I’m guessing that the higher ups with the Glaciers will be looking at a pay day for those offseason decisions

1968 OFFSEASON

Notable Retirements

Longtime Kirkenport defensive captain Mike Corbitt decided to hang up his skates at 36 years old after a solid 8-year pro career in the THL, all with Kirkenport. Corbitt's tough-nosed style of play was beloved by the Kirk Boys and he helped lead the team to five playoff appearances and a Marcotte Cup appearance.

Draft News

With French forward Thomas Charbonneau declaring for international draft rights, he became the clear favorite for Narva with the first choice. The rest of the class was considered very weak and all of the teams elected to forego any rounds past the first. Optimism isn't high outside of Charbonneau and forward Scotty Stapel and defenseman John Janssen. Many scouts were torn on polarizing prospect F Chris Wydra, with him being already 21 and in and out of legal trouble. He has plenty of talent but teams were concerned with his mental stability and he subsequently went undrafted. The Neptunes took Charbonneau first overall, while Stapel went second to the Heralds and Janssen fell all the way to the Glaciers at seventh. With little buzz generated from the new rookie class, Oracle Sports Network barely even covered the event which incensed Commissioner Willard.

Trades and Signings

Charbonneau projects as a top scoring second-liner for Narva and will fill that role with capable forwards Rob Dunning and Olin Valle. With two Cups and five playoff appearances with his stint in Portarra, Dunning will be a strong mentor for Charbonneau. The Neptunes also traded for Janssen, sending 21-year-old F Coy Conners to the Glaciers for his rights. Afterward, Glaciers' Norwegian forward Frans Norberg requested a trade to a team where he could start, after being relegated to the Indy League during the Glaciers run at the Cup. Portarra stepped forward, sending 1967 selection Clifford Wilkerson to make the exchange.

While other teams were debating the merits of taking a flyer on Chris Wydra, the Kodiaks sent a team contingent to his parole officer to discuss his condition. Feeling encouraged, they offered Wydra a heavily protected contract. Wydra traveled to Kirlow to meet with the brass and check out the team and immediately decided to accept. It's a huge coup for Kirlow if Wydra can meet his potential, giving them a valuable top line of Brink-Wydra-Geary and a potent second line of Fredella-Szollosi-Andolsek, all except veteran Geary being in their early 20's.

Team Identity Changes

1968 Chasonne Heralds


After the bad blood from the white home jersey switch by Chasonne, Commissioner Willard asked Claud Elam to strongly consider a different arrangement. Elam agreed and asked Zeal to elevate the Columbia blue sweater to permanent home status and a redesigned white sweater was made for away games.

No other teams made any changes.


Up next: 1968 Season

1968 REGULAR SEASON

After the shocking Cup win by the Yubay Glaciers in '67, it felt like the league was wide-open to begin the new season. The Glaciers, however, wasted no time in proving that their championship was no fluke, vaulting into the top of the standings early on in the season behind a scoring barrage led by Peter Isaksson who was also out to prove he was no fluke either. As if their fleecing of Narva with the Bukowski trade wasn't enough, the Glaicers showed that they had crafted a lethal roster and made the right decision as goaltender Keith MacGarvin was a stonewall all the way to a Best Goalie award. Isaksson topped it with a Best Forward and a League MVP trophy to boot as the team put together a dominate season.

In contrast, the Neptunes have been disappointed with all-world prospect Ernie Bukowski. Infamously trading the farm to acquire his rights, Buks has been unable to even stay on the ice for extending stretches, all while the fans have watched the Glaciers skyrocket, causing much dismay in the city. The team, having been the original Kirlow club before moving to Lecayne and then being sold and moved to Narva, is seemingly cursed into living in oblivion. New rookie forward Thomas Charbonneau found some chemistry with the second line but it did little to stop the flood of rough losses and poor attendance. Midway through the season owner Harlan Durant fired head coach Neal Owens and brought in former Kirkenport player Byron Peachey to head the team in the interim. Peachey had been coaching in the Indy ranks with significant success since his retirement and it is hoped he can help develop some of the young players.

The Heralds, eager to get back into their accustomed playoff-bound mode after some stumbles, got out to a quick start but faded abruptly into the middle of the pack as young goaltender Claude Dohms struggled in his sophomore season. The Captains and Falcons battled for the fourth playoff berth along with Chasonne but scoring was an issue for both teams. A deep depth at forward proved nondescript as two-time All-Star Keenan Draper was tentative all season after an early scare with his left knee and nobody could step into an assertive role. The team seemed to really miss the leadership of former defensive captain Mike Corbitt. The Falcons had the wonderful play of star forward Geno Pasternak but veteran Sallee regressed and the growing pains of young forwards Stave and Sharpe were felt strongly. Von Wentz dealt with multiple injuries which left aging Larry Boudreaux floundering in the net.

In Portarra, with the Whales looking to avoid three consecutive down seasons, it was the revival of former Cup MVP Maxwell Blunt who sparked the team with his steady play in the net. Anton O'Reilly punched in another brilliant season and the forward lines were able to solidify after concerns over aging legs throughout the lineup. Securing a 3-seed was a big bonus for them as they match up better with old rival the Anchors as they attempt to get back into winning postseason form.

