Tetricide

Hey, there he is! Nikolas Kauppi, everyone. I've got a few questions for you. Now, Kauppi, the Kings defeated the Philadelphia Reapers in the first round 4 - 1 where you recorded only 1 point with an assist in the 5th game. What do you think is stifling your points production and how are you going about trying to break your nearly pointless streak? Bob, this is my second interview with you, but it sounds like you're trying to insult me in the guise of asking questions. Oh, come on, kid! I'm just pointing out the facts here and trying to pick your brain! If you say so... Honestly, it's been tough to find the right time to score and there've been a lot of times where I have to pass the puck to someone else like Stroheim or Torbjorn who are better positioned for a goal. Being in the playoffs hasn't put me in a different mindset at all. Tottingham and I talk pretty frequently on the ice, but sometimes I can't get over how much his head looks like a potato and it's just really distracting. As for breaking the goal-less streak, I just need more practice. Maybe Tucker can give me some pointers. That's a great positive attitude you have for improvement! Speaking of pointers-- You son of a b.. --your points drastically changed when you were traded from the Saskatoon Wild. You played about 4 games shorter, but overall your points production on the Kings was about half! What do you think contributed to the points deficit? On the Wild, I had a lot of opportunities to shine and produce points even though I was new. I was on the first line almost every time, which was great. However, on the Kings there's just an insane amount of talent on here that are just consistent with putting up points and they've pretty much synergized at the half-way point of the regular season. It wasn't like I wasn't trying -- I was definitely putting in work every second on the ice. Let's just say on the Wild I was a big fish in a small pond and on the Kings I'm a small fish in a big pond. I just have to put a lot more effort. That was an incredible analogy that I believe really does summarize your situation. Now that the Kings have advanced to round 2 in the playoffs, how are you feeling about playing the Las Vegas Aces? Honestly, I feel like if it's not us then it's the Aces to beat to win the cup. I think it would've been an epic final game between us, but now I just have to fight harder to make sure they don't get a single win in this series. Do you go by Nikolas or Niko for short? Bob, you can call me what ever sounds cool to you. You seem like a smart guy. Nikolas Kauppi, thank you for taking the time out of your day today for this lovely interview. I look forward to our next one! Yeah, thanks for having me. Make sure to make it sting less next time or I'll have to stuff you in a locker. 535 words, using for PT week ending August 14.

1. Mexico City made it look easy getting past the first round of the playoffs. What do you see next for the Kings and what challenges are coming up? I gotta tell ya, I was really hoping SSK was gonna pull the upset against LVA. That would've been incredible coming from my former team. Vegas is definitely going to make us work for round 2 and I'm trying to get my player up to par. 2. What is your player doing differently in the playoffs? Scoring less, so far. I need him to do the opposite. I think he just got his only point in game 5. 3. Having the best defense in the league is only part of our success. What else do you see as having a major impact on the team? There's no doubt our defense is elite. An elite defense needs an elite offense to balance it out and I think we have a pretty well rounded team that meets that expectation. 4. When you joined this team, did you expect to be surrounded by such talent and are you surprised to see Mexico City in the run for the cup? I'm not surprised to see the Kings on a cup run, but I had no idea what I was dealing with coming into the locker room. 5. Do you have any words of wisdom for Tucker or Swayman? Shut your five hole. 6. Do you prefer skiing or snowboarding? Why? I actually haven't done either of them. I feel like either way, your feet are stuck to a ski or board and bailing out isn't as easy as it is skateboarding. However, if I had to pick which I think I'd like more, probably snowboarding as it's just skateboarding and the snow are your wheels.

1. The season is almost over and Houston is on our tail. What do we do to keep them from overtaking us and gaining second place? Keep pushing. Practicing. We just acquired another defenseman, so that should hopefully help keep our goals against down. 2. Are you happy with your player this season? The beginning of the season was pretty exciting, but he's fallen off a bit since the trade. 3. Which VHLE team do you think is going to surprise everyone in the playoffs? I'm gonna be honest, I haven't been paying attention to either the VHL or VHLE lately. Just been maintaining focus in my own league. 4. What is your first memory of hockey? Playing or otherwise? Watching hockey in its fullest during the 2018 playoffs. I never watched it before then. I never looked back. 5. How far in the playoffs do you expect Mexico City to go and why? The Kings can take it all for sure. What's also certain is that it is not going to be an easy road to get there. 6. When was the last time you had a PBJ sandwich? About a week ago.

