(S46) Bruno Wolf - HOF [Reviewed]

[Smarch 3,153]

RW – Bruno Wolf

Birthplace: Sterling Heights, Michigan, USA

Height: 6'2" 

Weight: 180lbs

Jersey Number: 8

Drafted: S38 (2^nd Overall) SEA

Username: brovy

Every hockey player has a different path on their way to playing hockey at a professional level and Bruno Wolf was no exception. He didn’t blow up the scene when he first arrived back in Season Thirty-Eight with the Seattle Bears, but once he found a home in Quebec he quickly became a household VHL name. While he was unable to put up the personal accolades that many other VHL Hall of Famers seem to possess, Wolfs name should constantly be brought up with the likes of other elite power forwards such as David Smalling and Lord Karnage.

Career Awards:

Season 41 – Kevin Brooks Trophy

Season 41 – Scott Boulet Trophy

Season 42 – Victory Cup (Quebec)

Season 42 – Devon Marlow Marta Trophy (Quebec)

Season 42 – Brett Slobodzian Trophy

Season 42 – Kevin Brooks Trophy

Season 42 – Scott Boulet Trophy

Season 44 – Victory Cup (Quebec)

 

 

Season 38 Statistics:

 

Regular Season:

S38 (SEA) - 72GP / 16G / 15A / 31P / +27 / 175SHT / 3GWG / 71PIM / 93HIT

/ 19SB

Playoffs:

S38 (SEA) – 6GP / 1G / 1A / 2P / +1 / 15SHT / 0GWG / 4PIM / 12HIT / 2SB

 

 

Shortly after being drafted Second Overall by the Seattle Bears in the Season Thirty-Eight VHL Entry Draft, Bruno Wolf jumped right into the fold for the franchise. Rarely do players drafted in the top three of the VHL draft play on playoffs team right out of the gate, but that’s exactly what Wolf did. Although the Bears and Wolf made the playoffs as the third seed in the North American Conference, Wolf struggled in his rookie season as he was surrounded by veterans that were playing almost ten more minutes a game then the young Wolf. Although his numbers weren’t were Wolf though they would be to start his VHL career, he continued to show up week in and week out at practise to make sure his development also didn’t take a hit. Wolf and the Bears were able to push the Legion to six games in the playoffs, but would ultimately be defeated by the stronger Toronto club. Wolf put up two points in those six Bears playoff games, and the off-season would be a much appreciated break for the young winger.

 

Season 39 Statistics:

Regular Season:

S39 (SEA) - 72GP / 34G / 23A / 57P / +14 / 342SHT / 9GWG / 77PIM / 229HIT

/ 37SB

Playoffs:

S39 (SEA) – 11GP / 6G / 5A / 11P / +5 / 52SHT / 1GWG / 8PIM / 39HIT / 12SB

 After a less than stellar rookie season in Season Thirty-Eight, Wolf was hoping to head into his second VHL training camp and earn himself some more ice-time. After a long grueling training camp and two pre-season games, Wolf was rewarded by team management with a bigger role within the Bears offense heading into Season Thirty-Nine. Wolf did his best each night to reward the Bears management and faithful over the seventy-two game season in Season Thirty-Nine, and on paper he seemed to do just that. Wolf improved in every aspect of the game, netting thirty-four goals and twenty-three assists, while also showing a glimpse of the power forward game he would become known for. The biggest stat increase from his rookie season was his hit total, which increased 136 hits from last season. The Bears headed into the VHL playoffs a different team than the season prior, looking to make some noise past the semi-finals this season. Wolf and the Bears would head into the playoffs to square off against the Calgary Wranglers, and this is where Wolf started to come to life as a powerhouse. The Bears would dispose to the Wranglers in six games before moving on to face the favorites, the New York Americans. Although the team struggled during the series with New York, Wolf stepped out of the limelight and tried to get his team to the Continental Cup Finals. Wolf hit a point per game for the first time in his VHL career in the playoffs, putting up six goals and five assists in eleven points. Wolf had grown immensely over his two seasons in the VHL and Seattle fans couldn’t wait to see what Wolf could do next for their beloved franchise, but unfortunately they wouldn’t be able to see that come to fruition.

