hockeyis66

Through the first 8 games of the season, the Yukon Rush have only won two games, but the team knew it was going to be a tough season with little depth on defense and the goalie getting peppered with shots every game.  So far, the team doesn’t seem to have any trouble scoring goals.
 
One of the newcomers to the team this season is rookie Jaromir Lemieux.  He played 10 games for the Rush last season in the playoffs as a free agent and then was lucky enough to be drafted by the Rush for his VHLM career.  “I knew I was going to go late in the draft and when the phone rang and it was GM Juice on the phone saying I was the newest member of the Rush, I was totally excited.”
 
So far in 8 games this season, Lemieux had 0 goals, 8 assists for 8 points.  He is also even on the season with 20 shots, 12 PIMs, 14 hits and 4 shot blocks.  “I knew the players were going to be bigger, faster and stronger in this league, but until you play against them, you don’t really realize how true that is.  I am still waiting for my first goal and will keep shooting, but 0 for 20 does start to weigh on your mind after a while.”

1 -- i would like a 20 goal, 30 assist type of season for 50 points -- just being able to contribute anyway that i can on special teams as well 
 
2 -- until we get some more d-men, it will be tough on our goalie.  i think we will be good offensively, but i think it will be a tough go of it on the defensive side of things
 
3 -- team success easily -- being able to hoist a championship trophy as a team and skate around with it is far more important than any individual award 
 
4 -- so far so good -- Juice has been an amazing GM so far and very helpful and laid everything out that i need to do and honestly coulndt have asked for anything better than that
 
5 -- Adam SAndler movie -- Sandy Wexler -- i would say 6 out of 10 
 
6 -- Nicky's Thai Kitchen in pittsbugh -- pad see eaw with beef and then a hot ginger tea with it

1 -- i would like a 20 goal, 30 assist type of season for 50 points -- just being able to contribute anyway that i can on special teams as well 
 
2 -- until we get some more d-men, it will be tough on our goalie.  i think we will be good offensively, but i think it will be a tough go of it on the defensive side of things
 
3 -- team success easily -- being able to hoist a championship trophy as a team and skate around with it is far more important than any individual award 
 
4 -- so far so good -- Juice has been an amazing GM so far and very helpful and laid everything out that i need to do and honestly coulndt have asked for anything better than that
 
5 -- Adam SAndler movie -- Sandy Wexler -- i would say 6 out of 10 
 
6 -- Nicky's Thai Kitchen in pittsbugh -- pad see eaw with beef and then a hot ginger tea with it

Transaction ID: 20563392253153109
 
5 TPE -- claiming w/e 3-21-21
 Free Week (12 capped) -- claiming w/e 3-21-21
Doubles Week (6 uncapped) -- claiming w/e 3-28-21

Player Information
Username: hockeyis66
Player Name: Jaromir Lemiuex
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 18
Position: RW
Height: 73 in.
Weight: 200 lbs.
Birthplace: Denmark

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Player Information
Username: hockeyis66
Player Name: Seemu Telanne
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 16
Position: LW
Height: 74 in.
Weight: 205 lbs.
Birthplace: Switzerland

Player Page
@VHLM GM

We are now 6 games into the first season for the Houston Bulls and if you told them they would be in a tie for 3rd place right now with a 3-2-1 record and 7 points, I think mostly everyone would be happy but the Bulls would not be shocked at all.  Now granted all 6 games have been against the same team, but lets take a look at how Houston has done so far:
Game 1 – The home opener and just over a minute into the game, Laughton scored the first ever regular season goal on the power play to send the crowd into a frenzy.  However, the lead would be short lived though as the Rush tied it two minutes later.  The Bulls got a power play goal again in the first as Sparrow found the back of the net and a 2-1 lead.  The second period did not go well for the Bulls as the Rush scored 4 and the Bulls only one off of the stick of Gibbles and the home team was down 5 to 3 going into the third.  However, Gibbles got his second of the game and a power play goal to cut the lead to one and rookie Jurri scored his first with just under 8 minutes left to send the game into overtime.  However, the home crowd went home sad as HHH scored the game winner and a Rush 6-5 win.  May stopped 22 out of 28 in the loss.

**celebrating the first goal in Houston Bull history
 
Game 2 – The Bulls took the road for the first time and Kirbsson scored his first career goal in the first for a 1-0 Bulls lead.  However, the second period would give the Bulls trouble again as the Rush scored 3 goals and the Bulls got goals from Sparrow and MacElroy as the game was tied at 3-3 going into the third period.  Just 58 seconds into the third, Jurri scored his second career goal and it would be the game winner as the Bulls got their first ever win by the score of 4-3.  May stopped 27 of 30 shots and all 4 he faced in the third to pick up his first win.
Game 3 – The third game between the two teams was much different than the first two – this one was low scoring and low shots as it was more of a defensive battle.  The only goal of the game was scored about halfway through the third period as the Bulls’ Kozlov netted his first of the season and May stopped all 20 shots he faced for the Bulls first ever home win and first ever shutout by the score of 1-0.

