teknonym

week two claim

Another day, another shot at Tadhg Byrne. That had been Jameson O’Connor’s mentality for the last 3 weeks. Now, he knew that Tadhg was home, in Dublin. The off-season had rolled around as quickly as Byrne’s first contract had and, with San Diego missing the playoffs by mere millimetres, the young upstart goaltender had been expected home any day now. With the return of Tadhg Byrne, not many news outlets were too interested. Hockey still wasn’t a sport that the Irish public cared about, but Jameson knew that Byrne would change that mentality. He wanted to be the one to have the exclusive rights to the ‘Tadhg Byrne Story’ and it seemed that he was the only horse in the race. Fine by him. Tadhg Byrne had no interest in talking to Jameson O’Connor again, having hoped that his arrogance and aloofness in the last interview would off-put the paparazzo, but no such luck it seemed. He was sitting across from the strangely young sports journalist. It was right about now that Tadhg missed the comfort of being behind a screen. ‘Welcome back, Tadhg.’ A smile drew its way across Jameson’s face. ‘Happy to be here, Jim.’ The tone of voice was contradictory. Jameson scribbled across his notepad before asking his first question, ‘How are you feeling about the Marlins’ performance this season? Underwhelming, overwhelming?’ ‘The Marlins’ performance? All things considered, I think we did pretty well. I signed late into the season, so I couldn’t expect a cup contender, could I?’ Animosity settled its way into Tadhg’s voice. ‘What do you mean by ‘all things considered’?’ Tadhg shrugged a little. ‘When I signed, we didn’t have a back-up goaltender and half of our d-men were bots. I played 40-sum games straight with no break. I played back-to-back games multiple times. I’ve never been more thankful to see another goaltender than when I met Dusty at the end of the season. Shame we’ll be separated at the draft, most likely.’ Jameson noticed a tinge of genuine upset on the young goalie’s face. The thought of the draft clearly was not one that Tadhg liked to think about. Jameson hated to prod, but what kind of journalist would he be if he didn’t? ‘We’ve already spoken a little bit about the draft, but has anything changed?’ Tadhg went quiet for a beat. The draft, no matter how much he tried to brush it off as a part of hockey, was something that he couldn’t quite shake. It did make him nervous and it did make him worry. That was nothing that he’d tell a journalist, however. ‘Not in particular. It’s the same old, same old. Get drafted, play for that team until I retire, they trade me, or they leave me to free agency. That’s the business I’m in, and I intend to do just that. Play.’ Jameson nodded along, scratching more words and shorthand into his notepad before asking the next question. ‘Are teams talking to you? I have to assume they would be, you’re likely one of, if not the, top goaltenders in this draft. When looking at the depth charts for a lot of the teams, they have some aging goaltenders with a lack of prospects. Teams must be antsy to grab you.’ Colour Tadhg surprised when Jameson started spitting out words that, for a rookie hockey reporter, were far above his pay grade. Coming into this interview, Tadhg had expected nothing more than a shallow attempt at finding a narrative to sell, but it seemed there was more to Jameson O’Connor than he had first thought. Tadhg softened slightly and met eyes with the reporter. Behind Jameson’s glasses, there was a genuine curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Maybe Tadhg would make this time worthwhile yet. ‘I can’t speak specifically to whether teams are asking, but I can say that you’re not wrong. Goalies are a sparse breed, and I’m even rarer.’ A flashy grin drew its way to Tadhg’s face as he raised his right hand. ‘I catch right, I’m basically 1 in 10’000. It’s not often that you find a VHL caliber prospect and a right catcher in one.’ Jameson laughed a little at the sheer amount of arrogance that floated in the air around Tadhg Byrne, but for once Jameson thought little of it. Rather than thinking it rude or uncouth, it seemed more like a joke than anything. In a good way. Strange. The reporter threw a softball as his last question of the day. ‘How is San Diego? You mentioned last time that it felt a little strange, but has anything changed since then?’ What did Tadhg think of San Diego? It was hot, it was humid, and it was way too big of a city. The people? There’s a reason they call it The City in Motion, they just never. stop. moving. Ridiculous stuff, but Tadhg found himself drawn to the city in such a strange and unusual way. ‘San Diego is nice. I’d be a liar if I said that the city didn’t make me feel strange and miss home, but I think any city would have done that to me. I’m fortunate, in many ways, that San Diego sent me that contract. It’s a beautiful city.’ Tadhg glanced up at the roof and pictured the bright skyline that he saw more often than the grey clouds of what he thought was home. ‘San Diego is bright, and way warmer than home. I’m glad I went there.’ Jameson couldn’t help but give a good natured chuckle, listening to the man in front of him talk about a city like it was the most beautiful thing in the world. ‘I think that’s all I need for today. Thank you again for coming to talk with me, Tadhg.’ Tadhg Byrne and Jameson O’Connor are two sides of a coin that most people throw out when they need change. One, an athlete trying his hardest to get through the day and win himself a championship. The other, a reporter who is trying to find a story the whole way through. Tadhg Byrne hates media, that is an indisputable fact of life, but he’s beginning to wonder if maybe he’s wrong that all media are snake oil salesmen. Just maybe. (1045 words, claiming for weeks 31/10 & 7/11)

