Settling Into Vancouver

[der meister 2,925]

The start of Ryuji Sakamoto's season with the Vancouver Wolves has been an interesting one. My initial concerns that he would be geographically near Seattle, the city that nearly became his tomb, appear to be unfounded, as he has largely settled into the team and the area with few, if any, complications. What's more, his on-ice performance is still growing stronger. Through 11 games with the Wolves, Sakamoto has a goal and 8 assists for 9 points, which puts him on a nearly identical pace to his point totals from last season in Seattle. His physical play, however, has massively increased, and he's currently on pace for 295 hits this season, which would shatter his previous career high of 187, set last year with the Bears. He's also on pace to match his career best in blocked shots of 182, set in his sophomore campaign with the Toronto Legion.

 

All that being said, somehow the Vancouver Wolves are struggling out of the gate. They have the second-worst goals against in the league, allowing 35 and only scoring 24, good for a three-way tie for the league's worst goal differential. Sakamoto's former team in Seattle, on the other hand, is the top team in the league with a 9-0-2 mark and a +14 goal differential. In fact, historically speaking, whatever team Sakamoto is on seems to struggle to put the puck in the net. After 4 full seasons across two different teams, it's hard not to wonder if Sakamoto's defensive prowess and general commitment to all things defense is somehow influencing his teammates to play a similarly narrowly-focused style. Even looking at his career statistics, Sakamoto has never been a positive player in the Plus/Minus category. Re-reading those statements sound absurd, but perhaps Sakamoto is more of an on-ice leader than I realized? 

 

On a personal note, I've found that the moves around North America with Sakamoto have been rather stressful from a financial perspective. The cities where we've stayed for any length of time - Toronto, Seattle, and now Vancouver - are almost prohibitively expensive. A simple coffee in Seattle cost more than a full meal in most places. Housing in each of these cities would be literally impossible were it not for the fact that I'm doing these embedded pieces and living in Sakamoto's quarters. For that, and the opportunity to see the world, I am forever grateful.

 

For Sakamoto's part, he has clearly matured over the years, whether or not he wanted to. In the past, he would be smashing sticks, assaulting garbage cans, screaming obscenities, or any number of other untoward behaviors. That's not to say he is pleased with the team's results so far this season; I assure you there is a surplus of sour moods and clanging metal in his personal gym at home after a loss. But what I'm seeing from Sakamoto is increasingly professional behavior, with an emphasis on being the best player he can be on the ice, and as dedicated off the ice as I have witnessed in some time.

 

Dedication to the physical game