DarkSpyro

Malmo Nighthawks Home Jersey reveal for S92. (signed by team Captain, Ash Sparks) GO NIGHTHAWKS!! -️

Ash Sparks was born January 7th of ‘95 in a small town just outside Hamilton, Ontario- to a modest family whose roots were mostly dug into the music industry. Being the 3rd child in a family with 7 kids and having 2 parents that worked full time- made life very busy for Ash ever since he was a little boy, but he would still grow up having a fairly fortunate life. Ash has 1 older brother, 2 younger brothers, and 3 sisters- most of which ended up playing hockey or had musical talents with different instruments, or a mix of both! The Sparks household was always loud and rowdy whether it came to jamming out together- or playing hockey in the street with their neighbours. The 4 brothers were all skilled hockey players growing up and played at a very high level in their respective age groups! All of them were either forwards or defensemen except for Ash, who played goalie ever since he was 7 years old. His natural athleticism and fearlessness of facing shots from kids older than him, quickly made him a great goalie so he begged and pleaded with his father to get him goalie equipment for ice hockey. It took some convincing but after watching a 7 year old Ash stop shots from 9,10, and 11 year olds that played Triple A- even making some incredible saves that had all the boys cheering, his father would get him the proper equipment just before the summer ended and then signed him up to play house-league as a goalie for the coming season. Ash and his older brother are 2 years apart so he would commonly watch his older brother play at the rink, but he would also get the occasional chances to play goalie in practices for his older brother’s teams. One of those practice when he was 11 years old, would impress his older brother’s coach so much that he informed the Triple A coach for Ash’s age group. He was then told by his dad that he was offered a try-out to play for the Hamilton Jr Bulldogs! Ash was nervous resulting in him having a very rough start at first, but would eventually find his comfort zone and his confidence. He would make the team after the final try-out after impressing the coaches, which would result in him being the back-up goalie behind their already long time starting goalie. He was thrilled as he beat out 22 other goalies, most of them being 12, including that team’s previous back-up from the season before! He was also excited to be in a tandem with 1 of the best goalie in all of Ontario (who was a year older than him) because he knew he was going to learn a lot from him over the course of that season. (Ash Sparks at age 14, playing for the AAA Hamilton Jr Bulldogs) The team would play 91 games total (including exhibition games against local teams) and Ash Sparks played in 39 of them- racking up a total record of 29-7-3 at the Triple A level, which led him to earning more and more games as the season progressed. Although he was enjoying his time and his family would come to cheer him in at his games, he would still go watch all of his brothers and sisters games whenever he could. Ash also got to play in some more practices with his older brother when they needed another goalie which gave him more ice time to improve. This seemed to be the trend with some highs and lows during his playing career until he turned 16- when he got to play on the same team as his older brother for 1 season on the Jr A Hamilton Bulldogs. Ash would join the team to play as the backup due to that age group being filled with 17 and 18 year olds, but despite that his performances in net would eventually earn him the starter role for the playoffs and the following 2 seasons. (Ash Sparks at age 18, playing in the OHL for the Hamilton Bulldogs) His older brother would eventually be drafted to the Florida Panthers in the 6th round, but when the time came for Ash Sparks at the age of 18 to be draft eligible- he was not as fortunate as his older brother. This meant if Ash wanted to pursue his hockey dreams; he was going to either have to play in a men’s league somewhere in North America, or play over seas. This is where Ash Sparks would play international hockey in Europe for the next 2 years before signing a contract with the Houston Bulls in the VHLM. The GM of Houston Bulls was in need of a back up goalie for his club at the trade deadline, and had noticed Ash Sparks when he and his team came to play a lower level Houston team. Impressed, he approached Ash after 1 of the games and asked “instead of flying back to Europe with them, would you consider playing as a back-up for the Houston Bulls?”. Ash was a little hesitant at first, but once he realized it was a chance to play even higher level hockey- he accepted his offer without further hesitation. This marks the beginning of Ash Sparks’ career into the VHLM, which would eventually bring us to the present day; where he a leader of the Malmo Nighthawks in the VHL and has been a fan favourite to many of their fans for multiple seasons now. (Most recent Malmo Nighthawks “player poster” featuring Ash Sparks) While Ash may appear to only be dedicated to hockey, he can be caught screaming metal lyrics while jamming out on his guitar quite often. Whether it be on the bus or in the hotel rooms during road trips, or even in the LR sometimes! He’s also been seen at Henrik Lundqvist’s bar in New York called “Tiny” whenever the Malmo Nighthawks play road games against the New York Americans, where he can be spotted jamming out as heard in this interview with the NHL Hall of Famer himself! He’s a fairly charismatic and energetic individual which brings a lot of life to whatever team he plays on- often being the spark that gets his teammates fired up before games. He has a fiery attitude but if he maintains his composure he can use that to fuel his passion. He never gives up on a save and wears his heart on his sleeve, but can get tilted after playing bad because he knows he can do better. He is fairly good at staying level headed but once you spark his fuse, be ready for nothing to remain but Ash. Ash Sparks has 2 younger brothers are 2 years and 5 years younger than him, so we could very well see another Sparks in the VHL some day as well. (1,157 words)