**one of May's 20 saves in the shutout
 
Game 4 – This game was lower in shot totals than the other ones, but still had 8 goals scored as the Rush got their revenge on the Bulls by the score of 5-3.  Jurri would score first for the Bulls by the Rush answered with two goals of their own in the first period.  The teams exchanged goals in the second period as Kirbsson scored for the Bulls, but the Rush would take a 5-2 lead with two quik power play goals in the third period and Jurri would close out the scoring in the third with his second of the game to make the final score 5-3.  May stopped 19 out of the 24 shots he faced.
Game 5 – Another high scoring affair that came down to the last minute of the game to determine the winner.  The Bulls took a 2-0 lead in the first period behind goals from Kirbsson and Griffin, but HHH would score the first two goals of the second period to tie the game for the Rush.  Jurri would get a late second period goal and the Bulls would have a 3-2 lead heading into the third.  A total of 6 goals were scored in the third period – the Rush scored the first two to take a 4-3 lead with 8 minutes left , but Jurri gave the Bulls the lead back with two goals in 16 seconds to complete the first ever hat trick in Bulls history.  However, the Rush would tie the game with a little more than 3 minutes left and then win the game 6 to 5 with just 50 seconds remaining as Sigurdsson got the game winner.  May stopped 22 out of 28 shots in the loss. 
Game 6 – The first 5 games between the two teams have either been one or two goal games.  This game was not as the Bulls scored two goals each period and held the Rush to only one goal in a 6 to 1 win.  Kozlov and MacElroy scored in the first period, Kirbsson and Jurri scored in the second and MacElroy and Jurri each scored their second of the game in the third period.  May stopped 22 out of 23 shots as his record after the first six games is now 3-2-1.

**rookies Kirbsson and Jurri celebrating a goal together

Rookie Kari Jurri didn’t expect to come out of the gate so quickly and be one of the top goal scorers in the league and he also didn’t expect to get a call from a major hockey clothing company for a sponsorship.  “I was very surprised to get a call from the execs from Ferda Apparel saying they wanted to sign me to a 3 year deal and I was like you sure you got the right player?”  After a long and productive meeting, Jurri signed on the dotted line.
So what does this mean for Jurri?  He will wear exclusive Ferda hockey apparel when he is not on the ice or in the arena like t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts and hats.  He will make special appearance around Houston to promote the hockey clothing line.  He will be in Ferda Apparel stores, bookstores, coffee shops, sporting goods stores and even local schools.
There will even be a Kari Jurri fantasy camp during the offseasons where fans can win a chance to skate with Jurri and win Ferda Apparel.  More importantly, Jurri wants to make to reach out to all the kids he can and get them involved in the game of hockey.  “I want to provide the kids of Houston with a positive role model and show them that if you work hard, you can achieve whatever goal you want and I can do that through my partnership with Ferda Apparel.”

Orange you glad you have me to make puns like that?

im leaving syracuse cause of that pun in the title

We are now 6 games into the first season for the Houston Bulls and if you told them they would be in a tie for 3rd place right now with a 3-2-1 record and 7 points, I think mostly everyone would be happy but the Bulls would not be shocked at all.  Now granted all 6 games have been against the same team, but lets take a look at how Houston has done so far:
Game 1 – The home opener and just over a minute into the game, Laughton scored the first ever regular season goal on the power play to send the crowd into a frenzy.  However, the lead would be short lived though as the Rush tied it two minutes later.  The Bulls got a power play goal again in the first as Sparrow found the back of the net and a 2-1 lead.  The second period did not go well for the Bulls as the Rush scored 4 and the Bulls only one off of the stick of Gibbles and the home team was down 5 to 3 going into the third.  However, Gibbles got his second of the game and a power play goal to cut the lead to one and rookie Jurri scored his first with just under 8 minutes left to send the game into overtime.  However, the home crowd went home sad as HHH scored the game winner and a Rush 6-5 win.  May stopped 22 out of 28 in the loss.

**celebrating the first goal in Houston Bull history
 
Game 2 – The Bulls took the road for the first time and Kirbsson scored his first career goal in the first for a 1-0 Bulls lead.  However, the second period would give the Bulls trouble again as the Rush scored 3 goals and the Bulls got goals from Sparrow and MacElroy as the game was tied at 3-3 going into the third period.  Just 58 seconds into the third, Jurri scored his second career goal and it would be the game winner as the Bulls got their first ever win by the score of 4-3.  May stopped 27 of 30 shots and all 4 he faced in the third to pick up his first win.
Game 3 – The third game between the two teams was much different than the first two – this one was low scoring and low shots as it was more of a defensive battle.  The only goal of the game was scored about halfway through the third period as the Bulls’ Kozlov netted his first of the season and May stopped all 20 shots he faced for the Bulls first ever home win and first ever shutout by the score of 1-0.

