Another Level - Jesse Teno HOF Article

[jacobcarson877 2,426]

Position: G
Birthplace: USA
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 202 lbs.
Drafted: S85 – 10th overall (London United)
Username: aimkin/ @Aimee

 

Not many players get to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Fewer do it on their first time around the block. Even fewer yet get to do it with 8 seasons on a single team. Even fewer still win the Franchise’s first Continental Cup, as that team’s playoff MVP. And that is scraping the surface of Jesse Teno, one of the VHL’s all-time great goaltenders, and an all-time great playoff performer.

All while bringing wonderful energy, extraordinary earning, a kind attitude, a passion for community, and the desire to give back, regardless of their own life circumstances. If I could induct Aimee themselves into the Hall of Fame, I would. But for now, I’ll have to settle for having retired their number and inducting their first-generation player into the Hall of Fame.

 

Career Awards

 

Individual

All-VHL First Team | S91

All-VHL Second Team | S89

Aidan Shaw Trophy | S91

Greg Clegane Trophy | S91

Daisuke Kanou Trophy (2x) | S88, S92

 

Team

Continental Cup| S88

 

Humble VHLM Beginnings

 

It was not all fun and games for Jesse Teno when their career first began. It all started with Saskatoon, who was at the time one of the perennial bottom-feeders of the league. They really struggled, and Teno was one of the few players on the team, let alone the few engaged and active ones. But despite the initially disappointing introduction, they sought out mentors across the league, trying their best to find a circle of people who would encourage them, teach them, and give them the community they needed to persist. And so they did, becoming a great earner within the first few weeks, and pushing many of the veteran recreates down the TPE charts. They lost and lost and lost on the ice, but they gained and gained and gained off the ice. And as it so turns out, learning to take those losses, and pursue future successes with vigor, is exactly what Jesse Teno exemplified.

 

It was a short stint for Teno in the VHLM, fortunate for the VHLE and for their opponents in the VHLM, but most importantly for Jesse Teno, as they would finally find the competition they craved, and could finally showcase the work they had been putting in.

 

Regular Season Stats

84 (SSK), 71 Games Played, 22 Wins, 47 Losses, 2 Overtime Losses, 0.904 Save Percentage, 3.2 Goals Against Average, and 5 Shutouts.

Playoff Stats

84 (SSK), 6 Games Played, 2 Wins, 3 Losses, 1 Overtime Loss, 0.909 Save Percentage, 3.68 Goals Against Average.

 

The Rising VHLE Action

 

It was off to Cologne for Teno, and Cologne was just piecing together its longstanding dynasty. They weren’t quite there yet, but they were certainly on the up. Jesse got the healthier half of the starts, splitting the net with Freddy Freeze. In 46 games, Teno would fall just short of 30 wins, with a very respectable 29. But that wasn’t exactly the impressive part, wins aren’t all on the goaltender right? What was impressive is that the difference between VHLM Teno and VHLE Teno was a .904% to a .93%. This was a huge achievement at the time, and while that kind of performance got slightly more normalized for a few seasons before some league changes were made to adjust goaltenders, this was a mark very few ever achieved. It was a thing of dreams even. And all the while barely allowing 2 goals per game, it took quite a disappointing offensive effort to make Teno lose. And that would be a real pattern throughout their career, it was really only ever when the offense dried up that Teno lost.

 

Another thing that became obvious after this season, was that Jesse Teno had another gear for the playoffs. And if you thought their regular season performance was Hall of Fame worthy, which it was, the playoff performance was a whole new level. A .950% in their first real playoff environment, and a 1.72GAA. I have no idea how Cologne lost with that performance, but alas, Oslo started their dynasty and would go on to split 9 of 10 following Renaissance Cups with Cologne at the time of writing this, and well, neither team is out of contention yet in S95.

 

Regular Season Stats

85 (COL), 46 Games Played, 29 Wins, 12 Losses, 5 Overtime Losses, 0.93 Save Percentage, 2.08 Goals Against Average, and 4 Shutouts.