Today marks the start of season 92! The Malmo Nighthawks have released the starting lineups for their home opener tonight, giving us a little preview during their morning skate. From what we could tell, the team has settled on calling up rookie sensation Philip Rave @tcookie to play on the left wing along side elite scorer Henry Eagles @Greg_Di on the right, with Ronald Johnson MacWallace III @RJMW returning as their centre, and defenders Conference Prince-de-Galles @UnkemptCL4PTP and Reese McFleury @Spaz to round out a scary 2nd line. Nighthawks staple and starting Goalie Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro returns to the crease in spectacular form, hoping to lead his squad towards the Continental Cup this season. Lastly the top line for Malmo is looking very sharp as well, with many returning faces up front including centre Viktor Jensen @Advantage who is looking immaculate during Training Camp this season. On his wings are newly promoted assistant captain Savaisk Tzesar @comrade cat on his left and Yaroslav Bogatyrev @Bojovnik on the right, forming a dynamic scoring line with lots of grit and snarl. On the blue line behind them- we have Jacob Stone @scoop and Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish @hylands which gives the Nighthawks a very solid and talent filled defensive-core this season. (211 words)

Well said man

Aww that’s too bad that I could really give a shit dude lol this ain’t the NHL Sooo are you gunna go and share that info to all of the former captains and alternates that are goalies on every single other teams now? Yeah I didn’t think so either

S92 Malmo Nighthawks Captains C - Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro A - Viktor Jensen @Advantage A - Boris Tzesar @comrade cat A*- Henry Eagles @Greg_Di (was an “A” for many seasons- and due to the Captain being a goalie this season, I believe he should still be an alternate assistant captain for those back-up games when Sparks is on the bench) Go Nighthawks!️

It’s a great honour to be named Captain and play along such a great group- LETS GET IT NIGHTHAWKS!!

This man’s brilliance knows no bounds Far and away the best thing I have ever read on the forums- incredible bio G!!

- Let’s go Nighthawks!!️

The Malmo Nighthawks have made a few adjustments this off-season on and off the ice. There were 3 contract extensions which saw the elite winger and assistant Captain Henry Eagles @Greg_Di who had a career high season putting up 42 goals and 96 points, rising star Ronald Johnson MacWallace III @RJMW that had a solid rookie campaign last season putting up 26 assists and 34 points, and the other other assistant Captain and starting goaltender Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro who recorded 38 wins, a 0.923 save%, 2.56 GAA, and 3 shutouts last season- all return to keep a good chunk of the core together. 2 Nighthawks players decided not to return, and long time AGM @Spaz would step down which meant change was going to be inevitable. While losing top defender Skor McFleury @Alex would hurt the backend and not be an easy hole to patch, it actually would turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the team’s chemistry inside the locker room- immediately seeing improvements in moral and activity. Losing Yaroslav Trunov @qripll would also hurt the franchise, as there was now a void in 2 different positions on the Nighthawks roster that would prove difficult to fill. Enter 2 new fresh faces; Defensemen Conference Prince-de-Galles @UnkemptCL4PTP, and rookie Philip Rave @tcookie. Prince-de-Galles is a promising young defensemen acquired from the Prague Phantoms but he played in the VHLE last season for Rome, managing 20 goals and 62 points from the backend! Philip Rave was the Nighthawks 17th overall pick in the S91 draft, who played for Cologne in the VHLE last season as well. The final addition to the team was the hiring of new AGM @twists before training camp arrived and he made an immediate impact on the team by bringing a positive energy into the locker room! Reports have come in that on a Friday morning before the team’s scheduled practice, some players of the Nighthawks including goaltender Ash Sparks and their new AGM were seen at a Taco Bell ordering tacos and burritos for breakfast. 1 person claims they overheard the AGM and Ash Sparks order everything off the menu- on top of what everyone else ordered, and proceeded to “smash the whole order right then and there”. A VHL insider from VSN managed to confirm this when he caught up with Ash Sparks at the rink before practice, when Sparks said: “yeah- me ‘n some of the guys got together the night before, Y’know, to meet our new AGM.. went out, all of us crashed at my place, then decided on tacos for breakfast. Never tried doing that before and it was actually a good way to fuel up before headin’ to the ice for over 2 hours. Overall it’s also just good to bond with our teammates whenever we can, and including our newest members whether they are a player or in management, is always important.” It looks like this team is building chemistry on and off the ice this offseason, could this spell a new recipe for success? Maybe this could become a new tradition for the Nighthawks before the first practice of each Training Camp if the results don’t lie. Only time will tell but for now- everything in Malmo is looking sunny ahead of S92! (546 words)

