Phillip Rave Rookie Experience

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Phillip Rave - Rookie Experience

 

Rave taking a face-off for the Cologne Express

 

 

It was near the beginning of an ultimately successful post-season run with the Cologne Express that Phillip Rave got the good news, a phone call from the Malmo Nighthawks organization indicating that he was in the organization's plans for S92.

 

While he kept his focus on his business in the VHLE and the Express would go on to win a Renaissance Cup, there was a weight lifted off of Rave's shoulders when he learned the opportunity to play in the VHL would be awaiting him at the end of next season's training camp. "It validated all the work I put in over the season, for sure," says Rave. "I felt like my game had come a long way. It was nice to know Malmo felt that way about it too. I can't wait to just get out there and prove them right."

 

Rave was selected 17th overall in the S91 draft. A raw and relatively unknown prospect with high upside at the time, Rave's development has gone well over the last season. It seems likely that if the draft were re-done today, he would go in the 10-12 range.

 

In the Nighthawks, Rave joins a team that was one of a cluster of European Conference teams that had established themselves as contenders last year. However, in getting slightly younger this year, the Nighthawks might drop off slightly. Yaroslav Trunov has been shipped to Chicago to make room for Rave coming up, and it seems as though Skor McFleury, an MVP candidate and probably the VHL's best defenseman, will be moving on in S92. Make no mistake, though, the Nighthawks do still have a very good roster, and they are perhaps built to have a longer contention window with the changes to the roster.

 

To that end, Rave's goals - as they were in Cologne last season - are primarly team-oriented. "It's never about the numbers for me. I scored 13 points in 72 games last year but at the end of the day, we won the Renaissance Cup and that's all that matters. Obviously, if I come up to the VHL level and score 13 points in 72 games... that's a different story. That would mean I'm not doing my job, not contributing to helping my team win games. But I'm all about the team success and just taking care of the little things that put us in a position to win games," Rave explains. "I want to win. I've been fortunate to play in the finals both of my years in the VHL system so far, and I don't intend for that to stop next season. That's my goal - to help this team get to the playoffs and go on a playoff run."

 

Though he's a natural centre, it seems unlikely Rave will debut there. With highly-regarded S89 draft picks Viktor Jensen and Ronald Johnson MacWallace III already established down the middle for Malmo, it would seem to make the most sense for Rave to start out on the wing, where he has taken plenty of reps in off-season team activities. While providing a little less space to work with for his power game, Rave is a natural fit on the wing with his nasty shot and hands and will still be able to be a force along the boards and in front of the net. In the long-term, Rave does hope to find a home at his natural position in the VHL - but he will need to develop his face-off skills and his range on the ice. Starting out on the wing will allow Rave to build those skills without the pressure of doing so alongside taking a huge step up in competition.