1983 REGULAR SEASON

Willard Division: In what figured to be the weakest division, it was the Rockets and Pioneers who battled for the title. Fort Bevin squeaked ahead by a single point to win it behind clutch play from D Pat Ossola and F Nigel Flood. The Pioneers saw a transcendent performance from defenseman Thomas Nelissen who carried a battered and anemic offense and held down the defensive side of the ice nearly on his own, while logging a record number of minutes on the ice. Nelissen easily won Best Defenseman and also snagged the MVP hardware for his part in dragging the Pioneers into the playoffs. Predictably, the Serpents struggled defensively but the offense with rookie Kedzierski and veterans Oreskovich and Bogdanov showed nice promise. The Whales were actively and unashamedly tanking but still managed 73 points while scoring the 2nd-least total goals. The Anchors were expected to do poorly but showed plenty of willpower with team play and tough defense.

Hatch Division: All the hype was on the Herons and their loaded roster after the addition of free agent F Dimitri Ranko and they did not disappoint as they cruised to the top of the league and the division. Goalie Brendon Ruske picked up where he left off from last year and elevated his game even further, easily winning Best Goalie. F Mozzy Turk found instant chemistry with Ranko as they formed a lethal scoring combo with center Jan Luc Ryba running point. In a tough division all jockeying for the second spot, it was the Swans who edged out the Neptunes and Blazers behind incredible play from goalie Andre Kabbani and forward Jerry Haake. It's an especially disappointing break for Narva. who will miss the playoffs with a 113 points and 9th-best record, but were hoping to make a final run with Kris Kotulak and their veterans. The Blazers had a better team than last year's squad who made the playoffs but with other divisions being more crowded, were also left out. The offense grew behind Eric Jorgensen and Robert Zoppa, however, and D Jan Mikulec's superb play gives Prestonburg hope for the future. The Kodiaks made a furious push late in the season but while the net and defense were solid, the line chemistry was poor with Marc Truong gone and Pascal Brink a shell of his former self. The new Wizards couldn't score worth a lick as expected but showed some moxie late in the season in a respectable showing for an expansion team.

Elam Division: The reigning 3-time champions in Chasonne struggled out of the gate, allowing the Quebel Crusaders to race to the top of the division. Everything finally clicked for Quebel as their patented brand of defense complimented a surging offense behind F Joel Eklund and F Ryan Rutkin. Rookie D Viktor Nurmi solidified the blue line as the Crusaders won their first division title and will make their first playoff appearance. The Heralds, meanwhile, played uninspired hockey outside of typical output from F Gian Guiliano, their 110 points would have left them outside the playoffs in any other division, and will enter the playoffs as the #10 wildcard. The Barbarians couldn't build on their recent success as their offense sputtered behind a litany of injuries. The Saints also had high hopes but poor team chemistry doomed their season yet again. For the first time perhaps in their history, the Kirk Boys looked lost on the ice without Draper, McKnight and Rikhard. They have some talented young players but the roster is a mess as expected and the Captains are experiencing major growing pains.

Rankin Division: In a hotly contested division by six surging teams, it was the Glaciers and Killers who didn't make it through murderer's row. Kurohara had wanted to stay in the Willard but instead got sent to the wood chipper in the Rankin. Alex Kirkland and company held their ground to a respectable effort, as the team devoted themselves to growth and fundamentals. The Glaciers saw their team chemistry plummet with new coaching and roster turnover but somehow managed 26 wins. It was the Kavalos Electrics who shot up the leaderboard as F Leo Stendahl and D Darren Cain led the squad to 40 wins in a brilliant team effort as they took the title in the final week. The feisty Bucks, however, were right on their tails as forward David Suvak cashed in an historic scoring season for Best Forward as the fun-loving team found some real intensity on the boards and behind the blue line. In Geno Pasternak's probable final season, the Falcons played inspired hockey, riding a more defensively stout unit with former Whales goalie Scott Kemper backstopping Malcolm Jackson and Ryan Devlin on the blue line. The Sava Side tied points with Bancana but edged them on more wins. The Kings started slow but gained confidence toward the end of the season to surge into 6th-place overall as Pete Lentini and the Sallee brothers finally get a taste of the THL playoffs. Wiseman and rookie Harmaajarvi were solid in goal as Jeremy Jessa and Filip Korcz held down the blue line.


Playoff Preview

Pioneers vs Kings
Pete Lentini's Kings are favored here but Thomas Nelissen has been carrying the Pioneers all season long. 

Heralds vs Falcons
The champs should never be taken lightly while the Sava Side is determined to give Geno a great last run at another Cup for his legendary career.

Crusaders vs Swans
The Swans are surging but the Crusaders are surging even more. Both teams are young and on a hot pace in what figures to be an intense series.

Rockets vs Bucks
Fort Bevin has some formidable players in Pat Ossola and Nigel Flood but the Bucks are flying high and hitting even harder.

