Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys

[Smarch 3,141]

Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys

 

With the off-season officially underway in the Victory Hockey League, we have once again the retirements that come each off-season. This year the draft class from Season Sixty-Two will be automatically retired, for those who have yet to hang up the skates. Today we want to take a quick look at some of those players drafted that off-season, specifically looking at some of the names that were taken off the board in the opening round.

 

Rauno Palo: (577GP; 233G, 336A, 569Pts)

@jRuutu

 

Rauno Palo played for only two franchises in his eight year VHL career, six seasons with the Quebec/Vancouver franchise, and the last two seasons with Riga. Palo wasn’t a real household name in the VHL until his sixth season in the league, his first season his point total grew to over a point per game. Palo saw action in seventy-two games in Season Sixty-Six with Vancouver, posting forty-one goals and forty-two assists in those seventy-two games. Palo would then go on to post over 100 point seasons the next two years, putting up a career high 110 the following season and 105 in his first season with Riga. This past season saw a slight decrease in those point totals, something that can be expected for most VHL players in their eighth season. Palo still managed to put up a point per game in Season Sixty-Nine, posting thirty goals and forty-four assists. Palo then showed he still had some gas left in the tank, putting up ten goals and thirteen assists in the Reigns’ seventeen playoff games. Palo will now head into his retirement as a Continental Cup winner, winning it all back in Season Sixty-Seven with Vancouver, something that I’m sure Palo holds closer to him than any goals or assists over his eight-year career.

 

Leph Twinger: (576GP; 234G, 289A, 523Pts)

@DollarAndADream

 

Twinger has a few more miles on him than Palo in terms of VHL franchises played for, as Twinger donned four different jerseys during his eight-year career. After being drafted by Riga First Overall and playing three seasons with the club, Twinger than moved over to the North American Conference where he played the next five seasons for three different clubs. Unfortunately for Twinger and the clubs he played for, he was never able to duplicate his amazing rookie season that saw him post 116 points. Although Twinger would only post one more point per game season in his first season with New York in Season Sixty-Five, Twinger was more than a serviceable forward in his eight-year career. Twinger will also be retiring on top the league as well, as Twinger finished his career with the Seattle Bears this past season who took home the Continental Cup. Although Twinger likely never lived up to the hype of a First Overall draft choice, Twinger enjoyed lots of success in the VHL and no one can take away his two Continental Cups.

 

Maxim Kovalchuk: (576GP; 196G, 413A, 609Pts)

@Banackock

 

Kovalchuk was the Second Overall draft choice behind Twinger in the Season Sixty-Two VHL Entry Draft, and may be the best overall player to come out of the draft, Kovalchuk was drafted by Seattle in the draft and spent seven seasons with the Bears, and one season in Calgary with the Wranglers. Kovalchuk was another member of the Season Sixty-Two draft class that had an amazing over 100 points rookie season. Kovalchuk ended his rookie season with the highest point total of his career, putting up thirty goals and eight seven assists in seventy-two games with the Bears. Kovalchuk will be an interesting candidate when his time come for Hall of Fame discussion, as Kovalchuk has an interesting award cabinet that includes two Continental Cups, a Alexander Beketov trophyas the league leader in assists, two Jake Wylde trophy as the league’s top defensive defenseman, a Sterling Labatte trophy as the league’s top overall defenseman, a Alexander Valiq trophy as the league’s top offensive defenseman. Kovalchuk will head into retirement as a very decorated former VHL defenseman.

Edited January 10, 2020 by Smarch

[Banackock 8,032]

I loved Kovalchuk as a D-man  

[zepheter 586]

3 hours ago, Banackock said:

I loved Kovalchuk as a D-man  

HoF???

[Banackock 8,032]

Just now, zepheter said:

HoF???

I’d say no. Maybe if I stayed as a Dman.  

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

You're right. Nobody can take away Twinger's cups! I gotta send out a big thank you to @Banackock for bringing Twinger in and getting him that farewell cup though.

 

It's definitely funny. Twinger was one of my worst players in terms of points per TPE or however you want to call it, but he will go down with 2 cups, which is one of my more successful ones.