David O'Quinn

@Elmebeck

I'll put my hat in the ring for consideration. Team Europe makes sense to me. I only have a few weeks of AGM experience in Saskatoon yet, but @Peace has let me submit lines (though, then we traded players, so new lines for next week I guess). If chosen I will take on the task just as I have ran my player and my duties as AGM in Saskatoon Wild (always bold ), with full vigor!

I'd like to apply. Mostly for the experience.
 

Uhhh. No. Nope. Definitely not. That's... that's........ that's my reporter! Roger Pennies... he wrote this... sir.

Uhhh. No. Nope. Definitely not. That's... that's........ that's my reporter! Roger Pennies... he wrote this... sir.

While Canada has ruled hockey for all of known history, even when hockey was played by gods themselves, some weird occurrences have shown themselves recently. Down under in the rough and ragged VHLM, only one of the top five scorers is Canadian. As always, top scorer himself is the Canadian, the Las Vegas Ace's reliable sniper Jeff Tates, the next Canadian being #6 Brock Louth, a reliable offensive defenseman skating out of Mississauga, then similarly the high strung playmaking Alyksander Hunter, down at #10. So where did all the Canadians go? It seems like these days there are more Finns, Swedes and Danes than there ever was Canadians.
 
Thankfully, it looks good on the prospect end of things. This week, the top two earners were two Canadian Defensemen Saskamoose and OQuinn. But it remains that these are defenseman, not forwards, and the fall of Canadian offense seems to have become inevitable, in this cruel, cruel world.

While Canada has ruled hockey for all of known history, even when hockey was played by gods themselves, some weird occurrences have shown themselves recently. Down under in the rough and ragged VHLM, only one of the top five scorers is Canadian. As always, top scorer himself is the Canadian, the Las Vegas Ace's reliable sniper Jeff Tates, the next Canadian being #6 Brock Louth, a reliable offensive defenseman skating out of Mississauga, then similarly the high strung playmaking Alyksander Hunter, down at #10. So where did all the Canadians go? It seems like these days there are more Finns, Swedes and Danes than there ever was Canadians.
 
Thankfully, it looks good on the prospect end of things. This week, the top two earners were two Canadian Defensemen Saskamoose and OQuinn. But it remains that these are defenseman, not forwards, and the fall of Canadian offense seems to have become inevitable, in this cruel, cruel world.

This is the Biography of VHLM defenseman David O'Quinn, with stories and facts gathered from various interviews, peoples who knew and know Dave, and Dave himself.
 
Cape Breton County, N.S.
"Dave has been the same great man ever since the day I laid my own eyes upon him", said Dave's wife, lovingly. As I started this journey to document Dave's life, I knew the first place I had to go was to his home. I'm not sure I had ever seen Dave take off his wedding ring in all the years I had known him, and I knew he must have been close to his wife. 
 
As I inquired about Dave's early life, his wife, who wished to stay unnamed, paused. 'Dave didn't grow up easy. Growing up in the 50's, there were a lot of bad practices considered the norm at the time', she said, cautiously. 'One, though no one's fault, was birth control. Dave grew up with a sister, and seven brothers, himself being the firstborn. That makes one's childhood scarce, never getting money from his parents, being forced to pass down all his clothing, feeling the attention he got from his parents slowly dissipate to his siblings.' 
 
This was a story common to the era, and though being the firstborn certainly wasn't the worse Scenario Dave could have faced, it had it's disadvantages. His parents were strict with him above everyone else, often treating him unfairly. Despite this treatment, he also had to act like a third parent to all of his brothers, and his sister.
 
