Class of S54 - Sandro Clegane

[Victor 10,534]

Sandro Clegane

Class of S54

Position: G
Birthplace: Cunter, Switzerland
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 250 lbs
Jersey Number: 3
Drafted: S45 Round 1, Pick 4 (Cologne)
Username: JardyB10

 

It is not often that a pair of brothers enters a VHL draft, even less so a pair of brothers who are both goaltenders. What's even less frequent is for both brothers to end their careers as guaranteed entries into the Hall of Fame. One of those brothers was Sandro Clegane, a man who came out of literally massive shadow of his brother Greg to forge his own path in the VHL and come out of the other side as a legend of the game.

 

Career Awards

S51 Continental Cup (RIG) - VHL Champions
S50 Terence Fong Trophy (DAV) - European Conference Champions
S51 Terence Fong Trophy (RIG) - European Conference Champions
S52 Terence Fong Trophy (RIG) - European Conference Champions

S48 Aidan Shaw Trophy – Top Goaltender
S51 Scotty Campbell Trophy - MVP
S51 Aidan Shaw Trophy – Top Goaltender
S52 Aidan Shaw Trophy – Top Goaltender

Season 46 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S46 (COL) 63GP | 33W - 26L - 4OTL | 0.906 SV% | 2.82 GAA | 3 SO

 

Despite being drafted fourth overall in the highly-anticipated S45 VHL Entry Draft, Sandro Clegane chose to spend an additional season in the VHLM for his development. He was crowned the league's top goaltender and then playoff MVP as the Moscow Red Wolves won the Founder's Cup, clearly showing a sign of what was to come in the big leagues. Although his brother won two Continental Cups in his first two seasons, Sandro was going for the slow and steady route and his rookie showing was respectable for a non-playoff Cologne team.

 

Season 47 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S47 (SEA) 64GP | 35W - 25L - 4OTL | 0.914 SV% | 2.35 GAA | 5 SO
Playoffs
S47 (SEA) 5GP | 1W - 3L - 1OTL | 0.918 SV% | 2.69 GAA | 0 SO

Cologne's management decided to make the team younger and chose to not let Clegane suffer on a basement-dweller. Therefore he was moved onto Seattle, where an ambitious team hoped to upset the status quo. The Bears were not successful at this, but Sandro showed improvement in his sophomore year and got his first taste of the playoffs, where he acquitted himself well.

 

Season 48 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S48 (SEA) 64GP | 41W - 18L - 5OTL | 0.933 SV% | 1.90 GAA | 10 SO
Playoffs
S48 (SEA) 13GP | 6W - 6L - 1OTL | 0.930 SV% | 2.52 GAA | 2 SO

Out of nowhere, at least to those who didn't watch him closely before, Sandro Clegane belatedly announced himself to the VHL with an Aidan Shaw Trophy, before his brother had even won one. In what would become a recurring theme, Sandro was the star player of a goal-shy Bears team, giving them hopes of upsetting the cup favourites in the playoffs. That didn't quite happen, as the budding threepeat Toronto juggernaught ended Seattle's run, but Clegane was clearly amongst the league's elite now.

 

Season 49 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S49 (SEA/DAV) 67GP | 37W - 24L - 6OTL | 0.921 SV% | 2.18 GAA | 9 SO
Playoffs
S49 (DAV) 7GP | 3W - 3L - 1OTL | 0.917 SV% | 2.86 GAA | 0 SO

The North American Conference became stacked out of proportion in S49 and the Bears decided it was not worth pursuing a lost cause. A midseason firesale ensued and Clegane ended up in Davos, another underdog for the cup, and took a while to get up to speed. As a result, he couldn't quite match the heroics of the previous season, but showed that the Dynamo had a chance going forward.

