Aurelien Moreau HOF Article

[jacobcarson877 2,435]

Aurelien Moreau - Class of S86

 

Position: Defense

Birthplace: Canada

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 240 lbs

Drafted: 9th Overall (Helsinki Titans)

User: @Frank

 

Career Awards

S80 – World Cup Gold

S81 - Alexander Beketov Trophy

S81 - All-VHL First Team

S83 - Alexander Beketov Trophy

S83 - Alexander Valiq Trophy

S83 - All-VHL First Team

S84 – World Cup Silver

 

 

 

When I got the opportunity to tackle the Hall of Fame articles of one of my primary mentors and one of the players I idolized as I built my player, I was quick to take on the challenge. While we will ignore the fact that it took me almost 2 seasons to actually do, it brings me great joy to review the great career of one of the VHL’s greatest playmakers. 

 

S76 – Mississauga Hounds (VHLM)

 

Regular Season

GP: 72    G: 14    A: 46    P: 60    +/-: -38     SHT: 176    PIM: 176    HIT: 307    SB: 172

 

Moreau joined the Hounds leading into S76 and led them to… last in their conference. Sometimes it can be a fun reminder how different the normal stats in the VHLM were compared to now. A respectable VHLM season, but that’s not what we’re here for.

   

S77 – Helsinki Titans (VHL)

 

Regular Season

GP: 72    G: 5    A: 23    P: 28    +/-: 21    SHT: 60    PIM: 116    HIT: 139    SB: 115

 
Playoffs

GP: 18    G: 1    A: 3    P: 4    +/-: 8    SHT: 4    PIM: 26    HIT: 25    SB: 14

Aurelien joins Helsinki after the draft as a 5^th D, and had a season befitting of a 5^th D, putting up nearly 30 points and riding along to the finals! They would go on to lose in the finals to Seattle in 5, but Moreau would gain some valuable experience for the next stage of his career.

 

S78 – Helsinki Titans (VHL)

 

Regular Season

GP: 72    G: 13    A: 48    P: 61    +/-: 12    SHT: 136    PIM: 137    HIT: 198    SB: 140

Playoffs

GP: 5    G: 1    A: 6    P: 7    +/-: -1    SHT: 11    PIM: 6    HIT: 25    SB: 14

 

Moreau jumps from 5^th to 2^nd D this season, and begins to break out as a real offensive threat. The team slid a bit in performance, and the Titans lost in the final game of the play-in round against the Nighthawks. With Helsinki’s reign of terror coming to an end, Moreau was moved after the season, ready to start the season in Toronto.

 

 

S79 – Toronto Legion & Moscow Menace (VHL)

 

Regular Season

GP: 71    G: 9    A: 57    P: 66    +/-: 14    SHT: 141    PIM: 123    HIT: 167    SB: 133

 

  It didn’t take long before Aurelien was on the move again, after a short but dominant stint in Toronto. Soon it was back to Europe, this time to Moscow. He would keep up the pace with his new team, even though the Menace would go on to miss the playoffs, and for the first time in his career, Moreau was on the outside looking in. Moscow was not yet the powerhouse they would be the 80s, but Aurelien would soon be a part of turning that around.

 

S80 – Moscow Menace (VHL)

 

Regular Season

GP: 72    G: 8    A: 74    P: 82    +/-: 7    SHT: 207    PIM: 180    HIT: 250    SB: 141

Playoffs

GP: 15    G: 2    A: 14    P: 16    +/-: 9    SHT: 41    PIM: 42    HIT: 48   SB: 26

 

 

Aurelien broke out this season, leading the Menace on the back end, showcasing the playmaking dominance we would come to expect from him down the line. He led the Menace in assists, helping drive Duncan Idaho’s breakout 50-goal season. Moreau’s first point-per-game season, and the beginning of his HOF resume. Moscow would go onto the finals, and once more, Moreau would fall short, as Moscow would become used to, and the Meta-Wolves would establish their dominance, defining the new era of the VHL.

Oh yes, and then Moreau would help lead team Canada to a World Cup Gold, foreshadowing what could happen in the next few seasons.

