Claimed:45

[Will 4,662]

GOODBYE SEASON 45

New York's Continental Cup victory marks both the end of Season 52 and the closing of a draft class opened 8 seasons earlier: Season 45 in this case. S45 was a special draft class, not just because I was in it (although I wasn't in the draft) but because of how many others were. Easily one of the better draft classes of the past decade, I was lucky enough as Helsinki's GM to have the top 3 overall draft picks, two of which I used to make the most important draft selections of my GM career.

 

I think the luckiest moment that I've had in the VHL was that draft lottery that gave me the first 3 selections in S45. It didn't really matter whether I gave 1st overall to Phil Hamilton or Greg Clegane, but I gave it to @Phil on the assumption that @Victor was first overall before which I think was incorrect but oh well. 3rd overall was where it was interesting because I was getting my goalie and an elite defenseman at 1 & 2 and really the rest of the best players in the draft were either goalies or defense so I had to decide whether I wanted to move it or pick someone and possibly move them later. 

 

 

I already had a perfect group of defensemen in Helsinki to compliment Phil, reliable but less expensive, and so I really didn't want to pick up another expensive defensman. Instead, I made an excellent deal with @Mr. Power who was the GM of Cologne at the time. 3rd overall, 6th overall, and a future 1st in exchange for two players: Christoph Klose and Thomas O'Malley. Like the draft selections, this was easily the most important trade of my GM career and is indeed what propelled us to two Continental Cups. 

 

My selections only scratch the surface of the S45 draft class. In addition you have Max Molholt who also wasn't in the draft as well as Biggu Kyanon and goaltenders Sandro Clegane and Ariel Weinstein. It was a great draft to take part in as a GM and also a great group of players to play out a career with. Without a doubt these players will be missed and their departure from the league certainly leaves holes to be filled. 

 

I never really went into the S45 draft with plans of winning that season. In fact, I imagined S46 would be our earliest year of true competitiveness. And then the draft lottery exceeded expectations. And then we got exceedingly lucky with the Klose/O'Malley trade. I think the most important aspect of it all was how active Phil, Victor, and I were during our VHLM and rookie seasons. We are all drafted around the 300TPE range and, gosh, I think by the time playoffs came around all 3 of us were at or around 500. And so despite us being prime-caliber players, with all the rookie contracts we were able to field a deep roster centered around our two veterans (although they were still prime in S45) and that was that.

 

In any case, may the S45's RIP.

 

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

goodbye S45, the time i came back for good

[Will 4,662]

3 minutes ago, TheLastOlympian07 said:

goodbye S45, the time i came back for good

 

i take it all back, i hate S45

[Jericho 917]

Claimed