**one of May's 20 saves in the shutout
 
Game 4 – This game was lower in shot totals than the other ones, but still had 8 goals scored as the Rush got their revenge on the Bulls by the score of 5-3.  Jurri would score first for the Bulls by the Rush answered with two goals of their own in the first period.  The teams exchanged goals in the second period as Kirbsson scored for the Bulls, but the Rush would take a 5-2 lead with two quik power play goals in the third period and Jurri would close out the scoring in the third with his second of the game to make the final score 5-3.  May stopped 19 out of the 24 shots he faced.
Game 5 – Another high scoring affair that came down to the last minute of the game to determine the winner.  The Bulls took a 2-0 lead in the first period behind goals from Kirbsson and Griffin, but HHH would score the first two goals of the second period to tie the game for the Rush.  Jurri would get a late second period goal and the Bulls would have a 3-2 lead heading into the third.  A total of 6 goals were scored in the third period – the Rush scored the first two to take a 4-3 lead with 8 minutes left , but Jurri gave the Bulls the lead back with two goals in 16 seconds to complete the first ever hat trick in Bulls history.  However, the Rush would tie the game with a little more than 3 minutes left and then win the game 6 to 5 with just 50 seconds remaining as Sigurdsson got the game winner.  May stopped 22 out of 28 shots in the loss. 
Game 6 – The first 5 games between the two teams have either been one or two goal games.  This game was not as the Bulls scored two goals each period and held the Rush to only one goal in a 6 to 1 win.  Kozlov and MacElroy scored in the first period, Kirbsson and Jurri scored in the second and MacElroy and Jurri each scored their second of the game in the third period.  May stopped 22 out of 23 shots as his record after the first six games is now 3-2-1.

**rookies Kirbsson and Jurri celebrating a goal together

We are now 6 games into the first season for the Houston Bulls and if you told them they would be in a tie for 3rd place right now with a 3-2-1 record and 7 points, I think mostly everyone would be happy but the Bulls would not be shocked at all.  Now granted all 6 games have been against the same team, but lets take a look at how Houston has done so far:
Game 1 – The home opener and just over a minute into the game, Laughton scored the first ever regular season goal on the power play to send the crowd into a frenzy.  However, the lead would be short lived though as the Rush tied it two minutes later.  The Bulls got a power play goal again in the first as Sparrow found the back of the net and a 2-1 lead.  The second period did not go well for the Bulls as the Rush scored 4 and the Bulls only one off of the stick of Gibbles and the home team was down 5 to 3 going into the third.  However, Gibbles got his second of the game and a power play goal to cut the lead to one and rookie Jurri scored his first with just under 8 minutes left to send the game into overtime.  However, the home crowd went home sad as HHH scored the game winner and a Rush 6-5 win.  May stopped 22 out of 28 in the loss.

**celebrating the first goal in Houston Bull history
 
Game 2 – The Bulls took the road for the first time and Kirbsson scored his first career goal in the first for a 1-0 Bulls lead.  However, the second period would give the Bulls trouble again as the Rush scored 3 goals and the Bulls got goals from Sparrow and MacElroy as the game was tied at 3-3 going into the third period.  Just 58 seconds into the third, Jurri scored his second career goal and it would be the game winner as the Bulls got their first ever win by the score of 4-3.  May stopped 27 of 30 shots and all 4 he faced in the third to pick up his first win.
Game 3 – The third game between the two teams was much different than the first two – this one was low scoring and low shots as it was more of a defensive battle.  The only goal of the game was scored about halfway through the third period as the Bulls’ Kozlov netted his first of the season and May stopped all 20 shots he faced for the Bulls first ever home win and first ever shutout by the score of 1-0.

**one of May's 20 saves in the shutout
 
Game 4 – This game was lower in shot totals than the other ones, but still had 8 goals scored as the Rush got their revenge on the Bulls by the score of 5-3.  Jurri would score first for the Bulls by the Rush answered with two goals of their own in the first period.  The teams exchanged goals in the second period as Kirbsson scored for the Bulls, but the Rush would take a 5-2 lead with two quik power play goals in the third period and Jurri would close out the scoring in the third with his second of the game to make the final score 5-3.  May stopped 19 out of the 24 shots he faced.
Game 5 – Another high scoring affair that came down to the last minute of the game to determine the winner.  The Bulls took a 2-0 lead in the first period behind goals from Kirbsson and Griffin, but HHH would score the first two goals of the second period to tie the game for the Rush.  Jurri would get a late second period goal and the Bulls would have a 3-2 lead heading into the third.  A total of 6 goals were scored in the third period – the Rush scored the first two to take a 4-3 lead with 8 minutes left , but Jurri gave the Bulls the lead back with two goals in 16 seconds to complete the first ever hat trick in Bulls history.  However, the Rush would tie the game with a little more than 3 minutes left and then win the game 6 to 5 with just 50 seconds remaining as Sigurdsson got the game winner.  May stopped 22 out of 28 shots in the loss. 
Game 6 – The first 5 games between the two teams have either been one or two goal games.  This game was not as the Bulls scored two goals each period and held the Rush to only one goal in a 6 to 1 win.  Kozlov and MacElroy scored in the first period, Kirbsson and Jurri scored in the second and MacElroy and Jurri each scored their second of the game in the third period.  May stopped 22 out of 23 shots as his record after the first six games is now 3-2-1.

