JohnnyT_77

1. They seem like moves that will help the club in the long run. Let's be honest... that's what every GM looks for when making deals. Make deals in the best interest of their club. Hopefully, in our case, it's a bit of quality over quantity after everything shakes out. Of course it's a risk. Moving draft picks always carries a risk - especially a top pick. But I've always been a believer that with big risk, can come even bigger reward. You win some, you lose some, right? Some things end up working out, while others may not. That's just the way it is. And if things don't work out the way you had planned, you could always trade for another top pick in return to minimize your loss. 2a. The first impression I had of this franchise happened even before joining it - and came away very impressed. Senior executives came out to visit twice, asked a bunch of questions, and showed a lot of interest in me as a player. That went a long way with me. And because of that, I'm very happy that they followed through with their draft plan to select me. Hope I can help bring them a championship in the future. 4. Personal goals for the upcoming season is to simply continue my path of development and try to prepare for the VHL the best I can. I know I"m a bit rough around the edges right now, but I always remind myself that Rome wasn't built in a day. But I do know that hard work, determination, and consistency in my training will help me become a better player down the road.

+4 Toby Fitzgerald

+10 Toby Fitzgerald

+4 Toby Fitzgerald

+4 Toby Fitzgerald

I stand corrected.

1. I have little doubt that we can win the championship this year. There is simply so much talent strewn throughout the roster that all of our bases are covered. We are well balanced and talented which leads to a very scary club when it hits the playoffs. 3. The locker room is really good. The guys are keeping things light and loose, having fun on and off the ice. It is most definitely active. Even for some of us who are not as vocal as some of the other guys. All in all, it's a great atmosphere. 5. I'm pretty old school when it comes to these things. I mean, you can't look much further than Slap Shot. I'd stay away from the sequels though.

4. Halifax. Not only do I play on the 21st and I believe in our team, but we've been at the top all season long. I don't see that stopping now. 5. Personally, I really like the logo. However, word on the street is they were attempting to have the logo mimic the iconic Nova Scotia Bluenose schooner. The logo looks nothing like a schooner. I don't know who's in charge of the marketing department over there, but they need to brush up on their research skills a bit. End of the day though, I think the logo looks nice. 6. My mock draft picks 1 (Helsinki Titans) - Ryan Kastelic 2 (New York Americans) - Cole Mertz 3 (Toronto Legion) - Tzuyu 4 (Riga Reign) - McWolf

Toby Fitzgerald +4

Interested

Toby Fitzgerald Defenseman Points Shot Blocks

I'm interested.

I realize this is an old post, but I'd be interested in doing this if there is still a need.

2. The coaches in Halifax have been great. When I came aboard they promised me the playing time I've been given. I've been very happy with how everything is playing out both for my own career and the results we have been generating in Halifax. 4. Being paired with Shawn Glade has been a dream, really. It's like having Bobby Orr as your linemate. This being my first year in the league, I think he compliments my game very well. Not only that, I feel it's been a big help in the learning process and is a great experience to my development. 5. Answering "defense" is a cop out on this question. So I'll think outside the box on this one and say I think one of the most important skills to have is anticipation. If you can anticipate what your opponent can do and get in position and anticipate what they are going to do, you create so many more opportunities like turnovers, disrupt the rush of the offense, and potentially create more offensive chances.

1. I feel I'm a very offensively aware defenseman, not necessarily purely offensive. I've always had the thought process of being a defenseman first, offense being second. What's important to my game though, is being able to contribute offensively with strong vision, good passing, and the occasional goal from time to time. My ultimate goal is to build and become a very solid two-way player. 2. Yes I am a huge hockey fan. Isn't that why we're all here? If you're not a hockey fan, then I'd have to say you're in the wrong place. If there was a player I try to model myself after, it is someone like legendary defenseman, Denis Potvin. 3. I would like to tell you that Halifax would be a shoe-in to win it all, but great teams have faltered in the playoffs before. It happens every year. A team owns the regular season, only to be ousted in the first round by a lower seed. The playoffs are a completely different beast and Halifax should be ready for that.

Toby Fitzgerald +4

162 Vegas 163 Ottawa 164 Vegas 165 Halifax

Player Name: Toby Fitzgerald VHL Team: Halifax 21 Cash you have: 1,250,000 Purchase Name: The First Generation Cost of Purchase: 500,000 Cash Left: 750,000