Tadhg Byrne was far from home. San Diego was nothing like Dublin at all, and he knew it. When he had come to San Diego with his girlfriend, Siobhan, he’d known it was going to be difficult to adjust, but nothing prepared him for just how homesick he felt. That’s why, now that the off-season had rolled around, he was booking tickets to Dublin as soon as possible. No more blistering sun and beaches, only stony pavements and overcast days. Just as Tadhg liked it. Both Tadhg and Siobhan were excited, neither had been back home since they had come to San Diego several months ago. It had been tough, being so young and so far from home, but the Marlins organisation made sure that the two were comfortable and taken care of at the beginning of their stay in the City in Motion. Dublin didn’t seem so far once they were in the plane. Tadhg glanced out of the window, down at the clouds that obscured the land below. Despite the air-tight mechanics of the plane, he could smell the Dublin air. Home, he thought. I’m home. During the first off-season of his VHLM career, Tadhg Byrne found himself spending time with the people he loved and missed most. It was a nice retreat from the hectic, non-stop lifestyle many people who lived in San Diego had. Tadhg could only hope the off-season kept this quiet.

1) I think just winning the last three games would be as strong as we can finish 2) I feel really good! The team started off pretty rough but really pulled it back towards the end of the season. 3) I'm super happy with the way my player performed! He's actually pretty close to my prediction from weeks ago, he's at a .895sv% and a 3.79GAA along with 1 shutout. I'm hoping these last three games can push that sv% to over .900 but I'm still happy regardless. 4) I'm super excited for the drafts! It's looking like Tadhg'll go around the mid-second and that's great. I might be the second or third goalie taken, depending on who needs what. I'll be happy with whoever takes me, and I'm excited to play for whoever takes me! 5) For next season, I'm hoping for more shutouts and a lower GAA, but more than anything I'm just looking to improve my TPE and general presence in the VHL. 6) For San Diego, I'm hoping for big things, even if I don't get selected here. It'd be really fun to play against San Diego as a contender with a strong D core and and forwards. I'd like to continue playing here, but anything can happen!

