Toronto Legion

[Victor 11,009]

The Toronto Legion were one of the original eight teams when the VHL was created.  While most squads have relocated or changed their name and/or logo, the Toronto Legion has always been, and always will be, the Toronto Legion. In the 40 seasons that have followed the original dispersal draft, Toronto has won 4 Continental Cups, as well as played in the finals 11 times and won the Victory Cup 7 times.  On top of these team awards, countless individual players have won many of the VHL’s most prestigious awards while wearing blue and white.  With so many great players weaved into the history of the Toronto Legion, it has been difficult to determine a historic all-star squad, however we now present to you the hockey line-up of the best players to ever wear a Toronto Legion jersey.

 

Regular Season
504GP / 396G / 518A / 914P / +329 / 313PIM / 239H / 4484S / 158SB / 66GWG
Playoffs
43GP / 25G / 30A / 55P / +7 / 21PIM / 21H / 305S / 16SB / 5GWG

From Aidan Shaw to David Henman to most recently Remy Lebeau, the Toronto Legion have seen their fair share of talented players in their illustrious 40 seasons with the VHL. But, when sitting down attempting to put together a list of the all time greats who have donned the blue and white for the Legion, one name comes to mind. Kevin Brooks was not only one of the greatest Toronto Legion of all time, but is considered as one of the top players to ever lace his skates up in the VHL.

 

Drafted 3rd overall in the S6 VHL Entry Draft, it didn't take long for Kevin to make a name for himself. Earning himself a starting role for the Legion, Brooks would show the league why he was such a highly regarded prospect coming into the draft, as he would lead the S6 rookie class in scoring with 39 goals and 50 assists for 89 points and take home the Bossy Trophy as the top rookie in the VHL. While the Legion would not make the playoffs in S6, they knew they found a special player in the young center.

 

S7 would be Kevin's coming out party, as the face of the Legion would take the next step in his hall of fame career. After amassing 89 points in his rookie season, Kevin would break the century mark in points in his sophomore season, racking up 53 goals and 74 assists for 127 points. Kevin not only would help lead the Legion to the playoffs in S7, but his all around great play earned him his first All-Star bid. Already, whispers of Kevin being amongst the top forwards in the league were heard around the league. If only they knew how good Kevin would become.

 

Kevin Brooks would continue his dominance of the league in S8. While he took a step back statistically from his S7 campaign, Brooks would still eclipse the century mark in points, scoring 44 goals and adding 63 assists on his way to a second straight All-Star appearance. But his real flash of brilliance came in the playoffs, as Kevin would shine in a 6 game series against the Calgary Wranglers. Though the Legion would go on to lose to the Wranglers, Kevin put on an offensive clinic, putting up 10 points in just 6 games.

 

S9 would be a make or break year for the Toronto Legion and their star in the making. After being knocked out in the first round of the playoffs two straight times by the Calgary Wranglers, it was time to put up or shut up for Kevin Brooks and boy did he come up big in such a pivotal season. Kevin Brooks would, for lack of a better term, dominate the VHL. He would lead the league in goals with 63 and points with 128, earning Kevin his first Gretzky Trophy for most valuable player in the VHL and yet another All-Star Game appearance. But the success wouldn't stop their, as the Legion would finally get over the hump, sweeping the Calgary Wranglers in the playoffs and earning the Legion a spot in the VHL Finals against the Riga Reign. With Kevin leading the offensive charge, the young center would capture his first Continental Cup as the Legion would win in 7 games.

 

With the monkey off his back, Kevin Brooks seemed like a whole other player coming into S10. Coming off a season in which he won the scoring title, the MVP award, and a Continental Cup, it seemed like Kevin would have a tough task ahead of him to match his stellar S9 output. But, amongst the doubt, Kevin step it up, taking his game to the next level. Once again, Brooks would lead the league in points, scoring an outstanding 157 points on 61 goals and a league leading 96 assists. Kevin would earn his second straight Gretzky Trophy as his 157 points were 11 points better than the next top scorer in the league. Once again the Legion were riding high coming into the playoffs, but even with Brooks scoring 10 points in 12 post season games, a rematch with the Reign would prove to be a challenge and the Legion would be bested by Riga in 7 games.