 

 

Season 40 Statistics:

 

Regular Season:

S40 (QUE) - 72GP / 40G / 41A / 81P / +46 / 411SHT / 7GWG / 132PIM / 288HIT

/ 41SB

Playoffs:

S40 (QUE) – 7GP / 2G / 4A / 6P / +2 / 37SHT / 0GWG / 16PIM / 27HIT / 3SB

 As the off-season was starting to get on a roll, the Bears and Quebec Meute sent in paperwork to the league indicating a trade between the two clubs. Bears General Manager at the time Tyler Barabash was looking to start a rebuild for the Bears, but unfortunately to get the draft picks he wanted he would have to part ways with a superstar in the making in Wolf. The Meute were looking to make a move towards the Continental Cup and Wolf was the first move of many that would come during the off-season that would set the team up for what the organization hoped would be continued success. The fresh outlook that comes with a trade sometimes does wonders for a player; sometimes coming out of their comfort zone kills their game. In this case the trade from Seattle to Quebec paid off wonders for the overall game of Wolf and would eventually lead to him finding his half of fame game.  In his first season in Quebec, Wolf increased all his offensive numbers including goals (40) and assists (41). Wolf and his new team-mates instantly gelled off the get go, playing well enough to earn the second spot in the North American Conference. The Meute and Wolf headed into the playoffs as the slight favorites in the series against Calgary, but they ran into a beast in net named Martin Brookside. After pulling ahead with a 3-1 series lead, Brookside put the Wranglers on his back, helping win the next three games to advance to the next round. Although Quebec exited the playoffs earlier than expected, Wolf tried his best to beat Brookside and the Wranglers, putting up six points in those seven playoff games. Wolf and his gang in Quebec would turn their attention to Season Forty-One after the devastating loss to Calgary hoping to just sweep it under the rug.

 

 

Season 41 Statistics:

 

Regular Season:

S41 (QUE) - 72GP / 62G / 61A / 123P / +58 / 581SHT / 10GWG / 183PIM / 362HIT / 37SB

Playoffs:

S41 (QUE) – 10GP / 8G / 7A / 15P / +9 / 83SHT / 2GWG / 28PIM / 52HIT / 5SB

 

 

Season Forty-One opened with optimism and higher expectations for Wolf and the rest of the Meute squad. During the off-season after the early playoff exit change winds blew through Quebec with four members of the Season Forty squad not on the roster on opening day come Season Forty-One. One thing that remained in Quebec was Wolf, who found a bond with now second year team-mate Aksel Thomassen. With the core now build around Thomassen and Wolf now; the two young stars took advantage of their new found opportunities to lead. Wolf saw a huge jump in all his numbers putting up sixty-two goals and sixty-one assists in just seventy-two games. Wolf had an amazing connection with Thomassen and showed the VHL what the offensive minded power forward was capable of given the right forum. Wolf and the Meute were excited to head to the playoffs for a second straight season, looking to exercise some demons against the Wranglers in game one. Wolf was ready to carry his regular season game to the playoffs in Season Forty-One, and he did just that in the Semi-Finals against Calgary putting up ten points in five games. The Meute were able to put the Wranglers behind them but the goal didn’t stop there for the team, as they were now heading into a dog fight with the North American favorite New York Americans. Wolf and the rest of the Meute put all they could into the series against the Americans, but in the end they came up short against the eventual Continental Cup champions.  Wolf had a decent ten games in the playoffs overall, but the majority of his eight goals and seven assists came in the Calgary series, with New York shutting down the very dangerous forward. At the annual year end awards ceremony the league holds, Wolf was awarded by the league with his first Scott Boulet award for the league’s top forward, an award that the young forward held very high in his regards.

