Brrbisbrr

How did I get here? Did all the other goalies die?  

Best of luck, my dude.  This rookie stuff ain't easy, is it?

Shawn Glade shocked the VHL world on draft night when he took Samuel Ross 10th overall.  Samuel was the second goalie drafted overall and also one of the newest rookies signed by the Ottawa Lynx.  Ottawa, the founder’s cup champion, had both of their goalies drafted in the first round as Raymond Bernard followed closely behind Ross.  Davos already had a strong core roster, which made taking a backup goaltender an easier decision.  Ross had heard lots of talk about the European Conference being strong, but no amount of talk could prepare him for this.
 
Ross started the season on the bench as Davos looked to start out of the gates strong.  They did just that but for a surprising reason, their defense.  As of today, they still lead the league in goals against.  Finn Davison, who has a good chance of being the greatest goaltender in Davos history, currently leads the league in shutouts and is top 3 in most goaltending categories.  This leaves Samuel Ross in a tough position.  How does the rookie handle it?  “I knew going into this season I would be a backup.  I wasn’t expecting a lot of starts.  It’s fine with me, I can sit back and learn about this league, what works, what doesn’t, and all the ins and outs of being up here with the big boys.”
 
So far, Ross is doing a pretty good job hanging in there.  He is 2-1-3 with an .887 save percentage.  Ross also registered his first shutout against DC.  This came after a career high 42 saves in a loss to Prague, where his old team mate Zeno Miniti had a goal and an assist against him.  The 2 performances were a case study for life in the VHL.  “It’s strange, because I thought I played pretty well against Prague, especially after not a lot of practice.  This Conference and league is crazy, I mean I have one bad game but everything else if I make 1 save in those games we are up there in the division.”  Ross is correct with that statement.
 
That is kind of how life is for a rookie in this league.  If Ross makes a few saves, Davos is top of the class.  If Davos is in another conference, they wouldn’t be fighting for a playoff spot.  Even with all of that working against them, Davos is in the middle of the playoff hunt early in the season.  Right now, they are in control of the last seed, thanks to some awesome defense, great goaltending from Finn Davison and clutch offense from Jake Davis.
 
Of course, this article wouldn’t be complete without one last statement from Samuel Ross.  On how he feels about his status with Davos, “It’s a pretty good place to be.  Things are a little expensive, but the town is nice.  I’m getting adjusted to my teammates and we just made a big trade to push us farther up the standings.  A lot of these guys have been in the league for a while and know what they’re doing so I just try to soak up as much as I can.  It’s also nice to know these guys are on top of the Pop Tarts game.”
 

I'm no official part of Ottawa, but let me say you can't go wrong joining Ottawa.  I loved my time there and I think you will as well.  
 
(sorry Hatter!)

After a successful start to the VHL season for HC Davos Dynamo, we have received word from the Samuel Ross camp that a long time friend of his has passed away.  We have also heard the he might be thinking about his future in the VHL.  This comes right after he made his debut, recording 14 straight saves in a mop up effort.  Sources say that back home in South Carolina Ross’s friend, Rusty Jones was involved in a crash resulting from a drunk driver late last week.  After a battle with head trauma and periods of consciousness, Jones succumbed to his injuries.  Ross was reportedly on the phone with the family when Jones was declared.  
               We caught up to Ross’s agent, Burrbis Burr, to get some insight.  “Yes there was a death and it’s very hard for Sam, but he has no plans on leaving the VHL.”  Burr continued, “He is very committed to his team, city, league and the fans and as much as this hurts he knows getting back to work on the ice will help him get through it.”  When asked about the adjustment to living overseas Burr replied, “It is a huge adjustment for anyone, let alone a kid who is just starting to figure out who he is as a person.  Considering all of that, he is doing great.  There is still some language barriers and social snafus and all that but he has managed to stay out of trouble and stay on the ice.  That’s more than a lot of teenage millionaires do.”
                 Ross didn’t hold a press conference, but did send out a memo.  It stated, “Today I lost more than  a friend, I lost a family member.  One forged by hard times, late nights, lots of laughs instead of by blood.  Although we were miles away and chasing our own dreams, we never let that separate us.  As much as a personal distraction as this is, I have no plans to quit on my team.  As hard as the pain is and as deep as the void is, I still have a job to do. I am focused on this great start our team is having and my goal of winning another championship is still in reach. I would like to thank the press, the fans and the Dynamo for the love, support and understanding that I might not be the most gregarious player for a little while.  Thanks for everything and see y’all on the ice.”
                  HC Davos currently has 19 points on the season and is in a logjam for one of the top spots in the division.  Jake Davis is having a great start to the season and is in the top 5 in points.  Starting net minder Finn Davison is currently holding a GAA below 2 as Davos has some of the best team defense numbers in the VHL.  Will this trend continue?  Is Samuel Ross telling the truth?   Could this be a turning point for his VHL career?  Only time will tell.

