rjfryman

1. With the draft being recently how do you feel Halifax made out in comparison to the other teams and does this put us in a good enough spot to compete in your opinion?
 
Being this season my first season in the VHLM I don’t really know how things work around the organization but after almost a week or so with the AGM assisting me and hearing other teammates in the Locker-room I feel like the attitude is super positive. Every member of this team from the GM all the way down to the rookie draftee is putting in maximum effort for this year. This year's draftees are definitely motivated to the max
 
 
2. McWolf and I are really trying to create a positive atmosphere with our private discord locker-room? Have you gotten a chance to try it out yet and if so, what do you think of it and is there anything you would suggest to us for a more positive user-friendly experience?
 
Haven’t really spoken up in the team discord as of lately. Just trying to feel it out being the new guy. Besides that everyone in the Discord has a positive vibe and very supportive of the team and answers any questions that need answers. I feel like I’ll fit right in with the team here in Halifax!
 
 
3. Who is your bestie on the team so far?
 
For me I feel as one of the new guys on the team I don’t really know anyone as close as others do. I’m sure down the road into the season I’ll find my “go to” guy on the team, someone I can bounce ideas off of and they can do they same for me! Just can’t wait to get started here!
 
 
4. Captains will be chosen at the end of the week. If you were in charge of picking them, who would be your choices?
 
Like I said before, I’m new to the team and still getting to know my mates. I plan to get to know everyone more when I’m on and off the ice. Whoever becomes Captain I’m sure will get the job done and have the leadership and respect every Captain comes with!
 
 
 
 
5. What are your goals for your player this season?
 
Well I guess to just progress and advance my skills and ability to make plays. I feel like my potential has yet to shine. And with the help of my squad mates and the atmosphere of the team and management, that will really help to prove myself!
 
 
 
6. What do you have to offer as a player, or in other words, how do you feel you can help Halifax going forward?
 
As a new player to this team, the first few weeks I feel I’ll try and figure out what the team and the players have to offer. From there I know I’ll become a great asset, or at least try to be one. From being a team player to always moving the puck into the offensive zone. I also feel as being one of the more active players working to train and enhance my skills, those skills will come in handy later in the season. All in all I’m just excited to be a part in this team and this great franchise

F - Matt Thompson of the Seattle Bears
 
@Dangles13 Your up

1. With the draft being recently how do you feel Halifax made out in comparison to the other teams and does this put us in a good enough spot to compete in your opinion?
 
I liked our picks mostly. Tyr and Volosenkov both seem to be active and keen to help out the team. Thran tells me they're both from Halifax too which is cool. We picked up Gaudette late and he's done his rookie profile this week which is awesome. Good pick there. We got Nacho who has been very active so far, huge steal there. Rash and Wilson were meh, but no draft is perfect.
 
2. McWolf and I are really trying to create a positive atmosphere with our private discord locker-room? Have you gotten a chance to try it out yet and if so, what do you think of it and is there anything you would suggest to us for a more positive user-friendly experience?
 
I don't really use the Discord unless I need to. Not really into all that smalltalk.
 
3. Who is your bestie on the team so far?
 
Probably Teagan Glover. Good to see an active guy come back from last season. Hopefully we both can get lots of points this season.
 
4. Captains will be chosen at the end of the week. If you were in charge of picking them, who would be your choices?
 
I would've chosen Glover, Tyr and maybe Freeman, Freeman seems active and ready to go. Don't really know anyone else.
 
5. What are your goals for your player this season?
 
I would hope I can break 20 points for once, preferably get as many as 50 or so. Other than that, I want to lead Halifax as a number one defenseman.
 
6. What do you have to offer as a player, or in other words, how do you feel you can help Halifax going forward?
 
Really been working on my defense, strength and checking, but recently I've also been focusing on puck handling because I know this season the team needs me to be one of their go-to guys like Vanderhuge, Fish and Guy were last season, so I'm all ready to make adjustments to my game.

1. With the draft being recently how do you feel Halifax made out in comparison to the other teams and does this put us in a good enough spot to compete in your opinion?
 
With this being my first season in the league I don't have an eloquent answer to the specifics of how we did in the draft but from what I've seen the other rookies are motivated and willing to put the effort in to make this a great season. Everyone I've had the pleasure to talk to so far has seemed incredibly optimistic about our chances this year and I'm ecstatic to be part of such a good locker room.
 
2. McWolf and I are really trying to create a positive atmosphere with our private discord locker-room? Have you gotten a chance to try it out yet and if so, what do you think of it and is there anything you would suggest to us for a more positive user-friendly experience?
 
I've been in there for about a week and it honestly couldn't be better. All my questions have been answered in a quick fashion and in a way that makes sense. The entire team has been so enthusiastic and kind. The culture there just makes me pumped for this upcoming season.
 
3. Who is your bestie on the team so far?
 
Obviously I have to go with my man Papa Gage. I've heard we'll probably end up on a line together and I can't wait. Such a cool overall dude. Everyone is so great though I could say goods things about practically anyone on the team.
 
4. Captains will be chosen at the end of the week. If you were in charge of picking them, who would be your choices?
 
At this point captains have already been chosen and I have no complaints. I'm still getting to know the team but all the guys seem like total studs.
 
5. What are your goals for your player this season?
 
In general I just want to grow my game. Understand the inner workings of the league and get a better grasp on how to be a better team player. It may be my first season in the  VHLM but I want to look back at this time in the future and be proud of my accomplishments and how much I've progressed.
 
6. What do you have to offer as a player, or in other words, how do you feel you can help Halifax going forward?
 
As a younger player it's always hard to pinpoint exactly what you can bring to the team. I think my main goal is to fit in where I'm needed as I find and grow my game. I know the team has faced hardships getting so close to the finish line but not being able to cross it. I believe that we can come together as a team and accomplish great things in the near future.