 

While S10's disappointing Finals loss would prove to be Kevin Brooks last game in blue and white, it did not mark the end of Kevin's illustrious career. He would go on to earn two more All Star bids with the Vasteras IK and won the Francis Trophy for Most Sportsmanlike in S11 and a goal medal for Team USA in S12. In his 8 year career, Kevin was a master on the offensive side of the ice, so it was no surprise when the VHL decided to rename the goal scoring title to honor Kevin's career. One of just six players to ever win multiple Scotty Campbell awards, Kevin Brooks is one of the greatest players to ever play in the VHL and has undoubtedly earned his spot as one of, if not the greatest, Toronto Legion members of all time.

 

S2-3 Regular Season | GP:144 G:140 A:135 P:275 +/-:+102 PIM:220 H:160 S:1139 GWG:26
S2-3 Playoffs | GP:11 G:12 A:10 P:22 +/-:+2 PIM:22 H:14 S:73 GWG:1

Christian Stolzschweiger was one of the best offensive talents to ever set foot in the VHL and will most likely hold the rookie scoring record forever. He was drafted by the Legion and spent the first two seasons of his career in the VHL with Toronto before he was traded to the Hamilton Canucks. The first overall pick in S2 won some hardware but couldn't get a Cup with the Legion, but would get one before his career was over.

 

In S11 the league honoured Stolzschweiger by changing the Bossy Trophy to the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, the award given to the top rookie in the VHL. A very fitting change as the player it's not named after scored a ridiculous total of 72 goals and 140 points in his rookie campaign.

 

Stolzschweiger was entered into the VHL Entry Draft in S2 and was picked first overall by the Toronto Legion with the pick they got from the Helsinki Titans. After proving he was a great player in the making, Stolzschweiger blew up in his rookie season finishing the regular season at a goal per game pace and just shy of two points per game. His torrid scoring pace left the rest of the Legion in the dust as he finished with 35 more points then the second highest scorer on the Legion. Despite scoring 2 PPG the Legion fell short to the Calgary Wranglers in the playoffs losing game seven to send them home empty handed. While he wouldn't win the cup in his rookie year, he did collect the Bossy Trophy for Top Rookie and the Gretzky Trophy as league MVP.

 

While his point totals dropped very slightly after S3 Stolzschweiger had another solid season again leading the Legion into the playoffs. His impressive scoring total of 135 points put him fourth in the VHL in scoring and further cemented the fact that he was an offensive dynamo. The Legion would face-off against the Wranglers, but this time around the Wranglers would sweep the Legion despite Stolzschweiger scoring at a 2 PPG pace in the post-season. This would be his final season as a Legion player as the following off-season he was traded to Hamilton.

 

Along with his ROTY and MVP awards, Stolzschweiger was a perennial all-star and was named to the all-star squad from seasons 1-7. Always one to represent his motherland of Germany, Stolzschweiger would represent his country at every possible chance; he played for Team Central Europe (S2), Team Northern Europe (S4) and Team Germany (S6, S8). While he couldn't lead his national team to any medal finishes, he would play a part in obtaining the biggest award in the VHL world. In S7, as a member of the Avangard Havoc, Stolzschweiger would get his white whale, the Continental Cup. After another solid season where he put up 125 points, he would lead the Havoc to the finals against his old nemesis, the Calgary Wranglers. The series would go to six games before the Havoc would seal the deal to win the Cup and give Stolzschweiger what he had tried so long and so hard to obtain. The cherry on the sundae for him was that alongside the Cup he won the Howe Trophy (Playoff MVP) with 20 points in 10 games.

 

In the end Stolzschweiger would log 449 goals and 912 points over a 574 game career to secure his place in VHL history as one of the most proficient scorers to ever play in the league. While Stolzschweiger would grace Hamilton, Stockholm and Avangard with his presence, his career began in Toronto. For all the awards and mind-blowing stats he was able to put up over his illustrious career, he truly is one of the greatest forwards to ever play for the Toronto Legion.