The Anchors, led by the always-scoring Gary Wiz found themselves in a vacuum in second place. Overshadowed by the Glaciers' shocking success, the Anchors quietly found their groove with improvements by Ferdy Haight in the net and more balanced blue line play even from old vets.


While not the overwhelming berserker play from D Joaquin Outlaw that took the league by storm and turned into a pair of MVP awards along with legal troubles and a suspension, Outlaw and the Kodiaks rounded into a balanced form by the end of the season and crept ahead of the pack to secure a playoff berth. Undrafted signee F Chris Wydra took home Best Rookie honors after he was pleasant addition to the roster and won over the fans with his electric play. Top liner F Pascal Brink punched an All-Star selection as the Kodiaks also switched to a two-man goalie rotation with Jesse Gaskins leading instead of longtime netminder Reed Darling. With Gaskins taking the bulk of the minutes, Darling flourished in a more restricted capacity as the Kodiaks will be a tough out for a projected matchup with the booming Glaciers.

Playoff Preview

Glaciers vs Kodiaks
The Glaciers are red-hot and playing with a mad, frantic style that overwhelms their opponents. The Kodiaks, however, have found stability and honed a balanced and steady style that won't be easily bulldozed. Will the Glaciers' pummeling of the league continue or will the Kodiaks find the antidote in balance?

Anchors vs Whales
The Old Rivalry Series engages for a 5th time in the playoffs as both teams are very closely matched. The Whales have been better on the blue line but the forward lines of Port Alrene have the edge. Both goaltenders are experienced and heady and the series will be a tight one. Pundits are evenly split.

Dang, we really dropped off this year. At least we aren't Narva!6.2.5

I think Stickman stole my notes.

1968 PLAYOFFS

Semi-Finals


1 Yubay Glaciers vs 4 Kirlow Kodiaks
Despite being pushed around in the first two games, the Kodiaks fired back with three straight wins of their own to push the Glaciers to the very edge. The Glaciers found their rebuttal, however, as Keith MacGarvin posted a Game 6 shutout and Peter Isaksson led the way to a hat trick in Game 7 to secure a tough, exciting series.

Factoid: The Kodiaks have made the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, each time going the distance in a close 7-game series only to lose all three times, twice to the eventual champions.



2 Port Alrene Anchors vs 3 Portarra Whales
The Old Rivalry wasn't quite as dramatic as past clashes, as the Anchors looked good in Game 1 behind a Ferdy Haight classic in the net but the team couldn't find ways to win close games as the Whales notched opportune goals in two OT games and pulled away with the series as Anton O'Reilly added more pages to his resume.

Factoid: Since 1960 when the league began, the Old Rivals in Portarra and Port Alrene have clashed five times in the playoffs, including the 1960 Marcotte Cup which the Whales won. The Whales currently lead their head-to-head playoff games 16-10.


1968 MARCOTTE CUP CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

1 Yubay Glaciers vs 3 Portarra Whales
The old standard against the young gun, the matchup between the stunning Glaciers and the veteran Whales reminds of the last time an aging Portarra team went up against a young upstart team from Yubay. The Falcons cruised to a Cup that season. The Glaciers showed moxie in a come-from-behind series win against Kirlow and feel even more battle-tested. The Whales have an abundance of postseason experience.


Game 1: POR 1 @ YBG 2 – The young Glaciers were jittery at the start, allowing an early goal to Whales Adam Keenan. But they calmed down and a late 3rd-period bender by Gary Musgrove won it.

Game 2: POR 2 @ YBG 1 (OT) – Netminder Maxwell Blunt only allowed a deflection goal off a friendly skate but was otherwise brilliant, with shades of his younger self. An OT goal by Marlin Parr secured a win to tie up the series before heading to Portarra.

Game 3: YBG 1 @ POR 0 – Keith MacGarvin showed his stuff, stopping nearly 40 shots as the Whales couldn't score. A tip-in at the goalpost by Peter Isaksson provided the winning goal.

Game 4: YBG 2 @ POR 1 – The wily old veteran Dalton Causey had a throwback performance, notching a goal and assisting another by Isaksson to take two games in Portarra for the Glaciers and a chance to win it all at home.

Game 5: POR 1 @ YBG 5 – With the building shaking from excitement at the possibility of a historic repeat champion, the Glaciers got the scoring started on a brilliant long-distance slapshot by Ferdinand Hendrix and it opened the floodgates as Isaksson added two more and assisted on two others by Causey and defenseman Albert Golatt. The Whales couldn't keep up the fast pace and Blunt was pulled late in the 3rd for a 5th skater but to no avail. The Glaciers became repeat Marcotte Cup champions as Peter Isaksson took home the Finals MVP. Dalton Causey also became the first player to win three Cups.

1968 Marcotte Cup Champions: Yubay Glaciers (2)

Hope you enjoyed the factoids! Now that the league is growing and well-established, there are lots of interesting facts and stats which I'll begin adding in here and there.

Up next: A busy offseason for the uniform designers