Good evening guys,
 
     I just wanted to address you all as a team! Just wanted to say it's great to be here and be apart of the team. I'll do the best I can in every way possible. I'm ready and capable to work hard and play the best. This is my first ever season in the VHLM so if you don't really hear from me, don't think anything bad. I'm just getting use to all of this and how it all works. I'll pop in once and a while. For now I'll try to be as converse as possible with you guys and eventually be there 24/7. Right now I'm doing everything I can to gain MAX TPE each week. I want to help this team win the cup, what ever it takes to get there, I'm in it with all of you! I hope none of you think I'm a bust or anything of that nature, I believe I'm the complete opposite and I'm ready to prove that. I'll see you all on the ice for practice and can't wait for the season to kick off! LETS GET IT BOYS!
 
-Nacho
 
 
(190 words)

Very good read. I would have loved to have a few more quiet moments with the dad, maybe that due to my own upbringing where my father was overseas due to military service but it seems like Dissanayake's father seems like a really cool dude. I could be projecting but when he says 'you first need to know how to skate': without saying how much it will cost or that it's a weird dream or whatever he just seems like a really awesome father. Also with Mike being Nethila's best friend would have been cool for him to get his own quote when describing Nethila hockey playing ability in the second to last paragraph. All in all, I liked the small character developments and thought it was a good enjoyable experience to read the bio.

Nethila Dissanayake’s Biography
Name: Nethila Dissanayake
Position: RW
 Born: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Age: 24 Years Old
Hight/Weight:6’8 And 197lbs
Shoots: Right
 Early Years
Nethila Dissanayake was born in Sri Lanka which is a small developing country in Asia. Nethila was a small boy and he was always the smallest in groups. He came form a poor family with only a little bit of money. He had 3 siblings 2 boys 1 girl .He was the youngest in his family. His dad was a cricket fan and he wanted Nethila to play cricket. But he did not like cricket. he thought that it was boring. Instead he played soccer but he wasn’t a huge fan of soccer though. His 2 brothers played Cricket and his sister played Volleyball. At school he wasn’t the best he was a straight B and C student and he rarely got a A. his parents were pretty mad when Nethila got a C but he was still very young. So his parents weren’t mad at him that much. When he was 6 he moved to Canada to have a better education and to have a better life.
Middle School
When Nethila was 12 he was in middle school. One night he was watching TV and trying to find something to watch when he saw a VHL hockey game. He watched the whole game and he wanted to play it himself .He told his dad that he wanted to play hockey he said “you first need to know how to skate”. So Nethila took skating lessons and he got better and better.So then he joined the hockey team in his middle school.He was pretty bad at hockey and people laughed at him for that. He ignored them and he was getting better and better. But his grades weren’t so good. He was getting C’s and D’s. His parents weren’t so pleased the only subject that he got A’s in was Geography, which was his favorite subject. When his first game started, it didn’t go as planned. He had 10 penalty minuets 0 assists and 0 goals. People made fun of him.  But he didn’t care. Everyday he would go to the rink and practice for 3 hours and come back home which means that in a week he practiced for 21 hours which is almost a full day. At the end of the season he scored 14 goals and 23 assists. The next season he had 21 goals and 34 assists. His dad very proud of him.
High School
 
Nethila barely graduated Middle school. His mom and dad were very mad at him because of his poor grades. So his mom and dad made him stop playing hockey. Nethila was pretty sad but his dad said ”If you do better with your grades you can join the team again”. So he started doing his best on studies. It was hard but it payed off. Now he is a straight A and B student. The next season his dad allowed him to play hockey again. He was playing with the team again and when he was at hockey practice he noticed that there was a new person on the team. He greeted him and they started to become best friend. He found out that he and his family immigrated to Canada form Sweden and his name is Mike. He was the goalie for the team. Soon Nethila was one of the best right wingers in the league. All of his couches loved him. The people who were making fun of him were now respecting him. Nethila and Mike were going to the gym every other day together. Every season he and Mike were getting better and better at hockey. Nethila and Mike won 2 cups for wining the playoffs and then…
 
University
Nethila graduated high school and he got a scholarship to play for the Alabama State Hornets. And guess who got a scholarship for the same university, Mike! Nethila was so happy that his best friend was also in the same university as him. Soon after Nethila and Mike were the best players on the team. Nethila was one of the best goal scorers in the whole league. He knew that lots of scouts were watching him and lots of teams would want  him to play with them. Nethila was always practising to get better. He got 35 goals and 54 assists in his first season. Everyone was very impressed of his skill and he was a good teammate too. He gives complements to his teammates and tells them what they can do better in a nice way.“Nethila was born to play hockey” said one of his coaches “Anything he has done, he is good at” said another coach Nethila and Mike went on to win 3 cups with the Alabama State Hornets. He also did well in his school work. His mother and father were very proud of him.
                                                                                                           
After That
 
Nethila and Mike graduated university and Nethila started to play In the CHL.
He played for the Prince Albert Raiders and he was the best player on the Prince Albert Raiders .The league obviously and he was in the Sherwin Williams CHL/NHL top prospects game and Nethila was the CHL Player of The Year, the CHL Top goal Scorer and the CHL Scholastic player of the year.  Mike won the CHL Top Goaltender of the year and the CHL Rookie of The Year. When he was practicing, he got hurt. Mike got called up to the VHLM when Nethila was in the hospital hoping that he will still be able to play hockey. Mike was very sorry for Nethila.  but 6 months later he made a recovery and the best news was that he can still play hockey. 10 games later he got called up to the VHLM with Mike. He was very happy for him. Nethila signed with the Saskatoon Wild while. Mike signed with the Ottawa Lynx. They will play for the VHLM/VHL for a long time.  
 
 

It was an enjoyable read. My favorite part would have to be the quote Passerelli makes in the middle of the bio. It gives more character to Passerelli than simply commenting on what he did and that he was at a crossroads. I also enjoyed the inner turmoil he faced when his teams lost but he was having great seasons. Not that I want to encourage cocky players but it would have been interesting from a character arch to see him lean more into that and get it kicked out of him in college after some battle for a position with another equally talented teammate. All in all very good bio.