 

 

 

Season 42 Statistics:

 

Regular Season:

S42 (QUE) - 72GP / 67G / 70A / 137P / +65 / 523SHT / 12GWG / 214PIM / 352HIT / 19SB

Playoffs:

S42 (QUE) – 12GP / 2G / 9A / 11P / +2 / 82SHT / 0GWG / 38PIM / 61HIT / 4SB

 

 

With the feeling of Continental Cup Finals or bust coming from the Meute locker-room heading in Season Forty-Two, Wolf was looking to up his game even more from his 123 points performance last season. Little did the VHL faithful know, Wolf would do just that in Season Forty-Two with a stellar overall regular-season performance on the ice. Wolf and the Meute cruised through the regular-season, with Wolf and Thomasson putting in the gritty work around the opposing net. Wolf improved on his goal and assist total from the previous season putting gup sixty-seven goals and seventy assists in Quebec’s’ seventy-two games. Wolf and Meute experienced a first since Wolf came to the franchise three years ago from Seattle in Season Forty-Two, with the team bringing home the Victory Cup for the league’s top regular-season record. With another great regular-season under their belts in Quebec, fans were hoping that Season Forty-Two was finally the season they experienced championship hockey once again. Wolf and the Bears have the privilege of waiting for the First Round of VHL playoff hockey to see who they would play in the playoffs, which would eventual unveil itself to be the New York Americans. The Meute were looking to do the same to the Americans as they did with the Wranglers when they exercised some old playoff demons back in Season Forty-One against Calgary. The series would go to seventh and deciding game in the Colisee Pepsi, where the Meute and their fans would celebrate a 4-2 win to send the team back to the Continental Cup Finals.  The Meute would face-off against their expansion counterpart Cologne Express, with Wolf heading to his first VHL finals in his short five year career. Wolf and the Meute would dig themselves a hole by losing the first two games on home ice, before the series switched to Germany. Wolf would help put some hope back in the Meute season with a goal and assist in a game three win, but those two huge losses at home loomed big, as Cologne took home the series and cup in five games. Wolf would take home some impressive hardware comes seasons end taking home his second consecutive Kevin Brooks Trophy for the top goal scorer in the league, while also taking home his first Brett Slobodzian Trophy for the league MVP as voted on by their peers. Although the individual haul was impressive, Wolf had an empty feeling heading into the off-season as he feel just short of his ultimate goal of a Continental Cup.   

 

Season 43 Statistics:

Regular Season:

S43 (QUE) - 72GP / 50G / 52A / 102P / +56 / 431SHT / 12GWG / 141PIM / 332HIT / 28SB

Playoffs:

S43 (QUE) – 5GP / 3G / 4A / 7P / +1 / 37SHT / 1GWG / 8PIM / 22HIT / 0SB

 

 

After being so close to tasting champagne out of the Continental Cup, Wolf was the most determined management and fans have ever seen him heading into Season Forty-Three. With a less than stellar North American Conference in terms of competition, the regular season was another cakewalk for Wolf and the Meute. Wolf helped the Meute put up 110 points to take the playoff bye for the North American Conference. Wolf himself has another good year offensively, although not quite the 120 plus seasons that had become the norm. Wolf put up fifty goals and fifty-two assists, while also throwing up 300 hits for the third straight season. Wolf and the Meute would await the winner of the Semi-Finals between the Seattle Bears and Toronto Legion, working on the fundamentals during the week long wait. With the underdog Bears quickly disposed of the Legion in four games, the Meute and their fans were licking their chops at the opportunity to face a team that finished the regular season with twenty fewer points. In what should have been a quick and easy series for the Meute turned into the same old song and dance for the franchise when the Bears beat Quebec in five games.  Another great regular season with great success and another early exit from the playoffs, the script seemed to be the same for the Meute each and every season since Wolf arrived. Wolf put in a decent playoff series again the Bears, putting up three goals and four assists, but it just wasn’t enough to help the Meute return to the Continental Cup Finals. With the landscape slowly changing in the North American Conference, the window of opportunity for the Meute would likely only last one more season.

