nikkurri17 109 Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 (edited) Kurri was dominant at times during Season 44. There is no doubt about Niklas Kurri being one of the most surprising players in the VHL this past season. Many people considered New York's signing of Kurri as simply a move to acquire depth and fill out the teams forward lines. The Americans were viewed as a team going through a rebuild. Nicholas Caprivi was pretty much the only established position player on the roster. Kurri was seen as a veteran, who was brought in to help highly touted rookies such as wingers Edwin Reencarnacion, the #1 overall pick in the most recent VHL Entry draft, two way forward Jorma Ruutu, a fellow Finn, and E'Twaun Delicious, considered by a few people to be the most talented of the bunch. The odds of New York being competitive seemed very slim at best. Whenever the New York Americans are faced with adversity, the club always seems to find a way to respond. Season 44 should definitely be considered a step in the right direction. The Americans battled hard all season long and overtook the Seattle Bears, down the stretch for the final playoff position. Niklas Kurri was a big part of the Americans surprising playoff run. Kurri finished one goal shy of hitting the 50 goal mark, his 49 goals were good enough for 6th overall in the league. Kurri finished with 103 points. More points then he had put up over his entire career previously and the 9th highest total in the league. It's safe to say that nobody expected Kurri to have as good of a season as he did. Kurri put up his strong offensive numbers despite playing the entire season on the Americans second line. Heading into Season 45 of the VHL, there will be a lot of people keeping a close eye on the Finnish center. Was Season 44 the birth of a new superstar in the VHL, or was it just an abnormally good season for Kurri? "Yeah, I'm happy with how I played in the VHL this past season. I'm disappointed that we couldn't win more games in the playoffs, but it was a good achievement for us to win games down the stretch and qualify for the postseason. This season just making the playoffs won't be enough. We want to advance and have a shot at winning a championship. Our young guys will have some experience and be much more prepared when the playoffs come around next season. I was one of the only guys who had VHL experience heading into last season. I've never been one of the veterans on my team before and I really liked playing in that role." Kurri will have to prove that he can play at an elite level consistently. In order to take the next step forward, The New York Americans will need Kurri to do just that. Edited August 24, 2015 by nikkurri17 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/23211-kurri-looking-forward-to-next-seasonfinal-66/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kesler 1,514 Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 NOT EVEN ULTIMATE. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/23211-kurri-looking-forward-to-next-seasonfinal-66/#findComment-260071 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tylar 219 Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Content: 3/3 - Congrats on the great season! Hopefully it won't be a fluke and you will be able to repeat a similar performance next season!Grammar: 2/2 - SolidMore points then he had = More points than he hadAppearance: 1/1 - YupOverall: 6/6 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/23211-kurri-looking-forward-to-next-seasonfinal-66/#findComment-260388 Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.ed69a7260a477fcf4feead7a0e4b7506.png)
Recommended Posts