Claimed:Thomas O'Malley HoF Article

[solas 1,946]

C - Thomas O’Malley
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 200 lbs.
Jersey Number: 14
Drafted: S40 COL (1/1)
Username: Green

It’s not often that you see a truly legendary player join the VHL nowadays, especially in an era so far removed from the days of Scotty Campbell.  But Thomas O’Malley is truly one of those players.  O’Malley’s domination of the league for just about all of his career is incredibly noteworthy, and considering how much harder it is for rookies to make an impact in the league, some would argue that he is the best player to ever grace the VHL.  In a full eight-year career, O’Malley played for the Express, Titans, and Americans, and has one of the most impressive trophy cabinets in the league’s history.  He’s won four Continental Cups, three MVP awards, and four Most Outstanding Player awards - and that’s just scratching the surface.  It’s hard to believe that we’ll ever see another player quite as dominant as Thomas O’Malley.

Awards:

S42 Terence Fong Trophy - EU Conference Champions (COL)
S43 Terence Fong Trophy - EU Conference Champions (COL)
S44 Terence Fong Trophy - EU Conference Champions (COL)
S45 Terence Fong Trophy - EU Conference Champions (HSK)
S46 Terence Fong Trophy - EU Conference Champions (HSK)
S47 Devon Marlow-Marta Trophy - NA Conference Champion (NYA)
S45 Victory Cup - Best Regular Season Record (HSK)
S46 Victory Cup - Best Regular Season Record (HSK)
S47 Victory Cup - Best Regular Season Record (NYA)
S42 Continental Cup - Playoff Champions (COL)
S45 Continental Cup - VHL Championship (HSK)
S46 Continental Cup - VHL Championship (HSK)
S47 Continental Cup - VHL Championship (NYA)

S40 Gold Medal (USA)
S43 Silver Medal (USA)

S40 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy - Top Rookie
S41 Mikka Virkkunen Trophy - Most Sportsmanlike
S43 Brett Slobodzian Trophy - Most Outstanding Player
S44 Brett Slobodzian Trophy - Most Outstanding Player
S45 Brett Slobodzian Trophy - Most Outstanding Player
S46 Brett Slobodzian Trophy - Most Outstanding Player
S44 Scotty Campbell Trophy - MVP
S45 Scotty Campbell Trophy - MVP
S46 Scotty Campbell Trophy - MVP
S43 Mike Szatkowski Trophy - Most Points
S44 Mike Szatkowski Trophy - Most Points
S45 Mike Szatkowski Trophy - Most Points
S46 Mike Szatkowski Trophy - Most Points
S43 Kevin Brooks Trophy - Most Goals
S44 Kevin Brooks Trophy - Most Goals
S44 Alexander Beketov Trophy - Most Assists
S45 Daisuke Kanou Trophy - Playoff MVP

Season 40 Statistics:

Regular Season:
S40(COL) 72GP | 38G - 72A - 110P | +71 | 409SHT |  6GWG |  6PIM | 21HIT | 12SB | 58.0FO%
Playoffs:
S40(COL)  4GP | 1G -  0A -  1P | -2 | 12SHT | 0GWG |  2PIM | 1HIT |  0SB | 40.0FO%

Thomas O’Malley entered the Season 40 VHL Draft as one of the most hyped-up prospects in a long time.  Fresh off an impressive VHLM season where he won the Continental Cup with the Ottawa Lynx and put up an impressive 186 points, O’Malley and fellow hall of famer, defenseman Mason Richardson seemed likely to be ready-made superstars with the top two picks.  After finishing fourth in the European Conference, Cologne won the first overall pick in the lottery before making a deal with Quebec to get the second overall pick and draft both O’Malley and Richardson.  

After being selected first overall, O’Malley didn’t disappoint.  He scored 110 points, good enough for fourth-most in the league.  Meanwhile, Cologne finished first in the European Conference and looked to be cup contenders.  But in the playoffs, it all came crashing down.  O’Malley was only able to put up 1 point for an entire series, as the Express were swept in the conference finals by the Riga Reign (who would end up winning the cup).  After the season, the Boston-born center was able to end his first season on a positive note, however, as he beat teammate Mason Richardson by two votes to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy for the league’s top rookie.  This would be just the first of many individual awards in his career.