Playoff Stats

85 (COL), 13 Games Played, 6 Wins, 4 Losses, 3 Overtime Loss, 0.95 Save Percentage, 1.72 Goals Against Average, and 1 Shutout.

Straight VHL Domination

The VHLM and VHLE are all fun and games, and important for goaltenders in particular, to get used to the level of earning and building required to be the best. It’s easy enough to be good, and that stands for skaters too, but to be the best, to get those starts, and to beat out the veteran recreates and the other passionate first-generation players, it takes some extra oomph.

 

I inherited London in S88, and while we will certainly talk about that time later, it is important to understand the context of the London United in the seasons before. For most of London’s history they were a fringe playoff team, or missing entirely. They often faced a much better 4^th seed in the Wild Card round, as the European Conference never really ceased to have 4 contending teams. They had their fair share of star goaltending. Cole Pearce, Jacob Tonn, David Davis. They all graced London in the seasons before Teno’s arrival, and but up good to excellent performances. But they were often at the tail end of their careers, or realized quickly that London simply wasn’t a team who could compete for a Continental Cup. And so they all passed. London was finally in a deliberate rebuild, moving on from some franchise great players to pave the way for players who would soon become the franchise leaders in most statistics, notable Molly the Cat, and Leonard Triller. Both get their nod as franchise greats, and will hang from the rafters in London forever, I am certain of it. In the second draft of this rebuild, London grabs a late round steal in Jesse Teno. The 3^rd goaltender to go in the draft, and while the first two got their Continental Cups, they were nowhere near the dominant forces that Teno would become.

 

Of course, a first-generation goaltender, fresh out of the VHLE is rarely handed the keys to the castle right away. David Davis got the starts this season, and put up an objectively excellent season. But Teno persisted, and showed management that they too were capable of putting up not only wins, but strong goaltending statistics as well. Their rookie season .923% would go on to be the worst save percentage they would have in a season, a number that for some goaltenders, would end up being their best.

 

It was up from there, and with Davis moving on, Teno took on the brunt of the starts. 34 wins became the baseline, something that Teno only missed twice, while I was figuring out why passing was annoying, more on that later. A bump in save percentage, and some incredible tough minutes, but Teno was up to the task. No playoffs yet, but that time would come. Another season of personal dominance. This time taking down the Goals Against Average, still without much support, and eager to get into the games that mattered. 

 

In S88, I took control of the team. Teno was in a prime position. A few hostage situations led to winning some major trades, completely accidentally. London was hot, and people wanted to be there. A rookie GM, with VHLM accolades, a first-gen trio that was already showing that in their young careers, they weren’t to be messed with. The most complete team London had seen yet, and ironically what seemed to just be the starting point. We were close to pulling out of the Wild Card game, and taking our chances with an also-rarely-contending-but-now-near-dynastic-led-by-a-first-generation-HOF-calibre-goaltender Davos Dynamo. But a late season stumble had us in position to take on an arguably better, but unlucky Riga Reign. We were incredibly low scoring, relying on way better defensive ratings and an incredible goaltender to win 2-1 games. But we made it. And one game at a time, Teno and co. picked away at teams, dropping only one game to Riga, 1 game to Prague, winning a tightly contested matchup in Game 7 against Davos, and closing it out in one more Game 7 against Seattle. It was the run of a lifetime, and knowing that there was so much more in the tank made it all the more exciting. This win was driven by out-earning our opponents, bringing hype every single day, and sacrificing anyone who got in our way to Simon.

 

With that being said, S89 was supposed to be a repeat. Sure we had some big players leave, but we had more big players join. But here is where I began to learn the valuable lesson that too many passing players on a unit tanks shots, tanks goals, and most importantly tanks wins. But I do think Jesse Teno forgot that part. They went on to put up a career best (so far) season, stepping it up to a new level in the regular season. The playoffs were done in a flash, but even still, Teno matched their performance in their Daisuke Kanou winning debut postseason. It was certainly not their fault, in fact we were only there because of their dominance.

