S77 Hall of Fame Induction

[Victor 10,971]

I can't open this post without thinking... imagine you're @McKelvie or @v.2 or some other old geezer like @JardyB10 just coming back into the league... and we're inducting Jeff Downey and Mike Szatkowski into the Hall of Fame. (Spoiler alert) What year is it?

 

 

D - Jeff Downey, S68-S75 

 RS: 576 GP, 132 G, 411 A, 543 P, +88, 843 PIM, 1,148 HIT, 957 SB, 19 GW

PO: 77 GP, 24 G, 51 A, 75 P, +22, 114 PIM, 146 HIT, 151 SB, 3 GW

 

S73 Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenceman)

S75 Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenceman)

2x All-VHL First Team (S73, S75)

1x All-VHL Second Team (S74)

One Continental Cup (S74)

 

No, the BOG did not suddenly gain a newfound interpretation for the S1 3rd overall pick. Nor did we wish to acknowledge the brief reign of Jeff Downey the Helsinki Frostbite GM (S1-S1), Maxim Desny trade and all. No, the man who took one of the longest hiatuses in VHL history, Oregon Trail campaign notwithstanding, and came back to become a cup-winning expansion GM some 14 years later, started off his comeback tour by delivering one of the finest defencemen in living memory. Jeff Downey Mk. II may have only gone 4th overall in S68 unlike his predecessor in 2007, but he carved out a more successful career, making a name despite stiff competition from the likes of Lincoln Tate and fellow S68 draftee Condor Adrienne. Missing out on Vancouver's first Continental Cup as the Wolves in S67, Downey developed into the franchise defenceman and was arguably the most important player of the next cup-winning season in S74. By this point, he was well established among the top 3 defencemen in the league. Like the user behind him, a comeback story that has led to the Hall of Fame. @JeffD

 

 

G - Mike Szatkowski Jr., S36-S43 

 RS: 519 GP, 298 W, 187 L, 34 OTL, 2.25 GAA, .920 SV%, 68 SO

PO: 77 GP, 41 W, 28 L, 8 OTL, 2.26 GAA, .919 SV%, 6 SO
 
S41 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable)
S41 Aidan Shaw Trophy (Top Goalie)
One Continental Cup (S40)

 

If you thought that was a blast from the past, how about this old fossil. No, we're not re-inducting Mike Szatkowski, whose name adorns the coveted top scorer trophy. Mike Szatkowski the Builder was Riga GM after his own brief hiatus by the 30s and had taken a hopeless rebuilding project to back-to-back finals and the cup in S33. A new rebuild beckoned, this time a more controlled one, backstopped by the GM's own son in net. Szatkowski Jr. may not have become the household name like Szatkowski Sr. but after over 30 seasons he joins his father in the Hall of Fame. At his peak, he was one of the top two goaltenders in the VHL, leading Riga to the cup in S40 and reaping individual awards the following season. Szatkowski Jr. would hover consistently around the .920 sv% and 2.00 GAA mark, and at the time of his retirement his 68 career shutouts would be the 3rd most of all-time, just 2 off the record. This would keep him on the ballot for a very long time and when it came to being compared to some of the younger generation, he actually came out on top. Better late than never I say. @Mike

 

VOTING RESULTS

Jeff Downey - 10/12

Mike Szatkowski Jr. - 8/12

-----------

Raymond Bernard - 5/12

Hulk Hogan - 1/12

Wesley Kellinger, Tyson Kohler, Jakab Holik, Alexander Pepper - 0/12

 

 

And now onto the Builder induction. After Mike brought Riga back to the VHL's elite, success kept coming but the franchise wobbled a bit after their S51 championship. Enter the man who has since eclipsed the legacy of guys like Mike and Dustin Funk in Riga, which I can assure you is no mean feat. Having only joined the league for the S42 draft with Benjamin Zeptenbergs, @hedgehog337 led something of a Latvian wave of recruitment which we still see today, although hedge remains the most recognisable member. Fittingly, he would take over his native country's team in the Reign and has led it to arguably its greatest heights. It might get lost in between the (often deserved) raging at the sim, but hedge/Zeptenbergs has built several powerhouses - the S57-58 back-to-back champs, the S63 first great modern draft team, and the S72 12-1 run in the midst of a record-setting 13-season playoff streak. It's not just the successful teams, but the incredible ability to build through the draft, even before drafts were that deep, and keeping the strength to refresh, revitalise, and go again, like most recently with a brand new generation in S75. Anyone who's been in the Riga LR during hedge's reign (pun wholeheartedly intended) can attest to his energy, detailed management, and despite some pessimism, a continued drive to lead activity. For lots of GMs, you'd be able to list some other positions they held in the VHL - for hedge, there's no need, his impact in Riga has been that great.

