Claimed:Oskars Harumpf - Rookie Profile

[Harumpf 313]

 - Rookie Profile -

 

 

Name: Oskars Harumpf

Position: Center

Number: 17

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 250 lbs

Shoots: Left

Born: Middelfart, Denmark

Current Team: Saskatoon Wild - VHLM

 

 

 

Oskars Harumpf is a rookie out of the Danish Premier League who's come to the VHL to pursue his dream of playing hockey at the highest level. His journey up to this point has been exciting and challenging. The diminutive playmaker has excelled at every level and is a world class talent. He's currently playing in the VHLM for the Saskatoon Wild as he awaits the S40 VHL Draft and subsequent VHLM Dispersal Draft. Harumpf has laced them up for 30 games now for the Wild and has played some great hockey. His potential is really what has GM's excited around the league though. As a rookie coming in mid-season, he's put in a tremendous amount of practice hours and is starting to show signs of the super stardom he was known for back in Denmark. Harumpf is quickly on his way to becoming a star in the VHLM. He's a unique player with a versatile skill set. Let's take a look at his hockey background, strengths and weakness.

 

Background:

 

As mentioned earlier in this piece and in numerous other media around the league, Harumpf is from Middelfart Denmark and yes that is a real town name. He grew up small and was always the shortest player on the team, but he was always stocky and strong. He grew up dominating his opponents with speed and puck skills. Harumpf has excellent hands and in youth hockey was an absolute wizard. Eventually he played with older players in Danish Prep School and then moved onto the Metal Ligaen, which is the highest level of professional hockey in Denmark. He dominated the competition all the way through youth hockey and into the pros. Let's take a quick look at his stats growing up and playing in Denmark.

 

Youth Hockey: Middelfart Mighty Mite Program:  480 points in 80 games.

High School: Middelfart Academy Prep: 526 points in 160 games.

Danish Premier League: Herning Blue Fox: 309 points in 120 games.

 

It's obvious that Oskars Harumpf is a special talent, even more so when you think about him putting up those numbers as the shortest player on the team. His unique blend of speed, hands, hockey IQ and low center of gravity make him almost an unstoppable force. Let's take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of his game.

 

Strengths:

 

Speed: Harumpf's has tremendous speed and acceleration. Having such short compact legs, he's able to explode into his stride a really pull away from defenders. Likewise, he is able to get back into the play quickly and help support his defenders. Being so short, it helps to be elusive and Harumpf has to be fast to survive in the big leagues. Having exceptional speed is a must and Harumpf excels in all areas of skating.

 

Hands: Harumpf's creativity with the puck is off the charts. His hockey IQ is truly something special. He's one of the rare talents that can create something out of nothing and before you know it he's generated a scoring chance. His linemates are sometimes surprised to get the puck, so it takes a little bit of time to get use to playing with Oskars as your center. His stick handling will mesmerize you and you have to always be ready to shoot. Oskars is a pass first player and loves to set up goals, it's his god given talent and he's exceptional at it.

 

Determination: Always being the shortest player on the team, Oskars has dealt with a lot of adversity throughout his playing career. His strong will and determination have allowed him to not only overcome odds but set records in the process. He is one of the most determined players you will ever meet. He's something special.

 

Weakness:

 

Height: Obviously being 5'5" in a league of players averaging around 6 feet is definitely not ideal. Often times Oskars finds himself outmatched with upper body strength in the corner. He's able to hold his ground and dig in by using his 250 pound frame, but can get muscled off a puck by a taller player with more torque. Not to mention a longer reach.

 

Reach: This is an area where Oskars sometimes loses battles. Those times when a loose puck is just inches away and he just can't get to it. It happens to all players, but just more often with Oskars. Passes will sometimes be just off the end of his stick or just out of his reach for an attempted clear. It's tough, but his speed usually gets him to where he needs to be.

 

Upper Body Strength: Oskars may be 250 pounds but 180 of that is probably in his lower body. He's has a strong torso, chest and shoulders but he's only 17 years old. His upper body is still a work in progress. He does not have the strength of a grown man yet, but it's something he's working on. He was able to get by easily in the Danish league by using his skating and lower body strength while hanging in there with smaller European players. Now coming to the VHLM the players are generally bigger and stronger. Oskars is a step behind in his upper body strength but there is a lot of room for improvement, which can be seen as a possibly a positive.

 

VHLM:

 

So how has this all translated to the VHLM? Well in 30 games it has not been all rainbows and fairy tales for Harumpf. He's played well but is still finding his game in this new league. His stats through 30 games are not eye popping, but are solid and his team has been winning. He's managed the following stat line:

 

30GP: 4g, 4a, 8pts, +4, 12pims, 33hits, 25shots, 3PP, 45% FOW

 

Not quite ready for the hall of fame, but one thing that has been impressive with all this talk about his size, he's actually thrown the body at a good rate. More than a hit per game from a 5'5" center is pretty impressive. Perhaps that will be an area of his game that surprises people.  As for points, until recently Harumpf was being tested in lower lines to see if he was the real deal. He's now worked his way up to the 2nd line and 1st powerplay unit, where his skills and creativity have begun to showcase themselves. 3 points in the last 3 games and it's looking like this rookie is about to take off.

 

The Diminutive Danish Scoring Sensation, Oskars Harumpf is well on his way to becoming a future star in the VHLM and eventually the VHL. He has all the tools needed to become an exceptional player and is one of the most unique talents to come along in quite some time.

 

 

 

1,000+ Words.

Edited August 30, 2014 by Harumpf

[Guest Svoboda_3]

Content: 5/5

Wow, great effort here. You did an excellent job adding in all the intangibles here, which in turn produced a solid Rookie Profile. You had more effort here than some who write their biography, and that type of effort does not go unnoticed. I know for a fact that sadly, I can't re-obtain you through the draft; through a trade though, that's a different story, cause I would love to have you return to the Wild in a heartbeat.

Grammar: 1/1

Middelfart Denmark = Middelfart, Denmark

use = used

Appearance: 1/1

Different fonts, sizes, color, pictures, etc.

Over 500 Words? 1/1

1,153 words.

Overall 8/8

[Ball 453]

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