The Smell of Cologne

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Xavier Booberry Performs Well in Pre-VHLE Tourney

 

Cologne, Germany -- After the San Diego Marlins got knocked out in the first round of the VHLM playoffs, goaltender Xavier Booberry thought he’d be spending most of his offseason in peace while preparing for the VHL Draft. The new VHLE league, however, had other ideas. To prepare for the upcoming VHLE Draft, and to give the new teams’ GMs a taste for the league, the VHLE decided to stage an early tournament that would determine draft order for the upcoming inaugural league draft. The prospect pool would be comprised of players expected to play in the league next season.

 

Xavier Booberry is one of those shipped off to Europe, and in the random draw he was selected to a team his agency has some familiarity with: the Cologne Express. Not only does Booberry’s agency know Cologne’s GM, himself a VHL mainstay, but the agency’s first player in Karsten Olsen played for Cologne for a short spell at the end of his career.

 

While some may have bristled at the extra games, Booberry saw the tournament as an opportunity – one he’s currently taking full advantage of, given that his .932 save percentage through six games played (two as a mid-game replacement) is the second-best save percentage of all goalies thus far.

 

“It’s nice to show this league what I can do,” Booberry said. “My VHLM season was a bit all over the place, given the midseason trade. But especially in front of a bunch of teams that I’m hoping to play for next season, I think I’m proving myself a bit.”

 

Indeed, we’ll see how impressed teams are with Booberry’s play here shortly. The VHLE Draft, and the S80 VHL Draft as well, will take place shortly after the conclusion of the tournament. Booberry’s hoping to hear his name called early in both places, but only time will tell whether that’s the case.