Janser Christ Superstar, the Hall of Fame story.

[leandrofg 1,180]

Daniel Janser, Class of Season 90

User: @Daniel Janser

 

 

TPE: 1868

Position: Center

Nationality: Swiss

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 183 lbs.

VHL Drafted: 8th Overall, by the Calgary Wranglers

VHLE Drafted: 9th Overall, by the Oslo Storm

VHLM Drafted: 36th Overall, by the Mississauga Hounds

Played for: Mississauga Hounds, Philadelphia Reapers, Oslo Storm, Istanbul Red Wolves, Calgary Wranglers

 

--

 

Career Awards

 

Individual

 

All-VHL First Team (3x) | S87, S86, S85

Brett Slobodzian Trophy | S86, S85

Kevin Brooks Trophy | S86, S85

Mike Szatkowski Trophy | S86, S85

Scott Boulet Trophy | S86

Scotty Campbell Trophy | S86

 

Team

 

Continental Cup | S87

Devon Marlow-Marta Trophy | S87

Victory Cup | S86

 

--

 

Introductio

 

We remember a true luminary of the ice hockey world. A player who traded the peaks of Swiss landscapes for the pinnacle of international hockey.

 

Our inductee comes from the heart of the Alps, Switzerland, where he was raised in the culture of Swiss ice hockey.

 

We take a retrospective look at the career of this extraordinary athlete and examine the Swiss craftsmanship and passion for the sport that helped write a Hall of Fame legacy.

 

His father took him to EV Zug matches since childhood, thus creating an inseparable connection between the sport, father and son. His childhood heroes, Kenny Yaremchuk, Dino Kessler, John Fritsche, Wes Walz, and Misko Antisin, were the sources of inspiration for his passion for the game.

 

He strengthened his link with the sport when legend Claude Lemieux wore the EVZ uniform. This encounter with a hockey legend can be described as fundamental to his story since it fueled his passion for the game even more, strengthening his resolve to succeed.

 

Incidentally, a scout from EVZ noticed Daniel's style on the ice. He was an ambidextrous player who was flexible enough to seamlessly move between the hockey positions and become immensely dominant on the ice. His ability to fit into different roles with the team was a blessing and a challenge at the same time due to his versatility. There just weren't enough positions on the ice for Daniel.

 

This step of his career was the beginning of one that would end in the Hall of Fame.

 

Ante Christum

 

Leaving behind the rinks of Switzerland, where he discovered his love for hockey, he embarked on a journey to challenge himself against the best North American players.

 

As Daniel arrived in Canada - the holy place any aspiring hockey player is longing for - shivering, not from the weather, but from the cold feeling of a new beginning.

 

Such a difference was between the pristine alpine beauty of his country and the great white northern snowscapes. Naturally, he wondered if Misko Antisin had been in a similar situation during his days. However, he wished to show everybody that he could handle the situation.

 

He could not foretell this trip would be an eye-opener that changed him from a mere pilgrim to a luminary within the game.

 

There was a buzz of excitement as he tied on his skates to play in the Junior Showcase Tournament. Driven by his Swiss heritage and childhood heroes, the now Hall-of-Famer succeeded in his first experience contending against the faster and tougher North American competition.

 

This was a sacred prelude to the revelation of his fate on the ice.

 

Daniel was now entering the VHLM draft pool as a late addition. That draft class was particularly noteworthy, as it was spearheaded by two exceptional players - Nico Pearce and Nils Godlander. In fact, Nils Godlander went on to win the prestigious Stolzschweiger Trophy in recognition of his outstanding play during his rookie season in the VHL.

 

As a late addition with little to show in North America, over his European tape, Daniel tried to explain to every VHLM team that interviewed him that he could be a great asset for them. His efforts were bold enough for him to get selected by the Mississauga Hounds with the 36th selection of the S80 VHLM Draft, just one selection after his future teammate, Bob Vladovechsenkchushkin, and four picks before his brother, who was also drafted by the same team.

 

During that season, one thing was obvious... Daniel was the better of the Janser brothers, and we were clearly witnessing the birth of a great one. How we moved the puck on a poor team like the Hounds that season showed everyone that they had made a mistake by not taking the Swiss earlier in the draft. Eventually, he was traded, alongside his brother, from the last-placed Mississauga Hounds to the playoff-hopeful Philadelphia Reapers. In the end, neither one of the teams was a place to find team success in the VHLM for Daniel, as he left for the VHL and VHLE drafts as one of the top prospects but without any accolades to show in the M.