 

S81 – Moscow Menace (VHL)

 

Regular Season

GP: 72    G: 18    A: 100   P: 118    +/-: 35    SHT: 230    PIM: 186    HIT: 270    SB: 130

Playoffs

GP: 17    G: 5    A: 12    P: 17    +/-: -4    SHT: 47    PIM: 61    HIT: 56    SB: 40

 

As the meta swept the league, Moreau took the league by storm putting up 100 assists, and pumping offense into Duncan Idaho and the Seabasstard. 100 assists was something that had not been accomplished since S53, and hasn’t been done since. Obviously led the league in assists, and brought the Menace to the finals again, to lose to Vancouver.  

 

S82 – Moscow Menace (VHL)

 

Regular Season

GP: 72   G: 12   A: 73   P: 85   +/-: -14   SHT: 249   PIM: 134   HIT: 225   SB: 187

 

Playoffs

GP: 23    G: 2    A: 20    P: 23    +/-: -1    SHT: 69    PIM: 57    HIT: 79    SB: 50

 

After the miraculous season before, Moreau now had some major internal competition with Hard Markinson, and there was only so much offense to go around. Moreau certainly had a great season, but it became obvious that Moreau would have to either be number 2, or take his talents elsewhere. Beating their heads against a wall (playing Vancouver over and over again in the finals) didn’t seem to be making much of a difference, and after a 3^rd loss in a row, this time a sweep, it became obvious that something had to change for Moreau and for the league.

 

  S83 – Toronto Legion (VHL)

 

Regular Season

GP: 72   G: 20   A: 92   P: 112   +/-: 56   SHT: 198   PIM: 72   HIT: 100   SB: 136

 

Playoffs

GP: 10    G: 1    A: 3    P: 4    +/-: 1    SHT: 18    PIM: 20    HIT: 14    SB: 17

 

That short stint earlier in his career must have had an effect, as he waived his NTC to take a trade to return to the Legion. Moreau would make the move to Toronto alongside Paul Atreides, and the duo would take Toronto to 2^nd in North America, with Moreau fueling a 60-goal campaign for his counterpart. As the hybrid attributes roll out for the first time, Moreau and Atreides wasted no time getting themselves acquainted and back to their point scoring ways. Moreau had to sacrifice a lot of his standard defensive ability to do so, but retained all the identity we had come to know and love. The Legion would make it to the Conference Final, losing to the eventual champions.

 

 

  S84 – Vancouver Wolves & Chicago Phoenix (VHL)

 

Regular Season

GP: 71   G: 15   A: 63   P: 78   +/-: 0   SHT: 195   PIM: 82   HIT: 100   SB: 181

 

Playoffs

GP: 7    G: 0    A: 6    P: 6   +/-: -4    SHT: 10    PIM: 4    HIT: 5    SB: 14

 

Once again Moreau is on the move, this time to his former rivals, the Post-Meta Vancouver Wolves. His personal stats got off to a great start, but Vancouver was plummeting down the standings, and Moreau needed one last shot at the Continental Cup. Chicago was a team on the rise, with a ton of talented prospects and a whole lot of youthful exuberance. Unfortunately Chicago would not make it past their first round matchup against the ever-present Seattle Bears.

Moreau was a player who defined identity. Wherever he went, he established himself as a key playmaker and made his teammates around him better. He propelled many of the era defining players and Hall of Famers current and future, into stardom. While he was rarely a silverware fiend himself, he was a key part of every team he was a part of, an era-breaking assist machine, and a fierce teammate. Constantly denied by Seattle and Vancouver, but always right in there with the best of the best.  

 

Now, Frank turns his focus to John Jameson, a blossoming star forward. He has already broken out as a top player in the league. Frank has been one of my mentors for a long time now, and has done an incredible job with the San Diego Marlins and the Vancouver Wolves as a General Manager and a great member around the site. Hopefully he will have some more personal success with this player, as Prague sets themselves up to be the powerhouse of the late 80s, led by Jameson.

Sorry for taking so long to finally get this out!

 

Career Stats

 

Regular Season

GP: 574    G: 100    A: 530    P: 630    +/-: 131    SHT: 1416    PIM: 1030    HIT: 1449    SB: 1163    PPG: 1.10

 

Playoffs

GP: 95    G: 12    A: 64    P: 76    +/-: 8    SHT: 200    PIM: 216    HIT: 238    SB: 172    PPG: 0.8

   

Congratulations on a great career Frank!   

 

 

Edited June 3, 2023 by jacobcarson877

[Frank 5,056]

@jacobcarson877 glad you were the one to write this.  Thank you for the kind words. 

 

Looking back it was a solid career just missing that cup. I'm sure @Spartan  will deliver a cup to Moscow soon enough.