Calgary Wranglers

[Will 4,660]

 

In Season 18, firesales by Seattle and Toronto led to a major league shakeup in which the Madrid Thunder and New York Americans were seen as the favorites to win the Continental Cup. Lost in all the commotion from the major trades was the Calgary Wranglers, who few saw as legitimate cup contenders, especially after goaltender Demetrjusz Dudek announced he would retire after just three seasons in the league. The Season 18 Calgary Wranglers was overlooked by the entire league, and it came as a major shock when they defeated the Madrid Thunder to win the Continental Cup. In retrospect, Calgary's cup victory shouldn't be as big of a surprise, as the team was led by three eventual hall of fame players. Because of the Wranglers' surprising cup victory combined with the trio of future hall of famers, we have decided to write about the Season 18 Calgary Wranglers. 

 

Calgary Wranglers Season 18 Roster and Statistics

 

C - Mikka Virkkunen

Birthplace: Turku, Finland
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 193 lbs
Jersey Number: 17
Drafted: S14 CGY (via GM rule)
Username: Matt

 

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 65 G - 82 A - 147 P | +65 | 527 SHT | 15 GWG | 56 PIM | 53 HIT | 21 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 7 G - 9 A - 16 P | -2 | 69 SHT | 2 GWG | 2 PIM | 10 HIT | 3 SB

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LW – Jardy Bunclewirth

Birthplace: Canada
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 193 lbs
Jersey Number: 10
Drafted: S16 (18th overall) CGY
Username: JardyB10

 

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 54 G - 78 A - 132 P | +60 | 429 SHT | 6 GWG | 34 PIM | 46 HIT | 21 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 3 G - 11 A - 14 P | +7 | 52 SHT | 1 GWG | 2 PIM | 9 HIT | 3 SB

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D – Alexander Sauve

Birthplace: Turku, Finland
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 225 lbs
Jersey Number: 89
Drafted: S13 (1st overall) CGY
Username: AD81

 

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 38 G - 92 A - 130 P | +62 | 350 SHT | 6 GWG | 108 PIM | 134 HIT | 110 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 4 G - 16 A - 20 P | +1 | 46 SHT | 1 GWG | 40 PIM | 29 HIT | 0 SB

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LW – J.D. Stormwall

Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 210 lbs
Jersey Number: 13
Drafted: S14 (5th overall) CGY
Username: Zero

 

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 61 G - 63 A - 124 P | +57 | 524 SHT | 8 GWG | 260 PIM | 314 HIT | 44 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 9 G - 7 A - 16 P | +4 | 83 SHT | 3 GWG | 48 PIM | 56 HIT | 12 SB

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C – Lars Berger

Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 210 lbs
Jersey Number: 13
Drafted: S17 NYA (via GM rule)
Username: alfie forever/Victor

 

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 41 G - 70 A - 111 P | +56 | 323 SHT | 3 GWG | 142 PIM | 212 HIT | 13 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 6 G - 7 A - 13 P | +2 | 45 SHT | 1 GWG | 25 PIM | 33 HIT | 2 SB

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LW – Matthew Gunnarsson

Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 213 lbs
Jersey Number: 19
Drafted: S17 (4th overall) CGY
Username: Gunnarsson

 

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 30 G - 56 A - 86 P | +62 | 298 SHT | 2 GWG | 98 PIM | 80 HIT | 6 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 5 G - 7 A - 12 P | +1 | 53 SHT | 0 GWG | 8 PIM | 7 HIT | 4 SB

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LW – Juha Ikonen

Birthplace: Finland
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 206 lbs
Jersey Number: 18
Drafted: S13 (2nd overall) TOR
Username: Blitz

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 31 G - 47 A - 78 P | +64 | 269 SHT | 2 GWG | 63 PIM | 58 HIT | 10 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 3 G - 6 A - 9 P | +1 | 46 SHT | 0 GWG | 8 PIM | 7 HIT | 1 SB

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D – Hiro Renomitsu

Birthplace: China (despite the clearly Japanese name)
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 220 lbs
Jersey Number: 22
Drafted: S16 (7th overall) NYA
Username: Renomitsu

 

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 3 G - 50 A - 53 P | +54 | 99 SHT | 0 GWG | 189 PIM | 220 HIT | 166 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 1 G - 6 A - 7 P | +6 | 11 SHT | 0 GWG | 44 PIM | 41 HIT | 42 SB

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D – Bryton Guerequeta

Birthplace: Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 203 lbs
Jersey Number: 3
Drafted: S17 (11th overall) CGY
Username: teh pwnerer