After a successful start to the VHL season for HC Davos Dynamo, we have received word from the Samuel Ross camp that a long time friend of his has passed away.  We have also heard the he might be thinking about his future in the VHL.  This comes right after he made his debut, recording 14 straight saves in a mop up effort.  Sources say that back home in South Carolina Ross’s friend, Rusty Jones was involved in a crash resulting from a drunk driver late last week.  After a battle with head trauma and periods of consciousness, Jones succumbed to his injuries.  Ross was reportedly on the phone with the family when Jones was declared.  
               We caught up to Ross’s agent, Burrbis Burr, to get some insight.  “Yes there was a death and it’s very hard for Sam, but he has no plans on leaving the VHL.”  Burr continued, “He is very committed to his team, city, league and the fans and as much as this hurts he knows getting back to work on the ice will help him get through it.”  When asked about the adjustment to living overseas Burr replied, “It is a huge adjustment for anyone, let alone a kid who is just starting to figure out who he is as a person.  Considering all of that, he is doing great.  There is still some language barriers and social snafus and all that but he has managed to stay out of trouble and stay on the ice.  That’s more than a lot of teenage millionaires do.”
                 Ross didn’t hold a press conference, but did send out a memo.  It stated, “Today I lost more than  a friend, I lost a family member.  One forged by hard times, late nights, lots of laughs instead of by blood.  Although we were miles away and chasing our own dreams, we never let that separate us.  As much as a personal distraction as this is, I have no plans to quit on my team.  As hard as the pain is and as deep as the void is, I still have a job to do. I am focused on this great start our team is having and my goal of winning another championship is still in reach. I would like to thank the press, the fans and the Dynamo for the love, support and understanding that I might not be the most gregarious player for a little while.  Thanks for everything and see y’all on the ice.”
                  HC Davos currently has 19 points on the season and is in a logjam for one of the top spots in the division.  Jake Davis is having a great start to the season and is in the top 5 in points.  Starting net minder Finn Davison is currently holding a GAA below 2 as Davos has some of the best team defense numbers in the VHL.  Will this trend continue?  Is Samuel Ross telling the truth?   Could this be a turning point for his VHL career?  Only time will tell.

you're on my fantasy team so you better play well.

you're on my fantasy team so you better play well.

Congrats buddy!

VHL.com 
September 11, 2019 
 
Davos Welcomes Samuel Ross as 1st Round Selection @Brrbisbrr
 
After trading out of the 4th overall pick in the S68 Entry Draft and moving back to pick #10, the Davos Dynamo selected goaltender Samuel Ross from the S67 VHLM Champion Ottawa Lynx. The pick surprised some experts around the league when General Manager Shawn Glade announced Ross as the selection, but Davos is getting themselves a potential franchise goaltender here at the end of the first round. Ross played 24 games for Ottawa and registered an impressive 20 wins and a 2.11 goals against average, while splitting starts with fellow first round pick Raymond Bernard. 
 
Ross is not expected to come in and be the savior of the franchise right from the get go. The team has a seasoned veteran and one of the top goaltenders in the league in Finn Davison between the pipes. However, this is a smart long-term move for Davos as they hope to have found a potential starting goalie when Davison eventually moves on. Davos previously experimented with the likes of Pekka Pouta and Wrike Chyrnoble to be the heir apparent to Davison, but when both goalies were shipped off to Vancouver in a trade, it was obvious Davos would consider a goalie early in this draft. 
 
Ross is a very technically sound goaltender with his positioning and hockey IQ being his biggest strengths. He also has a baseball background, which provided him with a quik and reactive glove hand that caught the eye of many scouts across the VHL. The one knock on Ross is his size. At 5'10 and 183 pounds he definitely gives up some size to the other goaltenders in the league, but his positioning and athletic ability has compensated for this lack of ideal goaltending size. Overall, Davos is very happy to land Samuel Ross in this draft and everyone is expecting this move to pay dividends down the road. 

