HatrickRoy

Happy Birthday!

1. Eat, sleep, train like an animal, repeat 2. Always. Never count us out 3. Start playing hockey sooner, pro hockey at 44 is not an easy feat 4. Something's on your mind, I hope it's something good 5. Rewatching the movie Elf at Christmas per tradition. 6. Eh man, you have a good one too. Knale probably beats the living daylights out of his speed bag

1. Ehh, business as usual. Got some rare points 2. No need to fret with trading, we're already the best there is 3. We're so cool we make Joe Cool look not as cool *mic drop* 4. They were probably named by the same cottonheaded ninnymuggins that named parkways and driveways 5. Nah I live in hotels. Bought a pretty sweet Porsche though 6. Definitely expecting me ha

Is there any chance I can still join? I am familiar with chess, but not amazing Chess.com username is HatrickRoy

It's draft day in the VHL. After the most recent mock draft, Rusty Knale was ranked in the early second round, going to the HC Davos Dynamo. It seems as though Rusty's game, full of heart and grit, has attracted at least someone's attention. The way Rusty plays reminds most of the rough and tumble 1970s in the NHL, where the Broad Street Bullies reigned and big, physical defenceman were dominant. However, Rusty has seemed to make that same style of play work in the 2021 VHLM. He's 6'8 and weighs 248 pounds, so he's automatically one of the most feared guys in the league. Add in his relentless checking ability, and you've got yourself a classic 70s tough guy. To add to all of this, Rusty collected his first VHLM ring last season with the Philadelphia Reapers. While he wasn't getting ideal minutes on the stacked Reapers D core, he still managed to score a game winning goal, get 22 penalty minutes, record 23 hits, and block 14 shots. In an interview with Knale about his future in the VHL, he gave out this statement: "I get drafted by VHL team tonight, but I stay in VHLM so I can learn play better. I not good enough yet." 209 words

1) We had it coming. We had a hell of a hockey team 2) A team that wants me 3) Taking it back home to Iceland 4) Always training. Never stop training 5) Game winning goal in one of the series 6) We will see.

Always a Reaper.

In the second round of the playoffs, the Philly Reapers are leading the San Diego Marlins 3-1 in their series, effectively putting the 'chokehold' on them. The Reapers only need one win in today's games to advance to the third round, against the winner of the Mexico City Kings and the Las Vegas Aces. In that series, the Kings also have a chokehold on the Aces, being up 3-1. So, if all goes like it's gone so far, it would set up a Kings-Reapers final. The two best teams of the regular season, and I think the two best overall teams. I still think we have a better team, but anything could happen in the playoffs. So far, I'm pretty satisfied with the performance of Rusty Knale. I know he isn't getting much ice time, but his points are decent compared to the regular season. He's scored 2 goals and has an assist in 8 games. He also has a +5 plus/minus, which is good enough for top ten in the league. He has 13 hits and 14 penalty minutes, great stats for a gritty defenseman. Getting ranked pretty high on some of the draft lists is cool too. 200 words exactly

1. Tougher than implied by the scoreboard. But our focus on the small stuff (finishing checks, getting to the net) paid off. 2. The intensity. The need to win each little battle to be successful. 3. Marlins ought to get out their golf clubs... 4. Keep your head up. 5. Tin foil. Tip of the cap to the 70's classic movie. Thanks Reaper Rooters, much appreciated! 6. Freaks by Timmy Trumpet. Fires me up!

This season was an eventful one for Rusty Knale. He finally made it out of the bus leagues and turned pro with the Philadelphia Reapers of the VHLM. Here are some of his proudest moments of S75: Final Game of the Season vs the San Diego Marlins Play by Play notes: 8:31 of 1st period: Duncan Idaho is hit by Rusty Knale and loses puck 8:35 of 1st period: Delving Mackey is hit by Rusty Knale and loses puck 8:45 of 1st period: Duncan Idaho is hit by Rusty Knale and loses puck What must have happened here is Idaho, Mackey, and Knale were in the corner and the Marlins guys kept getting the puck but Rusty kept hitting them over and over. These three plays literally happened in order in a row. SO a very proud moment for Rusty indeed. This one isn't in a play-by-play, but I read it and this is all Rusty did the whole game: All Rusty Knale did in the second to last game of the regular season was hit, block shots, ice the puck, and get penalties. That is all he did the entire game. It really reflects what kind of player he is, a gritty enforcer-type. 207 words

