Dangles13

You might need both.

Dear VHL GMs, As of this past Monday Asher Donovan was ranked 11th by the VHL Scouting Center despite not being previously ranked. I think we can agree that in and of itself is an accomplishment but when you add in the fact that Donovan is not an S49 draftee but is in fact an S50 prospect you get a very tantalizing prospect. Donovan is a hulking winger who pays attention to the defensive side of the puck and will give you everything he has on every shift. The numbers speak for themselves, Donovan is a top earner and will only get better as time goes on, it will be interesting to see where he finds himself on that final rankings come draft day next season. When you step up to the podium to draft a prospect I would hope that Asher Donovan is at the top of your list, it could be another ten years before you find a power forward prospect with his pedigree. If it is any concern just know that Asher is a very loyal person and when he hears his name called he will treat that franchise like family and family is for life. I've been Asher's agent for several years now and I walk away impressed every single time I talk to him, he's a great kid and if you pass on him then I wish you well when he lines up against you.

If you had asked me last year if being a hockey player was hard I probably would have laughed in your face. I mean it's only a game that I've been playing since I was old enough to walk so how could it be hard? Many people who are not fans of the sport of hockey would likely share that viewpoint as well, it is only a silly sport after all. I've always taken hockey for granted, it has been a part of my life for most of my days and I've always been naturally talented so I didn't think about the work it would take to become a professional player. When I left Yellowknife I had a calm swagger, I thought I could walk into the VHLM and be a star right out of the gate and that kind of hubris left me very humbled after my first few days with the Yukon Wild. Please do not take this as an admission of laziness, I have always been dedicated and I've never shied away from hard work but this is more about the fact that I was ill prepared for the amount of work it takes to make it in this league. When I landed in Yukon my coaches put me through some paces and they soon discovered several issues with my conditioning. As a larger player I have always tried to conserve energy by coasting whenever possible and trying to exert as little energy as needed so that I could play more minutes, the downside to that thinking as I recently discovered is that I was not ready to skate with the high motor players found in the VHLM. Not only were they much faster than I was but they skate at those speeds for roughly twenty minutes a night and I was getting tired after twelve, not my fondest memories. Coach gave me a rigorous program that got my stamina to a respectable level and I was able to play my game for longer and more effective periods of time. I was not used to travelling to games which was yet another factor that caused me to get tired quite quickly, we used to ride the bus for a weekend tournament to another city but I was not used to travelling from city to city each and every night. I don't travel well and it makes it hard for me to get rest in between games, some of my teammates can sleep on a bumpy road doing 90km an hour and I'll wake up when we roll over a speed bump doing 5km an hour and I hate them for it. My coaches in Yellowknife were only able to get us for 1 hour practices once a week and those mostly entailed simple drills without much explanation. When I attended my first practice I was very embarrassed, I showed up in full gear to a power play practice. Coach wanted us to watch some film and go over some new changes but I thought he wanted us to do it on the ice like my old coaches always used to, I don't think I will ever live that down. I guess that's all I have time for right now, I've got to head out to practice as the playoffs start tomorrow and we are working out some kinks. I hope that any rookies reading this learn what it takes to make it as a professional hockey player and don't walk into this life unprepared for the rigours of it.

GIVE ME ALL THE TPE!!!

I'm not sure if I'm a S49 or S50.

What a fucking game!

Thanks buddy.

After all those shots I blocked for you in the SHL this is the love I get?

Well that's better.

Damn...

I call shenanigans...

Don't you mention me and then edit before I can read it. Giving me notifications and shit.

That was a much, much better Flyers team.

I'm sort of awesome so maybe I could get drafted twice?

My player page has me listed as S49.

Eggy and I were compared as well... Just who is Eggy?

I didn't promise, just said chance. Hmmm, wrong. We tussled many times during our Van/Kel days.

Lies, I told her she had a chance to play with me and she signed up after that.

Wow those shots....

Being traded is not always easy, moving and living out of a suitcase can add extra wear on a person. So when Asher Donovan was traded form the Yukon to Saskatoon I doubt many expected him to go off like he has. Maybe it's the climate change, maybe it is the fact that Saskatoon is a much better team, whatever the reason Donovan is not complaining about the results. Playing in only 4 games for the Yukon Asher managed only two assists and zero goals. On top of poor production Donovan was a staggering minus 6 in those games, that was mostly due to the Rush being severely deficient in most positions but some of the onus was on Asher to perform better. Asher's time in Yukon wasn't all bad, he managed to throw 13 hits out and post 10 shots so the other team was aware of him when he was on the ice but the production was just not enough. Enter Saskatoon, the Wild GM saw something in Donovan and his faith has been rewarded. In the 14 games that Asher has suited up for he has a very impressive 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points. Asher has also been on the right side of the puck more often and is +7 since the trade, some of that is the team and some of that is learning how to play the right way. Despite the increased production Donovan has not faltered in the physical aspects of the game, he has plastered other players 45 times and managed to throw 44 shots the way of the goalie. The sample size is very small but it is almost scary how much a team's total talent influences an individual players play. If Asher had remained with the Rush he might not even be in double digit scoring yet let alone over a point per game. What I find impressive is that Donovan manages to have the puck often enough to post high shot totals but also manages to find time to bump and grind players at a staggering rate. One aspect of the game that has not changed in Asher's game is shot blocking, his speed holds him back from getting into lanes and he has only blocked 4 shots on the season. Donovan has only blocked 1 shot in 14 games with Saskatoon and the coach will likely have some talks with him about how he can still improve to help his team. Asher is well on his way to being a dominate power forward in the VHLM and is hopefully poised to break into the VHL in a season or two. As for now Asher will focus on helping his team in the playoffs and worry about the draft in a few weeks.

3-2 Stockholm

Legion Bears Express Vikings

Does your dickitry know no bounds?

The flip side is creating a position you want to play and not getting ice time because of too much depth. I have zero clue if that is a problem here but I have seen people go inactive before because they only get 5 minutes on the 4th line or they are stuck in a backup goalie spot too long.

Fair enough, personally for me I would rather fill a needed position but it makes sense to let free will run it's course.