Hall of Fame Article - Lincoln Tate

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Lincoln Tate - Class of S76

 

Position: D

Birthplace: Canada

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 220 lb.

Drafted: S67 - 1st Overall (Riga Reign)

Username: @Tate

 

 

A marquee defensemen who helped define an era, Lincoln Tate was everything you could ever ask for in a blueliner. At 6'5" and 220 pound's, most at first glance would think that Tate was more accustomed to the defensive side of the game, yet in his prime he was putting numbers that many forwards would be proud of. A silky smooth skater with surprisingly good hands for a big guy, Tate could use both his skill and his large frame to set up his opponents consistently and occasionally put the puck in the net himself. His offensive prowess lead him to continually produce over a point per game in the latter half of his career where he earned most of his accolades and respect. During this time he earned two Wylde and Labatte trophies which shows how much of dominant defensemen he was at this time, while his two Beketov's represent his acute playmaking abilities that allowed him to become the force that he was. All in all, Lincoln Tate was one of the best defensemen during his time and a welcome addition to the class of S76.

 

Career Awards

 

S71 - Sterling Labatte Trophy

S71 - Jake Wylde Trophy

S72 - Alexander Beketov Trophy

S72 - Continental Cup

S73 - Alexander Beketov Trophy

S73 - Sterling Labatte Trophy

S74 - Jake Wylde Trophy

 

S66 (VHLM - San Diego)

65 GP | 20 G - 68 A - 88 P | +27 | 64 PIM | 162 HIT | 65 SB

Playoffs: 4 GP | 2 G - 3 A - 5 P | -2 | 6 PIM | 8 HIT | 0 SB

 

Lincoln Tate's career started off with a bang. As a fresh faced first gen Tate wasted no time reaping havoc on the minors showcasing all the abilities that would turn him into a future hall of famer. With 88 points in just 65 games, his offensive capabilities were on full display as it was clear Tate was headed toward super stardom. As the hype began to build around him, talks around him being the top 10 pick started to heat up as Tate continued to produce helping his team into the playoffs. In the post season Tate's play was just as impressive even if his team's performance wasn't. While Tate once again produced over a point per game as a defensemen the San Diego Marlins couldn't rally around his efforts as they were swept by the Halifax 21st with relative ease. However, the early playoff exit wouldn't hinder Lincoln's draft stock as he was still the top prospect going into the S67 VHL Entry Draft.

 

S67 (VHL - Riga)

72 GP | 2 G - 13 A - 15 P | -8 | 28 PIM | 23 HIT | 37 SB

Playoffs: 12 GP | 0 G - 1 A - 1 P | 0 | 8 PIM | 12 HIT | 10 SB

 

In the offseason Tate's tremendous VHLM rookie display clearly caught the eyes of many VHL GM's, including the GM selecting first overall. In a memorable moment for Lincoln Tate, Riga and for many VHL fans, Tate was selected first overall by a Riga's team representative after there GM aka "sleeping hedgehog" had overslept the draft. Nevertheless, Riga got who they wanted and Tate had succeed in becoming the first overall selection. He now joined a considerably strong Riga team in his rookie season where he would have to compete and claw for ice time against the likes of players such as Preencarnacion and McWolf. Because of this, his production was no where near as impressive as it was in the VHLM, yet he still showed talent and potential on the ice despite his limited role. In the playoffs it was much of the same for Tate as his limited ice time didn't allow him to produce to much. His team competed valiantly in the post season making it to the second round before being knocked out in seven by the Helsinki Titans ending his rookie season.

 

S68 (VHL - Riga)

72 GP | 4 G - 24 A - 28 P | +28 | 16 PIM | 47 HIT | 92 SB

Playoffs: 11 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +5 | 15 PIM | 7 HIT | 24 SB

 

After a relatively quiet rookie season Lincoln Tate began to make slight improvements to his game in his sophomore season. Tate's offensive production nearly doubled as he began to find the scoring touch he had in the M. Along with this was Tate's very impressive defensive improvements where he went from a -8 in his rookie year to a +28 in the following season. This higher standard of play helped Riga to a fairly impressive season finishing second in there conference with 96 points. Despite a stronger Regular season, the playoffs unfortunately didn't see the same success. Riga were able to take a little bit of revenge when they eliminated Helsinki in six games in the first round but unfortunately there post season ended too quickly after being beaten by the Malmo Nighthawks in five games.