All of my hard work comes down to this.  One night, one chance, and one moment to hear my name called to join a top league in professional hockey.  Winning the championship was great and I’ve really trying to soak that all in and take it easy for a while.  That was a team trophy, sure everyone did their job and worked hard but that was a great team and a great team effort.  This is solely on me.  I was actually a little worried, not many have scouted me even though I’ve jumped in the rankings.  For a guy that got a late start, to be in the top 30 of the minors is crazy.  I know I’ve put in a lot of work, but it all went by so quik.  I had an idea of where I would go and where I wanted to go, and a big idea on where I didn’t want to go.  It was hard saying goodbye to my old friends, hoping they would end up with me in the big leagues.  I kept hearing how not many teams needed a goaltender and how I would be backup, 3rd round, trade bait, etc.  Didn’t matter, that was someone else’s job.  My job is to perform.  Finally the night came, and I was nervous and excited.  Would people even know who I was?  There was some talk of a GM pulling a shocking move and I just felt it.  That little tingle inside.  I knew it was me, it had to be.  The draft was going by the numbers, and honestly, as happy as I was for everyone, it was boring.  Then it happened.  Davos selected me.  1st round, number 10, and second goalie picked.  I couldn’t believe it.  Even though I felt it, I was surprised, my name in lights, I made it.  I was ahead of my old roommate and friend, Raymond Bernard!  He was his usual self, happy for me and it seemed like there was no malice at all.  It was real tough when it hit me that I wasn’t going to be in Ottawa.  Now I have a whole new locker room to get used to, the big leagues, the vhl.  These guys are veterans and it shows.  It is a lot more business like in there.  Not as much shenanigans.  Let’s see if that stays the same.
 
 
    Let's Go Davos!!!!

good luck!  Look forward to stopping all of your shots!

Sunday September eighth was the night where dreams came true, where years of hard work paid off and where a new crop of stars got to play along with their idols.  That night was the season 68 VHL draft.  The top 3 were all but set in stone the week before the season ended, with Connor Adrianne being first overall.  There was a wrench thrown in this draft as the league welcomed in two new expansion teams.  This was good news for goalies, as the prospect pool was rather small.  Both expansion teams needed goalies, and there were a few teams that were looking for prospects to groom into starters.  It was no surprise that A.R. Guy was the first goalie picked by New York at eighth.  This fits into a good timeframe for the Americans as they have a lot of young talent.  This would leave the next two top goalies battling for draft position, former teammates Raymond Bernard and Samuel Ross.  Bernard was the starter in Ottawa and led them to a championship, but a few would argue that the choice as Bernard as the superior goalie was not so cut and dry.  One of those was Davos General Manager Shawn Glade, who made good on his prediction to shock the draft and take Samuel Ross tenth overall.  We caught up with the Dynamo’s newest first round draft to get his thoughts on his draft night.

 
    When asked about the overall experience he said, “It was all kind of quik.  My rookie year flew by, it seemed like not along ago all of us were in Ottawa ready to play our first game then we lose that one.  No one really got upset, we just worked harder and everything came together.  We won the championship and then here I am.”  “I was shocked to go in the first round,” the goalie admitted.  “I mean, I took some time off to enjoy myself and then it seemed like no one was really interested.  I heard from the expansion Gms, had a few good conversations with diamond_ace.  I really thought I was going 3rd round because there wasn’t a huge need for goalies.  Then that Saturday I got a few more phone calls and I guess I made a good impression.”
Ross has had some critics in the minors.  A few have questioned his experience since he came from such a small league in a non hockey market in South Carolina.  Even more have said that he was just the recipient of being able to choose a good team in Ottawa.  Since Ross declared after the draft period he could pick and choose where he wanted to go.  A lot of critics criticize his GAA, saying a lot of he games he did not face a lot of shots and therefore should have won.
 
   We questioned Ross on his critics.  “All of those things have a bit of truth in them, but I didn’t pick Ottawa because I knew they were going to be great.  If I had that kind of insight I would play the lottery. I picked them because out of all the conversations I had I felt the biggest connection with Acyd Burn (Ottawa GM).  I also did come from a small league in a state that isn’t hockey friendly, but I dominated that league and I would say I did pretty well in the minors this past season. I worked hard in practice and that turned into more games where I was rather successful.”  About his stats, “I’m not sure how to answer that, I mean should I tell my defensemen to let shots through?  Be like, ‘Hey guys, play a little worse so my stats look better?’  I played the games my GM put me in for, I did beat Philly and I won a couple of playoff games.  Not sure what else I could have done.”
 
 
    We also asked him about Davos and his expectations for the upcoming season, but that will have to wait until next week.  Did Davos find a steal in the draft or a bust?  A few even speculate if Ross will be on the roster by the end of the year?  What are your thoughts VHL fans?

Celebrating for my first +1 claim of my career!

congrats Wolf!

It’s funny how much I relate to this as the former backup in Halifax that went 6oa.
 
Great job, now go make Davos proud!

