Maloish vs Calgary - A one-sided rivalry

[youloser1337 1,117]

The definition of rivalry is competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field. In the VHL, that means we all fight for one thing, the Continental Cup. For some teams, it's done by any means necessary. Scoish Velociraptor Maloish learned this the hard way when he was traded to the Los Angeles Stars from the Calgary Wranglers. The trade was as follows:

 

Calgary receives:
S85 LAS 1st

 

Los Angeles receives:
Scoish Velociraptor Maloish
S87 CGY 2nd

 

A little behind the scenes of this trade. Maloish was approached by the GM of the team, Ricer before the exchange occurred. They stated that he was put on the block to help with the cap situation. "I definitely don't have you high on my list to move..." Those words meant a lot to Maloish. He thought he had a decent rookie campaign with the team and was looking to improve in the off-season. He knew that he was worth a lot to the team as he had only just joined and didn't get to prove himself yet.

 

"They made a compelling offer and it's one I couldn't pass up."

At the time of this trade, the Los Angeles Stars were scheduled to pick 5th overall in that draft. Calgary would go on to flip this pick to move up to the 3rd position in the draft with this trade.

 

Calgary receives:
S85 LDN 1st
S85 WAR 1st

 

London receives:
S85 LAS 1st
S85 CGY 1st

 

In that draft, Calgary would go on to draft Phil Strasmore, a defenseman. Calgary just drafted their replacement for Maloish. This ignited Maloish's drive to compete at his highest level and prove that they made a mistake in getting rid of Maloish. This was the start of the rivalry that Maloish started for himself. Maloish vs Calgary.

 

Strasmore and Maloish both started on their respective rosters the following season. While Maloish had the better point total that season, Strasmore was able to go into the playoffs, although losing in 6 games in the first round.

 

Strasmore
2 G / 21 A / 23 P / +27 / 55 SHT / 100 PIM / 165 HIT / 116 SB

 

Maloish
12 G / 44 A / 56 P / -9 / 158 SHT / 109 PIM / 172 HIT / 126 SB

 

Looking at these numbers alone, Maloish had the edge in goals/assists/points/shots/hits/shot blocks while Strasmore led in PIM and +/- rating.

Not making the playoffs definitely hurt Maloish. He wanted to get to the playoffs and showcase his skills and try to win the cup before Calgary. He watched as Calgary lost their series and began working towards the next season.

 

Season 86 was another decent season for each player. While Maloish failed to make the playoffs again, Strasmore was headed to the playoffs.

 

Strasmore
6 G / 31 A / 37 P / +39 / 95 SHT / 179 PIM / 180 HIT / 135 SB

Maloish
10 G / 43 A / 53 P / -11 / 153 SHT / 128 PIM / 224 HIT / 116 SB

 

This was the first season for Maloish to get almost all categories above Strasmore except shot-blocking and +/- rating. Failing to make the playoffs enraged Maloish though. He knew it wasn't enough to prove he was the better player.

So this leads to today. Both players are currently close to a point-per-game pace and are on pace to make the playoffs. If the season were to end today, the Calgary Wranglers would face the Los Angeles Stars in the first round.

 

Let's see how the season unfolds and wonder if this matchup comes to life.