 

Season 44 Statistics:

Regular Season:

S44 (QUE) - 72GP / 51G / 51A / 102P / +53 / 449SHT / 11GWG / 165PIM / 304HIT / 34SB

Playoffs:

S44 (QUE) – 5GP / 2G / 1A / 3P / -5 / 31SHT / 1GWG / 6PIM / 31HIT / 3SB

 

 

Coming into his fifth season with the Meute, Wolf was looking to add the most important missing piece to his resume, a VHL Continental Cup. Season Forty-Four was another season for Wolf to add to his already impressive stat sheet, as he netted another fifty goal, one hundred point campaign with fifty-one goals and fifty-one assists. Alongside his long-time team-mate and friend Thomasson, Wolf helped the Meute to another top spot in the North American Conference along with the teams second Victory Cup under Wolfs tenure. It was due or die time for the franchise as their time as top dogs in the conference was coming to a close with the Calgary Wranglers ready to break out of their rebuild, so this season’s playoffs had the weight of an entire city on it. The Meute would take on that very Wrangler team in the Conference Finals, where they would run into a young superstar in the making, Wranglers goaltender Hans Wingate. The Meute could only sneak six goals past Wingate in what would be a five game series, again sending the Meute home just as their playoffs were beginning.  With the team not sure on the direction it should take after another upset loss in the playoffs, fans and Wolf alike were wondering if they’d seen their superstars last playoff game in a Meute jersey.

 

 

 

Season 45 Statistics:

 

Regular Season:

S45 (QUE/NYA) - 72GP / 52G / 59A / 111P / +35 / 493SHT / 10GWG / 175PIM / 312HIT / 40SB

Playoffs:

S45 (NYA) – 5GP / 0G / 3A / 3P / -3 / 25SHT / 0GWG / 8PIM / 30HIT / 1SB

 As Season Forty-Five began in Quebec, rumors were running ramped about what was in store for the Meute and Wolfs imminent future. With a young core left after the Season Forty-Four season, the Meute weren’t expected to do much outside finishing third in the North American Conference playoff race. With that Meute General Manager Clinton Chevy began to ship around Wolf in his last VHL season. All these rumors about leaving the franchise didn’t seem to hurt his production as he put up seventy-eight points in fifty games with the Meute. As the men were undressing in the locker-room after the fifth game of the season, Wolf was asked to come to meet with the General Manager before leaving the arena for the evening. Speculation began to run around what Wolf was walking into management’s office for, but shortly after he walked in news broke around the league of his impending trade to fierce Meute rivals, the New York Americans. After beginning and finishing the seasons five times with the Meute, he wouldn’t be afforded the opportunity to do it a sixth time as he and team-mate Tyson Stokes were shipped over to New York for a First and Second round Season Forty-Seven draft choices. Wolf finished off his final season strong, putting up twelve goals and twenty-one assists in his twenty-two games as an American. Wolf and the Americans would capture first place in North America, so they would have to await the winner from the Meute and Wranglers series before they could get rolling with playoff hockey. Calgary would come out as the winners from the series, and the Americans seemed more than ready for the next chapter of the hockey season. The Americans struggled to get anything going against the Wranglers in the playoff series and Wolf again felt the all too familiar feeling of exiting the playoffs before expected. The series was over for the Americans in five quick games and with that Wolf seen his career in the VHL also comes to a halt.

 

 

Career Totals:
 Regular Season:

 

576GP / 372G / 372A / 744P / +354 / 3405SHT / 74GWG / 1158PIM / 2272HIT / 255SB

 

 

Playoffs:

 

61GP / 24G / 34A / 58P / +14 / 362SHT / 5GWG / 116PIM / 284HIT / 30SB

 

 

The Bruno Wolf experience had stays in three different VHL cities during his eight year tenure in the league, but most felt during his five and a half seasons in Quebec. It seemed during his time in the VHL that Wolf could almost score from anywhere on the ice, blessed with amazing hands, speed, and the ability to lay bone crushing hits. Although he fell short of his ultimate goal of a Continental Cup, he gave his all each and every night for the team on the front of his jersey. Wolf will now be able to take his rightly earned spot amongst the greatest to ever play in the VHL, with his addition to the Hall of Fame.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Smarch

[Smarch 3,153]

For Weinstein

[BOOM 8,745]

Congrats(and well written Smarchy) @brovy