(S58 Class) Tom Lincoln - Player [1/2]

[Quik 4,113]

C/LW - Tom Lincoln
Birthplace: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Height: 5/11"
Weight: 200 lbs
Jersey Number: 87
Drafted: S47 GM Rule (Quebec Meute)
Username: @Kesler

 

When you think of Hall of Fame players, the first image that pops into your head is an awards cabinet full of accolades, ranging from personal awards to Continental Cups to Gold Medals. Such is the resume of the typical Hall of Famer! Without any major personal awards, such as the Scotty Campbell Trophy (League MVP), Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Playoff MVP), Mike Szatowski Trophy (Leading Points Scorer), Kevin Brooks Trophy (Leading Goal Scorer), Alexander Beketov Trophy (Leading Assists), or Scott Boulet Trophy (Best Two-Way Forward), it is rare for a forward to be considered amongst the best to ever lace up their skates in the VHL. Every once in a while, though, comes a player whose skills and abilities, when tallied up, rise above the rest, even without any major awards to their name. In this Hall of Fame Class, that player is Tom Lincoln, who, over his eight season career, tallied some impressive numbers to go along with two Cup wins and two Gold Medals!

 

Awards

S48 Bronze Medal - World Cup (CAN)
S49 Victory Cup - Best Regular Season Record (QUE)
S51 Mikka Virkkunen Trophy - Most Sportsmanlike (Co-Winner)
S52 Mikka Virrkunen Trophy - Most Sportsmanlike
S52 Devon Marlow-Marta Trophy - North America Champions (NYA)
S52 Continental Cup - VHL Champions (NYA)
S52 Gold Medal - World Cup Champions (CAN)
S53 Mikka Virrkunen Trophy - Most Sportsmanlike
S53 Devon Marlow-Marta Trophy - North America Champions (NYA)
S53 Continental Cup - VHL Champions (NYA)
S54 Gold Medal - World Cup Champions

Season 47

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S47(QUE)  72GP |  26G -  37A -  63P |  -39 |  302SHT |  3GWG

After a pre-draft season that saw him score nearly 2-Points per game (73GP - 66G - 72A - 138P), Tom Lincoln joined the Quebec Meute under the league's GM Rule. It was a tough season for the Meute, as they would win only 15 games and finish last in the league, while also losing the Draft Lottery; that draft lottery loss turned into fell Hall Inductee, Unassisted (S56 Class). For Lincoln, he was not surrounded with much talent during his rookie year, centering a line that included VHL Standouts Olivia Diamond and Que RW2! Still, Lincoln managed to score at a near Point-Per-Game pace, finishing 4 points behind Cologne's Joel Jarvi in the league Rookie Scoring Race. In what should probably have been a closer vote, Lincoln fell short of winning the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy as the VHL's most outstanding rookie.

 

Season 48

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S48(QUE)  72GP |  46G -  49A -  95P |  +10 |  467SHT |  5GWG
WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S48(CAN)  10GP |   3G -   8A -  11P |   -3 |   49SHT |  0GWG
WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S48(CAN)   1GP |   0G -   0A -   0P |   -1 |    2SHT |  0GWG

In what would turn out to be a precursor for things to come, Lincoln started his S48 season with a fantastic World Cup showing, putting up 11 Points in the 10-game Round Robin. After a loss to Team Scandinavia in the Semi-Finals, Lincoln and his Canadian teammates stepped up and won the Bronze, with Lincoln scoring the Game Winning Goal! During the season, the Meute, armed with a star player who put in serious work during the off-season, as well as a stud rookie, nearly doubled its win totals, claiming 28 games in victory. While they still finished well outside the playoff picture, the emergence of Lincoln and Unassisted lead to an exciting future for the franchise! On an individual level, Tom's sophomore season was a huge leap forward, and was the final time, in an eight season career, where he would fail to reach the century mark in Points, scoring 46 goals (the second of only 3 times where he would fail to reach 50), 49 Assists and a total of 95 Points, once again leading his team!