 

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 13 G - 31 A - 44 P | +71 | 116 SHT | 1 GWG | 64 PIM | 45 HIT | 101 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -1 | 12 SHT | 0 GWG | 8 PIM | 16 HIT | 25 SB

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D – Greg Eagleowski

Birthplace: Wroclaw, Poland
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 200 lbs
Jersey Number: 23
Drafted: S12 (5th overall) CGY
Username: Greg_Di

 

 

S18 Statistics

Regular Season:
S18 (CGY) – 72 GP | 6 G - 28 A - 34 P | +50 | 56 SHT | 1 GWG | 10 PIM | 10 HIT | 69 SB
Playoffs:
S18 (CGY) – 13 GP | 3 G - 3 A - 6 P | +1 | 7 SHT | 0 GWG | 2 PIM | 4 HIT | 11 SB

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Player Articles

 

Interview with Jardy Buncleworth

 

What were your pre-season expectations for Season 18?

 

As a team, our expectations were increasing fairly rapidly. The Wranglers were pretty much in a perpetual rebuild, and Season 18 was the first time we knew we were making playoffs for quite some time. In addition, there were franchise players supposed to be entering free agency that season. Emerson Hrynyk out of Seattle was on track to be one of, if not the greatest defenceman of all time, and his close friend Kaiser Straf's time was done with Riga as well. Ryley Dawson, another elite defenceman, also could have left Madrid that season, though this was less likely considering the Thunder were favourites. We figured that if we could pick up even one of these guys, it would instantly make us Cup favourites.

 

Then, of course, the great purge of Season 18 happened. Hrynyk and Straf suddenly quit, and Dudek was right behind them. At that point, we were just happy to still have a goalie for the season, and our focus for success shifted just slightly toward the future.

 

We still felt our roster was about on par with, if not slightly better than New York's, but having an entry level goaltender who quit showing up to practice was bound to set us behind some. Although it might have just sparked that extra motivation that we needed.

 

At what point during the season do you feel that the team's "focus" once again shifted?

 

Not very long. Within the first couple weeks of the season to be sure. We just would not lose. I feel like we thought we COULD not lose. With Dudek refusing to train, we played and scored like as though we had no goalie at all. The thing is, Dudek was playing quite well himself. If one line ever had an off game, our other line would pick up the slack and more. And when both lines were firing on all cylinders, which happened fairly often, we were the best team in the league. Our critics said our backend was too patchwork and common to stand against any sort of offensive talent in the league, but with Soup leading the defensive core, they achieved as much as any elite defensive group could hope to. By the end of the season, we had the third fewest goals against in the league. By the time playoffs started, I personally felt we were the new favourites to win it all, and I don't think I was alone in that opinion.

 

What do you believe caused this offensive spark?

 

Well as I sort of mentioned before, I feel like the combination of having a truly competitive Wranglers team for the first time in years and the controversy surrounding Dudek and his impending retirement gave us a boost of motivation that other teams simply could not relate to. The rest of it I feel was good coaching. I recall that Gunnarsson was originally slated to be on the second line with myself and Juha Ikonen. Gunnarsson was just off a Stolzschweiger winning performance, so he wasn't particularly happy about this. Admittedly, I wasn't particularly happy about having to play center either, but I understood the need for it. Anyway, either Bentz cracked or he wanted to shake things up, but eventually captain Stormballs was swapped from the first line to play with Iko and I. After that, everything just clicked. Stormy and I were offensively balanced physical players, so we complemented each other well, and Ikonen was a competent scorer himself. On the first line, we had Berger centering two of the best offensive talents in the league at that point, and they simply overwhelmed the other team most games. And of course we had Soup quarterbacking every play, and Hiro Renomitsu was a fucking bulwark. It just worked. Collectively, we were just too much to handle. After retiring and becoming coach and GM and whatnot, I tried to build my teams to duplicate this club, but I don't think I was ever able to do so properly. Lightning struck that season, and I don't think it could strike in the same place again.

 

What did winning the Continental Cup in Season 18 mean for you, and for the team as a whole?

 

I can't really put it into words. There's plenty of players who get the opportunity to win a Continental Cup, but to do so that season, with that group of guys was really special. For me personally, I was able to accomplish several life goals in just one season. It was my first year in the league, and I was able to have an unbelievable rookie season because I had the opportunity to play with an unbelievable group of guys. I won the Stolzy and a Continental Cup in the same season, and I was part of a group who was able to bring that trophy back to a city that was too long without it. The Wranglers are the league's most storied franchise, so it hurts the whole league when the team is as sorry as a state as it was before that season. To be part of a string of good fortune for a team that just went through so many seasons of bad fortune was an incredible experience and honour. Looking at the franchise's elite origins, I feel as though Season 18 really brought the franchise full circle.

