Ryuji "Skull" Sakamoto

[der meister 3,214]

               At 17, most kids are on a bit of a lazy river, coasting through the tail end of high school, trying to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Their social skills have developed enough that they can typically manage to interact with adults on at least a passable level, and for the most part they're reasonably independent.

 

               For 17-year-old Japanese high schooler Ryuji Sakamoto, his lazy river is a breakneck rollercoaster, and he wouldn't have it any other way. While he does tend to shy away from questions about his past, the former track star is open about a life-changing injury, and the path that injury set him on.

 

               "I broke my leg," Sakamoto says, almost flippantly. "Well, that bastard Kamoshida broke my leg, but he got what he deserved in the end." He grins, looking half-mad. "Even after I could walk again, I still had pain in my knee, sometimes it would go numb, but I met somebody who taught me to not give up the fight, even facing the longest odds."

 

               Instead of returning to track, Sakamoto took an unusual step: learning to ice skate. His speed was soon evident and he was asked to participate in some pick-up games at his local Tokyo rink. Sakamoto's tenacity impressed a regional hockey coach, Chris Wakabayashi, whose son was also playing pick-up hockey. It wasn't long before Sakamoto was pulling on the sweater of the Tohoku Free Blades as a member of the practice squad. "I'm not the biggest guy in the world, but I know how to hit, and I don't take shit from anybody!" Sakamoto exclaims.

 

 

Always ready to throw down

 

               Coach Wakabayashi agrees. "For a guy who started skating less than a year ago, Ryuji is a phenomenal young player. I know that he declared for the VHLM Entry Draft, and it will be a shame to lose him, but any team that scouts him will see his raw potential."

 

               Asked what kind of player Sakamoto projects as, Wakabayashi added, "A fierce competitor, first and foremost. Judging by the way he ogles the ladies, I expect that he'll eventually become a good passer. Then again, his strength is a huge asset, so he could develop into a power play quarterback with a big, heavy shot. And he's always – and I mean always – ready to drop the gloves to stand up for his teammates. He's not a hero, but that doesn't mean he never will be."

 

               For his part, Sakamoto is happy to ride the wave and see where it takes him. "I picked up ice hockey for fun, man," he says, rubbing his hand through his close-cropped blond-dyed hair. "If I can make a few bucks out of it, be part of a team, and have fun doing it, you can count me in."

 

A hot shot off the ice as well

Edited December 21, 2021 by der meister