Victor

Part 1 featuring early legends like Petr Shirokov and Maxim Desny, the Knight Curse, and the tragic tales of Ansgar Snijider and Daniel Braxton: https://vhlforum.com/topic/81903-hall-of-famers-without-continental-cups-part-1/ Bruno Wolf @Kesler The tragic near-misses: After starting his career with a fairly middle-of-the-road Seattle team, Wolf would come to be synonymous with an early 40s Quebec team which talked the talk but didn't really walk the walk. Other than a surprise run to the finals in S42 where they lost to Cologne, the Meute fell to a couple underdogs in the next few seasons and Wolf wouldn't make the finals again. How he got in anyway: The Bruno Wolf Experience was about the regular season and that's where he and his Quebec teammates made their name. Few players score more goals than they assist and Wolf had the exact same amount of each (372), putting up a few season reminiscent of the high-octane VHL days of yore. Plus he was a prolific power forward and a two-time Boulet Trophy winner. Did the lack of cups hinder his chances? It probably should have, but Wolf sailed through largely unperturbed thanks to his offensive output in the regular season. He definitely played on teams which should have won the cup though. Aksel Thomassen @Frank The tragic near-misses: Thomassen was the other half of Quebec's potent Wolf-Thomassen duo who put up 100-point seasons for fun for four straight seasons. Therefore, Quebec's lack of playoff success was Thomassen's too. Much like Wolf, Thomassen also didn't have a successful swansong after leaving Quebec, twice being swept in the first round while with Riga. How he got in anyway: Everything Wolf scored, Thomassen provided for, as one of the best playmakers in league history. Whatever the threshold is for regular season success overshadowing playoff disappointment, Thomassen met it and much like his erstwhile linemate, was inducted on a first ballot. Did the lack of cups hinder his chances? Again, not really, the high-scoring Meute winning votes and presumably getting some sympathy for lady luck turning away for a few games in the postseason. Jake Wylde @STZ The tragic near-misses: The S46 and S47 HOF classes inducted 3 players – Wolf, Thomassen, and Wylde, all of whom spent some time together in Quebec. Wylde was actually more known for his time in Helsinki with a very promising team which never quite developed in the way it was expected, encountering a few disappointments in the European Confernece along the way. He had to wait until his last season with Calgary to make the finals, as fate would have it, against the Titans, who prevailed in Game 7. How he got in anyway: Wylde was remarkably consistent throughout his career, with a bit of flourish added to his stats by spending some time on that regular season powerhouse in Quebec. It also helped that less offensive defencemen started getting more recognition, ultimately resulting in the Jake Wylde Trophy being created just over 10 seasons after he retired. Did the lack of cups hinder his chances? A bit more so than for Wolf and Thomassen but not too much as a result of that aforementioned two-way defensive play. Bismarck Koenig @BOOM™ The tragic near-misses: Bouncing around the league in a short 6-season career, Koenig played for Cologne in S43-S44, Calgary in S45, and Helsinki in S47, all the season after those 3 teams had won the cup. He had also made 3 straight finals with Cologne and Calgary, on two occasions falling to his future employers at the last hurdle. How he got in anyway: After a slow rookie season, when Koenig got going, he permanently perched himself among the leading scorers of his time. It takes quite some doing to make the Hall of Fame in six seasons these days, which means it was a pretty special career. Koenig also benefited from the ballot size decreasing significantly by the time he was inducted. Did the lack of cups hinder his chances? The fact Koenig had to wait a bit is probably more to do with his short career rather than lack of cups, especially with him coming quite close on a few occasions. It was a time of lots of parity so the margins were considered very thin. Lord Karnage @boubabi The tragic near-misses: Coming in as the first franchise player of the freshly rebranded Stockholm Vikings, Karnage should have been the man to lead them past the Vasteras legacy but sadly it was more of the same. The Vikings had a few strong regular seasons in S43 and S44 which ended in regular season disappointment, before a surprise run to the finals in S47 where Karnage came closest but ultimately fell short. How he got in anyway: With 1,400 TPE in the old era of the VHL, Karnage was an absolute monster whose on-ice production didn't always reflect his talent. It did more often than not, and he established himself as one of the best two-way forwards we have seen, with 4 Scott Boulet Trophies. The Vasteras curse couldn't stop a deserved induction. Did the lack of cups hinder his chances? Not really, everyone was used to the franchise underperforming and Karnage elevated himself into the highest echelon of Hall of Famers by the time he retired. Rhett DeGrath @STZ The tragic near-misses: Before contraction, Stockholm claimed one more victim, with DeGrath putting up historic regular season totals in goal but the team fell short in the finals in S53, in the conference finals in S54, and in the first round in S55. DeGrath then moved to Davos and inspired a Cinderella run which ended in Game 7 at the hands of Quebec. That was the closest he'd get, spending the remainder of his career with a young New York team not quite in cup contender mode yet. How he got in anyway: The regular season totals were pretty impressive regardless of anything else, firmly placing DeGrath among the best goaltenders of all time, even when taking into consideration the lopsided era in which he played. Did the lack of cups hinder his chances? DeGrath was still comfortably first ballot, the lack of cups a regret rather than a blight on his career. So no Hall of Famers without cups since DeGrath retired in S59. Will there be new members of this small club soon?

both got a playoff MVP ?

What could have been. @gorlab ?

Teemu's revenge.

We just keep giving them wins cuz we like them. Roll Fizzlebeef and Vin Calia fight to a draw at 6:49 of 3rd period Small but important contribution by @VinCal

@Aye my name jeff has arrived

Clayton you piece of shit.

the question isn't who is a top 1 GM of all-time smh

do smoke signals or some shit then I dunno

Ground rules: - No revealing of answers in this thread - Head over to #trivia-hunt on Discord to learn how to find the answers. No revealing of answers there either. - No corrections allowed. First submission is locked in. Fill out the form linked below. 2 correct answers = 2 capped TPE 1 correct answer = 1 capped TPE CLOSED I am always taking question suggestions via PM, with 1 uncapped TPE going your way for each question that ends up getting used. Happy start of season @Members tag everyone!

Sigh. How are those complete career stats coming along @Sonnet?

I mean, I'd say he's still known for Edwins

wow ok

y'all should come to Moscow, the bastion of old sim league

G - Greg Eagles

Agreed, memory wipes and complete censorship are in order.

It's apparently opposite day this season. ?

they're not in Quebec anymore

nice

yikes

Pavlov still being rated, smh.

Last time I gave up two firsts, this time just a third, so just happy to have you on board!

no

We will see indeed.