 

Interview with Lars Berger

 

What were your pre-season expectations for Season 18?

Well we were definitely not favourites, that's for sure. We were lucky to still have a VHL calibre goaltender by that point but he was no Zach Voss or Alex Young and they were going to improve during the season; Dudek wasn't. I remember clearly when we traded for Soup [Alexander Sauve], at least one New York American said how it was "cute" that we trying to compete. That sums it up really, we had a mediocre goaltender and a rebuilding, if not VHLM, level team's defence to protect him. I would say we had underdog expectations but you don't expect to have or be an underdog: so really, we just wanted to make the playoffs and give New York a scare.

When did the feeling in the locker room start to change?

It's hard to say. The team was always close and optimistic and we were all building for Season 19 when we expected to get a good goalie, so there was no air of futility lingering or anything like that. We just wanted to win as much as possible, and it was pretty obvious to everyone that the only way to do that would be to score more than our opponents.

I mean, we looked pretty good on paper offensively. You had Mikka Virkkunen, not even on the verge of a break-through, he was already well and truly one of the league's best players and most of his competition from Season 17 had retired too! Having him of course helped Gunny [Matthew Gunnarsson] and I in our rookie seasons, which were, all bias aside, some of the best rookie seasons the VHL had seen up to then. Taking that chemistry and experience into another season meant the top line would work and it did.

I think what really changed the season was the second line. The captain [J.D. Stormwall] had Scott Boulet Trophy winner written all over him but the question was, would he be helped or hindered by his linemates? Ikonen was a journeyman to use the polite term and out of nowhere turned out a season to match Gunnarsson's. But the real game changer was Jardy [bunclewirth]. He looked a solid prospect, had a nice VHLM stat line but no one expected what happened to happen. Those were Christian Stolzschweiger level numbers, hell, Scotty Campbell had worse seasons, and this from a completely under the radar rookie. You look at all the rookies since, like Rafter and Osborne and Slaughter and O'Malley and yet no one has matched Jardy's numbers. That really raised the belief levels.

So what was the outlook going into the playoffs?

Positive. After that season, it couldn't be anything else really. Everything that could go well went well, Virk, Storm, Jardy all were penciled in for awards, Sauve would have had the Labatte in 95% of seasons and all the role player delivered, from Ikonen to Hiro to Guerequeta. We finished ahead of New York and they just never looked as potent as us. We knew if we beat them we would have the perfect chance to take down Madrid because we had their number for some reason. Madrid had to be the favourites still but if you said Calgary would beat them then and if you said the same thing back in pre-season, the reactions you'd have gotten would be very different.

It was still hard of course. The Americans pushed us to seven and I expected the Thunder to as well. But no one let the team down, even Gouldie [Rhett Gouldhawke] was called up not even VHL ready on paper and suddenly goes and gets 3 points in Game 5, in Madrid, Stormwall ejected, insane pressure, and even assists the OT winner. Then suddenly we're at home in Game 6, overtime, and Mikka wins it. I think I even hugged Dudek at that point, but it was hard to tell, everyone was ecstatic. 

 

Matthew Gunnarson 

 

Matthew Gunnarsson played an important role in the S18 Calgary Wranglers squad. The youngster managed to put up an impressive eighty-six points in the regular season. He managed to score 30 goals and 56 assists. That was big for the kid. He had high potential for the Wranglers but he ended up retiring a couple seasons later and leaving the VHL. But in the Season 18 Playoff Push he managed to rack up 5 goals and 7 assists to help the squad out. In S17 he was one of the top rookies in the league he had so much potential and his time in Calgary was crucial for the team. Gunnarsson was a big part of the Championship Squad playing on the top line with superstars like Lars Berger and Mike Virkkunen. Sure he couldn’t live up to their expectations playing on a line with 2 much better players has to be tough but he made the most of it. He ended up having 4 great seasons in Calgary before retiring and we wish we could have seen him play even more on the team and had to of become one of the other Calgary Wrangler greats. Even if he did retire early in the VHL Gunnarrsson was a main reason for the Season 18 Wranglers to be so successful and we are proud to have him a part of the Wranglers alumni.

 

Demetrjusz Dudek

 

“Fuck Dudek.”