 

Season 49

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S49(QUE)  72GP |  52G -  58A - 110P |  +96 |  467SHT | 15GWG
VHL PLAYOFFS
S49(QUE)   5GP |   2G -   3A -   5P |   +2 |   33SHT |  0GWG

After an off-season that saw Quebec acquire star players Aleksi Koponen and Greg Clegane (S53 Class), the Meute saw an opportunity to put the pedal to the metal and push their rebuild into overdrive. The team made in-season acquisitions of three more key veterans (Severin von Karma, Jeff Hamilton - S57 Class - and Wolfgang Strauss), that would get them over the edge and help them claim the Victory Cup, as the league's best Regular Season team, beating out Toronto for the title. For his part, Lincoln broke the 50-Goal, 100-Point barriers for the first time in his career, finishing second on his team in scoring with 110 points. This was also a season where Lincoln showed how clutch he can be, netting an astounding 15 Game Winning Goals! Unfortunately for Lincoln and the Meute, the Semi-Finals brought on the defending Champions, lead by Max Molholt (S53 Class) and Zach Parechkin (S54 Class), and they were dispatched in 5 games. Lincoln had a respectable first showing in the playoffs, putting up 5 points in those 5 games, but there was a definite bitter taste left in the mouth of Meute fans, as many expected at least a bigger fight between the two Goliaths of the VHL.

 

Season 50

VHL REGULAR SEASON 
S50(QUE)  72GP |  48G -  57A - 105P |  +71 |  527SHT |  7GWG
VHL PLAYOFFS
S50(QUE)  10GP |   7G -   7A -  14P |   +2 |   80SHT |  1GWG
WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S50(CAN)  10GP |   6G -   4A -  10P |   +7 |   51SHT |  1GWG
WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S50(CAN)   1GP |   0G -   0A -   0P |    E |    2SHT |  0GWG

After the disappointment of losing in 5 games to Toronto, the less than stellar performances for Lincoln's teams continued into the World Cup, where his Canadian team was eliminated in the S50 Quarter Finals by Team Mercenaries, who would go on to finish 4th, losing the Bronze Medal game to USA. This season brought another overshadowing from Toronto, as Quebec finished 9 points back of them in the regular season, before losing the Semi Final series in 6 games to the eventual Threepeat Champion. For his part, Lincoln once again topped the 100-Point mark, finishing with 48 Goals and 57 Assists, good enough for second on the team to Unassisted. In the playoffs, Tom finished 1-point back of Koponen for the team lead, while leading the Meute in goals!

 

Season 51

VHL REGULAR SEASON 
S51(COL)  72GP |  51G -  58A - 109P |  +63 |  566SHT |  6GWG
VHL PLAYOFFS
S51(COL)  11GP |   7G -   9A -  16P |   +9 |   77SHT |  1GWG

After two straight failures to overcome the mountain that was Toronto, and losing Unassisted to Calgary through Free Agency, Quebec decided it was time to regroup and get younger. Lincoln was traded to the upstart Cologne Express, looking to break their curse and win the franchise's first Continental Cup! After a strong regular season that saw Cologne finish 2nd in the European Conference, and Lincoln finishing 3-Points off the team lead, the Express charged into the playoffs, steamrolling a sub-par Davos club before battling the European Conference Champion Riga Reign. Lincoln scored 2 goals and 6 assists through the series' first 4 games, as Cologne jumped to a 3-1 series lead over the favourites from Latvia. Unfortunately for the German side, the offense dried up, scoring just 2 goals in the final 3 games of the series, as Sandro Clegane (S54 Class) found his game and carried the Reign to the Finals. Lincoln put up a valiant effort for the Express, posting 9 points in the 7 game series, but it once again proved not enough, as the Finals were still out of his grasp. Lincoln did manage to win the first individual award of his career, splitting the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy three-ways, with Sir William Covington III and LeAndre St. Pierre.

