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Gaia Mormont · 08-30-2019, 04:49 AM

The following is an excerpt from a quick one-on one with Ignatius Blunt of the Winnipeg Jets:

Ignatius Blunt is an adventurous young man, and he showed that off by foraying into the rock climbing world in the past off season. Ever since his days as a little boy growing up in Slovenia, he would look up at the mountains with wonder. He dreamed of soaring with the falcons and the eagles. The Swiss Alps, Mount Everest, K4; all looked like expeditions ripe for conquest. What better to put on his social media than pictures of him with a fist raised in triumph from the peak of the tallest mountains on planet Earth? But it proved to be more daunting then expected; Blunt went on much less challenging peaks and still found himself nearly slipping to his death multiple times. All his nerve from hockey dissipated when staring down a precipice that spiralled down for hundreds of meters. He summited a few mountains before abandoning that dream for now and returning to hockey training, but he feels like it contributed to his ability to have nerves of steel under pressure.

[Image: silhouette-man-mountain-top-person-silho...12-197.jpg]

[Image: silhouette-man-mountain-top-person-silho...12-197.jpg]

"The world is really beautiful from high up, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. You go up 3000 meters and then you can look out in all directions and see the world, it's breath-taking. Everything is so small, and it just makes you feel humbled and insignificant in a good way. I don't think mountain climbing will be a long-lasting hobby for me though. Just too much risk involved and I'm not quite ready to attend my own funeral yet, you know?" said Ignatius Blunt.

Blunt has had an interesting multinational career, starting off as a Slovenian before realizing that Slovenia had no IIHF representation. Even before getting drafted to a Canadian team, he decided to pledge his loyalties outside of North America to a small European federation, much like his home nation. That's what made Latvia such a good fit, and he rose the ranks among the Latvian players to become the nation's Fed Head. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a down year in this year's tournament, which ended up being won by Sweden to everyone's surprise. The turn of events did show that small federations could compete against the big boys after all, which could provide some motivation for the smaller federations. Latvia continues to be a contender with a new host of young-lings coming up the ranks including a goalie which was much needed after the retirement of Artom Zhubayev. The man who singlehandedly raised Latvia to a Bronze medal just a few seasons ago.
[Image: BcaN4U5.gif]

"I would love to win some more medals and to take Latvia to that superior level. We have so many great players, I have full confidence that we can achieve great things during my tenure. Getting some hardware is more like a question of when, not if. Latvia will come back with a vengeance next year, and I think we're going to blow everyone away with how tough we play. This tournament is going to be our year, I can feel it in my bones," said Ignatius Blunt. “The Pesky Lats will never go away.”

After Latvia was eliminated from the IIHF tournament, Blunt booked a flight to Japan, hoping to see the sights of Tokyo and Kyoto while scoping out a potential summit of Mt Fuji. He snapped pictures of cherry blossom trees, which appeared on his Instagram, relished in the local cuisine, and purchased some souvenirs in the cities.

He did not want to leave as the departure day drew near, but he managed to drag himself to the airport for his return. He headed back to Winnipeg with t-shirts proudly commemorating his travels and told fantastical stories to his teammates, although most of those were completely untrue, particularly all of the ones involving ninjas and samurai. His teammates didn't seem to actually believe him, but they humoured him and played along. After catching up with everyone though, he had to get serious and back in the zone. With the season about to start, it was time to roll up his sleeves and settle back down at home, to get back into the mood for hockey.

"Japan was amazing, so many beautiful sights, so much history and culture, and the people were wonderful. I'd love to go back some day, I think Japan is one of the most underrated places to visit as a tourist. I almost decided just to relax after the tournament, but I decided not to miss out on this opportunity and that was definitely the right decision. I want to see the world before I get old, and this was definitely a great place to check off my long bucket list," said Ignatius Blunt.

And with the off-season wrapped up, travels, tournaments, and all, it was back to the Jets home ice. Being back in Manitoba has begun to feel natural, with Blunt entering his seventh season with the team. It's strange to think that regression is just around the corner, but that is the case indeed. Blunt is just 60 points away from the 1000 TPE mark, quite a major milestone for every SHL player. It's been an interesting run with Winnipeg; the highlight of his career of course being the S44 Cup win, and then there was the run to the finals that came up just short to Buffalo last year. Blunt's interest in SHL affairs may have faded a bit, but Winnipeg's return to success did draw him back. Getting back into the swing of things won't be easy, but Blunt is still holding down the second line role in spite of his dip in activity. With players such as Commander Shepard and Noah Gallagher gaining on him, he has to stay focused on holding down the fort for his current role, not advancing up the ranks.

"There are lots of good players on the Jets who are getting better and better by the week, there's tons of competition. That's good for us but there's definitely always people breathing down my neck, I have to watch out or I will get overtaken by younger, higher TPE players. I'm honoured to play with these guys before they are super stars, because I know one day, these fine athletes will reach and elite level and be some of the most revered names in the SHL. The stuff of legends, that's the type of guys we have on this roster," said Ignatius Blunt.