Emil Passerelli
Born: Utica, New York, United States (age 19)
Height: 5’10” (178cm)
Weight: 160lb (73kg)
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
 
Early Life
Emil Passerelli was born to Italian immigrants Claudio and Silvia Passerelli in the city of Utica, New York. From a young age, he was encouraged by both of his parents to try whatever sport interested him, which led to a few years of testing the waters in soccer, football, and hockey. By the age of 7, Emil grew disinterested with the former two sports, deciding instead to focus his attention on learning as much about hockey as he could. While neither of his parents were familiar with hockey themselves, they reached out to friends in the neighborhood to make sure that Emil had as many resources as he needed in order to learn the game. He played in a number of youth leagues in his early years, but the boy was certain that his main priority would always be his education.
 
Growing up on the East Side meant that Emil was constantly surrounded by Italian-American culture; at 10, the boy was fluent in both English and Italian, and due to the diaspora of many Latin American immigrants across the state of New York (especially so in East Utica), he quickly picked up Spanish as well. His knack for languages in addition to his charming and personable demeanor meant that he never had difficulty making friends, and he was always well-liked on his teams.

High School
It wasn’t until high school that Emil’s love for the sport of hockey became serious; this wasn’t something he had foreseen. While he adored both watching and playing hockey, he didn’t quite have confidence that he’d ever amount to anything beyond his adolescence. This changed when multiple friends decided to try out for the boys ice hockey team in his freshman year at Mohawk Valley High School, and Emil decided to join them. Thanks to his average build, his coaches were able to mold him into a good all-rounder, but Emil quickly found success on the wing due to his speed and ability to pick out perfect passes. While his shooting skills left a little to be desired, the freshman cemented himself as a valuable play-maker in his first season, with 28 points (4 goals, 24 assists) from 19 appearances, although the Raiders did not end up going to the state tournament.

At the end of his first year in high school, Emil found himself at a fork in the road. According to his coaches and his teammates, he had what it takes to make it to the pros. At the same time, he wasn’t sure that his parents would approve of him putting his education on the backburner in order to become a better player. When asked what influenced his final decision, Passerelli had this to say:

“I went to my mother and father after the school year ended and I told them exactly what was going on in my head. Looking back on it, I poured my heart out. I talked about the coach’s comments, my team’s praise and my own obsession with the sport and when I had finally exhausted all the words I could muster, I just remember them grinning. Papa just told me that both he and Mamma had known all along that I’d come down this path, and they would always be in full support, no matter what. I remember that conversation as clear as day. That was the day I knew where my destiny lay.”
 
The individual success he found playing varsity hockey was only exacerbated in the following seasons, and in his junior year Emil helped lift Mohawk Valley’s first ever state championship after a shootout win at Memorial Auditorium in Utica, touted as being one of the greatest upsets in the tournament’s history. Following their Cinderella run, Emil continued to flourish on the right wing, ending the regular season of his senior year with an astonishing 44 points (10 goals, 34 assists) from 20 appearances. The Raiders unfortunately fell in the semi-finals of the state championship, leaving the young man with a slightly sour taste in his mouth moving toward graduation. Doubt beset him; individually, he was a star. His team, however... had his team held him back? He quickly banished that line of thought. No, no. If he was meant to go further, then the chips would fall in the right way.
 
College
Graduating at the age of 17, Emil accepted a scholarship to play for Boston College’s men’s ice hockey team, moving from his hometown of Utica with a fair few tearful goodbyes. The baby bird was finally leaving the nest, and in his mind he felt that he would be forced to fly or else end up a smear in the dirt. With the help of his charisma and overall outgoing personality, the young and hungry New York native made many friends in his new home in the colder reaches of the Northeast, adjusting quickly to his new life as a college student and hockey player. Just as had occurred in high school, his coaches at Boston College saw the wellspring of untapped potential that lay within him, and they brought out the best in Emil.
 
In his first two years at Boston College, Emil assisted his team in bringing home back-to-back Hockey East Tournament championships. Along with that, the Eagles reached the Frozen Four twice, and in his sophomore year he led the team to the NCAA National Championship, losing to the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 4-2.
 
It was at the end of this incredible run that Emil Passerelli felt as though he was ready for the next stage in his life: beginning his career as a professional ice hockey player. At the age of 19, he signed a rookie deal with the Saskatoon Wild for $1.5 million, vowing to enjoy his life no matter where his career led him and vowing to never forget his roots as a kid on the East Side of Utica, playing hockey in the street with his friends.

I enjoyed the game highlights. I know getting guests on the podcast might not be as possible due to scheduling, I'm wondering if with a transcript like this could you ask @Thranduil to record his response in chunks at which point you could ask the question and play his recorded response. Something to think about with youtube live comments ability; you could comment the player's name, or a link to view the player, you are speaking about. It helps due to the nature of podcasts and sometimes mic's cutting out will allow GM's or other studious players to quickly see who you are talking about.

Episode 1 Feb. 2nd, 2019
https://youtu.be/AEbpJlEZI9U
 
Episode 2 Feb. 9th, 2019
https://youtu.be/-Jgnkzu14oQ
 
Episode 3 (S65 VHLM Dispersal Draft) Feb. 18th, 2019
https://youtu.be/8BDHt4ferCo

Buddy, I just wanted to say that I absolutely loved your article. I appreciate you using my player as a bit of a mentor, I hope you can continue to grow and we can play on a line together someday. Excellent job, keep it up and you’ll stand out for sure!

Waking up at 5 am the morning on the first day of training camp can be a shocking experience for anyone. Waking up 5 am after flying to Halifax from Nashville the night before is a shocking experience for myself. Why was I so eager to fly all the way to Halifax. There were 4 teams in the USA that I could have tried out for and possibly gotten a contract with. Hell, I probably could have been higher in the depth chart on a lot of different teams but man can Anthony Rogers really make you feel special when he talks to you. I wonder if that has to do more with his playing days or through years with his recruiting expertise. Either way, he said enough for me to move the 1,353 miles from my home in Nashville to go to a town with a fifth of the population to play hockey. Once I got here Aran Thranduil the AGM of Halifax greeted me at the terminal and helped me get to the hotel I would be staying for a couple weeks until I can get my own place or cut from the team. 
 
