Becoming Duncan Idaho, the Sammarinese's HoF Story

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Duncan Idaho - Class of S85

User: @OrbitingDeath

 

 

TPE: 1752 (4th All-Time)

Position: Forward

Nationality:  Sammarinese 

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 200 lbs.

VHL Drafted: 3rd Overall, by the Moscow Menace

VHLM Drafted: 3rd Overall, by the Houston Bulls

Played for: San Diego Marlins, Houston Bulls, Moscow Menace, DC Dragons

 

 

Preface

 

There are 1752 different ways to start this Hall of Fame article, but I can't seem to know the most honorable way to begin. It takes greatness to get inducted into the Hall of Fame, and even by those standards, Duncan Idaho is an extraordinary individual. As I walk down memory lane through the ups and downs (mostly ups) of this career, I still lack the words to describe and make the reader understand how good Idaho truly is.

 

But maybe that's a good thing. That's the true reflection of Duncan's career. Throughout his time in the VHL, he couldn't stop surprising people, leaving everyone at a loss for words every time he stepped on the ice.

 

 

Career Awards

 

Individual

84 | Mike Szatkowski Trophy

84 | Brett Slobodzian Trophy

84 | Scotty Campbell Trophy

84 | Scott Boulet Trophy

83 | Scott Boulet Trophy

82 | Scott Boulet Trophy

81 | Scott Boulet Trophy

80 | Scotty Campbell Trophy

80 | Scott Boulet Trophy

77 | Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy

 

Team

83 | Victory Cup

 

 

 The VHLM 

 

Some players have the superstar title branded onto them as soon as they step into the VHLM ice. Duncan, surprisingly, isn't one of those.

 

Originally a swordmaster, hockey wasn't what people thought about when thinking about Duncan or even something Duncan thought he would do in his future, but the talent was undeniable.

 

That talent led Duncan to enter the VHLM Free Agency pool late in Season 75 and being such a late joiner, Idaho could hand-pick where to go. That decision could not only be based on the interested teams but also on which of those could have a bright future ahead come to the playoffs.

 

He chose the San Diego Marlins, but during his brief time in the regular season, he couldn't connect with his new teammates. In the playoffs, things did get better, but it still didn't show us the full-scale potential of Idaho's play.

 

But it did show the General Managers enough. Enough to make Idaho the 3rd Overall selection in Season 76's VHLM Draft. For some, that selection would have been a coronation... for this particular Sanmarinese, it was fuel for the off-season.

 

Duncan was a different player when he came back. Faster, stronger, more decisive... it was almost like he took a page of his swordsmanship and translated it onto the ice.

 

That season was a brilliant display by the young player in Houston, as he contributed with 40 goals and another 40 assists. If you're into it, he was also responsible for 270 hits and a +47 in the plus/minus column during the regular season.

 

In the playoffs, we saw what would be coming next for Idaho. In 16 games, he scored 10 goals and 8 assists while having a +9 and 55 hits to his name. But, in the end, no title.

 

Regular Season Stats

76 (HOU), 72 Games Played, 40 Goals, 40 Assists, 80 Points, +47 Plus/Minus, 302 Shots, 270 Hits, 14 Shots Blocked, 6 Game Winning Goals, 9 Powerplay Goals

75 (SDM), 13 Games Played, 1 Goal, 0 Assist, 1 Point, -6 Plus/Minus, 16 Shots, 19 Hits, 2 Shots Blocked, 0 Game Winning Goals, 0 Powerplay Goals

 

Playoffs Stats

70 (SDM), 16 Games Played, 10 Goals, 8 Assists, 18 Points, +9 Plus/Minus, 71 Shots, 55 Hits, 4 Shots Blocked, 1 Game Winning Goal, 4 Powerplay Goals

69 (MIS), 9 Games Played, 3 Goals, 1 Assist, 4 Points, -1 Plus/Minus, 21 Shots, 10 Hits, 0 Shots Blocked, 0 Game Winning Goals, 1 Powerplay Goal

 

 

Becoming Duncan Idaho

 

Coming from his first complete season in the VHLM, Idaho's draft stock was sky-high. His TPE level? Number one. There were not many places where he could end up.