 

As Daniel prepared for the VHL and VHLE drafts during the off-season, he reflected on his experience from the previous season. Despite Philadelphia's early exit from the playoffs, he was excited to apply the lessons he learned and use his skills to contribute to a winning team in the future. There was nothing or no one who could come in his way... at least, so he thought.

 

Daniel entered the drafts as the 6th-rated prospect but fell in both drafts. In the VHLE draft, he dropped to the 9th selection, made by the Oslo Storm, who would become one of the worst teams in the league that season, even after having two picks in the draft's top 10. Daniel's performance was once again outstanding, showcasing his abilities and highlighting his immense potential. It was clear how valuable of an asset he would be to his future team. He would not finish the season with the Storm after getting traded to the 1st-placed Istanbul Red Wolves. In the end, the late move at the deadline and the short stint in Turkey weren't fruitful, with Janser churning out one of his worst stat lines while we wore their uniform.

 

Let's rewind, though... With the 8th selection, the Calgary Wranglers select Daniel Janser from Switzerland.

 

Regular Season Stats

80 (MIS/PHI), 72 Games Played, 40 Goals, 40 Assists, 80 Points, -10 Plus/Minus, 152 Hits, 26 Shots Blocked, 6 Game-Winning Goals

81 (OSL/IST), 72 Games Played, 27 Goals, 42 Assists, 69 Points, -15 Plus/Minus, 215 Hits, 33 Shots Blocked, 4 Game-Winning Goals

 

Playoff Stats

80 (PHI), 5 Games Played, 2 Goals, 2 Assists, 4 Points, 0 Plus/Minus, 12 Hits, 2 Shots Blocked, 0 Game-Winning Goals

81 (IST), 7 Games Played, 0 Goals, 1 Assists, 1 Points, -2 Plus/Minus, 9 Hits, 2 Shots Blocked, 0 Game-Winning Goals

 

Anno Domini

 

Samuel 1:27, I prayed for this boy, and the Lord gave me what I asked from him.

 

Some players transcend the Hall-of-Fame status they obtain. Daniel Janser is one of them. Not only did he show his skill and importance during his career, but he managed to do it with only one team. The Wranglers struck gold when Janser dropped into their lap in Season 81's draft and took full advantage of it. Usually, players like these end up on lesser teams without the opportunity to fulfill their potential, but Daniel... Daniel was part of an outstanding era for the Calgary Wranglers under the helm of GM-extraordinaire Kris Rice.

 

He was a fundamental piece for the rebuilding Wranglers, and his selection marked the start of a dominant period for the Albertan team. Despite his talent, the young Swiss forward needed time to adapt to the league... but that period accounted for when he was under the wing of other extraordinary forwards, such as Phil The Rock Johnson, Saku Kotkakoivu, and Reylynn Reinhart.

 

Hockey is still a team sport, and during his first three seasons in the league, Daniel faced different challenges. In his rookie season, he was used as a secondary weapon but still managed to post the best plus/minus of his career, with an astounding +40. Still, the Wranglers were good, but not great. As a middle-of-the-pack team, Calgary was 6th best in the league and 3rd best in the North American conference. This granted them the opportunity to face the Los Angeles Stars in the first round of the playoffs, and despite fighting fearlessly against what was, on paper, a far better team, they still lost in 7 games.

 

It was time to improve, but the Wranglers didn't, and this may have been the best thing to ever happen to the team. They finished 3rd in the conference but were weaker than the S82 team. Still, they had just drafted their future in AirRig GoodBrandSun, Landon Wolanin, and Leandro Goncalves, with the first of the three playing skipping his VHLE season and starting in the VHL right away. They were promptly swept from the playoffs by the Toronto Legion but looked forward to selecting Scoish Velociraptor Maloish in that draft, one of the best defensemen available, who joined the Wranglers right away.

 

Season 84 was the first season for this new coming of the Wranglers. With the four younglings coming together for the first time, this would be a season of growth and a season where Daniel started showing his leadership alongside Erlantz Jokinen and Saku Kotkakoivu. One thing was sure... this was about to become Daniel's team.

 

But he decided that wasn't enough. For the next three seasons, the league would become his too...

 

We're now in Season 85, with Daniel ready to show everything to the world, and he held nothing back. As he led the team and posted career numbers across his stat line, the Wranglers were back on top, finishing 1st in the North American conference. It was time for the playoffs, and the Wranglers, having finished in 1st place, were set to face the winner of the wildcard series between 4th-placed Seattle and 5th-placed Chicago. This is where things started to get interesting for the Wranglers, who were coming off a few first-round exits. They wouldn't find it challenging to overcome this lesser opponent - would they?

