Stickman wrote:

Thehealthiestscratch wrote:

Although it may seem black, like Stickman mistook it for, that very deep navy is now deep in the roots of Kirk Boy hockey and is associated with its gritty nature.

Thehealthiestscratch wrote:

But if anything is learned from it all, Midnight Blue is not black!

Noted.  Yeah, lack of sleep + no coffee = inability for me to tell the difference between midnight blue and black apparently.    In any case, still prefer the new blue design. 
 

Technically it's #202226 for all concerned parties

Now that's more like it, Go Falcons!

1969 PLAYOFFS

Semi-Finals


1 Yubay Falcons vs 4 Kirkenport Captains
In a hard-hitting series, the Falcons and Captains logged a lot of penalty minutes to the delight of the fans. The Kirk Boys found some success against Von Wentz but the splashy scoring from Pasternak and Co was too much to handle as the Captains couldn't extend the series as the Falcons advanced in five games.

Factoid: The Captains are now 1-6 in total playoff series, going 10-26 in those games, only defeating the Heralds in 6 games in the 1966 semi-finals on their way to a lackluster Cup appearance. (Sorry Scratch! Free drinks on the Mile.)


2 Chasonne Heralds vs 3 Yubay Glaciers
Game 1 set the tone, as the Heralds scored very late in OT to take a tough game. The Glaciers, however, proceeded to score 11 goals in the next five games as the series became a pendulum of momentum back and forth. Peter Isaksson was phenomenal and proved to be the difference for the Glaciers as Chasonne couldn't find the steady pressure style that had served them so well in the regular season.

Factoid: From 1961-1964 the Chasonne Heralds placed first in the league four straight times. Only the Whales and Falcons have placed first more than once (two apiece) and not consecutively. The Heralds won two Marcotte Cups during that span.


1969 MARCOTTE CUP CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

1 Yubay Falcons vs 3 Yubay Glaciers
In Part II of the Yubay Bowl, The Battle for Yubay, The Sava-Niko War, and all the other nicknames, extra police and security had to be brought in to make sure relative peace was maintained so that the games would not be delayed. The city was literally buzzing as even the international spotlight became fascinated with the spectacle. Every hotel for 100 miles was booked solid and people were renting rooms in their homes for outrageous prices due to the immense demand. It all created a surreal environment that caused both coaches to take their teams to undisclosed locations for practice and team meetings to stay focused. This only heightened the already fever pitch of the event as even the standing-room only areas of the arenas were completely sold out. Bars and pubs began charging high priced tickets as they turned their spaces into private viewing rooms. With the city turned upside down and the whole world watching, the teams still had to actually play the games.



Game 1: YBG 0 @ YUB 2 – With the Yertas Arena so full that the fire marshals had to remove hundreds of fans from the building, the two titans of Yubay clashed in a game so loud that the players said afterward they couldn't hear the coaches and had to have them write out their directions. Von Wentz was a padlock in goal as the Glaciers couldn't solve him. Geno Pasternak scored early for the Falcons and Tyson Sallee added a second to secure the first game to the roar of the fans.

Game 2: YBG 3 @ YUB 1 – Geno Pasternak again scored early but a rocket from veteran Dalton Causey quieted down the crowd as the Glaciers went to work against Wentz with Isaksson and D Albert Golatt each scoring goals to steal a game from the Savaside.

Game 3: YUB 1 @ YBG 0 (3OT) – In what was later described as one of the most intense games ever seen in a Marcotte Cup, both teams played a tough, blistering version of chess on ice. Every hit brought a gasp from the crowd as the goaltenders made terrific stops and highlight saves deep into a third overtime period. Perhaps only apropos, it was a goal off the skate of second-line defenseman and last scoring option Theodor Pedersen that won it for the Falcons.

Game 4: YUB 3 @ YBG 1 – With each team fielding tired legs after Game Three's marathon, the pace was slow and the play was sloppy in Game 4. A stretched-out glove save by old vet Larry Boudreaux after Von Wentz had to go to the locker room for a few minutes to get an IV for fluids sparked the Falcons and Pasternak and Gary Musgrove both scored soon after. Peter Isaksson punched in a long shot to make it interesting but Shane Galbraith battered home a goal to seal the win for the Falcons.

Game 5: YBG 1 @ YUB 0 – With the Glaciers on the brink and the game back on the Savaside, it was young forward Ferdinand Hendrix who provided the winning shot in the middle of the second period. A late save by Keith MacGarvin on a searing slapshot from Pasternak shut the door on the Falcons as the Glaciers preserved their hopes for another game.

Game 6: YUB 2 @ YBG 0 – With the series on the Nikoside, both teams worked hard and hit even harder through the first period. With the clock waning as the benches had already stood to begin the trek to the locker room, Geno Pasternak stole a pass and proceeded to skate a fastbreak along the right side. In a highlight for the ages, Pasternak swirled back toward center ice around a capable defender in Carson Damico from the right face-off circle and flicked a no-look shot nearly behind his body as he sped across the ice in front of the net. The puck glanced off the top corner of the pipes and called a goal. The Glaciers were stunned and MacGarvin and Damico couldn't believe it. The coaches and captains argued it but the call stood. The teams got even testier in the second period but a goal by Dominik Stave put the game away for the Falcons as the Glaciers sticks went silent. In a victory made even sweeter by being in the Glacier Dome, the Falcons avenged their 1967 loss with their second straight Marcotte Cup as Geno Pasternak was awarded the Finals MVP hardware.

