Termancy

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Radio Interview between Titus LaClass (L) and Jack Iwing (I) Jack Iwing: Welcome Titus, thanks for coming on our show. Titus LaClass: Thanks for having me. I: So I understand you’re originally from the south of France, do you ever go back? L: I do actually, every summer. My parents and siblings still live there so I like to go back and visit them, spend some quality time with them you know? I: Yeah, I imagine after a tough winter season it’s nice to go back to the sunny coast? L: For sure, it’s nice going back and relaxing. Taking some time off before starting the offseason training. I: And the offseason training, what does that usually involve? L: Well usually a lot of running. I try to stay out of the rink when it comes to training my cardio. Keeps me excited to go back and skate. Then there’s a lot of focus on skating. I know that where I want to be, the VHL, skating is important for defensemen, that way they can keep up with those speedy forwards. So that’s usually my main focus every summer, improving my stride and power. And then other than that, just getting my body ready for the season, fixing any injuries, stuff like that. I: Very nice. So, so far, you’ve played 14 games with Saskatoon, do you like it? L: Yeah I love it, they were the first team to reach out to me and offer me a contract so it felt nice to be valued as a player. They took a chance on me and I’m just trying to perform the way they want me to. I: And what about your teammates, how are they? L: Oh they’re awesome. Great group of guys. I think it might be one of the best teams I’ve been part of just because everyone is so close, no one feels like an outsider. I: Any fun stories you want to share? L: Haha, let me think, I don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable sharing a personal story. I: Very understandable, we can move on. What are you expecting out of this season? L: Well I think I just want to make sure I get the first season under my belt. I know that I might get drafted at the end of the year but that’s not something I’m focusing right now. I: But it must influence your goals right? L: Kind off, but not really. I’ve never won a championship, even when I was in France, so I think that would be my biggest goal right now. And our team is doing pretty well this year so I think there’s a good chance we can be competitive. Getting drafted would be an added bonus. I: Those are some good team goals, but any personal goals? L: Well 100 points would be great, haha, but I know what kind of player I am so I don’t think that will happen. I guess I just want to improve overall, get some good coaching to further my game, and contribut to the team wins as much as possible. I: Well I wish you the best of luck, and I’m going to be keeping a close eye on you this season. L: Well thanks for having me it was pleasure. I: That was Titus LaClass, a rookie defensemen on the Saskatoon Wild. 569 Words

Seattle 4-3

50 New York Americans 51 Seattle Bears 52 Moscow Menace 53 Seattle Bears

EASTERN CONFERENCE (A2) Boston Bruins vs. (WC1) Carolina Hurricanes Winner: Canes # of Games: 7  WESTERN CONFERENCE (C3) St. Louis Blues vs. (P2) San Jose Sharks Winner: St. Louis # of Games: 6

Oh damn didn't even notice that. It'll be a battle for sure

The VHLM season has started with a wild bang. After four games, the Saskatoon Wild are the league leaders going 4-0-0, managing to beat LVA, MIS, HFX, and YUK. A key contributor to their early success is the top line. Consisting of Raphael Nazarians, John Perdue, and the league leader in points with 15, Rocky LaGarza. Appearing to be flying over the ice, these three players were able to contribute a total of 12 goals in four games, 60% of their teams scoring. What makes this feat even more impressive is the fact that all three of these players are rookies to the VHLM. When asked what the key to their early success was, LaGarza replied “I’m not too sure, I think we just feel confident playing with each other. I know that if I send some dirty, between the legs backhand sauce over to Raphy [Nazarians] he’s gonna be able to finish it.” Nazarians, who was with us during the interview, chimed in with “I mean if Rocky is sending them, I’m finishing them.” The top three do have some depth support though. Lucas Nygren, center, has been a shutdown force for the Wild. Managing to have an even +/- while taking the majority of defensive zone faceoffs and leading all forwards in hits with 10. With the offense so dazzling, it’s easy to forget about the defense protecting the net. No two defenders play as dominant as Anthony Amberback and Rusty Shackleford, the respective heart and soul of their team. Amberback leads the team in hits, leads the defensemen in points and is second in PIMs. Although Shakleford has only managed one point in the four games, he is hardly invisible on the ice. Shackleford, the modern Doug Glatt, is second on the team in hits with 16 and leads the team in PIM. It seems like every hit he throws is calculated and devastating, but often puts him in the penalty box. He responded to criticism about his play style in the first game, where he racked up 13 minutes worth of penalties, with “I just wanted to make them bleed.” Apart from these two, the defense for the wild has been rather relaxed, focusing more on fundamental defensive plays and generating offense from the back end. Goalie Juan Jaundice had this to say after the four games: "I’m feeling strong, the defense is playing hard, and the offense is basically mortar striking our opponents. Fear the Wild.” Jaundice has also been playing well these past games. At this level, goalies are still developing and growing into their own, but Jaundice has seemed solid. Over the past four games he has put in the work, earning a 0.919 SV% and a GAA of 2.25. Solid play for a team with all of the weapons needed to be dominant. The general manager, Peace, was all smiles following the end result of the fourth game. “Good games, we played great. Loving the way our top line can take over a game. And loving how our defense is playing. All we gotta do is keep the pace up, bring the offense to our opponents, and watch the win column fill up.” Overall, the Saskatoon Wild have a promising season ahead of them, and while it’s still very early, this team looks ready for anything that is thrown at it. 536 words