 

This would become the biggest struggle for the organization over the coming years. The ghosts of the past were in the way of their success.

 

Still, for his efforts, Daniel took home a few individual accolades. The Kevin Brooks Trophy for having scored the most goals. The Mike Szatkowski Trophy for having scored the most points. And, most importantly, the Brett Slobodzian Trophy for having been voted "Most Outstanding Player" by his peers - one of the highest honors in the game.

 

Season 86 came, and our Hall-of-Famer didn't hold back, further increasing his production. The Wranglers became the best team in the league with the help and mentoring of Daniel Janser. Their young players were now in their prime and created the crucial supporting cast around DJ to turn the Wranglers into the best team they could be. Daniel had the best season of his career, and the Wranglers took their Victory to the playoffs, where they faced the wildcard team turned Continental Champions, Vancouver Wolves. Once again, the first-round ghost held the Wranglers back, who lost their series in 5 games.

 

Despite the team's inability to overcome the challenge, Janser had a season that won't be forgotten. He accomplished the best season of his career but also one of the greatest by a forward in the hybrid era. Daniel took home a whopping five different individual awards! In a moment of pride, he won the same three awards he had won the previous year. Most importantly, he added the Scott Boulet Trophy and Scotty Campbell Trophy, the latter being the most prestigious. Winning five individual awards in the same season had only been done a few times before. 

 

Brett Slobodzian in S3, Scotty Campbell in S4, Tomas Jenskovic in S14, Grimm Jonsson in S15, Tukka Reikkinen in S30, Alexander Chershenko in S34, Ethan Osborne in S36, Odin Tordahl in S39, Thomas O'Malley in S44, Edwin Reencarnacion in S48, Franchise Cornerstone in S59, and, finally, Brick Wahl II in S71. If this isn't an elite company, nothing is. We needed 15 seasons to see the 13th player added to this list, but there's another important detail to consider. Of these eight former players, seven are in the Hall of Fame, and after this season, there was no doubt about Daniel Janser's future. After this point, he played for three more seasons, but he was a Hall of Famer already.

 

It seemed like the Wranglers weren't destined for success. Changes were needed, and Kris Rice put his chips on the table to bring in what he thought would be the last piece required for the Wranglers to become a championship-winning team. A world-class goaltender in Oskar Lindbergh, that was who.

 

The Wranglers' retooled squad continued delivering an impressive performance in Season 87, securing the 2nd place in the conference with an almost unbeatable defense that topped the league. Would this be the key to erase the ghost of the past?

 

It was the moment of truth for this group of players. This could be their last opportunity to find the promised land behind the Continental Cup. Lindbergh had been longing for it, and Janser had too. The "new guys" weren't so new anymore, but they were hungry for success. Everyone was looking for that same goal, and it seemed like the stars were aligned for paramount success.

 

As the 2nd-placed team, they went up against 3rd-placed Los Angeles and took quick care of the Stars - payback for season 82 accomplished. Vengeance for the loss suffered a few seasons back didn't matter, for they had done it. They had forgotten about their ghost. They had surpassed the first round of the VHL playoffs. In that season's conference finals, the Wranglers could have gone against any team from any era, and they would have beaten them. Their style of play in hockey was free-flowing and reminiscent of beautiful poetry in motion, with a fast-paced tempo, defensive acumen, and offensive efficiency. As they beat the Bears, it was time to find the HC Davos Dynamo, another team looking for their first championship in a while, in the Continental Cup Finals.

 

The Wranglers maintained their exceptional form, demonstrating their dominance over Davos. After a hard-fought 5-game series, Daniel Janser was finally a champion. It was a moment of triumph for Janser and the entire Wranglers team, who had worked tirelessly to achieve this significant accomplishment, ending their long-standing quest.

While Daniel had as great a season as he did a couple of seasons before, the standards for the Swiss had risen, and he didn't take any individual awards home. That didn't matter, though. He was a champion.

 

Amassing all this talent became an arduous battle with the salary cap for the Wranglers. The team had to part with some depth pieces to comply with the salary cap for the remaining seasons of Daniel's career. In season 88, running a different roster strategy cost the Wranglers on the ice. The team wasn't able to find success, but even though this was the case, the Wranglers fought their way to the Conference Finals, losing to the Seattle Bears in 6 games.

 

Daniel couldn't be mad about the result that season since Marcel, his brother, whom he had won the previous year with and had been the piece forsaken to comply with the cap, found a home in London, where we went on to win the Continental Cup again. This result must have created some fun conversation in the Janser family reunions.