1969 MARCOTTE CUP CHAMPIONS: YUBAY FALCONS (2)


Let me know if you guys like the line cards. This version just has names but I've always enjoyed seeing certain lines become popular. Hockey is unique in that way with line pairings. I thought they might be fun for Cup teams.

That’s a unique way to present the roster sheet that I’ve never seen before. It looks clean!

1970 OFFSEASON

Notable Retirements

Glaciers captain Dalton Causey retired following their loss to the Falcons in the Cup. A native of Certonrack, Causey was only an All-Star once but was considered an impact player on the top line for the Anchors from 1960-1964 and the Glaciers from 1965-1969. The first THL player to be a three-time Marcotte Cup winner, Causey also took home Finals MVP honors in 1967 for the Glaciers. Causey's leadership will be especially missed in Yubay as he helped establish a winning culture for the team. The Glaciers immediately nominated him for the Ring of Honor and unofficially retired his #13 jersey.

Coaching Carousel

The Whales signed Steve Scarborough to be their AC after Donnie Robertson retired. HC Sam Bennett of the Kodiaks fired AC Rod Shelton and hired Don Blackmon.

Draft News

Several international players applied to the THL for the '70 draft, including Norse forward Walt Gulbrandsen and Dutch defenseman Stef Kuipers. Lauded Certonrack product D George Gallenbeck is also expected to go in the top picks of the draft. Many scouts are also high on F Freddy Hoffmeyer and D Will Suppan, along with Swedish defenseman Erik Patrikkson. Despite Gulbranden's age at already 25, the Portarra Whales decided to take him with the first overall pick as he has a well-rounded game that should translate to some immediate success. With the Wydra situation looming over their heads, Kirlow passed on Gallenbeck to take Hoffmeyer, leaving Narva with no qualms in taking Gallenbeck and pairing him with Gav Brankovic in what will be a lethal blue line. Port Alrene drafted Kuipers and Kirkenport added Suppan to a suddenly crowded blue line. In a steal, Patrikkson slipped all the way to 9th to the Whales.

1970 Amateur Player Draft

1st Round

1 – POR – F Walt Gulbrandsen (Norway)
The Norse product is already 25 and doesn't offer room for further improvement but he's a nice player who can anchor a top line.

2 – KIR – F Freddy Hoffmeyer
Hoffmeyer could be a special player and scouts are high on his potential but will need time to work.

3 – NAR – D George Gallenbeck
A lunch-pail type of guy, Gallenbeck fits on every blue line with a stellar work ethic.

4 – PA – D Stef Kuipers (Holland)
The Dutchman is something of a question mark with little film of him from his Dutch league days but the Anchors believe he can be the guy they need on the blue line.

5 – KRK – D Will Suppan
Suppan is a more classic Kirkenport choice, a tough guy, not a star, but nobody will look forward to playing against him.

6 – YBG – F Jimmy McNee
Something of a gamble, McNee has shown flashes of brilliance and also streaks of ineptitude causing some to question his talent and hockey IQ.

7 – CHA – D Scott Khanum
Well-rounded player prospect, high IQ, maybe not as athletically gifted as others but works hard.

8 – YUB – G Jarl Liefsson (Sweden)
Total unknown, but a few scouts in Yubay with connections in Sweden have heard Liefsson has potential causing the Falcons to take a flier on him.

Notable Second Round Picks: D Erik Patriksson (Sweden) drafted #9 by POR. Patriksson is still raw but should be able to develop nicely behind future Hall of Famer Anton O'Reilly in Portarra.

Trades and Signings

The typically conservative Captains made several big moves all at once, signing troubled and still-suspended former Kodiaks forward Chris Wydra and trading young forwards Tim Baughman and Brian Bolner to the Whales for 32-yr-old top line forward Cole Nieto and D Zachery Guillory.

Nieto is known as an excellent passer and field general on the ice from the center position which will move Keenan Draper to a more favorable scoring spot on the right wing. If Wydra can get his legal troubles in check, he will be a welcome addition to the left wing with Draper and Nieto which would move veteran forward Rocco Behrens to a suddenly potent second unit with Aleksander Volkov and young Eli Cloud.

Team Identity Changes

1970 Chasonne Heralds


Previous Identity: 1968-1969 Chasonne Heralds Identity

Chasonne's shakeup of league uniforms which first began in 1967 with the much ballyhooed white home sweater and light blue away sweater, has now gone to a third generation in a fully embraced sky blue as the primary color. This new set takes the light blue to a new level and pushes the navy to almost tertiary status with sky blue pants and adds white into the color palette. The flat look from previous designs is ditched in favor of outlines and drop shadows. Only the logo remains untouched minus additional outlines.

1970 Kirkenport Captains (Special Uniform)


Current Identity: 1969 Kirkenport Captains Identity

Following the reaction to Don G's major changes for Kirkenport's set, especially the blue home sweater, he concluding a busy offseason by introducing a first of its kind in the THL: a special uniform to be worn only for a handful of select home games. The new design returns the favored midnight home sweater in the updated striping style of the current set but with flat numbers and a script "Isle of Kirk" on the front. He presented it as a nod to "Kirk Pride" in correlation with new fan experiences to be provided at the Kirk Coliseum periodically, and hoped the fans would enjoy it as much as others were enjoying the new blue sweaters. Some owners complained about the additional sweater but Commissioner Willard said there was no rule against it and since it was for specific events he saw no issue with it.

C&C appreciated!

Up next: An historic season