1. A Polish Christmas dinner with my family 2. Gingerbread is tough to top 3. Well, in the Greater Toronto Area, snow has been far and few between, so I'm not getting my hopes up 4. Elf with Will Ferrell is the GOAT Christmas movie 5. I celebrate Christmas! All the gifts and stuff 6. The lights on the front of my house look particularly good this year

Rusty Knale Scouting Report Height: 6'8 Weight: 248 lbs Age: 44 Position: Defense Rusty Knale is a defenceman currently playing for the Philadelphia Reapers of the VHLM after a career playing hockey in the bus leagues of North America. It's safe to say that Rusty's broken English, massive afro, and dazzling personality will make him a fan favourite wherever he goes. Oh yeah, and he likes to fight. A lot. Pros: Shot power Rusty has one hell of a shot. And when I say that, I don't mean that as in he has great accuracy; he can just whip the puck. Alas, one of his major weaknesses is shot accuracy, so his booming slappers usually miss the net by a good couple feet or make a huge dent in the post. This complete lack of accuracy has definitely been a factor in his 0 goals this season. Toughness Rusty is 'tough as Knales', as his teammates used to say. He isn't afraid of anyone on the ice, and he gets a lot of respect just from his afro and lack of front teeth alone. His towering figure is also quite intimidating when you're on the opposite end of the ice as Knale. Rusty will get into a fight with anyone, and he usually wins. Due to his unique blend of skill and grit, he is often both the enforcer AND the scorer on his team. Unique blend of skill and grit I want to further discuss this topic as I feel it is an important part of why Rusty is valuable. Rusty looks like an enforcer and he acts like an enforcer, but he can put the puck in the net pretty well. He also has zero finesse, which adds to the enforcer look to make the enforcer act seem even realer Cons: Passing Yeah, Rusty doesn't pass very much. He likes to either score or fight. This is another reason for his dismal production. Most of his passes are 'muffins', which means they are flippy and soft. He really couldn't care less about making the pass go through, because if it gets intercepted, he gets to hit the guy who intercepted it! Passing is something Rusty's coaches are trying to force on him. Skating "Rusty skates like a wounded dolphin" said one of his previous coaches. As I mentioned earlier, Rusty has no finesse at all, usually relying on his long legs to catch up with guys. His style is that of long, powerful strides if you can imagine someone who has been on skates for two months doing so. He's improved it a bit this year, but it remains a blaring hole in his otherwise decent game. Rage Issues It's not certified by a doctor, but it's pretty clear that if you piss Rusty off, you face the consequences. Technically, for an enforcer, it's a good thing to get angry at your opponent. But Rusty sometimes gets carried away and takes himself completely out of the play just to get back at some douchebag who cheap-shotted him.

So I've been in this league for what, two weeks, and there's like ten games left in the regular season. It's almost over, and it's almost playoff time. Good news is that it's playoff time and I'm ready to go for the cup. Bad news is I'll probably be joining a new team at the dispersal draft. That's not really bad news though. I'm excited to have Rusty being eligible for two drafts at once, and ranked pretty high. But that's something to look forward two after the playoffs are over, so right now I'm trying to push that out of my mind and focus on helping the Reapers get to the top of the standings. I know that we're probably clinched at this point, but getting the best seed possible really helps our chances once we get into the postseason. Regarding Rusty's stats, I'm a little concerned. 2 points, both assists, in 44 games is a little disappointing. The 14 plus/minus and 43 hits, and 8 blocked shots are something to be proud of, but the offensive production definitely needs work and focus. Probably, the answer is investing TPE into passing to make Rusty a more all around offensive player. 202 words

1.Boosting for sure, we have the horses we need to go all the way...again. 2. Sounds like an Icelander...nuff said. 3. No. Nothing different. I treat all games, all opponents the same. I let them prepare for me and my team. 4. Yes, as soon as available to me. After the frontline heros are taken care of. I will take it to keep my teammates and opponents safe. 5. Confidence. Will great keepers like Carson and Taffe behind me I can take more risk, play with more conviction. 6. Veggie burgers. Seriously.