**rookies Kirbsson and Jurri celebrating a goal together

EARLY YEARS
Kari Jurri was born in Groningen, Netherlands as the middle child of three children – one older sister and one younger brother.  His father was a professor at the local university, while his mother was home and raised the kids while doing other things around the house like chores.  Being the middle child and the oldest boy, he was often asked to do the bulk of work around the house, which instilled in him a strong work ethic.  As it goes with middle children sometimes, he often found himself “forgotten” about and having extra time on his hands, which led him into becoming interested in sports.
The Netherlands is known for soccer along with other sports like field hockey and volleyball.  They do have basketball and baseball teams as well, but Jurri fell in love with the speed of the ice at an early age.  He try out speed skating, but during the warm times of the year, Jurri would play soccer and then once he learned about hockey which combined the skills of soccer and skating, he would focus strictly on hockey.
Jurri was not the tallest or shortest kid in his class, but he just had something else that they did not from a young age and that was the burst of speed.  He could just out skate as well as out think other kids to the puck.  His work ethic at a young age of skating, passing, stickhandling and shooting would aid him later in life. Once his chores and school work were complete, Jurri would grab a stick and just skate around with a puck and stick handle around obstacles, pass the puck off of walls on the house and just shoot, shoot, shoot into a make shift net that his father made him from PVC pipes and some netting. 

MIDDLE YOUTH YEARS
Since he grew up on the northern coast of the Netherlands, Jurri was able to play hockey in Germany since the Netherlands did not have an organized structure.  Jurri would often spend the weekends in Germany playing in tournaments but it benefited him greatly since he was able to play against good competition.  After the first couple of tournaments, it was clear that he was much more skilled than players his own age – his skating was smooth and faster, his stick handling was superior, his on ice vision and passing were precise and his shot was just blistering.  Not only could he pick the top corners over the goalie’s glove and blocker, he had so many breakaway moves that would leave the goalies not knowing which way he was going. 
Over his early teen years, Jurri would start to grow a couple of inches per year and one of the big things his German coaches had him do was to hit the weight room cause he was not overly bulky at all.  He could skate and stick handle around defenders but if hit, he would lose the puck and his momentum easily.  He would also train, train and train some more.  He would be doing a lot of skating work as well as taking many shots both wrist and slap.  He was learning to use his big body to shield the puck from defenders as well as changing the angle on his shots to confuse the goalie.
Jurri was going to tournaments now all over Europe – like Sweden, Finland and Norway – to play against kids that were 2 or 3 years older than he was.  Jurri could definitely hold his own against them and was opening the eyes of many scouts across Europe.  Jurri was also a much-disciplined player and did not take many penalties or lose his cool at all.  Although he was very competitive, at the end of the day, he was a leader among his teams and would often be named assistant or team captain due to his calm and easygoing nature.

LATER YOUTH YEARS
With Jurri now in his mid-teens and being 6’2 and about 185 pounds, he was definitely not hard to miss on the ice or off it.  Jurri would now be traveling all over the world to tournaments in Russia, Canada and the United States especially since he had dual citizenship with Germany so that he could play.  His fluid style of play caught the eye of many people and he was playing in 18U tournaments against players older but not necessarily more skilled. 
He was away from home a lot and missed his family, but was getting schooling on the road while still keeping his eye on the bigger prize and that was one day making the VHL.  He was balancing life and hockey pretty well while still being a teen and cherished his time with his family when he got it.  The summers were pretty busy still training even though it was warm out, he was still skating, working out and doing different stick handling and shooting drills.  He would run to work on his stamina, lots of different workouts to strengthen his core, stretching and yoga to keep his muscles loose and some rowing to keep his shoulders and chest strong.

By the time he was 17, Jurri was now 6’3 and about 200 pounds.  As he grew and put muscle on, he did not lose any speed and was like a freight train going up and down the ice.  He had to learn to play smart hockey in that he couldn’t stay on for extended shifts and he couldn’t try to do too much on the ice himself which would cause turnovers, etc.  He was getting a hard look from scouts in the VHL’s minor league system the VHLM. 
Then the call came – “There is an opening in Oslo for about the final 10 games of the season and then you will enter their VHLM draft after the season is over.”  Jurri jumped on the opportunity and was able to play in 11 games, scoring 3 goals and assisting on 2 others for a total of 5 points.  He was also able to get a taste of playoff hockey as Oslo made it to the semi-finals. 
Jurri made the trip to Philadelphia, PA for the VHLM dispersal draft.  He was fully expected to be taken somewhere in the second round, but with last pick of the first round and 8th overall, Jurri heard his named called by the management team of the expansion Houston Bulls.  The next step of his journey toward the VHL starts here and for the next couple of seasons, its going to be a wild ride in Houston with this goal scoring stud. 

