The Talents Behind the Trophies: the Daisuke Kanou Trophy

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@Motzaburger's graphical creations are as polished as these trophies. 

 

Hello and welcome to Season Three of The Talents Behind the Trophies! In this series, we delve deep into the history of the Victory Hockey League to learn more about the players that the various awards of the VHL and VHLM are named after. Many times, people covet a trophy, yet they don't know the story behind the player the award is named for. Personally, I feel that the stories of these players should be told. You see, these awards were initially named after NHL players, eventually taking the name of VHL players who personified the spirit of that award. Naturally, these are some of the best to ever grace the league, and The Talents Behind the Trophies will ensure their stories are known. 

 

As the season winds down, content is picking up at VSN! Follow the race to the playoffs in both the VHL and VHLM, learn the story of the Season 21 Seattle Bears in Ringless, get a preview of the upcoming Season 73 draft class, hear @Berocka's thoughts on the upcoming expansion and re-live the return of the World Junior Championship in VSN's recent productions! As always, stay tuned for further content during the playoffs and off-season!

 

The VHLM Review | VSN Weekly Review | Ringless | VSN S72 Top 24 Standouts | VSN Radio | Deep Rewind

 

It's the final stretch of the VHL's 72nd season, as teams vying for playoff positioning fight to reach the post-season. But as we gear up for the playoffs, we're going to examine the history and the namesake of one of the VHL's most prestigious awards: the Daisuke Kanou Trophy. Awarded to the player deemed to be the most valuable player in the playoffs, the award began as the Howe Trophy before being renamed to the Daisuke Kanou Trophy in Season 29 after the legendary HC Davos Dynamo goaltender. While the immortal Scotty Campbell was the first to both win the award twice and win it in back-to-back seasons in Season 4 and 5, Daisuke Kanou was the first, and for many years, in fact, the only player to win three Howe/Kanou Trophies. It was not until Rayz Funk, the Seattle Bears' future Hall of Fame netminder, won his third Daisuke Kanou Trophy in Season 71 that the feat had been replicated. Crazier yet, with another two full seasons to play after Season 72, Funk very well could set a new benchmark for playoff games excellence. But before we talk about whether or not he can eclipse the legacy of Daisuke Kanou, we need to learn more about the Hall of Fame netminder, and you've come to the right place for that. 

 

The Daisuke Kanou Trophy, awarded annually to the player deemed to be the most valuable player in the playoffs. 

 

Right off the bat, Daisuke Kanou was considered a can't miss prospect by VHL general managers. The Saskatoon Wild netminder won the Sawchuk Trophy (now the Benoit Devereux Trophy, named after another legendary Davos goalie) with a 41-17-6 record, 3.66 goals allowed average with a .917 save percentage and one shutout, yet according to his Hall of Fame article, they missed the playoffs. As hard to believe as that may be, whether or not the Wild failed to reach the post-season, GMs were undeterred. In a draft that ultimately produced six VHL Hall of Famers, Kanou was far and away from the best prospect available in the Season 18 VHL Entry Draft, and the HC Davos Dynamo made him the first overall pick. The starter from Day One, Kanou quickly showed that the HC Dynamo were correct to believe the hype. Winning 31 of his 65 games, Kanou was able to elevate a middling Davos squad into the playoff race, although they would fall short by nine points. However, his .907 save percentage and GAA of 3.01 were merely a glimpse of what Daisuke Kanou was to become. 

 

Season 19 saw both Kanou and Davos majorly elevate their play. Anton Brekker, a fellow Season 18 first-round pick, was acquired by Davos before the season. At the time, the young forward was known as a loud, cocky player with character issues, but he would blossom into being a legendary player for the HC Dynamo. Kanou's improvement over his rookie season was drastic, winning 46 games, posting a .916 save percentage and slashed his GAA to 2.34. Along with Davos adding players like Brekker and Patrick Bergqvist, the HC Dynamo finished first place in the European Conference, and Kanou got his first taste of playoff action. Although a masterful performance by their netminder got them to the Continental Cup Finals after defeating the Riga Reign, they were no match for the Calgary Wranglers and were swept. Despite falling short in the Finals, the HC Dynamo were determined to return. This time, Davos came away with the Victory Cup for the top record in the VHL, as Kanou posted 50 wins, a .922 save percentage, a 2.12 GAA and a staggering ten shutouts. However, it was Aidan Shaw, another Season 18 draftee with the Toronto Legion, who brought home the goaltender awards in spite of Kanou's strong season. After defeating the Riga Reign in a tough seven-game series, Kanou had his chance to one-up Shaw in the Continental Cup Finals, as Davos took on Toronto. After another seven-game series in which Kanou and Shaw duked it out, it was Kanou and the HC Dynamo left hoisting the Continental Cup in the end. On top of being a VHL champion, Kanou also was awarded the Howe Trophy as the Playoff MVP, posting a .937 save percentage, 1.91 GAA and two shutouts. After just three seasons, Daisuke Kanou had gone from a can't-miss prospect to both an elite goaltender and a Continental Cup champion.

