Helsinki Titans

[Will 4,660]

 

The Helsinki Titans are a storied franchise existing from the very roots of the Victory Hockey League. Being in the league for 42 seasons, there is, naturally, a definition surrounding the Helsinki organization. The special thing about defining aspects of Helsinki compared to other teams is that the definition is not formed by a lot of winning or a lot of losing. Helsinki has long been defined by the characters and the attitudes of the players who bear the Titan jersey's. For that reason, the 'defining season' we chose was Season 33. 
 
In Season 33, the Helsinki Titans finished the regular season with a record of 61-6-5. That season still stands today as the best regular season record in modern VHL history, and since Season 5. However, the reason this is defining for the franchise goes beyond a few numbers written in a record book. It also goes beyond what happened in the post-season, as Helsinki went on to suffer a disappointing playoff loss to the Riga Reign. In order to understand why this is a defining season for Helsinki, you must first understand the types of players and members who were associated with the team that season. So, I give you your Season 33 Helsinki Titans.

 

 
The Roster: Season 33 Helsinki Titans
 

Ethan Osborne. This is a name that was almost synonymous with 'Helsinki Titans' throughout his career with the franchise, which lasted from the time he was drafted in Season 30 to the time he was traded at the end of Season 35. Osborne was not only a long-time player, but also a long-time captain for Helsinki - serving for the entirety of his tenure with the organization.
 
Not only was Osborne a gifted leader, but he was also an extremely gifted player. A centreman, Osborne consistently broke the 100 point mark. In Season 33, Ethan record exactly 100 points - 39 goals, 61 assists. This was good enough for fourth on the Titans roster, just slightly behind all of Jive, Qin, and Hodgson. Ethan continued playing as a loyal Titan, winning a cup in 34, up until he was traded to Seattle at the conclusion of Season 35. Since then, Osborne's jersey has been retired and has since been hanging in the rafters of the Hartwall Arena, where it will be an indefinite reminder of the greatest leader to ever bear the teal jersey. 
 

Brody Hodgson had an incredible season for the Helsinki Titans in S33, leading the team in points with 111, putting up 40 goals and 71 assists and had 29 powerplay points. His 40 goals were good enough for 3rd on the team and his 71 assists were obviously #1. Hodgson was a force every time he stepped on the ice for the Titans, not only in season 33, but throughout his long career in Helsinki. Hodgson currently ranks 3rd all-time in points for the Titans with 600 points in 504 games. He also is the leader among games played for the Titans with that 504 mark. Hodgson truly is a Helsinki legend.
 
Hodgson was instrumental in the Titan's record setting S33 season. He was a leader both on and off the ice. His point production and contributions on the score sheet were obvious, but he also brought tremendous leadership and displayed and incredible work ethic. He was a motivating factor in everyone working hard to make the S33 Titans the greatest team of all time. Hodgson may not have been able to will the Titans to a championship that season, but he did his part in the playoffs, again leading the team in scoring with 9 points in 7 games. Hodgson is a legend in Helsinki and his greatness is captured and commemorated in dozens of pictures around Hartwall Arena. One of the greatest Titans of all-time, his dominance in season 33 will not soon be forgotten.

 

Yuri Grigorenko was expected to be the franchise player for the Titans right out of the gate at the S30 Draft. GM Higgins decided to go another route which landed Ethan Osborne, an off the board pick, to lead this generation in Helsinki. Grigorenko joined a powerhouse dynasty in Calgary where he quickly won his first Continental Cup, however, he would eventually find his way to Helsinki anyways in S32 via Free Agency. Grigerenko would join Osborne and Ying Qin on the top line for the Titans. It was rumoured that Grigorenko and Osborne had a rivalry going into the S30 Draft, but that rumour was quickly squashed when Yuri elected to join Osborne and the Titans in this historic run.
 
Grigorenko decided to only stay in Helsinki for a single season, missing out on their cup run the following year. The work he did with Osborne and Qin was not the flashy numbers he would eventually put up with Quebec City, but they were respectable nonetheless. Grigorenko was over a point per game, with 100 hits and 6 GWG. Osborne benefitted from the chemistry built with Grigorenko as the year’s following this season would help evolve him into an elite scorer. Grigorenko’s departure would also force the hand of Mitch Higgins to make decisions to fill that gap - decisions that proved to make him go down as one of the best Titans GM’s of all time as he moved Riopel to Forward, and connected Osborne and Zhumbayev together.