 

Season 52

VHL REGULAR SEASON 
S52(NYA)  72GP |  59G -  62A - 121P |  +67 |  549SHT | 11GWG
VHL PLAYOFFS
S52(NYA)  17GP |  12G -  17A -  29P |  +20 |  108SHT |  4GWG
WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S52(CAN)  10GP |   6G -   7A -  13P |   +5 |   67SHT |  2GWG
WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S52(CAN)   3GP |   2G -   1A -   3P |   -2 |   27SHT |  0GWG

Once again, the World Cup proved to be a predictor of things to come for Tom Lincoln. After a World Cup that saw him sit among the leaders in points, Canada finally overcame their poor showings in Elimination games and took home the Gold! Once the tournament was over, Lincoln found himself once again on the move, as his first season in Cologne proved to be his last! The Express traded him to the New York Americans, who were looking to make a run of their own, and followed up their trade with the Free Agent signing of Lincoln's old friend, Unassisted! Together in New York, Lincoln put up the best season of his career, scoring 59 Goals and 62 Assists for a total of 121 Points, and a second straight Virkkunen Trophy (this time as sole-winner)! With an offense featuring Lincoln, Unassisted, Diana Maxwell (S58 Class), Essian Ravenwing and Covington III, the Americans were able to overpower the Calgary Wranglers in seven games in the first round, before defeating the Seattle Bears in five games in the Semi Final, taking Lincoln to the first Continental Cup Final of his career! After scoring 9 Goals and 11 Assists through the first two series, Lincoln continued his incredible playoff with 3 Goals and 6 Assists in 5 games in the Finals, where the Americans were able to defeat the Riga Reign and win the Continental Cup! For his part, Lincoln lead the playoffs in scoring with 29 points, and finished second in Daisuke Kanou voting, behind teammate Unassisted, as Playoff MVP. It was a banner season for Tom, as he was able to claim the rare Double-Gold, winning Championships for both Club and Country!

 

Season 53

VHL REGULAR SEASON 
S53(NYA)  72GP |  52G -  53A - 105P |  +72 |  543SHT | 10GWG
VHL PLAYOFFS
S53(NYA)  19GP |   8G -   9A -  17P |   +3 |  121SHT |  2GWG

After claiming his first Continental Cup, and with his career winding down, Lincoln took a bit of a step back in his 7th season in the VHL. Still managing to hit 52 Goals and 105 Points, he finished a distant 4th in team scoring. He once again was named the league's most sportsmanlike player, winning his 3rd and final Virkkunen Trophy. The Americans, as a team, finished 4 points behind Seattle for first in the North American Conference, needing, once again, to play in the Quarter Final series, this time against Lincoln's first team, Quebec. It took just 5 games for New York to get past the Meute, while Lincoln's sub-par, to his standards, season continued with just 1 Goal and 4 Points in those 5 games. New York would go on to win their second straight Continental Cup, defeating the Stockholm Vikings in 7 games! Lincoln would score 3 Goals and 5 Points in those 7 games, finishing the playoffs with 17 Points in 19 Games.

 

Season 54

VHL REGULAR SEASON 
S54(NYA)  72GP |  51G -  65A - 116P |  +71 |  543SHT |  6GWG
VHL PLAYOFFS
S54(NYA)   9GP |   7G -  10A -  17P |   +6 |   66SHT |  2GWG
WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S54(CAN)  10GP |   5G -   5A -  10P |   +1 |   48SHT |  1GWG
WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S54(CAN)   2GP |   0G -   2A -   2P |   +1 |    9SHT |  0GWG

After an off-season that saw a lot of introspection, and a World Cup that saw Lincoln claim his second straight Gold Medal, Tom was back to his usual self in his 8th and final season in the VHL! After notching 51 Goals an 116 Points in the Regular Season, Lincoln was able to exorcise his demons, in the form of the Toronto Legion, as the Americans swept the Ontario Capitol with Lincoln netting 5 Goals and 11 Points in the 4 games! Unfortunately, Lincoln's storybook ending was for naught, as the Americans, after taking Game 1 of the Semi Finals against Quebec, lost the next 4 en route to a disappointing end for both Lincoln and New York.

