1990 REGULAR SEASON

Willard Division: Without Ray Parrino the Whales lost some firepower but were just as dangerous and cruised through a weak division with ease. Eli Priestley was magnificent, notching a Best Defenseman for his efforts. The Pioneers regressed and missed the playoffs, sorely missing Thomas Nelissen's steady hand. The age of their roster will bring many questions in the offseason. The Rockets and Serpents seemed to battle for last place at times as both teams struggled. The Serpents will be yet again picking at #1 in the draft. The Anchors made a push to secure the second spot behind very spotty play. Rookie goaltender Felix Engberg looks like the real deal.

Hatch Division: The Swans and Kodiaks loaded up in the offseason and it showed as both team battled to the wire for the division title. They actually finished tied in points but Kirlow had one more win and took it. Newcomer Jan Mikulec had a vintage season to help power a tough defense from the Kodiaks backstopped by a rising Rocco LaPlante in the net. Sami had a tough year but Rafi soared to lead the team in scoring. Meanwhile, the Swans, with Ray Parrino on board, catapulted their own scoring and rode tough net play from Andre Kabbani who again won Best Goalie. The Wizards had hoped to return to the Finals but had trouble even making it through the division to grab hold of a wildcard. Sam Sebastian was good but the team chemistry lacked at times. The Neptunes were a tough squad to play against but couldn't string together enough wins toward the end of the year to make the playoffs. With Mozzy Turk a shell of his former self, the Herons struggled in all facets. After the exodus of their star players, the Blazers were a mess and had major trouble scoring.

Elam Division: The big offseason moves by the Captains paid off as John Roszak and Company found a nice chemistry to vault into the lead of the division. The Kirk Boys' top line of Roszak, Martikainen and Jorgensen was the best in the league and Len Rutkowski notched an All-Star berth. The Barbarians continued solid play led by Frankie Albertelli from the blue line and flew under the radar with a nice season. The Crusaders were beset by injuries and their talented roster suffered and missed the playoffs, breaking their 7-year streak. The whole team in Quebel was frustrated, evidenced by flare-ups on the bench and in the locker room. The Snappers have been trying to make progress but haven't quite found the key yet as David Tennfjord's squad is still developing. The steady stream of talent leaving Chasonne left Gian Guiliano and the Heralds bereft of any substance as the braintrust will have to make some tough decisions on how to proceed with the team.

Rankin Division: While the Electrics were expected to win again, it was the Kings led by a resurgent Pete Lentini who were able to squeak ahead for a division title. With some veteran depth finally in Bancana, the team played tough and clutch down the stretch to take the #1 seed. Lentini won League MVP for his great play. Meanwhile the Kavs saw Leo Stendahl erupt in scoring with Ric Rundstrom on a second line to lead the league. The Killers weathered some tough injury sprees to maintain their playoff status and were finally looking healthy by the end of the season and could be a tough matchup in the early rounds. Rookie sensation Bobby Kozun immediately revitalized the Falcons who played much better than their record reflected to generate plenty of optimism for the future on a very young team. The Glaciers also saw offensive improvements from their young squad. The Bucks were a disaster but found some team chemistry late in the season to right the ship. They're desperate for talent but played above their level.


Hockey on the Mount:

The Mount featured a pair of blowouts and the jerseys didn't sell quite as well as the debut but the event was a success locally at the sold-out Icebox in Monmount, Lismane.



Playoff Preview:

Barbarians vs Killers (Wildcard Round)
The Barbarians were steady all season while the Killers came up clutch late

Anchors vs Wizards (Wildcard Round)
Both teams faltered but the Wizards feel they're much better than the Anchors

Captains vs Electrics
This could be a tough series for both teams but the Kavs have all the experience

Whales vs Swans
This one's all about Ray Parrino going up against his old squad, fireworks will probably ensue

Byes: Kings, Kodiaks


C&C always appreciated! Can't believe it's been so long. I missed the THL.
Up next: 1990 Playoffs

For old time’s sake, read back through, still don’t have a true favorite, but man, those Hockey On The Mount jerseys are fire and the people who think otherwise (most of Torlan) can argue with a wall.

1990 PLAYOFFS

Wildcard Round



7 Alko Barbarians vs 10 Kurohara Killers
The two teams traded two wins apiece to set up a decisive Game 5 which went into two hard-fought overtimes before Konrad Kedzierski won it. [AKB wins 3-2]

8 Port Alrene Anchors vs 9 Alko Wizards
This series wasn't even close as the Wizards seemed to forget their season struggles and made a clean sweep of the hapless Anchors. [ALK wins 3-0]

Quarterfinals



1 Bancana Kings vs 9 Alko Wizards
The Kings had one stinker, a 1-7 loss in Game 3 but otherwise Lentini was brilliant, even ending a 2OT Game 4 on a bar-down shot as the Wizards didn't have enough firepower to keep up. [BAN wins 4-1]

2 Kirlow Kodiaks vs 7 Alko Barbarians
The series opened with a close OT finish from Rafi but it wasn't close after that as the Kodiaks erupted to outscore the Barbarians 19-2 to clean up the sweep. [KIR wins 4-0]

