Little Man Sparks Big Things for the Rush

[omgitshim 901]

No one knew what to expect from Oyorra Arroyo when he first joined the VHLM. While it was evident that the kid could shoot, his very limited ice hockey experience made him a bit of an enigma to the league. Still the Yukon Rush took a chance with the young Puerto Rican, and so far it has paid off in spades. After a 1-2 start where Arroyo played just 10 minutes total, GM Connor Low inserted him into the 2nd line for their matchup in Saskatoon. Arroyo did not disappoint, scoring his first two goals of the season and racking up two assists to boot. He became a permanent part of the 2nd and 4th lines after that, sparking the Rush to the top of the standings with 17 wins in 20 games. While he has fallen off from the point per game pace he posted earlier in the season, Arroyo leads the Rush in the dubious +/- category with a solid +16, and he's also tied with fellow left wing Vincent Oakhart @Boomcheck in shot percentage (for all players averaging at least one shot a game) with 16.67%.

 

One of the most unexpected improvements in Arroyo's game thus far has been his physicality. At 71 inches and 177 pounds, he is one of just two Yukon players under 6' and the lightest of them all as well. After clocking just 1 hit in the month of February, Rush goons Billy Pilgrim @HellBillyXIII and Luc-Pierre Lespineau-Lebrunette @FacePuncher decided they needed to toughen the little man up. Arroyo took the training well, racking up nearly two hits a game since. No one expects the little man to come up on them, and it's always a sight watching the big men get knocked silly. If Arroyo can continue to improve all aspects of his game at this rate, he is definitely on his way to becoming a premier player in the VHLM.