 

Ying Qin came to the Helsinki Titans via free agency during the Season 32 off-season and suited up in Titan silks for the first time in Season 33. Qin was a seasoned veteran, nearing then of his VHL career at this point and slotted in nicely on the left side of the top line with Ethan Osborne and Yuri Grigorenko and "Qinner" didn't disappoint. He finished the season, scoring 47 goals and 58 assists, totaling 105 points, ranking him second among Titans and ninth among the entire VHL in point scoring. He also finished with a plus-63 rating, 34 penalty minutes, and 91 hits. He blocked 30 shots with 24 powerplay points, a shorthanded goal, and an astounding 13 game-winning goals (tied for the league lead). In a seven game playoff series loss to the Riga Reign, Ying Qin posted two goals and five assists, totaling seven points with a plus-three rating and seven penalty minutes. Qin added four hits and five blocked shots with just one powerplay point, but overall, he had a solid playoff performance. 
 
He finished his career out with the Titans in Season 34 with a Continental Cup victory and ranks 37th in Helsinki all-time point scoring with 208 points 144 games played. Ying Qin never won any individual awards with the Titans, but he will always be remembered for what he did for the Helsinki Titans organization, on and off the ice.

 

Anatoli Zhumbayev came to the Helsinki Titans via the third overall pick in the Season 32 VHL Entry Draft. He jumped right into the VHL in Season 32 and "AZ" struggled mightily, putting just 14 points on the scoresheet, causing the critics to believe that he was not ready for the big show yet. That all changed in Season 33 when Zhumbayev bounced back with a vengeance. His numbers rocketed up from Season 32 to Season 33 as he really started to find his stride on a line with Brody Hodgson and Smooth Jive. AZ potted 27 goals and 49 assists, totaling 76 points in the 72 game schedule with a plus-61 rating (a career-high for Zhumbayev). He added 28 penalty minutes, with 81 hits and 14 blocked shots, averaging nearly 27 minutes of ice time per game. 19 of Anatoli's points were scored on the powerplay and he potted six game-winning goals and tied the game on two occasions. 
 
The Titans were upset in 7 games by the Riga Reign during the European Conference Final of the Season 33 VHL Playoffs, but AZ had a solid series, posting four goals and three assists, totaling seven points, with a minus-three rating and two penalty minutes. He added four hits and two shots blocks in 29 and a half minutes of ice time per night. Four of his points were scored on the powerplay and he scored one of the Titans three game-winning goals. At the end of the season, Zhumbayev was rewarded with the Dustin Funk Trophy as the VHL's most improved player. He left the Titans with 399 points in 360 games, 14th on Helsinki's all-time point leaders and tied for second in game-winning goals with 40.

 

Smooth Jive joined the Titans franchise in Season 30 via the S30 VHL Entry Draft. Jive, a winger, was drafted by Helsinki at 7th Overall, with pick that they acquired from Davos back in Season 29. He spent Season 30 playing in the VHLM with the Syracuse Wolfpack and Kolari Panthers, but moved up to the Titans roster in Season 31 alongside fellow Season 30 draftee Ethan Osborne. This signalled the true beginning of a legendary Helsinki offense. 
 
Jive was both a gifted sniper and a methodical playmaker. In Season 33, he put up impressive numbers, leading the league in right-winger scoring and finishing fourth overall in goals scored. He finished the season with 51 goals and 53 assists for a total of 104 points, which placed him third on the Titans roster - behind only Brody Hodgson and Ying Qin. Season 33, unfortunately, ended up being Jive's final season with Helsinki, as he was traded to the Toronto Legion the following off-season. Despite missing the cup run in Season 34, Jive will be forever remembered as a great Helsinki forward and for the contributions he made during Season 33 that led the Titans to the best all-time regular season record. 

 

Nic Riopel joined the Titans in S32, in what seemed like the first real sign that the Titans were ready to take the next step. Before Riopel, the Titans relied on Theseus Athera and Johannes Hwoarathmund to take on the load on the back end. Riopel took on the role as mentor to the young kids in S32 and in S33 that leadership role grew even further. The Titans added top pick Till Lindemann and the late-bloomer Dmitry Baurzhan to the defense core.
 
