DaftRaincloud

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When I was 13 I was in 8th grade and had my first girlfriend. Although we are no longer together that was a learning experience for me and helped shape who I am today. Linking to supplemental graphic post. 12 TPE + 2 for graphic + 1 uncapped. Linking this to update for a total of 15 TPE.

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Change was a constant in Gabriel Gutzwiler's life. From Europe to North America, from Halifax to Minnesota, from New York to Toronto, from winger to defenseman. There haven't been a lot of things in the young man's life that were to be relied upon except for the inevitability of change. In his minor league career Gabriel Gutzwiler was one of the biggest stars in the league. He was consistently among the best in both goals and assists, challenged for a scoring title, and was able to put the team on his back and carry them to greatness. Now that he is in the major leagues? Gabriel and Leon were elated that they went to the same team in the pro draft. They headed off to New York with a glimmer in their eye and hope in their heart. Once they arrived, however, a lot of their energy was sapped from them when just a few months removed from being drafted they were sent out the door with their suitcases in their hand for the bright lights and bustling streets of Toronto, Canada. To this day the brothers still are unsure of why they were sent away from the big apple. New York never markedly improved following their departure and the assets they were traded for didn't seem to translate as New York remained firmly middle of the pack. There was definitely a sting and some resentment at first, but the two brothers settled into life in Toronto and were excited to get started with another team, a team which hopefully wanted them to be a part of it. Change comes in many forms, and upon arrival in Toronto Gabriel and Leon were presented with an ultimatum, a choice - but not really one they could say no to. The two brothers who had been playing at forward their entire lives were being offered to play defense. Gabriel's entire game was molded around his play on the wing, and Leon similarly at center. The two had some trepidation at the prospect of moving to a position that they had no experience or real desire to play, but it seemed that if they wanted to remain on the team and not be shipped off yet again to destinations unknown they would be needing to make the switch. The prospect wasn't all bad, however - the Gutzwiler brothers had fostered a 1-2 punch sort of play style on the ice and in a forward line there was of course a third player they had to accommodate. With the brothers playing defense they would be able to more easily play in that back and forth style that they excelled at. And now at the eve of expansion change was possible once again. They hoped against change, of course, but it was a nagging feeling at the back of the neck of the brothers that they couldn't shake. They had come into the league like a rocket exploding in mid-air. They had hoped to establish themselves as elite players and potential cornerstones of a franchise's identity. What they got instead was akin to a journeyman's career. Ferried from spot to spot to patch in holes as needed and be more of a scaffolding than the large monolithic structure being built within. We will see how things continue to change or stay the same for the Gutzwilers. (559 words)

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