 

The mock drafts had Duncan going from the number one spot until the third, but no further. On draft day, those predictions held up. Duncan Idaho was taken along with his friend, Paul Atreides, by the Moscow Menace.

 

Paul was taken with the number one selection, and Duncan, the third. Amazingly, both were spot-on-bangers, as Duncan and Paul finished their careers as the two best players from that draft class (TPE-wise).

 

Let's fly to Moscow, where both players grew together during those first years in the league. During the first seasons, the Menace wasn't the most competitive side in the VHL, but they fought together.

 

Duncan was the player honored with receiving the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy. While his offensive numbers were similar to Atreides, the way Idaho's two-way game grew shocked people. He was now a menace on the ice, taking whatever he wanted, no matter the consequences. Although the Moscow Menace finished with the worst record in the European Conference (and 2nd worst in the league), this tenacity showed by Idaho set the tone for Moscow's future.

 

The following two seasons were Moscow's purgatory. Two seasons filled with ups and downs. They knew they were getting better, but some pieces were missing. In season 78, Moscow improved and finished with a 15% increase in points compared to the previous season, but that only took them up by two places as they claimed the 4th worst record in the league.

 

Although this isn't a situation where teams want to be, if you take advantage of it... that makes the situation a little more bearable. Moscow held the 2nd and 3rd overall selections and, again, made the most of it, taking two of the best players from that class.

 

These first two seasons were the growing pains for Duncan because, in the 3rd year, we all saw what his career would become. Even with Moscow taking a step back from the previous season (enough to land the 1st overall selection in the draft and land Papa Emeritus), Idaho's numbers and impact on the ice went up. By quite a margin!

 

We saw an improvement of over 40% in points scored! Not only so, but he hit more people, and on a team that had a goal differential of -46, we had a plus/minus of +12. He was making the team better when he was on the ice, and that was something we would see for the rest of his career.

 

Regular Season Stats

79 (MOS), 72 Games Played, 41 Goals, 43 Assists, 84 Points, +12 Plus/Minus, 453 Shots, 329 Hits, 26 Shots Blocked, 4 Game Winning Goals, 7 Powerplay Goals

78 (MOS), 72 Games Played, 30 Goals, 28 Assists, 58 Points, +2 Plus/Minus, 304 Shots, 295 Hits, 26 Shots Blocked, 4 Game Winning Goals, 9 Powerplay Goals

77 (MOS), 72 Games Played, 29 Goals, 30 Assist, 59 Points, -1 Plus/Minus, 344 Shots, 258 Hits, 24 Shots Blocked, 5 Game Winning Goals, 9 Powerplay Goals

 

 

Recognition

 

With great power comes great responsibility, and Duncan might be the closest thing to a superhero we've ever had on the ice.

 

The Menace had now a fully built squad, but they needed one man to lead them all. That man was Idaho. In Season 80, the Moscow Menace jumped from being at the bottom of the league to one of its best teams.

 

(Not only did they make that jump, but they created a dynasty there.)

 

During that season, we also witnessed the birth of the Idaho legend. Not only did he lead the Menace, but he became one of the best players in the league. His 110 points were a 30% improvement, but his impact extends to all the other facets of the game.

 

This season started Moscow's playoff run, so we must look at Idaho's prowess during the playoffs. The Menace finished 1st in the European Conference, and their dominance continued during the playoffs, sweeping Europe's opponents. In the Finals, they met the Vancouver Wolves for the first of three Continental Cup Finals encounters.

 

Duncan contributed heavily during their run, finishing 5th in scoring (1st in non-Vancouver players), top-5 in plus/minus, and 1st in hits. Almost perfect performance in the playoffs for the Sammarinese, who led the Menace on their 7-game series against the Wolves. In the end, Moscow couldn't win the last game of the season but little did they know, this would be the closest they would ever get to winning from their encounters with Vancouver.

 

During the Awards ceremony, Duncan took home two different ones. The 'Boulet' for the best two-way player, and most importantly, the 'Campbell' for Most Valuable Player in the league.

 

Coming off his first MVP season, Duncan had arguably the best regular season of his career. 130 points and 395 hits, both career highs. Should we give him the 'Boulet' already? Well... he did get it in the end.

