VanCanWin

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After falling to the 84th overall selection in this seasons VHLM draft, Trevor Van Lagen is set on proving everyone wrong in passing him by so many times. Trevor has rocketed up the TPE chart in his first full week since being drafted pulling in an incredible 27 TPE this week and he might not yet be done. 

 

Van Lagen has set lofty goals for himself this season starting with attempting to earn himself a prominent role on a Halifax 21st club that’s looking to become a contender again this year.  A loftier goal yet? How about Rookie of the Year honours? “I’ve got as good a chance as anyone this year. I’m about to show the rest of the world who Trevor Van Lagen is!” That’s as bold as you’ll ever see Trevor but shows his commitment to Halifax and the VHLM and his confidence in himself.

 

Time to prove the haters wrong.

Start of a New Life is a recent interview done by Toronto News analyst Rachel Snype with recently drafted Trevor Van Lagen.

 

Rachel: What was draft night like for someone not being selected until the final round, despite the seemingly limitless potential you have?

 

Trevor: It was a nervous night for sure! I was at my parents with a few of my friends and family. At first we were pretty confident I would be drafted but as the rounds went on there was definitely a sense of nervousness in the room. But finally being drafted by Halifax 21st 84th overall was a huge excitement!

 

Rachel: Where did you envision yourself being drafted?

 

Trevor: I knew I wasn’t going to go too high as I really didn’t seem to have that much hype around me going into it but I was thinking I would go a few rounds earlier than I ended up going for sure.

 

Rachel: What were your initial thoughts of the team that drafted you, the Halifax 21st?

 

Trevor: Honestly, I didn’t have a huge preference to where I was drafted, as I really was more worried about getting the call regardless but when we heard it was Halifax that drafted me I definitely was quite excited.

 

Rachel: You go from being a top of your class athlete in high school to an underrated rookie in a new league. How does your preparation change heading into your first season?

 

Trevor: Honestly, it doesn’t change much. It’s never easy getting into the VHLM as it’s become quite a competitive league. I think just being drafted shows a lot of faith in me and my talents and I believe in myself that my drive and determination will make me a successful player as early as this year.

 

Rachel: Projections have you starting the year in a second/third line role with plenty of power play time. Any comments on this?

 

Trevor: Lines haven’t been determined yet so really I could slot in anywhere. Lineup position is not such a big deal to me as I am just ready to start the year and let my play determine my role.

 

Rachel: What are your thoughts so far being a part of the Halifax 21st?

 

Trevor: So far it has been great! I feel like their my family already and I’ve only been around them for a week or so!

 

Rachel: Anyone from the organization that have been extra helpful in helping you settle in?

 

Trevor: Really so many of them have been so great to me but Thranduil especially has been very willing to offer his advice so I’ve leaned on him a lot to get my career started.

 

Rachel: Hockey is always about the stats these days so let’s talk about expectations for your rookie season.

 

Trevor: I know it’s cliche but I try not to look too much at personal stats. What will define my success this year is the amount that the coaches trust me on the ice and how much I am able to help this team win.

 

Rachel: Well good luck this season! We are excited to see how you do in your first year and we’ll have to catch up again later in the year.

 

Trevor: Thanks for having me Rachel!

 

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Born: January 17, 2001

Weight at birth: 10lbs 11oz

Parents: Samuel and Jacky Mattalex

 

Early Childhood

Born on January 17, 2001, weighing a whopping 10lbs 11oz, Rob Mattalex entered this world.  The third boy of his parents, Samuel and Jacky, Rob was born on a cold winter day in the heart of Toronto.  Samuel, Rob’s dad was an accountant while Jacky was an insurance broker until Rob was born. Jacky had to take some time off work due to a difficult pregnancy and birth of her third son. 

 

Rob grew up in the city in a family that loved their hockey. Though neither of his parents were athletes themselves, Rob’s two older siblings grew up on the ice to varying success through minor hockey. Being the youngest, Rob often was called upon to play goalie with siblings Chase and Phillip. 

 

Elementary Years

 

Rob attended the Brock Junior Public School at the age of 4 and instantly excelled.  Breezing through his early years of school, Rob has the smarts of kids two years older than him.  What held him back though was the fact that he wasn’t such an outgoing child.  He was popular in that all the kids liked him as he was athletic and always kind, but he often shied away from bigger groups. 

 

Still, as the years went on, Rob stayed well ahead of his class, academically. It was quite clear too that his abilities didn’t end there. He was always at the top of his class in track and field as well as every sport the kids would play. His teachers raved about him, and his parents knew their child had something special.  

 

In the meantime, Sam and Jacky had another boy.  Connor Mattalex was born on October 8, 2007. Rob finally had a younger sibling. 

 

Early Teenage Years

 

As Rob breezed through his elementary years, he fell in love with one sport above the others - hockey. As any good Canadian kid from Toronto would do, he became a die hard Maple Leafs fan. Though most his life would be cheering for a team seemingly stuck in neutral Rob still enjoyed going out to watch his team play. 

 

Rob spent countless hours playing the sport he loved. Whether playing in pee wee leagues or just at home on the driveway, if there was spare time, this is what he was doing.  

 

In 2013, Sam and Jacky moved across the city. Sam had excelled in his role as accountant and had started his own accounting firm. As it grew, the Mattalex family became a wealthy group. This is why in 2013, Sam and Jacky decided to build their dream home.  

 

Off to a new school, Notre Dame High, Rob quickly made new friends. Again, he shot to the top of his class, both academically and athletically.  It was here where he started to realize his extra-ordinary athletic talents.  His father hired him a personal trainer at the age of 14.