1-If you got stuck in the elevator and was forced to listen to only one song, which would it be? Don’t Stop Believing by Journey 2-What was your worst job? The worst job I’ve had would have to be being a grocery clerk. I would always take the night shift since morning was taken up by hockey, so I would always be exhausted at the end of the day. There are definitely people who have gotten free cans of soup because of me. 4-If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I would live in my home town for the rest of my life. The mountains, the cooking, the cheese, the wine… vive la France. 6-What does your name mean? Well Titus was a roman emperor who really helped out the roman people. My parents loved that name. And LaClass because, humbly put, I’m a classy guy. 7-If you could jump into a pool full of something, what would it be? Definitely water. I like to swim, so jumping into anything other than that would just be disappointing. 10-If you could keep any animal as a pet, what would you choose? I have always wanted to have a Pegasus. If that existed, I don’t think I would ever drive again.

Titus LaClass was born at the base of the French Alps, in Gilly-sur-Isère, to two proud parents, both livestock herders. Not much is known about who they were other than their names; Claud and Agnès, and that they loved and supported their son. Early Life Titus grew up on the hills and mountains surrounding his home, running around with his younger twin brothers, playing in the trees and streams. It is said that that is where he developed his love for nature and physical exertion. At the age of 7, his younger sister was born. Proving to be too much of a burden financially for the family, Titus’s father left to find better work in the bigger city of Montpellier. It was about this time that LaClass began his hockey lessons at the local ice rink. He was a late join, but that did not discourage him. With not many kids in the surrounding region interested in hockey, and those already playing a couple years older, LaClass got a lot of attention from his coach early on. He benefited greatly with this attention, developing at a great rate. His early years of running up the hills and mountains had strengthened his legs and lungs. Playing against older kids proved to be a challenge he accepted readily and he used it to his advantage. After three years of developing his skating and stick skills, he was ready to play his first game at the age of 10. Schooling School never came easy to Titus LaCLass. Teachers would write home that all he did was talk, joke around, and barely study. This was a problem because when you live in a town as small as his, you’re bound to run into your teacher at the grocery store. Despite all of his shortcomings, he was still able to keep his grades high enough so that he could continue playing hockey. Playing in France At the age of 13 Titus LaClass was already considered to be a promising hockey player. His speed had only increased due to hours and hours in the rink, skating with his little brothers and sister. He continued to play and run in the mountains, even completing trail runs just for fun. He met his first challenge when his whole family decided to move to Montpellier in order to reunite his family. There he joined the local junior team and was placed in the bottom pairing, behind four players all older, bigger, and better than him. LaClass did not mope around thought and decided to put in the work needed to become competitive with them. By the end of the season, LaClass had moved up to top pairing, and was even tied for third in team scoring. Titus LaClass spent two more years in the French junior leagues, moving up from the FFHG division 3 Vipers de Montpellier to the FFHG division 1 and signing with the Aigles de Nice. The choice to sign with this team was made possible by the coaches in the French league who decided it was in French hockey’s best interest to be able to develop such a promising player. LaClass signed with the Aigles due to their proximity to his family and friends, although it is theorized that he stayed in the south of France for the food, the beaches, and his favorite mountains. After the end of his 3rdseason in the FFHG leagues, Titus LaClass faced a tough decision, either sign up into the Ligue Magnus and play against the best France had to offer or move to the QMJHL and get some different competition and development. LaClass spent weeks thinking about what would be the best decision for him and his family. To their credit, both Claud and Agnès understood that this was a choice Titus had to make for himself and that they should not interfere. During this decision-making process, LaClass disappeared into the mountains for several days. None of his family members or coaches or even his girlfriend could contact him. On the fourth day of his disappearance, around dinner time, he returned with clear eyes and his head held up high. He had run for three days and two nights in order to make his decision. He had run almost 100 miles of his favorite alpine trails, not stopping unless it was to drink water, eat a protein bar, or to tie his laces. When he had finally made his choice, he slept all night and all day only then returning home for dinner. He was going to the Q. The Q Titus LaClass left home at 16 in order to develop his skills. This was the biggest decision of his young life, and it made sense since this was the furthest he had ever been from France. Although they spoke French in Quebec, it took a while for LaClass to learn English and understand the heavy accent of the Quebec folk. He was helped by his defensive partner, Comenda Unwonu, who later became his best friend. The two were inseparable, going everywhere together adjoined at the hip. Others teammates though this to be kind of strange, but LaClass and Unwonu benefited from this friendship on and off the ice. On the ice, the two learned much from each other, from how to handle high pressure situations to how to use a faceoff win to their advantage to how to communicate with your d partner. Off the ice, they helped each other with school work or how to ask a cute girl on a date and even testing out trash talk techniques on each other. These two would go on to play a total of two years together as the top pair before setting their sights on their next challenge, the VHL. Running career With the mountains so close, Titus LaClass developed a love for hiking and running. He began running very early with his little brothers, but only started taking it seriously at the age of ten when his coach told him he could compete in mountain races. The training he would need in order to run competitively would be one of his greatest challenges. He competed in his first cross country race at 12 years old, finishing 9thin his age group. He then began running trails as a way to train for the mountain races in the nearby region. Due to the intense running conditions involved with mountain races, his parents would not let him compete in any until they knew for certain he was absolutely ready. It took LaClass three and a half years before his parents finally let him run a race. He came onto the scene as a rookie no one had ever heard of before, and against top competition, he managed to place top 20 out of 300. At the end of the race, he decided to retire, saying that it took the fun out of running in the mountains.

