Unsung Heroes: Davey Jones

[Doomsday 4,145]

Unsung Heroes: Davey Jones

 

The Davos HC Dynamo are currently in the midst of another rough season, but as history has shown, teams rise from the ashes as the phoenix did to soar above the competition. Way back in Season 35, nearly half of the Victory Hockey League's lifespan ago, the HC Dynamo were beginning to emerge from the league's basement, going 39-29-4 to return to the playoffs. The initial pieces to Davos' team, Matt Bentley, Lennox Moher and Thomas Landry, however, found themselves quickly brushed aside by the rival Cologne Express. On that team, however, was the unsung hero of Davos' cup-winning teams in the later 30's: rookie center Davey Jones.

 

"The key to Davos' success during that run was how well our core worked together," said Thomas Landry, right wing and captain of the Davos HC Dynamo during Jones' career. "Davey Jones was a guy that expected to win every night, and it was an infectious attitude that carried over to his play on the ice."

 

 

A Season 34 draftee, Jones was a part of the Season 33 Bratislava Watchmen, who won the Founders' Cup along with future Davos teammate Thomas Landry. After being drafted fourth overall by the Cologne Express, Jones opted to stay in the VHLM for another season, where after a mid-season trade he won another Founder's Cup with the Yukon Rush. Jones proved more than ready for the VHL as a rookie in Season 35, scoring 44 goals and 42 assists for 86 points and a +26 rating, and a landslide winner of the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy as the league's top rookie. After the aforementioned victory over the Davos HC Dynamo, Davey Jones was shockingly traded to them after a growing rift with General Manager Joey Kendrick reached a breaking point.

 

"We acquired Davey Jones when he was coming off a top rookie campaign with a big playoff rival in Cologne," said Victor Alfredsson, the General Manager for Davos' championship run. "It looked like a hefty price to pay, but he transformed the team, gave us a second line, and that depth carried us to the Continental Cup that very season, with a very young core. It was a delight to then see him grow into one of the league's premier forwards as we continued to compete."

 

 

With the added firepower of Jones, the HC Dynamo exploded in Season 36, finishing 54-16-2 and securing a first round bye. His 111 points (55 goals, 56 assists) led the team, and his dominance continued into the postseason, scoring 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists) as the Davos HC Dynamo won the Continental Cup on the shoulders of the Daisuke Kanou Trophy winner's Cup-winning goal in Game Seven against the Toronto Legion.

 

Season 70 brought another successful season for Davos, but not as much for Jones. The addition of Naomi Young in the off-season led to Jones being asked to move from his natural position of center to left wing led to a big decrease in his offensive production. However, that decrease was still a 70 point season (35 goals, 35 assists, +22), helping Davos to a league-best 53-15-4 record, good for 110 points and the Victory Cup, the only time this group would win it. They would not, however, successfully defend their championship, as the Toronto Legion got their revenge by sweeping the HC Dynamo in the Continental Cup Finals. With the retirement of Sergey Brovalenko, Davey Jones became the first line center for Davos, moving back to his natural position.

 

 

"When Davey (Jones) shifted back over to center, we knew it was on," said Thomas Landry, right wing and the captain on those legendary teams. "I could see it clear as day that he was much more comfortable and dynamic back at his natural position. Davey was so focused on pushing himself further and returning to what he felt was what he was really capable of. He was good as a winger, but Davey Jones was a truly great centerman."

 

An energized Davos squad once again took the VHL by storm, with Landry, defenseman Matt Bentley and Jones all reaching 100 points. With 45 goals and 55 assists, his re-emergence created a dominant top line, centering Landry and Felix Zamora. The HC Dynamo went 49-19-5, good for 101 points. Davos made quick work of the Riga Reign to return to the Continental Cup for a rubber match against the Toronto Legion, defeating them in six games to once again lift the Continental Cup as champions of the VHL. Additionally, Jones' sportsmanship was recognized with the winning of the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy.

 

 

The winds of change were beginning to blow in Season 39, as the window for the Davos HC Dynamo was quickly coming to an end. Although key players were reaching the ends of their careers, they still had enough gas in the tank for one last run at the cup. With their fearsome top line still intact, Davos again found themselves on top of the European Conference with a 49-17-6 record, with Jones tallying 89 points (44 goals, 45 assists, +39), good for second on the team.

 

The real surprise of the season was that halfway through, Davey Jones stunned the VHL by announcing his retirement. The HC Dynamo reached their fourth straight Continental Cup Finals, but Jones' career came to an end as the New York Americans defeated Davos in five games. During the off-season, the HC Dynamo began to trade off their key players to accelerate the impending rebuild. But while the other players went on to take one last run for the Continental Cup, Davey Jones instead was searching for a new career.

 

 

"There was always a niggling doubt that any given season would be his last; Jones always had the idea of early retirement in his head," said Alfredsson. "But he gave us four seasons and we made the finals in every single one of those 4 seasons. With how he carried the Davos flag around the league and became one of the most memorable characters of that dynasty, I really couldn't ask for more."

 

In Davey Jones' five VHL seasons, he reached the playoffs in each one. Additionally, he went to the Continental Cup four times, lifting it above his head as a champion twice. Over the course of his 360 games played, he scored 223 goals, recorded 233 assists and was +160. While he never reached the Hall of Fame, his contributions towards the success during of those great Davos teams cannot be understated. This article will hopefully ensure that the importance of Davey Jones as the unsung hero of the Davos HC Dynamo will be remembered as the seasons continue to pass us by.

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the MSFL Times, the worldwide leader in fictional sports coverage. He enjoys a good wooder ice, hunting for Pokémon on the Discord channels and throwing communists from helicopters.

 

Word Count: 1164

Edited December 21, 2019 by Doomsday

[Doomsday 4,145]

Quick link to verify that both the media spot and VHL.com articles used the Unsung Heroes theme. 

 

Claimed for 12/22/19 and 12/29/19

Edited December 23, 2019 by Doomsday

[Victor 11,043]

So many things fell perfectly during that run, great trip down nostalgia lane.