'I think it was good for him though, at the end of the day,' Mrs. O'Quinn said, with a smile. 'I had read your rookie report on Dave, and it gave me a chuckle. It seemed to me you had almost described what Dave's childhood as a big brother had done to him, making him the leader he is, without knowing it.' I was quite shocked, that his wife had found the article I wrote about Dave, with how obscure it had seemed to be. 'It taught him respect, discipline, and acceptance. For the respect, it was metaphorically beat into him by his parents, wanting him to be a good role model for his younger siblings." She smiled, "Discipline started the same way, but that was from himself too. He had to be disciplined with his siblings, not lashing out or getting angry at them when they did the wrong thing, or got more attention and less rules than he did. And acceptance for was when his siblings made mistakes, which be assured, they did, and he forgave them and accepted them as they were.' The smile on her face was wide and noticeable now, as you could see she enjoyed talking about the best parts about her husband, and how they came to be.
 
Though I talked with her for a while longer, I spent most of my remaining time getting her to corroborate other details about his life. She also had to head off to work soon, so I said my goodbye's, though I kept in contact with her, to further corroborate details about Dave's life.
 
The Local Hockey Hall of Fame
My next stop was at the local ice hockey rink, a building which also held the local HHOF, which Dave was a part of. I spoke to a few of his former teammates (and classmates), but they wished to stay unnamed aswell.
 
From what I managed to gather, Dave had a pretty easy time in school. He was smart, and very hard working. Through his schooling system, his hockey career also started. Rather late, at the age of 13, Dave had started to play hockey, and he was instantly a star in his school. In his final year of highschool, he won the local championship as the star and best player on his team. As he finished highschool, he had already met the love of his life. Just as quickly, at the age of 19, Dave and his wife and conceived their first child.
 
"Well, Dave was an interesting figure. He was funny, he was low-key, he was smart and he was... good. Sure, he was good at hockey, but I mean to say, he was a good boy. A good man.", said one of Dave's classmates, with a smile across his face. His highschool coach also commented; "Dave was a leader from day one. The boys joked around with Dave, since he had started skating much later than the rest of them. When he was the star of the first game he played in, they stopped laughing. But, when he played it off and credited the victory to the whole team, the team started laughing again. This time, not at Dave, but with Dave."
 
Adulthood
As Dave entered adulthood, his children took over. His Daughter, born 2 years after his Son, made this no easier. In their young years, Dave still played hockey, travelling across Canada with his team, winning 'Cape Breton's top Defenseman' twice, along with a championship. But this soon took it's toll on Dave's life. As he got more and more involved into the sport, he was less and less directly involved with his children. While he surely brought in enough money to support them, Dave came to regret all the time he had spent away from home. After talking with his wife, his team-mates, and his children, he decided to abandon the sport professionally. Though he missed his sport, he kept himself involved enough to sate his appetite: Dave took up management of the local rink, 'The Forum', enabling and coaching junior teams, holding concerts, including the then-unknown April Wine, and school dances. It was different, but he loved it.
 
As his children got older, he found himself with less free time. Much of his time was spent on vacation, between his wife and his two children. With his wife and two children he traveled to theme-parks across Canada and the U.S.A, while his travels with his wife alone covered Spain, New York, and Florida. When he wasn't busy travelling or raising the two little loves of his life, the most important things in his world. When he wasn't worrying about this, he was busy managing long-term investments, and skating, trying to not lose what he had once had.
 
Finally, when his children had entered their early teens, Dave had a desire to re-educate himself to be able to better support his family. Dave found his opportunity at the local University-College, the University College of Cape Breton, though the opportunity that would truly show itself was not the one he had expected. He signed up for a general business program, as he had a smart mind for such a thing. As he had started to spend so much time at UCCB, Dave decided to join the college's team. Why not?
 
A return to hockey
This was the opportunity that Dave would later capitalize on. He made the UCCB's team, as he had in highschool, attaining stardom immediately. I interviewed the team's then-star forward.
"Dave was something else. Maybe he was a bit slow, a bit rusty at first. But you knew, you knew he was special right away. From the way he acted like a second coach to his younger teammates (Dave had been 33 at the time, one of the oldest players on the team), to how he stole the spotlight, even from me, every night." As it had been with everyone who had spoke about Dave, nothing but a smile of sincerity covered their face.  
 