 

At the beginning of season 89, Daniel shared that would be his last in the VHL. It was now or never for the Swiss to get his second Continental. The team lost Lindbergh, which created some cap flexibility for GM Kris Rice to play with. As the team went back to the usual roster structure and Daniel was on his way out, that opened the window for what was expected to be his replacement that never was, the "Portuguese Wonder," Leandro Goncalves. Even though the group always portrayed a great feeling around the team, it isn't easy to manage a group filled with offensive stars who want to show production. Leandro delivered on the stat line, but it never seemed like the Wranglers had the season 87 chemistry.

 

The Wranglers were the 3rd-best team in the North American conference but 7th in the league. It seemed the team wasn't ready for a playoff push, and they didn't prove everyone wrong, falling again in the first round.

 

Janser finished his career with two respectable seasons that left everyone remembering the three-season period where the Swiss utterly dominated the league. It is now that segment of the article where the author tries to convince the readership of the inductee's merits, a small piece on their achievements, and the legacy they leave behind. For Daniel Janser... it's effortless and uncomplicated.

 

Regular Season Stats

82 (CGY), 72 Games Played, 23 Goals, 50 Assists, 73 Points, 40 Plus/Minus, 198 Hits, 36 Shots Blocked, 1 Game-Winning Goals

83 (CGY), 72 Games Played, 31 Goals, 41 Assists, 72 Points, -10 Plus/Minus, 150 Hits, 140 Shots Blocked, 5 Game-Winning Goals

84 (CGY), 72 Games Played, 34 Goals, 41 Assists, 75 Points, 26 Plus/Minus, 237 Hits, 23 Shots Blocked, 10 Game-Winning Goals

85 (CGY), 72 Games Played, 51 Goals, 57 Assists, 108 Points, 28 Plus/Minus, 243 Hits, 36 Shots Blocked, 7 Game-Winning Goals

86 (CGY), 72 Games Played, 54 Goals, 66 Assists, 120 Points, 39 Plus/Minus, 276 Hits, 35 Shots Blocked, 11 Game-Winning Goals

87 (CGY), 72 Games Played, 48 Goals, 61 Assists, 109 Points, 28 Plus/Minus, 171 Hits, 32 Shots Blocked, 6 Game-Winning Goals

88 (CGY), 72 Games Played, 37 Goals, 56 Assists, 93 Points, 17 Plus/Minus, 142 Hits, 52 Shots Blocked, 5 Game-Winning Goals

89 (CGY), 72 Games Played, 36 Goals, 50 Assists, 86 Points, 5 Plus/Minus, 173 Hits, 45 Shots Blocked, 7 Game-Winning Goals

 

Playoff Stats

82 (CGY), 7 Games Played, 1 Goals, 2 Assists, 3 Points, -6 Plus/Minus, 10 Hits, 8 Shots Blocked, 1 Game-Winning Goals

83 (CGY), 4 Games Played, 2 Goals, 2 Assists, 4 Points, -4 Plus/Minus, 3 Hits, 3 Shots Blocked, 0 Game-Winning Goals

84 (CGY), 7 Games Played, 1 Goals, 2 Assists, 3 Points, 3 Plus/Minus, 29 Hits, 5 Shots Blocked, 0 Game-Winning Goals

85 (CGY), 6 Games Played, 2 Goals, 9 Assists, 11 Points, 3 Plus/Minus, 16 Hits, 2 Shots Blocked, 0 Game-Winning Goals

86 (CGY), 5 Games Played, 4 Goals, 5 Assists, 9 Points, 5 Plus/Minus, 22 Hits, 6 Shots Blocked, 0 Game-Winning Goals

87 (CGY), 15 Games Played, 11 Goals, 12 Assists, 23 Points, 6 Plus/Minus, 29 Hits, 8 Shots Blocked, 3 Game-Winning Goals

88 (CGY), 11 Games Played, 4 Goals, 7 Assists, 11 Points, 4 Plus/Minus, 24 Hits, 7 Shots Blocked, 1 Game-Winning Goals

89 (CGY), 6 Games Played, 6 Goals, 2 Assists, 8 Points, -1 Plus/Minus, 8 Hits, 0 Shots Blocked, 1 Game-Winning Goals

 

Legatum

 

Greatness. With DJ, an era started in Calgary. Without him, it wasn't long before that same era ended.

 

Congratulations on one of the best first-gen careers, DJ! Chapeau!