Season 41 Statistics:

Regular Season:
S41(COL) 72GP | 39G - 52A -  91P | +43 | 414SHT |  7GWG |  2PIM |  7HIT | 15SB | 61.8FO%
Playoffs:
S41(COL)  5GP | 3G -  3A -  6P |  0 | 26SHT | 0GWG |  0PIM | 2HIT |  6SB | 63.0FO%

Season 41 was a bit worse for O’Malley.  While he was able to one more goal than the previous season, his assist totals went down drastically as he fell below the 100-point mark - although he still lead Cologne in points despite a drop in production.  Meanwhile, the Express once again made the playoffs, finishing second in the European Conference behind Riga.  The young Cologne team still held hope, but struggled once again as they were eliminated in 5 games by the Titans in the first round.  But there would be another small positive to take for O’Malley, as he won the second VHL award of his career - the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy, awarded to the league’s most sportsmanlike player.  

Season 42 Statistics: 

Regular Season:
S42(COL) 72GP | 40G - 38A -  78P |  -4 | 349SHT | 10GWG |  5PIM |  2HIT | 39SB | 62.9FO%
Playoffs:
S42(COL) 16GP | 8G - 10A - 18P | +9 | 73SHT | 1GWG |  5PIM | 0HIT |  7SB | 64.5FO%

In the offseason, the Express bolstered their cup hopes by trading for Calgary goaltender Martin Brookside to replace Blaine Olynick, who was dealt to the Stockholm Vikings.  And while the Express finished second in the European Conference, O’Malley had his worst season on an individual level.  78 points, despite being over a point per game, would be the lowest point total in O’Malley’s career and only one of two seasons in which he’d finish below the 100 point mark.  But on a team level, it was one of his best.  Martin Brookside won the MVP award with an impressive regular season, and retiring forward Robin Gow was acquired-midseason.  

However, Cologne’s fantastic season didn’t truly take form until the playoffs.  Defeating the Vikings and Titans in the European Conference, and the Meute in the finals, the Express won the first cup in their franchise’s history.  Impressive performances from Martin Brookside was once again the main story, as a .939 save percentage and 1.66 GAA earned him the playoff MVP award.  Robin Gow lead the league in playoff scoring with 20 points, while O’Malley and Richardson - Cologne’s top two picks in the Season 40 draft - weren’t far behind with 18 points each.  As the captain of the Express, Thomas O’Malley would raise the cup for the first time in his career in Season 42...but it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Season 43 Statistics:

Regular Season:
S43(COL) 72GP | 53G - 78A - 131P | +55 | 509SHT | 11GWG | 10PIM |  3HIT | 39SB | 64.4FO%
Playoffs:
S43(COL) 18GP | 9G -  8A - 17P |  0 | 72SHT | 3GWG | 15PIM | 0HIT | 16SB | 56.2FO%

With Brookside coming back from a career year, Cologne decided to make some big moves to establish themselves as a contender.  The team parted with Mason Richardson through a trade, but also acquired Bismarck Koenig, Christoph Klose, and Xin Xie Xiao, and geared up for a close race with the Stockholm Vikings in the European Conference.   But at the same time, Season 43 marked the beginning of Thomas O’Malley’s dominance in the VHL.  While he lost out on the MVP award to Stockholm’s Tom Slaughter (an eventual hall of famer in his own right), O’Malley had an absolutely amazing season.  His 131 points was the best in the league, capturing him the Slobodzian Trophy (most outstanding player), the Szatkowski Trophy (most points), and the Brooks Trophy (most goals).
Going into the playoffs, it looked like the Vikings, Express, or Meute would be the likely cup winners.  On the European side, Cologne held up their side of the deal, defeating Davos in six games and Stockholm in five thanks to an absolutely amazing performance of 28 points in 18 games from Bismarck Koenig.  But what happened in North America changed everything.  With one of the most shocking performances in playoff history, the underdog Seattle Bears, overlooked by just about everyone, managed to make it to the finals - sweeping the Toronto Legion and losing only one game to the Quebec City Meute.  In seven games, the Bears would dash the hopes of O’Malley and the Express becoming repeat champions.