Riopel led all Titans defensemen in S33 with 86 points in the 72 games played. The veteran was a smooth skater who relied on his puck sense, while the two youngsters that joined him on the blue-line were a dominant hitting force combining for 483 hits to Riopel’s 44. From many accounts Riopel will go down as one of the most important piece of the Titans S30-S36 generation. He helped develop the young players, and in the S34 cup run was an integral leader on the team both on and off the ice.

 

Dmitry Baurzhan was a defensive workhorse for the Titans. Drafted by Helsinki in the S29 VHL Entry Draft, Baurzhan was a career Titan - playing with the franchise straight through to S36 when he retired. Although he contributed less in terms of points than others on the roster, Baurzhan was a defender that the team could count on. Through his hitting, his shot blocking, and his superb passing, Dmitry was a force to be reckoned with on the Helsinki blue-line.
 
In Season 33, he recorded 7 goals and 33 assists for a total of 40 points. While this was low, he also tallied nearly 250 hits and 90 shotblocks, pretty good defensive numbers. Regardless of the numbers on the scoresheet, Baurzhan's drive and loyalty are things that can't be recorded as a number - and it's those things, not his statistics, that make him great.

 

Till Lindemann, drafted in Season 31 by Helsinki, was, in short, a middle of the road defender that counted on. As part of the Season 33 defensive roster, Lindemann produced 6 goals and 26 assists for a total of 32 points, along with 237 hits and 116 shots blocked. These numbers aren't hugely impressive by any means, but Lindemann was a loyal player that never gave up.
 
Lindemann went on to play with the Titans cup-winning team in Season 34, but was afterwards traded to the Vasteras Iron Eagles. Loyalty and selflessness are invaluable, and Lindemann possessed both.

 

Tuomas Tukio was drafted to Helsinki back in S31 and would go on to become the winningest goalie in franchise history as well as be inducted into the hall of fame. Playing 6 full season for the Titans, Tukio registered an astounding 266 wins in 406 appearances in the Helsinki crease. One of his most impressive runs was when he helped Helsinki set the mark for best regular season record of all time at 61-6-5 in Season 33. It is that season that we want to focus on in this piece as Tukio was flat out dominant in S33. He started 64 games and registered a jaw dropping 53 wins, which was good for most wins in the league. He finished with an impressive 1.73GAA and a .927SV% that year. He was a clutch performer night in and night out and even registered 9 shutouts, proving his ability to steal games. Just entering his prime, Season 33 was a sign of things to come. Tukio played decent in the S33 playoffs with 2.81GAA and a .881SV%, but Helsinki lost in 7 games in the 2^nd round that season and missed out on their cup dreams. 
 
Some questioned Tukio’s playoff ability after S33, but he put those concerns to rest with his S34 post season performance when he led Helsinki to the cup. Season 33 was truly a remarkable season for Tukio and his 53 wins still stand as one of the most by a goaltender in league history.
 
A Word From the General Manager:

 

"As the Helsinki Titans manager during Season 33, I can without a doubt say that it was the pinnacle of my managing career. Our team was insanely active, every player on the team seemed to be involved in the locker room and it was an exciting time to be a Titan as we only lost 6 games in regulation all season long. It was an incredible run. When the season started, I knew we had one of the best rosters, but never could I have imagined finishing with the best regular season record since Season 5. The engine that powered the Helsinki Titans machine was made of home grown talent, that I personally drafted, which made our team even closer. Hodgson, Osborne, Jive, Zhumbayev, Tukio, Baurzhan, and Lindemann were all original Titans and it created a sense a pride for me as the manager to have built successfully through the draft. We were lucky to benefit from two veteran free agent signings with Grigorenko and Qin, as well as one of my favourite hardball trades that brought in Nic Riopel."
 
"After such an insane regular season run, the pressure was definitely on the Titans during the playoffs, and unfortunately the team couldn't cap off such an extraordinary season with a Continental Cup. After the dust had settled from the playoffs and after winning a cup in Season 34, as I looked back at Season 33 I realized just how crazy our run was. When looking at the overall Helsinki Titans history, I think Season 33 represents the franchise very well. Helsinki has a very successful past and is one of the top teams in VHL history, but has had a difficult time finishing in the playoffs. If you were to rank teams based on cups alone, Helsinki isn't at the top, but ranking a team on overall competitiveness, Helsinki is at the top."
 