 

High School Years

 

As Rob spent time with the personal trainer, his first year of high school didn’t quite go as planned. His high school was stacked with talent at the goaltending position. He was their third string goaltender! Unsatisfied, Sam Mattalex told Rob’s trainer, Mike Scots, that he needed to do something to get Rob on that ice. They only had two options: New school or new position. The search for a new school started but Rob had a comfort level at Notre Dame. He decided to try out as a forward. There were hiccups at first but potential was clearly there.  Rob received plenty of ice time that year and went on to lead the team in scoring! 

 

The rest of Rob’s high school years were spent leading his team on the ice, ultimately climaxing with winning the league and being voted Most Outstanding Hockey Player by his peers.  Rob’s mind was made up that he was going to go for a career in hockey since that was clearly where his talents were. 

 

Rob graduated high school with high honours for his tremendous academic achievements.  Now he faced a big decision as the next chapter of his life lay before him.  he knew he was going to pursue hockey and yet so many questions still were unanswered!  Where would he play? Should he go the college route? He had been approached already with some scholarship programs that he could choose down in the states.  he wanted to chase an accounting degree as well so the college route made some sense to him.  Then there was the VHL route he could go.  The prestige of the league was really gaining traction.  The competitiveness of the league was appealing.  It would be more difficult finishing his degree this way but he could make it work.  So many options were out there but these were the one two he was really considering.

 

The Decision

 

Rob and his family decided to take a vacation first with high school being finished before they would choose a career route for Rob.  Sam and Jacky owned a time share down in Florida so off they went.  The two weeks they spent down there were definitely relaxing.  They spent much time in the condo pool, relaxing on the beautiful beaches, exploring the beautiful areas in St Petersburg.  The Friday before they were to return home, Sam took Rob deep sea fishing.  They spent the sunny day pulling in some big groupers and a few other fish.  Overall, it had been a successful trip away from the real world.

 

Though he was relaxing, his decision was still on his mind.  As the two weeks went on, he spent some time researching the VHL some more, leaning on his dad for some good advice.  By the end, his mind was made up that he would pursue the VHL.  The VHLM draft was coming up soon and he had to prepare for it.  Would he even get drafted? Surely some scouts had been scouting him but was that enough for them to see what they liked? He sure hoped so.

 

As the draft neared, Rob had a hopeful confidence about being drafted.  He tried not to think too much about it in the weeks and days leading up to it and time flew by.  The draft was just around the corner! On draft night, Rob had some friends join him and his family to hopefully celebrate with him.  Though the night got nervous towards the end, the celebrations began as soon as he was selected by the Halifax 21st with the 84th overall selection.  Now it was time to get to work.

 

And Now

 

Currently, Rob is getting ready for his first season with the Halifax 21st who have been very welcoming to the youngster in the early days with the team. Rob has been accepted into the University of Toronto to study for accountant like his father. He plans to finish his schooling even as he begins pursuing his career in hockey.

 

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Name: Trevor Van Lagen

Age: 18

Position: C

Height: 6’-5”

Weight: 215lbs

Hometown: Toronto, ON

 

Player Overview

Trevor Van Lagen was born in city of Toronto. Always a tall, lanky kid growing up, Van Lagen excelled in High School sports. Playing as third string goalie in his first year of high school, Van Lagen made a late switch out of the crease playing his final three years of high school as a forward.  Due to this late switch, Van Lagen is a raw prospect but don’t confuse this with his natural talent. Van Lagen was recently drafted by the Halifax 21st with the 84th overall pick.  A gamble that he’s determined to make look good.

 

Strengths

Smarts: Van Lagen thinks the game like a goalie. This makes him a tremendous danger for opposition goalies. This is why he has developed a balanced passing and shooting mentality as it keeps the goalies guessing. Van Lagen has a knack for being in the right places at the right times. His hockey sense is off the charts which should help him get established in the league in his rookie year.

 

Offence: Don’t let Van Lagen’s balance of passing and scoring lead you to believe that he’s not going to have any great strength and rather a bunch of average skills.  Van Lagen has developed both his passing and his scoring above other physical aspects of his game where both are well above average for his age.

 

Determination: Van Lagen has the drive within him to thrive in everything he does. This is the strength that allowed him to make the switch to forward after playing all his life as a goalie. Van Lagen’s determination to be the best he can be has created a mature mentality that is well beyond his years. His compete level is off the charts!

 

Weaknesses

Skating: This is the one area where Van Lagen has had to work on the most after his switch out of the crease. He’s tall but sometimes can be a bit clumsy. Will have to put in the work here to improve this skill in order to keep up to the other talent in the league. 

 

Checking: Although he stands at a tall 6’-5” and weighs in at a healthy 215lbs, Van Lagen doesn’t play the tough game too often.  Van Lagen prefers to win via his skill and smarts rather than his strength and his play on the ice shows exactly this.

 

Discipline: The lack of foot speed and a dogged determination to win puck battles can sometimes be a hindrance to Van Lagen’s ability to stay out of the box. This is something he will have to work on as he gets acclimated to the pro ranks. There’s nothing like a rally killer than by taking an undisciplined penalty and Van Lagen has put his teams in this uncomfortable predicament far too often in the past.

 

Future Outlook

As Van Lagen begins his pro career, look for him to will his way to a prominent role as a big body, scoring center.  He’s fully committed to the Halifax 21st who instilled a belief in him and his career.

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Thanks! Looking forward to getting involved in this community!!

Player Information

Username: VanCanWin

Player Name: Trevor Van Lagen

Recruited From: Reddit

Age: 18

Position: C

Height: 77 in.

Weight: 215 lbs.

Birthplace: Canada

Player Page

@VHLM GM