Gavilrovs Rookie Experience

[Girts 978]

 Guntis Gavilrovs S93 Rookie Experience 

 

 

 

In season 93 for the Vancouver Wolves 6'8" 250 pound Latvian rookie defenseman Guntis Gavilrovs broke into the VHL after a huge season in the VHLE for Stockholm that saw him win the Jake Thunder Trophy as Defenseman of the Year. Expectations were high but tempered making the jump into the pros. Guntis knew he had the size to make his mark physically but catching up to the speed and skill of the game would probably be his biggest adjustment. He would join 4 other rookies in Vancouver alongside Logan Ninefingers, Riley Martin, Vlad Von Carstein and DB IV which made his transition a little easier. 

 

Seasons Goals: 

 

His goals for his rookie season were to carry over his hard-nosed physical play from juniors and contribute some offense while not being too much of a liability on a rebuilding Vancouver team. Of course, Gavilrovs always has his sights set on the playoffs but realistically the Wolves were not a favorite this year. Therefore, his main goal was to continue to develop his all-around game while knocking the living shit out of everyone in the process. 

How Guntis Adapted to the Pros: 

Gavilrovs adapted reasonably well to the pro game in terms of physicality and shot blocking but he struggled a bit with the speed of the game and took a lot of penalties. He contributed respectable offense for a rookie defenseman, but his plus minus was atrocious, by far worst on of any defenseman on the team. Even with Vancouver being in kind of a rebuild his -40 is something that he needs to work on going into his sophomore season, along with being more disciplined. Otherwise, he was pretty good and adapted well to the VHL. 

How Gavilovs Performed:

Guntis posted great physical numbers and blocks for his rookie season. His 253 hits and 164 blocks were both #1 on the team. He also had 191 penalty minutes which unceremoniously were also #1 on the team. He played a very mean physical game, always looking for a big hit and had a major edge getting into 5 fights and always sticking up for his teammates. He also posted respectable offensive numbers with 7 goals, 28 assists for 35 points including a handful on the powerplay. Overall, it was a great physical season for the big defenseman with solid contributions across the board. 

Future Expectations: 

Heading into his sophomore season Gavilrovs needs to continue his intense physical play and shot blocking while improving his overall defense while he tries to chip in a little more offensively. There's no question that he has the intangibles to become one of the best defenseman in the league, certainly one of the best defensive defenseman and the meanest, which is something he takes a lot of pride in. He just signed a long-term extension with the Vancouver Wolves and will be head hunting opposing players for years to come. Take this as your warning VHL. Guntis Gavilrovs has arrived! 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 11 by Girts