Live with us now is Finn Krüger--Finn! Good morning to you!

Finn Krüger: Good morning to you, Sam.

Walker: I’ve gotta ask: How’re you feeling right now?

Krüger: I, uh… I’m good, you know? I’m very, very good right now. A little tired and I still feel like I’m going to pass out from the excitement, but other than that…! [Laughs.]

Walker: So, you’re obviously a German, you came over a little while ago and declared yourself eligible. Obviously there’s been a few articles and interviews done on you already, so I don’t want to tread over old ground, but I might not be able to help myself.

Krüger: Of course, that’s the nature of it.

Walker: Your English sounds very good, by the way, for having just recently come here.

Krüger: Oh, I’ve been working on this for a while--I started learning the language about two years ago, because I knew that this is what I wanted to do. There’s still some things that I don’t quite get, but I’m sure the more time I spend in a place that speaks English natively the better I will get with it.

Walker: Of course, of course. So: Take us through the first moments you spent in America.

Krüger: Well, I came over on a plane--first time I’d ever been on one of those--and, you know, the first moments were really just me trying to gather my bearings and get back to how I felt most comfortable, you know?

Walker: And how is that?

Krüger: I went for a five-mile run, actually. Helped clear my mind of all the stresses of moving and such.

Walker: And you’re preparing to be moving again very soon, right?

Krüger: Yes, I leave for Denver tonight. My new home! My parents are shipping all of the stuff they think I’m going to need to Denver. I’m, uh, I’m incredibly excited to get there and be with my team, settle in. I’m looking forward to a good few years with Mammoths, hopefully a Cup here and there, eh?

Walker: Well, the Colorado Mammoths certainly seem as keen on you as you do on them. Going fourth overall must feel huge--what were you thinking when you heard your name called so early? Were you surprised?

Krüger: To say I was surprised would be a huge understatement. I came in with the single goal of being drafted at any pick, you know, so to be sitting in the crowd with my father when they called my name as the fourth overall pick--it was one of the only times in my life I’ve ever seen my father cry. It’s the biggest honor I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving and one of the greatest moments in my life thus far. Words just can’t express how I feel about it. [Laughs.] I still can’t stop thinking about it. I was so worried I was going to wake up this morning and it would be the morning of draft day again.

Walker: You don’t sound too displeased to be going to Denver. I think you’d mentioned somewhere that Colorado was high on your list of places to go--are you happy having been called upon to wear a Mammoths sweater?

Krüger: If I can be totally honest, Colorado has been my favorite and my dream team since the moment their front office got in contact with me. That isn’t to say that the other organizations that contacted me weren’t great, but there was always something very welcoming to me about Colorado. It’s the sort of team that fit the idea of what I thought being a part of the SHL would be like when I decided to take the step. So, being taken by them at all would’ve been a dream come true, but to be their first overall pick in the draft was an amazing feeling. They clearly have confidence in me, and now it’s my job to make sure that they don’t regret it.

Walker: Thoughts about your fellow rookies that got drafted?

Krüger: I mean, there were just so many talented folks in this draft, you know? I think we all thought that Robert Phelps was going to go first overall, you know, he’s such an incredible talent and an amazing hockey player. The level on which he sees the game, it’s… it’s everything. Bennett went second to Vancouver, she’ll be playing on his wing most likely, and that will be a very dangerous combination. Bennett is such a versatile winger and she’s so sneaky and skilled with the puck that if Phelps can get the pass to her, she’s going to score, you know? Tomas went third and I freaked out for him, top three is so huge and he deserved it so much. Tooth put in work and it paid off for him, you know? Obviously Garrett and Gordie they’re going to do amazing with their clubs--Angelo Odjick went to Vancouver, and having a line of him, Phelps and Bennett is going to make my life a hell of a lot harder. Khet Chupp, he went to St. Louis, he’s going to be amazing there and I know he’ll do great things, you know--there were just so many amazing people that I got to spend time with during the combine and all of that, and they’re all going to go do amazing things, I know that for a fact.

Walker: Colorado drafted a number of others, including Niklaus St. Croix and Aleksander Aleksandrov. I know you had spoken about Aleksandrov before in an interview, but how do you feel about them as linemates, especially St. Croix, who is likely to be on the same defensive pairing as you?

Krüger: Obviously all of the guys that got drafted by Colorado are great and they all could have gone top ten. You single out St. Croix and Aleksandrov is only because I’ve talked about them before. Niklaus is an amazing defender, you know, someone that plays a heavy shutdown role, he’s a very staunch defensive defender, and I think that if we wind up on the same pairing that it’s going to work out really well. Those line combinations of a more offensive defender with a heavily defensive one often lead to some of the best pairings in the game. As far as Aleks goes, I don’t think there was a netminder in the draft that I liked more. Aleks is an incredibly bright and talented guy, and he’s an absolute joy to watch in the crease, he knows exactly what he’s doing and I think we all know that he’s going to be great in every game he plays. He’s a strong goaltender, and I’m very proud to be able to have the opportunity to defend for him.

