A Veteran's Postgame Reflection

[Spartan 4,530]

 

Thursday, March 4th. After Game 7 of the S76 EU Conference Championships.

The Moscow Menace are holding player postgame/exit interviews with the media.

 

Moscow PR: Hello all, Alex is here to answer your questions. He has a short statement and then will take questions.

 

Alex: I'd just like to start off by apologizing. To the team, to management, to the fans. To everyone in this organization, really. I don't think I can express how frustrated I am with what happened today. I let our entire team down when it literally mattered the most and it cost us a chance to go to the finals. When everyone was stepping up to get the win, I just wasn't playing like I usually felt. I don't even remember how it happened, but I just remember thrusting my stick and making contact with someone. The refs tossing me out and just a general blur of how it happened. There really is no explanation or justification for it and as captain, I'm ashamed and disappointed. 

 

Reporter: How disappointing is it to have been the closest to a finals appearance as you've been in your four year career, but yet again not make it to the final round?

 

Alex: Yeah, it's just disappointing. I know how much folks have been putting in over the past few seasons. Our stars @Beketov and @Josh just putting in absurd amounts of work, guys who have been around like @Ricer13 working their ass off every single day to try to get to this point and make a finals appearance before retiring. Even before that, guys like Ray @Mr_Hatter and so many others who worked so hard to win a cup and we just couldn't achieve it. But you're right, it's been four years for me here in the VHL now which takes some perspective. But we just haven't been able to get to where we need to be in the playoffs and this season, that's on me.

 

Reporter: This is the second time you guys have won the Victory Cup yet not made the finals. What do you credit to Warsaw getting the edge in the series?

 

Alex: I mean, yeah, second time we've been the best team in the regular season but get eliminated early. I don't really know if there's any one thing to single out. Warsaw has always been a good team, we battled with them all season for first place in the conference and they just clicked when it mattered. I think they have some absurd record of 6-0 in elimination games now this postseason, which deserves major props. Ajay @Hooperorama really took over in some games, he's a really good tender and made big saves when the team needed it. Just wish we could have done more to protect Tonner @MexicanCow123 who we just left out to dry in this postseason and he bailed us out so many times. 

 

 

Reporter: With center Kris Rice retiring, defenseman Roque Davis and winger Ryan @Enorama Schwarz reported to be leaving in free agency and even GM Victor Alfredsson reported to be retiring soon, rumblings around the league are that you may have played your last game for the Menace as the team looks to rebuild. Do you have any thoughts on that?

 

Alex: I don't really know what to say about that, I'm not going to talk about rumors. Victor can talk to you about that if it's relevant. Kris had a great career, Rocky was always looking to be heading back to his hometown after our big push this season. Even Ryan wanted to be part of a cup run and then try to take a leadership role on another team in the future. As for Victor retiring, I don't think it's my place to really comment on that. I think he'll talk about that when he's ready. I don't really want to speculate on rumors right now. But for everyone heading out after this season, I've already spoken with them and I'm just grateful to have been on a team with them during my career. Couldn't have asked for better people to play with and it's been a very fun career so far.

 

Reporter: If this really was your last game, hypothetically, what would you say are some of your best moments on Moscow?

 

Alex: I suppose there are a few. Being able to learn from @fever95 and @Victor as a rookie was a great experience, they really taught me everything I know now. Helped me develop my game and chip in on all areas of the game, they were great mentors to have and I appreciate them a lot. @Telkster was also a fantastic captain and helped me out with my leadership and locker room presence. Rocky coming in was a bit of blessing in a way, as he's a really solid defenseman offensively and helped me become more offensive minded at the pro level. Working with the boy @UnkemptCL4PTP was also fantastic, along with @Kelsier. Young guys in the locker room were always fun to hang around with, keeping me up to date on the slang and stuff the younger folks use these days.

 

 

Outside that I have to appreciate the time I spent with two of my closest friends on the team, Pietro @okifenoki and Cole @GrittyIsKing09. We all came to Moscow as part of the same draft class so we've always been together from day one. Going to rookie training sessions and camp together, rooming together during road trips. Pietro and I would watch a bunch of NHL games together, especially the Penguins games. He was a pretty big fan of the team and it helped that my dad used to play for them as well. We'd just toss on games and have a beer and order food. Really fun times together. Cole and I would always talk about the management aspect of hockey since he's pretty interested in joining management someday, or just keeping our forums chat active that Victor for some reason loved. He'd always harp about how players would use the forum chat before we had all the new fangled phones that could text each other, so we humored him and used to chat on there a lot when Cole would be assigned to a different room. Cole was really good at that, I'd keep forgetting to reply on there. But those were the small things that I just appreciate now looking back, having those two around for my entire career so far and just getting to have two folks experiencing the same things I would. Those two are like brothers to me at this point. Definitely my favorite part about Moscow and the team along with Vic who's just believed in me since day 1. I'm just working every day to try to make him proud.

 

Reporter: Last question Alex. What has it meant to be a veteran on the team, and above all - the captain?

 

Alex: I mean, it's everything man. There's a legacy of excellence and character left behind by previous captains, especially the man before me in Telky. They're big shoes to walk in. But I was proud to represent my team, on the ice and off of it. Being named captain meant that I had the trust of the team, including the other vets on the team. We honestly had a really good year together, played really well most of the season until these conference finals. It's just been special to have been that wide-eyed kid trying to become a great and now have our younger defensemen and prospects in the pipeline look up to me like I used to look up to Vlad and Oscar. It's just something I'll always appreciate, no matter what happens after this season. I've loved playing in Moscow and I'd love to end my career here. 

 

[mediocrepony 1,216]

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[Ricer13 2,823]

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[Mr_Hatter 1,608]

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