HC Davos’ Jake Thunder-Rookie Experience

[Thunder 757]

For Jake Thunder, jumping up to the VHL was more exciting than when he joined the league and signed with the Las Vegas Aces.  Every step of the way has been an enjoyable experience.  Initially he had some reservations coming to such a talented team, being the HC Davos, who picked him up in the second round.  The reason for the hesitation was that Thunder didn’t want to disappoint his new teammates, but at the same time there was a lot of hype joining the team with his VHLE companion, Siyan Yasilievich.  Coming off a superb season in the VHLE, Thunder hoped that he and Yasilievich could step up and do the job immediately.

 

Davos GM Alex, expertly placed Thunder with a solid defender on the 2nd line, to learn the ropes and play the way he needed to play.  Thunder’s first assist came in the third period and he showed some promise.  That promise was short lived as Thunder decided to try to show his strength, only to be slapped down to size, losing his first fight which negatively impacted the team mojo.  Over the next several games, about the only thing Thunder could do was spend a lot of time in the penalty box.  He currently is tied for the team lead in penalty minutes, which is not a good statistic unless you can back it up with a stack of goals and assists to help the team win games.  Thunder has not been productive in that manner.  True, Thunder will sporadically contribute, but he has yet to be a consistent factor in helping Davos win games.  Perhaps its because Thunder seems to have a problem keeping his ass out of the sin bin.

 

Even though Jake Thunder isn’t doing as well as he’d like to be playing, he is excited about the success of the team and the solid teammates.  Davos has been dominating lately and is now only one point behind Helsinki, in the European Conference, and making a good run to guarantee a play off position.  Jake Thunder hopes to be a solid team player and contribute more as the season progresses, as well as having an outstanding career with HC Davos.  Right now, being a rookie might be an excuse for some, but for Jake Thunder, until he is a consistent contributor, whether it be multiple assist games, great hits or huge numbers of blocked shots, or even making sure his line doesn’t get scored upon, Thunder will not be satisfied with his personal performance and will continue to rely on his teammates to carry the load.

 

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