The Talents Behind the Trophies: the Ryan Sullivan Trophy

[Doomsday 4,130]

@Motzaburger is a snack that smiles back. 

 

Hello and welcome to Season Five of The Talents Behind the Trophies! In this series, we delve deep into the history of the Victory Hockey League to learn more about the players that the various awards of the VHL and VHLM are named after. Many times, people covet a trophy, yet they don't know the story behind the player the award is named for. Personally, I feel that the stories of these players should be told. You see, these awards were initially named after NHL players, eventually taking the name of VHL players who personified the spirit of that award. Naturally, these are some of the best to ever grace the league, and The Talents Behind the Trophies will ensure their stories are known. 

 

But before we get started, let's take a look at the VSN content that's out this week! The playoffs are underway in both the VHLM and VHL, but we start off by going over just what it takes to build a powerhouse VHLM team with @fromtheinside's analysis of the San Diego Marlins. Check out what's going on in the VHL this week with @tcookie as he reviews the final games of Season 75. @Advantage's latest episode of the Vantage Point has gained some more traction lately with the return of Hulk Hogan's agent, as he discusses whether or not Hogan has a shot at immortality in the VHL Hall of Fame. Lastly, check out the latest episode of The Bootcast, as @dasboot features a special guest, @bigAL! 

 

Under 250 | Around the VHL | Vantage Point | The Bootcast

 

The VHLM is the gateway for all aspiring VHL players to realize their professional dreams, but for a developmental league, it can be quite competitive. VHLM awards are generally regarded for little more than bragging rights and bonus uncapped TPE, but for defensemen in the VHLM, the top prize at their position is the Ryan Sullivan Trophy. Named after the Hall of Fame defenseman known primarily for his time with the Calgary Wranglers before being traded to the New York Americans, Ryan Sullivan's elite two-way play from the blue line, combined with his future service to the VHLM, made him the ideal candidate for the renaming of the Bourque Trophy in Season 42. This is the story of that journey. 

 

Originally the Bourque Trophy, the Ryan Sullivan Trophy is annually awarded to the player deemed to be the best defenseman in the VHLM.

 

After first breaking into the VHLM in Season 27, Ryan Sullivan was eligible for both the VHL and VHLM drafts in Season 28. As the consensus top defensive prospect in the draft, Sullivan didn't need to wait long to hear his name called, as the Calgary Wranglers selected him third overall, the second of their three first rounders taken in the Season 28 Draft. Combined with the selection of Volodymyr Rybak at first overall and Jim Gow at 8th overall, Calgary now had the beginnings of a new core, but they would need to wait to play together in the VHL, as both Sullivan and Gow required more seasoning in the VHLM. The Kolari Panthers selected Sullivan in the first round, although he would eventually find his way to the Brampton Blades through a trade. His two-way abilities were already on display in Brampton, as Sullivan scored 35 goals and 67 assists for 102 points, adding 320 hits and 87 blocked shots on top of his stellar offensive numbers, winning him the Bourque Trophy, which would eventually bear his name, as the VHLM's top defenseman. Satisfied with his progress, Calgary General Manager Jason Glasser brought Sullivan up to the VHL for Season 29.

 

As a rookie, Ryan Sullivan wasted absolutely no time in proving his worth. Although Calgary was still a young team finding their way, Sullivan became an immediate contributor, scoring 19 goals and assisting on 55 others for 74 points, best among all rookies in the VHL. He also tallied 198 hits, 88 blocked shots, and an impressive +27, making him an easy choice for the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy as the top rookie in the VHL. Season 30, however, saw Sullivan take on a different role. With a powerful offensive core featuring Alexander Chershenko, Rybak, Leeroy Jenkins and Vladimir Boomchenko leading the way, Sullivan took on more of a defensive approach. While his point total dipped to 61 points, his hits, shots blocked, and +/- all improved, and as a result, so did Calgary. The Wranglers made the playoffs due to a cross-over rule implemented for the season, and proceeded to take full advantage. They swept the HC Davos Dynamo in the first round, and faced off against the Seattle Bears in the Continental Cup Finals. Sullivan brought his A-game for the post-season, scoring just under a point-per-game and continuing his strong defensive play, culminating in a Game Seven victory that brought the Continental Cup back to Calgary!

 

In just his second season in the VHL, Ryan Sullivan had reached the pinnacle of the VHL with a Continental Cup victory.

 

While Ryan Sullivan had been a good player before, it was Season 31 where he truly took the step to being an elite player. Emboldened by their championship victory, the Wranglers became a major force, with Sullivan serving as the facilitator for the league's deadliest offense. On top of his league-leading 101 assists, earning him the Mikita (now Alexander Beketov) Trophy, Sullivan also potted 20 goals and an absurd +74 rating. On top of being an offensive powerhouse, his 194 hits and 127 blocked shots also earned him the Sterling Labatte Trophy as the VHL's top defenseman. His rapid development into one of the game's top defensemen also resulted in Sullivan being awarded the Dustin Funk Trophy as the most improved player in the VHL. However, despite only losing eight total games in the regular season, the Wranglers were stunned in the Conference Finals by the New York Americans, who dispatched Calgary in five games. 

 

Season 32 saw plenty of changes for the Calgary Wranglers following the disappointing end to their previous season. Alexander Chershenko was traded to New York, Shane Lynch was acquired from the HC Davos Dynamo, and Glasser signed free agent defenseman Damon Wolfe. The signing of Wolfe in particular was huge for Sullivan, as they immediately became a dangerous tandem on both ends of the ice. Scoring a career-high 32 goals, Sullivan also set career-highs in hits with 323 and blocked shots with 149. Both Sullivan and Wolfe topped 90 points, and Calgary coasted to the playoffs yet again, earning a bye for the second straight season. However, the New York Americans again would oust them in five games, giving the Wranglers the exact same ending in spite of their changes. 