Season 44 Statistics:

Regular Season:
S44(COL) 72GP | 59G - 76A - 135P | +56 | 495SHT | 10GWG | 17PIM | 12HIT | 26SB | 63.7FO%
Playoffs:
S44(COL) 13GP | 4G - 12A - 16P | -5 | 59SHT | 2GWG |  0PIM | 0HIT |  4SB | 55.5FO%

Despite losing Martin Brookside and Xin Xie Xiao to retirement, the Express were still hopeful for a cup run in Season 44.  O’Malley looked like he was the best player in the league, while Bismarck Koenig and Christoph Klose were both stars in their own rights.  The regular season would be the place for O’Malley to prove his skill, as he went on an absolute tear.  His career high 59 goals, 76 assists, and 135 points were unmatched in the league, as he became just the fifth player to lead the VHL in goals, assists, and points in one season.  O’Malley also won his second Slobodzian Trophy, and was voted MVP for the first time in his career.  However, the playoffs ended up finishing all too similar to Season 43 for Cologne.  The Express won the European Conference and made the finals for the third straight season after two tough seven-games series, but were defeated in the finals by the Calgary Wranglers, lead by playoff MVP Tyler Cote and top goalie Hans Wingate.  

Season 45 Statistics:

Regular Season:
S45(HSK) 72GP | 50G - 72A - 122P | +55 | 494SHT |  9GWG |  5PIM |  0HIT | 30SB | 65.5FO%
Playoffs:
S45(HSK) 12GP | 8G - 12A - 20P | +6 | 81SHT | 1GWG |  5PIM | 0HIT |  2SB | 56.1FO%

Along with Season 45 came a change of scenery for O’Malley.  With Bismarck Koenig headed to free agency and a generally uncertain future, Cologne decided to cut their losses and rebuild.  As a result, O’Malley and Christoph Klose were both traded to the Helsinki Titans in exchange for three first round picks.  This marked the beginning of an incredibly impressive period for the Titans, as they were able to pick up Phil Hamilton and Greg Clegane through the draft, gain GM William Shaw’s player Aleksi Koponen, and trade for O’Malley, Klose, and Brady Stropko - not to mention that the team had acquired Wolfgang Strauss during the previous season.  The Titans, unsurprisingly, performed incredibly well in Season 45, finishing first in the European Conference and winning the Victory Cup for the league’s best regular season record.  O’Malley once again had a fantastic year, leading the league in points and winning his second straight Campbell Trophy and third straight Slobodzian Trophy (the most of all time).  

The Titans also had a strong playoff performance, winning the European Conference fairly easily after a first-round bye.  O’Malley would end up meeting former teammate Bismarck Koenig and the Calgary Wranglers, last season’s champions, in the finals.  But despite O’Malley’s troubles in the last two seasons, Helsinki was able to come back 3-1 behind to win the series in an exciting seven-game series.  On an individual level, 20 points in 12 games would earn him his first and only playoff MVP award - capping off another great season.

Season 46:

Regular Season:
S46(HSK) 72GP | 57G - 72A - 129P | +65 | 484SHT | 9GWG | 32PIM | 3HIT | 32SB | 66.4FO%
Playoffs:
S46(HSK) 10GP | 5G -  6A - 11P | +1 | 43SHT | 2GWG | 0PIM | 1HIT | 3SB | 63.6FO%

There wasn’t too much of a change for the Helsinki Titans going into Season 46.  Thomas Duddy, the team’s cup-winning captain, was dealt in the offseason and replaced at the trade deadline with the retiring Jackson Miller.  The Titans were dominant once again, fending off the Riga Reign to win the European Conference and once again take the Victory Cup.  Meanwhile, Thomas O’Malley was the best in the league once again.  While he was unable to pass Max Molholt or Mason Richardson for the most goals or assists, like last season he lead the league in points, and was able to win the Campbell and Slobodzian trophies yet again.  This made him the first person to win four Slobodzian trophies, and only the third to win three MVP awards (the first since Season 17, and the second to win three straight).  The Titans would continue their dominant performance in the playoffs, dispatching the Dynamo and Wranglers fairly easily in five games each.  While O’Malley didn’t have quite as good of a playoff performance as he did last year, Season 46 seemed to be a confirmation of his status as a VHL legend.  