3 Kirkenport Captains vs 6 Kavalos Electrics
As advertised, these teams were closely matched in this series as they battled back and forth all the way to a brilliant Game 7 which got extended to OT. It was John Roszak with his first big-time moment as he found a home for the series-clincher. [KRK wins 4-3]

4 Portarra Whales vs 5 Vensessor Swans
The series started off with a bang in a 3OT thriller as Bronkowski and Parrino went head-to-head but the Swans couldn't find ways to win while the Whales' experience paid off in a surprisingly closely-contested sweep. [POR wins 4-0]

Semi-Finals



1 Bancana Kings vs 4 Portarra Whales
The series kicked off with a 5-4 OT finish and got wild from there as both teams traded high-scoring games with random shutouts. These two heavyweights provided the fireworks as it went to a Game 7 where the Whales' championship experience seemed to pay off as Bronkowski scored the hat trick to send Lentini and the Kings home disappointed. [POR wins 4-3]

2 Kirlow Kodiaks vs 3 Kirkenport Captains
It was an incredibly close series, with each game taut with drama and suspense as these two young teams played with a poise beyond their years. Roszak, Martikainen, and Jorgensen versus Rafi, Sami, and Ledoux. The series was a huge hit on TV as both teams had magical moments. It was a Game 7 thriller in overtime that provided the most suspense as Ledoux and Martikainen had both scored late to keep it tied with the goalies, Wuopio and LaPlante, each having fantastic games. It was late in the extra period when Rafi Romanov scorched a shot off the left post and rebounded awkwardly inward that sealed the series for the Kodiaks. [KIR wins 4-3]

Can the Whales win four championships in a row? Can the Kodiaks finally win their first Cup? Stay tuned.

C&C always appreciated!
Up next: 1990 Marcotte Cup 

I am going with the Kodiaks in the championship.

1990 Marcotte Cup Championship Finals

2 Kirlow Kodiaks vs 4 Portarra Whales

These two teams couldn't be more different but find themselves matched up to battle it out for the 31st Marcotte Cup and first of the new decade. This is the Whales' 4th-straight appearance, having won three straight Cups. No team has ever won four in a row but Bill Bronkowski's Whales have the experience and tenacity to do it. Meanwhile the Kodiaks have infamously been to the Finals four times before and lost all of them. Those were the days of Pascal Brink but now the team is led by the Romanov brothers and a talented ensemble cast of players. Rafi leads the team in scoring with his brother Sami and Quincy Ledoux on a top line. A veteran second line of Lukas Lodwig and Kenny Joiner are tough and can score. The net has been stabilized by a rising Rocco LaPlante with the veteran Claude Stoll backing him up. On the blue line, Max Kopecky and Jan Mikulec have found new homes in Kirlow and are a tough duo. Depth is a little lighter for the Kodiaks but D Josef Seppa and F Craig Graham are popular with the fans.

The Whales have a slightly updated roster with former Rocket F Jack Koeneman on the top line with Bronkowski and Caparros after Ray Parrino left town. The rest of the squad is the same as last season's championship group. Defenseman Eli Priestley won Best Defenseman and his pairing mate Herb Hass is very tough to score against. Brian Mahaffey has been solid in the net and his backup Zeke Frand has made some quality starts. The Kodiaks will have home ice due to a better record.



Game 1: POR 0 @ KIR 3 – The Orchard Center was rocking and at max capacity for Game 1 and the Kodiaks fed off the energy as the wily Mikulec hounded Bronkowski all night while LaPlante held on to the shutout. Rafi opened the scoring and Kopecky and Joiner followed suit.

Game 2: POR 1 @ KIR 2 (OT) – With the fans pumped, the Kodiaks were sloppy early as Bronkowski put the Whales ahead. But the Kodiaks calmed down and Ledoux found a home for the equalizer before going into overtime. It was Sami who scored the winner to protect home ice.

Game 3: KIR 3 @ POR 5 – Back at the Market Marina, the scoring opened up for both sides as Bronkowski led the way with a goal and a trio of assists. 

Game 4: KIR 2 @ POR 3 (OT) – Tied at a pair apiece head into the end of the third period, both teams were fighting for every inch on the boards. It wasn't until late in the extra period that the Whales broke free on a fast break to set up Eric Caparros for the game-winner to tie up the series.

Game 5: POR 0 @ KIR 2 – The Kodiaks responded with a brilliant game from Rocco LaPlante in the net as the series returned to Kirlow. While LaPlante held the shutout, Rafi and Kopecky both scored in the second to put the Whales on the brink.

Game 6: KIR 3 @ POR 1 – Priestley scored first but the Kodiaks were sensing blood and regrouped in the second period as Rafi scored twice and Ledoux followed it up in a quick outburst to change the momentum. Kopecky and Mikulec went to work after that to hold the Whales comeback hopes in check. After 26 years, the Kirlow Kodiaks finally raised their long-awaited first Marcotte Cup in utter glee as the whole city of Kirlow awaited them with a huge party in downtown after they returned from Portarra. For his leadership and scoring, Rafi Romanov earned Series MVP.

1990 Marcotte Cup Champions: Kirlow Kodiaks (1)

After losing their first four appearances ('72, '73, '77, '79), the Kodiaks finally win one!
Up next: 1991 offseason