[Image: GettyImages-1063607930-1024x737.jpg]

[Image: GettyImages-1063607930-1024x737.jpg]

This current season has been much less thrilling than the Jets exhilarating run last years. Winnipeg is barely in playoff position in the last seed in the conference, which seems like a major step back from leading their division and winning their conference last year. The hope and optimism for the future has dwindled amongst Jets players, although they may still sneak into the playoffs none the less. They would be in a wild card duel more than likely if they do, and it doesn't appear that they will go very far.

"Anything can happen in the playoffs but things aren't looking up right now. We are barely holding on to the last playoff spot and we might not even make it at all, which would classify as a major disappointment. People had such high expectations for us and were predicting that we would be number one in our division, that we would challenge for the Cup again. Last year was wild but you can't expect every year to be sunshine and rainbows, this certainly qualifies as a down year in my eyes. Hopefully S50 will be better, but we can't give up on this season yet. If we can get into the playoffs, we have a chance to take some series in upsets and still go deep," said Ignatius Blunt.

Ignatius Blunt hasn't put up the numbers he would have hoped for, with only 13 points in 27 games so far, not even half a point per game. However, this total is very goals heavy, with 9 of those being goals, so perhaps he has solidified his status as a sniper. He hopes that he can surpass his numbers from last year, but that remains to be seen with half of the season still left to go. Blunt's intention was always to be a shoot-first player, much in the likeness of Alexander Ovechkin and Patrik Laine, not a passer. His 13.24% shooting percentage isn't bad at all; perhaps to put up more numbers, reach for that 20 goal marker, he just needs to put up more shots. He is 5 points away from maxing out scoring, so that is an idea of what he may focus on as he approaches the 1000 TPE mark.

"Scoring goals is really all I focus on in hockey. I don't care as much about assists, I just try to improve my shot and get myself in a scoring mindset. I hate missing the net shot after shot. Beating the goalie is a thrill like no other, and that's what I live for really. I put the puck in the back of the net, and I feel like that's the best thing I can do to help us win games. It's a dream of mine to lead the Jets in goals one day, that would be completely and utterly awesome," said Ignatius Blunt.

Blunt may never be a point per game player, may never reach consideration for an All Star game, and may never hit that 30 goal mark that he dreams of. But he is a player known for putting in maximum effort, and that's why he is so beloved by his teammates and coaches. He is always the first one on the ice and the last one to leave at the morning skates and practice sessions, and he puts in a lot of time to drills. Blunt knows that he is an important piece for the Jets franchise, and he knows how his talents fit in with the Jets philosophy. He comes to the arena ready to work hard, improve his skills, and to do whatever it takes to win. He had a long, rocky road to the SHL, so he knows the heart of perseverance and he has the grit to stand among the toughest players in the league.

"I'm not a Gretzky, but I know I'm a legitimate good player who paved my own way here after starting with nothing. Nobody scouts Slovenians, I had to make them scout me, I had to prove myself over and over again. I'll always work hard and do what I can for my team; I'm patient and loyal, and what's more valuable than that?" said Ignatius Blunt.

[Image: laine-bomb-2.gif]

Blunt is currently the highest TPE left wing for the Jets, with Commander Shepard being slightly behind although Shep is much younger, so perhaps he is too hard on himself. It is good for a player to want to be better, to want to reach his top potential. He thinks he hasn't reached his top playing level yet, so that will continue to motivate him and spur him on. He credits his teammates with keeping him happy in Winnipeg and with pushing him to take his game to the next level, as well as the Winnipeg management for being approachable and beloved by all the players. He insists that the locker room, and the team environment and atmosphere are what promotes a dedicated spirit and energetic approach to the game from the players.

"I really love my teammates here, so many stand up guys that all care about each other and are committed to bringing a Challenge Cup here to Winnipeg. Our management is wonderful, everyone is very fond of them and because we believe in them, we believe in the team. Flappy has been great to me throughout my career, and I'm so grateful for all the opportunities that the Jets have given me. The people that you play with and work for are what keep you going as a hockey player, and I know that's the case for me. I wouldn't trade anyone on the team for any other player in the whole world except maybe one," said Ignatius Blunt.

[Image: winnipeg-jets-forward-patrik-laine-fires...quality=80]

[Image: winnipeg-jets-forward-patrik-laine-fires...quality=80]

So that's really a summary of what Blunt has been up to over the last stretch of time. He seems to be a tried and true veteran at this point, but still has the fondness for his team of a rookie. He is dedicated to winning a Cup in Winnipeg, and is also trying out new and exciting things in his personal life. And of course, he's guiding Latvia in the best way he can toward victory, hoping to one day have gold medal wrapped around his neck. He's an honorary citizen, but that doesn't stop him from conjuring up feelings of national pride and having an intrinsic drive to win. Blunt is fiercely loyal to whoever he plays for, and he will stop at nothing to grab victory from the jaws of defeat. He is exactly the type of player that the SHL needs more of, and the teams who own him should feel fortunate to have him on their roster.

ToeDragon84 · 08-30-2019, 03:44 PM

Muerto · 08-30-2019, 03:52 PM

roll that blunt!

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