SlapshotLegion

might as well get into the action quick, #BrigadeFamily

1. Honestly, really easy to say in hindsight but WWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWW going off was probably one of biggest factors in NYA getting the series win over us. I mean, Cal G was great as well but WWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWW really hung in there and shut the door on us. We were having a hard time offensively. WWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWW is a former teammate of mine and I should've known better than to underestimate his performance. 2. I mean, Blues and Jets was def the series I was looking forward to. The Jets have been an excellent team this season but the Blues really turned it up after the break and had a crazy streak to make it in. They are down 2-0 but anything can happen in this series. 3. We should have sacrificed Raimo Tuominen he wasn't doing anything this playoff run anyways. It's crazy how Simon T works but Simon T giveths and taketh away. 4. Never really thought about that, I just love me some cheese and salsa. Green peppers are really nice with nachos and I'd probably say that is my go to topping. Also, weirdly enough, I like olives as well. Olives on my subs and olives on my nachos are the way to go for me. 5. I mean, being one of them, I'd say it's been an okay career. Didn't win the championship but I have been a part of some great teams, including this Legion team. I do wish I could've been a better playoff performer. Winning the Funk was nice though. 6. I do it by ear because if I heavily structure my day, it doesn't matter, I'm gonna end up breaking that schedule anyways and playing it by ear. Of course, there are days where having a schedule is nice but most days I'm just handling on a need-to-do basis.

RED DEER - “And I’d like to address some of the concerns that have come up about my presence in the Victory Hockey League. I am aware of a certain saying that goes around here. While yes, I am legitimately a comparatively eloquent circus monkey, I do not wish to commit the act nor have I ever committed the act of ‘anally fisting’ a player. I would like the media to know that while I do find the saying humorous, it is not based on my likeness and is not a result of any actions that I have or will or think of doing. I mean, because I have not or will not or think not of doing such an act.” These were the closing statements of VHLM prospect Circus Monkey. This surprisingly tall (6 foot) monkey is a hockey hopeful looking to make it to the big stage. And if it hasn’t been made abundantly clear, he is a monkey. A result of a science experiment done at Red Deer Polytechnic, Circus Monkey has been miraculously given the power of speech and the cognitive functions of a human. The saying that he is referring to is a saying that is repeated whenever a player is FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY of an award. However, you’ll notice that the saying has been put in place of the word between “is” and “of”. So, I do not feel there is any reason for me to type it out again. And if it hasn’t been replaced, then something has gone terribly wrong. But remember: “The saying clearly refers to a Circus Monkey. Not the Circus Monkey. I am the Circus Monkey. So it can’t possibly be me. Not at all. It is just a saying.”

This is a thank you letter from Raimo Tuominen: After 8 seasons in the VHL, I’m about to make one of the hardest announcements of my life. I was 18 when I first entered the VHL system and 20 when I first made it to the big leagues. I’m not gonna lie, I never fully prepared myself for life after the Victory Hockey League. And I’ve been trying to avoid this reality for the longest time now. However, now that we are eliminated from the playoffs, I’ve had to simply face the truth. My time in this league is done. I’m still going to pursue hockey after this. Like many VHL graduates, I’ll be working hard to hopefully get the chance to ply my trade in the NHL. I still have a lot of seasons left in me and I don’t intend on retiring fully from the game of hockey anytime soon. Being completely honest, I probably will be involved with the game of hockey until my very last breath, whether it be as a coach, GM, or even a zamboni driver. I’d like to start off by thanking the Houston Bulls for taking a chance on a streaky, unproven, immature kid from the Finnish league and giving me a chance to compete in a North American rink. The season I spent there was definitely fun and meeting people I’d eventually compete against (and hey! Even people I’d play with: looking at you Kadachi) as well as learning what it took to try and take that next step. I want to thank Oslo and Rome as well in the now defunct VHLE. Being a part of both franchises taught me a lot: At Oslo, we may have had a tough looking record but we were a high-octane offense. Rome taught me how to play a bit more maturely. Of course, I’d also meet Catia Goncalves in Oslo, who, no offense to anybody else, was the perfect linemate for me. Speaking of Catia, I can’t stress how lucky I was to have a teammate like her to develop with in Calgary. When we acquired her from Riga, I was excited. It wasn’t only in Oslo where I had gotten used to her high scoring play; we had played together in international tournaments, Pro-Am tournaments, and even the Junior Showcase Tournament if I am not mistaken. Then in Calgary we took it to another level. That Dustin Funk award I won doesn’t happen without Catia. There was something about the way we played that just clicked and that connection was something magical. We just kept blasting shots on goal and they kept going in! I remember many sequences where it’d just be shot after shot until finally something would go in and then we’d celebrate and sigh in relief that the puck actually slid against the goal line after that shift. I’d like to showcase lots of teammates. I have plenty of stories from Captain Phil to the hard hitting Toby Kadachi to Miner VHLer who is definitely a close second favourite linemate. I’m serious, having VHLer on my line for those many seasons in Calgary helped take the pressure off of me when it came to the physicality. He can bring it and still does with the Wranglers. However, I do want to say a major thank you to Randy Bobandy. I remember that he was an old man when he came to Calgary. He gave me a place to stay, even got a sauna prepared for me, and helped me learn the ropes of being a centerman in the VHL because before that I was a winger! A great mentor off and on the ice, I couldn’t be even close to the player I am today without him. Back then, I was a kid. Now I’ve become an old man just like him. I want to thank the Calgary Wranglers; the staff, fans, Zef Goncalves, our coaches, and my teammates for all of those years. The locker room has always been a great place to be and we went on quite a number of runs together. Being there for 7 seasons and seeing all the different people come in and out and then playing hard together to try and get the job done. I know I might have finished my career as a Legion but nothing can change the fact that I am a Wrangler for life. We went from a young, rebuilding team to a team that could hang with the best. Now they have a new core with guys that I consider myself lucky to have been able to play with and are going to be good for a good while. Thank you for taking a chance on a guy who never scored a point per game pace in both Europe and in the Minors and drafting me 6th overall. I hope that I was able to make an impact on the city and on the organization because you guys definitely made a huge one on me. I hope you can all smell double dubs with your eyes many times in the upcoming seasons. And finally, I want to thank the Toronto Legion who took me in as an old man in his final season in the league. I know it didn’t end the way we wanted but we had a great run. We were a team that kept fighting and that could play a damn good 60 minutes. That regular season was great and even if we did get upset, I know that this team will build upon what was done this season. Vidarsson had us enjoying donuts for days, Skilton is proving to be one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, Shevchenko is become a great forward, Kadachi with the hits, SMM also directing the middle, many good players that will for sure make great things happen in the city of Toronto. It was a short time but I definitely enjoyed my time here and I wish nothing but the best for the Legion for seasons to come. Thank you all for my playing days here in the VHL, I will always be connected with this league. Raimo Tuominen

