Roque Davis - Class of S84
User: @Josh
Position: Defenseman
Nationality: Portuguese
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 215 lbs.
VHL Drafted: 2nd OA, by the HC Davos Dynamo
VHLM Drafted: 6th OA, by the San Diego Marlins
Played for: Mississauga Hounds, San Diego Marlins, HC Davos Dynamo, Moscow Menace, Los Angeles Stars
Preface
(edited from the player's own Junior Review)
How do you become a hockey player if you are born in a country where it’s almost impossible to find snow? For players with Portuguese ancestry, that first step is to move to Canada. At the young age of 7, Roque Davis was showing early signs of athleticism and enjoyed playing soccer. But not long after landing in Calgary, Roque had to ask a question to his parents, “All of the kids at school play hockey! Can I play?”
Early on in his development, the coaches let his parents know that Roque would be something special. Something most coaches will do to motivate the parents to keep their kids engaged and focused. But this time, not only were those coaches doing that, but they found a diamond in the rough. This article proves that.
🎖 Career Awards 🎖
76 | Victory Cup
76 | Sterling Labatte Trophy
76 | Alexander Beketov Trophy
76 | Alexander Valiq Trophy
71 | Alexander Valiq Trophy
71 | Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy
70 | Ryan Sullivan Trophy
70 | Ethan Osborne Trophy
70 | Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy
The VHLM
First of all, starting your career in S69? Nice!
Getting 33 Points in 40 Games as a late season Free Agent signing? Pretty nice, too!
That late push with Mississauga set the tone for Davis' illustrious VHLM career. Regarded as one of the top prospects available, he was picked 6th OA by the San Diego Marlins - and, boy, was he worth the pick! The Marlins finished 2nd in the regular season, much to his efforts. The S70 Marlins still, to this day, hold an immense amount of records. Notoriously, the Marlins scored 1129 Points that season, and Roque's accounted for 154 of those.
They did lose in the semi-finals to the Ottawa Lynx. But that team had come 3rd in the regular season, only a couple of points behind the Marlins. But winning has to be the goal every time a team steps on the ice, and the Marlins got close but couldn't reach. Unfortunately, this was a sign of what was coming for Roque.
His play didn't go unnoticed, and that season with took home three different trophies. The Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy (given to the player with the most assists in the regular season), the Ethan Osborne (given to the player with the most points in the regular season), and the Ryan Sullivan, the latter given to the VHLM's Top Defenseman.
Regular Season Stats
70 (SDM), 72 Games Played, 36 Goals, 118 Assists, 154 Points, +109 Plus/Minus, 340 Shots, 71 Hits, 108 Shots Blocked, 3 Game Winning Goals, 13 Powerplay Goals
69 (MIS), 25 Games Played, 6 Goals, 15 Assist, 21 Points, +10 Plus/Minus, 42 Shots, 36 Hits, 22 Shots Blocked, 2 Game Winning Goals, 5 Powerplay Goals
Playoffs Stats
70 (SDM), 10 Games Played, 6 Goals, 13 Assists, 19 Points, +15 Plus/Minus, 32 Shots, 6 Hits, 15 Shots Blocked, 1 Game Winning Goals, 2 Powerplay Goals
69 (MIS), 15 Games Played, 5 Goals, 7 Assists, 12 Points, +1 Plus/Minus, 39 Shots, 22 Hits, 18 Shots Blocked, 1 Game Winning Goals, 3 Powerplay Goals
A Strong Start
As expected by the Mock Drafts around the VHL, with the 1st OA selection, Riga picked Kyl Oferson, who had the task of replacing newly retired Ryan Kastelic. With the 2nd OA, HC Davos didn't flinch at the opportunity to add a talent like Roque Davis. He was to be the center stone of the rebuilding Davos squad and a great one at it. Expectations were high for the Portuguese, but after everything he'd been through, he was already used to it.
The first two seasons of Roque's career were still played on a VHL with 12 teams, but that didn't matter. Davos wasn't a great team, as they had to build a new roster from scratch during that off-season. Even so, Roque managed to assert himself in the league and got recognized for it. Roque was selected as the most outstanding rookie and took the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy home. But there was more. Even as a rookie, Roque was awarded the Alexander Valiq Trophy, an award given to the top offensive defenseman in the VHL.
Roque's second season in the VHL saw Davos make a jump forward. After finishing S71 at the bottom of the league, with 55 points and 13 points behind the penultimate team, Davos got better... way better. They finished season 72 with 77 points. That's a 40% increase, the best in the league that season. Roque got better that season, maybe not in the usual stats, but he improved as a team leader and a character on the ice. He scored only 4 more points but went from -18 to a +22 (plus/minus) on what still only was a regular team. This season, there were no accolades, but there were playoffs, and that's even better. But Davos wasn't experienced enough and got swept in the first round by the Riga Reign, who won the Continental Cup.