 

 

S9-10 Regular Season | GP:144 G:93 A:147 P:240 +/-:+131 PIM:154 H:99 S:1405 GWG:12
S9-10 Playoffs | GP:20 G:9 A:17 P:26 +/-:+9 PIM:30 H:15 S:133 GWG:2

Mike Szatkowski joined the Toronto Legion in S9 and would play out the last two seasons of his career with Toronto. He would collect some hardware and his only Continental Cup with the Legion and ride into the sunset after a fantastic career in the VHL.

 

In S32, Szatkowski was honoured by the league as the Lemieux trophy for Most Points was renamed to the Mike Szatkowski Trophy. A very fitting change as Szatkowski totaled 971 points in 573 games in his career.

 

Coming to Toronto held sky high expectations for Szatkowski as he joined as the GM and a new superstar player and as such the only acceptable result would be a Cup. In Szatkowski's first season that was exactly what he helped deliver as the Legion would best the Riga Reign to win Szatkowski's first and only Continental Cup. His performance helped him land a roster spot on the North American All-Star team. His impressive abilities in the front office also won him the Sam Pollock Memorial Trophy for best GM in the league.

 

After winning the Cup, Szatkowski opted to play one more season and try and push for another with the Legion. Szatkowski improved on his point totals from S9 and he helped push the Legion to a Victory Cup for the best record in the league and led the way in the playoffs where the Legion were once again in the finals against the Reign, but this time they fell just short as the seven game series would go to the Reign. He decided the time had come to call it a career and retired after their heart-breaking finals bow out.

 

On top of the accolades already listed, Szatkowski helped Toronto win back-to-back Punch Imlach Memorial Trophies, the trophy awarded for the North American Conference Champions. He had quite the career as he was a perennial Team USA member and named to the All-Star roster from S3-S9. Just prior to joining the Legion he had the best season of his career in S8 when in addition to being named an European All-Star, he also added the Gretzky Trophy (VHL MVP), Lemieux Trophy (Most Points - 159) and the Joe Malone Trophy (Most Goals – 74). On the international front, Szatkowski won two silver medals as a member of the US national team.

 

Just looking at the stats, Mike Szatkowski is a candidate for all-time player on any of the teams he played for, but as a member of the Legion he really stands out as he helped the team to back-to-back final appearances and the ever coveted Continental Cup. Every player in the VHL dreams of having a career as illustrious and successful as Szatkowski but for most that's just a dream; Szatkowski lived the dream and was able to capture the Cup before his career was over as the cherry on top of the sundae that was his amazing career. His accomplishments with and without the Legion and the Cup he brought us makes him one of the all-time best forwards that ever played for the Toronto.

 

S6-10 Regular Season | GP:327 G:122 A:260 P:407 +/-:+195 PIM:942 H:384 SB:553 GWG:18
S7-10 Playoffs | GP:33 G:11 A:19 P:30 +/-:+4 PIM:135 H:69 SB:84 GWG:2

German defenseman Jochen Walser was destined for greatness before his VHL career even commenced as he was selected first overall by the Vasteras Iron Knights.  The six-time all-star was one of the best defensemen to ever play in the league, scoring at a clip of over a point per game while developing a sound defensive game early in his career.  Although he did not debut or retire a member of the Toronto Legion, it's with this team that Walser truly made his mark in the VHL.

 

Jochen Walser was an impact player from the very beginning, picking up 70 points in 72 games in his rookie season.  Not only did he shine offensively but his 108 hits and 239 shots blocked were among the league leaders.  Ultimately, Walser was named to the European All-Star team and was awarded with the Bossy Trophy as the top rookie in the VHL.  He continued to excel in his sophomore season before being traded to the Toronto Legion, where he would spend the next four and a half years and firmly establish himself in the history of the league.

 

Walser's half season with the Legion following the move from Vasteras was uneventful and disappointing, where he managed only 25 points in 39 games and would be the first and only season in which he missed the all-star game.  This was a major step backwards for the Bossy Trophy recipient but Jochen quickly rebounded, putting up career highs in all major offensive and defensive statistical categories while leading the Legion to the playoffs for the first time in his career as he moved into his prime just as Toronto was doing the same.