 

Regular Season Career Stats

576 Games Played, 314 Goals, 422 Assists, 736 Points, 173 Plus/Minus, 1590 Hits, 399 Shots Blocked, 52 Game-Winning Goals

 

Playoff Career Stats

61 Games Played, 31 Goals, 41 Assists, 72 Points, 10 Plus/Minus, 141 Hits, 39 Shots Blocked, 6 Game-Winning Goals

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by leandrofg
General corrections; Historical corrections;

[Victor 11,021]

5 hours ago, leandrofg said:

Brett Slobodzian in S3, Scotty Campbell in S4, Patrick Bergqvist in S20, Alexander Chershenko in S34, Ethan Osborne in S36, Odin Tordahl in S39, Thomas O'Malley in S44, and, finally, Franchise Cornerstone in S59.

Nice, didn't even know this stat, that's a good one.

[Daniel Janser 2,217]

8 hours ago, Victor said:

Nice, didn't even know this stat, that's a good one.

I was equally surprised. Also I considered for a brief moment, how much time it took to check on this fact and quickly abandoned this attempt as my brain started hurting...

[leandrofg 1,180]

16 hours ago, Victor said:

Nice, didn't even know this stat, that's a good one.

 

7 hours ago, Daniel Janser said:

I was equally surprised. Also I considered for a brief moment, how much time it took to check on this fact and quickly abandoned this attempt as my brain started hurting...

 

I wonder who player number 10 will be!

 

It wasn't too difficult, to be honest. There's a cool spreadsheet with the awards won by a player. It has to be updated, but the only thing that was more tiring was looking for information outside that sheet. The most awards in a season by a player since then was 4 (Idaho was one, for example. Aloe Dear too)

[Daniel Janser 2,217]

10 minutes ago, leandrofg said:

 

 

I wonder who player number 10 will be!

 

It wasn't too difficult, to be honest. There's a cool spreadsheet with the awards won by a player. It has to be updated, but the only thing that was more tiring was looking for information outside that sheet. The most awards in a season by a player since then was 4 (Idaho was one, for example. Aloe Dear too)

I mean S86 was exceptional for DJ... every possible forward award was his... Shindigs made a gfx around this and dubbed it the Daniel Janser Award show. I watched it live (I think Spartan streamed it at the time) and was amazed how much silverware DJ got that night...

 

EDIT: it was the Daniel Janser Hockey League, instead of Daniel Janser Award show.

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Daniel Janser

[Victor 11,021]

1 hour ago, leandrofg said:

 

 

I wonder who player number 10 will be!

 

It wasn't too difficult, to be honest. There's a cool spreadsheet with the awards won by a player. It has to be updated, but the only thing that was more tiring was looking for information outside that sheet. The most awards in a season by a player since then was 4 (Idaho was one, for example. Aloe Dear too)

so, I have gone on a bit of a journey. The good news is you have inspired to make a single-season tab in this spreadsheet: https://vhlforum.com/topic/52100-repeat-award-winners/

 

 

Less good news is you missed off Edwin Reencarnacion and Tomas Jenskovic from the other spreadsheet, and also Grimm Jonsson (the latter I don't blame you for as his awards are randomly split between Grimm Jonsson and Grimm Johnsson...). On the other hand, Patrick Bergqvist did not actually win 5 trophies in S20 - he was mistakenly assigned top goalscorer which as a defenceman would have been quite a feat.

 

There was another player in the portal era before Janser - Brick Wahl in S71. Which overall makes Janser the 13th to do it. There has since been a 14th - Brian Kowalski two seasons ago.

 

Anyway, all for a good cause in that now there is a reliable source of this info! I'll tweak the HOF article on the portal  

[leandrofg 1,180]

9 minutes ago, Victor said:

so, I have gone on a bit of a journey. The good news is you have inspired to make a single-season tab in this spreadsheet: https://vhlforum.com/topic/52100-repeat-award-winners/

 

 

Less good news is you missed off Edwin Reencarnacion and Tomas Jenskovic from the other spreadsheet, and also Grimm Jonsson (the latter I don't blame you for as his awards are randomly split between Grimm Jonsson and Grimm Johnsson...). On the other hand, Patrick Bergqvist did not actually win 5 trophies in S20 - he was mistakenly assigned top goalscorer which as a defenceman would have been quite a feat.

 

There was another player in the portal era before Janser - Brick Wahl in S71. Which overall makes Janser the 13th to do it. There has since been a 14th - Brian Kowalski two seasons ago.

 

Anyway, all for a good cause in that now there is a reliable source of this info! I'll tweak the HOF article on the portal  

 

 

Yikes! Missed a few, then! Appreciate your work, though! I'll adjust here as well!