McWolf talks

[Blazzer 759]

你好, Amy Shi here! It’s a little past mid-season but here comes the mid-season interview. If you followed our previous interview, you would have realised that it was virtual! However, the tables have turned and I have with me, Roger McWolf III @McWolf, GM of the London United and this time thankfully, it’s face to face!! And without further ado,

What are your thoughts about the games your team have played so far?

Even though London is 14^th in the league, I think we have been performing better than I had expected. We started the season out with 4 active skaters and I just traded my star forward away so things are not going to be the best this season. However, we are still winning games especially against champion teams like DC and Moscow.

How has the locker room environment been?

Our locker room has surprised me to be honest! With little people in the locker room, we still manage to have good short conversations every day. I think it shows how our guys are still motivated even though we are in the basement right now and this will be very helpful in the long run.

Who do you think will have a breakout season?

We traded Guy Lesieur back to DC and at that time he was 4^th in the league, if I’m not wrong. He is one of the guys that I believe is having a breakout season. It made sense to send him back to compete for a cup. But if we’re talking about guys on our own team, I’ll have to say Jay Jones, James Rose and The Terrible Trivium. They have jumped to playing first line minutes and the pressure to perform is certainly there but I think they have done a great job. They are dialled in every game, keeping us in as well.

 

So we’re taking a little break because McWolf needed some water and they didn’t provide him any. So to those who are new, I’ll do a slight introduction of the London United. This team was included in the expansion last season along with Chicago, Warsaw and LA. McWolf has taken a bold stride to manage a brand new team. He has shared that he hopes to lead London to glory and maybe one day, the cup finals. Fun fact, their locker room has someone that calls London home.

Spoiler

@Emi

*McWolf walks in with a frosted water bottle* Can’t believe there’s no water in here, they usually have them on the table. Sorry, gotta hydrate you know. It’s important.

Continuing with the interview:

 
 

Thoughts on your personal performance as the GM of an expansion team?

Well, no GM of an expansion team will say they are bad at their job. Personally, I’m looking into the future, you know? Trading valuable players away means the team gets key picks to make choose prospects or ones that can make the immediate jump to the VHL to contribute now or even in the future. Even if you lose some games here and there, it all comes down to building a solid future for a new team. The Lesieur trade gave us a first rounder that is protected so yeah, I’ll say that I’ve been doing well.

How have you been relaxing on rest days?

I’m not a skater so off days aren’t really rest days. I’m just like any office worker out there except I manage a roster of players. My real break comes at the end of the season and also when I don’t have to worry about signing extensions. But for now, I’ll still have to scout, propose trades and win.

Any mid-season predictions on who’s going to get the most points by the end of S73?

On our team it has gotta be James Rose. He’s been contributing in every way possible, helping others and himself score. James has been a real asset on the powerplay for us as well. But around the league, it will have to be Jet Jaguar. Jaguar is talented and I can see him being one of the best in this league in the coming seasons.

 

Alright, we have reached the end of this interview. I would like to thank McWolf for joining me on The Hockey Express and answering some burning questions today. After this talk with McWolf, I think this team has what it takes to be a contender in the future. With the right decisions and a great leader, their roster will definitely keep improving. Improvement takes time and patience is key in this scenario. Let me know who I should interview next and some questions you would want me to ask them.

I included a graphic of the press conference, that’s also the first graphic I have attempted to make. So please bear with the not so pleasant look.

(820 words)

[Blazzer 759]

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