Ferk’s Dream Team, but it's the S72 Saskatoon Wild

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C - Lucas Brandt

 

The American centre was among the top first gens from the S72 class, consisting of a few notable players such as Andrew Su, Alex Letang and Chris Hylands. Brandt went to Saskatoon after dropping in the draft and going 4th overall in S72. It was with the Wild where he would have a career season, scoring 133 points and finishing second in the league. Brandt was an extremely clutch player and this was demonstrated by his 14 game winners in the regular season. Brandt's play stalled a bit in the playoffs and he was outperformed by his linemates Komarov and Brown, but his point production was still over a point per game. Out of the first liners for Saskatoon, Brandt was their playmaker. He could make plays that other players could not.

 

LW - Kazimir Komarov

 

Kazimir Komarov is a player that many overlooked, so he really had to work for his spot in the VHLM. Drafted 44th overall in S71, Komarov is the biggest underdog story on this list. The Russian winger saw instant success in his first season in the league, and his main thing was consistency. In his time with the Wild he scored 112 points and 116 points, in S71 and S72, respectively. I remember one time when I asked him about his production, he simply replied, "Russian machine doesn't break". Komarov was the most integral piece for the Wild in the S72 playoffs, leading everyone by a mile with 31 points and taking home the Skylar Rift Trophy for most valuable player in the playoffs. Shortly after the cup win, Komarov retired from hockey and rode of into the sunset.

 

RW - Timothy Brown

 

Timothy Brown's early career did not go well for him. In fact, it was kind of a disaster. The Saskatchewan native signed with Saskatoon in S71 and scored 40 points with the Wild in his first season. After a trade by Saskatoon which saw them trade down to 4th overall and take Lucas Brandt, Brown was taken by the Halifax 21st, 2nd overall in the S72 draft. 20 games into the season, Halifax realized they would not be able to compete and Brown was shipped back to Saskatoon. Motivated by his return, Brown finished the regular season with 58 goals, leading the team. Brown was one of the Wild's key performers in the playoffs, finishing with 23 points. He received the Matt Bentz Trophy for top two-way forward at the end of the season.

 

D - King Kruul

 

Of the 5 skaters included in this dream team, King Kruul finished last in points with 105. However, the German winger was not known for his point production, but for his punishing defensive play. Kruul finished the year with 255 hits, which is over 3 hits per game. As well as 85 blocked shots on the year. Kruul was the only player that was not drafted to Saskatoon, signing with them out of free agency for a shot at the cup. Kruul pulled his weight in the playoffs, finishing over a point per game. King Kruul's greatest achievement was receiving the Ryan Sullivan trophy for top defenseman in the VHLM.

 

D - Tyler Walker

 

Tyler Walker was one of Saskatoon's three first round picks in the S72 Draft. Walker, a Canadian native, was picked 5th overall, immediately after Lucas Brandt. Tyler Walker was the youngest player out of all 5 skaters, but most certainly not the any less important. He finished 10th in points league wide for points, as well as 1st in assists, which got him the Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy. To top it all off he also finished 1st in points for defensemen. Tyler Walker finished last in points in the playoffs out of the dream team players with 19. The season after winning the cup, Walker graduated from the VHLM and went to play with the Malmo Nighthawks, with fellow Saskatoon player Grekkark Gyrfalcon.

 

G - Grekkark Gyrfalcon

 

Hailing from Greenland, Grekkark Gyrfalcon was probably their best player from the second he stepped foot on a VHLM ice surface. The Wild drafted him in the second round, 22nd overall. Every dream team needs a steady goaltender, and Gyrfalcon was that man for Saskatoon. He finished the regular season with a 0.898 save percentage and 37 wins in the regular season. Grekkark's save percentage was good enough for 7th in the league. His low win total was due to the skill of Saskatoon's backup goalie Cal Conway, who also saw his fair share of starts. Gyrfalcon performed well for the Saskatoon Wild in the playoffs, with a 0.890 save percentage and one shutout.

Edited October 12, 2020 by a_Ferk