Ohh sorry drifting off there, Sorry it is 5 am and we are doing our morning skate, and I don't know many of the other people skating here outside of Dimitri Volosenkov who Anthony keep on showing as his example of what I should be striving for in a left winger. Dimitri even came over before the skate started and asked if I needed anything from him. I mean the nerve of this guy, I'm trying to take the starting left wing spot and he is as nice as can be. I don't think he even sees me as a threat for his starting spot. Which I guess is fair, Dimitri can out skate me by at least 4 stick lengths, and he has a wicked wrister that puts my shot to shame. I still don't know how I feel about Dimitri since on one hand, he is super nice and even seems to want to be my friend but on every team, before this one most people cared more about their own stats and progressing to the next league than they did about their teammates. Either way I'll make up my mind on him later, but for now, its practice time and I have to get my head in it or I'll be shipped off.
 
After the morning skate, I wanted to go back to my hotel and sleep but Dimitri insisted on taking me to breakfast. He said he would help me get to know the team and what I should be doing in order to help the team out. Once I got a western omelet and enough caffeine in me to wake me up from my stupor, Dimitri pulls out his team notebook and flipped through to the players' pictures.
 
This is Anton Edvin, he is our 1st line center. He is a natural right wing but he has been moved to a center since he always beats most people on the face off. Watch out for his shot, he is the best shooter we have and if you don't pressure him he will go bar down on you so fast that Thranduil will sit you for a shift or two until you learn to never give him an inch. Basaraba Moose is our 1st pair left defensemen. If you need to learn to defend against someone he's the guy you go to. He isn't the fastest but his positioning is always on point. He will bully you into the corner and take your lunch meat if you don't keep your head up. Plus you better watch out for him on the offensive zone, it is not always accurate but his slap shot will leave a bruise that will last a week. Ohh this one's a good one: Blake Gaudette is our second line left wing. you might be able to catch him but he does have more offensive upside than you right now. Even if you take his spot on the second line he will probably keep his power play minutes. He can score like he has been in the league for a year or two but this will be his first full season. You need to work hard to beat him out or you will be stuck on the third line or worse be demoted to the fourth to teach you a lesson on "wanting it more". Bolt Vanderhuge is our Top Defenseman he won the Ryan Sullivan Trophy last season and looks like he might have another great season with us. Where Moose will stop you with positioning Bolt will just run through you and then maybe fight you if you look at him the wrong way. That being said he is not a tough guy only he got more points than just about everyone else on the team, last season. He's a fighter but if he likes you he will have you back no matter what happens.  Dick Rash is our second line right winger. We joke about him being unsustainable since last season he had a 25.58% shooting percentage. He is a well rounded forward who is a good skater and has a good two-way game. You will probably see him have a lot of penalty kill and power play minutes due to him being so well rounded. I just wonder what would happen if he took more shots. Ohh that one is me Dimitri Volosenkov, Last season I did not have the best season due to my ice time but I put in the work and this season you will see many points from me. I will teach you many things that will help your game if you listen to them but enough about me lets move on. Fabius Adomaitis is one of our new players like yourself, he seems like a good kid and might turn into a good defender someday but who knows. He is very well rounded for a player his age and with time will grow to be a centerpiece of any good defense. Jack Logan another young skater who is playing defense but he already is one of the best skaters on the team. Ohh I can keep up with him due to my training but his natural ability will allow him to continue to be a great skater for years to come. Jad Clapperton is one of our defensemen from last year. He is a good defenseman he excels at checking and playing good defense. He is still looking for his breakout season so watch out for him. Don't let him run you into the boards you might not get back up. Josh Wilson is a center who can skate well and has a knack for the offensive side of the ice. He will be fighting to keep his second line role but you will see him get lots of power play minutes as he continues to excel on that side of the ice. Don't expect too much on the defensive side. He's probably fine but the coach doesn't let him have many faceoffs back there. Ohh look this one is you, Julius. I think you are doing fine so far but you need to take my advice on some things. Don’t be afraid to take the shot if you have an open lane. You never know what’ll happen. Place your shots strategically, if you see someone open for a rebound shoot low for a good chance at the puck rebounding to them. Work hard in the corners and never give up on the play until the whistle. If you put in the work off the ice too you’ll see improved results. Keep doing what works for you and you’ll find success in this league. Max Coffey is a great defender who will help you when you screw up. he plays his position well and can cover for others when they screw up with his speed. he's working on his offensive side this season I think, which is smart since his defense is great.  Then there is Nacho. Strangely enough, no knows his real last name and the league just lets him put Nacho on his jersey. He is one of our better penalty shooters, but luckily for us, we don't let many games got to the penalty shot. He is a good faceoff man and is a well-rounded player but not many people know much about him outside of his play on the ice. Papa Gage is a good well-rounded defenseman who is well disciplined. You shouldn't see him take that many PIMs this season since he is most of the time in good position and takes his time with the play, letting it come to him rather than him force it. Though you might need to come back and help him with the breakout while he still learns our system. Rhye Tyr thinks of himself as the AGM of the club but in reality, he's more of the assistant to the general manager rather than someone with any real authority. He is a good player though. He is a defender who is knowledgable of the zone and how to stop someone from entering and he knows how to exit the zone. If you ever feel pressure on the ice you can pass it to him and he will take care of you. He can pass and shoot better than 90% of the defenders in this league and has the uncanny ability to keep the puck on his stick even in the direst situations.  Teagan Glover is our top natural center who might be playing right wing at least until he gets his faceoffs better than Edvin. You might laugh at him being moved to winger than center but when you see him on the ice you will see why he's still on our top line. Teagan is a master of everything on the offensive side of the ice. He is one of our best skaters who can protect the puck in all situations. He sees the ice like he was born on it, passing crisply to anyone who is able to receive it and even if there is no opportunity for a good pass the guy can snipe it past any goalie out there. I know you like playing defense and that great but when you want to look at how to play offense in our system look at his tapes. The bender is the last skater we got on defense and he seems like he is a good kid and might turn into a good leader someday. I think he was a captain on some of his old teams by the way he talks. He is a good skater and is one of the most well-rounded defensemen we have. I hope he continues to grow and be a good solid backstop for us. Last on the team is Chase our goalie, and I saved the best for last since without him it doesn't matter how good we are. Chase is solid at his core, he practices every day so that no one part of his game is too far from another. He likes to say since he slowly but surely is getting better he doesn't have any major holes in his game.  
So that is the team. I know I have through a whole lot at you all on the same day as our first skate, and well your second day here in Halifax but its better to drink from the fire hose than be lost in the wilderness for a season. That being said I think Rogers and Thranduil want us to get back after breakfast to go over game plan watch some film on last seasons playoffs. One last thing if you have any questions at all Julius I am more than happy to help you with anything you need. Are you ok Julius you haven't said anything for a while?
 
