TMI

Since the end of his VHLM season, Ottawa forward Kyson Blake had not been seen or heard from.  The last anyone knew he had cleared out his locker and even skipped his exit interview, but now reports are surfacing with pictures of Blake wearing a Reign jersey in Riga.  Local reporters were able to ask him some questions and he happily responded.
 
"To be honest I was ready for it to be over.  Before the start of the year I was really looking forward to another season down in the VHLM, but as the season went on it was more of a struggle to keep focused.  We had a pretty decent team, but it seemed like a constant change in players we had so we could never really gel.  At the end of the day I just don't think I was utilized properly and in the end we came up short. The season is over now though and I'm just ready to start the next chapter of my career here in Riga."

oh dang I made a team!

The Ottawa Lynx are off to a hot start to their S64 VHLM season, however, things may not be as great internally as they appear to be externally.  There have been reports surfacing from various sources saying that star forward, Kyson Blake, has had multiple heated exchanges with both head coach and Lynx management.  It's not clear what these exchanges were in regards to because from all the information that we've been able to gather things between Blake and Ottawa were said to be on great terms and he was looking forward to playing with them this season.  
 
For some unexplained reason, however, Blake failed to record any minutes for in the team's first five games of the season and instead was listed as a "healthy scratch", not even suiting up for the team.  We're not sure if this was the cause for Blake being upset or if him being scratched was a result of the confrontations he made.  More information on this story will be come when we uncover it.

Julian Borwinn
@oilmandan
 

me

Last night the VHL Minors held a dispersal draft, basically meaning that all VHLM players are no longer on their teams and all players would be up for grabs in a draft format.  Kyson Blake entered not knowing where he would end up, but after it was all said and done, he was eventually picked with the first pick in the fourth round by the Ottawa Lynx, the very team he helped Saskatoon sweep in the finals of last season's VHLM playoffs.  Now it seems though that Blake is in a bit of a precarious position as he waits to find out his VHL fate.  Blake will be a member of the Lynx for at least 48 hours, but the team that selects him in VHL's entry draft may choose to block his return to the minors.  Blake had this to say about the situation:
 
It's definitely a weird spot to be in.  Every VHLM team I'd spoken to before the draft I had let my intention known that I'd be playing down next season, but I know I'm right on the cusp and that a VHL team may feel I can help them out this season.  I'm going to put in the work next season regardless of team or league I play for and I'll hold no ill-will or animosity towards a VHL team if they choose to block me from playing in the minors this next season.  For now though I'm a Lynx.
 
Blake certainly does make for an interesting case as he has put in a ton of work and even though he joined later than some of the other players in his class, he still ranks very highly among his peers.  There might actually be some VHL teams who feel like he has the potential to play meaningful VHL minutes in the upcoming VHL season and in such a case force Blake to stay up.  Looking back at his season it took a while for the youngster to get his feet under him as it would take 5 games for him to find his first point, an assist on a Burnt Toast goal, and 7 games before his first goal.  Hard work is nothing new to Kyson though as he was always either on the ice, in the weight room, or working with any of the Saskatoon coaches that'd work with him.  Over the course of the season Blake got better and better and at one point even had a 9 game streak where he recorded a point.
 
Kyson worked his way up the Saskatoon lines and by the time the playoffs hit he would become a vital member in the rotation.  As the Wild went down three games to one in the semis Blake continued to be a rock for the team as he managed to record a point in every game of the series.  If you were to ask him about it though, he'd probably deny any of it and instead point towards his teammates.  After the season was all said and done and he had celebrated with his team he had these parting words in regards to Saskatoon:
 
It was probably one of the best experiences of my life.  I loved all my teammates, playing with them, and growing with them.  We'll be bonded throughout our days because of this journey and Saskatoon will always be a special place for me because of it.