TAKE TWO Getting an interview with Tadhg Byrne can be difficult. That’s what Jameson O’Connor found, anyway. It wasn’t surprising, not many people were fond of the media, much less the sports media. It was all lies and narratives, very little actual reporting. When he landed the second interview, he was elated. ‘Welcome back, Tadhg. Are we on a first name basis yet?’ The young goaltender sniggered. ‘Sure, as long as I can call you Jimmy.’ The reporter narrowed his eyes with a soft nod. He didn’t know what game Tadhg Byrne was playing, but Jameson wanted to win it. ‘Sure, you can call me Jimmy, but let me ask some questions first. How are you feeling about America so far? I’m sure it’s far different from Eire.’ ‘Indeed it is, Jimmy. American ice is smaller than in Europe, so all of the skaters are much closer to me and can take shots closer to me. It makes the game more fun for me, but it also increases the difficulty. I went from playing on normal in the EIHL to playing on hard in the VHLM. I can only assume it’s going to be expert in the VHL.’ Jameson took notes as Tadhg spoke and looked up from his notepad to glance at the young man. The younger looked cool as a cucumber under the spotlight. ‘I was referring to the culture shock, but I think that that answer is good as well. How is the culture in San Diego? You seem to have settled in if your performance is saying anything.’ There was a moment where Tadhg faltered, a pause that sat in the air uncomfortably. Clearly Tadhg was not ready to answer anything not explicitly hockey related. He was choosing his words carefully. ‘American culture is a big difference. Ireland is very straightforward, but the States are more roundabout in the way they work. It’s been… Challenging, we’ll call it. I refuse to let the strangeness of it all affect my play, that would make me a bad athlete, and I’m anything but that.’ Jameson O’Connor came closer to cracking the egg that is Tadhg Byrne’s brain that day, picking at it slowly and carefully so as not to break it open and ruin his chances at getting further interviews. Ireland was taking notice of their young star, and Jameson was intent on being the man to deliver the goods.

TADHG BYRNE: SCOUTING REPORT. Position: Goaltender Catches: Right Height: 6’2 Weight: 216lbs Birthday: June 3, 2002 Hometown: Dublin, Republic of Ireland. - Tadhg Byrne is an intelligent goaltender, using all of his relatively average frame effectively to exceed expectations. He’s a quick goaltender, mentally and physically. It’s safe to assume his athleticism comes from Byrne’s sports background. His father had been an elite rugby union player for the Ireland national team and had captained multiple Six Nations championship teams. Byrne has a storied history with the Belfast Giants of the EIHL prior to his contract with the San Diego Marlins of the VHLM and has been very open about how difficult it was to play hockey in an environment that has only ever heard of the sport in relation to Canadian stereotypes. Byrne never stopped trying, and now he’s looking like a mid-to-late second round pick, but it’s more than possible that he claws his way into the first round if he keeps improving at the pace he is currently. PROS Hand Speed: Tadhg Byrne has incredibly fast hands. Byrne has been quoted as saying ‘My hands move faster than my eyes,’ and when you watch him, you’ll see that he’s not lying. The young goaltender has shown time and time again that he has some of the fastest hands in the VHLM, displaying his innate instinct to flash the glove or throw his blocker out without even seeing the puck fly sometimes. It’s an extraordinary part of his game that can’t be replicated. It’s all instinct and speed which leads to highlight reel saves and, more importantly, keeping pucks out of the net. Rebound Control: The second strongest part of Byrne’s game is his rebound control. It’s not uncommon for a puck to go flying away from Byrne, but it’s rare that he doesn’t get it under control. Byrne has worked hard at his rebound control, ensuring he knows where the puck will go after it hits his pads and hustling to keep it away from the opponent. His hard work is paying off, with his GAA falling and his SV% rising. Rebound control is a massive part of any goalie’s game, and Byrne has told scouts that it’s a priority for him to get better at keeping the puck out of the hands of opposing skaters. Tenacity: Anybody who has ever met Tadhg Byrne will tell you about his incredibly tenacious nature. The young man has a fire in his chest that burns brighter than the sun itself and it fuels him to run further, lift heavier, react quicker, and block shots better. This intangible is something that most people would discount, but sometimes intangibles say more about the player than statistics do. Being a talented player means nothing if you cannot hone your talent and refine it to perfection. Fortunately for Tadhg Byrne, he has both of those incredible qualities. CONS Agility: As athletic as Byrne is, his agility is nothing to be impressed by really. Whilst he is a quick goaltender, his movements will look staggered and robotic relatively often. This doesn’t lend itself to his reactionary playstyle and has led to more than a few goals for the opposing teams. Agility is something that should come to Byrne naturally, but it just doesn’t seem present in his game. According to sources, he is working on it, but slowly. If Byrne can become more agile, even if only by just a little bit, he will become double the goaltender he is currently. Skating: Something that links to Byrne’s lacking agility is his skating. In net, his skating is mediocre at best, but outside of the net he looks incredibly clunky. This skating issue doesn’t usually stop him from performing exceptionally, but scouts have begun to wonder if part of that is due to the recent step-up by San Diego’s defensive core. Skating for Byrne seems to be something he’s putting towards the lower end of his list of things to excel at, so it’s just a matter of time until we see how that works out for the young goaltending prospect. Media: Tadhg Byrne will not take to the media as many athletes will. His media presence is chaotic and inconsistent, with him more often than not making snarky comments to the reporters that can sometimes be misconstrued for genuinely offensive comments rather than banter. He’s passionate and fiery, but all of that is put in the wrong place when it comes to media days. It’s something he’ll get better at as time goes along, but for now he probably shouldn’t be put on any panels. - When looking at Tadhg Byrne as a player of the great game of hockey, you’ll see a young goaltender preparing himself to debut on the world’s biggest stage in the nearing future. Everything Byrne does is in preparation for his future. The world will marvel at Tadhg Byrne when he appears on their TV screens, and it’ll come as a shock to no scout who has looked at the young Irishman.

