Rookies and Rivalries

[Tetricide 694]

Fans stand up and cheer for their team as the game is about to begin.

 

One of the craziest experiences our players will face will be their opponents who are constantly back-and-forth on giving or taking wins, the electrifying hype in each other's arenas to celebrate the gladiators of the hockey arena, the constant player and fans chirping, and emotions always running high. This. Win. Matters. For VHL rookie Nikolas Kauppi of the Prague Phantoms, this is especially true for not only the teams he's faced since the start in the Minors but also fellow rookies fighting for the title of Rookie of the Year in the VHL. Rivalries are an incredible source of inspiration, motivation, and overall morale. Let's start where it all began -- the VHLM. After lacing up for a few games for the Saskatoon Wild, Kauppi found himself traded to the Mexico City Kings. In his first ever season he would actually find himself in the playoffs and score only one playoff goal, but only to be eliminated in the semi-finals 1-4 against the Las Vegas Aces. In his second VHLM season serving as captain, Kauppi and the Kings had a tough start of the season but finished it strong enough to be in the playoffs. Once again, the Kings would find themselves against the Aces in the semi-finals. Eager to deny the Aces a spot in the finals, the Kings fought hard all the way to game 7 where they unfortunately lost 2-5. The Mexico City Kings are currently #1 overall in the league with 77 points (as of this post) and have left the Las Vegas Aces in the dust where they stand at 30 points. Despite this, I believe the rivalry between the Kings and Aces is real and true, and will continue until the end of time. Also, #blamecole @badcolethetitan

 

The face off. A quick duel to gain possession of the puck first.

 

As most of us know, after our players are finished in the Minors they graduate to the European league. Kauppi's next stop? Norway, home of the Oslo Storm where he played for one season as an alternate captain bearing the pressure of continuing the Storm's Renaissance Cup championship the season prior. Once again, his team finds it difficult in the beginning of the season. There were a couple of teams that gave the Storm some grief, but one in particular stood out the most -- the Cologne Express. Out of the 10 regular season games played against them, Oslo only won 3 of those. Concerning the playoffs, even if Oslo managed to get a wild card slot, it was more than likely a team like Cologne would eliminate them with ease. It was the middle of the season when the GM @JB123 had finally had enough and lit a fire under his captain's asses. Step up or step out, we're getting that damn Cup again. And just like a miracle on 34th street, that fire was blazing a playoff trail that, at the end of the season, granted them a chance of entry as a wild card. After a decisive 2-0 series win against the Istanbul Red Wolves, the semi-finals against the Cologne Express was up next. Nerves were wracked in this series, but Oslo stayed resolute. However, in game 6 it was yet again another miracle. All Oslo had to do was win this game, and despite being outshot 50 to 26, @SebastienDokis scored the game winning goal in the 3rd period. The Storm, against all odds, defeated a rival seemingly unmatched by any other team in the E. Afterwards, Oslo went on to face Rome in the finals and defeated them in game 7 with a score of 3-1. They did it. The Oslo Storm, the first team in VHLE history to hoist the Renaissance Cup twice in a row. As it stands now, Oslo and Cologne are neck-and-neck at the top in the regular season standings and it would be incredible to see the two rivals duke it out in the finals, and even more so to see Oslo win it a third time.

 

Two players, likely rivals, fighting on the ice.

 

With a championship title finally under his wing, Kauppi finally enters into the VHL. Skates still blazing hot from his last victory, he entered training camp with stars in his eyes and a newfound appreciation for the sport. However, like clockwork with a new team, he struggled to find his footing and the losses start accumulating like snow in a blizzard at the start of the season. Now, I'm not familiar with Prague's (or any team's, really) history or rivals, except last season where they made it to the finals. Unfortunately, it wasn't an easy feat either. In the quarter-finals, they took the Warsaw Predators to game 7 and won 8-5. In the semi-finals, they took HC Davos Dynamo to game 7 as well and won 3-1. When the Phantoms stood face-to-face against the Vancouver Wolves they also went to game 7, but lost in a very close match that ended 1-2 in overtime. Now representing Prague, Kauppi hopes to eventually prove his worth to the franchise and help bring their first Continental Cup home. Prague's status in the standings seem dire, but instead of the championship cup Kauppi's eyes are affixed to the rookie standings. Understanding he likely has no chance against goalie Matt Murdock @Acydburn, he pays no mind to that and instead focuses on players currently at the top like Larry Abass Jr @RileyL, Sadie St-Louis @sadie, and defenseman Quinn Clark @axtron. Not only did Kauppi not see himself anywhere close to the top (at least for now) for rookies because of his play style, but the player right above him...is a former rival. Abass Jr. of the Calgary Wranglers, currently in the lead with 39 points, was also on his rival team the Las Vegas Aces. He may just be the player to put the spurs into Kauppi's sides enough to feed his ambition. As far as teams go, it could be Vancouver that are Prague's rival. In fact out of the 3 games we've played against them we've won 2 of them and have one more before the season ends, and while Kauppi loves the sport and the challenge...his blazing trail has changed direction from a team to a potential rookie of the year. Watch out, Larry Abass Jr., I'm taking that number one spot at the end of the season!

 

1044 words, claiming as PT for weeks ending February 19 and March 5, 2023. ALSO THEME WEEK YPE.

Edited February 27, 2023 by Tetricide
Used free week instead of 2nd claim week ending 2/26

[Tetricide 694]

Final claim post.