Last night the VHL Minors held a dispersal draft, basically meaning that all VHLM players are no longer on their teams and all players would be up for grabs in a draft format.  Kyson Blake entered not knowing where he would end up, but after it was all said and done, he was eventually picked with the first pick in the fourth round by the Ottawa Lynx, the very team he helped Saskatoon sweep in the finals of last season's VHLM playoffs.  Now it seems though that Blake is in a bit of a precarious position as he waits to find out his VHL fate.  Blake will be a member of the Lynx for at least 48 hours, but the team that selects him in VHL's entry draft may choose to block his return to the minors.  Blake had this to say about the situation:
 
It's definitely a weird spot to be in.  Every VHLM team I'd spoken to before the draft I had let my intention known that I'd be playing down next season, but I know I'm right on the cusp and that a VHL team may feel I can help them out this season.  I'm going to put in the work next season regardless of team or league I play for and I'll hold no ill-will or animosity towards a VHL team if they choose to block me from playing in the minors this next season.  For now though I'm a Lynx.
 
Blake certainly does make for an interesting case as he has put in a ton of work and even though he joined later than some of the other players in his class, he still ranks very highly among his peers.  There might actually be some VHL teams who feel like he has the potential to play meaningful VHL minutes in the upcoming VHL season and in such a case force Blake to stay up.  Looking back at his season it took a while for the youngster to get his feet under him as it would take 5 games for him to find his first point, an assist on a Burnt Toast goal, and 7 games before his first goal.  Hard work is nothing new to Kyson though as he was always either on the ice, in the weight room, or working with any of the Saskatoon coaches that'd work with him.  Over the course of the season Blake got better and better and at one point even had a 9 game streak where he recorded a point.
 
Kyson worked his way up the Saskatoon lines and by the time the playoffs hit he would become a vital member in the rotation.  As the Wild went down three games to one in the semis Blake continued to be a rock for the team as he managed to record a point in every game of the series.  If you were to ask him about it though, he'd probably deny any of it and instead point towards his teammates.  After the season was all said and done and he had celebrated with his team he had these parting words in regards to Saskatoon:
 
It was probably one of the best experiences of my life.  I loved all my teammates, playing with them, and growing with them.  We'll be bonded throughout our days because of this journey and Saskatoon will always be a special place for me because of it.

Kyson Blake and the Saskatoon Wild have just won the VHLM Championship and even though he's busy celebrating with his teammates, he's also an extremely cerebral player and in such has agreed to sit down and take part in a reflection piece about himself, the season he just had, and what's next for him.
 
How did you come to be part of the Wild?
 
Man that's a crazy story in all honesty.  I filed my papers with the VHL head office and then almost immediately was contacted by a VHLM general manager.  I actually had no idea who it was I was talking to as they didn't really specify which team they were with, but it was good dialogue and they were helping me get settled in and make the process smooth for me.  Then a little bit later that day I received a contract offer in my email.  Being caught up in the whole excitement of joining the league and what not I had figured it was from the team who called me as they were the only team in contact with me, but it turns out it was the Wild, who were not the team who called me.
 
When did you learn the team who called you wasn't the same as the team who offered you?
 
The next day I got a call from that team again and they said that they had to step out for the remainder of the day yesterday.  They said they were going to get me setup while I was trying to explain and it was kind of a mutual realization of what had happened.  It was a bit awkward to be honest.
 
Do you regret how that situation went down?
 
Maybe a little bit, I mean I felt bad for a while after realizing I had signed with a different team and what not as they were nice and helping me out, but at the end of the day what was done was done and I was already headed to Saskatoon with all my equipment and paperwork filled out and I was a member of the Wild.
 
Looking back at the season, how do you think it went?
 
Well I mean we won the championship right?  Doesn't get much better than that.  But really though I think even aside from winning it all this year, it was the perfect situation for me to wind up on this team.  First and foremost the management of the Wild were extremely great and helpful in getting me situated in the league and really put me in the best situation to succeed day in and day out.  It was also awesome to get to practice and play with Rylan Peace and Chace Trepanier who are both a year ahead of me and play the same position so I get to learn from them and watch what they do in order to help my own game out.  Plus I get to go up against three of the top four defensemen in the VHLM in Piotr Jerwa, Burnt Toast, and Toby Fitzgerald.  If that wasn't already great enough I get to practice my shooting against Brick Wahl who is a World Cup Champion and now VHLM Champion.
 
So what's next for Kyson Blake?
 