From Prodigy to Prospect: The Toby Fitzgerald Story Seeing the Potential When blue-collared factory worker Tom Fitzgerald came home each night, there was nothing better than arriving to see his five children – with a 9 year gap from oldest to youngest - outside playing around in the yard. Actually playing. Getting along and avoid fighting for a few hours. Of course, they all played the usual kids games when they were outside, but nothing made Tom happier to see when his kids were playing sports when he’d get home. Baseball, football, basketball, golf – it didn’t matter. He was happy to see that his boys embraced sports as much as he did. All the boys seemed to have picked up on sports pretty quickly no matter what it was they were playing. Part of this was due to their father’s love of sports, which translated over to them by watching professional games on TV or live with their dad, as well as them always asking questions pertaining to the rules of whatever sport it was they were watching. It was almost religious in the Fitzgerald house to watch sports. However, there was one day returning from work when old Tom noticed something different with his kids. One evening when Tom was returning from work, as he pulled up in the driveway, the boys were all playing football with some of the neighborhood kids. The sun glaring in his eyes as he watched a play unfold. One of the kids was running to the outside with the ball, the defenders in pursuit of the ball carrier. A spin back towards the inside. A headfake right, quick juke left, another spin out of the grasp of another defender, and then outran the last two defenders for a touchdown. Tom giggled to himself as he liked the moves he saw. But as he walked towards the kid to give him some props, he soon realized who that kid was with all the quickness and great moves. It happened to be his youngest son, Toby. Even more unbelievable, was that this was all done by a 5 year old. Outperforming the other kids… twice his age. It was at that moment Tom knew he had something special in Toby. It was time to get this kid in sports to see what he can do. A Jack of All Trades Toby began playing youth sports of all kinds shortly after that moment, starting with baseball. Right from day one, he was a natural. Could it be possible for him to be a 5 tool athlete so soon? Tom wasn’t sure, but it sure was looking that way. He could hit, showed pop, field, run well, and throw. In the fall, he played tackle football. And just like on that front lawn the year prior, Toby was a menace on the field against kids his own age. Quickness, speed, power and amazing vision for a runner of his age. He helped carry his team to an undefeated record in the region. A similar thing happened when he played basketball in the winter. This kid dominated no matter where he played, or what he played. After his first year, it was clear to see this kid seemed light years ahead of other kids his age. Advanced Skillset At the age of 10, Toby seemed so advanced that things were becoming unfair for the other players in his age group. People began to notice this phenom developing right in front of them. Although, it was at this time, he started moving away from some of the other sports, and really began focusing on baseball. He was soon approached by the provincial U14 baseball team. Once he joined, he was a star from the beginning, displaying some little league power, hitting a ton, and playing as one of the best young Shortstops many scouts haven’t seen since a young Derek Jeter. He wound up leading the U14 baseball team to three national championships in the three years he played. At age 13, he moved up to the U16 provincial team displaying the same skills that he had used to dominate the age group below. He played two years with this team, once again leading them to two national championships. Unfortunately, the love he had for this game, began to drift. His heart wasn’t in it. He started looking for other challenges. Desire for Physicality It wasn’t until he was 16 that Toby decided he had enough of baseball. He wanted something new. He was looking for a different experience. He missed the physicality of football, but his local school didn’t have a team. He had to look for another outlet to showcase his talents. They did however, have another type of team that he didn’t even know existed. After one of the high school rallys, there was a game being played on the field that he walked down to check out with a few of his friends. Surprisingly, this was a game he had never seen before. It was quick. Fast. Aggressive. And of course, physical. He had come to find out that it was the old native game of Lacrosse. And he wanted to play it immediately. Toby had joined the school team the following week and got right in there. His stick skills were a bit lacking at first, but in no time, he had picked it up like an old pro. They popped him in at defense which he loved from all the hitting down low that was needed. Toby simply fell in love with the game at this point. And he was a force to be reckoned with on that turf. Hitting the Ice Shortly after completing his first Lacrosse season, Toby was introduced to ice hockey by a fellow teammate. Knowing how much he loved Lacrosse, hockey was described to him as a much faster version of lacrosse – only it’s played on ice. This intrigued Toby to no end and he couldn’t wait to try it out. Once on the ice, as with lacrosse, it took him some time to get used to skating, stickhandling, shooting and passing, but just as it was with everything else, he picked it up no problem. In a matter of months, Toby was excelling at hockey. He joined some local recreation leagues for his first year, got his bearings, worked on improving everything about his game and eventually decided he would give some competitive leagues a try. He was a natural defenseman and leader from his playing days in lacrosse. Rarely out of position, he offered his team a solid player on the blue line. He had some grit too. He was simply a tough customer to deal with in front of the net for the forwards. It didn’t take much time for players in the league to recognize that this dude meant business. Toby became an intimidating force and guys simply did not want to face him anymore. It gave him a bit more space too. When that started to happen, he began showing a bit more offensive prowess to his game by jumping up on the play some more. He also started to use that vision he had from the days of football to become a great passer too. He wound up finishing his first season in a competitive setting putting up 3-21-24 with 150 PIM and sporting a respectable +23 in 70 games at defense. The following year he joined the QMJHL Quebec Remparts and posted a 21-68-89 in 67 games from the blue line and added 7-19-26 in 20 playoff games. Scouts took notice from all over the globe. NHL, KHL and the growing VHL. It was the VHL that Toby decided to continue that path of dominance. He was eventually drafted and signed by the VHLM Halifax 21st where he looks to begin and carve out a solid and respectable professional career. It may not be what he decides to stick with, but whatever it is that he chooses, the sky is more certainly the limit for him. (1348 words)

1. I think there is a whole lot more to my decision in joining up with an expansion club. To be perfectly honest, it could have been an already established team too. The bottom line was I wanted to play somewhere. I love the game and will lace them up anywhere as long as I can get on the ice and contribute. That being said, one of the main reasons I joined this club was due to the recruitment pitch made by the team GM. No other GM was as determined to get me signed as he was. I did receive a few offers, but no one else actively pushed towards making me feel welcome and part of the team. The fact that it was an expansion club added another layer to the decision as far as wanting to be challenged and part of something special in the teams inaugural season. Not only that, but we need to work hard to make a statement in the league. I don't think people take an expansion club seriously, but we've had a hot start and teams are taking notice. 2. Well, with me being in my first year, I think being paired with Shawn is a great move. It makes a lot of sense. Not only does it provide me with an experienced defenseman that I can learn from, but I feel we compliment each other pretty well. Can't put all your eggs in one basket either. Having a nice balanced team where anyone can be a threat is tough to defend against. So I really like the approach we've taken in our pairings. Aside from that, I'd say yeah, it's pretty amazing to get some significant playing time on the top D pair. 3. Hmmm... well, both are really good clubs by the looks of things. But, if I'd have to choose, I'd say the Aces may be the best competition we have. I feel they match up with us better and can really challenge us. Thank you very much for the questions!! Until next time....

+4 Toby Fitzgerald

Now that I've settled in a bit, I'm ready to take a few questions....

Glad to be a part of this squad

+4 Toby Fitzgerald

+4