Claimed:The Son of Odin [Reviewed]

[BOOM 8,745]

 

Full Name: Thor Valhalla Odinsson
Position: Left Wing
Age: 21
Handedness: Left
Jersey Number: 1
Height (inches): 78
Weight (lbs.): 246
Birthplace: Mjolnir, NOR

 

One of the brightest new talents to enter the ranks of the VHLM, the breeding ground for the more highly respected VHL, is Thor Odinsson. Thor is the son of Odin and Fyorgyn Tordahl but showing true dedication to his norse roots, has taken Odinsson as a surname in a show of respect to his famous VHL father. Odin Tordahl was a multiple award winner and was inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame in season 41 and no doubt Thor will be looking to emulate that kind of performance once he reaches the VHL.

Before deciding to join the VHLM, where he was a mid season waiver pickup by the Bern Royals, he had played at the various levels of Norwegian hockey throughout his career, from the Norwegian 4. Division all the way to Storhamar Ishockey of the GET-ligaen.

 

 

CHILDHOOD

 

 

Thor spent considerable time both watching games on television and attending CC Amfi Arena to see his beloved Storhamar team play. His interest in hockey led him to start skating at a young age, as most Scandinavians do, and it wasn't long before he started to show his speed and agility on the ice. This ultimately led to Thor playing organized hockey for the first time and it was quickly apparent that he would be a gifted player. He was quick, agile and had a good mind for hockey. After starring at the Norwegian Junior  level(he scored 79 points in 36 games for the Storhamar Pillagers), he was earmarked as a real player of the future and a variety of club scouts were beginning to take notice of the young winger.

 

CC Amfi Arena, Thors home club.

 

EARLY SUCCESS

 

By the time he had turned 16, he was already playing with the SIK U18 team as an underage player. In 27 games, Odinsson scored 18 Goals and had 14 assists to lead the team in scoring and it wasn't long before he found himself being mentioned in newspapers and on hockey blogs throughout the region. The possibility of playing the game he loved at the professional level, was an incredible realization and Thor was determined to make it to the next level. Time marched on and Thor was selected for the Norwegian U18 squad for his continued level of strong play and his great work ethic. Continuing to play hockey at a high level in Norway, it wasn't long before family friend and former VHL legend Ethan Osborne paid the Tordahl's a visit at their palatial home in the lakeside suburb of Reinsvoll. Osborne, now a scout and recruitment ambassador was keen to see Thor join the ever-increasing ranks of elite young hockey players flocking to the VHL, and his visit paid dividends as Odinsson saw the opportunity to play at the top level and leave Norway to pursue his professional career.

 

Life had been good to the Tordahl's

 

After he had decided to move to North America, Thor was placed onto the VHLM waivers list, where the Bern Royals claimed him in a frenzy of teams vying for his signature. The Royals were a struggling team that needed depth on their forward line and as Odinsson continued to develop, he played in the final 38 games of the season. He scored 17 Goals and had 24 Assists for a 41 point season, a decent one, but well behind the leaders due mainly to their higher amount of games played and practice hours. Bern would go on to lose to the Oslo Storm in 7 games during the first round of playoffs, but Thor's path to the VHL was assured.

 

The path to the VHL is clear

 

It is unclear to whom or even where Odinsson will be playing in Season 49, but wherever he ends up it is a guarantee that he'll be doing his absolute utmost to reach the level of success that his famous father achieved during his career in The Victory Hockey league. Whether that's even possible remains to be seen but there is no doubt of his conviction and desire to play at his very best during his time here.

 

SYNOPSIS

 

 

Odinsson has great size and is a very skilled player. He is a powerful forward, who is difficult to stop when he decides that he is going to take the puck to the net. Along with great stick and puck handling ability it allows him to add a skilled finesse game to the package of raw power he possesses.  He has terrific top end speed which enables him to go wide on a defender and then cut in to the net to finish.

Thor has top-tier on-ice vision. He easily finds the open areas on the ice, and has an ability to make split decisions before the play develops. He has good passing skills and can find his open teammates, with an awareness of where they are on the ice. With his size he is also strong along the boards, effective on the fore-check, and a difficult man to move from the front of the net.   

He has great scoring potential and given time, will display this at the VHL level consistently. He regularly finds himself in the right position at the right time and can score from just about anywhere on the ice. His stick skills help him make the tricky plays look effortless and his pure speed can make defenders look ridiculous in his wake. He shoots hard and with great accuracy, and has the potential to be a real play maker for his new team in future seasons.

 

Odinsson may be a team player and a popular presence in the locker room, but he isn't known for his leadership abilities. He would rather do his talking on the ice and this may effect his chances of ever captaining the teams he plays for in the future. He will never be a mentor to younger players or a media darling, much preferring the teams stars to take the lead on these matters. He will still do his part on the ice which is what he sees as more more important to the teams overall success.

Defensively Thor's game needs some work. He has a little untapped potential in the defensive zone as he will play with a degree of grit and shows a strong stick, but he needs to learn the correct positioning to be effective. Coaches are aware of this and have already begun working with him to improve this area of his game. Consistency has been troublesome and at times he can be the most dominant player in the game then be close to invisible the next. That will be unacceptable at the VHL level.

His overall skating ability is good but if he could gain a little more explosiveness in his stride it could help him turn into a star in the VHL. He doesn’t need to be physical to be effective and that’s not his style of play but I’d like to see him have a little more impact given his big frame. These are areas he will obviously address, but the work needs to start now in order to show prospective teams just how determined he is to succeed in the VHL.

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2016 by boom

[evrydayimbyfuglien 600]

Review:

Everything looked really good here. I did notice you used "it wasn't long before..." twice in the same paragraph which made things a little strange. Also, I could be mistaken, and I probably am, but I don't think the positives and negatives belong in the Biography. Why do we always write about our players being superstars instead of having them struggle in the other leagues and taking a chance on the VHLM/VHL? I'm guilty of this, too. Still, all things considered, very well done.

 

Also, you had great production for joining halfway through the season, my first year was atrocious compared to that.  

[Tim 182]

Claimed