Oyorra Arroyo Biography [2/2]

[omgitshim 898]

 

Oyorra Arroyo looking good in a VHL uniform.

 

Oyorra Arroyo

Left Wing

Culebra, Puerto Rico

Age: 17

Height: 71 Inches

Weight: 177 lbs.

Handedness: Left

 

Childhood

Oyorra Arroyo was born and raised by his mother Selena Arroyo in Culebra, Puerto Rico. He never knew his father, and when inquired, his mother simply says, "he doesn't deserve to know such a wonderful son." The Arroyos were very poor, with Selena often taking whatever odd jobs she can find around town while she worked as a housekeeper at Hotel Kokomo. Being one of the least populated cities in Puerto Rico, there were not a lot of kids around for Arroyo to play with, though he quickly established a motley crew in his neighborhood. They would often go out in the streets and play hockey using whatever they could find. Few had proper hockey sticks, and Oyorra himself often used the remains of a broken broom. Tennis balls were a luxury item for the kids, and they would often improvise and use a crushed soda can as a puck when they could find one. For his 12th birthday, Oyorra finally received a hockey stick of his own, and he treasured it dearly. As he grew older, he vowed to help cut down on his mother's workload, and he began to work as an unofficial guide for tourists in the area. His guidance was limited as he only spoke Spanish but he slowly began to pick up some English from casually eavesdropping on the larger groups. Still, he couldn't bring in enough money to keep his mom at home, and he felt bad about it all the time.

 

Opportunity

 

Cam Russell gives Arroyo an opportunity of a lifetime.

 

At age 16, Oyorra finally caught a break. It was an unassuming Tuesday afternoon, and Oyorra was practicing his shooting by launching tennis balls into an overturned trash can while he waited for his friends to finish their errands. The commotion caught the attention of Cam Russell, who was vacationing in the area and had just finished his lunch at Zaco's Tacos nearby. Russell, General Manager of the Halifax Mooseheads, took notice of Oyorra's shot, and offered him a spot to move to Halifax and join the Mooseheads for their upcoming season. Oyorra was at a loss for words, as he realized this might be his best chance to earn the kind of money that would take care of his family for life. He requested some time to mull over the decision, but with Russell's vacation ending the next day, he needed to know by the end of the night. Oyorra agreed to meet again for dinner that night and quickly went home to talk to his mother, who wasn't too keen on the idea. Oyorra assured her that this was what he wanted and promised to bring back the big bucks for the family. Eventually, his mom relented and gave him her blessing. Oyorra informed Russell of his decision, packed his things overnight, and was on a plane with him back to Halifax the next day.

 

Hockey... on Ice?

Arroyo bruises his shin after a hard fall on the ice.

 

When Oyorra first arrived in Halifax, the first thing he wanted to do was see the hockey arena. He had never been inside of a stadium before, and he was curious how the arena was regulated. Russell told him he needed to get settled in first and took him to the cheap studio apartment where he would be staying. Russell promised to show him the stadium in the morning. Oyorra took him up on his offer and could barely sleep that night, eager to get immersed in his new world. Russell took Oyorra to the stadium, where he noticed one minor detail: the ice rink. Confused, Oyorra asked Russell why the ground was covered in ice, to which Russell muttered, "guess we have our work cut out for us." Oyorra was taken in to get ice skates fitted and to begin his first lesson: balance. He had never skated on ice before, and he had very little experience with roller skates, having tried them only a couple of times when one of his friends had a pair. It took a lot of work to get comfortable just staking around in general, let alone with the intent to play hockey. It was about a week into the season before Oyorra was really able to integrate hockey skills into his skating. The following week, he was finally ready enough to start practicing with the team proper. It was a long while before he was really able to fit in with his teammates, especially with his limited English, but by season's end things were finally starting to click. Oyorra eventually received playing time for the final 20 games of the season, and while his line only received about 10 minutes a game, he showed off his vast scoring potential, netting 13 goals over that span.

 

The VHL

 

The Godfather makes an offer Arroyo couldn't refuse.

 

When the Mooseheads' season was over, Oyorra began searching for a way to make some dough. While the team paid him a small stipend to cover his boarding and meal costs, he really wasn't able to earn enough to send anything back to his mother in Culebra. He began to research other professional hockey leagues, anything from the NHL to the AHL. Unfortunately for Oyorra, many of the leagues were not a good fit, as his youth and unrefined ability was not a good mix. Dejected, he often found himself at the local pub, EFL, drinking soda and munching on chips while watching hockey on the TVs. He often sat by himself, though occasionally one of his Halifax teammates would join him. One day while alone, he was approached by a well-dressed man who asked, "Are you Oyorra Arroyo?" Cautious, Oyorra nodded. The man handed him an envelope and said, "I've been watching you come in here almost every day looking down on yourself. You seem to have real potential and I wouldn't want that to go to waste." He motioned for Oyorra to open the envelope. Inside was an invitation to the VHL. "We could use more talented players in our league, and with our strong development system, we can draw out your hidden potential. Plus, I know what you really want." He pulls out a €100 bill. "Even in our minor leagues, we have a minimum contract worth 1 million. That's a good chunk of change for you... and your mother." Oyorra's eyes narrow. "Who are you?" he asks. The man chuckles, "You can call me The Godfather. And this deal is only good for today. Are you in, or are you out?" Oyorra looks down at the invitation one more time and sighs. He gives a nod to which The Godfather responds, "Splendid. I will arrange things from here. We will be in touch." As he walks out, Oyorra wonders what he has gotten himself into, but breathes a sigh of relief knowing he will finally be able to provide for his mother.

 

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Review:

Awesome bio, man. Sorry this review took so long, but that's the state of the current review team....and by team I mean me and 1 other dude.

Great biography. Love the Godfather theme of it all.

[SlapshotWrangler 784]

This was a really good biography! This was the most fun to read and quite the peculiar story. To one day not know how to even skate to joining the Victory Hockey League, I loved it! The whole Godfather thing was really interesting and cool too.