(S56 Class) Unassisted - Player [1/2]

[Quik 4,113]

C - Unassisted
Birthplace: Richmond Hill, ON, Canada
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195 lbs
Jersey Number: 92
Drafted: S47 2nd Overall (QUE)
Username: @STZ

 

Some players are born great. Some have greatness thrust upon them. Others work their way to the top, and earn the mantle of greatness. Unassisted is a combination of all three, rolled into one! Signing at a young age with the STZ Player Agency, big things were always expected of the prospect from Richmond Hill. After being drafted 2nd overall in the S47 VHL Entry Draft, he was thrust onto the first line as a rookie, alongside fellow future Hall of Famer, Tom Lincoln (S58 Class). As his career continued to flourish, Unassisted continued to work and improve, piling up the accolades, winning each of the Dustin Funk Trophy (Most Improved Player), Mike Szatowski Trophy (Points Leader), Kevin Brooks Trophy (Goals Leader), Scotty Campbell Trophy (League MVP), Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player), and Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Playoff MVP). Indeed, Unassisted boasts an impressive resume, fully deserving of the honour that is being inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame!

 

Awards

S48 Bronze Medal - World Cup (CAN)
S49 Victory Cup - Best Regular Season Record (QUE)
S49 Dustin Funk Trophy - Most Improved Player
S50 Mike Szatkowski Trophy - Most Points
S50 Kevin Brooks Trophy - Most Goals
S51 Victory Cup - Best Regular Season Record (CAL)
S52 Gold Medal - World Cup (CAN)
S52 Scotty Campbell Trophy - MVP
S52 Brett Slobodzian Trophy - Most Outstanding Player
S52 Daisuke Kanou Trophy - Playoff MVP
S52 Devon Marlow-Marta Trophy - North America Champions (NYA)
S52 Continental Cup - VHL Champions (NYA)
S53 Devon Marlow-Marta Trophy - North America Champions (NYA)
S53 Continental Cup - VHL Champions (NYA)
S54 Gold Medal - World Cup (CAN)

 

Season 48

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S48(QUE)  72GP |  36G -  43A -  79P |  +19 |  379SHT |  6GWG |  64PIM |  82HIT |  23SB
WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S48(CAN)  10GP |   4G -   7A -  11P |    E |   36SHT |  0GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   4SB
WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S48(CAN)   2GP |   1G -   1A -   2P |   +3 |    8SHT |  0GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   0SB

After lighting up the VHLM to the tune of 53 Goals and 129 Points in his Draft-Season, Unassisted was the best possible consolation prize for a Quebec team that finished Season 47 with just 15 wins and lost the draft lottery to pick 2nd Overall! Immediately thrust into the spotlight, Unassisted began his rookie season with a selection to represent Team Canada at the S48 World Cup! Placed on a line with Zach Parechkin (S54 Class), Unassisted showed his offensive prowess by scoring 4 Goals and 11 Points in the Round Robin. Canada would go on to win Bronze, with Unassisted picking up an assist on the eventual Game Winner, which was scored by Lincoln, someone that Unassisted would remain linked with for much of his career! Upon his arrival in Quebec, Unassisted was immediately inserted as the team's top Center, flanked by the aforementioned Lincoln and Valentin Taneyev. It was another tough season for the Meute as a team, as they managed only 28 Wins in Unassisted's rookie season, but the young phenom would have a strong individual season, scoring 36 Goals, and setting up 43, to finish 2nd in the league Rookie scoring race, behind Sir William Covington III. Perhaps more impressive than scoring above a Point-Per-Game pace is the fact that, on a team that finished -56 in goal differential on the season, Unassisted finished with a very respectable +19 rating! As great a rookie season as he had, Unassisted did not receive any votes for the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy as Top Rookie, as Covington III would go on to claim that prize.

 

Season 49

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S49(QUE)  72GP |  44G -  63A - 107P |  +93 |  444SHT | 10GWG |  26PIM |  45HIT |  21SB
VHL PLAYOFFS
S49(QUE)   5GP |   3G -   2A -   5P |   -1 |   24SHT |  0GWG |   0PIM |   3HIT |   2SB

