Moose and Vanderhuge Reunited

[Toasty 57]

 

On Sunday, Malmo made a trade for sophomore defenseman Bolt Vanderhuge, sending Gucci Garrop and a 3rd to Riga in return for Vanderhuge and Mikka Pajari. Vanderhuge had an average rookie season, only scoring 25 points and leading his team in penalty minutes. It was somewhat of a shock for the giant of a blueliner to see such a sudden decrease in production, following his successful VHLM career. The previous season, Vanderhuge, playing for the Halifax 21st, lit up the VHLM, scoring 102 points, to go with 93 shot blocks, 286 hits, and 168 penalty minutes. He won the Ryan Sullivan Trophy, awarded to the VHLM’s best defenseman. He carried his success into the playoffs, scoring 17 points in 12 games, during Halifax’s run to the VHLM finals. Vanderhuge’s partner on defense for the later half of S64 was Basaraba Moose.

 

Both of these young defensemen were picked up by Riga in the last few picks of the S64 VHL Entry Draft, and they enjoyed a healthy friendship. Vanderhuge taught Moose a lot throughout S64, and in S65, Vanderhuge headed to Riga, while Moose stayed down and evidently having learned from Vanderhuge, put together a very successful season in the ‘M, with 91 points. The two friends had planned to reunite at the beginning of S66, where they would share the second pair in Riga, but suddenly expansion happened and Moose was sent to Malmo. It was slightly disappointing for the young defenseman to say goodbye to his friend, but a few days later, Malmo made another move, bringing Vanderhuge in. The two are now reunited, along with Teagan Glover who also spent two seasons playing with Moose, and one with Vanderhuge, in Halifax, and was drafted by Riga. All of them are in Malmo now and ready to tear up the league together.