 

For one of the few first overall picks in Calgary franchise history, goaltender Demetrjusz Dudek sure receives his fair share of hatred. Coming from outside observer perspective, it’s tough to see why. Dudek finished that season in the top half of the league in save percentage, goals against average and shutouts—not bad for a player in his second year in the league. Oh, and of course, he helped lead Calgary to that unexpected Season 18 championship with an 8-5 playoff record, defeating fellow goalies Alex Young and (future Wrangler) Zach Voss heads up in competition.

 

So why is Demetrjusz Dudek so hated? Because he was not around to see any of it, and because of the bad blood he engendered on his way out the door.

 

When Calgary named Dudek the first overall selection of the Season 16 draft, they assumed that they were getting the savior of the franchise. They were somewhat right, as third rounder Jardy Bunclewirth would later go on to become the face of the franchise. At the time, though, Dudek was lauded as the next great VHL goalie.

 

“He was a top leader in S16 and S17 as he helped turn a crap team into an active one,” says Victor Alfredsson, an agent for Lars Berger, then a young Calgary center. Alfredsson also notes that Dudek was credited with helping turn around the luck of Calgary GM Matt Bentz, who to that point had been managing the team for six seasons with very little success. With just ten wins in 64 games in Season 17, Dudek may have gotten off to a rough start. However, the entire team had high hopes for Season 18.

 

And then, the bottom fell out.

 

Brett Slobodzian, then a commissioner of the league, left in a huff. To make matters worse, a number of influential members of the league followed him out the door. Dudek himself seemingly held on, but as Alfredsson says, “after the glorious S18 draft (when Calgary had the perfect opportunity to draft a replacement because he was acting iffy already), he retires anyway.” Suddenly, a promising team that included Berger, Bunclewirth, Stormwall and others didn’t have a starting goalie for the upcoming season.

 

This could be where the story ends, if not for some fortuitous help from the commissioner’s office. The leaders of the league, now sans Slobodzian, decided to force Dudek to his contract for an additional season. Especially given the timing of Dudek’s retirement, the decision is a defensible one, as well as one that would not further destroy one of the league’s to-that-point moribund franchises. Still, Dudek would not be improving in the practice arena during that entire team, and for a player that was expected to be a savior, that loss would seem to be insurmountable.

 

“He should have logically put us, alongside a shitty defence, at a serious disadvantage, hence just one person predicted Calgary for the cup before season start,” Alfredsson says. “Overcoming that obstacle was a pretty big deal.”

 

And overcome it Calgary did. As mentioned above, Dudek performed admirably while the offense carried the team. Dudek finished his 64 regular season games with 52 wins, the most for any goalie that year in the VHL. His .911 save percentage finished fourth among goalies who started at least half their team’s games, as did his 2.53 goals against average. His two shutouts, meanwhile, finished third behind Zach Voss and Alex Young, the two goalies he would eventually take down in the playoffs.

 

Given his retirement, Season 18 was Dudek’s last in the VHL, and it’s not a stretch to say that Calgary management, players and fans were more than happy to see him go. The team became even more ecstatic when it was able to acquire Zach Voss as Dudek’s replacement for Season 19, the very goalie that had just gone against them in the Finals. Season 19 may have been stronger at goalie for Calgary, but is nowhere near as memorable. Love Dudek or Fuck Dudek, his Season 18 remains one of the more memorable single seasons for a goalie in VHL history.

 

Bryton Guerequeta

 

Season 18. Bryton Guerequeta, a man of war. A young gun. At 20 years old, Bryton stepped on the ice in game one of Season 18 as a rookie. In the final game, Bryton stepped off the ice a championship winner. Standing 6 foot, 5 inches, he was the big body that Calgary needed to propel them through a long, rough, tough regular season in the VHL. Guerequeta’s game was still far from defined. In fact, one of the few things that he did exceptionally well was play in his own end. He was, at best, an average offensive player. However, Guerequeta’s season was not hindered by the growth he was experiencing in him game. Behind Sauve, he was arguably the most valuable contributor to the Wrangler’s success on the blue line.

Through a long 72 game, 55 win campaign, Guerequeta notched 13 goals and 31 assists and an astounding +71 for the season. If that’s not a model of defensive responsibility, what is? Who played the tough minutes for Calgary over the course of this championship season? Yup, that was Guerequeta. Bryton finished 2nd on the team in minutes played at 1869 behind only Eagleowski. It’s obvious that management and the coaching staff saw the young defenseman as a responsible contributor in the offensive zone and an even more reliable player in his own end.


