VHL Lore: The Biggest Draft Ever

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The VHL has been around for nearly 100 seasons, and every year the entry draft marks the arrival of a slew of new prospects. For tons of young hockey players, draft day is the biggest day of their lives and represents a dream come true.

But one VHL draft in particular was even bigger than that. The S75 draft saw a whopping 112 selections made, 32 more than the next closest draft. Selected 106th overall, goaltender Matthew A Sovick Jr. became the latest-selected player to ever play a VHL game, by almost two full rounds worth of picks. So many players came during an S74 recruitment drive that ultimately, the VHL ecosystem as it were couldn't sustain them. There were too many players to reasonably fit in the VHLM, and it ultimately necessitated the creation of the VHLE.

 

The S75 draft had plenty of storylines, with the defender pairing of L and R demanding to be drafted together, and the Riga Reign blowing up their team - risking ending one of the longest playoff streaks in VHL history in the process - in order to take advantage of the loaded draft class to start their rebuild. The Reign would use their first two picks at 7th and 8th overall to select first-gen Miami Marauders teammates Cabe McJake and Addison McLaren before also selecting Dolant Fertitta, Joe Kelly, and Sirkants Klamasteris with their other three first rounders. Riga had five more picks in the top-38, too, and built a core that really should have seen more success than it did. Alas, the Reign rebuild ultimately proved ill-fated, but not for a lack of talent that came out of this draft.

 

L and R did get drafted together, but probably fell short of expectations overall, considering the hefty draft capital committed by the Chicago Phoenix (the 3rd and 5th overall picks). They each played a full eight-season VHL career, though, and did help Chicago win a Continental Cup together in S76.

 

The first overall pick was Pistil Stamen of the Yukon Rush, who went to the LA Stars. Stamen had a bit of a rough go of things to start his career, with 205 points in his first four seasons - but then exploded for four straight 100-point years to conclude his career, with 439 points during that time. Though he didn't end up in the Hall of Fame, he certainly still had a career worth holding the mantle of #1 overall pick in the league's biggest draft ever.

 

Only one of the 112 players picked did make it into the revered Hall of Fame - 9th overall pick Taro Tsujimoto of Davos. Tsujimoto put up 724 points and won a pair of Scotty Campbell trophies during his career, beginning with seasons of 43 and 65 points before a breakout season of 92 points. After that, he scored 86+ points every season of his career. But Tsujimoto did save the best for last - in his 8th and final season, and only one not with Davos - he had an incredible campaign, scoring 53 goals and 139 points.

 

As far down as 38th overall, where Riga got Isau DaMoose, there were players capable of leading a franchise forward available for selection. DaMoose ended his career with 528 points in 504 VHL games. Not a bad use of a third rounder! The S75 draft didn't just change the lives of 112 young hockey players, it completely changed the league, and we may never see another draft like it again.