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HC Davos Dynamo

Victor

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HC DAVOS DYNAMO

ALL TIME ROSTER


INTRO

The HC Davos Dynamo are well-regarded as the VHL's most successful franchise.  With 8 Continental Cups in 13 appearances, they have dominated the S20/S30 decades in the VHL, winning 6 of those titles in the past twenty seasons.
 
Below, we highlight the people who made that happen.


CENTER - PHIL RAFTER - S27 to S33

Phil Rafter is a Davos legend.  In 416 games for the Dynamo, Rafter amassed an incredible 633 points, including 284 goals.  As one of the more skilled players in the history of the VHL, Rafter was a consistent figure in the top five of face off percentage.  He has the veteran presence and long-lasting duration all great Dynamo players have.  Rafter was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the S37 class, two years after he was eligible.  He went to the VHL Finals 4 times with Davos in his career, winning 1 cup.  Rafter was also the Top Scorer twice in the entire VHL, earning him the Mike Szatkowski trophy twice, among a myriad of other awards.  Rafter is undoubtedly one of the top offensive forwards in the history of the VHL, but his defensive efficiency is also undervalued, as he has Davos' best +/- in the history of the organization with a +267 rating.
 
The center from London brings an offensive skill set that not many can rival and will possess the puck for Davos as the quarterback of the offense.  Rafter's nose for the net is among the best the VHL has ever seen.
 
"If I'm looking at players from a purely offensive standpoint, I think Rafter has as good a case as almost anybody," former GM Harvey Singh commented, "The guy just pumped in goals and assists in almost every game. He is one of the smartest hockey players I've ever witnessed."
 

RIGHT WING - ANTON BREKKER - S18 to S25

Anton Brekker is alone among many spots on the leader board for HC Davos. He leads the team in games played (504), goals (310), assists (439), and points (749), shots taken (2,884), and game-winning goals (52).  Brekker was the lead point on the team for many years under GM Harvey Singh, and played alongside fellow all-time great Daisuke Kanou for his entire career.  During that tenure, Singh & Brekker were able to take home 3 Continental Cups in what is often referred to as the golden era of the VHL.  That means they were able to perform at an incredibly high level in perhaps the most competitive era in the league's history (also winning 5 Vladimir Kostka trophies in that time frame). 
 
Brekker was a winner pure and simple; you could count on him making it into the playoffs and finding a way into the championship. More often than not, he was able to win it.
 
"Brekker is Mr. Davos; he leads this organization in almost every statistical category," former Davos captain Thomas Landry said, "When you think of Davos history, you can't even start a sentence without mentioning Anton Brekker."


LEFT WING - DAVID SMALLING - S27 to S33

The big bruising forward came up with a bit of a reputation as a player whose sole focus it was to make bone-crushing hits and fill an enforcer role.  The massive forward turned into one of the biggest offensive forces in the VHL to fill out his game.  Smalling played alongside Rafter for his entire career in Davos and although he was only able to win one Continental Cup in his four tries, Smalling was an amazing talent.  As one of the rare talents to come out of the United Kingdom, David garnered four Scott Boulet awards for being the top two-way forward in the VHL.  The thunder to Rafter's lightning, Smalling picked up 253 goals (3rd), 280 assists (5th), and 533 points (3rd).  Smalling is also viewed as one of the best defensive forwards of all time, being the first ever VHL player to break two thousands hits (2,011 - 2nd all time in the VHL). 
 
Smalling is somebody that will keep the opposing team honest, and a big bodied forward to throw in front of the net. He owns that spot and is particularly efficient at doing so while on the power play.  Smalling is a player that comes around once every forty seasons. His physical attention has only been matched by two or three players in the VHL's forty seasons, and he was incredibly productive on offense as well.
 
"Smalling is just a mammoth player," former GM Victor Alfredsson stated, "Winning 4 Boulet awards is nearly impossible, but Smalling just dwarfed the competition year in and year out. He is really something else."
 

DEFENSE - MATT BENTLEY - S35 to S39

Bentley is still active in the VHL, so his career is not yet done.  However, Bentley was able to make a lasting mark in the HC Davos organization as one of its top defenders in history.  In 360 games, the defender earned 268 assists (6th) and was able to win two Continental Cups with the team in four cup tries.  Bentley was an incredible force on the defensive side, with a career +/- of +150 and 928 hits (highest ever for a HC Davos defenseman and seventh all time in team history).  Bentley is also third all-time in shots blocked, with 527.
 
