The C.G.Y. Janser Story, Part VI: Between two seasons.

[Daniel Janser 2,168]

Graphic courtesy of Leandrofg

 

 

Since we last reported from our intrepid hockey player, the Saskatoon were eliminated from the playoffs by the later Founder's Cup winner, the Mississauga Hounds. Janser is at this moment playing for the Yukon Rush in the JST. Unfortunately, it appears that his team have not found the ideal line compositions as they are clearly the weakest performing team so far with a 4-8-0 record and a goal difference of 33-44. While this seems not to be a good calling card for the Swiss defender, the Rush have allowed the second least goals. The problem is situated at the other side of the ice, where so far Yukon shows not much efficiency or luck to find the back of the net.

 

Our correspondent Jean-Luc Lieuxperroux had a chat with Callum on his future, please find a transcript as follows:

 

JLL: 'Hi Callum. The Wild were eliminated by a dominant Mississauga outfit. Do you care to share your view on it?'

CGY: 'Hi Jean-Luc. Well, with the exception of the first match where Mississauga just steam rolled us, we were in striking distance. Unfortunately, the loss of two key players shortly before the playoffs, stretched us thin and left us with empty tanks. This does not take away from the Hounds' dominance throughout the season and that they could muster an excellent squad and always found a way to score. Congratulations to their first and well deserved Founder's Cup.'

JLL: 'Now you play with the Rush in the JST and are in a similar situation, where your team just seems not to be able to score. Do you want to elaborate on this?'

CGY: 'Gladly. We are a motley crew to start with and have not found the chemistry one needs when playing hockey. The other teams did better in that department, but I am confident, that we will adjust in time to sneak into the playoffs still. An other reason is my limited offensive talent, as I seem to be the common factor for the lack of production with Saskatoon and Rush (he grins).'

JLL (laughs): 'Okay let's change the topic then. You are a very physical player. Recently there has been a demand for more fights in hockey and a complaint of a shortage of enforcers in the VHL. What is your take on that?'

CGY: 'Well, my dad was a power forward and he had eight fights in his rookie season, second only to Owen Taylor, who dropped the gloves a dozen of times. Still unforgotten is the legendary line brawl he had alongside my uncle Marcel in the S87 conference final against the Bears, when both floored their opposite numbers. So I think these type of players still exist. The thing is only that talent is rare and brawn is not. It is wiser for gifted players to not risk a broken paw for a scrap. Also I see fights in hockey as vigilante policing. It is meant to draw a line in the sand (or rather ice) and challenge a player who has overstepped a boundary to a round of fisticuffs. In my admittedly still limited experience, it does not matter who wins the fight and normally players do not fight with the intention to injure their opponent. Hurting? Yeah, for sure. But we all know that a lot of things can go wrong when we play the game within the rules. We do not need to add risks on top of the already existing ones. As an example, I know of at least two players in the Swiss professional leagues who go paralyzed after hitting the board following a clean check. What I am trying to say is that there is still a place for enforcers, but less than in the olden days. Part of the reason for that gradual disappearance is in my opinion that the refs are more professional now and big emphasis is put on players safety. This kind of reduces the need for enforcers, who hand out justice if the officials fail to do so. I think that fights are part of hockey and they certainly are entertaining for the crowd. But it should never be a fight for the sake of a fight itself. It needs to be a meaningful statement 'This far and no further' or something along these lines.'

JLL: 'Certainly a point of view to be considered. Now, are you excited for the oncoming drafts and is there a favourite organisation you would like to play for?'

CGY: 'There has been talks with some organisations and so far I liked them all. The GM's in question know what they can expect of me and vice versa. Of course with Calgary having a rebuild team and the family history, it certainly is no secret that the Wranglers are in the pool as well. By no means do I exclude other franchises though, as long as they show sincere interest and invite me for an interview.'

JLL: 'With the defensive prowess and maturity you already displayed, are you going to skip the one season in Europe?'

CGY: 'Absolutely not. I started late with hockey as you know and would be interesting to see the difference between European hockey and North American hockey. Also, I think I have a lot to learn still, before I can contribute in a meaningful manner to a VHL team's success.'

JLL: 'We just learned that the S90 ProAm tournament has been cancelled. What is your opinion to that unexpected decision?'

CGY: 'Well, I think it is a pity, as it is a good event to connect with other hockey players from different eras. Some of them have hardly launched their careers, others have retired years ago, but still cannot exist without at least semi-competitive hockey in their lives. I can see the reason though, as there is so much going on at the moment with the JST, the WJC, the World Cup and last but not least the draft (and all trading activities surrounding same). There is probably a hockey saturation at this point in time, so I get it. Even though I really looked forward to it.'

JLL: 'Thanks for your time, Callum.'

CGY: 'Thanks for having me.'

 

Here are Cal's stats for the VHLM playoffs:

9gp, 0g, 4a, 4pts, +0, 8 PIM, 21 hits, 8sb

 

And here the stats for the Rush:

12gp, 2g, 8a, 10pts, -10, 17 PIM, 45 hits, 25sb, 1ppg 

 

Please find linked below more of our articles:

 

https://vhlforum.com/topic/140500-how-we-snub-not-only-one-player-but-a-whole-class-theme-week/

https://vhlforum.com/topic/140747-cgy-janser-clearing-the-gutter/

https://vhlforum.com/topic/140772-the-cgy-janser-story-part-iv-almost-crunch-time/

https://vhlforum.com/topic/141062-the-cgy-janser-story-part-v-regular-season-is-done/

https://vhlforum.com/topic/141275-cgy-janser-sent-packing/

https://vhlforum.com/topic/141054-let-the-gloves-hit-the-ice/

 

word count: 1079

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Daniel Janser
added word count

[Daniel Janser 2,168]

2nd claim week ending 22.10.23