At that moment Julius after only getting 4 hours of sleep and after the morning skate and one of the longest breakdowns he has even been in fell into his leftover western omelet. 
 
2050 words, using for PT weeks Feb 18-24, Feb 25-Mar 3, Mar 4-10, Mar 11-17
 
Authors notes: The first 3 and last section are more from Julius Freeman's inner monologue or just general narration, whereas the paragrams in general list form are from the point of view of Dimitri who is helping Julius navigate through his first season. Apparently, it has also come to my attention that Bolt Vanderhuge is no longer on the Halifax team, sorry for any confusion this might give to any reader.

@rjfryman Best article I've seen a Halifax player write in my time on the site! Can't wait to share ice-time with you this coming season and by the way, I haven't really had a chance to introduce myself. My name is Basaraba Moose, but most of my teammates called me Madman Moose last season for reasons that I hope you won't have to see too often. Either way, if you need anything, I'm here to help out whenever!

Waking up at 5 am the morning on the first day of training camp can be a shocking experience for anyone. Waking up 5 am after flying to Halifax from Nashville the night before is a shocking experience for myself. Why was I so eager to fly all the way to Halifax. There were 4 teams in the USA that I could have tried out for and possibly gotten a contract with. Hell, I probably could have been higher in the depth chart on a lot of different teams but man can Anthony Rogers really make you feel special when he talks to you. I wonder if that has to do more with his playing days or through years with his recruiting expertise. Either way, he said enough for me to move the 1,353 miles from my home in Nashville to go to a town with a fifth of the population to play hockey. Once I got here Aran Thranduil the AGM of Halifax greeted me at the terminal and helped me get to the hotel I would be staying for a couple weeks until I can get my own place or cut from the team. 
 
Ohh sorry drifting off there, Sorry it is 5 am and we are doing our morning skate, and I don't know many of the other people skating here outside of Dimitri Volosenkov who Anthony keep on showing as his example of what I should be striving for in a left winger. Dimitri even came over before the skate started and asked if I needed anything from him. I mean the nerve of this guy, I'm trying to take the starting left wing spot and he is as nice as can be. I don't think he even sees me as a threat for his starting spot. Which I guess is fair, Dimitri can out skate me by at least 4 stick lengths, and he has a wicked wrister that puts my shot to shame. I still don't know how I feel about Dimitri since on one hand, he is super nice and even seems to want to be my friend but on every team, before this one most people cared more about their own stats and progressing to the next league than they did about their teammates. Either way I'll make up my mind on him later, but for now, its practice time and I have to get my head in it or I'll be shipped off.
 
After the morning skate, I wanted to go back to my hotel and sleep but Dimitri insisted on taking me to breakfast. He said he would help me get to know the team and what I should be doing in order to help the team out. Once I got a western omelet and enough caffeine in me to wake me up from my stupor, Dimitri pulls out his team notebook and flipped through to the players' pictures.
 
This is Anton Edvin, he is our 1st line center. He is a natural right wing but he has been moved to a center since he always beats most people on the face off. Watch out for his shot, he is the best shooter we have and if you don't pressure him he will go bar down on you so fast that Thranduil will sit you for a shift or two until you learn to never give him an inch. Basaraba Moose is our 1st pair left defensemen. If you need to learn to defend against someone he's the guy you go to. He isn't the fastest but his positioning is always on point. He will bully you into the corner and take your lunch meat if you don't keep your head up. Plus you better watch out for him on the offensive zone, it is not always accurate but his slap shot will leave a bruise that will last a week. Ohh this one's a good one: Blake Gaudette is our second line left wing. you might be able to catch him but he does have more offensive upside than you right now. Even if you take his spot on the second line he will probably keep his power play minutes. He can score like he has been in the league for a year or two but this will be his first full season. You need to work hard to beat him out or you will be stuck on the third line or worse be demoted to the fourth to teach you a lesson on "wanting it more". Bolt Vanderhuge is our Top Defenseman he won the Ryan Sullivan Trophy last season and looks like he might have another great season with us. Where Moose will stop you with positioning Bolt will just run through you and then maybe fight you if you look at him the wrong way. That being said he is not a tough guy only he got more points than just about everyone else on the team, last season. He's a fighter but if he likes you he will have you back no matter what happens.  Dick Rash is our second line right winger. We joke about him being unsustainable since last season he had a 25.58% shooting percentage. He is a well rounded forward who is a good skater and has a good two-way game. You will probably see him have a lot of penalty kill and power play minutes due to him being so well rounded. I just wonder what would happen if he took more shots. Ohh that one is me Dimitri Volosenkov, Last season I did not have the best season due to my ice time but I put in the work and this season you will see many points from me. I will teach you many things that will help your game if you listen to them but enough about me lets move on. Fabius Adomaitis is one of our new players like yourself, he seems like a good kid and might turn into a good defender someday but who knows. He is very well rounded for a player his age and with time will grow to be a centerpiece of any good defense. Jack Logan another young skater who is playing defense but he already is one of the best skaters on the team. Ohh I can keep up with him due to my training but his natural ability will allow him to continue to be a great skater for years to come. Jad Clapperton is one of our defensemen from last year. He is a good defenseman he excels at checking and playing good defense. He is still looking for his breakout season so watch out for him. Don't let him run you into the boards you might not get back up. Josh Wilson is a center who can skate well and has a knack for the offensive side of the ice. He will be fighting to keep his second line role but you will see him get lots of power play minutes as he continues to excel on that side of the ice. Don't expect too much on the defensive side. He's probably fine but the coach doesn't let him have many faceoffs back there. Ohh look this one is you, Julius. I think you are doing fine so far but you need to take my advice on some things. Don’t be afraid to take the shot if you have an open lane. You never know what’ll happen. Place your shots strategically, if you see someone open for a rebound shoot low for a good chance at the puck rebounding to them. Work hard in the corners and never give up on the play until the whistle. If you put in the work off the ice too you’ll see improved results. Keep doing what works for you and you’ll find success in this league. Max Coffey is a great defender who will help you when you screw up. he plays his position well and can cover for others when they screw up with his speed. he's working on his offensive side this season I think, which is smart since his defense is great.  Then there is Nacho. Strangely enough, no knows his real last name and the league just lets him put Nacho on his jersey. He is one of our better penalty shooters, but luckily for us, we don't let many games got to the penalty shot. He is a good faceoff man and is a well-rounded player but not many people know much about him outside of his play on the ice. Papa Gage is a good well-rounded defenseman who is well disciplined. You shouldn't see him take that many PIMs this season since he is most of the time in good position and takes his time with the play, letting it come to him rather than him force it. Though you might need to come back and help him with the breakout while he still learns our system. Rhye Tyr thinks of himself as the AGM of the club but in reality, he's more of the assistant to the general manager rather than someone with any real authority. He is a good player though. He is a defender who is knowledgable of the zone and how to stop someone from entering and he knows how to exit the zone. If you ever feel pressure on the ice you can pass it to him and he will take care of you. He can pass and shoot better than 90% of the defenders in this league and has the uncanny ability to keep the puck on his stick even in the direst situations.  Teagan Glover is our top natural center who might be playing right wing at least until he gets his faceoffs better than Edvin. You might laugh at him being moved to winger than center but when you see him on the ice you will see why he's still on our top line. Teagan is a master of everything on the offensive side of the ice. He is one of our best skaters who can protect the puck in all situations. He sees the ice like he was born on it, passing crisply to anyone who is able to receive it and even if there is no opportunity for a good pass the guy can snipe it past any goalie out there. I know you like playing defense and that great but when you want to look at how to play offense in our system look at his tapes. The bender is the last skater we got on defense and he seems like he is a good kid and might turn into a good leader someday. I think he was a captain on some of his old teams by the way he talks. He is a good skater and is one of the most well-rounded defensemen we have. I hope he continues to grow and be a good solid backstop for us. Last on the team is Chase our goalie, and I saved the best for last since without him it doesn't matter how good we are. Chase is solid at his core, he practices every day so that no one part of his game is too far from another. He likes to say since he slowly but surely is getting better he doesn't have any major holes in his game.  
So that is the team. I know I have through a whole lot at you all on the same day as our first skate, and well your second day here in Halifax but its better to drink from the fire hose than be lost in the wilderness for a season. That being said I think Rogers and Thranduil want us to get back after breakfast to go over game plan watch some film on last seasons playoffs. One last thing if you have any questions at all Julius I am more than happy to help you with anything you need. Are you ok Julius you haven't said anything for a while?
 