+10 Tadhg Byrne

1. The first thing that comes to mind is our top and second line's production. Preobrazhensky has been going off in the goals category recently, and that has definitely helped. Wilk, Jr, and Xavier have been solid the whole time which is a great consistency. I think Tadhg also deserves a pat on the back, he's been putting up some pretty decent numbers recently. 2. Tough call. I think I'd go for the one team. I think it's more exciting playing for a crowd that knows and has grown to love you as a player. Players like John Gibson and (ex)Joe Pavelski. Those home crowds love them, and the Sharks fans still love Pavelski and Ducks fans will always have a soft spot for Gibby. I'd like something like that. 3. Team success. Obviously I'd like hardware, but if the team is good, clearly you're doing something right to begin with. 4. Tadhg is a simple guy, celebrate with the team and go home and crash onto his bed. The VHLM is no cakewalk and sleep is king. After particularly exciting games, he'll talk to his girlfriend about everything, but more often than not he's asleep before his head hits the pillow. 5. The way I learn best is by stripping the task down to fundamentals and rebuilding it from the ground up. I like to call it 'detail-oriented' but my friends call it 'the little specks that don't matter' lol. It's made me a good student though, so I can't say I can complain. 6. I'm pretty sure this is an Australia only thing, but they're called Clinkers. I'm not actually sure what's in the centre, but it's this kinda crunchy/foamy candy thing that's covered in chocolate. As a kid, you usually play a game by guessing what colour is in the centre out of pink, yellow, and green. It helps that they're also addictively good. Top stuff.

claiming for week 2

Tadhg Byrne has been playing in a way that exceeds expectations as of late (discount the Yukon games, what do we expect really?) and reporters are starting to take notice of the young goaltender from Éire. Jameson O’Connor from the Irish Times asked the San Diego Marlins goaltender for his first interview in his VHL/E/M career. ‘It’s nice to meet you,’ the reporter started, ‘I apologise if I’m not certain on aspects of your game. I did my best to learn as much about your position and role as possible, but hockey is far more complicated than I first thought.’ Tadhg nodded along with the reporter. ‘I get it. Not many people are too curious about hockey back home. I appreciate your efforts alone.’ ‘So let’s begin. It’s my understanding that you posted your first shutout the other week, yes? Against the… Mississauga Hounds? Quite a showing from your teammates too. 7 goals for your boys.’ Byrne grinned. ‘Big game, big goals. Our team is firing on all cylinders right now, I’m super happy with everything I’m seeing in this organisation. I hope they take me again when it comes to draft day.’ ‘About that, how are you feeling about the draft? It seems like a big event, surely big nerves are being felt?’ A small glint in the eye of the goaltender and a cock of the eyebrow danced across the face of the 19 year old up-and-comer. ‘Nerves? I don’t know about that. I get nervous when my bike makes noises that sound like the engine breaking down or the chain breaking.’ Tadhg Byrne seemed laid back for somebody whose career is incredibly uncertain. ‘I don’t get nervous about hockey anymore. I’ve learned to let it come as it will. I’d love to get drafted by London, I’d love to continue my career in San Diego, I love the administration and I love the teammates I spend most of my time with. I know, however, that that’s not what the hockey gods might have in store for me. As with any sport, you let everything come to you.’ Jameson O’Connor learned many things about the kid from Dublin town, namely that he was more than he seemed. There was more to Tadhg Byrne than he let on, and O’Connor was determined to get to the bottom of it. It seemed that more would be uncovered next week, O’Connor would keep a close eye on the goaltender, learning more about the man and revealing more to the hometown crowd. (422 words.)