It's tough to say really.  This Wild team won't be the same next year as we'll all be scattered across the VHLM and some will be called up to the VHL.  Obviously the draft is coming up, which is something I'm preparing myself for and hopefully that goes well and most people have indicated I'll be back down for another season of VHLM action so it'll be interesting to see where I'm at and what colors I'll be wearing.  Pretty much I'm taking it one day at a time and just enjoying the journey.

Kyson Blake and the Saskatoon Wild have just won the VHLM Championship and even though he's busy celebrating with his teammates, he's also an extremely cerebral player and in such has agreed to sit down and take part in a reflection piece about himself, the season he just had, and what's next for him.
 
How did you come to be part of the Wild?
 
Man that's a crazy story in all honesty.  I filed my papers with the VHL head office and then almost immediately was contacted by a VHLM general manager.  I actually had no idea who it was I was talking to as they didn't really specify which team they were with, but it was good dialogue and they were helping me get settled in and make the process smooth for me.  Then a little bit later that day I received a contract offer in my email.  Being caught up in the whole excitement of joining the league and what not I had figured it was from the team who called me as they were the only team in contact with me, but it turns out it was the Wild, who were not the team who called me.
 
When did you learn the team who called you wasn't the same as the team who offered you?
 
The next day I got a call from that team again and they said that they had to step out for the remainder of the day yesterday.  They said they were going to get me setup while I was trying to explain and it was kind of a mutual realization of what had happened.  It was a bit awkward to be honest.
 
Do you regret how that situation went down?
 
Maybe a little bit, I mean I felt bad for a while after realizing I had signed with a different team and what not as they were nice and helping me out, but at the end of the day what was done was done and I was already headed to Saskatoon with all my equipment and paperwork filled out and I was a member of the Wild.
 
Looking back at the season, how do you think it went?
 
Well I mean we won the championship right?  Doesn't get much better than that.  But really though I think even aside from winning it all this year, it was the perfect situation for me to wind up on this team.  First and foremost the management of the Wild were extremely great and helpful in getting me situated in the league and really put me in the best situation to succeed day in and day out.  It was also awesome to get to practice and play with Rylan Peace and Chace Trepanier who are both a year ahead of me and play the same position so I get to learn from them and watch what they do in order to help my own game out.  Plus I get to go up against three of the top four defensemen in the VHLM in Piotr Jerwa, Burnt Toast, and Toby Fitzgerald.  If that wasn't already great enough I get to practice my shooting against Brick Wahl who is a World Cup Champion and now VHLM Champion.
 
So what's next for Kyson Blake?
 
It's tough to say really.  This Wild team won't be the same next year as we'll all be scattered across the VHLM and some will be called up to the VHL.  Obviously the draft is coming up, which is something I'm preparing myself for and hopefully that goes well and most people have indicated I'll be back down for another season of VHLM action so it'll be interesting to see where I'm at and what colors I'll be wearing.  Pretty much I'm taking it one day at a time and just enjoying the journey.

It took a while before Kyson Blake of the Saskatoon Wild felt like he belonged anywhere in the VHML let alone on the Saskatoon Wild.  It would be five games before he would register a single point and six before he would score on the positive side in the +/- column.  Slowly and surely, much like the Saskatoon Wild themselves, Blake started to gel better with his teammates and worked as hard as he could day in and day out in order to get better.  Things continued to click and at one point in the season Blake had something near a 10 game points scored streak.  Currently on the year he has 18 assists and 20 goals scored, but what's most important to him is that he's transitioned from being somewhat of a liability and being relegated to the third line to becoming a valued asset on the second line to now sometimes being featured on the first line and one of many key pieces for the Wild as they're making a push for the playoffs.  Despite getting somewhat of a late jump in relation to his draft class, Blake has also cracked the top 15 prospects for the S63 class, which he'll tell you he knows nothing about, but I bet he's pretty aware of his status.