At that moment Julius after only getting 4 hours of sleep and after the morning skate and one of the longest breakdowns he has even been in fell into his leftover western omelet. 
 
2050 words, using for PT weeks Feb 18-24, Feb 25-Mar 3, Mar 4-10, Mar 11-17
 
Authors notes: The first 3 and last section are more from Julius Freeman's inner monologue or just general narration, whereas the paragrams in general list form are from the point of view of Dimitri who is helping Julius navigate through his first season. Apparently, it has also come to my attention that Bolt Vanderhuge is no longer on the Halifax team, sorry for any confusion this might give to any reader.

Waking up at 5 am the morning on the first day of training camp can be a shocking experience for anyone. Waking up 5 am after flying to Halifax from Nashville the night before is a shocking experience for myself. Why was I so eager to fly all the way to Halifax. There were 4 teams in the USA that I could have tried out for and possibly gotten a contract with. Hell, I probably could have been higher in the depth chart on a lot of different teams but man can Anthony Rogers really make you feel special when he talks to you. I wonder if that has to do more with his playing days or through years with his recruiting expertise. Either way, he said enough for me to move the 1,353 miles from my home in Nashville to go to a town with a fifth of the population to play hockey. Once I got here Aran Thranduil the AGM of Halifax greeted me at the terminal and helped me get to the hotel I would be staying for a couple weeks until I can get my own place or cut from the team. 
 
Ohh sorry drifting off there, Sorry it is 5 am and we are doing our morning skate, and I don't know many of the other people skating here outside of Dimitri Volosenkov who Anthony keep on showing as his example of what I should be striving for in a left winger. Dimitri even came over before the skate started and asked if I needed anything from him. I mean the nerve of this guy, I'm trying to take the starting left wing spot and he is as nice as can be. I don't think he even sees me as a threat for his starting spot. Which I guess is fair, Dimitri can out skate me by at least 4 stick lengths, and he has a wicked wrister that puts my shot to shame. I still don't know how I feel about Dimitri since on one hand, he is super nice and even seems to want to be my friend but on every team, before this one most people cared more about their own stats and progressing to the next league than they did about their teammates. Either way I'll make up my mind on him later, but for now, its practice time and I have to get my head in it or I'll be shipped off.
 
After the morning skate, I wanted to go back to my hotel and sleep but Dimitri insisted on taking me to breakfast. He said he would help me get to know the team and what I should be doing in order to help the team out. Once I got a western omelet and enough caffeine in me to wake me up from my stupor, Dimitri pulls out his team notebook and flipped through to the players' pictures.
 