EARLY YEARS
Kari Jurri was born in Groningen, Netherlands as the middle child of three children – one older sister and one younger brother.  His father was a professor at the local university, while his mother was home and raised the kids while doing other things around the house like chores.  Being the middle child and the oldest boy, he was often asked to do the bulk of work around the house, which instilled in him a strong work ethic.  As it goes with middle children sometimes, he often found himself “forgotten” about and having extra time on his hands, which led him into becoming interested in sports.
The Netherlands is known for soccer along with other sports like field hockey and volleyball.  They do have basketball and baseball teams as well, but Jurri fell in love with the speed of the ice at an early age.  He try out speed skating, but during the warm times of the year, Jurri would play soccer and then once he learned about hockey which combined the skills of soccer and skating, he would focus strictly on hockey.
Jurri was not the tallest or shortest kid in his class, but he just had something else that they did not from a young age and that was the burst of speed.  He could just out skate as well as out think other kids to the puck.  His work ethic at a young age of skating, passing, stickhandling and shooting would aid him later in life. Once his chores and school work were complete, Jurri would grab a stick and just skate around with a puck and stick handle around obstacles, pass the puck off of walls on the house and just shoot, shoot, shoot into a make shift net that his father made him from PVC pipes and some netting. 

MIDDLE YOUTH YEARS
Since he grew up on the northern coast of the Netherlands, Jurri was able to play hockey in Germany since the Netherlands did not have an organized structure.  Jurri would often spend the weekends in Germany playing in tournaments but it benefited him greatly since he was able to play against good competition.  After the first couple of tournaments, it was clear that he was much more skilled than players his own age – his skating was smooth and faster, his stick handling was superior, his on ice vision and passing were precise and his shot was just blistering.  Not only could he pick the top corners over the goalie’s glove and blocker, he had so many breakaway moves that would leave the goalies not knowing which way he was going. 
Over his early teen years, Jurri would start to grow a couple of inches per year and one of the big things his German coaches had him do was to hit the weight room cause he was not overly bulky at all.  He could skate and stick handle around defenders but if hit, he would lose the puck and his momentum easily.  He would also train, train and train some more.  He would be doing a lot of skating work as well as taking many shots both wrist and slap.  He was learning to use his big body to shield the puck from defenders as well as changing the angle on his shots to confuse the goalie.
Jurri was going to tournaments now all over Europe – like Sweden, Finland and Norway – to play against kids that were 2 or 3 years older than he was.  Jurri could definitely hold his own against them and was opening the eyes of many scouts across Europe.  Jurri was also a much-disciplined player and did not take many penalties or lose his cool at all.  Although he was very competitive, at the end of the day, he was a leader among his teams and would often be named assistant or team captain due to his calm and easygoing nature.

LATER YOUTH YEARS
With Jurri now in his mid-teens and being 6’2 and about 185 pounds, he was definitely not hard to miss on the ice or off it.  Jurri would now be traveling all over the world to tournaments in Russia, Canada and the United States especially since he had dual citizenship with Germany so that he could play.  His fluid style of play caught the eye of many people and he was playing in 18U tournaments against players older but not necessarily more skilled. 
He was away from home a lot and missed his family, but was getting schooling on the road while still keeping his eye on the bigger prize and that was one day making the VHL.  He was balancing life and hockey pretty well while still being a teen and cherished his time with his family when he got it.  The summers were pretty busy still training even though it was warm out, he was still skating, working out and doing different stick handling and shooting drills.  He would run to work on his stamina, lots of different workouts to strengthen his core, stretching and yoga to keep his muscles loose and some rowing to keep his shoulders and chest strong.

By the time he was 17, Jurri was now 6’3 and about 200 pounds.  As he grew and put muscle on, he did not lose any speed and was like a freight train going up and down the ice.  He had to learn to play smart hockey in that he couldn’t stay on for extended shifts and he couldn’t try to do too much on the ice himself which would cause turnovers, etc.  He was getting a hard look from scouts in the VHL’s minor league system the VHLM. 
Then the call came – “There is an opening in Oslo for about the final 10 games of the season and then you will enter their VHLM draft after the season is over.”  Jurri jumped on the opportunity and was able to play in 11 games, scoring 3 goals and assisting on 2 others for a total of 5 points.  He was also able to get a taste of playoff hockey as Oslo made it to the semi-finals. 
Jurri made the trip to Philadelphia, PA for the VHLM dispersal draft.  He was fully expected to be taken somewhere in the second round, but with last pick of the first round and 8th overall, Jurri heard his named called by the management team of the expansion Houston Bulls.  The next step of his journey toward the VHL starts here and for the next couple of seasons, its going to be a wild ride in Houston with this goal scoring stud. 

