The Future Joker Card

[der meister 3,246]

                Occasionally, there are hockey players that grow up in traditionally non-hockey countries, like England, South Africa, or Poland, who go on to carve out solid careers for themselves. The next big story for a player beating the odds and finding success in hockey despite the nation of their birth is a young player from Japan. He has caught the eyes of scouts, enough so that he recently signed a developmental deal to move far from home and pursue his hockey career. His name is Ren Amamiya.

 

                The 16-year-old Amamiya, who stands about 5'9", is currently playing Center for Helsingin Jokerit U18 in Helsinki, Finland. A magician with the puck, Amamiya commands attention on the ice but is difficult to contain. A wild card, he can do a little bit of everything, whether slicing the puck cross-ice like a dagger around defenders to create a break for a line-mate or launching a pistol-like shot on net, he has generated a surprising following in the Finnish city.

 

 

 

                Whether it’s his on-ice performance, the exoticism of his heritage, or the intensity of his gaze behind his wavy black hair, Amamiya's fan club has grown steadily since his arrival, and he's frequently seen out on the town with his circle of friends. An interview with the newspaper club of his former school, Shujin Academy in Tokyo, Japan, asked about his friends and relationships, which includes several Shujin students, most notably fashion model Ann Takamaki, herself of Finnish descent, and Ryuji Sakamoto, a former track star, Amamiya confirmed that while he has many female friends, he is not in a relationship, at least not one that he'd consider canon.

 

                Partway through the Jokerit U18 season, Amamiya has registered 24 goals and 25 assists, good enough for second on his squad, and for scouts to drool over his raw potential. "The kid has "it"," one scout said. "He lives by a simple philosophy: wake up, get up, get out there. As a scout, you go to so many games every year that sometimes everything begins to blend together and you have to check your notes to keep track of who's who. Not with Ren. He steps on the ice and there's this murmur in the crowd, as if everyone is expecting something magical to happen. Most of the time, it does."

 

                While his on-ice character is one of a deadly scorer and leader, his off-ice persona is almost diametrically opposite. "He's quiet, smart, unassuming," a different scout revealed. "Keeps to himself, for the most part. He even has a part-time job working at a coffee shop. Makes a damn good cup of joe, to be honest. He's attentive, the kind of kid you'd want to see your daughter bring home some day."

 

Barista by day, hockey sensation by night

 

                So, how soon could Amamiya make the jump to a higher level? "It's hard to say," a third scout commented. "When you see his production and his personality on-ice, you think, "Get this boy up to the men's league and let him work through the toughest competition." But as you get to know him, you get beneath the mask, you realize that while his hockey talent is remarkable, there's a part of him that's just happy to have found a place where he feels like he belongs, and no one should want to take that away from him."

 

Edited August 10, 2020 by der meister

[der meister 3,246]

A slam-dunk candidate for @Emi‘s Kitsune franchise, obviously.

[JigglyGumballs 1,056]

Looking cool, Joker!

[Emi 229]

If you swapped from Ren to Akira Kurusu or the holy one Minato then we'd speak xD

 

 

I'm a huge persona fan started with 1 but my favourite is 3. 

 

I've always wanted to make a player based on the female main character from persona 3 portable as she's best girl! 

 

We could he friends though if you're called Akira xD 

 

Edited August 11, 2020 by Emi

[der meister 3,246]

15 minutes ago, Emi said:

If you swapped from Ren to Akira or the holy one Minato then we'd speak xD

 

Nah. He’s only Akira in the manga. He’s more Ren than Akira.

 

[Emi 229]

30 minutes ago, der meister said:

 

Nah. He’s only Akira in the manga. He’s more Ren than Akira.

 

I go based on why can't I fit this name in Persona Q. Ren and Yu don't fit. That's not on accident. It's because Atlas know they're the better names are shorter what's next Minato is actually called Makoto?

[Garsh 1,195]

Weakness: Bossy cat who dictates their sleep schedule.

[der meister 3,246]

1 hour ago, Emi said:

I go based on why can't I fit this name in Persona Q. Ren and Yu don't fit. That's not on accident. It's because Atlas know they're the better names are shorter what's next Minato is actually called Makoto?

 

You should make a Minato player tbqh

[der meister 3,246]

1 hour ago, Garsh said:

Weakness: Bossy cat who dictates their sleep schedule.

 

Legitimately laughed out loud. Damn cat not letting me go downstairs to use the toilet....

[Garsh 1,195]

1 minute ago, der meister said:

 

Legitimately laughed out loud. Damn cat not letting me go downstairs to use the toilet....

One of the only real complaints I had with the game, it was so damn annoying.

[der meister 3,246]

14 minutes ago, Garsh said:

One of the only real complaints I had with the game, it was so damn annoying.

 

Same. The other was not being able to choose Japanese audio with Eng subs.

[Emi 229]

40 minutes ago, der meister said:

 

You should make a Minato player tbqh

Way ahead of you but Minako!

[der meister 3,246]

Bumping in honor of Emi.