 

Career Overview

Tom Lincoln may just be the picture of consistency in the VHL. Never the most physical, he put his offensive talents on display every single night he stepped onto the ice. Outside of his rookie season, Lincoln finished outside the league's top 10 scorers only once, an 11th place finish in S53, while finishing inside the top 5 three times, and the top 8 six times. While he never lead the league in scoring, and never managed any of the major individual awards, it is that elite consistency, as well as his incredible playoff stats, that prove Tom Lincoln is indeed one of the VHL's All-Time Greats, and is deserving of enshrinement in its annals of history!

 

VHL REGULAR SEASON 
S47(QUE)  72GP |  26G -  37A -  63P |  -39 |  302SHT |  3GWG
S48(QUE)  72GP |  46G -  49A -  95P |  +10 |  467SHT |  5GWG
S49(QUE)  72GP |  52G -  58A - 110P |  +96 |  467SHT | 15GWG
S50(QUE)  72GP |  48G -  57A - 105P |  +71 |  527SHT |  7GWG
S51(COL)  72GP |  51G -  58A - 109P |  +63 |  566SHT |  6GWG
S52(NYA)  72GP |  59G -  62A - 121P |  +67 |  549SHT | 11GWG
S53(NYA)  72GP |  52G -  53A - 105P |  +72 |  543SHT | 10GWG
S54(NYA)  72GP |  51G -  65A - 116P |  +71 |  543SHT |  6GWG
TOTAL    576GP | 385G - 439A - 824P | +411 | 3964SHT | 63GWG

VHL PLAYOFFS
S49(QUE)   5GP |   2G -   3A -   5P |   +2 |   33SHT |  0GWG
S50(QUE)  10GP |   7G -   7A -  14P |   +2 |   80SHT |  1GWG
S51(COL)  11GP |   7G -   9A -  16P |   +9 |   77SHT |  1GWG
S52(NYA)  17GP |  12G -  17A -  29P |  +20 |  108SHT |  4GWG
S53(NYA)  19GP |   8G -   9A -  17P |   +3 |  121SHT |  2GWG
S54(NYA)   9GP |   7G -  10A -  17P |   +6 |   66SHT |  2GWG
TOTAL     71GP |  43G -  55A -  98P |  +42 |  485SHT | 10GWG

WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S46(CAN)  10GP |   1G -   4A -   5P |  -10 |   20SHT |  0GWG
S48(CAN)  10GP |   3G -   8A -  11P |   -3 |   49SHT |  0GWG
S50(CAN)  10GP |   6G -   4A -  10P |   +7 |   51SHT |  1GWG
S52(CAN)  10GP |   6G -   7A -  13P |   +5 |   67SHT |  2GWG
S54(CAN)  10GP |   5G -   5A -  10P |   +1 |   48SHT |  1GWG
TOTAL     50GP |  21G -  28A -  49P |    E |  235SHT |  4GWG

WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S46(CAN)   1GP |   0G -   0A -   0P |   -2 |    1SHT |  0GWG
S48(CAN)   1GP |   0G -   0A -   0P |   -1 |    2SHT |  0GWG
S50(CAN)   1GP |   0G -   0A -   0P |    E |    2SHT |  0GWG
S52(CAN)   3GP |   2G -   1A -   3P |   -2 |   27SHT |  0GWG
S54(CAN)   2GP |   0G -   2A -   2P |   +1 |    9SHT |  0GWG
TOTAL      8GP |   2G -   3A -   5P |   -4 |   41SHT |  0GWG

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by Quik

[STZ 5,280]

Ez

[boubabi 4,725]

Most sportsmanlike pro

[Beketov 8,642]

*sees that he was mentioned but doesn’t see his name*

 

*checks edit history*

 

 

[STZ 5,280]

5 minutes ago, Beketov said:

*sees that he was mentioned but doesn’t see his name*

 

*checks edit history*

 

 

 

Abuse of power tbh

 

 

[Kesler 1,514]

Nowhere in here does it say I was the sweet dish master, rip.

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

4 minutes ago, Kesler said:

Nowhere in here does it say I was the sweet dish master, rip.

it also doesnt say anywhere that you were ez to play against

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Review:

Awesome player and amazing career. Lincoln was a gem!

Good article on Kes' player.