 

S69 (VHL - Riga)

72 GP | 11 G - 46 A - 57 P | +11 | 122 PIM | 158 HIT | 98 SB

Playoffs: 17 GP | 6 G - 8 A - 14 P | 0 | 30 PIM | 50 HIT | 31 SB

 

In Lincoln Tate's third season in the VHL he saw an even bigger increase in production more than doubling his point totals once again. Tate also began to use his larger frame more than he had in the previous years posting three times more hits than he had before. It was clear now that Tate was heading in the right direction slowly becoming the superstar first overall pick many expected him to be. he was now one of Riga's best defensemen on a team with other stars and above average depth. Tate along with other talents on the team helped Riga finish at the top of there division earning the top seed for the upcoming playoffs. With the success Riga had the expectations were high entering the postseason as they opened there campaign against the team that eliminated them in the previous season. Just as they had done before Riga were able to hand revenge beating Malmo in 6 to advance to the second round for the third straight season. There Riga would push through once more doing what they hadn't done in the past two seasons, advancing to the continental cup finals. There they would meet the dynasty Seattle Bears who unfortunately would get the better of Riga in six games. For Tate, even though he came short of his ultimate goal his post season was still a success as he was able to be a offensive drive on the backend for Riga pushing them all the way to the finals.

 

S70 (VHL - Riga)

72 GP | 11 G - 43 A - 54 P | +15 | 104 PIM | 179 HIT | 140 SB

Playoffs: 12 GP | 3 G - 5 A - 8 P | 0 | 10 PIM | 35 HIT | 19 SB

 

After consistent improvements to his game in the previous seasons Tate appeared to hit a bit of a wall in his 4th go around in the league. Posting similar numbers to last season with 54 points in 72 games played Tate's production appeared to have stagnated as he looked like he was near his peak. He again played as one of Riga's best defensemen alongside players such as Apollo Hackett and Guy Sasakamoose. Together they helped Riga to yet another playoff appearance this time placing second in there division. Riga again would make another deep post season run eager avenge themselves from the past seasons defeat. First came another series with Helsinki where Riga would barely come out on top winning in seven games marking the fourth straight season in being included in the second round. But again similar to other seasons they fell short in not reaching the finals bowing out in just 5 games. Tate again managed to produce at the rate that was expected of him with 8 points in 12 games yet it still wasn't enough to push Riga over the hump.

 

S71 (VHL - Riga)

72 GP | 16 G - 51 A - 67 P | +5 | 123 PIM | 191 HIT | 144 SB

Playoffs: 12 GP | 4 G - 10 A - 14 P | +6 | 10 PIM | 28 HIT | 21 SB

 

Now at the halfway point of his career Tate had proven that he was not yet at his peak by improving on his offensive output once again. His defensive instincts also looked better as he recorded more hit's earning him a Jake Wylde trophy for best defensive defensemen. His play had also earned him his first Sterling Labatte trophy for the best overall defensemen in the league. His progress came as a pleasant surprise to Riga as they were on the midst of a retool after losing there top center to retirement. Lincoln's role with the team was still relatively the same as he remained on the same pairing playing around the same amount of minutes. Tate's further improvements to his game helped Riga once again maintain there impressive playoff streak qualifying for the fifth consecutive time with Tate on the roster. The playoffs saw an even larger improvement for Tate as he began scoring over a point per game for the first time in the VHL showing that there were still heights he had not reached. Tate played like a star finally finding the confidence he had in the minors to lead Riga to second round again for the fifth straight time. Unfortunately, here again is where Riga's and Tate's journey would end as it seemed they could rarely push past the second round to reach the finals. Moscow would eliminate Riga in 6 games handing them yet another heartbreak.

 

S72 (VHL - Riga)

72 GP | 16 G - 70 A - 86 P | +20 | 142 PIM | 202 HIT | 134 SB

Playoffs: 13 GP | 3 G - 14 A - 17 P | +6 | 32 PIM | 27 HIT | 17 SB

 

Season 72 proved that the Tate everyone saw in the S71 playoffs was no fluke, Lincoln had again hit yet another level. His continuous and consistent improvements brought him from a good depth d-man to know one of the best defensemen in the league. His 86 points was good for third amongst all defensemen for this season up there with the likes of Condor Adrienne and Berocka Sundqvist. His 70 assists earned him his first Beketov trophy as well. He was now definitively Riga's best D-man becoming a leader in the locker room and helping the team to another successful playoff berth. Riga had finished at the top of there conference for the second time in four seasons earning top seed once again and extending there playoff streak even further. Riga had began there run against Davos beating them in a 4 game sweep advancing past the first round like they had done so many years prior. Next was the Moscow Menace who had eliminated them in the same round last season, this time though Riga would finally break through the second round executing another sweep moving on to the finals for the second time in four seasons. With such a dominant showing so far along with one of the longest playoff streaks in league history there was no way Riga would let a championship slip away from them this time. Instead, After waiting so long with so many good playoff runs Riga finally came though winning there first continental cup in nine seasons. In the end Riga had only lost one game in the entire post season finishing one of the most dominant playoff performances in league history. Lincoln Tate was at the center of this recording 17 points in 13 games good enough to be tied for 5th in scoring for all players.  