 

Congratulations Jeff, Mike, and Hedge!

[Hogan 1,424]

congrats jeff

somebody explain to me why

 

[Hogan 1,424]

congrats the other 2  aswell

[.sniffuM 1,741]

bernard 5/12

 

Congrats Jeff and Mike, now get Joey Clarence in there (after raymond bernard of course)

[JeffD 648]

76 seasons after the first iteration of Jeff Downey in the VHL and I finally have my first Hall of Fame player. What a great feeling!

[Quik 4,113]

Congrats to all three of you, very well deserved 

[Ricer13 2,805]

Congrats to the HOF inductees! Very well deseved.

[Ledge 1,131]

WOOOO @hedgehog337! 

[Hex Universe 253]

Very big congrats to all inductees this season.

All have helped the VHL get to greater heights!

[Banackock 8,073]

Grats

[Garsh 1,193]

Grats to all 3

[Frank 5,214]

Congrats. 

[Laine 1,361]

Congrats to our three inductees!

[JardyB10 4,868]

@Victor I’m old enough to have had an active player when Szatkowski last played, damn. Where does he fall in the list on longest HOF waits?

[Mike 708]

Dang I gave up on this ever happening.  Honored to be back in the VHL HOF.  I remember how much fun I've had in the VHL over the years being totally dedicated and immersed.  Met some really great people and have interacted with hundreds of VHLers.  I'll never be as dedicated and active as I used to be.  I'm just really happy to see how well the VHL is doing and know that at one point I was a big part toward contributing to where it is today.

[.sniffuM 1,741]

16 minutes ago, JardyB10 said:

@Victor I’m old enough to have had an active player when Szatkowski last played, damn. Where does he fall in the list on longest HOF waits?

 

Probably not as long as markus strauss but who knows

[Advantage 2,893]

57 minutes ago, Mike said:

Dang I gave up on this ever happening.  Honored to be back in the VHL HOF.  I remember how much fun I've had in the VHL over the years being totally dedicated and immersed.  Met some really great people and have interacted with hundreds of VHLers.  I'll never be as dedicated and active as I used to be.  I'm just really happy to see how well the VHL is doing and know that at one point I was a big part toward contributing to where it is today.

Well deserved old rival.

[Seabass 593]

Congratulations to this years inductees

[v.2 1,410]

Woah hahahaha

[Tyler 885]

Congrats to all three.

 

@hedgehog337 LFG! One of the best GM's I've ever had in terms of explaining their vision and plans etc... really well deserved. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by Tyler

[animal74 1,832]

Congrats to @JeffD, @Mike, and @hedgehog337. Since I came back from my own hiatus, I've played against your players or teams. You all seem like solid dudes. Congrats and thanks for your contributions to the league! 

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

I've been in the BoG a long time, and seeing Mike get inducted, I'm just really happy for him. Every season there just seemed to be at least 2 players that were at least a little bit better.

 

It's been a long time coming.

[diamond_ace 3,112]

46 minutes ago, DollarAndADream said:

I've been in the BoG a long time, and seeing Mike get inducted, I'm just really happy for him. Every season there just seemed to be at least 2 players that were at least a little bit better.

 

It's been a long time coming.

This. Mike has been the bar over which everyone else had to jump, but there's value too in being able to maintain a ballot presence for so long, and he's finally on the right side of it

[Victor 10,971]

5 hours ago, JardyB10 said:

@Victor I’m old enough to have had an active player when Szatkowski last played, damn. Where does he fall in the list on longest HOF waits?

I think only Chouinard beats him (last season S25, inducted in the late 60s). Peters (which is who I assume @.sniffuM means when he says Strauss) and Sauve were both about 20 seasons each if I'm not mistaken.

[FrostBeard 2,056]

Congrats to all inducted into HoF!

That said, @hedgehog337, tu to biji pelnījis! Apsveicu!