Unassisted's sophomore season saw big changes in the makeup of the Quebec Meute. With the off-season addition of Aleksi Koponen and Greg Clegane (S53 Class), and mid-season acquisitions of Severin von Karma, Wolfgang Strauss, and Jeff Hamilton (S57 Class), the French-Canadian side was making a statement: They were ready to shed their status as league bottom-feeder and become one of its heavy-hitters! After an intense Regular Season that saw four North American teams finish with more points than any team in the European Conference, Quebec came out on top, winning the Victory Cup as the league's top Regular Season team. Unassisted broke the 100-Point mark for the first of six straight seasons, finishing with 44 Goals, 63 Assists and 107 Points, good enough to claim the Dustin Funk Trophy as the league's most improved player! After a first round bye, the Meute hosted the defending Champion Toronto Legion in what was crowned the true Continental Cup Final. Unfortunately for Quebec, they were only able to hold on long enough to avoid being swept, winning Game Four before losing in five to the eventual repeat Champion. Unassisted had a valiant first showing in the playoffs, finishing tied for second in team scoring with 5 Points in the series.

 

Season 50

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S50(QUE)  72GP |  54G -  55A - 109P |  +70 |  466SHT | 15GWG |  14PIM |  40HIT |  32SB
VHL PLAYOFFS
S50(QUE)  10GP |   2G -   7A -   9P |   +1 |   69SHT |  0GWG |   4PIM |   6HIT |   6SB
WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S50(CAN)  10GP |   4G -   7A -  11P |   +6 |   43SHT |  1GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   2SB
WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S50(CAN)   1GP |   1G -   0A -   1P |    E |    2SHT |  0GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   0SB

Unfortunately for Unassisted, the disappointing team play continued into S50, starting with the World Cup. Unassisted once again had a solid tournament on an individual level, notching 12 points in the 11 games, but it wasn't enough, as after a solid Round Robin, Canada was ousted by an upstart Team Mercenaries. Just as the Canadian team took a step back after winning Bronze, Quebec took a step back in Season 50. Although the Meute boasted the league's three leading scorers, lead by Mike Szatowski and Kevin Brooks Trophy winner Unassisted's 55 Goals and 109 Points, the team finished 2nd in the conference, behind their rival Toronto. An easy sweep of the Calgary Wranglers, where Unassisted picked up a Goal and 4 Assists, lead to a Semi-Final re-match against the now two-time defending Champion Legion. This series went a little better for Quebec, as they managed to push Toronto to six games, however they were still unable to put up enough of a fight, losing the series in those six games.

 

Season 51

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S51(CGY)  72GP |  54G -  52A - 106P |  +56 |  596SHT |  7GWG |  18PIM |  40HIT |  38SB
VHL PLAYOFFS
S51(CGY)   5GP |   3G -   0A -   3P |   -4 |   29SHT |  1GWG |   0PIM |   8HIT |   3SB

Following Season 50, the Calgary Wranglers shocked the world by signing Aleksi Koponen, Black Velvet (S56 Class) and Unassisted! The trio helped push the Wranglers to the top of the league, as Calgary finished the season with 54 Wins and 132 Points. Unassisted, placed in a depth role for the first time in his career, finished 4th on the team in Points, with 106, and 3rd in Goals, with 54. Unfortunately for Unassisted, his luck against Toronto carried into the playoffs, as Calgary, after a first round bye, won just a single game, with Unassisted picking up 3 Goals and no Assists in the series.

 

Season 52

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S52(NYA)  72GP |  57G -  80A - 137P |  +83 |  511SHT | 13GWG | 111PIM | 299HIT |  14SB
VHL PLAYOFFS
S52(NYA)  17GP |  10G -  18A -  28P |  +15 |   84SHT |  2GWG |  27PIM |  51HIT |   3SB
WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S52(CAN)  10GP |   4G -   8A -  12P |   +3 |   58SHT |  1GWG |   8PIM |   8HIT |   1SB
WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S52(CAN)   3GP |   4G -   3A -   7P |   +6 |   21SHT |  3GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   2SB

After a disappointing season in Calgary, Unassisted once again found himself a Free Agent. Upon learning of a trade between Cologne and New York, that sent his old linemate Tom Lincoln to New York, Unassisted signed a contract that would see him finish his career in the Big Apple! Before re-uniting on the Americans, Unassisted and Lincoln hooked up on Team Canada, where they lead the Canadians to Gold in the S52 World Cup! Unassisted was a man possessed, picking up 19 Points in the 13 Games, while scoring the Winning Goal in each of Canada's elimination games, including the Golden Goal against the United States! After his heroics at the World Cup, Unassisted only improved, as he finished 2nd in League Scoring with 137 Points! His season was good enough to earn Unassisted the Scotty Campbell and Brett Slobodzian Trophies as the league's Most Valuable and Most Outstanding (as voted by the players) Player! In the Playoffs, he helped New York dispatch his previous club, Calgary, in 7 Games, before they would go on to beat both the Seattle Bears and Riga Reign in 5 Games, each. Over 17 Games in those Playoffs, Unassisted picked up 10 Goals and 18 Assists, good enough to claim the Daisuke Kanou Trophy as the Playoff MVP!

