Life after the VHL: Erik Killinger

[Peace 1,562]

Erik Killinger was a decent defensemen within the VHL prior to his retirement, but what story has the free man written now that a professional team doesn't own his rights? What has Erik been doing since he left the VHL, perhaps he returned to the armed services of his country or disappeared into the wilderness to only be seen once a month by loved ones. One would be understandable based on his history, the other would be a total opposite of his personality, so the truth lies somewhere in the middle... or at least it should. 

Frankly Erik Killinger hasn't gone far, I reckon, as the now wealthy individual enjoys life from the comfort of his Toronto dwelling.

In fact he's probably only left his house a handful of times since retiring.

 

The former Legion, United and Titan defender has picked up a career in streaming content to various platforms, such as YouTube and Twitch. His name alone generated enough interest to build a community large enough to sustain himself, not that he needed the income after retiring with more than thirty million earned during his career; his growth has been comparable to numerous actors when they've announced a 'gaming channel' or when particularly favored individuals in the entertainment sector are revealed to live stream video games on the internet. 

Through the camera we can see Killinger lives a fairly modest lifestyle; his walls are chipping away, painting in a boring grey; his living room sofa doesn't represent the higher class, but rather the working class; his living room area is often compared with regular fans, often loosing in the aesthetics department; and his 'office' sits in the middle of his living room, as if he was truly the amateur broadcaster he is. Instead of adopting the high society life he's certainly earned for himself, Killinger chose to 'regress' back to a generally classic low/mid-income family home, stating he prefers the atmosphere it creates more than a multi-million dollar home he could of had.

 

It's not a very interesting post-retirement story, but it's a story that reveals Killinger was never enticed to join the VHL for monetary gains, his motivation was never money but rather the success he hoped to achieve throughout his career. He finished his career with five hundred seventy five [575] games played, a hundred fifty eight [158] goals, four hundred thirty two [432] assists for a total of five hundred ninety [590] points as a member of the Toronto Legion, London United and the Helsinki Titans. 

He recorded thirty three [33] points in thirty four [34] post-season games, appearing in the playoffs twice with Toronto and London, and once with the Titans during his final season. Killinger won two heavily debated awards with the United in S77, yet all of those accomplishments pale in comparison to the fun he's having just sitting at home. 

"I feel like I'm myself now, I'm way happier than I ever was in the VHL and I don't hide from it." Killinger stated in a Zoom interview.

 

"Streaming video games and eating potato chips all day certainly has it's moments, but I've met more amazing people than ever before, that's not an opportunity you get as a VHL player. In the VHL you're always focused on improving yourself, improving your team play and trying to rise above your own shadow in order to help the team win the championship. I never got to experience that, and the sacrifices I made for the various teams I played for just made me feel hallow throughout my career."

"I won awards, sure, and had what I consider a good career, but I was never really happy... I'm happy now, and that's what makes this feel so natural for me."

Game on, Killinger. 

Game on.

[Peace 1,562]

Regular claim since I was using this as a doubles while claiming a multi-week article.

[Baby Boomer 765]

9/10

Great article, it is really nice to see what a former VHL player is doing on his after-career and how he is doing now that he doesn't play hockey anymore. I love to see that you also included his stats like his amount of points during his career. Also, the text is really well written and easy to read. Good Job!

[ROOKIE745 608]

review time: Hey great media spot post. Super happy to hear what my former teammate has been up to! I'm sure Hexy joins in to watch some of his streams! Anyway I don't think I need to say that this is all very well spaced out and well paced, I like the sense of humor here, keeps it from getting boring and you did a good job on giving us insight to Erik's life after the VHL. I like that we get quotes from the man himself to, I think the only thing that would have been a good add is some kind of picture, just to give an idea of his living room or gaming set up. Either way it's short for a MS but sweet 9.5/10