 

Season 9 marked the highest point for both Walser and the Legion at this point in the league's history.  Not only did Toronto finish atop the North American Conference and eventually sweep the Wranglers and Reign en route to a Continental Cup victory but Walser had an incredible individual performance.  His 99 points were best among defensemen while his 69 assists were third best in the entire VHL.  He followed up this incredible regular season performance by playing an enormous role in his team's championship, picking up 12 points and two game winning goals in his eight playoff games.  Walser's performance this season earned him the Orr Trophy as the league's top defenseman, the Messier Trophy as the best leader, and the Howe Trophy as the playoff MVP.  At this point, Jochen Walser's ability was unable to be questioned and his mark in both Toronto's and the league's history was already set in stone.

 

Somehow, Jochen Walser did not just replicate his tremendous performance from Season 9 the next year but he managed to surpass it.  His 122 points were easily the best among defensemen as he led the Legion to the league's best record.  Although they were eventually ousted in the Continental Cup Finals in overtime of game seven by the Riga Reign, Walser once again received the Orr Trophy and named a first team all-star.  As Walser entered his final season in the VHL, he looked for one final chance to win a cup and got it as the Legion traded him to the Dynamo to kick off a rebuild.  The Dynamo would go on to finish the season with the best record in the league and finish off strong with a finals win over the Seattle Bears as Walser capped off his career with a Continental Cup and his third consecutive Orr Trophy.

 

Jochen Walser was unquestionably one of the greatest players to ever don a Toronto Legion sweater.  His two Continental Cups and three Orr Trophies are something any player can only dream of as his career was marked by tremendous individual and team success.  But not only will Walser be remembered for his offensive ability from the defense position but he was truly able to do it all.  His 1170 career shots blocked remain a benchmark for any defenseman entering the VHL as almost 30 seasons following his retirement, the number remains eighth best all-time.  A player who truly was elite throughout his entire VHL career, Jochen Walser was enshrined in the VHL Hall of Fame in Season 12 and will forever be remembered as one of the very best to lace up the skates.

 

 

S19-25 Regular Season | GP:504 G:128 A:418 P:546 +/-:+151 PIM:681 H:925 SB:855 PPG:67
S19-25 Playoffs | GP:61 G:11 A:29 P:40 +/-:-6 PIM:121 H:130 SB:118

David Walcott is arguably the best defender to ever play in the VHL and a loyal member of the Legion playing seven of his eight seasons in the VHL with Toronto. Walcott was the only player in VHL history to record 1000 hits, 1000 blocked shots, 600+ points and >200+/- rating showing that he was a phenomenal talent on both ends of the ice. He won a plethora of awards including a Continental Cup with the Legion.

 

After a good offensive yet weak defensive rookie season, Walcott would solidify his defensive game in S20 which would springboard him into the perennial two-way threat he would become for the rest of his career. Putting up a solid 88 points alongside his 136 hits and 127 blocked shots in 72 regular season games, the Legion went deep into the playoffs. They were finally fizzled out in the finals against Helsinki, but for Walcott and the rest of the Legion, it was only a sign of things to come.

 

While Walcott would have a slight decrease on the score sheet, the Legion as a whole would have a better season. They added a lot of depth and their blue-line was amongst the best in the league and that led them to a 58-11-3 record, helped greatly by Walcott's 74 points and +45 rating. His great defensive play alongside Aidan Shaw's amazing goaltending helped lead the Legion to the promised land giving them the Continental Cup victory, the only one Walcott would win.

 

S22 would be Walcott's best defensive season as he amassed a staggering 212 hits and 121 blocked shots to go alongside a solid +35 rating. The Legion would once again make it to the Continental Cup finals against Helsinki, but would ultimately bow out ending a great campaign and breaking the hearts of the fans and players alike.

The Legion would bow out early in the first round in S23, but that was due to Toronto not being able to find a way to put the puck in the net. Walcott had a great season and series defensively and was arguably the best player in that round against the Wranglers. In the off-season he would play for his nation, helping Team UK capture the silver medal at the S24 World Cup, adding another piece of hardware to his cabinet.

