Raymond Bernard's Journal #6

[Mr_Hatter 1,603]

575 words, claiming for September 1st

 

#6

Saturday, August 31st: 

 

Just as it started, so it has come to an end. My season in the VHLM has come and gone, and at the end of it all, we are the champions!!!!!! Queue the music, Queen, confetti, champagne, the whole nine yards. The run has been nothing short of spectacular, and all I can say is that it has been an absolute pleasure. The Ottawa franchise is one of if not the most historic left in the league, and I am so proud that we were able to add to that legacy. Bringing the Founder’s Cup back to the Lynx was like a dream come true. Granted, I’ve only been attached to the franchise rather briefly, since the draft, but in time I’ve really come to respect and feel at home with the team. I can’t say enough how good the organization has been to me. 

 

Acyd and Hulk, they really were there for us in the locker room. Any questions we had, concerns we wanted to raise, we could go to them and they would help. I think that attitude really trickled down into the players dispositions. I’m sure everyone swears by their locker room as the best locker room, and to be honest, I’m not going to try and pretend with that whole “oh but ours actually is,” because let’s be real, that is some bullshit. All I will say is our locker room was all that I was hoping for and more. All I can say is that I hope wherever I end up in after the VHL draft has the same kind of feeling to it. I know that might be hard to replicate (and even harder to continue winning silverware into my first season in the VHL), but one can hope! Speaking of, the draft is coming up, and I am beyond excited. 

 

I have no idea where I will end up in the draft. All I know is that with two expansion teams, anything can happen. Of course, it doesn’t seem too likely at this moment that many of the current 10 teams will need to draft a starter right away. Maybe one of them. And while I’m not completely disregarding the idea of trying to work my way up to a starting position, I really would like to try and compete as the first choice in net within a year. Maybe that’s a bit of a stretch to hope for, but what else should I do? I don’t know, but I can’t help but shoot for the top right off the bat. 

 

Of course, there is always the possibility that the expansion teams work out a deal of some kind with one of the current teams. Perhaps they agree to take one of the young goalies in the expansion draft in exchange for some picks in the future, and then the current team in turn takes me in the draft. In that case, maybe I could be on a contender, and competing soon. Or maybe that won’t happen and I’ll be taken by an expansion team. That would be exciting indeed, maybe even preferable! Don’t get me wrong, I understand it might be a long road ahead, but I have no doubt that we could build a real competitor within the context of my career. And hey, even if we can’t, at least it will be fun starting off a franchise on the right foot.