(S49 Class) Bismarck Koenig - Player [1/2]

[Bushito 1,945]

C - Bismarck Koenig
Birthplace: Bloemfontein, South Africa
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 202 lbs
Jersey Number: 10
Drafted: S42 Round 1, Pick 1 (Davos)
Username: Boom

 

Ever since making his VHL debut, the league knew that Bismarck Koenig was a special player. Early one Monday morning this was solidified when the BoG declared Koenig to be the sole induction for the S49 class of the hall of fame. Koenig originally made his debut with the team that drafted him, HC Davos. This would just be one of four teams that Koenig would play for in his short career in terms of VHL standards. When Koenig moved on from Davos in a trade to the Cologne Express, his career boomed. Koenig was always reliable on the ice to put up production, but the league didn’t see his best efforts until his final season, S47. Koenig would lead the league in points with 120 and would finish his career with four different awards, including the Campbell and Slobodzian. Bismarck may never have won a Continental Cup, but he was constantly a key part of the teams he played for and certainly deserves this induction

 
Career Awards:

S43 Terence Fong Trophy - European Conference Champions (COL)
S44 Terence Fong Trophy - European Conference Champions (COL)

S43 Gold Medal (WEU)
S46 Gold Medal (WEU)
S43 MVP - World Cup
S43 Top Forward - World Cup
S46 Top Forward - World Cup

S43 Mikka Virkkunen Trophy - Most Sportsmanlike
S44 Mikka Virkkunen Trophy - Most Sportsmanlike
S43 Dustin Funk Trophy - Most Improved 
S45 Kevin Brooks Trophy - Most Goals
S47 Scotty Campbell Trophy - League MVP
S47 Brett Slobodzian Trophy - Most Outstanding Player
S47 Mike Szatkowski Trophy - Leading Points
S47 Alexander Beketov Trophy - Most Assists

Season 40 Statistics (VHLM):

Regular Season
S40(MOS) 13GP | 1G - 10A - 11P | +0 | 28SHT | 1GWG |  4PIM | 30HIT | 12SB

Creating at the deadline, Koenig decided to sign with the Moscow Red Wolves. While Moscow didn't make the playoffs, Koenig had almost a point a game with very little experience in the minors.

 

Season 41 Statistics (VHLM):

Regular Season
S41(YUK) 72GP | 72G - 76A - 148P | +105 | 454SHT | 12GWG |  40PIM | 134HIT | 30SB
Playoffs
S41(YUK)  12GP | 4G -  7A -  11P |  +4 | 56SHT | 1GWG |  12PIM | 22HIT | 5SB

Bismarck's first full season in the VHLM saw him explode with 148 points which were good for sixth in the league. Yukon also made it to the FOunders cup in season 41 where the lost the finals to the Outlaws. This season was a sign of things to come for the draftee.

 

Season 42 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S42(COL) 72GP | 31G - 26A - 57P | +1 | 316SHT | 3GWG | 24PIM | 85HIT | 32SB

After being drafted by the Davos Dynamo first overall in the season 42 draft Koenig went on to put up fifty-seven points which were good for second most among rookies. While the Dynamo missed the playoffs, it was clear that Koenig was one of their greatest assets moving forward. I guess Dovos felt the need to use their new asset to their advantage as they traded him for Mason Richardson who is a fellow VHL Hall of Fame player as well.

 

Season 43 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S43(COL) 72GP | 50G - 50A - 100P | +46 | 532SHT | 7GWG | 0PIM | 7HIT | 45SB | 38.4FO%
Playoffs
S43(COL) 18GP | 9G - 19A - 28P | +11 | 116SHT | 2GWG | 5PIM | 3HIT | 12SB | 41.3FO%

Bismarck had his VHL breakout season in forty-three. After the trade Bismarck was well over a point per game while Cologne went on to capture the European Conference Championship. Koenig also won the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy for being the most sportsmanlike player in the league and the Dustin Funk Trophy as the most improved player in the league. The season forty-three offseason also brought the World Cup which saw Koenig finish as the top forward in the tournament and also as tournament MVP while his team Western Europe won the gold medal. 