When Calgary captured the championship in Game 6 against the Madrid Thunder, the story was essentially the same. Guerequeta lead the Wranglers in minutes played over the entire championship run. He was less of a contributor in the offensive zone, but again as solid as they come wrapping up a fairly thin defensive core. Guerequeta averaged slightly under 2 shot blocks per game in a time of the season when every shot on net matters.


While Bryton is not likely one of the first names that sticks out as we examine the Calgary S18 championship roster, he’s undoubtedly one of the integral pieces on the backend that led this franchise to the promise-land. 

 

 

Alexander Sauve

 

Sauve was an integral part of Calgary's success in Season 18, as he stepped up his game big time on the blue line. Outside of Sauve, the Wranglers did not have the greatest defenders. However, Sauve successfully managed to carry the defensive corps on his back, as he netted 38 goals and 96 assists on the season, which are excellent number considering he was not a forward. Along with his offensive firepower, Sauve held down the fort in his own zone, as he netted 134 hits and 110 shots blocked on the season. The offensive-defenseman continued his point streak into the playoffs, as his 4 goals and 16 assists were a big reason why the team was able to win the Continental Cup. Considering the low amount of talent on the blue line outside of Sauve, it can't be understated how big of an impact Sauve had on the team, as he was able to help stop just enough goals for the team's outstanding offense to win the Continental Cup. 

 

 

Mikka Virkkunen

 

Mikka Virkkunen, being the client of GM Matt Bentz, was the longest tenured Calgary Wrangler on the Season 18 team, and by far the most talented. Virkkunen had been a force in the league even as the Wranglers were struggling, but with the team primed to break out, so was the Finnish centerman. He did not disappoint, scoring a league-leading 65 goals and 147 points in the regular season. He also formed a reputation as a clutch player, leading the league with 15 game-winning goals. These lofty statistics earned him both the Scotty Campbell Trophy and Brett Slobodzian Trophy as the league's most valuable player, voted by the league's GMs and members respectively.

 

In playoffs, he did not slow down, scoring seven goals and 16 points in 13 games, matching Stormwall's Howe Trophy winning point totals. His greatest moment in playoffs came in Game 6 in the Continental Cup finals against the Madrid Thunder, when he scored the game- and series-deciding goal in overtime. When Commissioner Sterling Labatte presented Stormwall with the Continental Cup that night, Virkkunen was the first to receive it from his arms. It was a defining moment not just in the careers of the two individuals, but in the entire history of the VHL.

 

Special Feature for JD Stormwall

 

And now for a special feature on the Season 18 captain J.D. Stormwall. As a player agent, Zero had not won a cup since Season 6 and thanks to his contributions on the ice and in the locker room, the team rallied around him, his famous 18-season old avatar, and the catchphrase "Stormwall Gonna Storm" which evolved into "Wranglers Gonna Wrang" and various player version such as "Bunclewirth Gonna Buncle", "Chouinard Gonna Shoe", "Virkkunen Gonna Virk", and "Sauve Gonna Soup".

From left to right...
Top: Matthias Chouinard (MIN), Matthew Gunnarsson, Jardy Bunclewirth, J.D. Stormwall
Bottom: Alexander Sauve, Mikka Virkkunen, Lars Berger, Rhett Gouldhawke
Not available for picture: Roman Andreev (MIN)

 

Hailing from the land of the kookaburras, New Zealander JD Stormwall was never going to have an orthodox VHL career from the first moment he set foot on the ice due to his unusual background. After being drafted fifth overall back in Season 14, the future Hall of Famer struggled in the early parts of his career on the Wranglers. Although some of those struggles can be put on the fact that Stormwall was a developing player with a lack of offensive talent around him, it was still disappointing to see him only put up just 49 points in Season 15 (his first full VHL season), some way behind the offensive output of Marek Schultz, the Rookie of the Year winner for that season. However, during his rookie season he did put up a good amount of hits for a young player, leading people to believe that he could at least become a solid two-way threat once he’d fully developed. After a promising Season 16 that saw Stormwall perform much better on offense whilst also steadily improving defensively, it was Season 17 where Stormwall would truly begin to show the form that saw him inducted into the Hall of Fame. Vastly improving on the offensive aspect of his game, Stormwall broke both the 50 goal and 50 assist barriers for the first time in his career and, thanks to yet another strong defensive season, was strongly considered for the Boulet Award for best Two-Way forward, however Seattle’s Keyvan Klijk narrowly edged him out with a slightly better offensive performance. This was also the third consecutive year that Stormwall had increased his PIM tally and the first time he recorded over 200 penalty minutes, showing that he wasn’t afraid to get stuck into opponents.