EARLY YEARS
Kari Jurri was born in Groningen, Netherlands as the middle child of three children – one older sister and one younger brother.  His father was a professor at the local university, while his mother was home and raised the kids while doing other things around the house like chores.  Being the middle child and the oldest boy, he was often asked to do the bulk of work around the house, which instilled in him a strong work ethic.  As it goes with middle children sometimes, he often found himself “forgotten” about and having extra time on his hands, which led him into becoming interested in sports.
The Netherlands is known for soccer along with other sports like field hockey and volleyball.  They do have basketball and baseball teams as well, but Jurri fell in love with the speed of the ice at an early age.  He try out speed skating, but during the warm times of the year, Jurri would play soccer and then once he learned about hockey which combined the skills of soccer and skating, he would focus strictly on hockey.
Jurri was not the tallest or shortest kid in his class, but he just had something else that they did not from a young age and that was the burst of speed.  He could just out skate as well as out think other kids to the puck.  His work ethic at a young age of skating, passing, stickhandling and shooting would aid him later in life. Once his chores and school work were complete, Jurri would grab a stick and just skate around with a puck and stick handle around obstacles, pass the puck off of walls on the house and just shoot, shoot, shoot into a make shift net that his father made him from PVC pipes and some netting. 

MIDDLE YOUTH YEARS
Since he grew up on the northern coast of the Netherlands, Jurri was able to play hockey in Germany since the Netherlands did not have an organized structure.  Jurri would often spend the weekends in Germany playing in tournaments but it benefited him greatly since he was able to play against good competition.  After the first couple of tournaments, it was clear that he was much more skilled than players his own age – his skating was smooth and faster, his stick handling was superior, his on ice vision and passing were precise and his shot was just blistering.  Not only could he pick the top corners over the goalie’s glove and blocker, he had so many breakaway moves that would leave the goalies not knowing which way he was going. 
Over his early teen years, Jurri would start to grow a couple of inches per year and one of the big things his German coaches had him do was to hit the weight room cause he was not overly bulky at all.  He could skate and stick handle around defenders but if hit, he would lose the puck and his momentum easily.  He would also train, train and train some more.  He would be doing a lot of skating work as well as taking many shots both wrist and slap.  He was learning to use his big body to shield the puck from defenders as well as changing the angle on his shots to confuse the goalie.
Jurri was going to tournaments now all over Europe – like Sweden, Finland and Norway – to play against kids that were 2 or 3 years older than he was.  Jurri could definitely hold his own against them and was opening the eyes of many scouts across Europe.  Jurri was also a much-disciplined player and did not take many penalties or lose his cool at all.  Although he was very competitive, at the end of the day, he was a leader among his teams and would often be named assistant or team captain due to his calm and easygoing nature.

LATER YOUTH YEARS
With Jurri now in his mid-teens and being 6’2 and about 185 pounds, he was definitely not hard to miss on the ice or off it.  Jurri would now be traveling all over the world to tournaments in Russia, Canada and the United States especially since he had dual citizenship with Germany so that he could play.  His fluid style of play caught the eye of many people and he was playing in 18U tournaments against players older but not necessarily more skilled. 
He was away from home a lot and missed his family, but was getting schooling on the road while still keeping his eye on the bigger prize and that was one day making the VHL.  He was balancing life and hockey pretty well while still being a teen and cherished his time with his family when he got it.  The summers were pretty busy still training even though it was warm out, he was still skating, working out and doing different stick handling and shooting drills.  He would run to work on his stamina, lots of different workouts to strengthen his core, stretching and yoga to keep his muscles loose and some rowing to keep his shoulders and chest strong.

By the time he was 17, Jurri was now 6’3 and about 200 pounds.  As he grew and put muscle on, he did not lose any speed and was like a freight train going up and down the ice.  He had to learn to play smart hockey in that he couldn’t stay on for extended shifts and he couldn’t try to do too much on the ice himself which would cause turnovers, etc.  He was getting a hard look from scouts in the VHL’s minor league system the VHLM. 
Then the call came – “There is an opening in Oslo for about the final 10 games of the season and then you will enter their VHLM draft after the season is over.”  Jurri jumped on the opportunity and was able to play in 11 games, scoring 3 goals and assisting on 2 others for a total of 5 points.  He was also able to get a taste of playoff hockey as Oslo made it to the semi-finals. 
Jurri made the trip to Philadelphia, PA for the VHLM dispersal draft.  He was fully expected to be taken somewhere in the second round, but with last pick of the first round and 8th overall, Jurri heard his named called by the management team of the expansion Houston Bulls.  The next step of his journey toward the VHL starts here and for the next couple of seasons, its going to be a wild ride in Houston with this goal scoring stud. 

