Yes yes yes. Santana a decent one year option with the cap space. A quiet offseason by additions, but an outstanding offseason for ensuring they keep their young stars long term. Excited about the long term future, another division title run perhaps? Not 1, not 2, not 14...
Sure, it’s always nice to win some games and play well. But for the agents of the players on the ice, the season always comes down to one major key: Those sweet, sweet dollar bills. Whether you’re looking at contract funds or endorsement dollars, the VHL’s top stars are rolling in the cash. However, it’s tough to objectively measure a player’s net worth with those endorsement deals always shifting.
There is one way to rank a player’s popularity within the league, though: jersey sales. You may never see as many Kameron Taylor jerseys in Germany as you will Bastian Schweinsteiger kits, but jersey sales still represent an adequate judge of a player’s overall popularity. That’s why I’ve decided to count down the top ten highest selling jerseys in Season 36, along with a little background of why each player made the list.
Before getting into the meat of the list, there are some important points to make concerning why some jerseys sell better than others:
Winning matters: If you want to get the fans’ attention, then Al Davis said it best: Just win, baby. For instance, Simon Tremblay may have had the second-most points among natural left wingers, but his jersey sales took a hit because New York was never truly considered a contender.
Newness matters: Tuomas Tukio was one of the best players in the league this season for Helsinki, but then again, he was one of the best players in the league for Helsinki the past couple seasons as well. Those who are fans of Tukio probably already have his jersey, most likely from Helsinki’s S34 title run. Players who recently switched teams or recently saw a huge bump in play are more likely to see jerseys sold.
Clutchness matters: Reggie Dunlop may be about fifth in the general league consensus of most valuable Toronto players in terms of practice hours. But on the other hand, sis strong playoff performance up until this point and his nine game-winning goals, tied for fifth in the entire VHL, will prompt a few buys.
Numbers ten through six on the list can be found here. Now, on to the Top 5!
5. Reggie Dunlop – Cologne Express/Toronto Legion
Dunlop may seem like an odd name to reach the top ten in jersey sales, but the current Legion winger gets on the list because of the two different fronts on which he served. Before the season, expectations were high in Cologne, especially coming off of last season’s six game European Conference finals run. While Kameron Taylor was the undisputed star of the team, Dunlop was the surefire number two man, and his jersey sales always bordered the top fifteen. However, once he was traded to Toronto, and he ended the season with the most points among all left wingers, his popularity went through the roof. In hockey-mad Toronto, championship runs will give you unprecedented status within the city, and Dunlop’s arrival had him hailed as a savior.
4. Davey Jones – HC Davos Dynamo
If you’re going to move jerseys, it helps to be a “love him or hate him” personality. For years, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss were among the highest-selling jerseys in the NFL, both because they performed well and because their outsized personalities brought a whole deal of attention. That’s certainly the case with Davey Jones, as his arrival in Davos (and departure from Cologne) certainly ruffled a few feathers, but his arrival in Switzerland caused a call to action that multiple world wars could not. 111 points later, Jones’ fans proved they had a reason to be excited, and his jersey sales never dipped throughout the entire season as he continued his strong play. His league-leading 13 game-winning goals caused large spikes in individual day sales at certain points as well.
3. Remy LeBeau – Toronto Legion
LeBeau has been recognized as one of the top goalies in the VHL for a while; his Season 34 Shaw Trophy was no fluke. However, the Legion’s incredible Season 36 play saw interest in LeBeau spike once again. With a .930 save percentage and 1.80 GAA, LeBeau smoked every other goalie out there and may very well be on his way to another Shaw trophy. It doesn’t hurt either that Legion fans have always focused on the goaltender as a major part of the team, especially since the days of Aidan Shaw. And if the Legion can indeed pull off the championship, especially with more strong LeBeau performances like we saw in Game 1, he may very well top this list before all is said and done.
2. Skylar Rift – Quebec City Meute
“Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” As the reigning playoff MVP, Skylar Rift saw strong jersey sales entering the season anyway. Especially seeing as how it was the first VHL title in franchise history, Meute fans felt no guilt about shelling out bucks for the man who helped lead the team to the promised land. It was Rift’s retirement announcement, though, that sent jersey sales on overdrive. Despite only playing for the team for a few seasons, Rift may end up going down as one of the most beloved Meute players ever, especially as he has been more vocal during the team’s current playoff run than most of the other stars combined. Plus, there are rumors that his jersey sales were bolstered by Calgary fans using his merchandise as firewood.
1. Odin Tordahl – HC Davos Dynamo
An expected instant impact with a new team, with high jersey sales coming from the moment he made his free agency announcement? Check. An incredible individual performance, finishing fourth in the entire league in goals? Check. Leading a previously rebuilding franchise to the playoffs and sparking a whole round of new Davos fans in the process? Check. Odin Tordahl checked all the boxes for high jersey sales from the moment he stepped off the plane in Switzerland, and it’s no surprise to see him this high on the list. Strangely enough, with rumors swirling that he may not be in Davos again next season, it’s entirely possible that he tops the list in Season 37 as well.
Note for graders: The top part is reused, the actual list is 664 words.
Jarkko Olsen dreamed of this moment, the moment he would be at the top of the VHL, a winner of the VHL's ultimate prize. Yet one would be foolish to assume Olsen is as happy as he'd like to be. No doubt, he is celebrating the win with his teammates and enjoying the time spent as a winner, but this is not the ideal situation.
Olsen has shied away from the media, from his teammates, even from his friends and family the past two seasons. He is vastly disappointed in his performance and time in the league, and yet has not had the motivation to change it. Olsen was a highly touted prospect at first, then he slacked on his training, then he become complacent. Now he is a Cup winner, on a third line - NOT as a star, and hungry. Hungry for much more than this. The Cup win is great, but LEADING a Cup contender is the goal. Olsen is disappointed in himself, and he is now motivated.
Olsen's career will never be as bright as it should have been, and once could have been. He will likely never be a VHL legend, never make the Hall of Fame, and may fade from memory after his playing days are over. However, Olsen intends on rerouting his own memories, because these are his own, and they won't fade from his own mind. It might never be what it should have been, but Jarkko Olsen is not going to remember himself as just a third liner with one Cup. He intends to be back, and he intends to play a much bigger role.
Jarkko Olsen dreamed of this moment, the moment he would be at the top of the VHL, a winner of the VHL's ultimate prize. Yet one would be foolish to assume Olsen is as happy as he'd like to be. No doubt, he is celebrating the win with his teammates and enjoying the time spent as a winner, but this is not the ideal situation.
Olsen has shied away from the media, from his teammates, even from his friends and family the past two seasons. He is vastly disappointed in his performance and time in the league, and yet has not had the motivation to change it. Olsen was a highly touted prospect at first, then he slacked on his training, then he become complacent. Now he is a Cup winner, on a third line - NOT as a star, and hungry. Hungry for much more than this. The Cup win is great, but LEADING a Cup contender is the goal. Olsen is disappointed in himself, and he is now motivated.
Olsen's career will never be as bright as it should have been, and once could have been. He will likely never be a VHL legend, never make the Hall of Fame, and may fade from memory after his playing days are over. However, Olsen intends on rerouting his own memories, because these are his own, and they won't fade from his own mind. It might never be what it should have been, but Jarkko Olsen is not going to remember himself as just a third liner with one Cup. He intends to be back, and he intends to play a much bigger role.
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