This is Anton Edvin, he is our 1st line center. He is a natural right wing but he has been moved to a center since he always beats most people on the face off. Watch out for his shot, he is the best shooter we have and if you don't pressure him he will go bar down on you so fast that Thranduil will sit you for a shift or two until you learn to never give him an inch. Basaraba Moose is our 1st pair left defensemen. If you need to learn to defend against someone he's the guy you go to. He isn't the fastest but his positioning is always on point. He will bully you into the corner and take your lunch meat if you don't keep your head up. Plus you better watch out for him on the offensive zone, it is not always accurate but his slap shot will leave a bruise that will last a week. Ohh this one's a good one: Blake Gaudette is our second line left wing. you might be able to catch him but he does have more offensive upside than you right now. Even if you take his spot on the second line he will probably keep his power play minutes. He can score like he has been in the league for a year or two but this will be his first full season. You need to work hard to beat him out or you will be stuck on the third line or worse be demoted to the fourth to teach you a lesson on "wanting it more". Bolt Vanderhuge is our Top Defenseman he won the Ryan Sullivan Trophy last season and looks like he might have another great season with us. Where Moose will stop you with positioning Bolt will just run through you and then maybe fight you if you look at him the wrong way. That being said he is not a tough guy only he got more points than just about everyone else on the team, last season. He's a fighter but if he likes you he will have you back no matter what happens.  Dick Rash is our second line right winger. We joke about him being unsustainable since last season he had a 25.58% shooting percentage. He is a well rounded forward who is a good skater and has a good two-way game. You will probably see him have a lot of penalty kill and power play minutes due to him being so well rounded. I just wonder what would happen if he took more shots. Ohh that one is me Dimitri Volosenkov, Last season I did not have the best season due to my ice time but I put in the work and this season you will see many points from me. I will teach you many things that will help your game if you listen to them but enough about me lets move on. Fabius Adomaitis is one of our new players like yourself, he seems like a good kid and might turn into a good defender someday but who knows. He is very well rounded for a player his age and with time will grow to be a centerpiece of any good defense. Jack Logan another young skater who is playing defense but he already is one of the best skaters on the team. Ohh I can keep up with him due to my training but his natural ability will allow him to continue to be a great skater for years to come. Jad Clapperton is one of our defensemen from last year. He is a good defenseman he excels at checking and playing good defense. He is still looking for his breakout season so watch out for him. Don't let him run you into the boards you might not get back up. Josh Wilson is a center who can skate well and has a knack for the offensive side of the ice. He will be fighting to keep his second line role but you will see him get lots of power play minutes as he continues to excel on that side of the ice. Don't expect too much on the defensive side. He's probably fine but the coach doesn't let him have many faceoffs back there. Ohh look this one is you, Julius. I think you are doing fine so far but you need to take my advice on some things. Don’t be afraid to take the shot if you have an open lane. You never know what’ll happen. Place your shots strategically, if you see someone open for a rebound shoot low for a good chance at the puck rebounding to them. Work hard in the corners and never give up on the play until the whistle. If you put in the work off the ice too you’ll see improved results. Keep doing what works for you and you’ll find success in this league. Max Coffey is a great defender who will help you when you screw up. he plays his position well and can cover for others when they screw up with his speed. he's working on his offensive side this season I think, which is smart since his defense is great.  Then there is Nacho. Strangely enough, no knows his real last name and the league just lets him put Nacho on his jersey. He is one of our better penalty shooters, but luckily for us, we don't let many games got to the penalty shot. He is a good faceoff man and is a well-rounded player but not many people know much about him outside of his play on the ice. Papa Gage is a good well-rounded defenseman who is well disciplined. You shouldn't see him take that many PIMs this season since he is most of the time in good position and takes his time with the play, letting it come to him rather than him force it. Though you might need to come back and help him with the breakout while he still learns our system. Rhye Tyr thinks of himself as the AGM of the club but in reality, he's more of the assistant to the general manager rather than someone with any real authority. He is a good player though. He is a defender who is knowledgable of the zone and how to stop someone from entering and he knows how to exit the zone. If you ever feel pressure on the ice you can pass it to him and he will take care of you. He can pass and shoot better than 90% of the defenders in this league and has the uncanny ability to keep the puck on his stick even in the direst situations.  Teagan Glover is our top natural center who might be playing right wing at least until he gets his faceoffs better than Edvin. You might laugh at him being moved to winger than center but when you see him on the ice you will see why he's still on our top line. Teagan is a master of everything on the offensive side of the ice. He is one of our best skaters who can protect the puck in all situations. He sees the ice like he was born on it, passing crisply to anyone who is able to receive it and even if there is no opportunity for a good pass the guy can snipe it past any goalie out there. I know you like playing defense and that great but when you want to look at how to play offense in our system look at his tapes. The bender is the last skater we got on defense and he seems like he is a good kid and might turn into a good leader someday. I think he was a captain on some of his old teams by the way he talks. He is a good skater and is one of the most well-rounded defensemen we have. I hope he continues to grow and be a good solid backstop for us. Last on the team is Chase our goalie, and I saved the best for last since without him it doesn't matter how good we are. Chase is solid at his core, he practices every day so that no one part of his game is too far from another. He likes to say since he slowly but surely is getting better he doesn't have any major holes in his game.  
So that is the team. I know I have through a whole lot at you all on the same day as our first skate, and well your second day here in Halifax but its better to drink from the fire hose than be lost in the wilderness for a season. That being said I think Rogers and Thranduil want us to get back after breakfast to go over game plan watch some film on last seasons playoffs. One last thing if you have any questions at all Julius I am more than happy to help you with anything you need. Are you ok Julius you haven't said anything for a while?
 
At that moment Julius after only getting 4 hours of sleep and after the morning skate and one of the longest breakdowns he has even been in fell into his leftover western omelet. 
 
2050 words, using for PT weeks Feb 18-24, Feb 25-Mar 3, Mar 4-10, Mar 11-17
 
Authors notes: The first 3 and last section are more from Julius Freeman's inner monologue or just general narration, whereas the paragrams in general list form are from the point of view of Dimitri who is helping Julius navigate through his first season. Apparently, it has also come to my attention that Bolt Vanderhuge is no longer on the Halifax team, sorry for any confusion this might give to any reader.

Julius Freeman
Age: 17
Birthplace: Nashville, TN
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 210 lbs.
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Right
 
Julius Freeman did not have the typical hockey upbringing due to the location where he grew up. He only started playing hockey 3 years ago, but he is a quick learner who has an eye for the game. He played football and basketball growing up with his father being his coach at a young age. Growing up with the coach watching film has given him the ability to break down film and learn from not only his mistakes but that of his teammates and competitors.
 
Strengths
Passing: Julius has a knack of seeing the ice as very few players can, his passes are crisp and right where his teammates need to be. Even though passing is his biggest strength, his inexperience at some of the fundaments mean that you will see some of the best passes you will ever see in one shift but in the next you can see him make passes that could be great if he was playing with skaters who saw exactly what he saw, but since he might not make it to the majors we might not ever see what that would look like.
 