You’re free to feel that way, but I have felt quite the opposite for a few years now (ever since my first player, seriously this is nothing new lol) It’s probably just a culmination of MANY different examples, such as S89 when a certain someone witnessed a landslide of votes all towards 1 user, and 0 for the other 2 nominees, when it definitely should not have been the case. Also yes, but I figured this entire thread was so what’s the difference lol and no I’m not being anti-anyone, just able to relate to how Plate is feeling right now.

It is pretty much just a biased joke every season and believe me there are many many people who have been screwed over a lot worse. All I can really say is now you know how the league actually is behind the scenes. Sadly when you speak up against any league bias, the league will keep you down and sleight you from more awards in the future. It’s definitely NOT okay but as you’ve just witnessed for yourself; multiple people will gang up on for having an opinion. Welcome to the VHL Edit: Also the voting was sooooo close that it’s hardly a landslide for someone who doesn’t deserve it. In the end it came down to a couple people agreeing over something in the BoG, not the entire committee voting for a single person (been there, it happens.)

Aww respect! Appreciate that then lol I def felt like the backup back then cuz I was drafted after Castle (in the same draft to the same team) and man has just been an absolute legend of a goalie his who career too!

Slight error. ☝ This team was led by Joel Castle. Ash Sparks was the 1-B in the tandem, Castle playing more than half of the games made him the starter (although both goalies performed brilliantly for having a team of bots and the 2 active goalies). Gotta give the props to @animal74 for leading the Rush that season, but for some reason I don’t think that was your intent when you said; Good read otherwise