The third season in the VHL came with 4 new expansion teams and another HC Davos regression, which unfortunately also took Davis hostage. This was one of the worst seasons of Davis' career. Davos ended up making the playoffs, but it was only to be swept again in the first round, which was now a wildcard round. We skip ahead.
Regular Season Stats
73 (DAV), 72 Games Played, 16 Goals, 42 Assists, 58 Points, +7 Plus/Minus, 227 Shots, 165 Hits, 125 Shots Blocked, 3 Game Winning Goals, 2 Powerplay Goals
72 (DAV), 72 Games Played, 15 Goals, 58 Assists, 73 Points, +22 Plus/Minus, 183 Shots, 134 Hits, 141 Shots Blocked, 1 Game Winning Goals, 3 Powerplay Goals
71 (DAV), 72 Games Played, 25 Goals, 44 Assist, 69 Points, -18 Plus/Minus, 233 Shots, 127 Hits, 131 Shots Blocked, 3 Game Winning Goals, 9 Powerplay Goals
Playoffs Stats
73 (DAV), 5 Games Played, 2 Goals, 3 Assists, 5 Points, 0 Plus/Minus, 21 Shots, 21 Hits, 7 Shots Blocked, 0 Game Winning Goals, 2 Powerplay Goals
72 (DAV), 4 Games Played, 0 Goals, 23 Assists, 2 Points, +2 Plus/Minus, 17 Shots, 8 Hits, 14 Shots Blocked, 0 Game Winning Goals, 0 Powerplay Goals
Reaching The Peak
S74 saw Roque Davis getting back to the business of being Roque Davis. Davos improved residually, but Davis' efforts were reminiscing of his earlier seasons. We saw him freely roaming the ice, passing, scoring, hitting, and blocking. A truly versatile player. It seemed like everything was in place, but Davos played in a stacked European Conference and finished 6th. 5 points behind 3rd, 1 point behind 4th, and tied for 5th place... Davos still missed out on the playoffs.
The season ended with no playoffs or accolades. Davis was now an established veteran in the league and wouldn't take this anymore. There were greener pastures on the other side, and it wasn't because he wasn't watering his own.
He moved to Moscow, eager to prove himself. Keen to prove he wasn't the problem in Davos. Was he right? You tell me. In S75, Moscow made the playoffs after finishing 4th. Davos missed the playoffs in 6th. In S76, Moscow led the league, and Roque had the best season of his career. Davos was dead last on a season performance that still stands in the Top 10 of their worst seasons.
Davis' tenure in Moscow must be measured by their accomplishments in the playoffs. That's what he went there for and where the Moscow team was built to play.
In S75, as they finished 4th meant they'd be facing the 5th on the European Conference standings, the London United. Moscow only outscored London by 2 points in the regular season, but that series showed who the better team was. And most importantly, who the best player was. Even with Erik Killinger, a fellow S71 draftee, on the ice, Roque Davis was a step above. In the Conference Semi-Finals, Moscow met the Helsinki Titans... and what a series that one was! To 7 games, it went, and each of them was worthy of the playoffs. And again, repeating his play from the wildcard round, Roque Davis was the best player on the ice, even with another draft classmate on the ice, Ola Vikingstad. As Moscow reached the Conference Finals, we could see the motivation in their eyes. After all, they had just beaten the 1st-place Titans, but perhaps that wasn't the best thing in the world. Malmo explored the cracks in the Menace's game, something we hadn't seen before, but maybe because they weren't there. And so, they beat Moscow in 6 games and went on to win the Continental Cup.
S76's playoff run wasn't as glamorous as the previous. After a great regular season that saw them top the table with 112 Points, they had more trouble than what would have been expected to overcome the Helsinki Titans in the first round. It took them seven games to finish that series, and they would have a much stronger opponent in the Conference Finals. If the 112 Points scored by the Menace were impressive, the 110 points that the Aloe Dear-led Predators scored didn't stay far behind. And thus, Moscow was beaten in 7 games, and Warsaw went on to fight for the Continental Cup, where they lost to Chicago.
