Denver

I AIN'T ON THE LIST, THIS MOTHERFUCKER IS OUT!?

do it for the vine!

SLOW AND STEADY Ryan Cattrall is off to an interesting start to his first full season in the VHLM with the Oslo Storm, in which the Storm shot out to an early lead before dropping two early yet critical games against improved opponents. Overall Cattrall is doing well, he’s following what coaches are saying and doing what he can. Stat wise he’s been keeping others on their toes, having scored more goals than assists after being heavily favored for becoming a dominant pass-first player. He isn’t complaining much, although he and his agent wish he could get a few more assist, he’s enjoying the ride both playing with his teammates and learning as they keep trying to improve themselves on the road to becoming one of the best teams in all of Europe. At the rate they’re going, they could be an interesting contender for the playoffs later down the road - maybe it’s a sign that the European Conference has finally gotten over the slump and the power vacuum that resides in the VHLM thanks to the North American Conference? – That remains to be seen, but going forward you can already tell that Cattrall and the Storm are going to do their best to make a run for the cup!

+2 Work was hetic, forgot to nab this...

ONE FOR THE TEAM When you’re a 2nd round pick in the VHLM draft there’s never a dull moment, that’s definitely true for Ryan Cattrall who was caught out and about purchasing skates and sticks for the entire Oslo Storm roster to help ensure they were on the same page. Cattrall’s purchase might’ve been a little too outside the box, but at least his head was in the right place. Hopefully nobody was offended when he showed up with the equipment at practice. “I don’t really even know what size all the guys wear or what brand of stick they use. At least they’ll know where I’m coming from, I want to win and I’m willing to do anything to help make that possible. Be it purchasing gear for everybody as a pick me up or staying late after practice, skating after hours or even trying to improve my slap shot.” Cattrall offered reporters as he was leaving the store. Of course he’s doing everything in his power, he’s seemingly stepped it up in practice and has become a faster skater since the VHLM’s 39th season ended and he’s learning to handle the puck better, if this is a sign of awesome things to come you best believe he’s only going to become a stud in the future. Hopefully he doesn’t over do it on the goodwill towards his team and tries to help them out there on the ice, where it matters most.

KCIII for President!

“I’ve got something to prove to the VHL and it starts with putting in the work with the Storm.” — Ryan Cattrall As the newest member of the Helsinki Titans and the Oslo Storm, Ryan Cattrall has a lot of work ahead of him. Having only played enough games between two different teams as a free agent waiver pick up, that was traded keeping his best interest in mind. Cattrall put up numbers that makes coaches and VLHM personnel smile at the same time they weren’t as good as his former Yukon Rush teammates. Now he’s out to improve on the previous season (if you could call it that) and prove himself worthy of his 15th overall selection in the VHL Entry Draft. Still, there are a lot of variables that suggest his climb to the top is going to span more than just a single season, Rome wasn’t built in a day and if he really wants to make it in the VHL he’s going to have to perform at a high level from start to finish. That starts with the film room, working out his coaches and developing a routine that suits him best. More importantly he’s going to continue to have to be as unselfish as humanly deemed possible – an element to his game that helped him put up decent numbers on the Rush, that’s also going to help him succeed on the Storm. This could very well go beyond the x’s and o’s of drawing up plays on the ice, it’s a mindset that younger prospects like Cattrall have to develop early on. Now is the time where the real games begin, each and every game from here on out is a part of an ongoing process that eventually becomes an audition for being called up. The ones who succeed are the ones who continually show up game after game, ignore risking injury or flu and stay as consistent as they can throughout the season. That’s easier said than done considering the fact that statistically speaking being a VHL prospect with any type of momentum doesn’t always bode well without a certain tenacity found in elite level players. It can’t be taught, but it can be learned in the sense that the more gritty and tough a player becomes over time, depending how passionate they are, they can archive a level of success that could rival some of the VHL’s historically gifted players. Right now Cattrall is one of few dark horses looking to make an impact for his (or ‘her’ team if you’re looking from the perspective of one Jamie Hill) right now they might not need to make an impact, but it’s nice to know that the future of VHL’s style of hockey is only going to improve as one by one these prospects start to emerge and come into their own and supplying their teams with unforgettable moments and plays worth remembering. Putting it in perspective for Cattrall early is as simple as saying: “waiting in the wings” he’s definitely not ready to start on a team with only 55 practice hours with his previous VHLM, nor is he going to be widely accepted as a potential 2nd round pick turned eventual superstar once he gets going. His situation depends on how well he performs, underperforming isn’t an option. It’s more about how hungry he is and what he’ll be willing to do to grasp superstardom by the horns. Already he’s made some pretty good moves on the ice, it warranted a 15th pick, but now he’s going to have to make the right choices in terms of how he approaches the rest of his career or else he could find himself walking a very thin line between being an active part of a VHL team or remembered for how his career ended prematurely due to his own inhibitions like most who’ve come before him. What motivates him the most is the fact that last season as a player on the Rush they fell just short, it always stings when you’re sitting outside in the cold for the post season. To his credit, he’s already using that feeling amongst the nagging reaction that his selection might’ve been a little early as motivation. Cattrall’s going to have to work harder than most if he wants to prove something to the league and an appropriate impact, however, it could happen sooner rather than later.

