Deep Rewind: Four Times the Fun

[Doomsday 4,044]

Credit to @Motzaburger for being kind and rewinding.

 

With our 70th season winding down, the rich history of the Victory Hockey League continues to grow even further. Part of having such an extensive history means that often times, many feats are repeated over and over. The Scott Boulet Trophy, for one, seemingly features more repeat winners than those who only won it a single time. Some feats, on the other hand, are much rarer. One such instance is an award being won by multiple players. While not entirely rare by itself, it still isn't an every year occurrence either. But as far as awards go, Season 36's VHL/VHLM Awards Ceremony featured an event that was unprecedented, and has additionally never happened again: four players winning the same award. 

 

Season 36

 

Just two seasons removed from finishing with the worst record in the VHL, the Davos HC Dynamo have just completed a stunning comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to the Toronto Legion to win the Continental Cup. Captained by Thomas Landry, Davos was bolstered by the free-agency signing of Odin Tordahl and acquisition of Davey Jones from the Cologne Express. Although Cologne, led by the legendary Kameron Taylor with 123 points, still made the playoffs, they were no match for eventual Scotty Campbell Trophy winner Ethan Osborne and the Helsinki Titans, who swept the Express. 

 

Ethan Osborne turned in the most masterful season of his Hall of Fame career in S36, and @Koradek created this masterful sig to go with it. 

 

However, Osborne's MVP season wasn't enough to stop Davos, who went on to defeat the Titans in six games. Thanks to a playoff performance that won Davey Jones the Daisuke Kanou Trophy and the firey leadership of Thomas Landry, the HC Dynamo clawed their way to a pivotal Game Seven in Toronto, where Jones' Cup-clinching goal and a masterful performance in net from Lennox Moher brought the Continental Cup back to Davos. 

 

In the North American Conference, a different kind of story was brewing. Although the New York Americans missed the playoffs, the Big Apple saw the birth of a new star in Conner Low. All the rookie defenseman, drafted 6th overall in Season 35, did was become the team captain, lead the Americans in points with 83 and win multiple awards, including becoming the first rookie to win the Sterling Labatte Trophy since… well… Sterling Labatte himself. Add to the fact that the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy winner's only competition for the VHL's top rookie were teammates Brick Wahl (the real one) and Xin Xie Xiao, and you had one hell of a bright future for the Americans (which did indeed lead to Continental Cup victories in Season 39 and 41, with all three also becoming Hall of Famers).

 

@Jubo07 made this sig that may or may not be Conner Low.

 

But, during the Season 36 VHL/VHLM Awards Ceremony, Landry, Osborne, Taylor and Low found themselves together on the ballot for the Grimm Jonsson Trophy, a now-retired award for the top leader of the VHL. Osborne and Taylor had both previously won the award, with Osborne having already won three of them. For Landry and Low, these were their first nominations for the Grimm Jonsson Trophy, emerging as prominent leaders in their first seasons as captains. Joining them on the ballot were Sebastian Ball Jr. of the Seattle Bears and Remy LeBeau of the Riga Reign. 

 

However, when VHL Commissioner Victor Alfredsson stepped to the podium to announce the winner of the Grimm Jonsson Trophy, no one quite expected what was about to happen. 

 

"And the winner, or in fact, winners of the S36 Grimm Jonsson Trophy are…" started Alfredsson, "An unprecedented quartet of THOMAS LANDRY, CONNER LOW, ETHAN OSBORNE, AND KAMERON TAYLOR!"

First-time Grimm Jonsson Trophy winners Thomas Landry and Conner Low pose with the trophy. 

 

For the first, and to date, only, time in the history of the VHL, four players had won the same award. Landry, Low, Osborne and Taylor each received two votes, while Ball Jr. and LeBeau each received one. 

 

"My fault for not limiting the ballot? Maybe," continued Alfredsson. "But really, does either of the four not deserve it? Landry and Low broke through as leaders this season for young, active teams, while Osborne and Taylor were pre-season favourites and now 4th- and 2nd-time winners respectively. Prediction points galore!"

 

 

A @jack sig of Kameron Taylor wearing red for some weird reason. 

 

As Victor so ably put it, this was the fourth, and ultimately final Grimm Jonsson Trophy to be won by Ethan Osborne during his Hall of Fame career. This was also the last Grimm Jonsson for Kameron Taylor, the Season 35 winner. In fact, only Thomas Landry, who won the Grimm Jonsson Trophy outright in Season 37, would go on to win the award again. Landry also holds the distinction of being the only member of this group to not be immortalized in the Hall of Fame. Ethan Osborne was inducted in his first season of eligibility, while Kameron Taylor joined him in Season 40, while Conner Low's elite career earned him a first ballot selection in Season 43.

 

With such an expansive history as our community shares here at the VHL, finding occurrences such as this that have happened but one time in the league's history are not easy to come by. But, that's exactly what we checked out today, with another fun trip back to the era when I first (well, first actively) called the VHL home. While I doubt we'll ever see four players share an award like this again, there is still the possibility it could happen. It would likely take four players tying for the league lead in goals or assists, especially since those are awards not voted on. But for now, let's return to the present and to creating our own stories for someone to write about in 30 seasons' time!

 

Thomas Landry, captain of Davos' S36 and S38 Continental Cup championship teams, as depicted by CoachReilly. 

 

Player Mentions: @Doomsday, @BOOM™, @Da Trifecta, @Kendrick, @STZ, @CoachReilly, @Smarch, @sterling, @Advantage, @tfong, @Ball, @Green, @Victor

[Victor 10,564]

>calls article Four Times the Fun

>first heading: Season 36

>NOT about four straight finals by Davos

 

ah you tease, you tease

 

 

Also a great story btw.

[Doomsday 4,044]

9 minutes ago, Victor said:

>calls article Four Times the Fun

>first heading: Season 36

>NOT about four straight finals by Davos

 

ah you tease, you tease

 

 

Also a great story btw.

 

Well, I can't be a complete homer now, can I?

 

*takes sip of tea and admires Davos hoodie*

[Banackock 7,710]

GIVE ME A HELL, GIVE ME A YEEAAAAH

 

[Kendrick 4,724]

I wore red because of Riga