Normally in things like the WJC and anything that pits countries against each other I'd be all up in arms with my fellow countrymen wearing an American flag or something like that, but this year it's quite a bit different for me.  This year I find myself rooting exclusively for Team Canada.  Why would I root for Team Canada though?  It's pretty simple, for one I've been living and playing in Canada for a bit not and have come to quite like it, but the real reason is because a few of my teammates (Brick Wahl @BladeMaiden, Burnt Toast @Toast, and Rylan Peace @Peace).   First off, Brick Wahl is probably one of the best goalies I've had the pleasure of playing with and is everything and more that his name means.  After that you have Burnt Toast who is one of the toughest guys you can have out on the ice and you're always glad he's on your side when you see what he can do.  He's always out there in the thick of things and is seemingly always making plays.  Finally you get Rylan Peace who is just an absolute beast.  Dude is that guy who you know is always going to do something special on a nightly basis and at times it seems like he's toying with people it's just too easy for him.
 
So while I'd love to see Team USA do well (they're not off to a very good start), I'm definitely pulling for me guys and Team Canada who look absolutely stacked this year!

Normally in things like the WJC and anything that pits countries against each other I'd be all up in arms with my fellow countrymen wearing an American flag or something like that, but this year it's quite a bit different for me.  This year I find myself rooting exclusively for Team Canada.  Why would I root for Team Canada though?  It's pretty simple, for one I've been living and playing in Canada for a bit not and have come to quite like it, but the real reason is because a few of my teammates (Brick Wahl @BladeMaiden, Burnt Toast @Toast, and Rylan Peace @Peace).   First off, Brick Wahl is probably one of the best goalies I've had the pleasure of playing with and is everything and more that his name means.  After that you have Burnt Toast who is one of the toughest guys you can have out on the ice and you're always glad he's on your side when you see what he can do.  He's always out there in the thick of things and is seemingly always making plays.  Finally you get Rylan Peace who is just an absolute beast.  Dude is that guy who you know is always going to do something special on a nightly basis and at times it seems like he's toying with people it's just too easy for him.
 
So while I'd love to see Team USA do well (they're not off to a very good start), I'm definitely pulling for me guys and Team Canada who look absolutely stacked this year!

I think that the hardest thing I've had to cope with so far being such a new player to the VHL is to manage my expectations.  Of course we all want to come out and just put up a ton of great stats and do all we can, but the thing that's hard to remember sometimes is that it takes time.  You could say I've been a little frustrated to this point with how I've played individually when given my chances.  I was super excited when I got my first point, an assist in our fifth game of the season for a Burnt Toast goal, but overall it's been few and far between.  
 
I've always been an offensive type forward from the time I can remember and that's probably what's been frustrating me the most, the fact that my shot percentage is so low.  I keep taking my shots when  I got them because that's what I do and what coaches know I'm capable of and expect from me, but things just haven't been clicking.  In the meantime I've kind of been doing some of the dirty work, scrapping it up a bit with opponents and hoping it sparks another teammate to have a good night.  Right now it's all about doing what I can to help out.

The rush of being a new player in the VHL is something I'm not sure I could even describe.  It all went by so fast, declaring myself as an eligible player, talking to a couple teams, signing my very first ever contract, getting to a new city, etc.  It all was like a whirlwind with so many things to do I was constantly moving and could barely catch my breathe it felt like.  I knew there would be time for that later, once things settled in it would start to slow down a bit.
 
I got into Saskatoon and had no idea what to expect as I'd only ever been to Canada a handful of times.  I met a few of my new teammates and then helped me settle in a bit.  I got some of my things unloaded, but for the most part they're still in boxes.  The first night I didn't socialize much as I wanted actually get some sleep ahead of my first practice as a member of the Wild.
 
When I got to the facilities for my first ever practice with my team, I was shown around the facilities and given some new equipment.  I was excited, everything looked amazing and on a whole other level than I'd really experienced before.....plus I love getting new gear.  I laced up my skates and it was go time; my career is officially under way.

Welcome to the VHL
 

So you'll recognize me from USFL and for a few will know me from far before that....anyways I ventured over here with a few of the USFL guys.  Nevertheless I haven't followed hockey since '03 so am beyond rusty when it comes to any aspect of the game (I can tell you the names of the positions and that's where it ends).....so anyone that wants to help me I wouldn't turn you down