 

S24 and S25 would be disappointments for the Legion following as they would be held without a cup and the dynasty that had been built would be disassembled. Walcott would have another solid defensive season in S24, while maintaining a PPG through the regular season, but couldn't help the Legion best the Dynamo in the finals en route to losing the Cup yet again. S25 would end with the Legion getting swept by the Wranglers and the dynasty ending. Most knew Walcott wouldn't be back with the Legion for the final year of his career, and he moved to Helsinki to join the Titans to end his career. A great chapter in Toronto's history ended that season.

 

The change of scenery revitalized Walcott and he had his best season ever. He finally exploded into the elite two-way threat notching an amazing 145 points alongside a +55 rating with 166 hits and 160 shot blocks to help a young Titans squad make the playoffs. They would ultimately get knocked out by the Iron Eagles, but for Walcott it was a great season to end a legendary career on. His fantastic season wouldn't go unnoticed in the award department as he was awarded the Labatte Trophy for best defenseman in the VHL and the Mikita Trophy for leading the league in assists.

 

When the dust had settled and it was all said and done Walcott posted some elite numbers, and while he wasn't an offensive leader every season, it was his phenomenal two-way play that would always help his team be a contender every year. Walcott was a player any GM would've loved to have on their team, and any coach would want on their bench. He was a player who could be relied on in any situation in a game and one who would be willing to step in and carry the team on his shoulders. A fantastic player who had a phenomenal career, and for that we find him to be one of the best defenders to ever play for the Legion.

 

Regular Seasons | 452 GP / 315-110-24 / 0.923 SV / 2.06 GAA / 52 SO
Postseasons | 61 GP / 29-29-3 / 0.918 SV / 2.23 GAA / 5 SO

In Season 18, the greatest goalie ever to play within the VHL was drafted in the second round at tenth overall.  His name was Aiden Shaw, and he is without any doubt, the greatest goaltender to stand between the pipes for the Toronto Legion.  Even more fortuitous for Toronto, Aiden Shaw played his entire career exclusively for the Legion.

 

The season 18 draft was known within the league as the “Super Draft” due to the depth of skilled players.  This is also inclusive to goaltenders as Daisuke Kanou, Joey Clarence and Mattias Backlund were all drafted and proceeded to have successful careers.  Throughout Shaw’s career, he was constantly in a battle with Daisuke Kanou, the first overall draft pick in the Season 18 draft, to be titled the best in the league.  From Season 19 to Season 25, Shaw won the Tretiak Trophy, the award of best goaltender, four times in his seven year career.  Even in his rookie season, he finished in the top 50 per cent of goaltenders for save percentage, recording a 0.911 SV.  This was by no means a bad season, yet it was by far his most underwhelming performance in his entire career.  Nonetheless, it was an impressive rookie season that would establish success in all of his future seasons.

 

Over the course of his career, Shaw posted an average 0.923 SV, 2.06 GAA and a record 52 shutouts, includes a high of 0.933 SV and 1.62 GAA in Season 22.  Needless to say, Shaw won the Tretiak Trophy in Season 22 along with the Brett Slobodzian Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding player in any given season.

 

Even though Shaw had only won a single Continental Cup in Season 21, he did not have an empty mantle above his fireplace.  In his career, Shaw had won four Tretiaks in Seasons 21-23 and Season 25, a Brett Slobodzian Trophy in Season 22, a Howe Trophy in Season 21, along with being awarded the position of starting goaltender for the North American All-Star team a countless number of times.  Furthermore, he escalated Toronto into winning three Victory Cups, four Punch Imlach Trophies , and a Continental Cup in Season 21.

 

While some may argue that only winning one Continental Cup has tarnished his record, it obviously was not enough to make the league forget about such an outstanding goaltender.  In Season 21, the former Tretiak Trophy, awarded to the best goaltender each season, was renamed to the Aiden Shaw Trophy in honor of this outstanding phenomenon.  Shaw is still the league leader in shutouts and goals-against-average, second in total wins, and has the fifth best save percentage in league history.  He also holds the record for most Tretiaks won in a career.  While his battle with Kanou was constant, and Daisuke did win more Continental Cups, I think the league will look back and agree that Shaw was the best player to come out of the Season 18 draft, and is the best goalie that Toronto ever had between the pipes.