 

Despite this strong season though, it was ultimately another season where Stormwall and the Wranglers failed to make the playoffs. A team that had only missed the playoffs three times in their first thirteen seasons of existence, the Wranglers had now failed to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, a streak that the Wranglers captain Stormwall was determined to end. Stormwall’s goal scoring effort was a vital part of the Wranglers early season success as he scored ten goals in his first ten games, putting the Wranglers in a great position early with an 8-2 record. Some highlights over those first ten games included a game-winning penalty shot against North American Conference rivals Seattle, the opening goal in a close 2-1 victory over their closest North American Conference Championship competitors New York  and a terrific hat-trick in a 6-3 win over HC Davos Dynamo. His determination to beat his opponents early on was visible not only in his goal scoring efforts, but also his fighting spirit as he got involved in two fights in the first ten games. However, he briefly found himself in the doghouse with management after getting ejected early in the third period after instigating a fight with Adam Blaine of the New York Americans. With the game tied at 2-2, the Americans took just 20 seconds to take advantage of the extra man and Stormwall’s absence with a goal by Nicholas Evans, a goal that ultimately ended up being the game winner. 

 

After picking up another hat-trick in a terrific 10-1 victory over the rebuilding Toronto Legion (which in turn was also Calgary’s largest goal total and winning margin of the season), Stormwall would score the final goal in a 4-1 win in their first game against the Americans since Stormwall was ejected. However, in the return fixture immediately following that victory and despite picking up a third star for a goal and an assist, Stormwall would again be partly responsible for the loss as he saw his penalty shot saved by Alex Young which ultimately gave the Americans the victory, with Evans once again sealing the game-winning goal. In typical Stormwall fashion, he took the next time they met to get his full revenge, beating the holy hell out of Evans in the third period, his fourth fight in just the first 19 games. Stormwall would have a terrific streak of games from game 21 to game 23 of the season, as he scored a hat-trick against the Helsinki Titans along with two game-winning goals against the best team in the European Conference (Madrid Thunder) and deservedly picked up the 1^st star in all three of those games. Around the halfway point of the season, Stormwall hit a bit of a scoring slump as he struggled to find the net despite having a boatload of shots in some games, in particular a goalless 17 shot performance against the Bears, but at that point he still had an impressive 26 goals in 32 games in addition to a large amount of hits and assists. Arguably Stormwall’s performance of the season came in a very exciting 7-5 victory over the Riga Reign, where he scored four goals and picked up one assist, showcasing his spectacular ability to win a game by himself.

 

At the end of the season, while Stormwall had asserted himself as one of the best scorers and two-way players in the league, there was a lot of concern that he perhaps needed to tone down his physical approach game, as he rounded out the season with a league leading 260 penalty minutes. A lot of these minutes were down to Stormwall’s eagerness to drop his gloves and duke it out with his opponents, as by the end of the season he had accrued an absurd 12 fights in the season (that’s a fight every SIX GAMES!), many of which he got ejected for by instigating the fight. When Stormwall was on the ice though, he was of great benefit to the Wranglers. In the final league statistics, he ranked second in goals with 61, third in forward points with 124 (worth noting that the two players above him were Wranglers teammates Mikka Virkkunen and Jardy Bunclewirth) and second in hits with 314. Unsurprisingly thanks to his terrific performances on both offense and defense, he ended up winning the Scott Boulet Award for Best Two-Way Forward for the first time in his career. However, that’s not what Stormwall came for, he wanted the Continental Cup and he wanted to make up for some underwhelming performances against the Americans in the regular season by knocking them out of the tournament.

 

While the Wranglers went into the playoff series with homefield advantage having won the American Conference, there were some who felt that the Americans were perhaps the favourite to advance, as the Wranglers had ended the regular season with a rudimentary 5-5 record in their last ten games whereas the Americans had only lost once in their last thirteen games, a run that included two wins over the Wranglers. A great early start in front of their home support was key for the Wranglers and it was Stormwall who would propel them to a win in Game One with an incredible hat-trick on their way to a 4-1 victory that saw Stormwall play a part in all four goals, as he also picked up an assist on the day. Stormwall would have a reduced impact in Game Two, in the second period he would fight to a tie with Patrick Bergqvist before setting up a goal for Greg Eagleowski  early in the third period to give the Wranglers a 3-1 lead. While the Americans would inspire themselves to a heroic comeback with two goals in the last two minutes of the game, the Wranglers would go on to win the game in overtime with Virkunnen’s first goal of the playoffs. The Wranglers first game on American ice would be a dreadful one, with the Americans destroying the Wranglers 4-0, a game in which Stormwall had eight shots, but just could not penetrate the guard of Alex Young. After an ineffective offensive performance in his last game, Stormwall went into Game Four with a different plan of action, recording zero shots throughout the game. While this focus on other areas allowed him to set up Eagleoswki for his second goal of the series to tie the game at 3-3, it was not enough to stop the Americans as they ran out 6-4 winners. The most notable play of the game was where Stormwall irritated rival Nicholas Evans to the point where Evans tried to injure Stormwall less than 10 seconds into the third period, which saw the Americans players ejected.

