QCS wrote:

The merger finally happens! Glad to see the four I predicted made it in. Hopefully the Kings and Bucks can coexist in the Bancana metro, though it'll be easier with only two teams. The updates all look great, the Swans will probably become my second team.

Thanks!

Dan O'Mac wrote:

Love the story, I like all the looks for the teams coming in. And it looks like now they're officially in, I would like to request a Blazers sig at your convenience.

Thanks! Yes, I'll have a fully updated new series of sigs at the close of the offseason.

Rugrat wrote:

Hoping for a Kings-Bucks rivalry! Now I have 3 teams to cheer for, the Kodiaks Bucks and Killers

It may be tough to manufacture because Larry Lamb already took an anti stance against the Kings, but I'm hoping they can forge one on the ice.

ItDoesntMatter wrote:

Glad to see the merger went well (more or less)! Really liking the new looks, especially the quirkiness of Bancana's whole deal. Really feeling the new Prestonburg logo too, although three hypocycloids in one logo kinda feels like too much.

Thanks! I thought three could be too many as well but I wanted to give a nod to the steel industry which is represented by three hypocycloids. Adding the two smaller ones seemed less invasive.

MyNameIsDr.Pepper wrote:

That's a good read! Very interesting to see all the qualms and frustrations with the merger. Was a bit surprised they even merged after all the rejections. I love the new identities, Bancana's a big upgrade, although it might be a touch too modern maybe. Prestonburg looks great too, probably the best color scheme in the league. 
I'm very intrigued in all the potential relocations. The Neptunes, Kodiaks, and Falcons all potentially on the copping block? What are the potential destinations if they do move? All three of them have been pretty successful so it'll be interesting to see the fanbase reaction as well.

Thanks, DP! The Kings uniforms are pretty much what the Penguins did in 1980, though I kept the wide striping they had in the UHA.

They're all franchises with history, so it remains to be seen. Hatch would definitely prefer to keep all three in their current cities. Some cities that could be in contention would be Alko, even though Hatch himself just made a big stink about travel distance, Reto Bay, Dosa City and one of either the Podangrad-Tri-Cities area or a rapidly growing town in Sina. There have been rumblings of San Jotapa wanting to bring hockey to the southern beaches as well.

ThisIsFine wrote:

I predict the Neptunes will move because they can never stay in one city for too long.

They've moved before, but with such a strong team and fan base and recent championship, it may be tough to lure them outside of Narva.

ProsecutorMilesEdgeworth wrote:

Controversial thought, but I think all franchises stay put. Yubay’s tradition and longevity in the city will prove to incent a local buyer, Narva’s recent success should have drawn enough interest from the city to keep them there, and Kirlow is not gonna let another iteration of the Kodiaks bounce around again. Right?

Ah, the thought process of a prosecutor. You're spot-on with the observation but the influx of teams means everything may be on the table for the right price. 

Thehealthiestscratch wrote:

Good for the teams coming over, even if I don't think 4 was the appropriate amount to take.

Bancana - Very much yes to the crown "K" and those jerseys. No to the little ingrown hair coming off their script. Drop script and promote crown to produce an A+ identity. Might not need the whole sleeve to be a different color, though. The balance seems a tiny bit off for the away. A Penguins/Coyotes/Golden Knights like arm stripe might be a happy middle ground.

Kurohara - The traditional THL teams won't know what hit them with this look. My bet is they tone it down to become a little more professional in the future. Until then, I'll make sure to enjoy every moment of this.

Prestonburg - Some of my favorite colors and jerseys to hit the THL. The logo is also an upgrade, it gives more to the identity.

Vensessor - I forgot how good these jerseys were. Thank god they changed the socks! They will fit right in with the Whales and Anchors of the league.

I think the THL has set itself up for some failures, and that might be what drives the commissioner out. I will absolutely cheer for the Kings, the Sallee boys are a personal favorite of mine when it comes to THL families. A real Howe feel to them, with some big differences. Hot take, Bancana will shock the THL, making at least the second round of playoffs in their first year. The team has too much talent.

