CowboyinAmerica 2,840 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 The VHL's Longest Current Title Droughts With an incredible playoff run, the Cologne Express franchise recently won its first championship, beating the Quebec City Meute in five games. Both pre-Season 31 expansion teams now have a championship trophy in each franchise’s first dozen years, which seems like a notable accomplishment. However, improbably, the Express actually held the European Conference’s second-longest championship drought entering the playoffs, and the fourth-longest among all VHL teams. Championship droughts are a common topic of conversation in sports—just ask Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Knicks, or Chicago Cubs fans. But which VHL fan bases have been waiting the longest for another title? I decided to take a look. 3. Calgary Wranglers Last championship: Season 30 Total championships: 7 Playoff appearances since last championship: 8 Finals appearances since last championship: 1 The season before Quebec and Cologne entered the VHL, the Calgary Wranglers seemed to be on the verge of something big. Having made the playoffs for only the second time in the past seven seasons, Calgary rode a number of stars just entering their primes, including Alexander Chershenko, Clark Marcellin, Volodymyr Rybak, and Ryan Sullivan. Each of those players were in the first three years of their careers, and after sweeping Davos and beating Seattle in seven games, it seemed that a dynasty was in the making. Well, a playoff dynasty did occur, as Calgary made the playoffs for each of the next five seasons afterward. However, the team just never seemed to be able to overcome the new rising force: the New York Americans. New York beat the Wranglers in the North American Conference finals in each of the next three seasons, taking them down in five, five and seven games, respectively. And even when Calgary broke through in Season 34, in what was really its final chance, a peaking Helsinki squad was waiting from the European Conference. Now, with Calgary in the middle of a rebuild, it will realistically be a few seasons before the team can try and break the streak. 2. Seattle Bears Last championship: Season 28 Total championships: 5 Playoff appearances since last championship: 7 Finals appearances since last championship: 1 All hail the Seattle Six. A little further in its progression than Calgary during its championship run, the Season 28 championship represented a culmination of a strictly-adhered-to rebuilding plan. Felix Peters, Jarvis Baldwin, Mitch Higgins, CAL G, and others (along with the team-hopping Leeroy Jenkins) built upon years of building to take down Calgary in seven games, followed by New York in six games. Jenkins left for New York after the season, but it was assumed that the good times would continue for the next couple of years. Indeed, the Season 29 and 30 Seattle squads were strong, as the team lost in Game 7 of a playoff series in each year (to Davos in Season 29, to Calgary in the Finals in Season 30). However, they simply couldn’t get over that hump, and before Season 31, the Bears decided to rebuild for a mid-30’s dynasty. The rebuild went decent, and players such as James Lefevre, Sebastian Ball and Steven Smyl certainly made their mark. But facing an onslaught of tough goalies, such as the Toronto-led LeBeau squad, Rift-led Quebec squad, and Wahl-led New York squad, Seattle consistently stayed one step behind in North American Conference, and the team simply couldn’t break through to the Finals. 1. Stockholm Vikings Last championship: Season 26 Total championships: 2 Playoff appearances since last championship: 5 Finals appearances since last championship: 0 Even if you just have a cursory idea of VHL history, you probably knew that this one was coming. The Vasteras/Madrid/Stockholm franchise won the first ever VHL championship, and then it proceeded to win exactly one in the league’s next 41 seasons. That championship win came in Season 26, and in retrospect, it remains one of the oddest blips in VHL history. Madrid/Vasteras only made the playoffs an outrageous three times in 18 seasons between Season 19 and Season 36, with back-to-back trips in Season 25 and 26, and a one season stay in Season 32. And out of those, in only Season 26 did Vasteras have the best record in their conference. With a mix of younger (Tukka Reikkinen, Phil Gerrard) and older (Lasse Milo, James Bencharski, RJ Stafford) players, it all came together for Vasteras in steamrolling both Helsinki and New York in five games in dominating fashion. Since then, however, the team hasn’t even really come close. Seasons 37 through 39 brought three straight Vasteras playoff appearances – the first time the franchise accomplished that feat through Seasons 1 through 4! However, they ran into a Davos team that won four straight European Conference championships during the same time. Maybe they’ll have more success now that the team has moved to Stockholm? With recent trades, it sure seems like the team is certainly going for it all. Victor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boubabi 4,725 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Victor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,830 Posted April 20, 2015 Admin Share Posted April 20, 2015 Pretty ridiculous. When I joined, these three were probably the VHL's most successful franchises. Seattle and Calgary probably remained top two until the Kanou-led Davos dynasty and still, even as recently as S30, probably top 3. How things have changed since expansion. The funny thing about the 3 last Vasteras appearances is that they never actually ran into Davos haha. Each time beaten by Riga who were each time beaten by Davos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyinAmerica 2,840 Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 The funny thing about the 3 last Vasteras appearances is that they never actually ran into Davos haha. Each time beaten by Riga who were each time beaten by Davos. Good points, probably should have thrown that in there. But yeah, I was expecting championships, plural, when I got drafted to Seattle, and especially after we picked up Smyl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,830 Posted April 20, 2015 Admin Share Posted April 20, 2015 Hah. Well you might as well add Davos to the list of fallen giants now, it's their longest playoff drought since S18! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1g-nh9cX94Tv3VIkYVybkryaGM9Ct9BAQlOE595ixtrw/edit#gid=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgins 3,618 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Greg needs to GM Seattle again, it's the only way. Then one by one the Seattle six reassemble and win a championship. Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Grumpy Bear 347 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,830 Posted April 20, 2015 Admin Share Posted April 20, 2015 Greg needs to GM Seattle again, it's the only way. Then one by one the Seattle six reassemble and win a championship.Lol what's Greg's cups-to-seasons ratio? 1 in 12? Needs more Scotty Campbell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgins 3,618 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 No ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoop 3,382 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 James Last championship: N/A Streetlight Last championship: Season 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boubabi 4,725 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 (edited) I will trade you at the deadline, no worry streeter. Your streak will live on Edited April 20, 2015 by boubabi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollarAndADream 3,356 Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Content: 3/3 - Great work, buddy. Some nice looking back at the history of the VHL, and I enjoy it when people write about things like this.Grammar: 2/2 - Nothing to note.Appearance: 1/1 - Grrrrrrreat.Overall: 6/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachReilly 688 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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