 

Season 53

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S53(NYA)  72GP |  56G -  79A - 135P |  +89 |  485SHT |  8GWG |  82PIM | 154HIT |  26SB
VHL PLAYOFFS
S53(NYA)  19GP |   8G -  12A -  20P |   +4 |  105SHT |  2GWG |   9PIM |  32HIT |  14SB

In his 6th Season, a time when many players start to feel the effects of time, Unassisted showed zero signs of slowing down! He finished 5th in the league Scoring Race, with 135 Points, the second highest total of his career. Once again, Unassisted found himself playing in a Quarter-Final series, this time against his original team, the Quebec Meute! After a fairly quick series, that saw New York sweep the Meute after losing Game 1, the Americans moved on to play a tough series against Seattle, where it would take an Overtime victory in Game 7 to return to the Continental Cup Finals! After a fairly pedestrian first two rounds, Unassisted exploded in the Finals with 5 Goals and 4 Assists for 9 Points in the 7-Game series, as New York would go on to defend their title as Continental Cup Champion!

 

Season 54

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S54(NYA)  72GP |  52G -  70A - 122P |  +81 |  507SHT | 12GWG |  95PIM | 139HIT |  55SB
VHL PLAYOFFS
S54(NYA)   9GP |   4G -   9A -  13P |   -1 |   64SHT |  1GWG |   8PIM |  18HIT |  11SB
WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S54(CAN)  10GP |   4G -   6A -  10P |   +1 |   58SHT |  2GWG |  26PIM |  30HIT |   1SB
WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S54(CAN)   2GP |   2G -   1A -   3P |   +2 |   10SHT |  0GWG |   2PIM |   7HIT |   2SB

Once again out to prove that father time was no match for him, Unassisted burst through the gates in S54 with yet another strong World Cup performance, culminating in a second defending of a title, as Canada would win its second straight Gold Medal! In the Regular Season, Unassisted finished just 2 Points back of teammate Diana Maxwell (S58 Class) for the Mike Szatowski Trophy as the league's Leading Scorer, with 122 Points! When the Playoffs came, it was time for Unassisted, and teammate Tom Lincoln, to slay a dragon, as they were to face the Toronto Legion in the first round. The two were phenomenal, as Unassisted would put up 4 Goals and 7 Assists for 11 Points, and the Americans would sweep the Legion away, with ease. The team's strong play would continue into the Semi-Final round, where they took Game 1 from the favourite Quebec Meute, thanks to the incredible play of their goalie, Jakab Holik! However, fortunes turned, and Quebec was able to get revenge from the season prior, as the won the next 4 Games to take the series and move on to the Continental Cup Finals.

 

Season 55

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S55(NYA)  72GP |  49G -  42A -  91P |  +39 |  471SHT | 13GWG |  38PIM | 159HIT |  67SB
VHL PLAYOFFS
S55(NYA)  10GP |   4G -   7A -  11P |   -2 |   73SHT |  0GWG |   4PIM |  24HIT |   5SB

In his final season, Unassisted found himself playing the mentor role with a young Americans roster. Situated on the 2nd line, he found himself a single goal shy of his 6th straight 50+ Goal Season, finishing the year with 49 Goals and 42 Assists. For the third time in four seasons, the Americans once again found themselves facing the Wranglers in the first round of the playoffs. The result was much the same as the previous two matchups, as New York handled the Wranglers in 5 Games to advance to the Semi-Final against, who else, the Quebec Meute. Just as the first round was a near duplicate of the previous season, so too was the second round, as New York lost the series in 5. After a great first round, where he scored 3 Goals and 5 Assists in the 5 Games, Unassisted was unable to achieve the fairy tale ending that many had envisioned for him, scoring just a single goal and adding two helpers in the 5 Game series against the Meute.

