Dear Mississauga

[OblivionWalker 241]

Dear Mississauga,

 

Happy playoff eve! As I sit and type this, the rest of the Hounds and I are hard at work to prepare ourselves for the fight that's going to be coming our way and as a result, I wanted to take a moment to put down some of my thoughts before things get going again.

 

First of all, from the very bottom of my heart, thank you. When I was drafted here for Season 95, I had no idea what to expect coming in. I'd only played 12 games with Ottawa in Season 94 and that was all I knew. I was comfortable there and when I was selected by the Hounds, I was apprehensive. I didn't know anyone on the team well but I was determined to come in and do my best to make a difference.

 

I'd like to think that I was able to do that. When I look back on my first full season, I feel proud of what I was able to accomplish and when my name was called at the M Awards for the Sullivan, I almost didn't go up onstage to accept it because I was just so damn stunned. Even though we had a first round exit that season, I wouldn't have gotten that award without everybody else on the team and I thought that was going to be it.

 

But with the E closing down, that meant I got one more season with the Hounds. One more chance to bring the cup back to Mississauga. I wanted to work hard again this season and while I didn't get quite as many points this year, I still managed to put up some good numbers and finished the season strong.

 

That doesn't mean things are over, though. The playoff fight is just beginning, and I feel like we're in a good position to bring the cup back here again. I really want to make that happen before I leave for Warsaw and leave the M behind. I want to give that to this city, to these fans and to this management team who believed in me long before anybody else did (except maybe one person who knows who they are).

 

I've grown a lot since I came here. I feel like I've grown in my game, grown as a person. I don't think I'm the scared kid from Alberta who wondered what in the hell was going to happen to me here. I can leave Mississauga with my head held high and a lot of really fond memories. I'm going to miss hearing the fans chanting for my slapshot. I'm going to miss the other guys on the team and I'm going to miss our gm who was always happy to chat with me about what I was doing or whatever else I might need. It's bittersweet, moving on but that's the way things go and I'm excited to see what happens when I make my way to Warsaw.

 

So thank you again, Mississauga. For everything.

 

Yours fondly,
Slava Kovalenko

 

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[ace_five_ 421]

The Hounds love Slava back! We wouldn't be in the position we are right now without you!