Claimed:Oskars Harumpf Biography

[Harumpf 313]

From Middelfart to Saskatoon

A Diminutive Players Journey to Stardom

 

Yes, this is a real town in Denmark.

 

This is a short look into the life of diminutive Danish hockey star Oskars Harumpf. He's one of the shortest, stockiest and most talented hockey players you will ever see. He hails from a town named after farts and his story is truly remarkable.

 

 

Childhood

 

 

He'll never be confused for a giant on the ice. As a child he was always the smallest player, but his love of hockey allowed him to overcome many obstacles. The above picture is from the Middelfart Mighty Mite Program, where he skated rings around the competition as a 6 year old. Standing just 3'11" and weighing 140 pounds, Oskars was a virtual bowling ball on skates. Other players in the league made fun of him and laughed when they saw him walk into the arena for games. They ridiculed him in the locker room and even stuffed him into a garbage can once. Oskars did not let this faze him though, he knew as soon as the stepped on the ice, he would make them all look like construction cones. Oskars put up 427 points in his 80 games in the MMM Program from age 6-10. It was obvious Middelfart had something special on their hands with little Harumpf. His skills were obvious, but it was his maturity and strength in the face of adversity at such a young age that was really impressive. Oskars never lost his cool or lashed out in anger over the abuse he took from other players and even teammates. He used it as motivation on the ice and made everyone look foolish. Off the ice he was a little different, but on the ice he was a star.

 

High School

 

 

After finishing The Middelfart Mite Program and dominating the Middelfart Midget Program, Oskars Harumpf moved right into High School hockey at just 13 years old. At this point he'd had a growth spurt and shot up to 4'9" and weighed close to 190 pounds. Needless to say he was still a cement block on skates. Harumpf played for Middelfart Academy, a private school that catered to exceptional talents in sports and academics. Harumpf was lucky to be able to live at home and get support from his family during his time in high school, which as you could imagine was not easy. On the ice, he was a star, but off the ice he faced many of the challenges you'd expect from a kid of his size and stature. People had more respect for him now because of his hockey dominance, but he still got laughs and giggles from people in the school over his size. Again, he did not let it bother him and let his play do the talking. In 160 games over 4 years at Middelfart Academy, Harumpf broke every scoring record in school history. There's too many to list, but he put up 526 points in 160 games. That's almost 4 points a game. When you're that good at hockey, you're going to earn some respect no matter how tall you are. Harumpf's ridiculous numbers caught the eye of scouts from Denmark's premier hockey league, Metal Ligaen, who signed him to a contract as a 17 year old. Harumpf was headed for professional hockey.

 

Danish Premier League

 

 

Now 17yrs old and entering his 1st season in the Metal Ligaen hockey league, Harumpf had again hit a growth spurt of monumental proportions. After beginning high school at 4'9" he was now 5'5" and 250 pounds. He was ready to play against men in the best league Denmark had to offer. His first few weeks were tough sledding though as he was challenged by every player on the ice and told he was too small. They thought he had no business on the ice, but it was his weight and stocky build that allowed him to withstand the physical punishment and hold his own. Those first few weeks he had just a handful of points in 12 games, but once the coaches realized he was the real deal they gave him more ice time and a star was born. Harumpf played 3 seasons for Herning Blue Fox and put up 75, 100 and 134 points in three 40 game seasons. His last season of 134 points in 40 games set records across the board for the league. The diminutive scoring star from Middelfart Denmark had outgrown the best league in his country. It was time to try something different and that's when he would take a shot at the VHLM.

 

Saskatoon Wild - VHLM

 

 

Harumpf earned a tryout for the VHLM and if he impressed the scouts, he would be offered a contract to play minor league hockey in the Victory Hockey League. Well of course when everyone saw him enter the arena, there were laughs and comments "Oh that's the Danish scoring guy, did he play in the Dwarven Hockey League or something?" things like that. Harumpf didn't let it bother him, he knew they'd be eating their words within the hour. After making scouts drool in his tryout, he was quickly picked up on waivers by the Saskatoon Wild. He will now play out the rest of the season as a center in the VHLM. His career and development will be one of the most interesting in league history as he's the shortest 250 pound player ever to lace up the skates in the league.

 

So with a player of Harumpf's stature and skill set, like all players he must have strengths and weaknesses. Let's take a quick look at them.

 

Pros: Hands, Speed, Face Offs. He's a virtual wizard with the puck on his stick and has an uncanny ability to find open players and hit them in stride. He's one of those players that can read a play before it happens and find those soft areas on the ice where he can make plays and dangle around defenders. His hockey IQ is off the charts. His puck handling allows him to gain those extra few seconds needed to make a play when it seems there's no other option. He can make something out of nothing because of his puck skills. His speed is probably his strongest attribute though, being so short, he's had to develop super speed to gain an edge over the bigger defenders. They can't kill what they can't catch. Harump's exceptional speed is very noticeable on the ice, he's often the fastest player out there and he needs to be in order to survive. He's also very strong on face offs because he is so close to the ground. His shortness allows him to get a different angle on the puck and he wins a large percentage of the face offs he takes. Most opposing centers don't know how to deal with a guy who's 5'5" and can basically stand on top of the face off dot. Clearly Harumpf is a special talent.

 

Cons: Height, Strength, Custom Equipment. We'd be lying if we didn't say that his short height brings some challenges on the ice. While it motivates him and has made him the tenacious player he is today, it can also be a detriment when the game becomes physical. Harumpf can get pushed around at times and while he doesn't shy away from contact, he sometimes loses puck battles in the corner to bigger stronger players. He has a low center of gravity but there's still a difference strength when opponents are often a foot taller than him. Also his short arms and short reach put him at a little bit of a disadvantage when battling for loose pucks or trying to reach out and grab a pass. He can usually get by with his speed, but sometimes having a short reach can hurt you. Another thing that could be considered a negative is his pants and sock sizes. At 5'5" and 250 pounds, the Saskatoon Wild could not find a normal pair of hockey pants to fit him. They had to custom make a pair of pants that were basically shaped like a box. Also the standard team issue socks were way too long, so they had to make a custom home and away set for Harumpf. It's a bit of a headache to custom make all his equipment, but he's worth it.

 

Well that about does it. Hope you enjoyed the Biography of Oskars Harumpf. If you get the chance to watch him play, you won't be disappointed. He's definitely one of the most unique talents the VHLM has ever seen.

 

 

Harumpf with the puck from his first career VHLM goal in game 160 vs. Moscow.

 

 

(1,461 Words)

Edited August 12, 2014 by Harumpf

[Da Trifecta 1,899]

Overview: 3/3 Pretty good read. Looks like Oskars was destined for greatness at an early age. Keep up the good work and it will continue into the VHL.

Grammar: 2/2 Nothing here worth taking off for

Presentation: 1/1 Nice

Pros: 2/2 Yes

Cons: 2/2 YEAH

 

Final: 10/10 Keep it up

[Ball 453]

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