MyTeamIsDr.Pepper wrote:

Way to fight 'Goyles, good series HealthiestScratch! Feels good to have the last laugh though!

 
Man, I didn’t see that one coming. What a day full of sadness in Portland, and against our worst rival in history? It will take some time to recover. You deserve this one, but we are highlighting your name on the calendar from here on.

(I find joy in creating large rivalries with teams that flat out shouldn’t be our rival. And hey if you don’t want this rivalry to be canon then we can just say Portland is the only one who thinks this is a rivalry haha)

Speaking of ignoring rivalries..

The only way this could be worse is if it was against Halifax. Think they are so cool with... umm.... that bird mascot! I’m calling you out again Halifax! You can’t ignore me forever.

The 2001 Season - The Offseason

After winning championships the Minnesota Loons and the New York Gargoyles both looked to position themselves for a title defense.  

A. Notable Retirements
After a hall of fame worthy career played mostly in San Francisco, Guy Lafleur retired with his childhood team the Montreal Chevaliers.

B. The Draft 
1991 had a historically impressive draft class.  For the second straight year, the Chevaliers had the first pick in the draft.  And for the second straight year they draft an important building block of the future.  While the defending champion Loons find their goalie for their next two decades in Martin Brodeur.  

1. Owen Nolan (MTL)
3. Keith Primeau (TOR)
4. Mike Ricci (VAN)
5. Jaromir Jagr (CHA)
7. Darryl Sydor (QUE)
8. Darian Hatcher (LA)
19. Martin Brodeur (MIN)
31. Felix Potvin (CGY)
34. Doug Weight (PHI)
40. Mikael Renberg (VAN)
85. Sergei Zubov (PHI)
156. Peter Bondra (SEA)

C. Soviet Red to Terrier Red

Perhaps the most interesting story of the 1990 offseason was what happened to a young Soviet phenom, Sergei Fedorov.  Fedorov played hockey for one of the premier teams in the Soviet Union and was considered one of Russia's best players.  In last year's draft, the Toronto Terriers took a chance at drafting Fedorov.  They did so with a strong possibility that he would never leave Russia.  Unfortunately for the T-Dogs, there was still an Iron Curtain and Russian players would have to defect, leave their homes and families to play in the CHL.  But ThisIsFine was determined to turn to change their recent history.  He believed that the secret to that turnaround could be found in a virtually untapped resource...Europe.  In 1990, the 20-year old Russian forward was playing a game for the Goodwill Games in Portland Oregon.  ThisIsFine knew that this moment would be their best chance to get Fedorov in a Terrier sweater.  Fedorov also knew that this may be his best chance to play hockey with freedom and for a paycheck.  He had heard rumblings of another player on his team considering defection.  If he waited until after that player would have left, the Soviets would clamp down on security making it virtually impossible to leave.  One night in Portland after a team dinner, the Russian players filed off of the team bus to make their way into their hotel.  Fedorov took his roommate aside and let him know that he was leaving to go to Toronto.  His roommate laughed, but Sergei told him that he was leaving right then.  Sergei knew that his roommate would get in trouble because he did not tell on him to the Soviet authorities.  Sergei gave him all of the money that he had saved (not that much on a Soviet salary) as an apology.  In the hotel lobby, ThisIsFine was covertly reading a newspaper when Sergei approached him and said, "Let's Go".  ThisIsFine's eyes grew wide as he was hoping but not expecting this turn of events.  "You speak English?" he asked.  "No," Sergei responded, he had only practiced the phrase to "Let's Go".  ThisIsFine led him out a back door of the hotel and into his car.  They drove immediately to the airport, not knowing if the Soviets were aware of the defection.  6 hours later ThisIsFine and Sergei Fedorov were in Detroit.  Word of his defection started to make global news.  Fedorov's family learned this by watching Russian television.  Causing an international incident, ThisIsFine needed to hide Fedorov until the defection process could play out.  The US State Department called ThisIsFine's home to ask if he had any idea where Fedorov was.  His response, "Yes I do, he is playing video games in my basement".  Along with Yzerman and newly drafted Nicklas Lidstrom, Fedorov formed the nucleus for the Terriers for the great years ahead.  Fedorov as well as the other Soviet defectors opened the door for future Russians in the AltHL.  

This is based very closely on a true story, down to the video games in the basement.  If you can, check out the documentary The Russian Five.  I have often thought this would be a really great movie

Tomorrow is the regular season for the 2001 season.
 
 

Let's go those Boys in Green!

Section30 wrote:

Bring it Fishers

We sending y’all back to the loonie bin

Alright Racers, bring it on!