Payne Retires!

[Scurvy 1,495]

Well…Its official..Brian Payne has retired.  As a first generation player I fell in love with the VHL community and looked forward everyday to see how my team and player performed.  Payne started as a free agent signing with the San Diego Marlins in S81.  I had such great leadership there with @JB123 and Payne while not great, progressed well throughout the season and playoffs.

 

San Diego Stats: S81  72 games 11G 20A 31Pts -21 128  PIM 166 Hits 76 SB

                             Playoffs: 13 games 6 G 11A 17Pts -6   22PIM 43 Hits  25 SB

 

DRAFT:

So I was excited to enter the  S82 VHL and VHLE draft.  I remember sitting at my table with my wife and young daughter watching the draft on Twitch. As I watched the draft I watched Payne sliding further and further down the list.  With the 26^th pick the Warsaw Predators GM @dlamb took a chance on the bruising Dman.  I was pumped and wanted Payne to prove all those teams that past on me to suffer for passing Payne up.

 

Next up was the VHLE draft and again I watched Payne again fall and fall lower in the ranks.  With the 20^th pick, Payne was selected by @FrostBeard to join the Bratislava Watchmen.  And just like that Payne was off to Europe for the first time ever. This is where Payne learned how to be better thanks in a large part to a legend and missed VHL personality @Shindigs. He also had a player on the club (Bo Johansson).  Both of us were defensemen but with very different builds.  Shindigs mentored Payne in a way that eventually made him a valuable asset for teams in the future.

 

S82 Stats: 72 games 12g 33a 45pts +2 120 PIM 178 Hits 109 SB

Playoffs:     5 games 1g 1a 2pts +1  2 PIM 8 Hits 9 SB

 

S83 I started in the VHL and I was pretty pumped for Payne.  I had been trying to max TPE every week in the hopes that he could help Warsaw win a championship.  Payne joined a great team with fellow teammate Girts Galvins @Girts.  Payne had a lot of fun in Warsaw with a great GM and great group of active teammates.  In S84 Payne won his first Continental Cup.  In S85 Payne continued to have success and won a Victory Cup, Jake Wylde, and Sterline Labatte trophy.  This was a huge honor considering what a talented pool of defenders that were in the league then.  Payne was traded to a contenting Vancouver team but his impact on Warsaw was great during his time.  He ended #1 all time PIM Leader, #3 in hits, and #1 in blocked shots. Thank you Warsaw for a great time.

 

Warsaw career stats: 432 games 107g 350a 457 points: 1323 PIM 1558 Hits 1034 BS

 

Since being traded to Vancouver I feel right at home.  A great team and great GM @Frank.  They have taken Payne in and it’s a very active and fun locker room.  Vancouver is about winning and I love that the team is very close. Vancouver lost to Davos in the championship game last season which stung.  Especially since I lost to my friend and rival Jake Thunder @Thunder.  Also, I want to give special thank you to Thunder for pushing me hard to keep earning and make Payne better.

 

Payne is having a decent season and I hope that Vancouver can get another shot at a title.  This team really does deserve it but will have to battle with some amazing teams. I have officially retired Payne and now have Logan Ninefingers (RW) now starting his career in the VHLM for the Miami Marauders.  It was a hard decision whether to create another defender but thought Id try a forward for this one. 

 

A sincere thank you to all who make this league possible and for making Payne’s journey through the league so much fun.  Next, I am hoping to make Logan Ninefingers just as good. 

 

Brian Payne #9 – Total TPE 1818

Total stats(as of now): 557g 145goals 466a 611 points 1642 PIM 2005 hits 1288 SB

[Gaikoku-hito 2,089]

HOF Bound!!! GOAT!!

 

Stat line says it all!!!

557g 145goals 466a 611 points 1642 PIM 2005 hits 1288 SB

[Girts 1,055]

It was an absolute pleasure to play with Brian Payne in Bratislava, Warsaw and Vancouver! Always a beast of a defenseman and one of the best to ever play the position. He could score a clutch goal, make a sweet saucer passes or put you through the boards with gigantic check! The ultimate hockey player! Look fwd to seeing you in the HOF soon! Happy we got a chance to win that championship together in Warsaw! 

 

 

[Daniel Janser 2,184]