 

With the series tied at 2-2, Stormwall continued to focus more on providing for his teammates, which worked with much more success in Game Five as he set up both Hiro Renomitsu and Bunclewirth with their first goals of the series on the way to a 6-2 victory. A complete non-factor in Game Six, Stormwall failed to record any goals or assists (although he did pick up a goalie sack!) despite leading his team in shots and as a result, the Wranglers would lose 4-2, taking the series to a seventh game. Determined to not let the Americans advance to the finals on Wranglers ice, Stormwall returned to great goal scoring form with a pair of goals in the first period to give the Wranglers a 2-1 lead. While the game was tied at 2-2 heading into the third, it was the first line of offense that would guide the Wranglers on the way to victory, as goals by Alexander Suave and Matthew Gunnarsson saw the team advance to the Continental Cup game with a 4-2 victory.

 

Heading into their game with their opponents Madrid having the home advantage, the Wranglers had their work cut out for them to make sure they broke their Continental Cup drought. While Stormwall was quiet through the first two periods of the game, he came alive in the third period with a goal and an assist to Bunclewirth to lead the team to a 5-3 victory. Stormwall would improve his first game, scoring a goal in each of the first two periods along with assisting Eagleowski once again for the final goal of the game to give the Wranglers another 5-3 victory and a surprising 2-0 lead in the series. However, things got unexpectedly rough once the Wranglers returned to Canada, as they saw the series tie at 2-2 on their home rink after 4-1 and 4-2 losses to the Thunder. In both of those games, Stormwall had failed to record a goal or an assist, but once he returned to Madrid he found the back of the net again with his ninth goal of the playoffs to tie Game Six at 1-1 early in the second period. However, things started to look bad halfway through the third quarter as JD Stormwall found himself ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct with the team 3-1 down. However, a terrific three goal outburst would give the Wranglers a late lead in the game. While star defenseman David Henman would send the game into overtime with a goal in the final two minutes, rookie Jardy Bunclewirth would pick up a pass from Rhett Gouldhawke (a player called up from the VHLM for the playoffs) and put the puck in the net to give the Wranglers a 3-2 lead. With neither side having won at home, many expected the series to reach seven games. Stormwall was asked to play a more defensive role in this game and racked up seven hits, having a significant effect on the Thunder players. With the game in overtime 2-2, the Wranglers would once again win in overtime (the third time of the series) which saw the Wranglers and Stormwall crowned Continental Cup Champions!

 

Stormwall’s terrific playoff series was rightly rewarded with the Howe Trophy as the Playoff MVP as he led the league in goals and hits, whilst also leading all forwards in total points. Stormwall may not have been the most consistent player in the VHL in Season 18, but when the Wranglers looked in trouble, Stormwall would often find a way to put the team on his back and get the victory himself.  

 

[Victor 10,940]

This so much better than Calgary in S40. Which can only mean one thing, all submissions this time have been phenomenal!

[eaglesfan036 4,602]

Thanks to everyone who helped out!

 

Special shoutout to Cuffy for all the sigs and Cowboy who did an unbelievable amount of outstanding work

[Cuffy 346]

Looks great we shud win now

[Phil 5,119]

Well - wow.

 

Very nice work on the creation of the specialized sigs. It's a great touch. The created interviews and reflections with Buncle and Berger were terrific (out of interest did they actually write them, Jardy and alfie? I ask because it half sounds like it could be made up but half sounds like they did totally write them - i mean when Buncle says "captain Stormballs", that's classic Jardy).

 

I am sooooooo glad you added the campaign of 'xy gonna x' I was so on board and rooting for the wranglers solely based on that and because of Zero being a bawse. Nice digging on the invisionfree to find the original avatars too.

 

If I had to guess, I'd say YEAH! did the very detailed, in-depth and entertaining article on Stormwall? Not because its absurdly long (which is a pretty major clue) but because of this:

 

 

 

as by the end of the season he had accrued an absurd 12 fights in the season (that’s a fight every SIX GAMES!)

