Toronto Legion Jersey Retirement

[Molholt 2,183]

 

Toronto Legion Jersey Retirement

 

When I took over the Toronto Legion, I had to right some wrongs done by the organization and retire a couple of jerseys that had been missed over the years. Today, I get the pleasure of retiring a jersey that isn't overdue, that isn't delayed and follows a VHL legend on the heels of a retirement. Today, I get to make my first jersey retirement announcement for a player who played on the team entirely during my tenure. I was excited to bring this superstar into the team and even more excited to watch him carry us in net to a historic three straight Continental Cups. Please join me in congratulating him as we hoist Hans Wingates's #6 into the rafters!

 

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Wingate was brought into Toronto in Season 48, with the Legion reeling from yet another down season, but preparing to contend. The Toronto fans had watched the team rebuild for multiple seasons and were growing tired of waiting. I was able to bring in Wingate, a top goalie in the league, with championship experience, and the team immediately turned into a championship contender over night. That first season we saw exactly what Wingate was capable of, as he put up career bests in Save Percentage, Goals Against Average and Shutouts, picking up 47 wins and propelling the Legion to their first Continental Cup of their three-peat. Wingate was named the Kanou Trophy winner for Playoff MVP that season as well as the Shaw Trophy winner for best regular season goalie.

 

When you have a career year like that, the only thing that makes sense in the next season is to top it, and Hans did just that. He went on a near record-setting tear, besting his own numbers in Save Percentage and Goals Against Average and putting up his best win total of his career, with 51. Once again the Legion advanced to the Cup finals and won, pulling off the VHL's 6th repeat. However, when you've topped yourself and won two cups in a row, the only thing to do next is to set the bar even higher, right? Wingate did just that and more. In his final season, a year in which some show signs of age and regression, Wingate put up the best GAA in league history, a 1.52, which topped Greg Clegane's 1.57 from the previous season, a number that had previously stood since Season 27. He also put up the best save percentage of his career for the third straight year, a top 25 number in VHL history and oh, by the way, he put up a career best in shutouts too. That pushed his career shutout total to best in league history among goalies as well, as if that wasn't enough. I predict Wingate will be named the Shaw Trophy winner, the Brett Slobodzian Trophy winner and the Scotty Campbell Trophy winner this season, the league's historic 50th. Finally, of course, he helped Toronto make their mark like no team has ever done, the league's first ever three-peat.

 

He came in for three seasons, he brought Toronto three cups and then he set off into the sunset. But be sure, the Legion fans, the organization and the entire VHL will never forget what he did, who he was, and what mark he made on this league. Thank you Hans, from the entire Toronto Legion and congratulations on a great career. This is the least I can do for all you've given to this team. 

 

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Hans Wingate | Goalie | Toronto Legion

192 GP | 147W | 37L | 9OTL | 0.936% SV% | 1.67GAA | 34SHO

 

S44 Devon Marlow-Marta Trophy

S45 Devon Marlow-Marta Trophy

S48 Devon-Marlow Marta Trophy (Toronto) 

S49 Devon-Marlow Marta Trophy (Toronto) 

S50 Devon-Marlow Marta Trophy (Toronto) 

S48 Victory Cup (Toronto) 

S44 Continental Cup

S48 Continental Cup (Toronto) 

S49 Continental Cup (Toronto) 

S50 Continental Cup (Toronto) 

S44 Aidan Shaw Trophy

S46 Aidan Shaw Trophy (Toronto) 

S50 Aidan Shaw Trophy (Toronto) (Molholt's Guess)

S45 Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Co-Winner)

S48 Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Toronto)

S50 Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Toronto) (Molholt's Guess)

S50 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Toronto) (Molholt's Guess)

S50 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Toronto) (Molholt's Guess)

 

@CowboyinAmerica

[eaglesfan036 4,585]

The Wranglers will never forget his time with us also 

[stevo 760]

Woooo

[Victor 10,561]

Beast.

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

Thanks for doing what LeBeau forgot to do, win all the finals appearances on this team.

[CowboyinAmerica 2,715]

Nice! Didn't figure this would be a thing since I was only with the team for three seasons. Seeing my accomplishments written out like that is pretty cool though, and didn't realize my stats were that good with Toronto.

 

Thanks for @Molholt for the honor, everyone on the team for being awesome and contributing to our amazing run, and ecstatic that I chose to be with the team in free agency three seasons ago.

[Kendrick 4,724]

Weirdest goalie #

[Frank 4,792]

[Higgins 3,617]

That was fast

[Molholt 2,183]

9 minutes ago, Higgins said:

That was fast

 

I honor those who don't stab us in the back  

[Toast 887]

@CowboyinAmerica It was a pleasure to have you in Riga as well as play together briefly during the World Cup. Your insight was great and truly made those seasons enjoyable. It's a shame the way things went, but I'm glad everything worked out for Wingate and then some!

[BOOM 8,433]

One of the best my players went up against. Congrats....and good riddance!

 

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

What a time to be alive.