SlapshotLegion

Reign Wranglers Americans Meute

Riga 4-2

Time for a VHL Playoff Rewind! Before the playoffs started, Ryuu had 22 goals and had 40 assists to have an okay amount of 62 points. He also had a +17 plus-minus and had 63 penalty minutes. He was an okay rookie. He wasn't spectacular. The Playoffs started. Ryuu wasn't spectacular for the first half of the Playoffs. As they breezed through the first team, which to be honest, I forgot and can't find in my information, Ryuu had an okay start. But then he had a hat trick. That hat trick, which is the defining moment of his journey to the Kanou trophy, took place in the third game in the Meute vs Reign series. He scored the only Riga goals to win that game in overtime. Ryuu was then on fire. He was good during the final series between Calgary and Riga. And then he finally won a championship. And he picked up a Playoff MVP award on the way there.

1. What type of player do you want to be? (Goal Scorer, Enforcer, etc.) 2. Long term goals? 3. Who inspires you as a player? 4. Which VHL Team do you want to sign with? (When you get out of the Minors,) 5. Favourite stick brand? (CCM, Sherwood, Bauer, etc.) 6. Thoughts on Balut?

3. No comments. I asked for the lowest salary just so I could help though. 4. No, sadly. 5. Calgary for sure. Especially since they have made it to the finals a lot these past few years.

The Daisuke Kanou Trophy winners were Ryuu Crimson and Norris Stopko. Ryuu was a phenomenal Left Winger during the playoffs and was arguably the best Left Winger rookie. He has been Left Winger his whole Victory Hockey League and Victory Hockey League Minors career. Only problem? The Left Winger is a righty. "Yeah, if you noticed my curve, you noticed my stick is a righty stick. It's kinda weird. People always ask me why. I don't know man, I guess I like my stick blade away from the boards, plus, from the left, my blade is closer to the goal than if I used a lefty stick. Don't really have a real reason. Very weird. Yet this winger has found a lot of success scoring goals with it. He scored 6 goals in the playoffs and got 22 goals in the regular season. "I typically don't try to score goals from up close. I try to get my forehand to face the net and just aim from far. But sometimes I get those up close goals. Honestly, I just try to shoot and pray that one of my shots go in." We asked him if he has every tried being a right winger. "Oh yeah, back in the Minors. I remember we were having trouble during the Finals, and I was placed on the Right Wing for the while. I didn't have a good time with it. Gave away the puck a lot and found it harder to handle with the boards in the way. Plus, my shots were going wide and all kinds of stuff was happening. I also tried it one time with Swift Current, and same thing happened." Another interesting thing to note is his choice of stick. His stick is a True North wooden stick. Yup, he doesn't use the modern composite sticks. "Honestly, I prefer wooden sticks over composite sticks. They feel more comfortable to me. I can stickhandle better with them I aim better with them. Like, I can use composite sticks, for one instance, my old wooden stick company went bankrupt, so I had to use some CCM sticks, and I still got 15 goals in the last 30 games but I score more with wooden sticks." He is one of the only players to still use a wooden stick. But damn is he good with it. His puck handling is amazing and his passes are always on target. We know you can't give all of the credit to the gear, Ryuu is still awesome with modern gear, but dang is it a factor. "Yeah, I'm lucky that True North was willing to make a bunch of wooden sticks just for me. I might consider using more modern gear a few times this season, but don't expect me to not have my trusty wooden sticks near me at all times. Also, no, I am never gonna try being a Right Winger, it's not meant to be." Whatever stick he uses or position he's in, Riga still loves Ryuu. Go Riga Go!

Done!

1. Who's your favourite Player in the VHL? (Girl, if it Shawn Glade I can set you two up) 2. What kind of player are you? 3. Bauer or CCM? 4. Has Tzuyu influenced you in anyway to join here? 5. Who would be your dream linemates?

3. I choose eleven. 1. Really surprised! I thought I was gonna be average so I prepared to meme myself but I HAD to get a hat trick. The Hat Trick saved my ass. 2. Yes, especially now that I've seen what I'm capable of. Especially now that I've changed my TPE Applying Strategy.