Walker: This is probably your first experience with the crazy amount of media attention that you players in this league get, right? How was your first media scrum?

Krüger: It was an experience. A lot of questions being thrown at me very quickly, and you can only answer so fast, you know? I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but you’re right in assuming I’d never really been surrounded by that much media--the most was an article or two once I’d declared myself eligible for the draft, and even then I was a relative nobody. I think going in the top five certainly increased the media presence around me? Especially since I don’t think a lot of people, myself included, thought I would be going anywhere near that high. So seeing my name get called so early probably had a lot of people wondering just who I was and how I had managed that.

Walker: I’m really glad you brought that up, because I wanted to talk about that for a bit. Before the draft, a lot of potential mock standings were released and a lot of people had you pegged at the end of second, early third as far as your draft position. Lots of people were surprised to see you go early--where did you figure you would go, and how do you feel about where people placed you?

Krüger: I mean, I tried not to look at the mocks, if only because I didn’t want to freak myself out about the draft, but it didn’t last very long. Seeing my name on their lists at all was a surprise, honestly; I had myself pegged in the late third, maybe early fourth. So when I saw a few people placing me at 14, 15, 16--I think there were people that even had me at top ten--I looked at my father and said “Can you believe it? They’ve got me at 16th overall!” He was, of course, a little agitated that no one had me at top five. He had me at first overall.

Walker: But he was willing to accept fourth?

Krüger: He was more than willing to accept fourth. He might’ve honestly been more excited than I was about it.

Walker: You’ve been in the States for the combine and the draft with your dad, and so what was it like being out here with just him?

Krüger: Yeah, it was just me and my father while I was here for the combine and in waiting for the draft. The experience was amazing, but I don’t know that I would’ve had as much as I did without my father. He has always been an incredibly important part of who I am and the way I live my life, and so we simply came out here, did all of the work that we needed to and a bit more, and had fun with every step of the process. He was a footballer growing up, and so hockey was a very unfamiliar sport for him. But he might be the biggest fan in the world now that I’ve gone and made the step over to the SMJ.

Walker: And what does the future look like as far as he and your family go?

Krüger: He’s actually flying out to Denver with me and then taking a plane back to Cologne from the airport. We’ll be saying our goodbyes on the tarmac, it seems. [Finn takes a quick moment and sighs.] It’s going to be hard, I know that much. My family has been the biggest rock for me in my life up to this point, and I know that without them it’s going to be a tough journey. My younger brothers--twins, thankfully--will be entering their University schooling in a year or so, and I believe after they settle in and if I’m drafted by an SHL team, my parents would like to move somewhere near whatever franchise I become a part of. It would be nice to have them nearby again.

Walker: So, I’m sure you’ve been asked this plenty of times before, but what sort of play are you hoping to achieve, and what do you think that you can bring to the table for Colorado and future organizations?

Krüger: I mean, I’ve been asked that before because it’s an incredibly great question. But, uh… I mean, I think the biggest thing I want right now is to be able to play my game and make that fit into whatever systems Colorado has in place right now. I don’t mean to inflate my ego, but I know that I’m both very defensively sound but also a great puck mover--offense is a huge part of my game, and I plan on bringing that to the Mammoths. I’m two-way and I want to continue being that no matter where I go.

Walker: Last question, really, and this one is for the fans who might not know a whole lot about you: tell me who Finn Krüger is and what he likes to do in a couple of sentences.

Krüger: Wow, you saved the hardest question for last, eh? Heh, um… That’s a great question. I guess I would say that I’m a fairly laidback person off the ice, you know, I don’t like to talk about myself a lot. I like being around people and having a good time and enjoying myself, you know, having fun. I like to read, I like to play video games with my friends--FIFA is always a classic--I really like to cook and to grill. Cooking has always been my secondary passion, you know, I’ve always said that if I didn’t make it in hockey then I would apply to Le Cordon Bleu. I’m a little goofy around friends, I like to think that I’m a fun guy to be around.

Walker: Alright Finn, I know you’re a busy man now, gotta get ready to ship out to Denver tonight and get set up for preseason. Thank you so much for coming onto the show and just talking with us a little bit about last night and the future going forward. Best of luck to you and the Mammoths with the upcoming season, people are expecting great things of you now.

Krüger: Thank you so much, Sam, for having me on. It’s been fun, we’ll have to do this again at some point, I suppose.

Walker: For sure, for sure--Finn Krüger, everyone, Colorado defenceman. Coming up on Hockey Now, we’re talking international competition and what the medal rounds are shaping up to look like. I’m Sam Walker, we’ll be right back.

sigs by me bitch



Benson "Flower" Fiorentini || C/LW || Tampa Bay Barracuda || USA || VAN || 2011 TPE