Byes: Trowburgh Herons, Kavalos Electrics


C&C always appreciated
Up next: 1983 Playoffs

Let’s go Bucks!

Let's go Swans! Tough fight to the finish.

1983 THL PLAYOFFS

Wildcard Round


7 Portarra Pioneers vs 10 Bancana Kings
Portarra greeted the Kings with a 7-0 shutout in Game 1 but Bancana returned with OT wins in Games 2 and 4 to extend the series. Nelissen sent the Pioneers onward with a 3-1 victory in an exciting 5-game series. [PTP wins 3-2]

8 Chasonne Heralds vs 9 Yubay Falcons
A 4-3 OT finish in Game 1 let the Heralds show their mettle but the Falcons proceeded to blitz them with a trio of 5-1 games to take the short series by storm. [YUB wins 3-1]


Quarterfinals


1 Trowburgh Herons vs 9 Yubay Falcons
If this is indeed the final hurrah for Geno Pasternak, the Falcons made it a good one in a brilliant 7-game thriller that shattered TV ratings. Brendon Ruske posted three shutouts and both teams traded big moments and shots. A late OT wrister from Pasternak in Game 3. A 1-0 game on a Mozzy Turk goal in Game 5. Ultimately, the Herons pulled away in Game 7 to take the series. [TRO wins 4-3] 

2 Kavalos Electrics vs 7 Portarra Pioneers
The Pioneers put up a fight with two games going to OT but even a superhuman effort from Thomas Nelissen wasn't enough to keep Leo Stendahl and the fast-paced Electrics at bay for long. [KAV wins 4-1]

3 Quebel Crusaders vs 6 Vensessor Swans
The Crusaders showed their newfound ability to win in the clutch as they weathered a pair of OT games to pull off a somewhat surprising sweep of the Swans who played well but couldn't do enough to stop Quebel. [QUE wins 4-0]

4 Fort Bevin Rockets vs 5 Abrieden Bucks
In a shocking event, a runaway bus crashed into an All-Star player autograph signing tent outside of Lone Prairie Arena before Game 1 which caused multiple injuries to players on both teams, including the Rockets' F Nigel Flood and G Geoff Thatchkin, while the Bucks' F David Suvak, F Ric Rundstrom, and G Vassily Wuopio all sustained major injuries. Game 1 was delayed by several days but none of the injured players would be able to return to the series. Instead, it was the Rockets backup goalie Kenny Ratliff who proceeded to log four-straight shutouts as the decimated Bucks couldn't find the net with Pat Ossola patrolling the ice on the both ends. The series had a somber tone and the Rockets decided to forego their normal postgame celebrations and hold a moment of silence for their injured brothers. [FTB wins 4-0]

After the series, Thatchkin was released from the hospital first, but on strict concussion and brace protocol monitoring for head and neck injuries. Flood sustained a fractured ankle and was put into a light cast and walking boot. Suvak's right leg was fractured in three places and nearly needed to be amputated but doctors were able to save it, though his recovery could be for an extended time period, and may miss the next season. Wuopio stayed in the hospital for two weeks as he sustained extensive trauma to his ribs and internal organs, with doctors having to remove his spleen and a kidney. He is expected to make a full recovery but it's unknown if he'll be ready for next season. Rundstrom remains in ICU as severe trauma to his heart and lungs induced a temporary coma. His vitals are stabilized after multiple surgeries but it's unknown how long it'll take for him to regain his faculties. All the news put a damper on the excitement of the playoffs. 


Semi-Finals


1 Trowburgh Herons vs 4 Fort Bevin Rockets
With Nigel Flood sidelined and Geoff Thatchkin iffy after a scary crash in the quarterfinals, the Rockets have a tall order against the potent Herons. An opening 9-0 salvo from Trowburgh set the tone but the Rockets fought back with a 5-0 victory in Game 3 at the LPA and narrowly lost a 5-6 double OT thriller in Game 4 on a slapshot from Mozzy Turk. Undeterred, Fort Bevin posted a 1-0 shutout in Trowburgh. Game 6 was one for the ages as the teams against went to double overtime after a 5-5 score. This time it was Dimitri Ranko who found a home for the winner to escape past a bruised but proud Rockets squad and send the Herons to their first Cup appearance. [TRO wins 4-2]

2 Kavalos Electrics vs 3 Quebel Crusaders
The Crusaders were confident after dismantling the Swans but they ran straight into a buzzsaw against Kavalos. Quebel had no answers for the overwhelming Electrics attack as G Gregg Steinecke logged two shutouts behind stellar play from D Darren Cain and F Leo Stendahl. The convincing win catapults the Kavs to their first Cup appearance. [KAV wins 4-0]


Up next: The Herons and Electrics will duke it out for the 1983 Marcotte Cup!

C&C appreciated. I separated out the rounds (first time I've ever used artboards in Photoshop!) so hopefully y'all like the new style better this way.

Well it was a nice run while it lasted, it'll be tough to see Geno go if this is really his final game

Go Electrics