All of my hard work comes down to this.  One night, one chance, and one moment to hear my name called to join a top league in professional hockey.  Winning the championship was great and I’ve really trying to soak that all in and take it easy for a while.  That was a team trophy, sure everyone did their job and worked hard but that was a great team and a great team effort.  This is solely on me.  I was actually a little worried, not many have scouted me even though I’ve jumped in the rankings.  For a guy that got a late start, to be in the top 30 of the minors is crazy.  I know I’ve put in a lot of work, but it all went by so quik.  I had an idea of where I would go and where I wanted to go, and a big idea on where I didn’t want to go.  It was hard saying goodbye to my old friends, hoping they would end up with me in the big leagues.  I kept hearing how not many teams needed a goaltender and how I would be backup, 3rd round, trade bait, etc.  Didn’t matter, that was someone else’s job.  My job is to perform.  Finally the night came, and I was nervous and excited.  Would people even know who I was?  There was some talk of a GM pulling a shocking move and I just felt it.  That little tingle inside.  I knew it was me, it had to be.  The draft was going by the numbers, and honestly, as happy as I was for everyone, it was boring.  Then it happened.  Davos selected me.  1st round, number 10, and second goalie picked.  I couldn’t believe it.  Even though I felt it, I was surprised, my name in lights, I made it.  I was ahead of my old roommate and friend, Raymond Bernard!  He was his usual self, happy for me and it seemed like there was no malice at all.  It was real tough when it hit me that I wasn’t going to be in Ottawa.  Now I have a whole new locker room to get used to, the big leagues, the vhl.  These guys are veterans and it shows.  It is a lot more business like in there.  Not as much shenanigans.  Let’s see if that stays the same.
 
 
    Let's Go Davos!!!!

I don't know about these other guys, but I can offer you homemade boiled peanuts, stories about 3rd shift at a gas station and school cafeteria recipes.

I don't know about these other guys, but I can offer you homemade boiled peanuts, stories about 3rd shift at a gas station and school cafeteria recipes.

I don't know about these other guys, but I can offer you homemade boiled peanuts, stories about 3rd shift at a gas station and school cafeteria recipes.

Samuel knew he was talented, but never dreamed that so many people had noticed his skills.  He had never heard of the VHL, but after showing interest in the league, it was clear they knew at least a little about him.  The offers to play in the minor leagues started to trickle in.  Sam had picked an odd time to join the league, the draft had already happened and most teams had a good idea of how their roster was going to shape up.  Even with what seemed like bad timing, Samuel had a decision to make.  He had two offers to be a starter, and while that seemed great, he wasn’t so sure that he was starting material.  That left one option,  the Ottawa Lynx.
     Samuel’s decision wasn’t solely made on playing time though, it had a lot to do with the Ottawa GM.  Acyd Burn was starting his first season for a team that had lost in the finals the season before.  “Perfect situation” thought Sam, “I can learn this league, be a backup without a lot of pressure.”  After a day or two of consideration, he accepted a one year deal with Ottawa to back up Raymond Bernard.


    For a kid who had never been out of the United States, Ottawa was quite a shock.  Not knowing any French, exchange rates or even what the menu was (what is this poutine???) Samuel Ross needed help.  A lot of rookie goalies would feel threatened by a GM signing another rookie, but Raymond Bernard wasn’t like that.  Raymond Bernard had also made a big name for himself in a small league in California, but was much more cultured than Ross.  Samuel Ross had found his new friend and Sherpa on his professional hockey journey.  Ross knew that Bernard was the backup and didn’t mind his role.  Ross told his general manager, “I don’t care much about playing time, just play whoever is better.”  That didn’t mean he was going to let Acyd have an easy decision.
 
                                                                                                            
Ottawa dropped their first game to Halifax.  Halifax had one of the better goalies and were just a little better than the Lynx.  The team chemistry was just off.  Ottawa hit the practice rink hard and the wins started rolling.  Although Ottawa was on a winning streak, the league was held hostage by the Minnesota Storm.  The Storm had the number one overall draft pick, Berocka Sundqvist and a strong offensive minded defensive corps.  Ottawa also was being held hostage by their penalties.  Hockey is a strange game, Ottawa was having penalty problems but only had one big hitter, league leader Anthony Hawk.  Instead of giving a huge, domineering speech Acyd Burn kept his cool.  He knew that Ottawa needed a fresh face and some more practice time.  It was time for a trade.  Samuel Ross had never heard of Finnegan MacBurn, but as a rookie, he had not known of ninety percent of the league.  Soon everyone would know both.  
                                                                                                              