1) The growth of the team is always a positive thing! Glad to see new faces around, I haven't been particularly active in the discord, so consider this my hello! 2) I already submitted my PT for theme week. I decided to look at Tadhg's life as a family man trying to grow the game in smaller markets. I think this is a super interesting theme that allows for new players to set some goals and veteran players to have some fun. 3) I've been a big fan of the creative leniency that comes with the league. It gives me a lot of freedom to have a creative outlet when I'm not doing school, which is a major positive! The community is also really cool from what I've seen so far I hope to achieve much of what I wrote in my media spot for my player, I think they call that manifesting? 4) Our goal is difficult, because we're not vying for playoff contention. I think the most achievable goal is to have a strong draft and try to rebuild a strong team who can contend! 5) I'm a Ducks fan. The playoffs are a dream that I can only wait another few years for, but the future is bright! Zegras and Drysdale are the future and a few key players (Lindholm, Rakell, Comtois) are looking to hit their stride again. As for my favourite player, John Gibson is probably going to be traded. I've come to peace with it, I just hope he can win a cup somewhere. 6) Apple juice by far, but if I have to have OJ, it's with pulp.

Tadhg Byrne. A name synonymous with goaltending in the VHL, spending 9 seasons in between the pipes as an elite goaltender with quick reflex and an even quicker hand. After retirement, Tadhg Byrne wasn’t too sure what to do with himself. He’d lived his dream, and now it was over. It was bittersweet. He’d given his all every night, putting himself out on the ice as the final line of defense. The final challenge for goal scorers all around the league. He’d won the Continental Cup, he’d won a Shaw, he’d won a Clegane. He was consistent night in and night out, and he never stopped loving the game. He’d lived the dream of kids all around the world. So what now? Well, it was time for a break. Byrne had married his teen sweetheart, Siobhan, early into his third VHL season. They had twins soon after they married, a boy and a girl. So now, it was time to settle down and be a good father. The kids were 6 now, in their first year of school. His son, Declan, seemed to be following in his father’s footsteps. He had started skating when he was three and never looked back. Tadhg could already tell Declan had the same passion for the game as he, and he was ready to help him in any way he could if he kept dreaming of the VHL. Tadhg spent his time in a net letting his son score goals on him and carrying him around acting like he’d won the Continental Cup. Winning the Cup was one of the happiest moments of his life, but spending time with his son made him infinitely happier. His daughter, Caitlin, loved sports as well, boasting a natural talent for football and baseball rather than hockey. She was a natural striker, scoring goals and running the length of the field with incredible stamina. She was an incredible pitcher too, striking out many kids and making parents turn their heads. She was an incredible football player, just like her mother. It makes Tadhg smile every time he sees his wife and daughter kicking a football in the backyard, reminding him of doing much the same with his own father. The two most important women in his life being happy together was a feeling he’d trade his ability to skate for any day of the week. He spent his mornings driving his kids to school and packing lunches rather than sitting in a rink taking shots from some of the most prolific goal scorers in the most elite league in the world. His afternoons were spent picking his kids up and asking about their day at school, listening to the two kids talk about all the trouble they got into with their friends and how they’re loving lunch time more than listening to their teachers talk about math and history. If Siobhan was in the car, she’d scold them softly. Telling them school was just as important as sports were. If she wasn’t, Tadhg would laugh along with them, telling them all about the trouble he got up to when he was in school. The kids liked hearing stories about his school days and always said that ‘Dad tells the best stories!’ Tadhg prides himself more on that than his hardware nowadays. Aside from being a father, Tadhg also spent time back in his native country of Ireland establishing hockey schools all around the place. He wanted to give kids the opportunities he had closer to home. His influence was felt in Ireland too, becoming something close to a cult icon. He’d helped put hockey on the radar of Ireland’s sports world, and he’d work as hard as he could to establish a stronger hockey culture in Ireland when he could. He was extraordinarily passionate about helping kids live his dream after him. He wanted everybody to be able to dream as big as he did, without fear of whether or not their dream would crumble under the weight of bigger sports. The years of Tadhg’s life he spent in the VHL were some of the most rewarding years of his life, and he reminisced on them fondly often enough. He still has his first San Diego Marlins jersey framed in his office. It makes him glossy eyed when he thinks about it too much. It was his first team and his first real taste of elite hockey. His life was not ordinary, he was an exception to the rule that was rugby and football. He skated and defended the goal. If he could give that feeling to kids who didn’t know it was an option, he would. In an interview with the Dublin Times, a reporter had asked about his choice to go for hockey rather than rugby like his father and it was with a soft smile that he responded. If he were younger, it’d be more cocky and curt. ‘I love hockey. That was the real thing that mattered. I love rugby, but not like hockey. The feeling of skating onto the ice is a feeling that I can’t describe in words. The closest way I can describe it is through the word ‘exhilarating’. It made me feel alive, it was the very thing that gave me purpose. Of course, I was young and naïve. There are bigger things than hockey, my kids come to mind, but at that time? When I was in net? I didn’t exist as anybody other than Tadhg Byrne, number 36.’ The interviewer laughed along with Byrne after hearing his passion for the sport that was unheard of in Dublin. The next question was simple. ‘What now?’ Tadhg just smiled. ‘Live my life. I haven’t done that in a while, hockey has been everything. It’ll be nice to get back to being a regular citizen.’ In short, Tadhg Byrne was an accomplished hockey player. That’s certain. More than anything though, Tadhg Byrne wants to be an accomplished man, and that’s what he’s doing now. He’s becoming an accomplished man in his life after the VHL, opening up avenues for kids in his home country to seek his dream and follow in his footsteps. He’s being a father to his two children and offering his support for them wherever they want it. His hockey career is on the back-Byrne-r, and isn’t coming off any time soon. (1064 words, claiming for weeks Oct. 11-17 and Oct. 18-24) *edit: changed weekendings