I ain't afraid of none of you

CATTRALL BECOMES NEWEST TITAN The VHL is always a surprising place when it comes to championships and drafts, this year made no exception as Ryan Cattrall was selected 15th overall in the VHL’s draft. His path to the draft wasn’t a very congenital one; he spent a short stint with the Yukon Rush as a free agent wavier pick up. To his credit, it must feel good knowing he has a secure contract with a VHL team as he spends his remaining eligibility in the VHLM. The pick itself left many draft analysts skeptical of Helsinki’s choice of drafting the Canadian-born wing so high with so many quality choices left on the board at his position. His agent also was amongst those who were shocked at his selection of course Cattrall was quick to wipe away a few tears as he headed up on stage to pull on that Titan’s sweater. “I’m not overly emotional by any means, everything just kind of caught up to me and it had come full circle and it felt really good. I’m one step closer to my dream of being a part of a VHL team, and I get to continue working hard in the VHLM for the next couple of seasons before doing my part in the VHL. I might not be the best here in the draft, but who knows what I can do the sky’s the limit now. I’m coming into the league with a huge chip on my shoulder and a smile on my face knowing that I’m a Titan. I’m ready to come in, work hard, and hopefully be ready once the time comes to produce for my team.” Over the course of the mock draft period most people pegged Cattrall to be a third rounder, meanwhile this selection on paper seems more of a reach seeing as he had only fifty-five hours with the Yukon Rush. Then again, could Helsinki as a whole see something in Cattrall at the 15th pick that warranted his selection?

glad to be a time to get to work

I'm just ready to be put on a team so I can work my ass off for TPE.

NA better win, all those Yukon players...

Just so you know as a person with Epilepsy this doesn't bother me...

STUDENT OF THE GAME Yukon might not be in the playoffs this year after falling just short of the cut. For a certain draftee, his season isn’t over yet. Rumor around the internet seems to point towards his preparation for the VHLM / VHL drafts respectively as he preps from home practicing with friends and former peers he’s been watching both playoffs, laying a floor plan in how he might want to approach his first full season. Those closest to Cattrall seem to think his focus has shifted from just finishing the season to making an eventual impact next season. Most were quick to cut draftees like him some sack seeing as most were signed towards the end of the season. Next season is going to be a different story for players like Cattrall who saw some production early on into their VHLM career will all be held accountable for what they may or may not bring to the table next season. For most it’ll either be a very short process or long one that resembles a very steep hill to climb. With names like Richardson, O’Malley and Cote just jumping out at you as heavy draft favorites you can only imagine what the rest of the draftees are thinking right about now. That all attests to how deep the draft really is and seems to be getting by the day as players look to separate themselves from the pack in the coming weeks ahead of the draft.

Ryan Cattrall - 2 TPE

EFFORT: 2/2 - Effort: Serious effort is serious. I really think you spent a great deal of time on this thing, and it shows. Overall I see a few things that really make this easily likeable and easy on the eyes. LOOK: 3/3 - I enjoy the overall look of this the stock work is both adventurous and trippy. If I didn’t know better it’s easy to mistake the stock for a tree against a really nice sky. As for the render I’m a huge fan of the lighting on it, I like how it encompasses your stock and breathes life throughout the entirety of the sig. Only thing I’m not a fan of is the font choice. I feel like you could’ve taken a risk here or there, but it doesn’t really change how well put together this signature is. CREATIVITY: 2/2 - I really enjoy what you’ve done with the stock, the render, and the coloring of the sig. It breaths something summer and is really nice to look at and aside from the font choice, I can’t find too many things wrong with this signature. FINAL: 6