How will the draft work?

Thanks, Scratch. Ingrown hair. LOL. That's the funniest description of any logo I've ever made. Thanks for that. I wanted to show a little mixed identity results with the new ownership split, but definitely agree that the B-Crown is the better logo.

Zook is pretty unorthodox so he'll do the best he can to keep the Killers as wild as possible.

That's an interesting observation. Hatch has done a lot of good things for the league but he's also getting older and more difficult to work with, and if an increasingly younger owner crowd is ready for more modern advances in the sport, that could turn into a sticky situation.

There will be no expansion draft. Hatch decided absorbing the Wildcats and Marauders functioned enough as a quasi expansion draft. The four merger teams will be thrown into a hat with the four lowest records of the THL for a new draft order.

ProsecutorMilesEdgeworth wrote:

From what I can see, it may be Hatch’s own caution that might cause him to be forced out of the league, plus his disdain for all the UHA owners, not just Boyle and his lackeys may not win home brownie points. Will there be failure? Perhaps, but it might be too early to tell at this point.

Hatch is certainly old-school, and definitely has a penchant for harboring feuds. It will be interesting to see if a modernizing league is held back by an old-school commissioner.

Nicely done on the merger, the updates look good. I agree with Scratch though in ditching the Kings script in favor of the secondary logo which I love.

Thanks! Much appreciated. 

AJHFTW wrote:

I'm sad that they had to merge but the way UHA got major problems this is the only way to go.

The Bancana Kings has the best update in my book! I love the "B" logo I hope in the next couple of years I see the "B" as primary on both jerseys down the road.

Tell you what though, running two leagues congruently is a LOT of work. I won't miss it. Haha.

Thanks! (and I agree. The Crown-B is definitely the better logo)


I really appreciate everyone's feedback thus far! The offseason will continue soon.
 

1980 OFFSEASON Con'td

Notable Retirements

Several well-known names hung up their skates in the offseason, including the legendary Gary Wiz.

Goalie Maxwell Blunt finished a 20-year career with the Whales. Blunt was the first winner of the Best Goalie in 1960 and was also the Finals MVP that year. He was a 5-time All-Star and was known for his consistency. He saw 14 playoffs and won two cups with the Whales.

Shane Galbraith, one of the best defenseman of all time, finished a 17-year career and is a surefire Hall of Famer. During 12 seasons with the Falcons and 5 seasons with the Whales, Galbraith racked up 10 All-Star appearances and saw a late career revival as he won Best Defenseman in 1976 and 1978 while with the Whales. He saw 12 playoffs and won three Cups with the Falcons. His #4 sweater is already retired in both Yubay and Portarra.

The legendary Gary Wisniewski finished out on top after a UHA championship with the Swans. Gary Wiz might be the most well-known hockey players in all of Torland. The Polish-born forward began his illustrious career in Port Alrene where he wore the brick and gold for 12 seasons and won a pair of Marcotte Cups. A blockbuster trade in 1972 sent him to Chasonne where he played for 3 seasons and led the Heralds to another Marcotte Cup win in 1974. Gary Wiz won League MVP twice and added 5 Best Forward awards. He was the Finals MVP in 1961 and 1974. He was a 12-time All-Star in the THL and added 3 All-Star games in the UHA. He played 5 seasons for the UHA's Alko Wildcats where he became a beloved figure in Alko, and finished his career with a final season in Vensessor. Gary Wiz has retired sweaters in Port Alrene, Chasonne, Alko (before the Wildcats folded), and in Vensessor. His #22 sweater is one of the most popular in Torland and he also wore #11 in Chasonne. Gary Wiz was responsible for bringing in more international talent who saw his success and legend grow.