The Republic of Ireland, a country off the coast of Old Blighty herself. Ireland is known in the sports world for its incredible rugby players and incredibly mediocre football players. The Emerald Isle has made its mark in the sports it’s known for and has no intent of changing any time soon. Well, that was until Tadhg Byrne set his mind to hockey. Tadhg Byrne was 8 when he saw his first hockey game. It had been a VHL game between the London United and Moscow Menace. He’d been playing rugby for almost 4 years at that point, but something had always been missing. Watching the speed of the players flying up and down the ice, the rough-and-tough defensemen, the incredible accuracy of the goal scorers. It began to fill the hole in his heart at a rapid pace. Then the camera flicked over to the Moscow goalie, Raymond Bernard, and Tadhg felt the hole become non-existent. It was an incredible save, with technique and athleticism like Tadhg had never seen before. One save, one shot, one camera angle. All of those small, insignificant factors changed the course of Tadhg Byrne’s life. He wanted to be a goaltender. Telling his dad that he wanted to play hockey was one of the toughest things that Tadhg has ever done. What Tadhg will often leave out of a lot of papers is that his dad was the starting fly-half for the Irish rugby squad that dominated the Five Nations during the early 1980s. He was an incredible rugby player, and a stand-up man. Tadhg didn’t want to disappoint him with a dream that even a young Tadhg knew was unrealistic. When Tadhg spilled his guts about his dream to his dad, he grinned back at his son. ‘You have the same look in your eyes as I did when I found rugby.’ From there, Tadhg was a hockey player. He started working with goalie coaches in Northern Ireland to start his journey from being a kid who’d never even seen hockey skates before to becoming somebody who would, maybe one day, be able to start in net for the best team in the VHL. It was gruelling work, starting hockey almost 3 years after most kids put Tadhg at a disadvantage and he knew it. He worked hard, and if there’s something you can’t beat, it’s work ethic, and Tadhg has that in spades. Tadhg played for the Belfast Giants’ junior team from ages 9-16, playing 256 games and having a stat line of 1.49GAA and .956sv%. Tadhg Byrne is forever grateful to the family he boarded with in Belfast, and will tell you all about how he owes his hockey career to not only his real family, but also his ‘second family’ in the Gallagher’s. Mary and Sean Gallagher were nothing but welcoming and encouraged Tadhg every step of the way, treating him as if he were their own son. Tadhg got his first start for the Belfast Giants of the EIHL when he was 17, playing out of his mind and standing on his head in net. An incredible stat line of 43 saves from 44 shots. He played a further 21 games for the Giants that year, putting up a 3.2GAA and a .899sv% and showing promise as a young goalie in a league that, despite being a subpar league overall, had grown men playing against him. The Belfast Giants and the city of Belfast were the home away from home that fostered and helped Tadhg Byrne become the player he is today and the player he will be tomorrow. When Tadhg signed his contract with the San Diego Marlins of the VHLM, the first people who knew were his family and all of the staff who worked with him in Belfast. If you ask Tadhg Byrne about his hockey career so far, he’ll give you a flashy grin and a laugh. ‘This is only the beginning, ain’t it? Ain’t no career yet. Not until the big stage. Not until I’m holding a Continental Cup in my hands, champion of the world. I want to take that cup back to Dublin and Belfast to show everybody that yeah, even a kid from Dublin can be the top of the world. It’s not a career until that happens.’ (719 words)