EARLY YEARS
Kari Jurri was born in Groningen, Netherlands as the middle child of three children – one older sister and one younger brother.  His father was a professor at the local university, while his mother was home and raised the kids while doing other things around the house like chores.  Being the middle child and the oldest boy, he was often asked to do the bulk of work around the house, which instilled in him a strong work ethic.  As it goes with middle children sometimes, he often found himself “forgotten” about and having extra time on his hands, which led him into becoming interested in sports.
The Netherlands is known for soccer along with other sports like field hockey and volleyball.  They do have basketball and baseball teams as well, but Jurri fell in love with the speed of the ice at an early age.  He try out speed skating, but during the warm times of the year, Jurri would play soccer and then once he learned about hockey which combined the skills of soccer and skating, he would focus strictly on hockey.
Jurri was not the tallest or shortest kid in his class, but he just had something else that they did not from a young age and that was the burst of speed.  He could just out skate as well as out think other kids to the puck.  His work ethic at a young age of skating, passing, stickhandling and shooting would aid him later in life. Once his chores and school work were complete, Jurri would grab a stick and just skate around with a puck and stick handle around obstacles, pass the puck off of walls on the house and just shoot, shoot, shoot into a make shift net that his father made him from PVC pipes and some netting. 

MIDDLE YOUTH YEARS
Since he grew up on the northern coast of the Netherlands, Jurri was able to play hockey in Germany since the Netherlands did not have an organized structure.  Jurri would often spend the weekends in Germany playing in tournaments but it benefited him greatly since he was able to play against good competition.  After the first couple of tournaments, it was clear that he was much more skilled than players his own age – his skating was smooth and faster, his stick handling was superior, his on ice vision and passing were precise and his shot was just blistering.  Not only could he pick the top corners over the goalie’s glove and blocker, he had so many breakaway moves that would leave the goalies not knowing which way he was going. 
Over his early teen years, Jurri would start to grow a couple of inches per year and one of the big things his German coaches had him do was to hit the weight room cause he was not overly bulky at all.  He could skate and stick handle around defenders but if hit, he would lose the puck and his momentum easily.  He would also train, train and train some more.  He would be doing a lot of skating work as well as taking many shots both wrist and slap.  He was learning to use his big body to shield the puck from defenders as well as changing the angle on his shots to confuse the goalie.
Jurri was going to tournaments now all over Europe – like Sweden, Finland and Norway – to play against kids that were 2 or 3 years older than he was.  Jurri could definitely hold his own against them and was opening the eyes of many scouts across Europe.  Jurri was also a much-disciplined player and did not take many penalties or lose his cool at all.  Although he was very competitive, at the end of the day, he was a leader among his teams and would often be named assistant or team captain due to his calm and easygoing nature.

LATER YOUTH YEARS
With Jurri now in his mid-teens and being 6’2 and about 185 pounds, he was definitely not hard to miss on the ice or off it.  Jurri would now be traveling all over the world to tournaments in Russia, Canada and the United States especially since he had dual citizenship with Germany so that he could play.  His fluid style of play caught the eye of many people and he was playing in 18U tournaments against players older but not necessarily more skilled. 
He was away from home a lot and missed his family, but was getting schooling on the road while still keeping his eye on the bigger prize and that was one day making the VHL.  He was balancing life and hockey pretty well while still being a teen and cherished his time with his family when he got it.  The summers were pretty busy still training even though it was warm out, he was still skating, working out and doing different stick handling and shooting drills.  He would run to work on his stamina, lots of different workouts to strengthen his core, stretching and yoga to keep his muscles loose and some rowing to keep his shoulders and chest strong.

By the time he was 17, Jurri was now 6’3 and about 200 pounds.  As he grew and put muscle on, he did not lose any speed and was like a freight train going up and down the ice.  He had to learn to play smart hockey in that he couldn’t stay on for extended shifts and he couldn’t try to do too much on the ice himself which would cause turnovers, etc.  He was getting a hard look from scouts in the VHL’s minor league system the VHLM. 
Then the call came – “There is an opening in Oslo for about the final 10 games of the season and then you will enter their VHLM draft after the season is over.”  Jurri jumped on the opportunity and was able to play in 11 games, scoring 3 goals and assisting on 2 others for a total of 5 points.  He was also able to get a taste of playoff hockey as Oslo made it to the semi-finals. 
Jurri made the trip to Philadelphia, PA for the VHLM dispersal draft.  He was fully expected to be taken somewhere in the second round, but with last pick of the first round and 8th overall, Jurri heard his named called by the management team of the expansion Houston Bulls.  The next step of his journey toward the VHL starts here and for the next couple of seasons, its going to be a wild ride in Houston with this goal scoring stud. 

When he heard his named called at the end of the first round, 8th overall, by the Houston Bulls, Kari Jurri couldn’t believe it and had to let the amazement sink in for a couple of minutes.  Jurri had expected to go in the second round and probably thought he was going back to Oslo/Minnesota, but Jurri is more than happy beyond belief to be part of an expansion squad.  “I was kinda like did they really call my name?  I was about ready to go get a pepsi and some cotton candy cause I really thought I would go second round.”
Expectations for the team will be tempered of course since it is their first season in the league, but with a great GM in place, the Bulls fully expect to make the playoffs and everyone on the team is ready to go and keep updating their player. 
As for the expectations of being a first round draftee, Jurri relishes in the opportunity and cant wait to hit the ice with his new teammates.  He is going to work hard both on and off the ice to improve his player and nothing short of a 30+ goal season and close to 80 points will be expected.