Regular Season Stats
76 (MOS), 72 Games Played, 17 Goals, 86 Assists, 103 Points, +43 Plus/Minus, 261 Shots, 206 Hits, 161 Shots Blocked, 2 Game Winning Goals, 10 Powerplay Goals
75 (MOS), 72 Games Played, 19 Goals, 59 Assists, 78 Points, +15 Plus/Minus, 273 Shots, 241 Hits, 126 Shots Blocked, 3 Game Winning Goals, 7 Powerplay Goals
74 (DAV), 72 Games Played, 22 Goals, 55 Assist, 77 Points, +22 Plus/Minus, 259 Shots, 241 Hits, 131 Shots Blocked, 5 Game Winning Goals, 8 Powerplay Goals
Playoffs Stats
76 (MOS), 14 Games Played, 1 Goal, 14 Assists, 15 Points, +1 Plus/Minus, 33 Shots, 26 Hits, 32 Shots Blocked, 0 Game Winning Goals, 1 Powerplay Goal
75 (MOS), 17 Games Played, 10 Goals, 16 Assists, 26 Points, +9 Plus/Minus, 55 Shots, 39 Hits, 35 Shots Blocked, 3 Game Winning Goals, 6 Powerplay Goals
After-hours
Two more seasons had passed, and Roque Davis was now entering the twilight of his illustrious career. Yet again, he found himself in a situation where major career decisions had to be made.
The dominance of Moscow was coming to an end, and Roque knew that, so he started scouting the market. He had two years left in his career, but his S76 performance had gotten him three different individual awards, two of them new. He was awarded the Alexander Valiq Trophy for the second time in his career. But added the Alexander Beketov (Assist Leader) and the Sterling Labatte (Top Defenseman) Trophies.
He decided to sign with the Los Angeles Stars. Not an awful decision since staying in Moscow would lead him to be bottom of the league for the last two years of his career, but also not the best choice. This moved him to the North American Conference for the first time in his career, moving him closer to home, but his performances weren't up to par. Both seasons in Los Angeles gave him career lows if you disregard that awful S73 Davos campaign.
Season 77 saw the Stars finishing 4th in the North American Conference. They finished the season with the best defense in the conference but at the same time lost too many points at home. The consistency just wasn't there, and it was felt in their playoff run. They started hot, winning the Wildcard series against the 5th-placed Vancouver Wolves in 4 games. Managed to stay that way against 1st place Chicago, sweeping them in the Conference Semi-Finals. But when the going became tough, they were no Ford F-150 and were swept by the Seattle Bears, who went on to lift the Cup.
Season 78 was the sequel to the previous season. The Stars didn't manage to improve, while their star collapsed. Playing, by far, the worst season of his career on an underperforming squad, the Los Angeles Stars didn't make the playoffs. And the last game Roque Davis ever played was an OT thriller against the worst team in the league that season.
Regular Season Stats
78 (LAS), 72 Games Played, 12 Goals, 38 Assists, 50 Points, +6 Plus/Minus, 230 Shots, 105 Hits, 146 Shots Blocked, 1 Game Winning Goals, 7 Powerplay Goals
77 (LAS), 72 Games Played, 18 Goals, 46 Assist, 64 Points, +3 Plus/Minus, 240 Shots, 58 Hits, 172 Shots Blocked, 2 Game Winning Goals, 12 Powerplay Goals
Playoffs Stats
77 (LAS), 12 Games Played, 3 Goals, 13 Assists, 16 Points, +6 Plus/Minus, 47 Shots, 14 Hits, 26 Shots Blocked, 0 Game Winning Goals, 1 Powerplay Goals
Epilogue
Roque Davis' story started with an underdog for the protagonist. In the beginning, you were almost rooting for him, hoping his move between countries would go almost flawlessly.
After a while, you understood that Roque was, in fact, remarkable and that his move to Canada wasn't a handicap on his development but a gift that allowed him to discover his passion.
When Roque was at the top of his game, you stopped rooting for him and started wishing for the opposite. He must have been given everything, so let's not make it any easier on him. Let's make him work. And work he did.
Roque Davis' 11th in TPE*, at the moment this article is being written. He has individual accolades but will not be able to compete for a Continental Cup ever again. Of those 10 players above him, only Hunter Hearst Helmsley has also not won a Continental.
Hence, Roque Davis deserves this spot in the Hall of Fame, and it doesn't matter that it took him 6 seasons to get here. His story is built on grit. Being ever so close to achieving the ultimate goal but never being able to do it. Yet he never quit, and he always gave us his whole.
That's what we'll remember him by. That's his legacy.
