Dorji Khan's pre playoff Interview

[Oddpurplefly 210]

As another season in the VHL comes to an end, players brace themselves for another post-season playoff run. The playoffs is a place where everybody steps their game up to a whole other level and work hard to obtain the league’s prized possession: The Continental cup. The Toronto Legion took the league by storm in the last stretch of the season after struggling to be in a playoff position during most of the season, being one of the hottest teams in the VHL. They were 18-1 in their last 19 games of the season which earned them 3rd place in the North American Conference and 5th overall in the league. It was quite a contrast to their last season where they failed to make the playoffs, but GM Doug made some interesting moves in the off season for a hopeful final push before 3 veterans retire ( Harry Callahan, Diego Machado and Mikko Borisyuk) and his gamble paid off.  The Legion will now face the Calgary Wranglers in the first round of the playoffs, who has been a team in the top of the North American standings throughout the whole season. As the playoffs are about to start, we sit down with Legion player Dorji Khan for an interview.

 

Reporter: Hello Dorji! Thank you for being here and doing this interview.

 

Dorji: It’s always a pleasure to be here

 

Reporter: I’ll start by asking questions about the season that just ended a few days ago. What are your thoughts on Toronto’s season?

 

Dorji: I think we had a tough schedule to start mostly playing the leagues toughest teams and we struggled a bit to find our groove. But the more the season progressed, we worked through our struggles as a team and came out on top!

 

Reporter: Were there any standout moments or turning points that really marks where the team started having success?

 

Dorji: It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what changed for us. I think we just needed to keep giving a consistent effort throughout every game. Even when we were struggling, we still managed to outshoot our opponents more often than not. The puck just was not going in, but we knew if we kept it up eventually it would go in. And now here we are! We went from 9th in the league to 5th by the end of the season.

 

Reporter: On a more personal level, how do you feel your season went?

 

Dorji: I think I’ve had a decent season, but I do owe it all to my fellow teammates. I surpassed last season’s point total by 14 points, totalling 60 points. I am happy about the progression I had. Where it really shows is in the +/- section, where I went from -22 last season to a +35. I pride myself on being a 2-way forward and last season was my first and only season in the minuses but it was also my rookie season. But at the end of the day, I am just happy to be able to help the team get some wins.

 

Reporter: Now let’s talk playoffs. What do you think about your opponents, the Calgary Wranglers?

 

Dorji: I think they are a good team. They have been competitive throughout the whole season. We finished the season with more Wins than them, but they finished with 1 more point than us at 103 due to the OTLs. I think the series will be tough for both teams and definitely be fun to play and for fans to watch.

 

Reporter: How do you prepare yourself to face them in the first round?

 

Dorji: To prepare for a tough playoff series, I make sure I'm on top of my physical shape and stay focused mentally. I watch game footage to study our opponents and sit on the bench of the empty arena after practice to visualize different scenarios. On the ice, I ramp up practice intensity and work closely with my teammates to fine tune our strategies. Off the ice, I stay grounded by meditating and practicing mindfulness to be mentally ready when the puck drops.

 

Reporter: Thank you for your time Dorji and best of luck during the playoffs!

 

Dorji: Thank you! And thanks for having me.

 

706 words

PT- Feb.3 to 9

Edited February 3 by Oddpurplefly

[dstevensonjr 526]

Love this! Go Legion!!