 
This is where Dave found his true opportunity. While he absolutely excelled in the classroom, being very intelligent and hard working, he was the player to watch all across Canada, and he was rewarded highly for it. After a long season, and tough playoffs, Dave and the UCCB Capers won the Canada-wide College tournament. Additionally, Dave won the the tournament MVP, and was named as the best College athlete in all of Canada that year. But this isn't where it ended. Two years later, still playing for the Capers, Dave was officially invited to try out for Team Canada, to play in the Olympics. But that's where Dave broke. While Dave loved playing his sport again, and he loved winning again, but he wasn't ready to leave his children, and his home, to play for his country. It was a great honor, once in a lifetime, but he declined.
 
At the end of his fourth year at UCCB, he finished his business program. It served him well, as he took full responsibility for The Forum, fiances and all, leaving him with free time for his children. He again dropped his activity in the sport he adored to give everything he could to the children he loved. He had lost his sport again.
 
Recently
In recent times, Dave has had much of his free time returned to him. With so much free time, and his children leaving home within the next few years, Dave found himself golfing and skating. An opportunity he had long thought gone came to him, in his boredom and thought. Dave's friend, now agent, informed him that the Saskatoon Wild of the VHLM, and the VH League Conglomerate as a whole, was willing to offer him a chance to play. Through many months of deliberation, with his wife, and more importantly to him, his kids, he decided to take on the opportunity. The money he would earn would give his children opportunities that he never could have provided them, at such an instrumental point during their lives. Additionally, he got to play against opponents of a skill level unlike anything he had ever faced. He said yes. 
 
 
This was reporter, and friend of Dave's, Roger Pennies. Putting together this biography, under the supervision of his wife, was a great honor and pleasure. Dave is a truly great man, and i'm excited to see where his career heads next. I hope Dave will continue carrying what he learned with his brothers, his children, and his sport with him throughout these next eight years. If he does, he may become a legendary player not just in Cape Breton, or Canada, but worldwide. 

While Canada has ruled hockey for all of known history, even when hockey was played by gods themselves, some weird occurrences have shown themselves recently. Down under in the rough and ragged VHLM, only one of the top five scorers is Canadian. As always, top scorer himself is the Canadian, the Las Vegas Ace's reliable sniper Jeff Tates, the next Canadian being #6 Brock Louth, a reliable offensive defenseman skating out of Mississauga, then similarly the high strung playmaking Alyksander Hunter, down at #10. So where did all the Canadians go? It seems like these days there are more Finns, Swedes and Danes than there ever was Canadians.
 
Thankfully, it looks good on the prospect end of things. This week, the top two earners were two Canadian Defensemen Saskamoose and OQuinn. But it remains that these are defenseman, not forwards, and the fall of Canadian offense seems to have become inevitable, in this cruel, cruel world.

The following players have important career milestones coming up. 
 
Julian Blackthorn 
Single Season PPG - So far, with a PPG average of 1.11, Blackthorn is on pace for a VHLM career year. This high PPG average ties into another milestone;
Single Season PTS  - If Blackthorn continues at his pace, he pass his career high in single season points.
Career PTS - Blackthorn is likely to pass the 100 PT mark, if he continues this pace.
Nate Telker 
Shots - Although quite a minor milestone, Telker is 3 shots away from his 100th shot in the VHLM.
Thomas Hasek
Games played - Hasek is 10 games from passing the 100 game mark.
Ondrej Ohradka 
Games played - Ohradka is 9 games from passing the 100 game mark.
Career PTS - Ohradka is likely to pass the 100 PT mark, if he continues this pace.
 
 
Some Thoughts
The Saskatoon Wild have had a rough start to the VHLM Regular season. While there is still a realistic chance that the team could sneak into the playoffs, as it stands, the team is solidly in with the leagues worst. But some of the members of the Saskatoon Wild have been hitting the mark personally, even if the team as a whole has suffered.
 
