Shubham Anand: A Hockey Story

[Will3 467]

With Shubham Anand recently signing with the San Diego Marlins, now is the time to take a deep dive at this unlikely VHLM player to understand who he is, where he comes from, how he plays, and how he will fit in to his new team. 

 

Shubham was born in the state of Haryana, India, just north of New Delhi, on August 16, 2004. He was an athletically gifted kid, excelling in cricket, soccer and even field hockey. Shubham likely would have been a pro in any of those sports. However, the arrival of recently retired VHL player William Groves and his new Amateur Ice Hockey League of India (AICLI) that changed everything. Shubham,who was 11 at the time, was fascinated by this foreigner and his game, so he gave it a try. He would quickly pick up this new sport becoming the leading goal scorer in the young AICLI. Hearing plenty of Will's stories about his time in the VHL, Shubham would follow in Will's footsteps, joining the VHLM as a member of the San Diego Marlins. 

 

With the origin story told, we can now consider how he plays and how he will fit into his new team. Shubham Anand is a skilled offensive player primarily built for scoring while being skilled enought to be hard to defend. His puck handling and passing abilities are considerable for a youngster. He will need to pick up on the defensive aspects of the game, but we will see it that happens. He will be a first liner for San Diego. With good support around him and soild ice time he should develop into a fine prospect come VHL/E draft time.

 

Overall, Shubham Anand is a very exciting prospect. Despite his  untraditional upbringing, he is an explosive offensive player with plenty of room to grow. This is a player to closely watch this season.

Edited April 4, 2023 by Will3