Review: Looks like the trade worked out well for all. I like the interview format, and the bold words makes it pretty easy to read. Good spacing, nice little intro at the top, this is a decent article. The only thing I would say to do different next time is don't make it end so abruptly. 9/10

+10 Rusty Knale

Welcome back to tales from the bus leagues. In volume 2, we'll be looking at another one of Rusty Knale's many stories involving his time in the North American bus leagues. In this installment, we'll be looking back on Rusty's final season with the St. Louis Pirates, the season before this season. Rusty and the rest of the Pirates were on a road trip, going from St. Louis to North Carolina to play the Raleigh Quakers, another bus league team. Rusty was the captain of the team, and he took a couple of the rookies aside. "Ok. Listen here. Now is perfect time for prank. Here's what we do: we put tape on everyone's skates to throw them off. Got it? Then we get into the real stuff" Rusty chuckled in anticipation. One of the rookies, Tyler Brant, spoke up. "Hey, Rusty, I have an idea for our big prank." "Yeh? What is it, Branty?" "I think we should put the tape on their skates, like you said. But I think we should hide all the helmets in the back of the bus and replace them with little girl bike helmets" Rusty grinned. "Great idea, Branty. But we have to wear bike helmets too so we're not SUS" "Yeah, of course. Let's get to it." They sent the youngest rookie, a guy named Ron Cooke, into the back of the bus to put tape on all the sticks. Rusty, Brant, and the two other rookies stood guard. After about ten seconds, Cooke came back out sweating like crazy. "Rusty! Rusty! There's a guy from the Quakers back there! He's sabotaging all our stuff! Come and help me!" So Rusty, Brant, and the two other rookies burst into the room while Cooke hung back. The prank team was greeted by an ice cold bucket of Pepsi each. Furious, they opened their eyes to the sight of the rest of the team holding empty buckets and laughing. Cooke was laughing too. He was dry as the desert. He must have been in on it. One of the other vets who has orchestrated the whole thing spoke up. "Ha! We sure gotcha there, didn't we, boys?" The team roared. The vet slapped Rusty on the back. "Looks like you have a sticky couple of hours before we get to the hotel" he chuckled. What followed was a massive victory for the Pirates over the Quakers, 9-0, mainly because Rusty chose to take out his anger on the Quakers. 415 words

1. I like where we are headed but we can't take anything for granted, need to keep doing all the little things well. Winning puck battles. Getting to and stopping at the net. Blocking shots. I think if we keep doing these things we'll go the distance. 2. He put in the hard work early and it's paying off. He's got a hot hand and I think he'll keep going. Great to see. 3. Pretty well. I like the cold, feels Canadian and feels like hockey season. Warm weather is for golf and lakes. 4. I go where the team goes. We follow the covid rules to keep healthy and respect others but we get where we need to go. 5. My favorite sport outside hockey is football. I played both in college and I feel that my football training and experience helps me in hockey - especially in the corners and net front! 6. Nope. I will keep my routine intact, keep doing the small stuff and doing whatever I can to help the team be successful.

I mean, was anyone surprised when tough old Rusty Knale was put on the fourth pairing as a goon? It's his natural position, but the stats just don't seem to be agreeing with him at this point. In sixteen games, he has a measly one assist for one point, while only 10 penalty minutes and only 13 hits. It's a bit disappointing considering how dominant he was in these categories in the bus leagues. However, Knale's team, the Philadelphia Reapers, are arguably the best team in the league. Like, they're better than Mexico. Like, by a lot. I guess we'll know better after the Reapers beat the Kings in the playoffs, but until then, the Kings are technically better because they have more points. But looking at both teams' rosters, it's pretty clear, at least to me, who will come out of this season victorious. Anyway, back to Rusty himself. He's ranked 18th overall for the VHLM dispersal draft and 35th overall for the VHL Entry draft, so I won't be getting much action in the first round, but after that, anything can happen. I'm also optimistic at how many offers I initially got when I created Knale. Seven, I think, which means he is valuable and sought after. Well, as much as a sub 90 TPE guy can be. 220 words

