Seattle and Helsinki aiming for some VHL history

[Victor 11,009]

So, spoiler alert for trivia, Rayz Funk has just matched Hans Wingate's career playoff wins record of 51 with Seattle's Game 7 win over Calgary and now has the opportunity to overtake him. He's done it one fewer game (Wingate retired with his 4^th cup in his 80^th playoff game, while Funk has just played his 79^th) and now will almost certainly make history by claiming the record for himself. He is also on the verge of becoming the 2^nd goalie ever, alongside Wingate, to win 4 championships – Daisuke Kanou is naturally the only other with 3. LIVE SIM UPDATE: Funk now has the all-time lead with 52.

 

As Funk looks to cement an already spectacular legacy, the same can be said for Seattle. The chance for 4 Continental Cups in 6 seasons is within their grasp. Would it be a greater feat than the threepeat? Or the Kanou-era Davos 3 cups and 5 finals in 6? There will certainly be a conversation there and I promise, a much more in-depth look at this legendary Bears team will follow. What an achievement regardless for what remains of that famous S67 core – Funk, Greene, Hogan, Sundqvist, and for one more series, Stark. There may be some disappointment over regular season performance but in the playoffs this generation has known how to turn it on arguably more than any other.

 

But let's not forget about the Bears' opponents – arguably the VHL's most illustrious franchise in Helsinki. They've won it in all sorts of ways before and this is one of the more low key editions – a quiet team that didn't really go into a rebuild but has ended up back on top. It's remarkable how this team was built without high end draft picks and even the trades Jubo did make were low profile but landed strong performers like Hafkey, Draven, Bolonee, and Ross. The history that Helsinki can make is add to their streak of winning a Continental Cup in every VHL decade and add to their overall lead with 12. Seattle though could join them at the top with 11.

 

It's 1-1 in the Continental Cup finals between two teams with nothing between them in the regular season – it promises to be a classic.

[Banackock 8,127]

Woo hoo! Excited for the rest of the series. Best of luck to all on HSK