Claimed: Veteran Corner (July 17-23) [1/2]

[Smarch 3,194]

Veteran Corner

 

We are back for yet another installment of Veteran Corner, but this time around we will be using the VHLs tenth anniversary as an excuse to take a bit of a break from looking at the veteran players around the league, and look at those who have come before this current generation of players. Everyone knows that the greats that have come before the current generation of players helped build the foundation that we currently have, but with not many members from the early days, we’ll do our best and try to bring those players and their stories to the forefront.

Devon Marlow-Marta: Season Five, Fourth Overall

 

Marlow-Marta isn’t the most celebrated VHL Hall of Fame member, but none the less, the Calgary native was a solid two-way player during his six seasons with the Wranglers. Marlow-Marta joined the Wranglers straight out of the VHL draft, something that did help his final offensive numbers, as he managed to only put up twenty-one goals and thirty assists in his first full season with the Wranglers, but that was just the start for the winger. Over the next five seasons with the Calgary based VHL club, Marlow-Marta would go on to give the Wranglers solid two-way play each and every night, finishing his career with 432 games, 265 goals, 350 assists, and a plus 223. Marlow-Marta was inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame as part of the Season Seventeen class, making sure his time in the VHL will never be forgotten. Marlow-Marta also would eventually see the trophy for the North American Conference playoff champion re-named the Devon Marlow-Marta trophy, something he unfortunately has never been around to see.

 

Christian Slotzschweiger: Season Two, First Overall

 

The man the rookie of the year trophy is named after, and for good reason too. After playing in Season One thanks to him joining after the original draft and then becoming available to teams via the Supplementary Draft, Slotzschweiger was selected by Toronto First Overall in the Season Two VHL Entry Draft. The rest you can say is history as Slotzschweiger would go on to put up seventy-two goals and sixty-eight assists for 140 points, a rookie record that still stands today as await the start of the Season Fifty-Five playoffs. Slotzschweiger didn’t slow down his scoring ways after his rookie season, but unfortunately for the Cologne native he didn’t really play on any great teams over his seven seasons in the VHL, so he would leave the VHL with over 900 points but only one Continental Cup, with the then Avangard Havoc in Season seven. Now many seasons removed from the game he loves, Slotzschweiger can still find himself in the top echelon of scorers in the VHL as his 912 points are good enough for sixth on the all-time VHL points list.

 

Dustin Funk: Season Three, Fifth Overall

 

Funk is another VHL name that many around these days might not pop out for them, but back in the early days of the league the native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was a mainstay in Seattle for the Bears and later in Riga for the Reign. Funk entered the league with the Bears just as they were taking over the North American Conference from Calgary, something that likely helped his offensive totals, but Funk went about getting there the right way, making more friends than enemies during his seven year VHL career. Funk would start his career slightly underwhelming in the offensive category as he only managed to put up twelve goals and nineteen assists in his rookie season with Seattle. Season Four is really where Funk started to come alive in the VHL and the main reason the VHLs most improved award is named after him, as he improved his point total from the year before by eighty-one points. Funk would help Seattle win back to back championships beginning in Season Four, cementing himself as one of the all-time greatest players to ever grace the VHL, something the league finally recognized with his induction into the Hall of Fame as part of the Season Sixteen class.

 

*For Trombone*

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

Review

Great read on players we both had the luxury to play with and against during the early seasons of the VHL. maybe @Corco should tag them in a article and they will come back because it seems to be working.