Name one person who loves international stages more than Ryuu. The main reason he chose the VHL over the NHL was because the teams were international. He has competed in the WJC, World Cup, Olympics, and maybe now the SEA Games. That's right, Ryuu has gone to the Philippines to get ready for the SEA (Southeast Asian) Games where we will captain former gold medal team, Team Philippines. The Philippines is a tropical country, which makes you wonder where the heck they got the idea of hockey but, here we are. The "Philippine Mighty Ducks" won against the Malaysian team, winning the inaugural SEA Hockey Championship. They were deadly in the SEA Games before, but boy will they be even more deadly with the Daisuke Kanou trophy-winner. "Gonna be a great opportunity to represent my country again, and I really hope we win. I met some of the guys during my last trip to the Philippines so I can't wait to see them all again." Crimson is also planning on doing a try-out for the Japanese Hockey Team for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

The Awards Ceremony just happened. And the unexpected just happened. When it was time for the Daisuke Kanou Trophy to be handed out, nobody knew who it was gonna be. There were so many nominees. Then it was announced that there were two people who won the Daisuke Kanou Trophy for Playoff MVP. The first was goalie Norris Stopko of the Calgary Wranglers, who lost the Continental Cup to the Riga Reign. Then, the second person's name was read aloud. The name that was announced surprised the Hockey World. Rookie Ryuu Crimson won the award alongside Stopko. Now, we checked, and other than the inaugural season, Ryuu is the first Rookie to ever win the Daisuke Kanou, or so we think. Crimson flew in to win the Kanou with 6 goals and 7 assists making 13 points. The Young Left Winger had a slow start to the Regular Season but ended up getting a 20 goal season. It was unsure if he was worth a 9th overall pick. The turning point happened during the Quebec vs Riga series in the playoffs. It was the 4th game, the Reign winning the season 2-1. Ryuu was average at that point. But then suddenly he exploded. He scored his first Hat Trick and his 3 goals were the only goals Riga got that game. Those 3 goals also won the game, the last being the Overtime Winner. The Reign won 3-2. That game will probably be the most important and special game of his Career. Then there was the Riga vs Calgary series for the cup. He wasn't as prominent but he still helped. Riga won 3 in a row, all 1 goal games, then Calgary won 2 in a row with scores of 2-1 and 6-1. Riga won the series though, with a close 4-3 win. Ryuu had finally won a championship after many close calls. Everyone thought he was a good candidate for the Kanou but there were so much other players that were just as successful, like his teammate Edwin Preencarnacion, as well as Stopko (who won alongside Ryuu), Keaton Louth, and Mats Johnsson who led in Playoff Points with 16 points. Everyone would wait to find out. After a few weeks of waiting passed, it was finally time to find out. And of course, Ryuu's name was read out. "It was just...I can't even describe it in words. When they gave me the trophy, it was amazing. Arguably the best moment of my career so far, other than lifting the Continental Cup. I'm so happy and proud that we won the cup. We all worked hard for it." When asked about next season, he said, "I don't really know. Anything can happen. For example, 2 years ago, when I was with the Wild, we were the worst team in the VHLM, and in my last season with them, we were still bottom feeders. But in 1 season they went from one of the worst, to the Founder's Cup Champions. I don't think about next season though, I prefer to just gotta live in the moment." Live in the moment, Ryuu, live in the moment.

I still can't believe it oml

Great article man! Loved it! Thanks for the kind words and advice! (Seemed really professional btw so keep it up ?)

1. I was pumped! Would have been great to bring back the Crimson - Dabarno - Peace line! 2. Nah. When you have the best goalie in the league you gonna win at least one game. Fuck Blake Lively, Marry Beyonce, and kill Margot Robbie

1) How many shrimps do you have to eat, before you make your skin turn pink? 2) Who would you say is your biggest role model in the VHL? 3) If you didn't have your current Jersey Number, what would your Jersey Number be? 4) Thoughts on Ryuu Crimson? 5) Who us your Favourite Goalie in the Victory Hockey League?

I love it! Thanks dollar!

