The Lasting Legacy of The Legion's S89 Draft Steals

[dstevensonjr 567]

When the Toronto Legion first stepped to the podium in the S89 VHL Draft, they had the 3rd overall pick and were set to take the 3rd highest TPE player in the draft in Defender Montgomery Burns. What the Legion didn't know is that a decade later, they would look back on the S89 Draft as one that netted two cornerstone players, neither of which came out of the first round. The Legion would take Right Winger Harry Callahan with the first pick of the second round (17th overall), and Centre Diego Machado with the second pick of the third round (34th overall). Both first generation players in the VHL, Callahan entered the draft with the 18th most TPE, and Machado entered with the 32nd most TPE. While they were drafted right about where they fit entering the draft, they finished up their careers with the 1st and 3rd most TPE in their draft class respectively. With their careers officially wrapped up, it's time to take a look back at where the career-long Legion members finished up on the franchise all time stats lists.

 

                                  Regular Season

 

	Callahan		Machado
	Total	Rank	Total	Rank
Games Played	504	t-9th	504	t-9th
Goals	289	5th	265	8th
Assists	371	5th	340	13th
Points	660	t-4th	605	7th
+/-	+201	8th	+154	15th
Shots	3572	3rd	2859	8th
Penalty Minutes	584	14th	570	19th
Hits	1263	7th	1043	13th
Shot Blocks	239	t-68th	203	82nd
Game Winning Goals	54	t-4th	41	10th
Powerplay Goals	60	5th	65	4th
Shorthanded Goals	6	t-3rd	8	1st
Hat Tricks	11	t-7th	11	t-7th

 

 

 

 

                                        Playoffs

 

	Callahan		Machado
	Total	Rank	Total	Rank
Games Played	78	t-3rd	78	t-3rd
Goals	39	2nd	34	4th
Assists	46	5th	52	3rd
Points	85	4th	86	3rd
+/-	+31	2nd	+14	t-13th
Shots	483	3rd	363	5th
Penalty Minutes	87	12th	93	10th
Hits	167	6th	176	5th
Shot Blocks	43	27th	32	t-35th
Game Winning Goals	10	t-1st	3	t-16th
Powerplay Goals	7	t-4th	7	t-4th
Shorthanded Goals	2	t-1st	0	t-13th
Hat Tricks	0	t-20th	2	t-3rd

 

When both players were drafted, the goal for both players was to be able to make an impact at the VHL level. Neither player could count on entering the top 10 (and in many cases top 5) in almost every statistical category for a franchise that has been around since the beginning of the VHL. Both players were members of the Legion S91 Continental Cup Championship team as rookies together. Both players were members of the Legion S94 Victory Cup winning team that lost to Moscow in Game 6 of the Continental Cup. Both players were there the following season in S95 for the heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the Continental Cup final to Riga. Together for all seven seasons in the VHL together, helping the Legion make the playoffs in six of those seven seasons. Entering the league as rookies hoping to support the strong core in Toronto, progressing on to become players who could be relied upon to help carry the load offensively with that core beginning to age out, and finally finishing up as the leaders wearing letters on their jerseys for the same team that they came into the league with. Off the ice, working together in Saskatoon with Machado as GM and Callahan as AGM, helping to build a team together that would end up winning a Founder's Cup after Callahan had left to become AGM of the Legion. It's fitting that Callahan and Machado finished so close together in so many statistical categories at the end of their careers, as they were together for every step of the journey in the VHL. With their new players entering the VHLM now with Callahan re-entering as Dougie Talladega (Centre) and Machado re-entering as Diego Adam (Goaltender), only time will tell if these players end up playing on the same team in the VHL again to see if they can re-create the magic from their previous careers.

[qripll 577]

I miss these days when 2nds could be generational players

Edited April 9 by qripll

[Oddpurplefly 230]

Hopefully Dorji Khan can follow in similar footsteps and be a steal for Toronto. Drafted 22nd and currently 13th in TPE for class of s94