 

At this point, Duncan was no longer looking for individual accolades. He wanted to reach the ultimate goal, the Continental. But the Season 81 playoffs were probably the worst effort of his career in the postseason. This season will forever be the "what if" of Duncan's career. Should he have played to his usual self, could the Menace have won the cup? Instead, they faltered and lost the finals in six games.

 

For every action, there's a reaction. And after that somewhat dismal offseason, it was time for Idaho's revenge tour. His regular season was near the same level as the previous season. However, when the Menace reached the playoffs, Idaho was on a mission.

 

41 points and 148 hits. That's a very narrow way of looking at Duncan's presence, but it does give a glimpse of what it is like to have Idaho on the ice. By far the best stat line in the Season 82 playoffs and one of the best playoff performances we've seen in the history of the VHL.

 

Even with this level of effort in their team, Moscow couldn't overcome Vancouver's team, losing in the Continental Cup finals for a third straight season.

 

Season 82's loss was tough on the Menace team and took a toll on the players, but it almost didn't seem like it. After three trips to the finals, which all ended in dismay for the team and its fan base, tearing it up and starting again would be the easier path.

 

Instead of entering a rebuild, they retooled and reloaded. Moscow finished the season tied for 1st in the VHL with the Seattle Bears. They were the best offense in the league, and Vancouver was no longer in their window.

 

Duncan took a step back from its groundbreaking numbers but continued to lead the Menace forward and kept taking the 'Boulet' home. It was the 4th straight year winning the award (and it wouldn't be the last).

 

Moscow entered the playoffs as the favorite to take the European Conference, even if the Riga Reign seemed like a worthy contender. They both went to the conference final, but Moscow took care of that series in 5 games.

 

Moscow was again where they wanted to finish the season. The Continental Cup Finals and their opponent would be the Seattle team.

 

There were no favorites. Both teams waltzed through their respective conferences, in the same way, so we were slated for a battle of giants.

 

Again, Duncan Idaho led all players in scoring with 27 points. But there's a catch. While Duncan was 1st in scoring, the five players, from second to sixth, were all from the Seattle Bears. But could it be possible that those numbers don't mirror the Finals reality? Duncan Idaho scored 16 of his 27 points in that series. You could see what this meant for Duncan... after all, he'd been there three times without succeeding once.

 

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough... even with Duncan's performance in the Finals, Moscow lost the series in the 7th game. Losing in the Finals four straight times takes a mental toll on you, even if you're an all-time great.

 

Would this be the last we've seen of Idaho in the Finals? Could this have been the last shot he had to win it all?

 

Regular Season Stats

83 (MOS), 72 Games Played, 52 Goals, 51 Assists, 103 Points, +36 Plus/Minus, 520 Shots, 347 Hits, 25 Shots Blocked, 8 Game Winning Goals, 9 Powerplay Goals

82 (MOS), 72 Games Played, 52 Goals, 73 Assists, 125 Points, +17 Plus/Minus, 567 Shots, 377 Hits, 33 Shots Blocked, 11 Game Winning Goals, 8 Powerplay Goals

81 (MOS), 72 Games Played, 52 Goals, 73 Assists, 130 Points, +28 Plus/Minus, 592 Shots, 395 Hits, 43 Shots Blocked, 11 Game Winning Goals, 8 Powerplay Goals

80 (MOS), 72 Games Played, 57 Goals, 30 Assist, 110 Points, +41 Plus/Minus, 524 Shots, 365 Hits, 43 Shots Blocked, 8 Game Winning Goals, 10 Powerplay Goals

 

Playoffs Stats

83 (MOS), 18 Games Played, 13 Goals, 14 Assists, 27 Points, +6 Plus/Minus, 120 Shots, 87 Hits, 13 Shots Blocked, 4 Game Winning Goals, 4 Powerplay Goals

82 (MOS), 23 Games Played, 13 Goals, 28 Assists, 41 Points, +11 Plus/Minus, 173 Shots, 148 Hits, 5 Shots Blocked, 1 Game Winning Goal, 2 Powerplay Goals