 

S90 really took a bite out of all of us, and it’s the season I regret the most. I dug deeper, trying to get passing to work for me, and we fell far short of 200 goals on the season. It took away some great opportunities from my players to compete for scoring titles, HOF nominations, and even the desire to return to London. After seeing the highs so early, it all crumbled so fast. This would be Teno’s worst season, and even then, would tout a .925% and 6 shutouts. That’s the kind of player I was blessed with. Even when everything went wrong, Teno was stonewalling teams left and right.

 

And so in S91, we retooled on the fly. It was a terrifying few weeks, and led to many more terrifying few weeks in future seasons. We committed to defense by committee, and scoring by starpower. We were finally seeing 100 point seasons, and Teno topped 40 wins. We were back in business, led by a career best season from Teno, and optimism was high, but we were hungry. Most of us remembered S88 like it was yesterday, and it was time to get back to contending. We stomped Riga, and then in the blink of an eye it was over. Helsinki showed up, and my own player wrecked my hopes of another GM Continental Cup. But Teno wasn’t done. It wasn’t over for London, and it wasn’t over for Jesse. The Shaw, the Clegane, they were incredible, and I was very proud of Teno for those awards. It meant a lot to them, and it was really special for the organization, and for my friend. But it wasn’t enough, and it wasn’t where Teno belonged, in Game 7 in the Continental Cup Finals.

 

A bit of a cruel joke for myself there, as you’ll come to see. S92  was a weird one. It wasn’t 91, but it was better than 88. We knew better than to assume playoff success based on regular season success. Not Teno’s best season personally, and they took that to heart, but we knew there was a beast in Teno that came out during the playoffs. The best way I can describe the feeling was cold anticipation. We ended the season as the 4^th seed, taking on a still great, but on the down Prague team. You should hear more about that journey with the upcoming John Jameson article in the works. We dropped one to Prague, walked right over the Victory Cup winning Malmo Nighthawks, got revenge on the now-my-player-less Helsinki Titans in a stinging Game 7, to take on the D.C Dragons, still riding the high of their own first Continental Cup win, just before our own. I remember sitting at my desk, watching Game 7, and the simmer was taking a super long time to press the button, just to mess with me. I saw D.C win, and it was just a horrific moment. Molly the Cat was set to retire, and it took seasons to get back here, just to blow it at the last moment. Teno put up yet another all-time playoff performance, but D.C had Simon on their side this time.

 

S92 was dubbed our last chance. This would be Teno’s final season, and we had to make the most of it. Triller and Kerr would lead us offensively, with Sjin and a growing depth making up for the departure of Molly the Cat. Things seemed pretty easy this season in the games. Ironically this was probably the least active I have ever been. I was without player, and for quite a while, and my poor core was going through their own personal adventures. Between moving, weddings, financial busy season, having kids, catching COVID, and everything in between, it was the quietest season for this group. But we persevered. Teno hit 250 wins, and finished their career with a ridiculous .928%. At the time of their regular season retirement, they had the highest save percentage amongst a consistent starter since S12. Since then, longtime rival and fellow first-gen goaltending phenom has surpassed them, facing a heavier rain of shots on slightly more fringe teams, and will also certainly be featured in one of these Hall of Fame articles soon enough, has beaten them, but those two stand alone at the top of a very historically stable mountain. But as we know, the playoffs are what matter. It would be another trouncing of Prague, followed by a sweep of the upstart, and now approaching dynastic Moscow Menace that would take them to the Finals, riding the high of an 8-1 record. Our first Cup was won here, on this stage against Seattle. We were ready, and we had what it took to do it. We split the opening 6 games, 1 win, 1 loss. It would be Game 7 again. We had won many before, and Teno was not one to lie down. Once again I waited for the simmer to just press the damn button. And again, Game 7 was not ours to take. Seattle would go on to add their millionth Cup to their catalog, and Jesse Teno would retire from VHL hockey.

