Logan Ninefingers

[Scurvy 1,115]

 Logan Ninefingers path to hockey was similar to many.  Growing up he developed 

a passion for the game by following older cousin, VHL defenseman Brian Payne.  Much like Ninefingers, Payne started his career slow and with a lot of doubters.  Always big for his age, coaches in his hometown of Spokane Washington tried to get Logan to play football.  He declined all offers and immersed himself in the game of hockey.  

 

All through childhood Logan’s work ethic was second to none.  He could be heard outside shooting pucks against the garage until his mother would yell for him to go to bed.  It was rare to find Logan anywhere without a hockey stick and a puck to practice with.  Every morning before skill he would run along the Spokane River, then roller blade to school, and hit the weights after.   Logan consumed hockey like it was air.  

 

At 16 Logan was drafted by the Seattle Thunderbirds hockey club, a bitter rival to his local favorite WHL team, the Spokane Chiefs.  And just like that Logan was off to live with a billet family and play with the big kids.  His first season was a bit of a culture shock from his smaller hometown to the bustling City of Seattle.  Not to mention the rain is depressing as hell.  Logan adjusted to the must faster kids but big for his age he held his own.  What was surprising was how well he did in some training camp fights.  Never really involved in fights as a kid (probably due to his size) he demolished some older kids in camp, and he liked it. 

 

That first season in Junior was a feeling out process, mostly on the 4^th line, but he ended well but with Seattle getting knocked out in first round of WHL playoffs to their bitter rival the Spokane Chiefs.  Logan’s final stats:

 

 

65 GP 12 G 10 A 22 Points 147 PIM 175 HITS

Playoffs: 4 GP 1 G 1 A 2 Points. 25 PIM 14 Hits

 

His next season is where Logan truly became a star.  He filled out his 6-foot 5-inch frame and started gaining confidence. He blazed through opponents defenses all season long and fought just about every heavyweight in the league.  Logan was establishing a reputation and all the tough guys in the league wanted their shot.  The problem was with Logan’s gifted scoring touch, coaches needed him on the ice and not in the box.  Much like his cousin Brian Payne, he struggled to know when to pull the trigger on a fight and when to ignore it and punish the opposing team with a timely goal or assist.  This season was a turning point in Logan’s career and the Thunderbirds enjoyed some playoff success but lost in the Western Conference title in 7 games, again to their dreaded rival, the Spokane Chiefs. 

 

 Regular season : 71 GP 40g 38a 78pts  237 PIM 240 Hits

Playoffs:                16 GP 16g 8a  24pts   77PIM   34hits

 

In Logan’s final season in the Western Hockey League, he wanted to win it all and get to a Memorial Cup for the first time. This was going to be his season.  The season started well and the Thunderbirds were on fire winning 16 of their first 18 games. The way the season was going it was starting to look like Seattle and the Spokane Chiefs would be the two best teams again.  Added to this, the Chiefs had picked up a free agent defenseman by the name of Terry Thunder.  Thunder was mean, nasty, and good.  And early it was clear that Ninefingers and Thunder did not like each other.    In their first three matches they fought six times, two leading to game misconducts.  

 

The season progressed it was again Spokane vs Seattle in the Western Conference Final.  WHL historians called it the most exciting and brutal series of all time, in a league that produced some of the toughest VHL players of all time.  With over 600 penalty minutes in 7 games the refs lost their battle game in and game out.  The end showed a bruised and battered Seattle club win by the score of 3-2 with Logan getting the game winner.  A perfect ending for a team that could never quite match up to the dreaded Chiefs. 

 

Regular Season: 72 GP 51g 50a 101pts 301 PIM 300 hits

Playoffs:               28GP  20g 24a 44pts   127PIM  61 hits

 

Logan went on to compete in the Memorial Cup in Ottawa, but the Thunderbirds lost in the finals to a very tough London Knights club.  This only meant that Logan begin his pro journey.  Logan applied for and was granted a free agent pickup to the Miami Marauders in the VHLM. Logan learned early on with the Marauders club this was a whole different animal.  Playing against grown men he knew he had his work cut out. 

 

With the upcoming draft Logan said that his goal is to earn as much TPE as possible and help Miami in the playoffs.  He then plans on trying to match his cousin Brian Payne and become the best possible player he can and make Payne proud.   Oh……and to punish Jake Thunder’s @Thunder future player.