The Sponsor's Shield is coming up. And today we are analyzing True North Left Wing, Ryuu Crimson. Crimson has had nothing short of an amazing playoff season, third leading in playoff points this season, led Riga in both point scoring and plus-minus. He really boosted the second line and had a hat trick during the Meute-Riga series that won the game 3-2. Nobody expected that to happen and it's big for Ryuu. Ryuu had a slow start to his first season in the VHL but sped up later on. I think he will be a good second liner for the True North Gear team. He can score and assist, but also can make defensive plays. He is typically dangerous on the second line, and has been nothing short of amazing recently. Ryuu will be a great help in the Sponsor's Shield. Buy your tickets for the Sponsor's Shield at www.vhlsponsorsshield.com/tickets (not a real website)

@Dtayl @ShawnGlade We did it guys! We did what we couldn't do in Hali!

RIGA — It was over. A hard fought battle finally come to an end. The Riga Reign and the Calgary Wranglers clashed for 6 hard fought games. But it's over now. The champs have been crowned. The Riga Reign finally reign the league. And finally, finally, after seasons of coming so close. Ryuu Crimson, Dylan Nguyen, and Shawn Glade, who has waited the longest, finally get to lift the cup. Ryuu and Dylan have been together since their Victory Hockey League careers kicked off in Saskatoon. They have been together through everything. From losing in the Finals with Halifax, to getting Silver in the WJC. So close, but never made it. But finally, the Baltimore Legend and the Dragon have finally won a championship. "I....I'm just overcome with emotion. We worked so hard and we're here. This is great. I'm glad I was able to help and I'm so proud of all of us. The defensemen were awesome and phenomenal. Kallis played his best hockey. Everyone of us deserves this. I'm just glad we pulled it off." Of course, Baltimore went crazy for their hero. About 1,000,000 posts were made on Instagram about him winning the cup. "You know, I'm glad me and Dylan did this together. He's been my best friend since the start and man am I lucky to have such a great blueliner with me." Ah yes, Dylan and Ryuu are the Ovechkin and Backstrom of the Victory Hockey League. Dylan and Ryuu even did their lap around the rink like the two Capitals superstars did. "When me and Dylan held that cup, it was amazing. All those hours of hard work together finally paid off. Dylan was amazing as well and is one of the best offensive d-man I have ever had the privilege to play with. I hope to win another cup with him on my side." Now, when it comes to Shawn Glade, this moment has been just out of reach from him. But now, it's finally a reality. Shawn Glade was with the Yukon Rush on their run to the Finals but they ended up losing to Oslo. (To which Ryuu memed the entire thing.) Halifax had a spectacular inagural season with Shawn on the blueline but the dream team fell short in the finals. Shawn Glade has been so close many times, but he has finally done it. When he lifted the cup, you could see the happiness beaming all over him. And Ryuu Crimson, who had a slow start to the season but found his game later on, was Riga's leader in Playoff Points with 13 and Playoff Plus-Minus with a rating of +2. His playoff experience has been nothing short of spectacular, getting a career high 6 playoff goals and scoring a hat trick against the Meute. The magician was a real offensive force, despite being second line, and was great against the Meute. He finally, after many failed attempts, won the championship. These names will be engraved on the cup and never forgotten. Congratulation Riga on the wonderful season!

Dylan! We did it bud! @Dtayl

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WOOOOOHOOOOO!

1. Welcome to the VHL! What are your goals here? 2. Any pre-game rituals you have? 3. What kind of player do you wanna be? 4. Favourite NHL Player? 5. If you were an animal, what would you be? 6. Name your top 3 favourite countries.

5. I would invent ice that can't melt but still has the properties of ice so that I don't have to wait until a fucking blizzard happens till I can skate outside. (Plus, outdoor rinks are typically free.) 4. Would have been but they did. 5. Gotta go with my boys at True North!

It was an unforgettable game. Nobody expected it. Not even the magic man himself. Ryuu Crimson scored his first ever Victory Hockey League playoff goal. Then he followed it with 2 more to win the game 3-2. Ryuu has never pulled off a Hat Trick in any other league. Not in the Minors, not with Swift Current, not even in the World Junior Championship. But he was swimming in the hats that night. Kastelic was good also, claiming second star of the game, but Ryuu stole the show, scoring that hat trick, becoming first in Rookie Scoring, and being the first star of the game, with that one hat trick. "I can't give too much credit to myself. This would have never been possible without my teammates. Incredible passes to assist the goal. Amazing rushes into the offensive zone. Kallis closing the door. Without them, this would have been impossible for me." It's too early to tell what Ryuu's future will be like. But.... We got a pretty damn good look.