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Name: Benson Fiorentini
Number: 9
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 205lbs
Birthplace: Long Island, NY
Age: 25
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SHL Regular Season Stats
S68: GP: 66 || G: 8 || A: 34 || P: 42 || +29 || SH%: 8.3% || HIT: 113 || PIM: 21
S69: GP: 66 || G: 18 || A: 33 || P: 51 || +28 || SH%: 15.1% || HIT: 136 || PIM: 26
S70: GP: 66 || G: 16 || A: 47 || P: 63 || +43 || SH%: 15% || HIT: 138 || PIM: 32
S71: GP: 66 || G: 27 || A: 29 || P: 56 || -20 || SH%: 15.3% || HIT: 95 || PIM: 37
S72: GP: 66 || G: 34 || A: 39 || P: 73 || -26 || SH%: 16.1% || HIT: 78 || PIM: 30
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SHL Playoff Stats
S68: GP: 21 || G: 2 || A: 10 || P: 12 || +4 || SH%: 8.0% || HIT: 39 || PIM: 6
S69: GP: 16 || G: 5 || A: 4 || P: 9 || -1 || SH%: 17.2% || HIT: 28 || PIM: 4
S70: GP: 13 || G: 4 || A: 8 || P: 12 || +4 || SH%: 16% || HIT: 25 || PIM: 12
S71: GP: 7 || G: 1 || A: 3 || P: 4 || -3 || SH%: 11.1% || HIT: 6 || PIM: 0
S72: GP: 5 || G: 2 || A: 5 || P: 7 || +1 || SH%: 14.3% || HIT: 7 || PIM: 0
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SMJHL Career Stats
Regular Season: GP: 198 || G: 70 || A: 80 || P: 150 || +17 || SH%: 13.13% || HIT: 337 || PIM: 64
Playoffs: GP: 20 || G: 7 || A: 3 || P: 10 || -10 || SH%: 18.92% || HIT: 46 || PIM: 8
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Transactions
Drafted 9th overall by the Vancouver Whalers (S65)
Drafted 2nd overall by the Seattle Argonauts (S66)
Played for the Seattle Argonauts (S68 - S74)
Traded to the Tampa Bay Barracuda (S74)
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Accomplishments
Won the Challenge Cup with Seattle [Rookie Year] (S68)



Finn Krüger || SEA Head GM (S69 - S73) || RD || WKP/HAM/TOR/TBB || GER || COL || Peak: 1690 TPE

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Name: Finn Krüger
Number: 8
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 200lbs
Birthplace: Cologne, Germany
Age: 53
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SHL Career Stats
Regular Season: GP: 649 || G: 68 || A: 339 || P: 407 || +55 || HIT: 871 || SB: 878 || PIM: 393
Playoffs: GP: 92 || G: 11 || A: 43 || P: 54 || -1 || HIT: 121 || SB: 128 || PIM: 71
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SMJHL Career Stats
Regular Season: GP: 150 || G: 35 || A: 72 || P: 107 || 0 || HIT: 64 || SB: 143 || PIM: 83
Playoffs: GP: 27 || G: 3 || A: 13 || P: 16 || -5 || HIT: 13 || SB: 21 || PIM: 9
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Transactions
Drafted 4th Overall by the Colorado Mammoths (S34)
Signed a $2m/1yr contract with the Colorado Mammoths (S34)
Drafted 3rd Overall by the West Kendall Platoon (S35)
Signed a $9m/3yr (3m AAV) contract with the West Kendall Platoon (S35)
Signed a $6m/2yr (3m AAV) extension with the West Kendall Platoon (S38)
Signed a $18m/3yr (6m AAV) contract with the Hamilton Steelhawks (S42)
Traded to the Toronto North Stars (S45)
Signed with the Hamilton Steelhawks (S47)
Traded to the Tampa Bay Barracuda (S49)
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Accomplishments
Named Alternate Captain of the Colorado Mammoths (S34, S35)
Quilha Agante Trophy for Best Defenceman (S35)
Named Captain of the Colorado Mammoths (S36)
Won Gold Medal with Team Germany (S36)
Named Alternate Captain of the West Kendall Platoon (S40)
Won Bronze Medal with Team Germany (S40)
Won Challenge Cup with the West Kendall Platoon (S41)



Bastien Marchessault || VAN Head/AGM (S37 - S42) || 1x Four-Star, 3x Laurifer, 2x GMOTY

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Regular Season Stats:
TOTALS: GP: 300 || W: 158 || L: 112 || OTL: 30 || GF: 912 || GA: 865 || GF/GA: 1.05
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Playoff Stats:
VAN S42: GP: 0 || W: 0 || L: 0 || OTL: 0 || GF: 0 | GA: 0
VAN S41: GP: 5 || W: 1 || L: 4 || OTL: 0 || GF: 10 | GA: 13
VAN S40: Did Not Qualify
VAN S39: GP: 15 || W: 10 || L: 5 || OTL: 0 || GF: 52 | GA: 43
VAN S38: GP: 4 || W: 0 || L: 4 || OTL: 0 || GF: 11 || GA: 19
VAN S37: Did Not Qualify
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Transactions
Named Co-GM of the Vancouver Whalers (S37)
Named Head GM of the Vancouver Whalers (S42)
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Accomplishments
Laurifer Trophy Winner (S41, S42, S43)
Occasus Trophy Winner (S42)
Mathias Chouinard Award for Best GM (S41, S42)

Congrats, looking forward to having you in Colorado. Finn #2.