Conclusion:
How good were the Season 33 Helsinki Titans?
 
In the regular season the team led the league in goals (268), fewest goals against (126), and points (127).  This Victory Cup dominating performance was 14 points ahead of their closest competition, New York, with 113 in the North American Conference. Their closest European counterpart, the Riga Reign, had just 89 points. Nearly forty fewer.
 
The most amazing thing about their success that season was that you won’t find one player on their roster that absolutely stole the spotlight. This was a complete team in the truest sense of the meaning, from top to bottom.  Smooth Jive with 51 goals and Ying Quin with 47 were top ten but nowhere near the 68 put up by Jarvis Baldwin of Calgary. Brody Hodgson and Nic Riopel also cracked the top 10 in assists (71 and 67 respectfully) but were also a significant drop below Clark Marcellin of Calgary with 88. Tumoas Tukio had a tremendous season in net as well but finished second or third in most categories.
 
What makes this the iconic season in Titan history?
 
Sure they didn’t win the cup but we saw throughout the season one of this franchises core philosophies; teamwork.  Throughout the Titan’s illustrious history there have been players of great character and selflessness.  Putting forth what is right for the team above all else.  In our 43 season history this regular season performance still ranks as one of the greatest ever.  They came together to a 61-6-5 record that will never be forgotten by VHL fans. As mentioned in a recent mag article written by Victor, Helsinki is neither a great nor a terrible franchise. Their history isn't defined as a lot of wins, nor a lot of losses. It's defined by the selflessness and the loyalty that comes from the players who proudly wear teal. Nothing exemplified this definition better than the Season 33 roster and management. Long live the Titans.

[Will 4,660]

video deserves an emmy imo

[Victor 10,940]

Helsinki Hipsters: Continental Cups are overrated

tho "Helsinki Titans finished the regular season with a record of 61-6-5. That season still stands today as the best all-time regular season record ever achieved in the VHL."

[Kesler 1,514]

Oh theirs where all of STZs work went.

[fever95 333]

Oh theirs where all of STZs work went.

there's*

[STZ 5,360]

Oh theirs where all of STZs work went.

Should have made the trade sooner lolz

[Kesler 1,514]

there's*

ha you know what john... shut up.

[Advantage 2,891]

Victor mentioned it but.."In Season 33, the Helsinki Titans finished the regular season with a record of 61-6-5. That season still stands today as the best all-time regular season record ever achieved in the VHL."

 

Yeah..not quite.  Check S1 Calgary out lol.

[Higgins 3,618]

Yes a small error... It's the best since S5, we know, it's stated many times in the project.

[Victor 10,940]

I love the sig style btw.

[Harumpf 313]

:hel:

[Phil 5,119]

This had everything - visual, graphics, and comprehensive bios and articles.

 

Okay, not quite everything - you needed my intro done for the Titans instead of the Bears.  

 

Really nice. Did Beketov do the video? We don't see many videos so that was neat. Such a shame Davos couldn't beat you guys that year - Smalling and I had 260 points between us but it just wasn't enough. As you said it was the fact that everyone on the help was helping out and that was a big reason why you experienced so much success that season. I can only imagine the atmosphere and activity level in the lockerroom. 

 

The graphical work was very nice too. I loved Higgins' quote - it was touching. 

 

Fantastic work gents

 

 

 

Well that's it! I've read all of these PTs - which do I think is the best? I'm not telling yet. I think the work put into all of these were astronomical and the sheer high-quality end-products we've managed to put out is a strong signal of why we have been running for over 42 seasons and 7 really years. A big big thank you to everyone who contributed

[Molholt 2,185]

VO didn't sound too excited about the lineup! 

 

HEL G!

[Higgins 3,618]

Helsinki the only team to choose a defining season where the team didn't win a cup #GUTTY

[Molholt 2,185]

Aren't they also the team who chose their current roster as their all time roster?

 

#NeverUnderstandsTheProject

[Victor 10,940]

Higgins should be Phil's colour commentator.

[Munk 1,298]

ha you know what john... shut up.

John* 

[fever95 333]

Aren't they also the team who chose their current roster as their all time roster?

#NeverUnderstandsTheProject

all of the players in here are retired so that's impossible

[rory 1,916]

Yuri Grigorenko

[Zetterberg 863]

@N0HBDY stupid ass question