1) As one of those recent additions, it's feeling really good! The defense addition is especially good for me since Byrne benefits from having D-Men in front of him. 2) I'd say the best part of my game is my rebounding and hand speed, since those are the big stats for Byrnesy 3) I'm hoping for a .900sv and a 4GAA, especially with the new defense addition. 4) I'm torn between HC Davos and Halifax's anchor logo, both of them look really nice. Big fan of circular logos, they always look super nice in my opinion. 5) I like reading and drawing comics in my spare time. I'm also an amateur Funko Pop collector. My goal is to own every goalie funko, since I have Lundqvist, Andersen, Fleury, and Roy right now. 6) I'm a massive fan of haloumi cheese. If not for the health implications, I think I would live off of haloumi cheese for the rest of my life.

I’ve only been here for half a week, but I’d like to take a look at the top two teams in the VHLM currently. I’m not sure what sim the league uses, but whatever it is is giving Ottawa some powerhouse numbers. It’s hard not to have the Lynx in your finals match-up, since they’re 16 whole points ahead of the next team in their divisions. The Lynx have players leading in multiple statistical categories as well, Austin Towbaker is tied for leading forwards in goals with 33, and Juice Box leading in goals and points by a defenseman. With this lineup, the Lynx seem like locks for the cup final. Although, you shouldn’t count your eggs before they hatch. Enter stage left: The Yukon Rush. Yukon have also had their fair share of blowouts, with multiple 11 goal games on their side. Much like the Lynx, the Rush are dominant forces on the ice, with their players simming extremely well and producing monster numbers as a result. The Rush aren’t as far ahead as the Lynx are, with the second team in their conference being 10 points behind. This doesn’t discount the fact that they are only one point behind Ottawa. Their players are also not far behind in the points and goals categories either. Kyosti Karjalainen is the name to watch for Yukon, being the person to tie with Ottawa’s Towbaker for 33 goals so far and being sixth in overall points (33-31-64). It should be really exciting to see what will happen in the VHLM playoffs and hopefully, my player, Tadhg Byrne, doesn’t end up with a GAA that’s closer to 20 than 1. Best of luck to all teams who are looking at the playoffs! (289 Words)

reviews welcomed and appreciated

#FILLTHETANK

Player Information Username: teknonym Player Name: Tadhg Byrne Recruited From: YouTube Age: 19 Position: G Height: 74 in. Weight: 216 lbs. Birthplace: Ireland Player Page @VHLM GM