      Finnegan MacBurn was a hot shot defenseman that took over lower leagues.  He was college educated with the swagger of arrogance that came from a wealthy family line in California.  Opposites do indeed attract because both hit it off instantly.  Samuel and Finnegan both had huge work ethics and both liked to have fun.  It was nothing unusual for MacBurn to buy the team drinks after wins and to jump into the post game celebratory antics with Samuel.  It seemed like the defense was solidified, but what about the forwards?
Zeno Mitili was in his second year with Ottawa, but was playing like a 10 year veteran.  He was scoring at a record pace that had not ben seen since the experience cap was put on the minors.  There were rumors of him scoring an unimaginable 150 points.  He wasn’t alone atop the leader boards.  Anthony Hawk was turning into one of the best two way players in the minors, but in stepped another contender for that title, Thorny Underyew.
      No one was sure how everyone knew Underyew would be a great captain.  He wasn’t the biggest locker room presence lacking the flair of Samuel Ross and Finnegan MacBurn.  However, you did not want to let him down.  He was a lot like Oscar Robertson, you might do the wrong thing once, but that was your one time.  If you were in the right place, Underyew made sure you were successful.  Thorny was moving up the scoring ladder and reminding people of another great leader, Mark Messier.  One third through the season, Ottawa sat in third place behind last season’s champions, the Philadelphia Reapers and the undefeated Minnesota Storm.  This set the table for a huge match up between Ottawa and Philadelphia.
     Even though Samuel Ross wasn’t playing, this game gave him the sense of nervous excitement of a playoff game.  Ottawa knew they were good and knew they had a good chance of winning, but Minnesota had looked so impressive this season. Ottawa jumped out to a two to one lead with Finnegan scoring a goal.  The impressive stat was that Ottawa out shot Minnesota 18-6. Minnesota tied it up, but the game wasn’t as close as the score suggested.  MacBurn assisted on captain Underyew’s goal to give Ottawa a 3-2 lead and Anthony Hawk scored and empty netter to take down undefeated Minnesota 4-2.  Ottawa only allowed 12 shots the entire game and Finnegan MacBurn was named first star.  Finally everyone knew how good Ottawa was, it was no longer quiet confidence.  The Lynx weren’t braggarts or boisterous they remained business like and casual.  They came in, took care of business and left.  This trend continued.
Samuel Ross was getting more and more playing time.  He was also racking up more and more wins.  Raymond Bernard was sneaking up on some of the leader boards for goalies.  There were draft rumors for Bernard, but there was business to take care of in the form of the Philadelphia Reapers.
     Minnesota had played hockey at a good pace, but couldn’t keep up with the buzz saws that were Philly and Ottawa.  The minors became a 2 team race for the top seed.  Getting the number one seed was a big priority since it was unlikely the number one seed would face Minnesota unless they made the finals.  Philadelphia had also signed some rookies who were highly touted prospects.  It got under Samuel Ross’s skin just a little bit.  Who are these guys and how do they just waltz in and act like they own the place?  Ottawa had worked hard to be where they were and these guys just showed up acting like they were the best.  Samuel got his revenge beating Philadelphia in a start that was a surprise.  Usually Ross was playing against teams that were not quite as talented or deep as Ottawa.  That helped inflate his win/loss record.  Ross had won 20 games as a backup and was one of the top goalies in the goals against average category, but none of that was as sweet as beating the Philadelphia Reapers.  It wasn’t so much the win or his performance, stopping 21 of 23 and winning in a shootout, but the confidence Acyd showed in him.  “yeah I wanted you to know that we could beat Philly matter who was in net”.  This win put Ottawa up 4 points with 10 games to go and they never looked back.  They secured the number one seed, the best record in the VHLM with 61-9-2.  The team had 3 100 point scorers and leaders all over the leader board.  Samuel Ross finished his rookie regular season with a record of 20-2-2 and .887 save percentage and 2.11 goals against average with 2 shutouts.  None of that mattered now, it was playoff time.
     The Lynx drew the Las Vegas Aces in the first round.  Everyone thought it would be a sweep.  Las Vegas came out of the gates ready to go and maybe Ross was starstruck by getting his first playoff start.  The Aces played great and won 4-3.  They wouldn’t get any closer, however and Ottawa won 4 straight to advance.  Next up for Ottawa was their nemesis, the Halifax 21st.  Halifax had a good year, but always seem to kick it up a notch against Ottawa.  It was Ottawa that jumped out to a quik 2-0 series lead.  Halifax had gone through a general manager change during the year.  Interim GM Fonzi pulled some magic as the Halifax defense and goalie played great and tied the series at 2.  Ottawa won the next 2 and closed out the series to win 4-2.  
In the other bracket, Minnesota managed to take down Philadelphia.  That number one seed paid off well for Ottawa.  Now was their biggest test of the year.  Ottawa had knocked Minnesota out of the ranks of the unbeaten, but could they do it consistently?  The series looked like it was going to be one for the ages.  Ottawa, who had a deep history versus Minnesota who would have had a historically good season except for Ottawa and Philadelphia.  Everyone, including the Ottawa locker room, were expecting a long, hard-fought series.   Have I mentioned hockey is a weird game?                Minnesota was rather un-ceremoniously trounced 4-0 in the series.  Raymond Bernard had backstopped the Lynx to a championship.  The Ottawa forwards had been consistently strong and the defense played a great two way series.  Samuel Ross was a champion.    It was a bittersweet moment, as much as the championship was great, it was his last moment in a Lynx uniform.  Samuel had a big decision to make.
     Samuel had the experience to jump into the VHL draft.  It was his chance to make it to the top tier of a professional league even if it was as a backup.  He could also stay down in the minors and develop even more as a superstar in that league.  After a few interviews from VHL general managers, a big announcement would change the future of the league.  Two new teams would join the league.  This was good news for Samuel Ross and now former roommate Raymond Bernard.  This means that a possible 4 new goalie spots opened up.  It was a chance for each goalie to be a part of history and not have the pressure of trying to start on a championship caliber team.  With a week left until the draft, Samuel Ross made his decision to leave the VHL minor league system.  Sure he was a backup on a championship team, he had put in lots of work.  VHL gms had noticed, scouts had noticed and Samuel felt like he had achieved about all he could in the minors.  Also, what if he took the spot for the next no name goaltender from some part of the world that no one had heard of?  What if he took the next Samuel Ross’s spot?  It just felt right to move up.  After an excited phone call to his parents, Samuel took a week off in South Carolina.  He went back to his life of fishing, boiled peanuts, frying everything in site, and showing his parents his newfound dish of “hillbilly poutine” at least for a week,  Hockey was never far away as he still was an instructional coach for a developmental summer camp.  Hockey was no longer a ticket to greener pastures, it was his job.  The only question that was left was who would draft him?    
 