Defense: Freeman prides himself on being part of the team defense. He can challenge the point and will smother defenders who cannot get rid of the puck fast. Along with attacking defenders at the point, he is also a great help defender who will steal the puck of unsuspecting skaters who pass by his domain. You will see Freeman on the ice on a large number of defensive faceoffs since he loves to prove that his 200-foot game is one of the best.
 
Skating: Man can this kid skate. He only picked up ice skating 4 years ago when his family finally moved to a location with an ice skating rink. But since he saw the winter Olympics as a 6-year-old he was fascinated by hockey and skating alike. He has been rollerblading since the age of 6 on every terrain. His speed is comparable to some of the best, and his edges leave nothing to be desired. He could end of being one of the best skaters out there if he continues to push himself.
 
Weaknesses
Fighting: Julius has been in one fight in his hockey career and once you know the outcome you know why. He lost and got knocked out at the championship game. He had three assists before the fight and his team ended up losing by one. Ever since then his coaches would make him do extra laps if he started to get heated with other players. Who knows if it is simply due to not enough exposure or simply because he has no skill.
 
Discipline: This kid can do so many things that make me wonder why he didn't get drafted number one overall but then I look at some of his PIMs. For everything that is great about him, he often gets ahead of himself. I have never seen him get upset and do something intentional to hurt another player but you will see him be careless with his stick or his positioning some times. It's like he can see what other peoples ideal position should be to stop him or to get a shot off and he tries to stop them, but since most people don't see their ideal next position they get in the way of his stick.
 
Faceoffs: Julius might someday become a good faceoff man but today he simply does not have the skill or the desire to be anything other than the third option on any line. His demeanor on the faceoff always seems like he would rather be anywhere else.
 
Conclusion: Julius Freeman has great possible upside, he might someday be one of the best playmakers in the game. That is if he is able to match his speed of mind with the speed of his stick. He could be a top line center someday. A good team can use him as a good second or third line winger until his growth makes him a preeminent playmaker. That is if he is able to get his weakness to strengthen in the ways that they should with the proper structure around his development. A good team, coach and of course age will help him in this regard.

 

I did not know what to expect when I signed the contract with Halifax. A number of teams were interested in signing me for a year but there was something about Halifax. I'm not 100% sure why I went with them, but I think it had something to do with the fact they shot straight with me. They told me that I would not be able to crack the top line and that I would have to fight for my minutes. A part of me, 'the cocky part' thought "Sure, I would have to fight for my minutes but once they see my skills I'll be the starter". That was of course before my first practice. Man I'm lucky we don't have that many natural left wingers between Dimitri Volosenkov and Blake Gaudette I'm lucky to be third in line. Dimitri that guy is a stud, I don't know if I'll be able to ever get close to him, I guess I'm lucky that he is on my team so I can learn from him. Blake on the other hand, he's better than me for now but trust me when I say I'm coming for that second line spot. That being said I do feel confident In my passing. I think maybe only two other people are close to me. Our first line center Teagan Glover and strangely enough a defenseman named Rhye Tyr. Good thing I'm not fighting for their spots otherwise the key to my game would be all but neutralized against those two.

Julius Freeman
Age: 17
Birthplace: Nashville, TN
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 210 lbs.
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Right
 
Julius Freeman did not have the typical hockey upbringing due to the location where he grew up. He only started playing hockey 3 years ago, but he is a quick learner who has an eye for the game. He played football and basketball growing up with his father being his coach at a young age. Growing up with the coach watching film has given him the ability to break down film and learn from not only his mistakes but that of his teammates and competitors.
 
Strengths
Passing: Julius has a knack of seeing the ice as very few players can, his passes are crisp and right where his teammates need to be. Even though passing is his biggest strength, his inexperience at some of the fundaments mean that you will see some of the best passes you will ever see in one shift but in the next you can see him make passes that could be great if he was playing with skaters who saw exactly what he saw, but since he might not make it to the majors we might not ever see what that would look like.
 
Defense: Freeman prides himself on being part of the team defense. He can challenge the point and will smother defenders who cannot get rid of the puck fast. Along with attacking defenders at the point, he is also a great help defender who will steal the puck of unsuspecting skaters who pass by his domain. You will see Freeman on the ice on a large number of defensive faceoffs since he loves to prove that his 200-foot game is one of the best.
 
Skating: Man can this kid skate. He only picked up ice skating 4 years ago when his family finally moved to a location with an ice skating rink. But since he saw the winter Olympics as a 6-year-old he was fascinated by hockey and skating alike. He has been rollerblading since the age of 6 on every terrain. His speed is comparable to some of the best, and his edges leave nothing to be desired. He could end of being one of the best skaters out there if he continues to push himself.
 
Weaknesses
Fighting: Julius has been in one fight in his hockey career and once you know the outcome you know why. He lost and got knocked out at the championship game. He had three assists before the fight and his team ended up losing by one. Ever since then his coaches would make him do extra laps if he started to get heated with other players. Who knows if it is simply due to not enough exposure or simply because he has no skill.
 
Discipline: This kid can do so many things that make me wonder why he didn't get drafted number one overall but then I look at some of his PIMs. For everything that is great about him, he often gets ahead of himself. I have never seen him get upset and do something intentional to hurt another player but you will see him be careless with his stick or his positioning some times. It's like he can see what other peoples ideal position should be to stop him or to get a shot off and he tries to stop them, but since most people don't see their ideal next position they get in the way of his stick.
 
Faceoffs: Julius might someday become a good faceoff man but today he simply does not have the skill or the desire to be anything other than the third option on any line. His demeanor on the faceoff always seems like he would rather be anywhere else.
 
Conclusion: Julius Freeman has great possible upside, he might someday be one of the best playmakers in the game. That is if he is able to match his speed of mind with the speed of his stick. He could be a top line center someday. A good team can use him as a good second or third line winger until his growth makes him a preeminent playmaker. That is if he is able to get his weakness to strengthen in the ways that they should with the proper structure around his development. A good team, coach and of course age will help him in this regard.

 

Best way to learn. I'm in.

I accept your offer McWolf.