 

Ryan Sullivan seen trying to ease the sting of a crushing defeat at the hands of the New York Americans.

 

Season 33, however, brought the biggest change of all for Ryan Sullivan: his agent, Chris Miller, was named as the new General Manager of the rival New York Americans. Per league rules of the era, this meant that Sullivan was required to move to the Americans in order to avoid any potential conflicts of interest, which was accomplished by Skylar Rift being moved to Calgary in exchange for him. Although it put an end to his dynamic pairing with Damon Wolfe, it by no means put an end to Sullivan's ability to control games. Reunited with Alexander Chershenko, Sullivan's offensive prowess again cracked 100 points, scoring 26 goals to go with 81 assists. Additionally, he racked up 308 hits to go with 149 blocked shots and a +48 rating to win his second Sterling Labatte Trophy to power the Americans to the top seed of the North American Conference. Yet again, the Calgary Wranglers faced off against New York in the playoffs, but this time, Sullivan was on the opposite side. The series needed not only seven games to determine a winner, but overtime as well, which came to an end when he tallied a secondary assist on Nikolai Chershenko's series-winning goal off of a feed from Guido Schwarz Esq. The Americans moved on to face the Riga Reign, who defeated New York in six games behind the heroics of future Hall of Famer Elijah Incognito to win the Continental Cup. 

 

Chris Miller decided to go for broke in Season 34, bringing in established stars in David Smalling and Phil Rafter to add to an already strong New York team, and a rookie forward named Thomas Landry made the roster after spending his first season of eligibility in Bratislava. While the Americans were an impressive roster on paper, they didn't quite play up to their potential, and had to settle for a lower seed than anticipated. Sullivan, however, continued to excel. Once again, he exceeded 100 points, recorded 265 hits, and blocked a staggering 160 shots, resulting in his third Sterling Labatte Trophy. As luck would have it, the Americans faced off against the Calgary Wranglers yet again, and they delighted the VHL with another classic series that went to overtime of Game Seven. This time, however, Calgary finally exercised their New York demons with Henrik Larsson's series-winning goal on the power play, with Ryan Sullivan looking on helplessly from the penalty box due to an interference minor. 

 

Although the New York Americans could not realize the dreams of a Continental Cup, they were still a powerful team during Sullivan's brief time there.

 

Season 35 would be the final season of Sullivan's career, after announcing he would retire following the next season. This enabled Chris Miller to use Sullivan as a trading piece, as New York was quickly heading into a rebuild following the retirements of Rafter and Smalling, and Sullivan announcing his retirement allowed him to be traded away from Miller. As a result, he found himself off to the defending champions, the Helsinki Titans. Featuring future Hall of Famers Ethan Osborne, Odin Tordahl, and Tuomas Tukio, the Titans looked as good as ever with Sullivan on the blue line. Even in his final season, he was still dangerous, third on Helsinki in points with 86, with 21 goals, seven of them being game-winners. He remained strong defensively as well, recording 246 hits and blocking 100 shots. The Titans continued their dominance of the European Conference, winning the top seed for the third straight season in the EU. Sullivan's final playoff run started well with a hard-fought series win against the Cologne Express, but proved to be outmatched by the Quebec City Meute, who would go on to win the Continental Cup against Helsinki in six games. 

 

Ryan Sullivan did not need to wait long to be immortalized in the VHL Hall of Fame, as he was enshrined in his first season of eligibility in Season 36 alongside the player taken one pick ahead of him, goaltender Alexander Labatte. Just six seasons later, the Bourque Trophy, awarded to the top defenseman in the VHLM, was renamed to the Ryan Sullivan Trophy in recognition of his accomplishments, and setting the standard of what it would take to measure up as a player worthy of winning the award. Unlike the VHL, which has three separate awards for defensemen, the VHLM only offers one. It is fitting that is named after Sullivan, for his elite two-way capabilities are precisely what it takes for an aspiring VHL prospect to bring home the hardware that bears his name. A very fitting tribute for a member that to this very day continues to serve our community in dedicated fashion indeed. 

 

Player Mentions: @Advantage, @Rybak_49, @flyersfan1453, @diamond_ace , @Victor, @Squinty, @BOOM, @RawEnergy, @Toast, @Devise, @Munk, @BluObieZ, @Strummer, @Knight, @Phil, @Doomsday, @great_save_luongo, @STZ, @Higgins, @sterling

[Bobo 514]

Great article, although the captions need some work. Describe what is going on in the picture, and keep it simple. 

[bigAL 2,176]

Awesome stuff Dooms! I love the wild Thomas Landry appearance, that guy is like the Forrest Gump of the VHL

[Doomsday 4,130]

3 hours ago, bigAL said:

Awesome stuff Dooms! I love the wild Thomas Landry appearance, that guy is like the Forrest Gump of the VHL

 

I enjoyed writing this one because it covers the era where I first joined, a cool trip down Memory Lane if you will. 

[STZ 5,360]

Doomsday's ability to always get Osborne a shoutout in present day, makes my heart warm

[Advantage 2,891]

On 1/1/2021 at 10:57 AM, STZ said:

Doomsday's ability to always get Osborne a shoutout in present day, makes my heart warm

This one was pretty easy tbf