Cinnamon: Past and Future

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Cinnamon: Past and Future

 

It's been quite a year for Cinnamon Block. There was some initial shock around some parts of the league when Block was chosen first overall by the Prague Phantoms, especially with talents like Soren Jensen and Benny Graves available, but the young defensewoman shut down many critics with a strong rookie season. Block was the only member of the S69 class to make the All Star team this season thanks to her strong defensive numbers across the board. She was one of just 8 defenders to break the 200 hits plateau (and with the fewest minutes of them all), and she was 4th in the league in shots blocked with 142. While her offensive contributions were nothing to write home about, she was 3rd on the Phantoms with 36 assists and may be one of the best passers on the team. She may not be the most graceful on the ice at times, but her physical presence is felt throughout the game.

 

Still, despite her impressive season, it all led to a disappointing result: staying home during the playoffs. It wasn't all that surprising, given that it was only Prague's second season in the VHL, but a strong start to the season gave people some hope that maybe they were ahead of schedule. As the season went on, it became more clear that the early season success wasn't sustainable and team management made the decision to focus more on player development rather than giving their team the best shot of winning each night. It was a decision that not everyone on the roster agreed with, unfortunately, and there was some disruption in the locker room because of it. According to Block, "It's unfortunate what came to pass, and while the early success was nice, we all knew going in that it was a building season. Not everyone ultimately agreed with that, but it is what it is. I know Prague will come out stronger on the other side, and we're ready to compete with the players that want to be here."

 

 

There's a lot of optimism heading into year three of the Phantoms. While it's likely not all of Prague's key players are returning next season, there are rumors that the team is looking to make a big splash this offseason, bringing in a big name talent that could turn the European division upside down. Prague's offseason started on the wrong foot after losing the lottery and being saddled with the 4th overall pick, but team executives remain optimistic about the draft as a whole. Missing out on the top two guys in Edwin THE Encarnacion and Mikko Lahtinen is a bit of a bummer, but goalie Jacques Lafontaine should still be available and could help push or even overtake Soloman Crawford as Prague's goalie of the future in short order. There are also some up and coming talents at forward in Chad Magnum, Lewis Dawson, and Iangenere Risteneen who would very much fit into Prague's future plans. Regardless of what happens it's clear the Prague is ready to announce their true arrival to the VHL.