Welcome back to tales from the bus leagues. In volume 2, we'll be looking at another one of Rusty Knale's many stories involving his time in the North American bus leagues. In this installment, we'll be looking back on Rusty's final season with the St. Louis Pirates, the season before this season. Rusty and the rest of the Pirates were on a road trip, going from St. Louis to North Carolina to play the Raleigh Quakers, another bus league team. Rusty was the captain of the team, and he took a couple of the rookies aside. "Ok. Listen here. Now is perfect time for prank. Here's what we do: we put tape on everyone's skates to throw them off. Got it? Then we get into the real stuff" Rusty chuckled in anticipation. One of the rookies, Tyler Brant, spoke up. "Hey, Rusty, I have an idea for our big prank." "Yeh? What is it, Branty?" "I think we should put the tape on their skates, like you said. But I think we should hide all the helmets in the back of the bus and replace them with little girl bike helmets" Rusty grinned. "Great idea, Branty. But we have to wear bike helmets too so we're not SUS" "Yeah, of course. Let's get to it." They sent the youngest rookie, a guy named Ron Cooke, into the back of the bus to put tape on all the sticks. Rusty, Brant, and the two other rookies stood guard. After about ten seconds, Cooke came back out sweating like crazy. "Rusty! Rusty! There's a guy from the Quakers back there! He's sabotaging all our stuff! Come and help me!" So Rusty, Brant, and the two other rookies burst into the room while Cooke hung back. The prank team was greeted by an ice cold bucket of Pepsi each. Furious, they opened their eyes to the sight of the rest of the team holding empty buckets and laughing. Cooke was laughing too. He was dry as the desert. He must have been in on it. One of the other vets who has orchestrated the whole thing spoke up. "Ha! We sure gotcha there, didn't we, boys?" The team roared. The vet slapped Rusty on the back. "Looks like you have a sticky couple of hours before we get to the hotel" he chuckled. What followed was a massive victory for the Pirates over the Quakers, 9-0, mainly because Rusty chose to take out his anger on the Quakers. 415 words

1. Don't underestimate the Reaper. You speak trash about him, and then you have a bloody scythe in your back. 2. ^ I like the idea of a bloody scythe. 4. Well, we're the best, aren't we? 5. I think the standings will eventually regress to the average, and it looks like we're a better team, at least on paper 6. Philly Cheese Steak!! 7. I just think we have an exceptional team here 8. Depth, tons of depth, and good enough defense to allow the forwards to focus on scoring

Welcome to the first volume of Tales from the Bus Leagues. I'm Hatrick Roy. In this series, we're going to be looking at some of the experiences of Rusty Knale in the bus leagues of North America. Rusty's first experience in the bus leagues was in his debut game with the Los Angeles Chicken Nuggets. The Nuggets were in Chicago to play the Chicago Mobsters, and it was Rusty's first game in the bus leagues after playing in the SM-Liiga, AHL, and ECHL. Rusty's friend Rob Garry was the goalie for the Nuggets, and this is where our story begins. Rusty was taping his stick at the rink of the Chicago Mobsters, getting ready for the game, when Garry comes up to him. "Hey, Rusty, my guy. How's it going? Anyway, I need a favour." Rusty, like the nice guy that he is, offers help. "Sure, Rob. What is it?" "So we're playing the Mobsters tonight yet. Right?" "Right" "And they have a goon who can't skate, can't score, and all he does is fight, right?" "Right" "And YOU'RE a goon who can't skate, can't score, and all you do is fight?" "Righ-wait a minute...." "So I want you to come with me and we're going to fill his shoes with cement" "Whaaaat" "Yeah" "Alright" And so Rusty and Garry went to the Mobsters' changeroom. No one was there. Garry motioned for Rusty to stay put, then went into the changeroom. He came back out grinning. "Rusty, I found his locker" "Ok" "What do you mean ok? Go get the cement" "Whaaaaat? You were serious?" "Yeah man, I was serious. Get the cement" So Rusty went and brought back a bucket. He came back and saw Garry looking at his watch. "Rusty, where were you man? It's been four hours!" "Yeah, traffic was bad, and they were out of cement." "So what are you carrying in that bucket, Rusty?" Rusty looked down. He looked inside the bucket. He grinned. "I found some minnows by the creek." Garry grinned. "Perfect." Garry and Rusty filled up the guy's shoes with minnows, and just for good measure, filled up all the Mobsters' water bottles with minnows. Then they heard shouting from the shower, and ran like hell.