 

Daisuke Kanou quickly established himself as an elite goaltender in the VHL, and his legacy as the best post-season goalie endures to this day. 

 

However, while Kanou was at an elite level, the same could not be said for Davos. The HC Dynamo were weakened by roster turnover, including Patrick Bergqvist. That didn't mean that Davos was destined for a lacklustre season, despite clearly not being the same team as before, and Kanou made sure of it. With 39 wins, a .926 save percentage and 2.61 GAA, Kanou elevated the defending champions back to the post-season. Kanou's strong play was rewarded with the Scotty Campbell Trophy as the VHL's most valuable player, along with the Brett Slobodzian Trophy as the league's most outstanding player. His strong playoff performances continued, and the HC Dynamo pulled an upset over the Riga Reign in six games. However, Aidan Shaw and the Toronto Legion were still both very strong and proved to be too much for Davos, with Shaw and the Legion prevailing in five games. Season 22 saw a renewed energy from Davos, as they looked to return to their status as VHL champions. Kanou, as expected by this point, continued to be strong in net, winning 43 games with a .922 save percentage, 2.17 GAA and 7 shutouts. With Aidan Shaw again hogging all the goaltender hardware, Kanou decided that another Continental Cup would have to do, but Jakob Kjeldsen and the Helsinki Titans had other plans. After defeating Kanou and the HC Dynamo in seven games, they went on to deny Shaw and the Legion the repeat, and the Titans won the Continental Cup in six games. Despite a strong season from Kanou in Season 23, winning 48 games to lead Davos to a Victory Cup with a .926 save percentage, 1.89 GAA and 8 shutouts, Kjeldsen again thwarted Kanou. After providing Kanou with an early exit from the post-season in Season 22, Kjeldsen not only took home the individual goaltender awards in Season 23, but again bounced Kanou and Davos from the playoffs in the first round. 

 

While Daisuke Kanou became known as the elite playoff goaltender, Aidan Shaw was dominant in the regular season. 

 

With Daisuke Kanou entering the twilight of his career, Davos added a young netminder, Claudio Martucci, to the roster. Although Kanou was still the undisputed starter, the challenge to him in the crease, along with the disappointment of early post-season exits, ignited something deep within him, and the VHL felt his wrath in Season 24. Posting career-bests in wins with 51, save percentage with .928, GAA with 1.73 and shutouts with 11, Kanou was simply on another level. It marked the first, and ultimately the only time that he won the Tretiak Trophy as the VHL's top goaltender, even if he did have to share it with Aidan Shaw. However, Kanou was determined to not share the glory of the Continental Cup, taking revenge on Kjeldsen and the Titans by brushing them aside in five games. Kanou wrapped up a historic post-season by facing off yet again against Shaw and the Toronto Legion. Despite Shaw's best efforts, Davos and Kanou simply were not going to be denied. With an incredible .962 save percentage and 0.98 GAA, both still playoff records, the HC Dynamo recaptured the Continental Cup, with Kanou the unanimous winner of the Howe Trophy as Playoff MVP. Season 25 was to be the last season for both Kanou and Anton Brekker, and they were determined to go out on top of the league. Brekker scored 100 points in his last season, and Kanou 42 wins, finishing with 388 for his career. Although his numbers dipped, he remained a legendary post-season performer to the very end. The Vasteras Iron Eagles fell to Davos in six games, with the New York Americans sweeping Aidan Shaw and the Toronto Legion in his final appearances in the VHL. A young Benjamin Glover would be Kanou's final opponent in the crease, but Daisuke Kanou won both his third Continental Cup and Howe Trophy in his final game, posting a .937 save percentage and 1.73 GAA as Kanou and Brekker concluded their careers as champions and cemented their status as legends of the HC Davos Dynamo. 

 

After lengthy careers with the Davos HC Dynamo, Anton Brekker and Daisuke Kanou went out on top by repeating as Continental Cup Champions in Seasons 24 and 25.

 

Daisuke Kanou did not need to wait long for immortality, inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame with his long-time rival, Aidan Shaw, in Season 26. Just three seasons later, in Season 29, the Howe Trophy was renamed to the Daisuke Kanou Trophy, in recognition of his status as the best playoff performer in the history of the VHL, a legacy that continues to this day. Kanou's run in Season 24 remains the most dominant performance in the playoffs for a goalie to this day, the golden standard for a netminder. Although Rayz Funk has matched Kanou with three Howe/Kanou Trophies, certainly cementing his status as an elite playoff performer, time will tell if he will be seen in the same light as Kanou. He has the potential to win more playoff MVPs, but it would be interesting to see if Funk could have as dominant of a run as Kanou did in Season 24. Regardless of what happens, we're watching a legend in the making with Funk, and only time will tell if he can catch Kanou's legacy. 

 

Player Mentions: @scotty, @tfong, @Rayzor_7, @DGFX., @Squinty, @Kendrick, @Bruins10, @scoop

Edited June 22, 2020 by Doomsday

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Claimed for week of 6/29 - 7/5/2020