Claimed: Helsinki Wins Second Consecutive Cup, Shayne Gow Rides Into Sunset

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Helsinki Wins Second Consecutive Cup, Shayne Gow Rides Into Sunset

 

 

HELINKI, FINLAND - They've done it again. After a thrilling 7 game series against the Quebec City Meute, the Helsinki Titans are lifting back-to-back Continental Cups. Fans, players, and members of the front office celebrated in a frenzy once Theo Axelsson's shot hit the back of the net. Everyone realized it's hard enough to win one cup during a team's window of competitiveness, let alone two. However, the celebration was bittersweet for one members of the Titans. Veteran defenseman Shayne Gow had announced earlier in the season that Season 55 would be his last. We caught up with the now retired Gow earlier this morning.

 

"It feels so nice to find success where it all started for me. I was drafted to Helsinki when I first came to the Victory Hockey League, but it didn't really work out for us. Afterwards, I spent some time in Seattle, Quebec, and Calgary, and while I didn't dislike playing for any of those franchises, none of them really felt like home to me. When Helsinki reached out to me when I was a free agent, they offered me the opportunity to come in and help provide a veteran presence to a young team. By this time, I knew where I stood as a player - a solid veteran, but never someone who was going to win any awards or anything. With that in mind, I was able to join the Titans and just be me and do the best I could do for the 2 or 3 seasons I knew I was going to be there. With the minimal number of additions since I joined the team, we were a tight knit group, which makes these two cups all the more sweeter."

 

From a personal standpoint, Shayne didn't have the best of seasons. In the regular season, Gow only accumulated 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists) +57, and 71 shots blocked. Most surprisingly, Shayne racked up 68 PIMs, which is more than triple the amount he accumulated the last 3 seasons (14, 2, and 13 PIMs respectively). With that, Shayne only provided a grin and noted that he had some scores to settle knowing that he wasn't playing next year. The playoffs weren't much better. In 12 games, Gow only scored 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists), which was the lowest on the team. His defensive stats weren't much better, as his shots blocked (13) and hits (18) were both lowest on the team for defensemen.

 

"I know my season wasn't that good, especially during the playoffs. I could feel my body breaking down more than usual. I could say it was due to age, but deep down, I know that I slacked off in my training towards the end of my career. Maybe if I worked harder, I could have had more personal success, but in the end, we got our Continental Cups, which is what we all strive for."