The VHL Welcomes Another New Face

[thadthrasher 1,692]

 

Near the end of S74 as the Halifax 21st were dominating the rest of the VHLM, they took a risk and brought in a new face onto their team, Thadius Sales. Sales entered the locker room as the team's new backup goaltender, and because of Halifax's success they were happy to allow him to get in a few games before the season ended. Starting in 4 games, Sales took away 3 wins. Shortly after Halifax was eliminated from the playoffs, Sales was released. Soon after he was drafted by the Miami Marlins and the New York Americans. As a drafted played now, Sales made his way to Miami.

 

In S75 Sales found some success in Miami, but it wasn't the domination that he was hoping for. Just after the mid-way point of the season, Sales found himself traded and packing his bags. Sales finished out S75 as a member of the Las Vegas Aces and is now waiting to be called up to his VHL team, the New York Americans. Sales hopes to enter the locker room not as the backup, but as the starter.

 

What we have seen in Sales' short career is this, hard work pays off. He's not only served as the starting goaltender for two teams, but he's also been noticed by management around the league. He was asked to step up and be the General Manager of Team USA during the S75 WJC, and now that he will be playing in the VHL he has taken a position as the General Manager of the San Diego Marlins, a VHLM team. Beyond his playing and managing skills, Sales has also been active in a mental health advocacy movement around the league. Being open with players and management about his daily struggles and history as a felon has encouraged others to be open about their own struggles and seek help and accountability. Surely, no one expected this when the older player signed onto the league not that long ago.

 

What's exciting is that Sales has been able to dabble in a bit of recruitment and bring in another new face to the VHL, Aldwin Craig @Eldredman. Craig, the 6 foot 2, 210 lb left winger is hoping to see his name called on draft day. The 22-year-old rookie has been training for this day for quite some time, and now his hard work is being looked at by others around the VHL. Sales had this to say:

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Craig's a great guy. We've known each other for a few years. When I was in the clink, even though I nevah' got caught, Craig was my pen-pal through a program where high school students would write to prisoners. It was through these letters that I learned that Craig loved hockey, and my love of the game was just starting. After I got out we continued to talk and he followed my career. It took some convincing, but I was able to get him to give it a shot. I'm hoping he finds success here in the league, the kid deserves it.

 

Knowing the success that Sales has found, the VHL community is very eager to see what sort of player Craig will become and to see what he does in and around the league. 

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I'm pretty excited to be here. I never really thought about trying to play professional hockey. I know that when I skate onto the ice I want to be that forward that passes to the right spot, but more importantly, I want to make sure other teams know not to mess with us. I've always been a "protect my team" kind of guy in anything that I've done, so I feel like that will carry over into my professional hockey career. I know Sales is moving up to the VHL, but I also know he's managing a team here in the M. I'm hoping that SDM drafts me, but if they don't I'd be happy to play anywhere! - Craig

 

Little is known about Craig. We still aren't sure where he comes from, what he did before the start of his hockey career, what he's hoping to see through all of this, but the VHL is certainly excited to see what this young forward can and will do. 

 

It seems that the VHL certainly prides itself on the recruitment and retention of new and young players. While Sales was an oddity and found the league on his own, many other great and successful players in the league's history were brought in through connections to friends and family members already in the league. It's possible that this could be the story for Craig. Either way, we hope to see a continued influx of new players by way of personal advocacy. Players, if you read this, be sure to reach out to your friends, family, and even fans. The VHLM is a great place for development, and success will only come after hard work.

 

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826 words, claiming week ending 17 Jan