Holy cow there is 1924 words in here.  Sorry if you actually read the whole thing!

Samuel knew he was talented, but never dreamed that so many people had noticed his skills.  He had never heard of the VHL, but after showing interest in the league, it was clear they knew at least a little about him.  The offers to play in the minor leagues started to trickle in.  Sam had picked an odd time to join the league, the draft had already happened and most teams had a good idea of how their roster was going to shape up.  Even with what seemed like bad timing, Samuel had a decision to make.  He had two offers to be a starter, and while that seemed great, he wasn’t so sure that he was starting material.  That left one option,  the Ottawa Lynx.
     Samuel’s decision wasn’t solely made on playing time though, it had a lot to do with the Ottawa GM.  Acyd Burn was starting his first season for a team that had lost in the finals the season before.  “Perfect situation” thought Sam, “I can learn this league, be a backup without a lot of pressure.”  After a day or two of consideration, he accepted a one year deal with Ottawa to back up Raymond Bernard.


    For a kid who had never been out of the United States, Ottawa was quite a shock.  Not knowing any French, exchange rates or even what the menu was (what is this poutine???) Samuel Ross needed help.  A lot of rookie goalies would feel threatened by a GM signing another rookie, but Raymond Bernard wasn’t like that.  Raymond Bernard had also made a big name for himself in a small league in California, but was much more cultured than Ross.  Samuel Ross had found his new friend and Sherpa on his professional hockey journey.  Ross knew that Bernard was the backup and didn’t mind his role.  Ross told his general manager, “I don’t care much about playing time, just play whoever is better.”  That didn’t mean he was going to let Acyd have an easy decision.
 
                                                                                                            
Ottawa dropped their first game to Halifax.  Halifax had one of the better goalies and were just a little better than the Lynx.  The team chemistry was just off.  Ottawa hit the practice rink hard and the wins started rolling.  Although Ottawa was on a winning streak, the league was held hostage by the Minnesota Storm.  The Storm had the number one overall draft pick, Berocka Sundqvist and a strong offensive minded defensive corps.  Ottawa also was being held hostage by their penalties.  Hockey is a strange game, Ottawa was having penalty problems but only had one big hitter, league leader Anthony Hawk.  Instead of giving a huge, domineering speech Acyd Burn kept his cool.  He knew that Ottawa needed a fresh face and some more practice time.  It was time for a trade.  Samuel Ross had never heard of Finnegan MacBurn, but as a rookie, he had not known of ninety percent of the league.  Soon everyone would know both.  
                                                                                                              
