Claimed:Valentin Taneyev Bio [Final 10/10]

[Cowboy 20]

 

BIOGRAPHY OF POOR PLAYER VALENTIN TANEYEV

 

Full Name: Valentin Taneyev
Position: LW
Age: 21
Handedness: R
Jersey Number: 91
Height (inches): 75"
Weight (lbs.): 235
Birthplace: Moscow


Valentin Taneyev was born in Moscow, Russia during the preseason of the VHL's nineteenth season. Unknowingly the son of Russian hero and VHL Hall of Fame member Maxim Desny, Valentin grew up without playing hockey until he was in his early teens. At the age of thirteen, when his mother determined he was old enough to know, the identity of Valentin's father was revealed to him. A large, naturally athletic youth who played rugby and soccer, Valentin felt compelled to build on his father's legacy. After researching the Hall of Famer and discovering his hockey pedigree, Valentin took up playing hockey at a local level. Learning how to skate was rough and he didn't make much progress in his first couple years. Most of the kids he was playing with had learned to skate as children. Being a highly  motivated individual, Valentin used some of his mother's "donations" to hire a trainer. His mother is a retired Russian escort so he was able to hire a relatively famous trainer; none other than VHLM legend Tyler Vassell. Due to his supreme work ethic, natural athleticism, and workouts with Vassell three days a week, Valentin went from being a plug to being a stud in the course of two seasons.
 

 

 

Now aged 17, Valentin became draft eligible for the Russian Junior Hockey League (MHL). Taken with the third-from-last pick in the draft by MHC Spartak, Valentin didn't relinquish Vassell's services right away as it was obvious he still had a lot of work to do.  In his first season at the Sokolniki Arena, Valentin played in three games for a total of 7 minutes. He managed zero points and 5 PIMS for fighting. His coach made fun of him since he almost eclipsed his ice time with penalty minutes. In the off season Taneyev was passed over in the NHL draft and no one questioned that decision due to his less-than-stellar performance.

Down but not beaten, Valentin continued to improve his game while working with Vassell as much as possible. Still unable to add a consistent offensive repertoire to his game, he began to focus more on the grittier aspects of the game. Working the boards, being responsible defensively, and being more aggressive on the forecheck ensured Taneyev a regular shift in his second season with MHC Spartak. By fine-tuning his play, Valentin found the puck on his stick significantly more often and was able to contribute, at least somewhat, on offense. MHC Spartak were eliminated in the first round of the 16-team playoff for the Kharlamov Cup, though Valentin seemed to be a light in the dark for the team moving forward. He finished the 56-game season with a respectable 21 points (9G, 12A), was second on the team in plus/minus with a -2 rating, and earned a visit from a few scouts. In the off season, Taneyev was passed over in the NHL draft once again and considered retirement. VHL, KHL, and various other European-based professional league representatives, mostly due to Vassell's connections, showed some interest in the young Russian but no deals were made. Taneyev decided to soldier on with his career and considered it best for a now-retired Vassell to become his agent at the time.
 

 

With only a handful of the team returning from the previous season Valentin was given the opportunity to step up and fill a second-line role, including a spot on the penalty kill. He was finally given the shot he needed to potentially turn some heads. On a woeful team Valentin did what he could to turn the tide for a depleted MHC Spartak team, but it was all for nothing. With only 16 wins on the season, things looked bleak for Taneyev as his team was relegated from the playoffs before the mid-point of the season. Despite the outcome of the season, Taneyev continued to improve and managed his best statistical season to date with 37 points (17G, 20A). He and Vassell both figured that his performance garnered some interest from abroad but the only team even interested in Taneyev was the Minot Gladiators of the VHLM. Taneyev had declared for the VHLM draft last season but went unpicked until the Gladiators decided to take a flier on him and claim him through waivers. 