EFFORT: 2/2 - You’ve put some effort into this one for sure; most of everything seems to be in order. I can’t help but feel really good about the size of the sig, I always love compact graphics. LOOK: 2.5/3 - Overall I somewhat enjoy this graphic the render is a really good size and takes up most of the signature and that’s really important. The Text is really strong, I like the font, but as Jamie said it’s a really hard sell for me. I feel like you could’ve used a different font, a thinner far more compact font maybe? It just looks really boxy and doesn’t fit with the style of the sig well. As for the stock work I’m not a fan because I think you tired a little too hard with the foreground. I can’t tell if that’s a white to gray gradient or you just used solid white and changed the opacity, but it really seems to flush the sig straight out and seems rather dull on the eyes. I also gave to pick at the splatter against it, it almost looks as if you selected your eraser and picked a random brush from your pallet and went through with using it as an eraser for a cool effect. CREATIVITY: 2/2 - I can tell you really made the effort and put time into this sig, I feel visually you were going for something and for some reason it was rushed or feels rushed. Still it was a very good attempt and I can’t fault that. FINAL: 6

EFFORT: 2/2 - You’ve put a great deal of time into this graphic, it shows in how you’ve spaced everything out and given more room for your render to be the centerpiece of the graphic. LOOK: 2.75/3 - Normally I shy away from graphics that revolve around black, white or red but you’ve done something with the climate of the piece. I really love the stock choice and how you seemingly worked the grunge into the splatter and how the spatter surrounds and revolves itself back to the render. The coloring of the render also helps with the lighting, at least from what I’m looking at and that’s a neat little trick it doesn’t really detract from the eye. The font is a little hard to read because of the effects used on it. The biggest offender has to be what at least to me appears to be the lens flair into a single line stroke you really can’t tell is that’s an ‘r’ or a ‘b’ but clearly it’s ‘jr.’ overall that’s the only thing that really bothers me most about this sig. CREATIVITY: 2/2 - The way you executed this sig was done in a really creative way and aside from a few questionable choices this is a really good graphic and exhibits a really neat style in itself. Overall I really like this, you’ve got a knack for laying graphics out so I really can respect that. FINAL: 6

EFFORT: 2/2 - You’ve really put some effort into this sig and it shows, interestingly enough I like most of what’s going on here. LOOK: 2.75/3 - I really like the coloring, the lighting and typography. The colors pop and really blend the entire sig together as a whole. Being honest I’m not a fan of the sig having a face plastered over the render I feel like it ruins a perfectly good graphic. CREATIVITY: 2/2 - I really feel like this was an amazing graphic and the composition, text work, and coloring were the best parts. I feel like you could’ve saved covering up the render, not only is it distracting it takes away from the graphic itself. FINAL: 6

Ryan Cattrall Forward Points Assists

EFFORT: 2/2 - Of course there is effort in the sig, I honestly really like how this sig came out there’s a certain harmony to it that makes it stand out. LOOK: 2.5/3 - For some reason I feel there’s a certain urban vibe I get out of this out of nowhere. I really enjoy the colors used on the stock seeing as they really tie in well with the render, not to mention as far as placement and the text work I have to agree half-heartedly with Jamie with in terms of how they’re positioned. I feel the render is sized perfectly, but the text could’ve been a bit larger and I feel it’s somewhat lost in the lighting and competing with the render at the same time. CREATIVITY: 2/2 - Again I really liked this sig, I’ve seen some really creative sigs on the VHL since joining and this one doesn’t disappoint. The choice in lighting and text work on the sig does affect it, but it doesn’t completely kill what you were trying to go for so that’s not so much of a bad thing. FINAL: 6

A YouTube video surfaced Monday afternoon of Ryan Cattrall showing off some of his newly developed skills as a part of the Yukon Rush, as he skated around locals and junior players messing around. A serious crowd formed and several different youtube accounts put out different videos of him ranging in quality. One spectator took a shot of his handling skills which was uploaded to instagram and then was taken down via request of Cattrall’s agent due to the fact that his clients standing with the VHLM and VHL harbors on adhering to the rules of conduct. As of yesterday Cattrall’s agent finally allowed the videos to be put online and has since then gained staggering numbers, while Cattrall’s status in the draft is almost uncertain these videos may or may not help his draft stock accordingly.

I got mentioned for my sig, that's awesome!

Hmm, 3rd round?