Xavier Booberry Rookie Experience

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Watch out opposing forwards, he's coming for you

 

Goalie Xavier Booberry Nervous But Excited Ahead of VHL Debut

 

It’s obvious that the VHL is a different beast, but sometimes it may not be clear how different it truly is. In the VHLM, everybody’s breaking into the league at the same time, and just learning what they’re good at and what they’re not. In the new VHLE, there’s a step up in quality, but not necessarily quality in comparison to your peers – there’s still a cap on just how good players can be.

 

But the VHL is an open world. And sometimes in the open world, especially when you’re starting out, you’re bound to run into somebody bigger and badder than you. For a player like Helsinki goalie Xavier Booberry, who won a VHLM MVP award and a VHLE title, it’s the unknown that’s daunting.

 

“I’m used to being the best of the best, you know? But if I’m going to do anything in the VHL, I’ve got to change that mindset,” Booberry told reporters during Helsinki’s training camp. “I’m going out there and competing against MVPs, guys who have been at this their whole lives. Anything goes in the VHL.”

 

Booberry will be joining a relatively young team in Helsinki, which while it has some recently-established stars in Johnston and Ori, it remains a largely young core especially on defense. Or put another way, the talent is there, but there’s no proof yet that the team can put it all together.

 

“We’re all flying in blind to a certain extent. Nobody knows what this is going to look like,” Booberry said. “That’s nerve-wracking, sure, but it’s also exciting. Because I think there’s a chance that we come out and light this league on fire.”

 

Indeed, for a Helsinki fanbase that has seen some bad teams the past couple of seasons during this rebuild, there’s a bit of hope. Some around the Helsinki facility believe that a European play-in spot is a possibility if the team gels quicker than expected, picks up some early wins and garners some momentum. But regardless, it’s clear that the focus is on the future—and the future is bright.

 

“I won’t even say that I want to win a title in Helsinki—I expect to win a title in Helsinki,” Booberry explained. “I don’t even think that’s me blowing smoke. We’ve got the talent in-house to be something special, and I think our timeline is perfect for rising just as others fall. It’s just a matter of everyone buying in to that vision.”

 

For now, it’s a long way until that championship version of Helsinki could be realized. In the interim, Booberry has those MVPs to face after all. But the young goalie is taking his first steps into the VHL as he’s taken a lot else in his career: as a learning opportunity.

 

“You’ve got to grow somehow, you know?” Booberry asked. “So maybe I’ll take a few lumps, we’ll see. It’s all in favor of something greater, and I’ve got a long career ahead to grow into.”

Edited November 23, 2021 by CowboyinAmerica