The Effects of Father Time Starting to Impact Kaberle

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The Effects of Father Time Starting to Impact Kaberle

Malmo, SWE- Associated Press

 

We are almost halfway through another season on VHL hockey, and although some things have changed amidst the standings throughout the VHL, a lot of things are similar also. In the European Conference, Moscow and Malmo are once again the teams to beat as both clubs seem destined to faceoff in a playoff rematch at some point down the road later this year. Both teams offense's have been absolutely shredding the league. Going into the  start of the season, it seemed the dynamic duo of Kristof Welch and Scotty Kaberle would be the undisputed top defensive pairing in the league, but if you look at the stats, a new duo has taken the throne.

 

While Kaberle and Welch have had strong seasons thus far (ranked 10th and 6th respectively in defensemen scoring), Moscow's pairing of Aurelien Moreau and Hard Markinson have been nothing short of dominant, as they sit 1-2 in league scoring for defensemen. Both of Moscow's spectacular blueliners are right in the prime of their careers right now and it really shows. The two have found something special while playing in the Motherland. Should the teams end up in a playoff rematch of last year's conference finals, it will surely be intriguing to watch each team's top pairs square off against one another. Of the four defensemen, Scotty Kaberle is the elder statesman of the group. He is in his seventh season as a pro and while he's having another productful season for the Nighthawks, sometimes you can see the wear and tear of professional hockey starting to take a toll on the Canadian.

 

Kaberle has played a ton of hockey of the past handful of seasons including a championship run in the Season 79 playoffs as well as a gold medal run with Canada in the World Cup this past offseason. Kaberle takes none of it for granted though, as he knows it is a privilege to play in such high stakes moments. The blueliners career has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but it seems like Kaberle could be opting towards an early retirement, perhaps as early as at the end of this current season. There's been several reports that Kaberle has been playing with some nagging injuries over the past season or two, and although you wouldn't know it from looking at the scoresheet, if you watch him play you can see he has lost just a touch of his peak performance we are used to seeing. He has one more year left in his contract, and who know's what the future holds for Malmo after this season.

 

It certainly has a feel of do or die this year for the Nighthawks. They have been a powerhouse for many seasons now, but this is definitely their window to capture another championship.  With Kaberle and a couple others not getting any younger, it's important for Malmo to seize this opportunity while they can. Worry not though Nighthawks fans, the team is still in good hands with the likes of Taylor Mourning and Nathaniel Minion ushering in the next generation of fresh young talent for the team.  With the next generation already stepping up this season and showing serious capability, along with the new GM Dominic Gobeil taking the reigns, Malmo will undoubtedly stay relevant for many seasons to come.

 

 

[WildfireMicro 370]

REVIEW:

 Great peice overall! I love the newspaper article style. And the headlines are a nice touch. Kind of wondering how you got that smaller headline? Anyways I think this is perfect overall. Good luck with potential playoffs this season!

10/10

Edited December 11, 2021 by WildfireMicro

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On 12/11/2021 at 2:27 PM, WildfireMicro said:

REVIEW:

 Great peice overall! I love the newspaper article style. And the headlines are a nice touch. Kind of wondering how you got that smaller headline? Anyways I think this is perfect overall. Good luck with potential playoffs this season!

10/10

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