Pre S20 Dream Team

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Dream Team

 

When you bring this name up to most sports fans, the number one response you will likely get is the 1992 United States Men’s Olympic basketball team. Of course that roster consisted of legends like David Robinson, Michael Jordon, Karl Malone, Magic Johnson and the teams lowest point differential was against Puerto Rico, which was a thirty-eight-point victory for the United States. While that was a great roster with many great Hall of Famers on it, today we are going to dig deep into the VHL drafts and compile a list of our Victory Hockey League Dream team of players selected outside the first rounds of the VHL Entry Drafts prior to Season Twenty.

 

Forwards:

 

Right Winger: Terence Fong (Continental Cup Winner - S7, S10; Drafted Thirteenth Overall by Avangard in Season Five)

Starting on right wing you will find Season Five VHL Draftee Terence Fong, who was drafted by the then Avangard Havoc, now HC Davos Dynamo. Fong enjoyed a six year VHL career from Season Five to his retirement at the end of Season Ten. Fong would play 434 games during that time, amassing 178 goals and 222 assists. With almost a point per game pace over his career and two Continental Cups in his career, one with Avangard in Season Seven, and the other with Riga in Season Ten, Fong was one of the better players of the first ten seasons of the VHL.

 

Left Winger: Jardy Bunclewirth (Continental Cup Winner – S18, S19, S23; Drafted Eighteenth Overall by Calgary in Season Sixteen)

 

Bunclewirth was quite a character during his time in the VHL, specifically in Calgary. Bunclewirth came to the Wranglers organization after being drafted by the franchise Eighteenth Overall in Season Sixteen, and little did they know at the time Calgary was drafted a future legend. Bunclewirth went on to win three championships with the Wranglers, including back to back wins in Season Eighteen and Nineteen. Bunclewirth played in 432 games in the VHL with the Wranglers, putting up 291 goals and 398 assists, all while on his drunken way to the Hall of Fame.

 

Center: Alex McNeil (Continental Cup Winner – S4, S5; Drafted Thirtieth Overall by Helsinki in Season One)

The only player on our dream team that saw the first VHL season ever, Alex McNeil was one of the many colorful characters that graced the league in its early conception. McNeil played in six VHL seasons after being drafted in the Season One VHL Dispersal Draft by the Helsinki Titans Thirtieth Overall. Like many players in the VHL early days, McNeil never put on a Titans jersey after they drafted him, after the Titans traded McNeil to the Toronto Legion shortly after the selection to Helsinki was announced by the VHL. McNeil would play for three VHL teams over his six VHL seasons, ending his career with the Avangard Havoc in Season Six, but not before he put up great offensive numbers with 238 goals and 396 assists in 428 VHL games.

Defenseman:

 

Defense: Markus Sedin (Continental Cup Winner – S9, S12, S13; Drafted Thirtieth Overall by Toronto in Season Seven)

 

Markus Sedin was one of the best defenseman to ever grace the VHL. Sedin was drafted by the Toronto Legion in the Season Seven VHL Entry draft and became a mainstay on the Legions blue-line for many seasons to come. Sedin played in an era of the VHL that was purely built around offensive powerhouse teams, but Sedin brought his style of two-way defensive hockey to Toronto the minute he stepped floor on the Legion practice facility. Sedin still was also able to hold his own offensively as he posted 130 goals and 319 assist in his eight year VHL career. With three different Continental Cup wins with three different franchises, one can say that Sedin was a winner no matter where he laid his roots.

 

Defense: Harvey Singh (Continental Cup Winner – S14, S16; Drafted Twenty-Third Overall by New York in Season Twelve)

 

Harvey Singh is a very interesting VHL story. Singh was drafted by the New York Americans Twenty-Third Overall in the Season Twelve VHL Entry Draft. Singh spent two developmental years in the VHLM before finally making his first appearance in the VHL during Season Fourteen for the Americans. Singh played in only 288 games before announcing his retirement, but he still managed to win two Continental Cups in his three season VHL career.  Singh was able to win a Cup in his rookie Season with the Americans in Season Fourteen, and was then able to win a championship as a forward with the one of the Americans biggest rival Riga Reign in Season Sixteen. During his 288 game VHL career, Singh put up 129 goals and 160 assists to end his career with a point per game pace.

 

Goaltender:

 

Goaltender: Aiden Shaw (Continental Cup Winner – S21; Drafted Tenth Overall by Toronto in Season Eighteen)

 

With the nine most wins in VHL history, Aiden Shaw might be considered a steal considering he wasn’t drafted in the VHL Entry Draft First Round. Thankfully for Toronto Shaw would fall to the Legion at Tenth Overall, and that selection would do the franchise wonders for many future seasons. If there was any indication that Shaw was destined for great things before entering the VHL, all you would have to do is look to his one VHLM season with Brampton in Season Eighteen. Shaw posted a 65-5-0 record along with a .923 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average, an amazing stat line given the VHLMs history to have players consistently close in on the 200-point plateau in that era. Shaw entered the VHL in Season Nineteen and although he didn’t have immediate success posting on twenty-nine wins in his regular season, Shaw got his feet wet and positioned to start his HOF path. After seven successful seasons in Toronto that included one Continental Cup win, four Aidan Shaw wins (then Tretiak Trophy for top goaltender), one Howe Trophy(Playoff MVP) and a Hall of Fame induction in Season Twenty-Six, one would say Shaw would find himself in the best of all time conversation.

 

For Weeks Oct 5-11; Oct 12-18

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