The mercurial Joaquin Outlaw also hung up his skates. The big offensive-minded defenseman was drafted #4 by the Kodiaks in 1965 and made an immediate splash by winning back-to-back League MVP's. His divisive and vicious personality caused many problems, however, beginning with breaking Gary Wiz's jaw in 1965 and a preaseason altercation with Neptunes' D Chauncey Lombard that left Lombard out for the season with a broken skull and jaw and Outlaw was suspended for 40 games. After some mental issues where he refused to interact with teammates, he was traded to the Glaciers in 1971 where he blossomed again. In 1975 he was part of the players who defected to the UHA. Outlaw played for the Trowburgh Eagles for two seasons before the roster became the Kurohara Killers. He was a 6-time All-Star in the THL. His UHA career saw him rise again to prominence, winning a League MVP and 3 Best Defenseman awards with All-Star games in all 5 seasons.

A league favorite, F Tyson Sallee concluded a 20-year career, spending 3 years with the Whales, 9 years with the Falcons, 3 years with the Pioneers, and finishing out his career in the UHA with Reto Bay/Solinza and a final year with the Kings. Sallee, uncle to current THL players Cameron and Bobby Jr., won a whopping 4 Marcotte Cups (1 with POR and 3 with YUB) and was known as a tough, glue-guy forward. He only saw one THL All-Star game in 1962 but was immensely popular in the league.

Former Falcons head coach Rudolph Nichols officially retired. He famously led the Sava Side to win three Marcotte Cups out of five appearances. He also was an assistant coach for the Pioneers and coached the Alko Wildcats for two seasons.

Coaching Carousel

The Bucks fired HC Trent Everett and replaced him with local resident Warren Barton. Everett was in turn hired by Prestonburg to lead the team. The Kings fired Ron Collins and added Wade Rhodes. Collins signed with Kurohara as an assistant, who also hired former Blazers coach JD McCurdy to be their GM. The Swans rehired their former coach Burt Pollack in a management position.

The Saints forced Merle Sharpe into retirement and hired Scott Baumann to helm the team. The Anchors announced that longtime coaches Don Easterling and Neal Owns would be retiring after the 1980 season.

Draft Order

After Hatch announced there would be no expansion draft, to determine the draft order, the bottom four teams from the '79 season were put into a random draw with the four merger teams. Abrieden, Chasonne, Lecayne, and Quebel finished last and competed against newcomers Bancana, Kurohara, Prestonburg, and Vensessor for top overall pick in the 1980 THL Draft. The Vensessor Swans were the lucky draw for #1. It was a tough break for the Bucks who finished last in the season but won't be picking until #7 after the draw.

1. Vensessor
2. Quebel
3. Chasonne
4. Prestonburg
5. Lecayne
6. Bancana
7. Abrieden
8. Kurohara

1980 THL Amateur Player Draft (1st-Round)

With international buzz over the merger, a slew of prized European prospects posted their eligibility for the THL draft, including French goalie Andre Kabbani who played under the same youth team as Chris Daniau, former #1 pick by the Falcons in 1974, and Alan-Edgar Fortier. A trio of forwards from a highly ranked Swedish youth team all posted eligibility. Known as the “Three Swedes,” Joel Ecklund, Ric Rundstrom, and Leo Stendahl are all electrifying players and sure to be top picks. Italian defenseman Frankie Albertelli and fellow Czech defenseman Jan Mikulec will also declare. Chasonne product Damien St. Pierre is a well regarded forward prospect.

1 – VEN – G Andre Kabbani (France)
While the Swans are concerned with their blue line, it's hard to pass up a blue chip like Kabbani with their net situation also in flux. Kabbani hails from the same system that produced several THL goalies and his eyes and instincts are known to be high-level.

2 – QUE – F Joel Ecklund (Sweden)
The only decision here was which of the Three Swedes to choose, and Quebel went with Ecklund who is considered the most well-rounded of the three. Ecklund slots as a two-way center and can anchor the Crusader attack for many years to come.

3 – CHA – D Frankie Albertelli (Italy)
The Heralds are building a young monster and Albertelli fits their mold of an electric defenseman who can push the pace on the offense and will pair nicely with the defensively stout John Schmoldt.

4 – PRE – D Jan Mikulec (Czech)
The big-bodied Mikulec is a top-flight bruiser on the blue line and will be loved by fans in Prestonburg.