1. Last week we dominated the offense and goal scoring. How confident are you that we will be able to bring this energy into the playoffs? We've definitely been dominating lately and it's helped us maintain a spot for the playoffs. I think it'll depend on who we'll face in the rounds leading up to the final. 2. So far this season, we’ve gone into overtime 10 games, losing 8 of those games. Do you think doing more sand bags in training will help the endurance or should there be more focus on penalty shots? I don't know about the other guys, but I enjoy the sand bag training. Hmm...maybe we should switch it up a little bit, but I'll definitely miss those sand bags. 3. Team Captain Tater Tots, leads the team in points. What do you say about his consistent stellar performance? Tots (@Trunkxolotl) is the man. I look up to that guy. 4. When Henry Tucker was selected #1 overall, some thought GM Cole was taking a big risk by selecting a goalie first. Now that Tucker has brought the Kings up in the standings and has proven to be a top goalie and contributor to the team, do you have anything to say to those other GMs? I can't hear the other GMs from where we're standing right now. 5. We’re 52 games in and have separated from all teams except the Las Vegas Aces. Should we push to try to pass them or be satisfied in second place going into the playoffs? We should always push to be better! Never settle for less. 6. What is the biggest mountain you have climbed, hiked, biked, or driven up, and why did you go up? Glacier Point in Yosemite Nat'l Park. We (my mom, sister, and I) actually took a bus to the top and hiked down. The views are absolutely breathtaking and I would do it all over again.

I did a thing.

1. Our GM, Cole, just made an incredible trade, giving us Nikolas Kauppi for the next couple seasons. Are you looking forward to what Kauppi can contribute to the team? Kauppi seems like a pretty cool guy and doesn't afraid of anything. 2. How have you been doing with the weekly game predictions for TPE? Ooo...ahh...yeah...about that. I haven't been doing it. 3. If you could play one professional sport, what would that be and why? I'm not sure everyone considers it a sport, but poker. Hundreds of people from around the world compete in the WSOP for the final table and you never see the same faces. Hold 'Em has been a game that I've played most of my life. 4. The season is just over half way and Mexico City is tied with Houston. Are there any changes we need to do in order to jump ahead of Houston and chase Las Vegas? Score more. Allow less goals. Easier said than done, but I'm hoping Kauppi will help in that department. 5. What NHL jersey was Cameron wearing in the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?” And if you know more, who’s the player? Detroit Red Wings, but I couldn't tell you the player name. If I had to guess -- Yzerman. 6. Is it OK to put ketchup on steak? Why or why not? NO! Stop putting sauce on steak. You season that meat for flavor.

AYYY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Sig soon to come. Eventually. Maybe.

1. Are you satisfied with your player’s performance so far? Kauppi has definitely picked up more points over the past week, but I really need him to pick up more on scoring. 2. What’s the hardest aspect of Hockey in your opinion? It's easy to judge from the stands or the couch how a play should've gone, but you don't have that same view playing on the ice. 3. If you could choose any pet to adopt what would it be? A barn owl. 4. If you could choose any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation. 5. How does your player overcome challenges and adversity on the ice? He's a big guy, so he'll let a person know what they just did isn't OK. Physically. 6. Other than hockey, which other sport peaks your interest? None that get me as excited at hockey. Closest would be basketball, but I don't follow it.

Oop. Thanks for the correction.

