Gabriel Gutzwiler had a big week

[DaftRaincloud 62]

“You’re going to Minnesota.” A high pitched ringing filled Gabriel’s ears. He had just walked into the office of the Halifax 21^st coach, his coach, and now this is what he was hearing.

“Come again?” Gabriel leaned forward, hoping he had misheard what was said.

“You and your brother, we got a trade offer and we have accepted. You’re going to Minnesota.” The Coach sat back in his chair and crossed his hands over his belly.

Gabriel gave a nod of acknowledgment, stood, and exited the room. He walked down the long hallway from the coaches office to the locker room and began to silently pack his duffel bag.

 

Gabriel was coming off of a season that he and many others considered strong. He put up thirty five goals and thirty eight assists in seventy two games. Halifax made a strong playoff run but ran into a team that simply would not budge and ended up falling short. Now Gabriel was flying out to New York City for the VHL draft to see where he would be spending at least the first few years of his professional hockey career. Going into the draft mock drafts had Gabriel all the way from ten to thirty and going to any number of different teams, so he had no idea what to expect.

 

The plane touched down in New York City. Gabriel and Leon stepped out into a city they’d never been in before. The two brothers made their way down the air stairs, where at the bottom of which a stretch limo was waiting.

“Fancy.” Leon said dryly.

The two brothers got into the limo and headed off to the draft.

 

After stepping out on the curb to a group of photographers and reporters the brothers made their way through the noise and into the large double doors. The Gutzwilers hurried down the steps and took their seats on the draft floor as the commissioner stepped out to welcome the audience and the draftees to the show, to make a little speech about the future of their careers.

 

Gabriel, still on the board past pick ten, started to get a bit nervous. Just as he preferred in his minor league career he wanted to end up playing hockey next to his brother Leon, and he was seeing now a place that could happen. The New York Americans had picks fourteen and sixteen, Gabriel just needed to drop that far.

 

Three more players off the board and New York was up at fourteen. The commissioner stepped up to the podium. “With the fourteenth pick in the S-Seventy VHL draft, The New York Americans select Gabriel Gutzwiler.” He stood and hugged Leon before walking up to the podium and posing for a photo next to the team GM and the commissioner. He went back to the green room and watched nervously as the 15^th pick was on the board, but thankfully Leon was not taken there and fell to New York at sixteen.

 

The two brothers, now united in New York and playing for a season down in Minnesota get ready for their second year in the league. Gabriel put up seventy-three points in his freshman campaign and with this Minnesota team and another year of development under his belt he was looking to do even better in the coming year and for years to come.

[Berocka 2,245]

Best of luck in Minnesota, Gabriel and Leon will tear things up in there.

[Mr_Hatter 1,603]

Happy to have the best brother duo in Minny