Player Name: Titus LaClass VHL/VHLM Team: Saskatoon Wild Cash you have: $1.5 Million Purchase Name: "The First Generation" Cost of Purchase: $500,000 Cash Left: $1 Million

Name: Titus LaClass Age: 18 Height: 6'1 Weight: 192 Position: Defensemen Birthplace: Gilly-sur-Isère, France Born in France, this surprising two way defensemen moved to Quebec in order to hone his hockey skills. The willingness to push the physicality of the game sets him apart from other offensively minded defensemen. Still a young kid, he tends to make bone headed defensive moves, but is always willing to repair his mistakes. Pros: Skating: Not many hockey players can move like LaClass, and not many have tried. His very unorthodox style of skating works well for him but gives him the appearance of being at constant risk of falling. He plays very calm in his own zone but is always ready to break out when he can't find that perfect stretch pass. LaClass uses this to his advantage to push the pace of his game, breeze through the opposing defenders, and set up his teammates. Passing: With his strong skating, LaClass draws in opposing defenders, opening up his teammates for saucy saucers or hard tape to tape passes. He seems to have eyes on the back of his head, which doesn't always work out for him. He is still a bit inconsitent with passing, but as he gets older and refines his game, the consistency will come. Strength: Powerful lower body allows him to push off with speed. LaClass can protect the puck deep within his own zone, out muscling his opponents. He is also known to throw some hits here and there. Mind Games: A constant trash talker, coaches don't think he has an off button. His teammates love it though, but do they really know what he's saying all of the time? Maybe don't pull out a French-English translator when you're on the ice with him. His idol is Antoine Roussel after all. Cons: Shooting: LaClass's shot seems to explode off of his stick, but in all of the wrong ways. He struggles to get an accurate shot and usually just fires clappers from the point straight at the goalie, hoping for a deflection or panic. His shot should improve as his career progresses, but for now he seems content with blasting wild slap shots or simply passing it to others. Defense: As a young defender, he is bound to make mistakes, and he makes them somewhat consistently. LaClass is often found out of position, seemingly expecting a breakout to be created out of nothing. Maybe with a year in a more competitive league he will finally understand the importance of positioning, but for now he struggles. Works best with a defensively minded partner who will pick up after his shortcomings. Diet: The French Phil Kessel cannot help but to spend to offseasons drinking red wine and eating delicious Roquefort, Reblochon, or Beaufort, after all, why wouldn't he enjoy his countries culture? It would be a difficult task to make him change his diet. Some have tried with very little success. The future: Titus LaClass is a project of a defensemen but has a lot of upside. His work ethic definitely helps in this situation and his commitment to his team and teammates will be evident. Pairing him with a strong defensive defenseman would be beneficial for both players. Signed by the Saskatoon Wild to help out their D core, he should benefit from a season of highly competitive play.

Accepted! Thank you for this opportunity

Player Information Username: Termancy Player Name: Titus LaClass Recruited From: Reddit Age: 18 Position: D Height: 73 in. Weight: 192 lbs. Birthplace: France Player Page @VHLM GM