Season 47:

Regular Season:
S47(NYA) 72GP | 45G - 72A - 117P | +59 | 370SHT | 8GWG |  5PIM | 2HIT | 40SB | 67.7FO%
Playoffs:
S47(NYA) 12GP | 5G -  5A - 10P | -5 | 49SHT | 1GWG | 0PIM | 0HIT | 7SB | 62.5FO%

Going into his final season in the VHL, O’Malley’s contract with the Titans was up.  After recieving offers from teams like Riga, Seattle, Cologne, and Calgary, as well as an offer to return to the Titans, the “Alley Cat” decided to spend his last year with the New York Americans.   The Americans had finished first in the North American Conference for the last two years, only to be beaten by the Calgary Wranglers in the conference finals.  But the addition of O’Malley to a core of players that included Edwin Reencarnacion, Lloyd Light, Jorma Ruutu, and Blake Campbell propelled them into the top spot in the league, as they won both first place in their conference as well as the Victory Cup (O’Malley’s third).  In his first and only season in the North American Conference, O’Malley also won the North American Conference championship by helping New York to victory over the Calgary Wranglers in a seven-game series.  The Americans would finish off the season by winning O’Malley a cup in his final season with a 4-1 victory over the Americans, a fitting end to one of the most storied careers in VHL history.

Even though 117 points wasn’t quite enough to win O’Malley an individual award, he still helped lead the Americans to an incredible season and his fourth cup.  With the departures of O’Malley to New York and Christoph Klose to Seattle in free agency, the Titans needed a high-scoring forward as a replacement.  And so they signed another highly sought-after free agent: Bismarck Koenig, both a teammate and rival of O’Malley’s who had spent the last season in Davos.  Despite only playing for five seasons, Koenig was an elite scorer and an eventual hall of famer who quite possibly could have been a multiple-time MVP if it weren’t for O’Malley.  And so it was only fitting that the player whose career had been the most intertwined with O’Malley’s ended up leading the league in points and winning the MVP award in both players’ final season.

Career Stats:

 

Regular Season:

576GP | 381G - 532A - 913P | +400 | 3524SHT |  70GWG |  82PIM | 50HIT | 233SB 

Playoffs:

90GP | 43G - 56A - 99P | +4 | 415SHT |  10GWG | 27PIM | 4HIT | 45SB 

One word describes Thomas O’Malley, and it’s a word that has been used multiple times in this article: dominant.  The awards he’s won puts him head and shoulders above his contemporaries.  Just by looking at his career statistics, you can tell that O’Malley is one of the best VHL players of all time.  His 913 career points places him fourth all-time, which easily places him in the conversation for one of the best ever.  Sure, Scotty Campbell is basically untouchable at 1,239 career points, but it’s worth arguing that Campbell played during a different era with a lower standard of competition.  O’Malley’s dominance of a more competitive league is, to say the least, very impressive.  In the eyes of many, it’s what makes him the greatest player to ever grace the Victory Hockey League.  It’s unlikely that we’ll ever see another player quite like him.

[Baozi 1,638]

XXX and O'Malley= sex

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

Thank you Solas, that was a wonderfull piece to read. 

[der meister 2,985]

1 hour ago, Green said:

Thank you Solas, that was a wonderfull piece to read. 

 

Glad to have been a part of that storied career

[Victor 10,642]

Unbelievable career.

 

Well its believable because of the TPE, but he's not the first to shit tons of TPE and in this day and age, those achievements exceeded even the high expectations set for O'Malley at the start.

 

Not many players turn the balance of the league by going to FA in their last season.

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

5 minutes ago, Victor said:

Unbelievable career.

 

Well its believable because of the TPE, but he's not the first to shit tons of TPE and in this day and age, those achievements exceeded even the high expectations set for O'Malley at the start.

 

Not many players turn the balance of the league by going to FA in their last season.

What you mean exactly with that last part?

[Victor 10,642]

11 minutes ago, Green said:

What you mean exactly with that last part?

S46: Helsinki wins cup

O'Malley joins NY in FA

S47: NY wins cup

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

But it wasn't actually a big shake up, even without O'Malley I think New York still had a solid line up. With a shake up I would more think of something in the likes of joining Vasteras/Stockholm and win a cup instantly (like the fa's in S26 iirc?)

 

Needless to say, it was fun winning and having made a good decision in FA.

[BOOM 8,499]

Excellent career and great article.

 

This bit was the best though

 

Quote

Despite only playing for five seasons, Koenig was an elite scorer and an eventual hall of famer who quite possibly could have been a multiple-time MVP if it weren’t for O’Malley.  And so it was only fitting that the player whose career had been the most intertwined with O’Malley’s ended up leading the league in points and winning the MVP award in both players’ final season.

 

Legendary player and my 2nd favorite Ivo player after Remy Leboo

[Jericho 917]

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