After 16 games, the Saskatoon Wild find themselves near the bottom of the standings. It's been a tough uphill battle for the Wild, but it hasn't broken the spirits of one particular player. Nikolas Kauppi, a forward for the Saskatoon Wild, has 13 points with 4 goals and 9 assists and is here with us today so we can pick his brain a little bit. Welcome to the league, Kauppi! How has the season treated you so far? Thank you! I wasn't expecting to get drafted as early as I was, but I'm proud to represent the Saskatoon Wild. The season has definitely been tough for us. Some games have been incredibly frustrating the way we lost, but we still have plenty of opportunities to rise to the top by the time the regular season ends. The season has no mercy for mistakes and I've been learning that the hard way, so I'm working on getting more shots in net and assisting a teammate with a pass so we at least have a chance to make it to playoffs. Anything is still possible at this point! Speaking of points, you recorded 3 assists leading up to the Wild's 5th game where you scored your first goal. How did it feel when you saw the puck hit the back of the net? There's just absolutely no words to describe everything I was feeling in that moment. It wasn't a home game, so the arena was pretty quiet with the exception of my teammates and the few fans, including my parents, in the stands. It was also my first powerplay goal, but I couldn't have done it without the passing plays from Astro Singh and Robert Overmeyer. That's awesome that your parents were there to see it. I bet they were very proud! Are you proud of your progress so far in the league or do you think there's some room for improvement? Oh, man, I have two of the most supportive parents I could ask for! They've been to every game. As far as my performance I'm not gonna lie, I feel it has been pretty disappointing. I think Jesse Teno has given me a little more credit than I deserve in that last press conference. There's definitely a lot of room for improvement on my end and hoping my practice sessions with Singh and Overmeyer help bring my A-Game to every game. I just need to push myself a little more and maybe cut down on the penalties a bit. I'm not doing them intentionally, of course! Of course! I don't condone violence, Kauppi! The other guy is just in the wrong place at the wrong time, right? Also don't be so hard on yourself! I think Teno is right in their praise for your scoring chances for that first week. You're right about wrong place, wrong time. Sometimes, my stick just gets caught up in another player's jersey or their face somehow ends up in the boards. I swear that's not on purpose! You're probably right about me being hard on myself. I can't help it sometimes, but I think it also pushes me to be a better player. Teno's a good person and and even better teammate, so praise from them definitely boosts my ego a little bit. What team are you most worried about right now and why? The Las Vegas Aces, hands down. They're dominating the league in points and wins. It's kind of funny, actually. The Aces GM was the only one who approached me before the draft with interest in drafting me, but it was the Wild who actually drafted me first. So, now I have more determination to beat them every chance I can get. It's nothing personal against them. If anything, I just help deny league points so someone else gets to the top. Wow, if I hadn't known any better I'd say it was personal, but I'll take your word for it! Nikolas Kauppi, thank you for taking the time out of your day to talk with me today. Is there anything you want to say to the folks at home listening in? Thanks for having me! I could get used to this whole interview thing. To the people at home, thanks to everyone watching our games. Your support is appreciated! I'm hopeful to see someone with my jersey in the stands one day, and even more-so hopeful to raise the Cup this season! 743 words, using for PT week ending July 10.

1. His performance has been pretty good! I would love to see him put more points up and PIM down... 2. Astro Singh (@8Ovechkin8) for sure with the most points. 3. He didn't get his first goal, but he did get two assists. So he was pretty excited to get his first couple of points in the first game. 4. The Canes home alternate because I love the colors and the flag logo. 5. I LOVE traveling. My dream vacation is anywhere with sights that countries like Switzerland and New Zealand have to offer. I'd probably just never leave. 6. Hamburgers, ez.

1. Kauppi mostly can't wait for the first game to show what he's got and learn how to play better against the other teams. 2. The players. The speed and skill they put on the ice every game day is electrifying. 3. It's about time! The Avalanche have an incredible lineup jam-packed with talent that were able to win as a team. That's how they became Champions. 4. Pepperoni, Italian sausage, meatballs, and bacon! 5. Jason Robertson. 6. Faceoffs. It's been his focus in the practice facility lately.

1. Surprised, but excited! 2. Unsure how to feel about it since I'm still new to this. 3. Kauppi scoring his first career hat trick in the first game. 4. Clearly the best answer here is hockey pucks. 5. I think we should be cautious of all of them, but not afraid. 6. Kauppi's first sighting was at the Dakota Dunes Casino at a Hold 'Em table wearing his draft jersey.

Thank you! I'm pretty excited about being drafted. I don't really watch or listen to any, but I have seen a few snippets of Critical Role sessions. I have recently been playing in a Pathfinder (1e) campaign though and we're on the 16th session tonight. One of the PCs died last campaign and it was wack.

Player Information Username: Tetricide Player Name: Nikolas Kauppi Recruited From: Member (Trunk) Age: 21 Position: LW Height: 76 in. Weight: 200 lbs. Birthplace: Finland Player Page @VHLM GM

Hello, everyone! I'm brand new to this, but a friend told me this is like D&D hockey. I like both D&D and hockey, so I'm excited to create a player out of thin air with an interesting background and see where he goes.