NAME: Kari Jurri
POSITION: LW
HEIGHT: 6’3”
WEIGHT: 210 lbs
BORN: Netherlands
SHOOTS: Right handed
 
 
Jurri is an intelligent sniper who has a quick and precise shot that allows him to hit the corners of the net even when he is skating fast. He is also a fluid skater that when combined with his quickness and agility allows him to be in control of the game. Shows impressive hockey sense and an ability to think the game.
STREGTHENS
 
Skating: Jurri has a quick first step and once he gets in front of a defender, its hard to catch up to him. He is a very smooth skater and has a surprising quick change of pace leaving defenders flat footed. He is uses his skating to adjust on the move and then find himself in a prime scoring situation by taking advantage of poor positioning from the defense. He also uses his skating ability to start up the ice quickly whether it is on the rush or helping to backcheck.
Scoring: Jurri has a lighting quick release, but more importantly, his shot is sharp and accurate. He gets a lot of power on both his wrist shot and his slap shot. When he receives a one-time pass from a teammate, it is like no sooner than the puck touches his stick that it is in the back of the net. He will have to get used to having less space in the North American game, but somehow, Jurri always finds himself in the right spot to take a pass and get a shot on goal.
Puck Handling: In an effort to use his scoring touch and ability more, Jurri possesses above average stickhandling and creativity abilities with the puck. He also uses his strength, reach, vision and hands to protect the puck from other teams. Tends to hold onto the puck too long instead of using his abilities to make a play happen or just get the puck to the net.
WEAKNESSES
Checking: This is one area of Jurri’s game that will need to improve as he makes the move to North American hockey. He will need to develop a game that isn’t afraid to go into the corners and retrieve the puck and fight those battles along the boards. Becoming a little more physical in his game, will allow Jurri to become a more aggressive forechecker and impose his will on unsuspecting defensemen to generate turnovers and more scoring chances.

Passing: Being a sniper doesn’t mean that Jurri can’t be a decent passer either. Often times, his passes are too far ahead or behind his teammates instead of putting the puck right on their sticks. If Jurri wants to maximize his potential especially on the power play, he will have to learn to make passes to teammates to set up some open space for himself. He will never be that “pass-first” kinda of player, but being able to hit open teammates with passes will not only make the team better but will also make Jurri a more well-rounded player who will be able to play in all situations.
 
Defense: Another area the Jurri needs to work on once he hits North American ice is his defense. He needs to be able to use his skating and hockey sense to get back on the forecheck and create turnovers to get his team going the other direction. Jurri needs to play hard on defense and learn how to take plays away from the opposition as well as learn how to take passing and skating angles away from other players.

After joining the VHLM post trade deadline and playing in 11 games with 3 goals and 2 assists, Kari Jurri is excited for the upcoming draft to see where he will begin probably a two season career in the minors. 
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me where I play the next couple of seasons, I am just happy to be joining the VHL and showcasing in the VHLM my skills and abilities to get drafted to the big league.  I had a great time in Oslo and hope they draft me back since I know some of the players and management already.”
Once the playoffs were over, Jurri has started his off season program of skating, puck handling and shooting drills but also has been working on some areas of his game that are weaknesses like passing and defense.  He is putting several hours a day on the ice in morning and afternoon sessions while watching videos of his game in the evenings to find any improvements in his game.
“I want any team to know that when they draft me, they are going to get a guy that is going to work hard both on and off the ice on improving his game and being a fan favorite in the community as well.  I would love to win a championship in the VHLM and hopefully show the VHL clubs that I am worth a first round pick in a couple of seasons.”

One of the main reasons why I joined Oslo was they were almost a lock to make at least the wild card round and I wanted to get a taste of playoff hockey this season.  We knew that Saskatoon wasn’t going to be a push over and would give us a tough time and that was evident in the first game as it went to overtime and we had a big second period in the second game which helped to pull away from them and give us the series win.  Overall, I was happy with my play and I scored two out of the eleven goals we scored in the series.  I was able to get 4 shots on goal in both games and get good looks at the net.
Going against Vegas in the semifinals was a battle and it opened my eyes to just how tight checking and how much the focus on defense there is in the playoffs.  We were certainly a little shell shocked in the first game but I thought we played them tough in game 2 and showed them we were not going to go down without a fight.  I was pointless in the first game and scored the only goal in the second game on the power play.  Both of our home games were heartbreakers especially game 4 in double overtime and I was disappointed to not get any points in either game, but the experience I gained for myself was key and I hope to use that with whatever team drafts me in the offseason!

Player Information
Username: hockeyis66
Player Name: Kari Jurri
Recruited From: SisterLeague
Age: 18
Position: LW
Height: 75 in.
Weight: 210 lbs.
Birthplace: Netherlands

Player Page
@VHLM GM

I accept Oslo's offer and cant wait to get started!