Russ Brutus "Rusty" Knale was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, to Bjorn Knale and Ingrid Svensson. Rusty was a ginormous baby, and a ferocious one, too. When he was three years old, his dad put him in a hockey league with six year olds, and Rusty was the goon of his team, often getting into fights on the ice and having opposing parents scream at him. His dad, ever the loyal father, kept track of his stats that year. In 20 games, Rusty scored 120 goals, had zero assists, and had 400 penalty minutes. This was just Rusty's playing style, and it would continue to flourish as he moved up ranks. It became clear to everyone that Rusty was too good for the small Icelandic leagues very quickly. So the Knale family moved to Sweden, where, at his first tryout, when he was 8 years old, he got into three fights and was kicked off the ice. The team gave him a spot as their 4th line goon, and Rusty quickly showed he could do more than just fight. He scored and fought, scored and fought, scored and fought. By the time he was 10 years old, he was 6'4 and 220 pounds, and just beating the crap out of kids his age. So the hockey bigwigs in Sweden sent him to the GTHL in Toronto, where he joined the Toronto Marlies. His job there was, as you have probably guessed, a 4th line goon. He had the pleasure of beating up some of the future NHL and VHL's brightest stars with the Marlies. After two years and 38 fights, the GTHL gave up on Rusty and sent him back to Sweden, where he was promptly dumped into Finland. As a 14-year-old, Rusty joined the SM-Liiga team Ilves as their 4th line goon. The SM-Liiga is Finland's top professional league, and it was Rusty's first challenge as a player. In 40 games, Rusty got 3 goals, zero assists, and 860 penalty minutes. He was fighting grown men now, and sometimes they actually gave him a challenge. Nevertheless, Rusty still won every single fight he fought. Rusty spent four years with Ilves, and he got some attention by NHL scouts because of his stats: 45 games, 16 goals, zero assists, and 1,240 penalty minutes. He was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks, and shipped off to their AHL team , the Utica Comets. He played for six years with Utica, never eclipsing 20 goals and never going under 1,500 penalty minutes. Now, he was 24 years old, and looking for another shot at the pros. So he signs with an ECHL team, the Brampton Beast. He plays 4 years with the Beast, recording 80 goals, zero assists, and 3,750 penalty minutes in that span. Now he was 28 and he had given up on the pros, and just wanted to have a little fun. Rusty joined an American bus league team, the Los Angeles Chicken Nuggets. The Nuggets were a beer league travel team that would drive in a bus and compete in tournaments around the States and Canada. Rusty stayed with the Nuggets until he was 32, when he joined a different team in the same situation, the St Louis Pirates. He had an Icelandic friend on the Pirates, and he played there for TEN YEARS. During that time, he got 400 goals, zero assists, and are you ready for it, I don't think you are, 20,000 penalty minutes. When he left the Pirates, he was 42, and they retired his jersey number, 9. He then caught the attention of the Philadelphia Reapers, who Knale signed with this season. He is 44 years old.

1. Great signing of famed Icelandic D man, Rusty Knale!!!! 2. Just joined, no big surprises yet... 3. Most important stat for me is blocked shots. My goal is block 3 shots per game. 4. Nope, neither. 5. Not sure, still getting to know the guys in the room. 6. Hoping for a few minutes but need to shake the rust off. Willing to help the team any way I can.