      Finnegan MacBurn was a hot shot defenseman that took over lower leagues.  He was college educated with the swagger of arrogance that came from a wealthy family line in California.  Opposites do indeed attract because both hit it off instantly.  Samuel and Finnegan both had huge work ethics and both liked to have fun.  It was nothing unusual for MacBurn to buy the team drinks after wins and to jump into the post game celebratory antics with Samuel.  It seemed like the defense was solidified, but what about the forwards?
Zeno Mitili was in his second year with Ottawa, but was playing like a 10 year veteran.  He was scoring at a record pace that had not ben seen since the experience cap was put on the minors.  There were rumors of him scoring an unimaginable 150 points.  He wasn’t alone atop the leader boards.  Anthony Hawk was turning into one of the best two way players in the minors, but in stepped another contender for that title, Thorny Underyew.
      No one was sure how everyone knew Underyew would be a great captain.  He wasn’t the biggest locker room presence lacking the flair of Samuel Ross and Finnegan MacBurn.  However, you did not want to let him down.  He was a lot like Oscar Robertson, you might do the wrong thing once, but that was your one time.  If you were in the right place, Underyew made sure you were successful.  Thorny was moving up the scoring ladder and reminding people of another great leader, Mark Messier.  One third through the season, Ottawa sat in third place behind last season’s champions, the Philadelphia Reapers and the undefeated Minnesota Storm.  This set the table for a huge match up between Ottawa and Philadelphia.
     Even though Samuel Ross wasn’t playing, this game gave him the sense of nervous excitement of a playoff game.  Ottawa knew they were good and knew they had a good chance of winning, but Minnesota had looked so impressive this season. Ottawa jumped out to a two to one lead with Finnegan scoring a goal.  The impressive stat was that Ottawa out shot Minnesota 18-6. Minnesota tied it up, but the game wasn’t as close as the score suggested.  MacBurn assisted on captain Underyew’s goal to give Ottawa a 3-2 lead and Anthony Hawk scored and empty netter to take down undefeated Minnesota 4-2.  Ottawa only allowed 12 shots the entire game and Finnegan MacBurn was named first star.  Finally everyone knew how good Ottawa was, it was no longer quiet confidence.  The Lynx weren’t braggarts or boisterous they remained business like and casual.  They came in, took care of business and left.  This trend continued.
Samuel Ross was getting more and more playing time.  He was also racking up more and more wins.  Raymond Bernard was sneaking up on some of the leader boards for goalies.  There were draft rumors for Bernard, but there was business to take care of in the form of the Philadelphia Reapers.
     Minnesota had played hockey at a good pace, but couldn’t keep up with the buzz saws that were Philly and Ottawa.  The minors became a 2 team race for the top seed.  Getting the number one seed was a big priority since it was unlikely the number one seed would face Minnesota unless they made the finals.  Philadelphia had also signed some rookies who were highly touted prospects.  It got under Samuel Ross’s skin just a little bit.  Who are these guys and how do they just waltz in and act like they own the place?  Ottawa had worked hard to be where they were and these guys just showed up acting like they were the best.  Samuel got his revenge beating Philadelphia in a start that was a surprise.  Usually Ross was playing against teams that were not quite as talented or deep as Ottawa.  That helped inflate his win/loss record.  Ross had won 20 games as a backup and was one of the top goalies in the goals against average category, but none of that was as sweet as beating the Philadelphia Reapers.  It wasn’t so much the win or his performance, stopping 21 of 23 and winning in a shootout, but the confidence Acyd showed in him.  “yeah I wanted you to know that we could beat Philly matter who was in net”.  This win put Ottawa up 4 points with 10 games to go and they never looked back.  They secured the number one seed, the best record in the VHLM with 61-9-2.  The team had 3 100 point scorers and leaders all over the leader board.  Samuel Ross finished his rookie regular season with a record of 20-2-2 and .887 save percentage and 2.11 goals against average with 2 shutouts.  None of that mattered now, it was playoff time.
     The Lynx drew the Las Vegas Aces in the first round.  Everyone thought it would be a sweep.  Las Vegas came out of the gates ready to go and maybe Ross was starstruck by getting his first playoff start.  The Aces played great and won 4-3.  They wouldn’t get any closer, however and Ottawa won 4 straight to advance.  Next up for Ottawa was their nemesis, the Halifax 21st.  Halifax had a good year, but always seem to kick it up a notch against Ottawa.  It was Ottawa that jumped out to a quik 2-0 series lead.  Halifax had gone through a general manager change during the year.  Interim GM Fonzi pulled some magic as the Halifax defense and goalie played great and tied the series at 2.  Ottawa won the next 2 and closed out the series to win 4-2.  
In the other bracket, Minnesota managed to take down Philadelphia.  That number one seed paid off well for Ottawa.  Now was their biggest test of the year.  Ottawa had knocked Minnesota out of the ranks of the unbeaten, but could they do it consistently?  The series looked like it was going to be one for the ages.  Ottawa, who had a deep history versus Minnesota who would have had a historically good season except for Ottawa and Philadelphia.  Everyone, including the Ottawa locker room, were expecting a long, hard-fought series.   Have I mentioned hockey is a weird game?                Minnesota was rather un-ceremoniously trounced 4-0 in the series.  Raymond Bernard had backstopped the Lynx to a championship.  The Ottawa forwards had been consistently strong and the defense played a great two way series.  Samuel Ross was a champion.    It was a bittersweet moment, as much as the championship was great, it was his last moment in a Lynx uniform.  Samuel had a big decision to make.
     Samuel had the experience to jump into the VHL draft.  It was his chance to make it to the top tier of a professional league even if it was as a backup.  He could also stay down in the minors and develop even more as a superstar in that league.  After a few interviews from VHL general managers, a big announcement would change the future of the league.  Two new teams would join the league.  This was good news for Samuel Ross and now former roommate Raymond Bernard.  This means that a possible 4 new goalie spots opened up.  It was a chance for each goalie to be a part of history and not have the pressure of trying to start on a championship caliber team.  With a week left until the draft, Samuel Ross made his decision to leave the VHL minor league system.  Sure he was a backup on a championship team, he had put in lots of work.  VHL gms had noticed, scouts had noticed and Samuel felt like he had achieved about all he could in the minors.  Also, what if he took the spot for the next no name goaltender from some part of the world that no one had heard of?  What if he took the next Samuel Ross’s spot?  It just felt right to move up.  After an excited phone call to his parents, Samuel took a week off in South Carolina.  He went back to his life of fishing, boiled peanuts, frying everything in site, and showing his parents his newfound dish of “hillbilly poutine” at least for a week,  Hockey was never far away as he still was an instructional coach for a developmental summer camp.  Hockey was no longer a ticket to greener pastures, it was his job.  The only question that was left was who would draft him?    
 