The Saskatoon wild is a team full of newcomers. With Seven rookies, and only one third year player, who can blame them for playing so poorly? As the year goes on, these misguided rookies may spring into action, and more importantly, into the playoffs. The promising Finnish rookie defenseman Fernando Jokinen has arguably been the best player on the entire team, and he hasn't had much support. His defensive partner is O'Quinn, an old and seemingly ineffective defenseman. The team's forward Corps has had more luck, but with the worst differential in the entire league, defense seems to be more pertinent. One could also argue that the lack of a full-time dedicated goaltender is in large part to blame for this. 
 
The future looks bright, however. With four first round picks, Sask. looks like, under the right management (it remains to be seen if it currently has it), that it could jump ahead next year. Their coaching staff has produced some good results so far, and time will tell if good drafting and coaching next year can project Sask. into VHLM Stardom. 
 
We decided to interview one of the team's rookies, the aforementioned O'Quinn, on the state of the team. 
 
Q. "Well. First, it's nice to meet you. As we ponder the current state of the team, and the future of the team, one has to ask: Is the issue with the players, or is it somewhere higher up?"
A. "Wo-ho, careful there. That question could get me into a lot of trouble", he said, laughing. "I don't think the issue is up top. The team is fresh, new... which isn't anyone's fault, really. It'll change over time. I think by the end of the season, the team will be playing a lot better than it had been at the start. I hope so, anyways"
 
Q. "It sounds like you think the future is very bright with Sask. If you could choose where you will play next year, right now, would you choose Sask., or would you want to move to a team with better immediate prospects?"
A. "Well, this is my first home in the VHLM. Maybe it isn't as close to home as i'd like it to be, playing for Halifax would be great for my family. But this team doesn't cut corners, and when you mess up you're told why, and how to fix it. It's a good organization and I wouldn't up and leave if given the chance."

The following players have important career milestones coming up. 
 
Julian Blackthorn 
Single Season PPG - So far, with a PPG average of 1.11, Blackthorn is on pace for a VHLM career year. This high PPG average ties into another milestone;
Single Season PTS  - If Blackthorn continues at his pace, he pass his career high in single season points.
Career PTS - Blackthorn is likely to pass the 100 PT mark, if he continues this pace.
Nate Telker 
Shots - Although quite a minor milestone, Telker is 3 shots away from his 100th shot in the VHLM.
Thomas Hasek
Games played - Hasek is 10 games from passing the 100 game mark.
Ondrej Ohradka 
Games played - Ohradka is 9 games from passing the 100 game mark.
Career PTS - Ohradka is likely to pass the 100 PT mark, if he continues this pace.
 
 
Some Thoughts
The Saskatoon Wild have had a rough start to the VHLM Regular season. While there is still a realistic chance that the team could sneak into the playoffs, as it stands, the team is solidly in with the leagues worst. But some of the members of the Saskatoon Wild have been hitting the mark personally, even if the team as a whole has suffered.
 
The Saskatoon wild is a team full of newcomers. With Seven rookies, and only one third year player, who can blame them for playing so poorly? As the year goes on, these misguided rookies may spring into action, and more importantly, into the playoffs. The promising Finnish rookie defenseman Fernando Jokinen has arguably been the best player on the entire team, and he hasn't had much support. His defensive partner is O'Quinn, an old and seemingly ineffective defenseman. The team's forward Corps has had more luck, but with the worst differential in the entire league, defense seems to be more pertinent. One could also argue that the lack of a full-time dedicated goaltender is in large part to blame for this. 
 
The future looks bright, however. With four first round picks, Sask. looks like, under the right management (it remains to be seen if it currently has it), that it could jump ahead next year. Their coaching staff has produced some good results so far, and time will tell if good drafting and coaching next year can project Sask. into VHLM Stardom. 
 
We decided to interview one of the team's rookies, the aforementioned O'Quinn, on the state of the team. 
 