 

Can you hear the jealousy in his words?

 

Hahah fantastic work Calgary - I would not have picked a different season and admire the hard work y'all put in

 

*edit - okay i gotta take a break and eat before reading and commenting on the rest of these bad boys. 

Edited May 1, 2015 by Phil

[Molholt 2,185]

Holy content Batman.

 

Good work!

[Nike 106]

Good work squad. Happy to have done what I could to help and learn a bit about the franchise along the way.

[Tagger 2,722]

If I had to guess, I'd say YEAH! did the very detailed, in-depth and entertaining article on Stormwall? Not because its absurdly long (which is a pretty major clue) but because of this:

 

 

Can you hear the jealousy in his words?

 

Yep! That jealousy comes from the fact that I thought I had the most recorded fights in one season with eight, and then I do research on this talented motherfucker and he has half as much again over me! 

 

I actually thought the goalie sack mention would give it away more though!

[Victor 10,940]

The created interviews and reflections with Buncle and Berger were terrific (out of interest did they actually write them, Jardy and alfie? I ask because it half sounds like it could be made up but half sounds like they did totally write them - i mean when Buncle says "captain Stormballs", that's classic Jardy).

 

I am sooooooo glad you added the campaign of 'xy gonna x' I was so on board and rooting for the wranglers solely based on that and because of Zero being a bawse. Nice digging on the invisionfree to find the original avatars too.

We did do the interviews indeed.

That avatar image is actually pinned in the Calgary LR. I had made one for S19 too but imageshack has killed it (I was a noob and didn't use tinypic back then). But yeah, I wasn't going to let that go without a mention.

Glad you liked it back in the day, I'm sure some people didn't haha. Arguably the first modern playoff rally that.

[eaglesfan036 4,602]

and yes those were actual vicky and jardy interviews

[JardyB10 4,865]

We did do the interviews indeed.

That avatar image is actually pinned in the Calgary LR. I had made one for S19 too but imageshack has killed it (I was a noob and didn't use tinypic back then). But yeah, I wasn't going to let that go without a mention.

Glad you liked it back in the day, I'm sure some people didn't haha. Arguably the first modern playoff rally that.

Seattle/Slobo's Rally Tits definitely predated it.

[Victor 10,940]

Seattle/Slobo's Rally Tits definitely predated it.

aye but this had a meaningful (well..) team message!

[Phil 5,119]

aye but this had a meaningful (well..) team message!

 

Soup and Storm are two completely different things though...

Different sized tits are still tits - and that's what really gets everyone's attention

[Phil 5,119]

Dug up this gem - sing along

 

 

 

The Wranglers song – Until the End

Dedicated to Percy Jackson – I miss you man

 

 

So horrid -  distorted,

They’re done - it’s been reported

 Alone they skate the wrong way

(there they’ll stay)

It’s over, why sober?

They pluck the dead last clover

They play to lose another game

...until luck brings them fame.

 

 

Why give up? Why give in?

It’s not enough. It never is.

So they will go on until the end.

They’ve become second worst

It’s not they suck, it just a curse,

So they will go on until the ENNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDD!

 

 

Zanetti’s, a fogy, 

Chouinard’s a bust and bogie

Ahmed is still just a wee kid

(Soooo he hid)

From Jardy, and Grienke

Those two are way too kinky!

He knew his life would come to end,

If Roman yelled “BITCH BEND!”

 

 

Why give up? Why give in?

It’s not enough. It never is.

So they will go on until the end.

They’ve become, desperate.

It’s not enough. It never is. 

So they will go on until the end.

 

 

They’ve lost their way.

They’re lost their way

But they will go on until the end.

 

 

Winning is, hard enough, without Matt fuck-ing UPPPPPPPPP

 

 

Why give up? Why give in?

It’s not enough. It never is.

So they will go on until the end.

They’ve become, desperate.

It’s not enough. Says Cederland

And who the fuck is  K. Robertson?

 

 

They’ve lost their way.

They’re lost their way

But they will go on until the end.

 

 

 The final fight Steen wins

The final fight Steen wins

The final fight Steen wins

But they will go on until the end.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Phil

[Molholt 2,185]

Glad you had time for quotes for this jardy you bastard.

[Victor 10,940]

Glad you had time for quotes for this jardy you bastard.

sorry, Season 28 is no match to Season 18

[BOOM 8,745]

Good one guys, quality contributions all-round.