Holy cow there is 1924 words in here.  Sorry if you actually read the whole thing!

It seems weird that on a 90 degree day with a hurricane churning not far away hockey is on someone’s mind.  Word has just been sent by Samuel Ross’s agent, Brrbis Brr that Ross will declare for the VHL draft.  Ross released this statement just minutes ago.

       After hours of thoughts and prayers I have decided to continue to pursue my dream of playing professional hockey in the VHL.  Although I did have the option to be a major star in the VHL minor system, I feel like I have gotten as much as I could have accomplished at that level.  I also would not want to take a spot away from an aspiring star just to be dominant in the minors.  That is not what the minors mean to me.  I would like to thank my now former GM AcydBurn for giving me a contract, a chance and being a straight up guy with me.  I would like to thank my Ottawa teammates for a great season and memories that I will cherish until the end.  Not many players win championships in their rookie seasons and that is something to be proud of.  I know I have a long road ahead of me and I am going to struggle.  I hope that any general manager that is willing to draft me realizes that also.  I am not afraid of hard work and I’m not afraid of being a good teammate.  Thank you
 

It seems weird that on a 90 degree day with a hurricane churning not far away hockey is on someone’s mind.  Word has just been sent by Samuel Ross’s agent, Brrbis Brr that Ross will declare for the VHL draft.  Ross released this statement just minutes ago.

       After hours of thoughts and prayers I have decided to continue to pursue my dream of playing professional hockey in the VHL.  Although I did have the option to be a major star in the VHL minor system, I feel like I have gotten as much as I could have accomplished at that level.  I also would not want to take a spot away from an aspiring star just to be dominant in the minors.  That is not what the minors mean to me.  I would like to thank my now former GM AcydBurn for giving me a contract, a chance and being a straight up guy with me.  I would like to thank my Ottawa teammates for a great season and memories that I will cherish until the end.  Not many players win championships in their rookie seasons and that is something to be proud of.  I know I have a long road ahead of me and I am going to struggle.  I hope that any general manager that is willing to draft me realizes that also.  I am not afraid of hard work and I’m not afraid of being a good teammate.  Thank you
 

It seems weird that on a 90 degree day with a hurricane churning not far away hockey is on someone’s mind.  Word has just been sent by Samuel Ross’s agent, Brrbis Brr that Ross will declare for the VHL draft.  Ross released this statement just minutes ago.

       After hours of thoughts and prayers I have decided to continue to pursue my dream of playing professional hockey in the VHL.  Although I did have the option to be a major star in the VHL minor system, I feel like I have gotten as much as I could have accomplished at that level.  I also would not want to take a spot away from an aspiring star just to be dominant in the minors.  That is not what the minors mean to me.  I would like to thank my now former GM AcydBurn for giving me a contract, a chance and being a straight up guy with me.  I would like to thank my Ottawa teammates for a great season and memories that I will cherish until the end.  Not many players win championships in their rookie seasons and that is something to be proud of.  I know I have a long road ahead of me and I am going to struggle.  I hope that any general manager that is willing to draft me realizes that also.  I am not afraid of hard work and I’m not afraid of being a good teammate.  Thank you