We're gonna do a double-feature tonight so we can get to the first season!

TROWBURGH LIONS


- #16 F Reynaldo Redden / #33 G Von Wentz

Quick Facts:

• City: Trowburgh, Lismane
• Nickname: Lions
• Owner: Leo Rankin
• Head Coach: Larry Kirkpatrick
• Home Ice: Trowburgh Arena

About the City:

Trowburgh, known as the City of Dreaming, is one of the main financial centers of Torland. With many large banks, investment firms and corporate headquarters, Trowburgh is the place to be for business people and entrepreneurs. With the boom of big ad agencies in the 50's, Trowburgh became the epicenter of the economic marketplace of Torland. The city itself is uninspiring, originally a river town built around a crossing place of the Lorethop River. Mining was accessible from the town in the northern faces of the Wilder Mountains and then the town transitioned to logging and eventually moving toward primarily manufacturing. As a place where any jack-of-all-trades could find work, the city grew quickly and shoddily, with a poor infrastructure that can't keep up with the growing shipping and goods transport services. With the early establishment of one of the largest banks in Torland, other similar firms flocked to the area, creating a sharp divide between rich and poor. Each city district is decidedly either very rich or mostly poor with very little in between, except for the growing outer suburbs. Homelessness and unemployment have been rising with the spread of the city as trades and big industries are finding it harder to compete with the corporate business centers and office jobs. Despite the major quantities of money and cash flying around on a daily basis, the city itself is poorly managed and most of the local government is corrupt. Trowburgh's red light district infamously boasts one of the worst crime rates in the nation. But with the availability of top money and a large population, Trowburgh's status as a financial city continues to ascend.

About the Identity:

The Lions are all about the ego of Leo Rankin. Using his own namesake meaning as inspiration, Rankin chose Lions and cared about little else surrounding the new identity. With Rankin not being a local, only having big business pursuits in Trowburgh and seeing an opportunity to make some cash, did little to help public perception or the city to buy into their new team. With the city desperately craving a lightning rod to meld together the gap between the wealth classes, Rankin missed a huge opportunity to be a city savior. He chose green as the team color, boasting that it was the color of good money. The off-white was just an addition as a Torland staple and very little effort was given toward designing a logo or solid uniform, instead choosing basic designs made by his own overwhelmed secretary while he tried to secure a financing deal with the city arena. It is hoped that the team can forge its own way and make the city proud.

About the Team:

In Trowburgh, establishing a team with Leo Rankin's lack of independent players was a tall order. He convinced lovable brothers and goalies Von and Burt Wentz to hold down the net and captain duties. The Wentz brothers, from Collon, have played together on nearly every team and help bring instant locker room chemistry and stability. Rankin is hopeful they can hold down the fort until more talent is brought in to bolster the roster.

Reynaldo Redden headlines a mediocre pair of forward lines with castoffs Alex Harter, Coy Koehler and young Dan Herzog. Scoring will be a problem for this group, but are tough enough to hold their own against bigger players. The defensive lines don't offer much outside of tough bird Connie Milliken. Veteran coach, but known divisive personality, Larry Kirkpatrick was hired to lead the Lions.

C&C always appreciated!

Up Next: Kirlow Kodiaks

1960 Inaugural THL Season



With the freshly rostered teams ready to play, an opulent 'Day One' party was thrown in Trowburgh to celebrate the occasion. The hosting Lions, however, were blown out by Portarra 6-1 in what was a prelude to how the season would play out. Concerns over the the league being top-heavy were justified as the 'Big Three' in Portarra, Port Alrene and Chasonne all quickly established dominance.

With Maxwell Blunt in goal and Anton O'Reilly captaining the defense for Portarra, the Whales proved to be difficult to score upon. The first forward line answered many questions with Marlin Parr becoming a standout and showing massive improvement handling the shotmaking duties. Linemates Tyson Sallee and Ed Dooley created an instant chemistry that propelled the Whales to the top of the standings.

The other two-thirds of the Big Three kept pace with each other the whole way, Chasonne edging Port Alrene in the standings by just three points, both teams notching 37 wins. The Heralds showed a marked propensity for comeback wins, as they posted the worst differential between the Big Three but found ways to win games. Much of that was attributed to the stellar play of defenseman Paul Kauffman, the 18-year-old rising star and unquestioned captain in Chasonne. His efforts were rewarded with the first ever THL League MVP award. The split time with Nat Marchant and Dean McNab in the net proved to be a solid combination and young scoring forward Lou D'Angelo added just enough punch for the top line. The Heralds stuck to their defensive play and resilience and coach Stan Massey called Kauffman's linemate Joseph Jarvis one of the unsung heroes of the team.

Across Kelso Bay over in Port Alrene, the Anchors found their rhythm toward the end of the season as so many international personalities and play styles took some time to mesh under coach Don Easterling. The two constants were competent, if shaky at times, play in the net by youngster Ferdy Haight, and the brilliant offensive scoring output of captain Gary Wisniewski at the top of the forward line. The Wiz proved every bit of his lauded billing, leading the Anchors to a league-high mark in goals. Other than veteran defenseman Colly Lehman, the back lines struggled with injuries and performance.

Two islands over on the beautiful Isle of Kirk, the Captains relished their underdog role in the new league as they bruised and bashed their way to a solid number four team with a 22-11-27 record. Goals were hard to come by for Kirkenport, as the forward units outside of Byron Peachey struggled to make quality shots. Fresh high school graduate Gerry McKnight was up-and-down in his first real experience tending net on any higher level. His considerable talent gives some optimism for the future, but the rest of the roster leaves much to be desired. Still, hard-nosed coach Al Weatherford is forging an identity in toughness, much to the delight of the notoriously rowdy Kirk boys.