 

While the “final run” ended up being a bit of a lie, as Merome Dilson gave us a stellar season the following season to close out Leonard Triller’s franchise great career, the playoffs were where we stumbled. Teno was missed, and not by any lack of Dilson. And as such the rebuild began, I stepped down, and a new story will be told. But the stories of this great core, this first-generation energy will stand the test of time. And I hope when players look back in 100 seasons, they’ll be able to reflect on our experiences, and the greatness that is, was, and will always be Jesse Teno. An all-time saver of pucks, and an all-time member. Welcome to the Hall of Fame my friend, and may your subsequent careers be just as illustrious! All the best to you, as I know you’ve come out of the last few years a changed person, and for the better. I’ll always be cheering you on, and you’ll always be the leagues kindest villain. Thanks for everything Jesse Teno.

 

Regular Season Stats

86 (LDN), 11 Games Played, 7 Wins, 3 Losses, 1 Overtime Loss, 0.923 Save Percentage, 2.43 Goals Against Average, and 1 Shutout.

87 (LDN), 64 Games Played, 34 Wins, 23 Losses, 7 Overtime Losses, 0.925 Save Percentage, 2.62 Goals Against Average, and 3 Shutouts.

88 (LDN), 66 Games Played, 34 Wins, 22 Losses, 8 Overtime Losses, 0.925 Save Percentage, 2.45 Goals Against Average, and 3 Shutouts.

89 (LDN), 64 Games Played, 33 Wins, 25 Losses, 6 Overtime Losses, 0.933 Save Percentage, 2.38 Goals Against Average, and 5 Shutouts.

90 (LDN), 64 Games Played, 28 Wins, 33 Losses, 3 Overtime Losses, 0.925 Save Percentage, 2.49 Goals Against Average, and 6 Shutouts.

91 (LDN), 64 Games Played, 40 Wins, 16 Losses, 8 Overtime Losses, 0.937 Save Percentage, 2.02 Goals Against Average, and 6 Shutouts.

92 (LDN), 65 Games Played, 36 Wins, 21 Losses, 8 Overtime Losses, 0.924 Save Percentage, 2.51 Goals Against Average, and 4 Shutouts.

93 (LDN), 64 Games Played, 41 Wins, 17 Losses, 6 Overtime Losses, 0.925 Save Percentage, 2.5 Goals Against Average, and 4 Shutouts.

Playoff Stats

88 (LDN), 23 Games Played, 15 Wins, 6 Losses, 2 Overtime Loss, 0.949 Save Percentage, 1.92 Goals Against Average, and 4 Shutouts.

89 (LDN), 4 Games Played, 1 Win, 2 Losses, 1 Overtime Loss, 0.947 Save Percentage, 2.42 Goals Against Average, and 1 Shutout.

90 (LDN), 11 Games Played, 5 Wins, 6 Losses, 2 Overtime Losses, 0.9 Save Percentage, 3.63 Goals Against Average.

91 (LDN), 10 Games Played, 5 Wins, 5 Losses, 0.923 Save Percentage, 2.51 Goals Against Average.

92 (LDN), 22 Games Played, 14 Wins, 5 Losses, 3 Overtime Losses, 0.947 Save Percentage, 2.19 Goals Against Average, and 3 Shutouts.

93 (LDN), 16 Games Played, 11 Wins, 4 Losses, 1 Overtime Loss, 0.929 Save Percentage, 2.6 Goals Against Average, and 1 Shutout.

  

Regular Season Career Record

462 Games Played, 253 Wins, 160 Losses, 47 Overtime Losses, 0.928 Save Percentage, 2.42 Goals Against Average, 32 Shutouts.

Playoff Career Record

86 Games Played, 51 Wins, 28 Losses, 7 Overtime Losses, 0.936 Save Percentage, 2.42 Goals Against Average, 9 Shutouts.

 

Edited August 24 by jacobcarson877

[Aimee 1,070]

I love you, my friend! Thank you for an incredible article. I smiled the whole way through and I proudly read it aloud to my wife. I couldn't have asked for a better tribute.

Edited August 24 by Aimee