Q. "Well. First, it's nice to meet you. As we ponder the current state of the team, and the future of the team, one has to ask: Is the issue with the players, or is it somewhere higher up?"
A. "Wo-ho, careful there. That question could get me into a lot of trouble", he said, laughing. "I don't think the issue is up top. The team is fresh, new... which isn't anyone's fault, really. It'll change over time. I think by the end of the season, the team will be playing a lot better than it had been at the start. I hope so, anyways"
 
Q. "It sounds like you think the future is very bright with Sask. If you could choose where you will play next year, right now, would you choose Sask., or would you want to move to a team with better immediate prospects?"
A. "Well, this is my first home in the VHLM. Maybe it isn't as close to home as i'd like it to be, playing for Halifax would be great for my family. But this team doesn't cut corners, and when you mess up you're told why, and how to fix it. It's a good organization and I wouldn't up and leave if given the chance."

OOC Answers
1. I love the TPE checklist. Helped me a lot and its pretty much worked perfectly for me, wouldn't change it.)
2. Good ol' Media spots do it for me. I'd like to try making a podcast, or mayhaps a graphic, but I don't know how to write a script, nor use photoshop.
In Character Answers
3. 'Well, you can always improve in pretty much every aspect. For me, I think i'm at that point. It feel's like more goals are scored when i'm on the ice than when i'm off of it, and that's a big problem. So right now I'd like to become defensively proficient, though I'll continue to work on my passing and offensive abilities where I can.'
4. 'The Flames. My family and I have spent lots of time out in Calgary, and my children live out there. It's more by association than preference. I'm a hockey fan, first and foremost.
5. 'To be honest, I haven't followed the VHL expansion. I'm new to this whole conglomeration of leagues, and i'm just trying to focus on playing the best I can, not worrying about other teams.'
6. 'I don't like this here, and I won't like it in the VHL either. The god damn travel times! It's a sin. But I love the transparency from the league management, and the real connection between players and GM's.'
 

Week 9/22
 
1. When I asked O'Quinn this question, he had a pause, as if he was choosing his words carefully: 'Well, it's odd. While i'm facing the most skilled players I have ever faced in my lifetime, some teams in the VHLM aren't fully stalked, including my own. When I played for UCCB, back in the day, we always had 18 skaters and 2 goalies. However, i've only ever seen more motivated players AT UCCB, where we were fighting for our own Island.
 
2. "I didn't really have a choice. When I started playing, which was later in life than most, and my coach didn't think I had the speed to be a forward, nor the reflexes to be a goaltender. Whether or not he was right, I got lucky, playing the way I am now.
 
3. "Well, i'd be glad to support any charity, from Alzheimer's to cancer, and domestic abuse shelters to poverty prevention. If we're talking big brand companies though? Kraft, I like their community initiatives, and their Kraft Dinner."
 
4. "Well, I'm still new to this league, I don't know everyone in the league, or my team, well enough to truly say. I feel like myself and my team has been trying hard, but with only 2 wins, I think we can do better.
 
5. "While I'd love to stay in Canada, ultimately i'm happy to play hockey. I don't have any particular preference for where i'm heading."
 
6. "I don't really wanna pick favourites. Telker, Ohradka, Blackthorn, anyone of our boy's could pull it off."
 

Oh, ye, he brought me here.

The Travel Crisis
 
The VHL is a great, expansive and expanding league, ranging through the various cultures of hockey, stretching from Seattle, Washington to Riga, Latvia, a distance of nearly 8000 Kilometers between them, covering 9 time zones between all of its teams. As the league ramps up its expansion efforts and expands to one of the worlds most prominent centers of hockey, Moscow, Russia, adding nearly 300 KM's to the girth, a very real issue comes to light for the players and staff in this league... the distances cause insane amounts of travel time for many players. For a player playing for Seattle, a flight to Moscow could last nearly an entire day, that's a day missed practicing, playing hockey, training, and just spend more or less sitting around and waiting. 
So, let's hypothesis. Say, I'm drafted to the recently announced Moscow team, and at the start of the year, the team goes on a road trip. From Moscow to Seattle, they play every team within a span of two weeks, how far will I travel, and how much time will I spend traveling vs playing hockey? 
 
