Slava Kovalenko Rookie Experience

[OblivionWalker 308]

Well, it's here.

 

I've finally moved up from the VHLM to the VHL. After winning the Founders Cup with the Mississagua Hounds, I felt like I was ready for whatever came next, ready to take my next strides into greatness.

 

But then reality came around and slapped me across the face for my hubris.

 

Warsaw isn't in a great place right now. We're a rebuilding team and it's likely going to be like that for a while and being in a position like that will really make you think, make you wonder if all of the dreaming and hoping were worth it.

 

It's easy to be engaged and excited about something when you're doing well. But when the times are tough and it's really hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel? Not so easy. I can't control our situation. All I can do is continue to work hard and get better in my game.

 

Right now, I'm a minus 19, and have 22 points in 37 games played. The only decent stat I have is my 127 shots blocked, which is definitely up from last season. I had 121 shots blocked in total last season and I think it's reasonable to expect that to continue to go up. Still don't have a lot of hits. I ended the season last time with 69 (nice) hits and I'm already at 56 so maybe that will continue to go up? We'll have to see how things end up, of course.

 

I left the VHLM with two individual awards to my name, the Ryan Sullivan trophy twice. Right now, I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning anything this year. It's probably going to be a while before that's even a conversation my name could reasonably be attached to.

 

I've done a lot of thinking. Wondering if leaving my home and my family was worth it for all of this and right now? I still don't know. Of course, it would feel different if the team's fortunes were a little better and I'm going to hold out hope that things will start to come together in the upcoming season, that we'll have a chance to move up and truly compete. But there's days when it feels hard to put my skates on and still get out there. Still, I signed my name to a contract and I'm going to do whatever I can to uphold it. Especially on those days when it's difficult.

 

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Edited Thursday at 05:32 AM by OblivionWalker