Taking the route typically traveled by those looking to breach a VHL roster, Taneyev was more than happy to join the Gladiators. Already 18 games into the season and looking for a little extra punch, Taneyev joined a solid team and didn't really contribute much. The jump to the professional level has been a rough one for Taneyev thus far to say the least. In his first VHLM season Taneyev managed a meager 23 points (10G, 13A) through 54 games en route to his first post season play as a professional. The solid Gladiators team made it to the North American Semi-Finals where they were ousted handily in five games by the Wild. Minot did manage to defeat the Blades in the quarterfinals with Taneyev chipping in with 4 points (2G, 2A) through their 10-game playoff run. Definitely a season worth forgetting, and unfortunately so with it being Taneyev's VHL draft year. Prior to the draft Taneyev tried to keep things optimistic by releasing a statement via twitter in which he thanked his teammates and the coaching staff in Minot and apologized for his shortcomings. He stated that he would continue to work diligently throughout the off season to be more prepared for Season 41.

 

The Season 40 off season was a tumultuous time for the young Russian as he was drafted twice, though his agent Tyler Vassell let it slip that he wasn't sure whether his client would be drafted at all. As expected, Taneyev was selected in the S41 VHLM Dispersal Draft with the Turku Outlaws picking him up in the third round (22nd overall). When it came to the actual S41 VHL Entry Draft, Vassell and Taneyev were prepared for let down and neither attended the draft. However, despite Taneyev's obvious lack of success in the VHLM, the Stockholm Vikings decided to take a chance on the young Russian by selecting him in the third round with the 27th overall pick. Taneyev found out while flying home to Russia for the off season. 

Given a slim chance to one day don the jersey of a VHL team, Taneyev worked like a bastard throughout the off season though many scouts said they saw no improvement when he showed up in Turku for training camp. Valentin came down with the flu at the outset of camp and was forced to forgo most of it. Starting things off on the wrong foot, Taneyev's tenure in Turku was short-lived before he was traded to the Brampton Blades to finish off the season. After 52 games (54 P, 23G, 30A) as an Outlaw, Taneyev was packing his shit for a long ride to the North American Conference. The deal that sent Taneyev to the Blades is outlined as follows:

Brampton Acquires:
LW - Valentin Taneyev
LW - Matej Nemeck

Turku Acquires:
C- Hunter Backenbauer
LW - Da Brickshaw O'Neal Jr

Turku general manager Niklaus Mikaelson released a brief statement via his twitter account following the trade, stating that he "Needed a 2nd line center and this should help us out a lot."

Taneyev continued his point per game pace as a Blade, notching 19 in the remaining 20 games of the season to finish with 73 points (36G, 37A) in 72 games. Nothing to write home about but still a major improvement over his previous season. For the second time in as many years the young Russian found himself heading for the VHLM playoffs with the Blades finished third in the North American Conference. The Blades' hopes turned out to be nothing but pipe dreams as they were swept in the first round by Saskatoon. Taneyev registered no points in the losing effort - a fine way to cap off his second VHLM season.

Taneyev is hoping to stay with the Blades next season where he feels he can help a good team push for the playoffs once again. "I like the atmosphere and the system in Brampton, it's more like what I'm used to. Even if I have to spend two more seasons in the VHLM I'm still striving for my goal of playing in the VHL. Living up to the gigantic shadow of my famous father is and has always been an unreal expectation as far as I'm concerned."

"He doesn't look like a fish out of water with this team but isn't really making anything happen either. Adjusting to the North American style game can take some time for a lot of European players so I expect Valentin to pick things up next season and get back on track. His career hinges in the balance," explains Taneyev's agent Tyler Vassell.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Cowboy

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Overview: 5/5 - Great work. Lengthy article at almost 1500 words. Interesting upbringing for Taneyev.

 

Grammar: 3/3 - Nothing for me to whine about here. Just a few little things.

 

"off season" - should be off-season. Seen multiple times in this write-up.

"With only a handful of the team returning from the previous season Valentin was given" - With only a handful of teams returning from the previous season, Valentin was given...

"post season" - post-season

"releasing a statement via twitter" - Twitter should be capitalized.

"point per game" - point-per-game

 

Presentation: 1/1 - Everything looks good here. Maybe next time put the pictures in the middle of the article rather than the left side.

 

Over 1000 Words? 1/1

 

Overall: 10/10

 

 

 

Good luck with the career!

[Frank 5,209]

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