Let's say the schedule is hypothetically this: Helsinki -> Riga -> Davos -> New York -> Quebec City -> Toronto -> Calgary -> Seattle
Moscow to Helsinki is at least 1hr and 40mins of flight time, to play 60 Minutes of hockey. Seems fine so far. Next, we go to Riga, which is another 1hr 10 minutes for another 60 minutes of playing hockey. Our last stop in Europe, getting to Davos from Riga takes about 3 hours on a nonstop flight, adding up to 6 Hrs of flight time compared to 3 hours of playing time, which is, again, fine.   
Our issues really start to pop up when we reach America. From Davos to New York, up to 16 hrs of flight time for 1 hr of playing time. Overall, from Davos to Seattle and all our stops in-between, you end up with an astonishing 31 hours of time spent flying for 5 hrs of hockey, not counting transportation back and forth between hotels, arenas, airports, etc. Hockey players are resilient and will more likely than not manage this fine, but expanding further east could be disastrous for the league, creating extreme fatigue for players, who spend much more time flying than doing much else. 
 
Many of you reading this may point out a personal issue many of us have also faced, the distant time zones. While Seattle may be playing in Moscow at a reasonable time in Moscow, most if not all Seattle fans will not be able to watch the game live without structuring an entire day around this hobby of theirs, and that's anything but realistic. While options to circumvent this is available, most prominent being the ability to watch a full game using various streaming services after the fact, this leaves the potential for fans to have the games they look forward to spoiled by fans who are ahead of them simply because of where they live.
 
There are a few solutions, but the one I would put forward to the league is this: Make the re-playing of games free to fans, just include up to date ads. Much of hockey's income is based off ads, and this could be an incentive for teams to increase their revenue, instead of charging fans ridiculous costs to rewatch games.
TL;DR, Most players will spend significantly more time traveling than all other activities combined, especially if a team is slated to go from Seattle to Moscow, and this is a burden upon both fans and players. The VHL is a business, and I can't blame them for expanding as such, but pity your fans who've given you the economy to do so. 
 
This is reporter Rogers Pennies, signing off.
 
 
639 Words, claimed for the week Jan 28-Feb 3

The Travel Crisis
 
The VHL is a great, expansive and expanding league, ranging through the various cultures of hockey, stretching from Seattle, Washington to Riga, Latvia, a distance of nearly 8000 Kilometers between them, covering 9 time zones between all of its teams. As the league ramps up its expansion efforts and expands to one of the worlds most prominent centers of hockey, Moscow, Russia, adding nearly 300 KM's to the girth, a very real issue comes to light for the players and staff in this league... the distances cause insane amounts of travel time for many players. For a player playing for Seattle, a flight to Moscow could last nearly an entire day, that's a day missed practicing, playing hockey, training, and just spend more or less sitting around and waiting. 
So, let's hypothesis. Say, I'm drafted to the recently announced Moscow team, and at the start of the year, the team goes on a road trip. From Moscow to Seattle, they play every team within a span of two weeks, how far will I travel, and how much time will I spend traveling vs playing hockey? 
 
Let's say the schedule is hypothetically this: Helsinki -> Riga -> Davos -> New York -> Quebec City -> Toronto -> Calgary -> Seattle
Moscow to Helsinki is at least 1hr and 40mins of flight time, to play 60 Minutes of hockey. Seems fine so far. Next, we go to Riga, which is another 1hr 10 minutes for another 60 minutes of playing hockey. Our last stop in Europe, getting to Davos from Riga takes about 3 hours on a nonstop flight, adding up to 6 Hrs of flight time compared to 3 hours of playing time, which is, again, fine.   
Our issues really start to pop up when we reach America. From Davos to New York, up to 16 hrs of flight time for 1 hr of playing time. Overall, from Davos to Seattle and all our stops in-between, you end up with an astonishing 31 hours of time spent flying for 5 hrs of hockey, not counting transportation back and forth between hotels, arenas, airports, etc. Hockey players are resilient and will more likely than not manage this fine, but expanding further east could be disastrous for the league, creating extreme fatigue for players, who spend much more time flying than doing much else. 
 