 

Career Overview

Unassisted had the kind of career most can only dream of! 402 Goals (one of only 6 players to hit the 400 Goal plateau), 886 Points (Currently 8th among the VHL's All-Time scoring leaders), and one shot away from finishing his career with 6-straight 50 Goal seasons! He won almost every possible accolade he could have, from individual awards to team championships, on both the league and international levels! During his three season peak, between S52-54, he accumulated 165 Goals and 394 Points. Indeed, Unassisted was a once in a generation type of player, and those who got to watch him play were blessed to do so, as he will go down as one of the best to ever join the ranks of the Victory Hockey League!

 

VHL REGULAR SEASON
S48(QUE)  72GP |  36G -  43A -  79P |  +19 |  379SHT |  6GWG |  64PIM |  82HIT |  23SB
S49(QUE)  72GP |  44G -  63A - 107P |  +93 |  444SHT | 10GWG |  26PIM |  45HIT |  21SB
S50(QUE)  72GP |  54G -  55A - 109P |  +70 |  466SHT | 15GWG |  14PIM |  40HIT |  32SB
S51(CGY)  72GP |  54G -  52A - 106P |  +56 |  596SHT |  7GWG |  18PIM |  40HIT |  38SB
S52(NYA)  72GP |  57G -  80A - 137P |  +83 |  511SHT | 13GWG | 111PIM | 299HIT |  14SB
S53(NYA)  72GP |  56G -  79A - 135P |  +89 |  485SHT |  8GWG |  82PIM | 154HIT |  26SB
S54(NYA)  72GP |  52G -  70A - 122P |  +81 |  507SHT | 12GWG |  95PIM | 139HIT |  55SB
S55(NYA)  72GP |  49G -  42A -  91P |  +39 |  471SHT | 13GWG |  38PIM | 159HIT |  67SB
TOTAL    576GP | 402G - 484A - 886P | +530 | 3859SHT | 84GWG | 448PIM | 958HIT | 276SB

VHL PLAYOFFS
S49(QUE)   5GP |   3G -   2A -   5P |   -1 |   24SHT |  0GWG |   0PIM |   3HIT |   2SB
S50(QUE)  10GP |   2G -   7A -   9P |   +1 |   69SHT |  0GWG |   4PIM |   6HIT |   6SB
S51(CGY)   5GP |   3G -   0A -   3P |   -4 |   29SHT |  1GWG |   0PIM |   8HIT |   3SB
S52(NYA)  17GP |  10G -  18A -  28P |  +15 |   84SHT |  2GWG |  27PIM |  51HIT |   3SB
S53(NYA)  19GP |   8G -  12A -  20P |   +4 |  105SHT |  2GWG |   9PIM |  32HIT |  14SB
S54(NYA)   9GP |   4G -   9A -  13P |   -1 |   64SHT |  1GWG |   8PIM |  18HIT |  11SB
S55(NYA)  10GP |   4G -   7A -  11P |   -2 |   73SHT |  0GWG |   4PIM |  24HIT |   5SB
TOTAL     75GP |  34G -  55A -  89P |  +12 |  448SHT |  6GWG |  52PIM | 142HIT |  44SB

WORLD CUP ROUND ROBIN
S48(CAN)  10GP |   4G -   7A -  11P |    E |   36SHT |  0GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   4SB
S50(CAN)  10GP |   4G -   7A -  11P |   +6 |   43SHT |  1GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   2SB
S52(CAN)  10GP |   4G -   8A -  12P |   +3 |   58SHT |  1GWG |   8PIM |   8HIT |   1SB
S54(CAN)  10GP |   4G -   6A -  10P |   +1 |   58SHT |  2GWG |  26PIM |  30HIT |   1SB
TOTAL     40GP |  16G -  28A -  44P |  +10 |  195SHT |  4GWG |  34PIM |  38HIT |   8SB

WORLD CUP ELIMINATION ROUNDS
S48(CAN)   2GP |   1G -   1A -   2P |   +3 |    8SHT |  0GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   0SB
S50(CAN)   1GP |   1G -   0A -   1P |    E |    2SHT |  0GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   0SB
S52(CAN)   3GP |   4G -   3A -   7P |   +6 |   21SHT |  3GWG |   0PIM |   0HIT |   2SB
S54(CAN)   2GP |   2G -   1A -   3P |   +2 |   10SHT |  0GWG |   2PIM |   7HIT |   2SB
TOTAL      8GP |   8G -   5A -  13P |  +11 |   41SHT |  3GWG |   2PIM |   7HIT |   4SB

Edited March 9, 2018 by Quik

[Will 4,604]

Well done

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Review:

Awesome HoF article! Unassisted was a true gem of a player. LEGENDARY.