81 (MOS), 17 Games Played, 8 Goals, 12 Assists, 20 Points, -5 Plus/Minus, 128 Shots, 108 Hits, 6 Shots Blocked, 1 Game Winning Goal, 3 Powerplay Goals

80 (MOS), 15 Games Played, 10 Goals, 10 Assist, 20 Points, +10 Plus/Minus, 78 Shots, 78 Hits, 8 Shots Blocked, 3 Game Winning Goals, 1 Powerplay Goal

 

 

The Last Chapter

 

"All good things come to an end," and Idaho announced that the 84th season would be his last early in the off-season. This had the rumors starting as soon as it was announced. Could he finish his career anywhere else than Moscow after spending his entire career there?

 

We had our answer rather quickly when Idaho was traded to the Dragons. Washington, D.C., would be the place Idaho would call home for his last season in the VHL. This trade was made with a simple premise. Moscow wouldn't be as competitive, and the Dragons were going for the cup.

 

At the end of the season, the Dragons led the North American Conference. The Menace led the league.

 

Idaho hit the ground running in his new team, even with a position switch. Duncan would be taking the center duties with Dragons, and in hindsight, he did it rather well. He has one of the best seasons of his career in D.C., well... regular seasons.

 

Although they started the playoffs showing the same dominance they had shown in the regular season by sweeping the Calgary Wranglers in the first round. In the Conference Finals, the Dragons met the Bears, and it was déjà vu for Idaho. The Dragons failed to contain the Bears and lost the series in 5 games.

 

In the European Conference, the Menace started as strong as the Dragons by sweeping the Davos team but found a more worthy opponent in the Conference Finals. The Warsaw Predators took it to the Menace and showed off everything in what was a stellar series. The Polish squad won the series in 7 games and advanced to the Cup Finals, where they beat the Seattle Bears in 6 games.

 

What can be said about this trade that took Idaho away from home? Could this have been the year of the Menace? Would Idaho's presence have been the deciding factor in the Predators' series? As the Predators took the Bears in 6, would the Menace have done the same?

 

These are questions we will never have the answer to.

 

For Idaho's play in D.C., this was the season he received the most accolades. As a repeat offender, he took the 'Boulet' for the fifth straight time and the 'Campbell' for the second. He also took the Mike Szatkowski Trophy for leading the league in scoring and the 'Slobodzian,' having been voted the most outstanding player by the league's players.

 

Regular Season Stats

84 (DCD), 72 Games Played, 52 Goals, 70 Assists, 122 Points, +39 Plus/Minus, 621 Shots, 368 Hits, 29 Shots Blocked, 12 Game Winning Goals, 11 Powerplay Goals

 

Playoffs Stats

84 (DCD), 9 Games Played, 8 Goals, 6 Assists, 14 Points, -1 Plus/Minus, 79 Shots, 48 Hits, 7 Shots Blocked, 0 Game Winning Goals, 1 Powerplay Goal

 

 

Epilogue

 

"Dreams make good stories, but everything important happens when we’re awake", Duncan Idaho.

 

This is the perfect quote to end this article on Duncan Idaho's illustrious career. It's not worth it to dwell on what could have been. Idaho's story doesn't have a happy ending, but that doesn't take anything away from it. It gives it more substance and layers as to why this should be a player we should look up to and already do.

 

Even without winning the elusive Continental Cup, this isn't an induction surrounded by doubt. Idaho won't have doubters circling and debating whether he is worthy. Instead, this induction will be even more celebrated, for a player who gave his all to the VHL ice will honorably have his name in our Hall of Fame.

 

And so ends the career of one of the best players to ever skate the ice in the VHL.

 

Congratulations, Duncan a.k.a. @OrbitingDeath , on a brilliant career.

 

VHL Career Totals

Regular Season, 576 Games Played, 367 Goals, 424 Assists, 791 Points, +174 Plus/Minus, 3925 Shots, 2734 Hits, 249 Shots Blocked, 60 Game Winning Goals, 78 Powerplay Goals

Playoffs, 82 Games Played, 52 Goals, 70 Assists, 122 Points, +21 Plus/Minus, 578 Shots, 469 Hits, 39 Shots Blocked, 9 Game Winning Goals, 11 Powerplay Goals