The “Other Two” as the newspapers began to derisively call them, were placemats at best, punching bags at worst. Trowburgh helped themselves by sticking to a positive outlook, led by goalie brothers Von and Burt Wentz, but outside of a vintage performance by veteran forward Reynaldo Redden, the team struggled in every facet. Over in Kirlow, despite the excitement of the hockey-crazed fans in the city, the Kodiaks posted an all-time stinker of a season, winning only three games and scoring 18 total goals. It was embarrassing for the new league, owner Bernard Willard and the team and city itself. A pair of all-star caliber talents in defensemen Chauncey Lombard and Carey Waggoners couldn't save face for the club as Lombard dealt with injuries and “Wags” could only try to keep the frustrations of the team from spilling over in the locker room. It was a decidedly bad look for the Kodiaks who may not be able to recover from such a disastrous start.



With the first playoff matches officially set, the race for the inaugural Marcotte Cup began with Portarra hosting Kirkenport and Chasonne hosting Port Alrene.

Playoff Preview

Whales vs Captains
The Whales are a well-balanced team and machine with a nearly impenetrable defense all season. The Captains offer very little scoring threat but are tough and bruising and hope to wear down the Whales and extend the series to have a chance. Can the Captains orchestrate a major upset?

Heralds vs Anchors
These two teams were neck-and-neck all season and find themselves in a key early series matchup. The MVP race came down to D Paul Kauffman and F Gary Wiesniewski, with Kauffman taking the edge. The Heralds found ways to win games but the Anchors showed a more cohesive team chemistry late in the season. Which one will carry over to a series win?

Up next: 1960 Playoffs

The Kodiaks are definitely my team

1960 PLAYOFFS

1960 Semi-Finals

1 Portarra vs 4 Kirkenport (POR wins 4-0)
The Captains showed their resilience, breaking through the stout defense of Portarra in each game but it wasn't enough to stem the tide of the Whales. Young goalie Gerry McKnight's greenness was on full display as the increased intensity of the playoffs seemed to rattle him. Portarra pounced as they rattled off four straight wins to sweep the Captains. Maxwell Blunt wasn't enthused with his 5 goals allowed in 4 games, but the Whales have several days off before the championship series.

2 Chasonne vs 3 Port Alrene (PA wins 4-2)
In this dead-even matchup, the Heralds and Anchors fought a hotly-contested series like two heavyweights going back and forth. Other than a 3-1 score in Game 1 in favor of Chasonne, each game was a razor-thin margin that felt like it could go either way. Ultimately, a Game 6 squeaker in overtime off the stick of F Rory Burkholder sealed an exciting series for the Anchors.

1960 Marcotte Cup Championship Finals

1 Portarra Whales vs 3 Port Alrene Anchors
Although not a surprise to see two of the Big Three in the first ever Marcotte Cup, the matchup with Portarra and Port Alrene provided an extra layer of ferocity to the series with their mutually longstanding bitter rivalry. Both arenas were thundering during the series and multiple fights and brawls had to be broken up in both cities.

Game 1: PA 0 @ POR 1 -- A 1-0 shutout effort from Maxwell Blunt set the tone for the series as F Tyson Sallee scored the game-winner in the third period.

Game 2: PA 4 @ POR 1 -- All the good vibes from Game 1 were erased as the Anchors' Gary Wisniewski led a barrage of shots, scoring 2 of the 4, along with Burkholder and Dalton Causey.

Game 3: POR 3 @ PA 2 (OT) -- The Marcotte Cup's first overtime game was nasty, bruising affair. It wasn't until late in the OT period when a slapshot from Marlin Parr broke a 2-2 tie.

Game 4: POR 1 @ PA 0 -- The ultimate answer, Maxwell Blunt posted another 1-0 shutout with defenseman and team captain Anton O'Reilly providing the winning goal.

Game 5: PA 2 @ POR 0 -- Ferdy Haight snapped back with a 2-0 shutout of his own, as The Wiz opened the scoring and assisted on a second goal by defenseman Colly Lehman.

Game 6: POR 1 @ PA 0 -- In what became a series pattern after losses, goalie Maxwell Blunt again orchestrated another 1-0 shutout to seal the series and bring the first ever Marcotte Cup to Portarra, at the expense of their hated rivals in Port Alrene. Blunt was awarded the series MVP for his efforts.

Marcotte Cup Champions: Portarra Whales (1)

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Editor's Note: I always write the semi-final predictions before I simulate so every result is news to me. So anytime you see a prediction or something of that nature, it's pre-sim. C&C appreciated on the copy and graphics. I like how the playoff tree turned out but curious what y'all think about it? I decided to keep the home-away info in the text rather than the graphic to keep it simple.
 

Last edited by Steelman (7/10/2019 9:53 pm)

Thehealthiestscratch wrote:

Darknes wrote:

I guess I'll be one of the Kirk Boys!

 
Welcome to the Isle, drinks on me at the mile!


After the playoffs I realize I should keep my day job because my predictions were pretty far off. Not going to Vegas soon, that is for sure. The presentation is clean and easy to follow. Only change that I’d suggest is putting the score line at the ending of each game summary so newer followers don’t get confused when reading summaries that only list player names for the most part. Love what has been established.

Good idea, I've updated the format with scores into the home/way info. Hopefully that's easier to follow.