Couple of Things That Happened On This Week In VHL History

[MubbleFubbles 1,292]

Was originally going to do this for all seven days, but social events cut my time short to write up a proper article, so here's what I wrote about May 1st and May 2nd

 

May 1^st

On this day in 2019 (Season 65 Off-Season), Vancouver trades Samuel Gate along with a Season 67 4^th round selection to New York for a S68 2^nd round selection. (Basically nothing else of note has ever happened on May 1st for some reason)

 

This brought an end to Gate’s five season tenure with the Wolves (who had just played their first season in Vancouver having moved from Quebec City the previous season) that started with the team trading up one pick to select Gate 2^nd overall in the Season 61 Draft. That move was probably most notable because of the player Quebec City passed up on who fell to the pick after that they traded away to Riga, Podrick Cast, who would finish their career 15^th in all-time points and has yet to be overtaken by anyone who joined the league after Cast. Gate meanwhile went inactive following their second season and never achieved more than 64 points in a season during their stint with the Meute/Wolves.

 

This trade though wound up being very beneficial for both Samuel Gate and the Vancouver Wolves. Gate’s stint with New York only lasted a matter of days as they would be traded to the Seattle Bears before Season 66 started, but this move greatly benefitted Gate who would go on to have by far their best ever season, winning three awards (Most Assists, Best Defenseman and Best Defensive Defenseman) in what would be their final season. Vancouver meanwhile were able to trade the second round pick they picked up in this trade right back to New York a season later for goalie Ismond Kingfisher, who would wind up being their starting goalie for their successful Season 67 campaign which they finished as Continental Cup winners.

 

May 2^nd

On this day in 2017 (Season 54 Trade Deadline), Hall of Fame player Gabriel McAllister was created.

 

After taking a few seasons leave following the retirement of their previous player (the Hall of Fame goalie Hans Wingate), Gabriel McAllister was created for the Season 56 Draft at the Season 54 Trade Deadline. Heading into the Season 56 Draft, McAllister established themselves early having already won two VHLM Playoff MVP awards and, as they held a significant TPE lead over their nearest rival Ay Ay Ron, it was no surprise to see his name called at first overall in the Season 56 Draft. McAllister would spend their first five seasons with the Seattle Bears, winning seven personal awards over that spell (the most notable of which being their Season 60 MVP season) along with a Continental Cup win in Season 59, a playoff campaign that also saw them win Playoff MVP.

 

With Seattle heading into a rebuild following Season 60, they traded McAllister to Davos in a deal for the fourth overall pick in the Season 61 Draft. McAllister would spend two seasons with Davos, wasting no time making an impact by winning both MVP and Playoff MVP in Season 61 along with a second Continental Cup win for McAllister. For their final season, McAllister was traded back to Seattle and went on to have their best regular season yet with 139 points, leading the league in that category while also taking home their third MVP trophy of their career, a haul which ties them with four other players for the record for most MVP trophies in a career.