Joe Block: VHLM Career Recap and Looking Ahead

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A second season for Joe Block and the Houston Bulls has come to an end with an early playoff exit, bringing an abrupt end to a largely modest VHLM career for the young defenseman. As a rookie in S88, Block was able to make his presence felt on both ends of the ice while not dominating on either end. Offensively, he managed to pot 13 goals and provide 38 assists for a total of 51 points in the regular season. 7 of these goals came on the power play and he scored the game-winning goal on 3 occasions. On defense, Block made 147 hits and blocked 120 shots. In his second season, Block shifted gears and brought a more physical side of his game to the table. He again remained threatening on the offensive side of things with 11 goals and 33 assists. His 44 points were a bit of a decrease from his rookie season despite an increase in shots taken from 114 to 162. It was on defense, however, where a slightly more drastic change to his game was noticed. Block's newfound physicality allowed him to begin making a name for himself as he finished the season with the fourth most hits in the league. With a total of 204 hits, he joined teammates Grunkle Stan-dingyouup and Martin Kemp in the top 10 for hits while keeping his discipline in check and only spending 84 minutes in the penalty box (only an increase of 8 PIM from S88). In the playoffs, Houston were eliminated after just 5 games in a season when they were favored by many to make a deep run for the championship. In those 5 games, Block had a +2 rating while mustering up 3 points on offense. Riding the wave of momentum from the regular season, he kept up the aggression in the playoffs with 12 hits and 17 penalty minutes. The discipline he showed throughout the season lapsed early in the playoffs as he took a major game misconduct penalty for spearing. The early exit has left him hungry for more as he moves on in his career.

 

Despite the overall lack of success that Block managed to achieve in the VHLM, hopes are high that he will continue to develop into a standout defenseman going froward. Next, he heads to Sweden where he will spend the next chapter of his career playing for the Vasteras Iron Eagles. While Block will hope to find team success and continue chasing a first trophy in Vasteras, this chapter will be about developing and preparing for his future in the VHL. Joe was taken 18th overall in the S89 VHL Entry Draft and will move on from Vasteras to the Calgary Wranglers. Representatives from the Wranglers involved in Block's development say he hopes to grow on both sides of the ice, with the goal of becoming more threatening in the offensive attack. He has expressed a desire to score more points and believes he can do so without compromising his defensive game, hoping to grow into a solid two-way player as time goes on.