 

S73 (VHL - Riga)

72 GP | 20 G - 85 A - 105 P | +40 | 155 PIM | 250 HIT | 130 SB

Playoffs: 9 GP | 0 G - 16 A - 16 P | +1 | 14 PIM | 31 HIT | 27 SB

 

Following Lincoln Tate's first Continental cup was the most most dominant season of his career. Arguably the season which cemented his HoF status Tate was playing at level many thought he couldn't reach. Yet he did reach it by consistently improving year after year becoming the player Riga though he would be when they drafted him 1st overall. His whopping 105 points tied him for 4th in scoring among all skaters and second in scoring by a defensemen. He won his second Beketov of his career posting a career high 85 assists and was recognized once again as the VHL's best defensemen winning the Sterling Labatte. Tate was the face of a Riga team with many returning players from last seasons championship which meant expectations for the playoffs were reasonably high. Riga started there campaign against the Moscow menace once again where they thrashed them in five games to once again advance to the second round. There momentum was then abruptly halted by the Helsinki Titans who shockingly swept Riga eliminating them in the all too familiar second round. Tate's performance in these playoffs was exceptional and was the best version of Lincoln Tate anyone had seen. Although he didn't record a goal in the 9 games Riga played his 16 assists put him at nearly two points per game which for a defensemen is completely unheard of.

 

S74 (VHL - Riga)

72 GP | 18 G - 78 A - 96 P | +14 | 170 PIM | 264 HIT | 165 SB

Playoffs: 5 GP | 3 G - 2 A - 5 P | -2 | 18 PIM | 18 HIT | 9 SB

 

When the time finally came time for Tate to close out his wonderful career he did not disappoint. Lincoln was able to fight off his ageing body to produce another spectacular season putting up 96 points for arguably his second best season of his career. His 264 hits was the third highest among defense men helping him earn his second Jake Wylde trophy as the league's best defensive defensemen. As his career was set to close Riga were determined to send off Tate with one last championship to his name. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked out that way as the Reign were knocked out in the first round by the Malmo Nighthhawks. Despite this, just making the playoffs put Tate in a very exclusive category as he became one of the only players to make the playoffs in every season of his career.

 

Career

576 GP | 98 G - 410 A - 508 P | +125 | 860 PIM | 1314 HIT | 940 SB

Playoffs: 91 GP | 19 G - 59 A - 78 P | +16 | 137 PIM | 208 HIT | 158 SB

 

Looking at Lincoln Tate's career as a whole maybe the beginning wasn't what people expected it to be. With all the lofty expectations of being a first overall pick of a storied franchise it would have been easy for him to accept his place as a good but not great defensemen, but that's not what he did. Instead, Lincoln Tate stayed persistent and motivated throughout the entirety of his career, gradually improving in each season until finally he surpassed all the expectations that he had on him becoming the Hall of Famer that he his today. With his multiple accolades outlining his defensive game and playmaking ability as well as his overall domination as a blueliner It's easy to see why Lincoln Tate is included in the Hall of Fame class of S76.

 

Continuing the popular tradition we conducted an interview the man himself to sum up his time in the VHL.

 

1. Reflecting on your time with Riga, what were your best memories while playing there?

The group we had in the room created the best kind of memories because I was surrounded by great and supportive teammates, who all had a hunger to win. My career there started out with a bang, as I ended up going first overall in the draft and it was a total shock. However, the fact that we were able to win a cup was by far the best memory of all, as I was finally able to experience the dream I had since I first hit the ice in Latvia. Leaving the team when I retired is something that still sticks with me, as I truly felt like Riga was my home.
 

2. What in your mind was the most impressive accomplishment of your career?

 

Winning the cup is my top accomplishment, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention the awards I took home. Two Labattes, two Wylde's and two Beketovs. I did not think I would achieve such great heights when I first started, but each time I added a trophy to my mantle, I felt a surge of pride.

 

3. Your career really picked up past the halfway point of you career, what do you think contributed to your late career success?

Understanding what it takes to succeed in the league, in terms of build. My first four seasons in the league involved trial and error. My last four were calculated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Red 499]

29 minutes ago, Tate said:

Beautiful job by @RedSus, thank you very much. I enjoyed every bit of this article as it took me back through the pivotal moments of my career. I loved reliving the journey. Bravo!

 

Thank You!

[Ricer13 2,836]

Review: I am beyond impressed by what you have put forward here. I didn’t realize how good you are at writing and this piece is flawless. Grammar was on point, statistics were all correct and you perfectly highlighted how amazing of a career Tate had in the VHL. This piece is a 10/10. Amazing work Sus!

[Patrik Tallinder 1,087]

I still remember the locker room going absolutely nuts when we won that cup. Cheers to an amazing career my friend