Working under Victor's player agency, Bentley was considered a great leader in the locker room. Undoubtedly, Bentley fits the cog of being a defense-first player. With his best hockey in front of him, it would be interesting to see what Bentley could have done with a few more years in Davos.  Although his career was shortened with the Dynamo due to cap constraints, his accomplishments with the franchise are undeniable.
 
"Bentley was a fantastic player for Davos," Assistant Coach Jimmy Jangles proclaimed, "He was more of a quiet leader. He led by example, and that example was pretty close to perfection. He just didn't make mistakes on the ice."


DEFENSE - TOMAS JENSKOVIC - S11 to S15

Jenskovic is the player furthest down the line in Davos history, beginning his career in S10 and wrapping it up prior to the beginning of Kanou/Brekker's career.  Jenskovic arguably had the most illustrious career of anyone on this list, however, and he was able to garner three Sterling Labatte trophies for top defender, a Brett Slobodzian trophy for Most Valuable Player in S14 (leading the league in points that season), and two Continental Cups to boot.  If Davos had not turned for a rebuild in S15, he likely would be considered among the top few defenders in the league. While he was in his prime, however, you could not argue many defenders as much better.  In only 360 games, Jenskovic was able to put in the fourth most points in HC Davos history (473) and the second most assists (350).  On the defensive side of the ice, Jenskovic was equally talented, piling up 680 hits and 685 shots blocked (first all time).
 
As a player working under agent Scotty Campbell, Jenskovic knew a ton about the game and how to succeed. His veteran presence on the team would be well-welcomed.  Although Jenskovic arguably retired in the midst of his prime, he did it in an unselfish manner and for the greater good of the HC Davos franchise to allow a rebuild into the greatest team in VHL history.
 
"Jenskovic is a player you wish had stayed a little bit longer in the VHL," Davos GM/coach Jack Riley recollected, "He could skate, he could pass, he could shoot, and, damn, could he get in the way of a puck."
 

GOALIE - DAISUKE KANOU - S18 to S25

Daisuke Kanou is unquestionably the most highly touted goaltender of all-time, and not just in HC Davos history.  A playoff hero, Kanou won three Howe trophies in each of his three Continental Cup wins.  His heroic campaigns in the playoffs led the VHL to rename the trophy in Daisuke's honor.  His S24 playoff campaign is one of the greatest in history, as he posted a 96.2 SV% en route to a championship.  Again, Kanou competed in one of the greatest eras in the VHL and was able to hold a 92.0 career SV% and establish HC Davos as the greatest franchise in the VHL.
 
Kanou might just be the face of the franchise. He came into the VHL as the most highly touted prospect ever, and he certainly did not fail to live up to expectations. "Kanou is somebody every goalie these days looks up to," current Dynamo goalie Lennox Moher said when drafted, "If you have a career like Kanou, you're pretty much hitting the gold standard in every way possible."
 
With Kanou as the backstop, it's hard to see any other team beating Davos.
 
 

HONORABLE MENTION - THOMAS LANDRY - S35 to S39

Landry may not have all of the statistical and individual award accolades that the above players do, but he was a special player to Davos because he was the greatest leader any VHL team has ever had. He was a spirited, vocal captain who often willed the team to victory, including two Continental Cups.
 
"Landry had more heart than any player I ever played with," current team captain Jarkko Olsen said of his former teammate, "He had a special knack for coming through in the clutch and for motivating us to do our very best. He loved being a part of the Davos community and the Davos community loved having him there."
 
Although Landry was traded to Calgary at the start of the S40 season, Landry professed his desire to stay in Switzerland for his final farewell tour. However, after discussions with the front office, he agreed it would be better for the franchise if he were to be traded. Thus, he relinquished his no trade clause and closed his chapter with the team.
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CoachReilly

CoachReilly 688

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Posted (edited)

Coach has a job where it requires him to be fairly unavailable for long periods of time following quarter closes. This was a particularly tough month where I had a training out of town for a week after this was assigned.

Edited by CoachReilly
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