Over the many seasons of the VHL’s existence, there have been many goaltenders who have made an impact and left us with many enjoyable memories. For many Nighthawks fans, Ash Sparks has been 1 such goalie to the Malmo franchise but this wasn’t always the case. [S85] VHLM Drafted 15th Overall, 2nd Round by Halifax 21st [S86] VHLE Drafted 34th Overall, 5th Round by Geneva Rush [S86] VHL Drafted 6th Overall, 1st Round by Seattle Bears VHLM Stats [S84] Houston Bulls - [S85] Halifax 21st Reg Season GP: 74 W/L/OTL: 40 - 31 - 3 Save%: 0.913 GAA: 2.53 Shutouts: 3 Playoff GP: 6 W/L/OTL: 1 - 3 - 2 Save%: 0.889 GAA: 3.98 Shutouts: 0 Awards: None S84 Houston Bulls - Entry Season (pre-draft eligibility) The Canadian born netminder played his first game back in S84 for the Houston Bulls prior to his draft eligibility. He managed to play in 12 regular season games, sporting a 9-2-1 winning record with a .900 save% and a 2.24 GAA while in the back-up role. He also got a taste of playoff action seeing 2 games when starting goalie “-“ was injured. He managed to win 1 game but sadly fell short in his 2nd appearance, losing that elimination game in OT. A bitter end and a lot to go through as a rookie in the VHLM, but this upset would only forge him in fire just before the upcoming draft. S85: Halifax 21st- VHLM Draft Eligible The S85 draft was a historic event, mostly remembered being the class this an elite group of goaltenders known as “The Heavenly 7”. These 7 goalies were almost close to the cap and showed extreme promise, meaning almost every team would be fortunate enough to have a top goalie for the season. 1 of these “Heavenly 7” goaltenders was none other than Ash Sparks, almost being overlooked in comparison to his peers when he was drafted 7th among them as the 15th overall pick in the 2nd round. Despite that on top of being drafted to a “weaker” team, Ash Sparks had a fantastic season in which he posted great numbers and delivered many impressive performances. He ended the season with a 0.914 save%, a 2.58 GAA, a respectable 4 shutouts, and a record of 31-29-2 during 62 games played. Sparks made it into the playoffs for a 2nd time in a row but yet again he did not find any post-season success. The Halifax 21st were swept in 4, leaving Sparks with an abysmal 0-3-1 record and a bitter end to his time in the VHLM. VHLE Stats [S86] Geneva Rush Reg Season GP: 37 W/L/OTL: 6 - 28 - 1 Save%: 0.929 GAA: 3.73 Shutouts: 1 Awards: 0 S86: Geneva Rush - VHL/E Draft Eligible This season was a rollercoaster for Ash Sparks due to the VHL and the VHLE draft. Being drafted last among the “Heavenly 7” in the VHLE during the 5th round as the 34th overall pick. This meant his time playing in the VHLE was going to be spent as a 1-b goalie behind fellow “Heavenly 7” alumni, Joel Castle, who was drafted earlier by the Geneva Rush in the same draft. Even though the team had no real players on a lacklustre roster, this strong goalie tandem proved to be an elite combination. Sparks showed how underrated he was and the lack of scouting done on him quickly changed. He was then drafted by the Seattle Bears 6th Overall in the 1st round for the VHL draft, higher than all the other “Heavenly 7” goalies. This would place a lot of pressure on him but also give him the nod that he is indeed 1 of the top goalies of his draft class. VHL Stats (ongoing) [S87-88] Seattle Bears - [S89-S91*] Malmo Nighthawks (Currently active on the S92 Malmo Nighthawks) Reg Season GP: 205 W/L/OTL: 101 - 78 - 22 Save%: 0.924 GAA: 2.55 Shutouts: 15 Playoff GP: 5 W/L/OTL: 2 - 2 - 1 Save%: 0.922 GAA: 2.91 Shutouts: 0 Awards: None S87-88: Seattle Bears The first season Ash Sparks entered the big leagues, was by far his worst season to date. The nerves of jumping up into his role in the VHL, mixed with a few traumatic events leading up to it during the off-season, was a recipe for a disastrous entry season for the upcoming netminder. Sparks made 10 appearances during S87 and recorded some poor numbers in those few games. His save% was an 0.889 and he had a 3.51 GAA with a losing record of 4-5-0, which really was not the expect start of such a high draft pick. The following season faired a little better, but not good enough to give any confidence to his GM for playing him more- leaving him seeing the crease only 8 games during his 2nd season. Compared to the previous season, he did much better with a 0.916 save%, a 2.36 GAA, a winning record of 5-3-0, and also got a single shutout for his efforts in goal. Hoping this improvement would give him a chance to make a run at being Seattle’s starter for S89, the GM had already given up on him. The former 6th Overall pick was on the edge of being considered a bust, so it was time for Seattle to move on and recoup what they could for Sparks during the off-season. This nearly made Sparks feel defeated enough to outright retire, but instead he decided to give Malmo a chance and proceed onwards to join his new team. The following trade ensued; Malmo receives: Ash Sparks - G S89 SEA 4th S90 SEA 3rd S91 SEA 2nd S91 SEA 4th Seattle receives: Ilya Bryzgalov - G Rex Wolffe Gregor - D S89-present: Malmo Nighthawks Ash Sparks was longer a member of the organization that drafted him, but his new teammates would welcome him with open arms. His first season as a Nighthawk was his best season in his career to date, playing as if he had something to prove. Over the course of 67 total appearances, he managed a 30-26-8 record which would give a new light and sense of confidence to the young Nighthawks team who had been a struggling franchise for some time. What made this season so impressive was that not only was he playing in his first season on a new team, becoming their full time starter, he had some ridiculously good numbers too! Sparks was top 2 in the league with a 0.931 save%, top 3 in the league with a 2.49 GAA, and led the league comfortably in shutouts with 9 which doubled the next closest goalie. Sparks would become the top goalie for season 89 but even with incredible stats despite not being on a strong team, he would fail to receive a single vote towards any of the awards he was nominated for. This enraged and upset many but sadly in the end, Sparks got screwed over after a godly season. Ash Sparks took a step back the following season due to some injury resulting in only 56 appearances in net for S90. He still managed a 24-23-9 record and had a 2.48 GAA with a .921%, but he only had 2 shutouts this time around. Last season (S91) was a rollercoaster for Sparks. He had a 3-4-1 record, a 0.880 save%, and a GAA that was over 4.50 to start the season. He then proceeded to go on a 10 game winning streak, followed by 2 overtime losses, and then another 10 game winning streak- going absolutely nuts in goal with a 23-4-3 record! As the season started to normalize, Malmo was still near the top of the league in points and would hang on till the end- finally make it to the playoffs. Ash Sparks ended the regular season with a winning record of 38-21-5, a solid 0.923 save%, a decent 2.56 GAA, and 3 more shutouts to his name. While Malmo would give it their best efforts, they came up short in the wildcard round to the Helsinki Titans who would end up losing to the Toronto Legion in the finals. A bittersweet end for S91 but Sparks would end up with a 2-2-1 record in 5 playoff games, earning a 0.922 save% and a 2.91 GAA. As this is being written during the off-season before S92, only time will tell how Ash Sparks will do this season. He may play till the very end, so a final update for his remaining seasons will resume on another article. To be continued.. (1,432 words)

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