The Phantom of the VHL Biography

[Hogan 1,334]

At 50 years old, The Phantom is not the usual rookie in which the VHLM regularly sees enter their league. But at 50 years old, the Phantom has his mind set to be better than them all. 

 

       As a child, the Phantom was a circus act, not by his own choice. Touted as the “Devil Child”, his captors kept him in a small cage, allowing visitors to look at him and his deformed face in which he was hated. A face which earned not a mother’s love, but fear and hatred. 

       Luckily, after years of torment the Phantom escaped from his captivity, moving into the depths and cellars of a small hockey arena in France. It is here where he first crafted his mask and for the first time ever, was able to hide himself and his face from all the eyes which once laid upon him. The Phantom spent the vast majority of his life in the depths of the rink. He would watch as hundreds of fans sat themselves to watch the local hockey team. After years of watching, a young player began to feel the presence of the Phantom. This player's father had always told him about the Angel of Hockey, a spirit which could teach him everything he needed to know. He seeked out the Phantom and found him, following his teachings. He became one of the greatest players to ever play in that league and lead their team to many championships. 

       But tragedy struck, just months before the player had planned to move across the ocean to pursue hockey in the VHL he had suffered a terrible accident which had taken away his life and ripped away the soul and spirit of the team. At this same time, the fans and management discovered the Phantom and how he had been living in their arena for years. They felt certain he was at fault for the death and chased him out of the arena, casting him away, never to be seen again.

       In his absence, the Phantom hid. He hid from the world which he felt over and over again feared and hated him. In this time he had never forgotten his love of hockey but he suppressed it as it only caused even more hatred to the entire world. But he never forgot it, the final thing he was told before the player’s untimely passing was that he wanted him to always think of him before he moved away onto the VHL. And the Phantom did, he never forgot. 

       Five years after the tragedy, the team announced a ceremony unveiling a new statue and award to be named after the late teammate. Fans, former players, managers and many more packed the small rink. A beautiful ceremony was held which left no eyes dry. Right before the night came to a close, the lights went out. As they turned back on every person in the building noticed the same thing. In front of the impressive silver statue, a single rose was laid. A sign from the Phantom that he had never forgotten. He had always thought of him.

       From this point on the Phantom had a new dream, to honour the fallen player by completing his dream of competing in the VHL. The Phantom moved across the Ocean and settled himself in the arena of the Ottawa Lynx. He stayed there for several years, watching the games during the evenings and practicing for himself when nobody else was in the arena. Hockey was a sport the Phantom loved so much, a sport in which everyone wears a mask and nobody is able to see the players as they skate on by. 

       Eventually, people began to notice somebody high above them. A man in dark outfits wearing a mask which covered half of his face. People in Ottawa had heard of a story of a similar man years ago in France, but it was hard to believe it could be true. Quickly management tried to figure out what could possibly be going on in their arena. But this time the Phantom didn’t want to hide. He didn’t want to be hated and he was tired of how he had been treated for decades. This time, the Phantom was going to make his presence known. 

       A game was about to start when once again the lights flickered in the arena. Everyone looked around, confused as to what was going on when a few fans noticed something shimmering high above the ice. Two skates, followed by long legs and a body covered in black clothing. Descending from above the rink, the Phantom was slowly being lowered to the ice by cables. Everyone watched as he reached the ice and grabbed a stick from a nearby player. The Phantom quickly showcased his skills, skating around the multiple people as they tried to grab him to figure out what was going on. He evaded everyone, all while carrying a puck as he did laps of the ice. As quickly as he descended, he reached the cables and was carried back up into the rafters where he quickly disappeared. 

       Following this, the public’s perception of the Phantom shifted. Originally, he was thought to be evil and a myth. But now he was seen as a brilliant hockey player. The team's management were eventually able to reach him after numerous attempts and he was brought onto the team where he made his debut. 

 

The fans in France heard about this, finally realizing that the Phantom was not responsible for the player’s death, but was the Angel of Hockey he had always spoken of.