5 – LEC – G Thurman Justus
The Saints surprised by reaching a bit for Justus due to a lack of good goaltending talent in this draft. Lecayne feels they have a good squad but Reed Darling's debacle last season is prompting a move.

6 – BAN – D Jeremy Hessa
Another surprise as Bancana decided the drop-off on defensive talent after Hessa was too great despite several higher ranked forward prospects still available. Hessa is a talented defender and passer.

7 – ABR – F Ric Rundstrom (Sweden)
Despite greater need on the blue line, the Bucks didn't hesitate and ran their card up for the Second Swede and most flashy and electric of the three. Rundstrom was the primary scorer and his big personality will be a hit in Abrieden.

8 – KUR – F Damien St. Pierre
St. Pierre is a nice prospect who has a very high ceiling, prompting the Killers to choose him over Stendahl with future development in mind. St. Pierre projects best as a scoring sniper/winger.

9 – KAV – F Leo Stendahl (Sweden)
The Electrics were ecstatic over how the board fell and wasted no time in drafting Stendahl, who some feel might end up being the best player of the Three Swedes. He has a subtle skillset, capable of quietly taking over entire games. He'll be the lead scoring option that the Kavs have longed needed.

10 – PA – F Roger Hornick
With the roster rapidly aging and needs everywhere, the Anchors took the familiar Hornick who played high school in Lobure where the Anchors head scout happens to live. Hornick is a blue collar guy who can play anywhere.

11 – TRO – D Quinn Covington
12 – KIR – F Mo Loemann
13 – POR – F Maynard Lancaster
14 – GLD – F Theo Sauer
15 – PTP – D Rusty Connellson
16 – KRK – F Boyce Betts
17 – FTB – D Gregory Pollard
18 – NAR – F Vince Rooney
19 – YUB – F Val Redman
20 – YBG – G Elvis Pepper

Trades & Signings

No major trades occurred.

Team Identity Changes

1980 Lecayne Saints


Previous Identity: 1976 Lecayne Saints

The Saints were the only current team to make significant changes. They dropped the blueish-teal and focused on purple-gold-white. They kept the arching shoulder striping but simplified it and added sleeve stripes. The drop shadows on the previous set are removed for simple outlines.

1980 Kirkenport Captains (Special Uniform)


The Captains introduced a special uniform to be used for their first home game of the season which will honor Don G. The team will wear them at select home games throughout the year. The sweater harkens back to the original look of the Captains and brings back the original logo along with a special circular patch with "DG" on it in place of where the captain/alternate patches would be, with the team saying that Don G is the "captain of all of our hearts." Blue pants are paired with a uniform for the first time.

1980 Abrieden Bucks (Special Uniform)


The Bucks, always innovative, decided to introduce a third sweater to be used at special weekend home games that included a stadium-wide Pancake Toss and other novelties and events. The sweater is mustard and features a lone Masked Buck.


C&C appreciated!

Up next: Offseason continues

QCS wrote:

The new sets look good, though I will miss that gorgeous blue color the Saints had used. After the Predators used that god-awful mustard jersey, I would be hesitant to utilize it as a base color, but you've pulled it off perfectly! How many teams have a third jersey at this point in time?

Thanks! I believe you'll see the blue return for the Saints at some point.

No team has an official third uniform set, but several teams have utilized third sweaters for special occasions. Previous to this year, the Captains' special "Isle of Kirk" sweaters were worn in 1970. We'll begin seeing more special third sweaters in the first half of this decade and then full-time third uniform sets in the late 80's going into the 90's.

I will never not like seeing all the teams' uniforms and logos all together, looks great. The new alternates and Saints redesign look good too. 
The expanded playoffs and seasons are going to be fun to watch play out, it'll be an exciting season for sure. 
Finally, the Indy League teams is a cool tidbit, some of those names are fantastic. My favorite have got to be the Blazin' Angels. My mind definitely thought of the wrong Blazin' at first lol.