Many of you reading this may point out a personal issue many of us have also faced, the distant time zones. While Seattle may be playing in Moscow at a reasonable time in Moscow, most if not all Seattle fans will not be able to watch the game live without structuring an entire day around this hobby of theirs, and that's anything but realistic. While options to circumvent this is available, most prominent being the ability to watch a full game using various streaming services after the fact, this leaves the potential for fans to have the games they look forward to spoiled by fans who are ahead of them simply because of where they live.
 
There are a few solutions, but the one I would put forward to the league is this: Make the re-playing of games free to fans, just include up to date ads. Much of hockey's income is based off ads, and this could be an incentive for teams to increase their revenue, instead of charging fans ridiculous costs to rewatch games.
TL;DR, Most players will spend significantly more time traveling than all other activities combined, especially if a team is slated to go from Seattle to Moscow, and this is a burden upon both fans and players. The VHL is a business, and I can't blame them for expanding as such, but pity your fans who've given you the economy to do so. 
 
This is reporter Rogers Pennies, signing off.
 
 
639 Words, claimed for the week Jan 28-Feb 3

This is the biography of Dave O'Quinn.
 
Early Life
Born in Cape Breton, Canada, Dave was greeted by 7 younger siblings throughout his life, living in a small household with a hard-working father, who was rough around the edges, aswell as a loving mother. Surprisingly late in his young life, David only started playing the great sport of hockey at the age of 13. He had a natural aptitude for it, and by the time he had reached high school, he was instantly the star of the Northside Junior Vics. Alongside hockey, David graduated from Highschool with honors under his hard-working spirit. His life took a great turn around this age, as he met the love of his life, and only a year later, they had their first child, with one more to follow five years later.
 
Stardom 
As David went through life into his late 20's, he kept his three loves: His Children, his Wife, and his Sport. He hadn't stopped playing hockey since he started, having won the 'Top Defenseman in Cape Breton' award along the way.... and he was only getting started. At the age of 25, he enrolled in the University College of Cape Breton, to further his education, and additionally joined the Universities team, which simply went by 'UCCB'. As he had been all his life, he was a star as soon as he joined the team, gaining the respect of his teammates, and hate of his rivals. At the same time, his children were getting older, and it was more important than ever for him to be a father. This is why, at the age of 29 after winning the National College championship with UCCB, and the award for the Top Canadian College Athlete of the year, he denied himself an incredible opportunity, after having been invited to try out for team Canada, to stay home and be a father, and temporarily stop playing hockey. 
 
Recently
As Dave has gone through his early 30's, he's focused on being a father. Having become the manager of his hometowns local rink, the coach of a local youth team for a year, he had been supporting his family the best he could. 
But the sacrifice of hockey had its toll on Dave, and he grew restless. He denied the opportunity of a lifetime, and had come to regret it. Finally, when he turned 33, the Hockey Gods gave him another chance. He was given the opportunity to declare himself for the VH leagues, the VHL and VHLM, to make more money for his family than he ever could at home. His kids were older, his wife could retire to focus on the kids, and he could go back to the sport he loved. He took the opportunity, after many weeks of deliberation, with the support of his family, he declared. 
 
The Player
Although he's not the fastest skater, he's big, smart, and extremely skilled. David has always been a leader, and he's always had a natural talent for the game, scoring goals and getting assists like nothing, but never shying away from playing defense and throwing a big hit. To say briefly, he was a leader and team player above all else. 
 
 
Achievements
Individual
Canadian College Athlete of the year
Top Cape Breton Defenseman of the Year
A Great Father
Team
2x Canadian College Champions
1x Cape Breton Junior A Champion