Claimed: MAL on Announced Contraction

[Pandar 302]

Recently we managed to catch up with Marc-Alexandre Leblanc and asked his opinions on the news that the VHL was contracting.  Here’s what MAL, as he’s affectionately known, had to say:

 

“I’m gonna be honest, I’m a little stunned.  Not with the fact that contraction is coming… especially once the news came that the league was instituting new rules restricting the number of players that most agents could represent back down to one.  Despite the fact that the VHL is a long-lived league, it still has a relatively small number of agencies who work with it on a regular basis, and so this will make it significantly harder for teams to field a full roster.

 

“That being said, I’m at a complete and total loss as to how in the hell the Calgary Wranglers will continue to exist as a franchise, but its roster will be disbanded.  I get that the wranglers have a long and storied franchise and that the fans of that city deserve to keep their team.  Removing Cologne and Stockholm truly does make the most sense.  But why in the hell should the Stockholm roster be the one that remains intact?  It makes no sense for the fans.  It makes little sense for the players.  I’ve spent a long time here in Calgary, and it totally sucks that I’m potentially not going to get to retire here, like I intended to.  I’ve got a home and friends.  And look, I get it.  I know that this is the life of a professional athlete.  Trades happen.  Free agency happens.  But this is different, you know?  My team didn’t want to trade me.  My team wasn’t unhappy with my performance.  I was happy there.  They were happy with me.  I think the fans liked me too.  But at the end of the day, I’m on my way out, in all likelihood.

 

“And on top of it all, I feel sorry for the fans.  The city of Cologne lost its entire team as a unit.  Now, if Calgary wins the Cup, the fans of Cologne will know that that cup should have been theirs.  Calgary fans will have to watch their players shipped out in bits and pieces, and will never get to know if they were right to Trust the Process.  The Process never reached fruition.  It wasn’t given the opportunity to come to its conclusion.”

 

MAL paused here for a moment.  He seemed pretty emotional, and was perhaps trying to collect himself.

 

“Look, I’m not going to throw some kind of a hissy fit.  I’m not going to retire because I think the league made a bad call.  And to all the GMs out there who are considering bringing me on board:  I will give you everything I’ve got left.  I will do my best to bring a cup to your city, will spend extra time learning your schemes and plays, and will play at center or on the wing.  I will be one hundred percent committed to your city and your fans.”

 

[note: this is from the perspective of the player, not the Pandar Player Agency, who completely understands the logic and rationale of how contraction is occurring.]

[diamond_ace 3,106]

@Bushito should pick you up then you would still be in Calgary

[Bushito 1,945]

5 minutes ago, diamond_ace said:

@Bushito should pick you up then you would still be in Calgary

I wish

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

23 minutes ago, Bushito said:

I wish

[Kendrick 4,725]

ce va mal

[boubabi 4,725]

*ça

[Kendrick 4,725]

ce vai mallard

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Review:

Contraction definitely helped out the league, I think. The league has gotten a lot more competitive and exciting. Also, it was pretty awesome to be able to land Leblanc in the draft.