 

David Knight took over the Legion as GM in S11 and had two stands as the managerial face of Toronto. His first attempt was lackluster in results, but it placed the groundwork for what Legion fans could look forward to after his reappearance as the head honcho in S19. He would lead Toronto to the promise land as in S21 the Legion would capture the Continental Cup. The story beyond the Cup is what a dominating roster he was able to assemble, the best roster in the league in that time. For two seasons they were heavy favorites to win the Cup, though they were only able to capture one.

 

Knight was known as a shrewd GM, very skilled in negotiations and for building a solid team and is still one of the best managers to ever grace the VHL. It was because of his abilities in the head office to create a contender year in and out that in S31 the award for best GM was renamed to the David Knight Trophy, an award he won twice, in S20 and 21.

 

Sterling has a lot of respect for Knight and had this to say about him at his HoF induction:

David is a good friend. There were times when I wanted to just shut the league down. We went through a lot of hectic times together. One that comes to mind is the infamous time when David decided to ban Meg for whatever reason and her response via personal message was that David was a 'fucking prick'. Of course that couldn't be further from the truth and it is funny to think of things we all come up with when we're upset or mad. To be honest with you, I have almost never seen David mad or upset. I witnessed it once within the last year and it is one of the only instances that sticks in my memory. The calm, sensible and sane leadership that David has provided cannot be understated. His dedication and skill cannot be denied. David Knight is so deserving of this honour nothing else really has to be said. I love you in a completely straight way brother and thank you for all that you've done.

 

His two tenures as GM of the Legion, coupled with his Continental Cup and the decorum he carries himself with make him the clear cut decision for top all-time GM of the Toronto Legion. A truly great man and builder in the league, the Legion fans and players alike were lucky to have him in office and that he was able to make the dream a reality.

 

A truly impressive roster that spans the history of the VHL; the Toronto Legion have had a rich and storied history that was touched by a number of elite players, but we as the current iteration of the Legion felt they were the best to ever don the blue and white. As we move forward it's always important to look back at those who laid the groundwork for the team we play for, and we hope you enjoy learning about our history as well.

[Victor 11,009]

You did make the noob spelling mistake.

Aidan...

(gj otherwise obviously)

[sterling 2,000]

tl;dr until you name dropped me. 10/10

[Phil 5,129]

2 Davids? Too much

[sterling 2,000]

"David Walcott is arguably the best defender to ever play in the VHL" - Arguably not even in the discussion tbh

[Victor 11,009]

David propaganda machine clearly revved up the engine.

[Advantage 2,899]

"David Walcott is arguably the best defender to ever play in the VHL" - Arguably not even in the discussion tbh

Not even sure he is top ten.

 

Labatte, Braxton, Walser, Jenskovic, Singh, Sullivan, Low all definitely ahead.

Edited October 27, 2014 by Advantage

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

Shame to have Shaw in front of me. Would have loved to see LeBeau here But just not good enough compared to him.

[Phil 5,129]

Not even sure he is top ten.

 

Labatte, Braxton, Walser, Jenskovic, Singh, Sullivan, Low all definitely ahead.

And Villeneuve now, honestly.

[Jala 922]

You did make the noob spelling mistake.

Aidan...

(gj otherwise obviously)

Ah hah! I didn't write his bit, but did spell it correctly when I wrote something about him.

[BOOM 8,809]

Shocked to see Odin not on here.

[Devise 4,475]

This is a neat effort, some cool avatars. Has a very "hall of fame article" vibe to it. Good job Toronto! 

[Kesler 1,514]

This was pretty good.

[Mr.Baller 440]

Really happy how all members of our team contributed !

[Knight 1,290]

Really good team effort on this one! Nicely done guys

[Mike 708]

Woot 2nd list

[Baozi 1,662]

Kanou v Shaw forever!!!

[Merica 69]

Great job!