Player Information Username: SlapshotLegion Player Name: Circus Monkey Recruited From: Returning Age: 21 Position: C Height: 72 in. Weight: 172 lbs. Birthplace: Canada Player Page @VHLM GM

The reunion is so sweet!

We are a match made in VHL heaven. The Hextall/Lafontaine rivalry, the Petrenko and Ori connection, and now we get to dance as Kadachi and Tuominen again for the first time since the Bulls days. Excited to win more with you! (Also, I started changing my name to match the team after the "Dragons" became a team LOL but yes, SlapshotDragon is def my fav iteration of the name)

TORONTO - Raimo Tuominen is flying into Toronto after one of the hardest decisions in his life. He made the choice to leave Calgary. After spending all of his career under Wranglers’ colours, he will be donning blue with the Legion. Coming into training camp today, he is excited yet a bit saddened about his departure. “I mean, yeah, I made the choice. I signed the contract. Doesn’t make it any easier saying goodbye to a team I came to love and play for. The city, the fans, management, my teammates, all of them have been such a big part of my success and shaped me into the player and person I am now.” So then why the choice? “In all honesty, I just felt like the writing was on the wall. The Wranglers have young guys coming up and are forming a new core. I could’ve totally been a part of that for my last season but part of me felt like we needed to move on. I can’t speak for the Wranglers organization. Maybe they think differently, maybe I acted too quickly, but I think it’s a far-cry to say that my departure will do any damage to them. They’re building something good over there.” And the choice to go to Toronto? “They reached out as soon as they possibly could. I know there were other GMs who reached out and I am honoured they did but they were quick to lay out that our shared goal is to win a cup. They have a great squad with stars in the making as well. I couldn’t be more excited to play with a team and the Legion had me sold right away. I could’ve sat on and hoped for a couple more offers but there was something about the Legion that made me super excited. I hope to play my part well and be a part of something special.”

Raimo Tuominen - SS

glad to see im top 4 in two metrics but yeah this was a real cool read!

1. Very excited. One thing with my tenure with the Wranglers that I've noticed; I get more and more excited with each season. The additions have been excellent and the young guys are joining us in our quest for the cup. This squad definitely has what it takes to make an impact and I am dreaming big things with this group. 2. It will be Adi Dassler. Coming off a 67 point season and making the adjustment to this team while on the second line, I think that Adi is gonna have a huge breakout season (I say this as if he didn't have a 96 point season lol) and will lead the team offesnively. 3. I mean between Spider Panda (an outstanding rookie goalie who will certainly get a lot of starts) and Phil Sakic (arguably one of the best forward prospects currently) there is certainly a good chance that we will. I think both will be frontrunners and I have confidence that one will win, or at least make it a tough decisino. 4. Just what an honour it is to captain a team. I mean even as a member of the VHL, it's great to get the approval of the guys. Always a bit exciting to know a player of mine is a captain, especially since this is only the second time this has happened. Can't wait for the season to start and I think I speak for the leadership group (Dassler, Sakic, L. Reingaard, myself) when I say that we will do our part to make this team competitive. 5. We're making the playoffs and we will be raising havoc as we do so. 6. Apple pie. Nothing wrong with pecan pie but I just think that apple pie just hits differently.

CALGARY - Raimo Tuominen was surprised when GM Zef Goncalves made the announcement for the leadership group of the season. “Yeah, that was a big surprise for me. We were in the locker and he announced me as captain. I’ve never seen myself wearing the C. But I definitely will not shy away from it. It is a huge honour and I am very thankful for the guys putting their trust in me. I will do the best I can.” Calgary has a system in which the players have a major say in who the captain of the team will be. Raimo Tuominen, Adi Dassler, Leif Reingaard, and rookie Phil Sakic will be in the leadership group this season. Another big change for Raimo will be the absence of winger Catia Goncalves, who will be with the Moscow Menace. Although Raimo thinks the trade was a good one for the Wranglers, he did express that he would miss his longtime linemate. “I mean, Catia was amazing with us and will continue to shine with Moscow. I do look forward to fighting with this group but you can’t deny that a large part of why I am where I am is because of Catia. I mean you have the JST, the WJC, the VHLE, and even the VHL. I will miss her dearly as a teammate and look forward to competing against her with this squad. I am sad that she is no longer a Wrangler. But looking across that locker room and seeing two excellent defensemen joining the fray? Makes me very excited. Benjamin Abenduct and FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist are going to have great seasons and we love having them in the locker room. Catch you later Catia, thank you for everything and here’s to the future.”

Truly a great honour. Looking forward to an excellent season with thie squad!

Raimo Tuominen - Slap Shot