 

Season 44 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S44(COL) 72GP | 54G - 63A - 117P | +64 | 526SHT | 13GWG | 2PIM | 18HIT | 30SB | 54.6FO%
Playoffs
S44(COL) 13GP | 8G - 8A - 16P | -5 | 98SHT | 2GWG | 0PIM | 2HIT | 3SB | 50.7FO%

In his second season with Cologne, Koenig had another great year and another uptick in production. While Cologne won another European Conference Championship and Koenig won another Mikka Virkkunen Trophy for being the most sportsmanlike player, the team just couldn't take home the championship they were after and this may have been what prompted Koenigs next move...

 

Season 45 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S45(CGY) 72GP | 53G - 60A - 113P | +38 | 533SHT |  6GWG |  62PIM | 194HIT | 20SB | 57.3FO%
Playoffs
S45(CGY) 16GP | 10G - 10A - 20P | +9 | 118SHT | 2GWG | 18PIM | 47HIT | 9SB | 60.9FO%

Bismarck signed with the Calgary Wranglers in the season forty-four off-season in hopes of chasing another cup and while that goal never came to fruition, he did have one hell of a season once again putting up 113 points. Koenig added another trophy to his walls this season with his first Kevin Brooks Trophy for most goals on the year with sixty. Another thing that was odd about this season for Koenig was after two most sportsmanlike trophies he wound up with 62 penalty minutes and 194 hits on the season which was way higher than anything seen in his past.

 

Season 46 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S46(DAV) 72GP | 51G - 47A - 98P | +35 | 394SHT | 9GWG | 101PIM | 171HIT | 16SB | 62.7FO%
Playoffs
S46(DAV) 9GP | 5G - 3A - 8P | -1 | 48SHT | 1GWG | 7PIM | 18HIT | 3SB | 48.9FO%

Bismarck decided to make another move in the off-season, this time heading back to the team that drafted him in Davos to once again try for a cup run. This was Koenigs worst season since he was a rookie and Davos didn't fair well in the playoffs either. Despite not winning a championship or any individual awards, the World Cup came along to salvage this season for Bismarck. In the World Cup, Bismarck won offensive player of the tournament once again and his Western European team once again took home gold.

 

Season 47 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season 
S47(HSK) 72GP | 46G - 74A - 120P | +60 | 503SHT | 11GWG | 116PIM | 294HIT | 20SB | 67.6FO%
Playoffs 
S47(HSK) 6GP | 4G - 3A - 7P | -1 | 44SHT | 1GWG | 12PIM | 20HIT | 0SB | 62.1FO%

Saving the best for last, Koenig goes out with a bang. After season 46 Bismarck once again made a move in the off-season, this time to the Helsinki Titans. While Helsinki sunk in the playoffs, Bismarck had his most productive season with 120 points.  Koenig won the Scotty Campbell Trophy as league MVP, the Brett Slobodzian Trophy as most outstanding player, the Mike Szatkowski Trophy for leading the league in points and the Alexander Beketov Trophy for most assists on the season.

Career Totals:

Regular Season
432GP | 285G - 320A - 605P | +244 | 2,804SHT | 49GWG | 305PIM | 769HIT | 145SB
Playoffs
62GP  | 36G - 43A - 79P | +13 | 424SHT | 8GWG | 42PIM | 90HIT | 27SB

 

While Bismarck Koenig did only play for six seasons in the VHL and never won a championship in any of them he did achieve great things.  Winning two World Cups and being the best offensive player in both tournaments is very impressive. Bismarck also won the scoring race in his time, to go along with Most Sportsmanlike, Most Improved, Most Goals, League MVP, Most Outstanding Player, Leading Points, Most Assists, now that has got to be one hell of a trophy room. 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Bushito

[Bushito 1,945]

@Will Bismarck Koenigs player page is also missing his rookie season S42, just a heads up.

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Review:

Koenig quickly blossomed into a big name player. Unfortunately his career was short, but it is what it is.

Solid writing.