VHL Career Totals
Regular Season: 576 Games Played, 144 Goals, 428 Assists, 572 Points, +100 +/-, 1185 Hits, 1133 Shots Blocked
Playoffs: 52 Games Played, 16 Goals, 48 Assists, 64 Points, +18 +/-, 108 Hits, 114 Shots Blocked
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The WJC has come and gone. Seems like only a week ago, we were speculating on what this tournament could look like. Well... I guess we did, but we weren't very good at it, in hindsight. But just because we weren't good at predicting the outcomes doesn't mean our teams weren't good. These teams were great, so before we start, on behalf of the VSN crew, I'd like to congratulate every intervenient in this tournament. From our General Managers to our commissioners. A quick nod to @jacobcarson877, @Nykonax, @TMGSosa, @Novanod, @Trunkxolotl, @Ricer13, and @Enorama. Well, also @Dil for some reason. To the players... not so much. I mean... can't you just make up your mind? Our predictions didn't pan out because this edition of the World Junior Championship finished as one of the tightest ever. 1. Team USA, 14 Points. 2. Team World, 13 Points. 3. Team Canada, 12 Points. 4. Team Europe, 11 Points. 5. Team Asia, 10 Points. How could this have happened? With a little cycle, I will show you. It's game 1 of the S84 edition of the WJC. Team USA faces Team World to win a game that ends with a 2-0 result. It's game 2, and Team Europe is facing Team Canada. The game is a thriller and ends with a 4-2 victory for Team Europe. We're now in game 4. Team Canada meets Team USA. Both teams have one game in the bag that finished in different ways. It's a gritty game that ends with a 3-1 Team Canada victory. It's game 5 and Team Europe seems to be on a roll. After the win in game 2, Europe faced Asia in game 3 and won. They're now 2-0 and in 1st place on the standings. That night, they played against Team Asia yet again. This time, Team Asia dug deep and pulled out an unbelievable victory. 4-2 was the result. We jump to game 9, where Team World is facing Team Asia. Team Asia has a 1-2 record, while Team World is 0-2. If Team World goes down to 0-3, it would be difficult to leave the bottom of the standings going forward, so they don't. It's a battle of defenses, but Team World edges out Team Asia to win 2-1. At this point, we're not even halfway through the tournament, and every team has beaten once. This is wonderful because this allows us to have a beautiful graphic to accompany this paragraph. Okay. You got me. There's no graphic, but you get the picture! (Get it!? ) Anyway, it's time to leave the Round Robin stage, right!? Everything continued tight, teams beating each other, and Team Europe couldn't find their groove. So this round finished with the standings shown above. We want the medal games! That's where the importance of this tournament is. The first game is the wildcard between the 4th and 5th placed teams. In fact, I wouldn't necessarily call this a game since it was more of a beating. Team Europe came, Team Europe saw, and Team Europe got to the semifinals. Behind a great game by the usual suspects, Noodles Marconi, Faith Hope Love, and Svatopluk Puk, they dominated the opposition, who came out with little to offer. And so, they went to the next round, where they found a much more competitive opponent, Team USA. This was a tight game, but early in the 2nd period, Team Europe managed to go up 2-0, and everyone thought the story was being written in real-time. We were wrong. Team USA showed heart, passion, and will. And behind the efforts of Chip Stone, Justin Adolfsen, and Dogwood Maple, they managed to tie with less than 2 minutes remaining. The momentum was with Team USA now, and it showed. Out-shooting Team Europe in OT, Team USA scored, got the win and the ticket to the final. In the other semifinal, the story was similar to the wildcard game, but the protagonist was Team Canada. Total domination of the game, a great teamwork display, and Cobalt Burns doing his best to get noticed. A beautiful 3-1 victory and a place in the final for Team Canada. Before writing about the Gold Medal game, let's first mention the Bronze dispute. Team Europe versus Team World. It was closer than expected. Team World had arrived hungry for the win, but the Europeans wouldn't let that slide. After a hard-fought game that finished with a tie, John Jameson, now the 1st-overall pick of the VHLE Draft, ended the game with a little over a minute played in Overtime. The Final. Everything we came to see. It's a North American battle. More than the title itself, pride is on the line. Team Canada against Team USA. Team USA started the game better, putting Team Canada under pressure and playing at a high-intensity level. That resulted in Chip Stone opening up the scoreboard with a slap shot after a face-off. Unfortunately for the Americans, their own goal was the turning point of the game for their opponent. The Canadians woke up and slowly started rising their level and matching USA's intensity. After the first intermission, we saw some great hockey being played, and Team Canada took advantage of a powerplay near the end of the period. The extraordinaire Busser, managing to break the USA's lines after a Doug Matchett pass. That 2nd period was all Canada, so the goal was a fair reflection of the game. After the second intermission, both teams seemed somewhat tired, and the intensity wasn't as high. Team Canada scored early and followed up with a second goal, putting the score at a 3-1 that Team USA couldn't contest. Ultimately, any of these two teams would be a worthy winner of this season's WJC, but only one can win. Team Canada showed heart and effectiveness in their game, which allowed them to succeed. Now your MVP. I'm guessing the flashy Tyler Busser comes to mind. Or the versatile Doug Matchett. But there's a guy who was a step ahead. Goaltender, DJ Fire Dragon. They played incredibly... there aren't enough adjectives. Take a look at these ridiculous Medal Round stats. 1.00 GAA (Goals Against Average), 0.964 SV% (Save Percentage), and two #2 stars. Users (Players) mentioned in this article
