1 - QCS
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Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
(Hello and welcome to the second story in the Robin Island Sports Saga! Information about the country can be found here and the first part of the Sports Saga, the Robin Island Baseball Federation, can be found here.)
As the 1967 RIBF season wrapped up, Hokkyo Thunderbirds and White Lily owner Masaru Kurosawa called a press conference in Hokkyo to announce something brand new - Robin Island's first ever professional hockey league. Comprised of six franchise, this new hockey league would bring a brand-new edge of competition to Robin Island.
And so, the Kurotorijima League of Hockey was born. The locations of the first six franchises was also revealed at the press conference, consisting entirely of northern cities, already familiar with hockey. 
Selected was Kurosawa's own hometown of Hokkyo, the twin cities of Aoishi, an up-and-coming city in Newton, Cloudsgate's capital Sol, the boisterous port city Georgeville, and the large stalwart Vertlac. The identities of the teams playing in these cities remains mysterious for now, but many fans in the cities have begun speculating on what the teams could be.
Of course, no team would be complete without a financial backer. Kurosawa obviously runs the Hokkyo team, but the remaining five are new to professional sports: In Sol, Mech Haven owner Kenji Inoue, a longtime friend of Kurosawa and hockey fan, took the reins. In Vertlac, it's not 35 Motors head Takahiro Wilton as in the RIBF, but instead Arlie Whitaker, owner and founder of Cascade Lumber, one of the two largest lumber corporations in Robin Island. Georgeville's team, graduating directly from semi-pro, kept its owner Jerry Crouch, who helped make the team so financially successful it's among the top 10 in Robin Island at the moment. Newton's team would be owner by Bud Horton, founder of Robin Energy, an energy company. Finally, tapped for Aoishi was native Yuki Kishimoto, whose wealth comes from electronics company ÆM.
The teams will be organized into a single division, with the top two playing a best of 7 playoff series to determine the champion, who will be awarded the Kurosawa Cup, named after Masaru Kurosawa's father, who introduced him to hockey at a young age after a trip to Canada. 60 games will be played, with 3 points being awarded for a win, and 0 for a loss. Kurosawa, a staunch opponent of giving teams points for losing, refused to give points for overtime losses.
The league aims to begin in 1968-69, operating the first season from October to February. The first commissioner, Takahiro Carter, is a young businessman with a sense for management, tapped from Kurosawa's own White Lily. As someone who has gained an appreciation for the sport from Kurosawa, he's made multiple trips to the U.S. and Canada for business and is sure to catch a game every time.
NEXT: The Team Identities!
Past Champions:
1969: Aoishi Unions
1970: Vertlac Lumberjacks
1971: Newton Explorers
Check out the uniform/logo archive here.
Last edited by QCS (9/06/2020 9:53 am)
- AJHFTW
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Re: Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
I can't wait for the team's identities, this is going to be good.
- Section30
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Re: Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
Can not wait to see the teams, stoked to see Robin Island hockey!
- Steelman
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Re: Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
Ooh, the KLH! I like the acronym already. I haven't been able to keep up with the baseball series but I'm looking forward to this!
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- QCS
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Re: Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
Thanks for the kind words, everyone! I'm excited to get this project started as well.
The first team of the KLH has been revealed, here's the details:
NEWTON, HK - In a press conference called by prospective KLH owner Bud Horton, a Newton native, announced the first brand of the Kurotorijima League of Hockey. 
Planning to take the ice in 1968, the Newton Explorers will represent the Apple City. The Explorers are a simple and classic team, named after the fact that Newton is home to KSEA, Robin Island's space exploration agency. The logo is a planet with a large N for Newton on it and a satellite orbiting it. The colors, as explained Horton, are "Space Navy" and "Moon Cream". The jerseys continue this simple theme, with the home jersey being navy and featuring a cream yoke, a single stripe of cream, and navy breezers with, you guessed it, a cream stripe. The away jersey is a simple color swap of the home, with everything cream being navy and vice versa. The pants and socks don't change.
The Explorers will find their home ice at Explorers Arena, a 19,000 seat arena constructed a few years ago for the minor league teams in Newton.
About Newton:
Newton is most famous for KSEA (Kurotorijima Space Exploration Agency), Robin Island's equivalent to NASA and a space program on the rise. To that end, the private company Newton Aerospace makes its home in the city, in direct competition with Hydrostatic, a Ft. Hayakawa-based defense and aerospace company, for government contracts and grant money. Beside the space stuff, Newton is, funnily enough, also known for a distinct breed of apple that thrives in the conditions in and around the city.
There you have it, the first team of the KLH! A huge thanks to Steelman for not only letting me use his template but finding an Illustrator version of it for me to use. I hope you enjoy, C&C Appreciated!
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Thread Starter- ThisIsFine
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Re: Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
Explorers look neat!
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- RoughRiders9
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Re: Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
Finally! A new thread that I can follow right from the start! And I think with the backstory you've given, I'm going to claim the Explorers as my favorite team as of now. I think you know why! 
- Rugrat
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Re: Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
The Explorers look pretty good! Excited to see what other teams you have next!
- QCS
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Re: Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
RoughRiders9 wrote:
Finally! A new thread that I can follow right from the start! And I think with the backstory you've given, I'm going to claim the Explorers as my favorite team as of now. I think you know why!
Haha, good to know! I hope they don't disappoint. I've got plenty of ideas for the Explorers, been in a space mood since I did some research for you, lol.
Explorers look neat!
The Explorers look pretty good! Excited to see what other teams you have next!
Thank you guys! I've got the next team coming right up!
SOL, CG - Following a press conference from Newton, KLH investor Kenji Inoue has announced the brand of the Sol team. They'll be known as the Sol Flames, referencing the sun, namesake of the city.
The Flames believe in simplicity: two colors, red and yellow, and a simple logo. It's a flame that looks like it's been struck from a matchstick, ready to burn. The home jersey features no white, only yellow on a red base. The yellow hem stripe and logo are matched with dual sleeve stripes, with a solid stripe down the pants and a triple high stripe pattern on the socks. The aways are quite different, being the only team in the league with colored sleeves. The dual stripes are carried from the home, while the hem stripe adds yellow and the logo and numbers are changed to red.
The Flames will take the ice at Sol Center, which seats 18,500 and will be home to burning-hot hockey come 1968.
About Sol:
Sol is the small-ish capital of Cloudsgate and the resident "hippie" city. "Keep Sol Weird" is common on t-shirts and bumper stickers around the area, calling to mind Austin and Portland in the States. Sol has a diverse economy built on electronics manufacturer Helius and sports supplier Ace, with plenty of supplemental services and businesses to round out the city. In terms of sports, Sol is a baseball city, with a strong hockey following as well.
Team two of six! What do you think? C&C Appreciated!
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Thread Starter- Section30
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Re: Robin Island Hockey - The KLH (1971 Kurosawa Cup Finals)
Both teams look great, love the deep purplish navy color and logo for the Explorers, and the Flames name is perfect for the city and the logo and uniforms are great for the time period
Can't wait to see the rest!