 

Season 50 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S50 (DAV) 64GP | 39W - 21L - 4OTL | 0.927 SV% | 1.93 GAA | 10 SO
Playoffs
S50 (DAV) 19GP | 11W - 5L - 3OTL | 0.934 SV% | 2.13 GAA | 1 SO

The chance was grasped with both hands as Davos did their best to shift the balance of the league back to Europe. An unlikely team kept things reasonable in the regular season before finding another gear in the playoffs. With Sandro at the forefront of a miracle run, the Dynamo pushed all the way to a Game 7 against the reigning 2-time champions and heavy favourites from Toronto. Had Davos pulled it off, Clegane would have been likely named playoff MVP, instead their hopes were shattered and it was the end of the road for the team. Not however, for their star goaltender.

 

Season 51 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S51 (RIG) 61GP | 48W - 10L - 3OTL | 0.931 SV% | 1.40 GAA | 22 SO
Playoffs
S51 (RIG) 14GP | 8W - 4L - 2OTL | 0.933 SV% | 1.82 GAA | 2 SO

In the off-season, a 6-player trade saw Sandro Clegane move to his fourth and final team, the Riga Reign. Another team not favoured to win the cup, what Riga was hoping for was that the younger Clegane would be motivated by the near-misses of yore. What happened next exceeded even their wildest dreams as Sandro channelled all his energy into one of the greatest goaltending seasons of all time. A single season shutouts record was set at 22, and a second Aidan Shaw won (albeit shared with not so beloved brother Greg). The superb stats also led to a Scotty Campbell Trophy as league MVP. However, the best was yet to come. Two nail-biting 7-game series ensued for Riga against Cologne and then against Toronto, featuring Greg Clegane. In an exceptionally low-scoring series, Sandro had the last laugh with a 25-save 1-0 win in the deciding game. It wasn't enough for playoff MVP, but it was enough for a first Continental Cup and vindication for a career spent helping the underdogs.

 

Season 52 Statistics (VHL):

Regular Season
S52 (RIG) 64GP | 46W - 13L - 5OTL | 0.931 SV% | 1.67 GAA | 15 SO
Playoffs
S52 (RIG) 10GP | 5W - 5L - 0OTL | 0.921 SV% | 2.65 GAA | 2 SO

Some players would have coasted through their final season after a performance like Clegane's in S51. Not Sandro, however, who won a rare third Aidan Shaw Trophy with an almost identical performance to his previous season. Another finals appearance also beckoned for Riga, although a weakened squad was no match for the New York Americans. It wasn't for lack of trying though and Clegane could retire with his head held high.

 

Career Totals:

Regular Season
447GP | 279W - 137L - 31OTL | 0.923 SV% | 2.04 GAA | 74 SO
Playoffs
68GP | 34W - 26L - 8OTL | 0.928 SV% | 2.33 GAA | 7 SO

Every Hall of Famer is inducted on their own merits, but it is impossible not to look at Sandro Clegane as a contrast to Greg Clegane, the yin and yang of S40s VHL goaltending. Where Greg started in an unstoppable way, Sandro finished with the more satisfying final seasons. Greg spent his career playing for the cup favourites, while Sandro pushed less favoured teams into contention. That both paths led to the Hall of Fame is a testament to the tenacity of Sandro Clegane, with his name now enshrined eternally here and in the record books.

[Victor 10,534]

Where have you gone @JardyB10 I realised how perfectly in sync Greg and Sandro were with Gregor and Sandor while writing this. The two most poetic careers ever.

[Beketov 8,642]

You have his career total SO listed as 15, just an FYI. I would feel far less satisfactory beating him if that had been the case haha.

 

In fact it looks like most of his career totals are just his final season totals.

[Victor 10,534]

2 minutes ago, Beketov said:

You have his career total SO listed as 15, just an FYI. I would feel far less satisfactory beating him if that had been the case haha.

 

In fact it looks like most of his career totals are just his final season totals.

I clearly gave up hahaha. I'll fix that when it's not 1am.

[Beketov 8,642]

12 hours ago, Victor said:

I clearly gave up hahaha. I'll fix that when it's not 1am.

Let me know when you do and I'll add it on the portal. Or you can just add it yourself, your choice.

[Victor 10,534]

3 hours ago, Beketov said:

Let me know when you do and I'll add it on the portal. Or you can just add it yourself, your choice.

Updated - realised that the career stats I had put in were actually Greg Clegane's ffs.