St. Roch Hawks
General Manager
Doug
Every season is a reincarnation - and nobody does reincarnation better than me
Posts: 2,785
|
Post by St. Roch Hawks on Oct 4, 2022 0:52:16 GMT -5
2022-23 ST. ROCH HAWKS FORWARDS M. Tkachuk / Hughes / Marner Hintz / Zibanejad / Wheeler Fiala / Bergeron (C) / Toffoli Stutzle / Norris / Seguin DEFENSE Fox / Fowler (A) Petry / Fehervary Larsson (A) / McNabb HEALTHY SCRATCH/BENCH Zub / Robrigues / Foligno GOALIES Samsonov / Murray
MANAGEMENT/COACHING/SCOUTING STAFF Team President - Doug Stolhand General Manager - Doug Wilson Assistant General Manager - Doug Risebrough Head Coach - Doug Weight Assistant Coach - Doug MacLean Assistant Coach - Doug Houda Goalie Coach - Doug Soetaert Advanced Scout/Video Coach - Doug Christiansen Skating Coach - Doug Doull Pro Scout (North America) - Doug Gilmour Pro Scout (Europe) - Douglas Murray
|
|
St. Roch Hawks
General Manager
Doug
Every season is a reincarnation - and nobody does reincarnation better than me
Posts: 2,785
|
Post by St. Roch Hawks on Mar 26, 2023 3:33:30 GMT -5
2022-23 ST. ROCH HAWKS - Postseason Roster FORWARDS Tkachuk / Zibanejad / Marner Stutzle / Hughes / Toffoli Hyman / Bergeron (C) / Arvidsson Hintz / Horvat / Fiala DEFENSE Fox / Larsson (A) McAvoy / Forsling Fowler (A) / McNabb HEALTHY SCRATCH/BENCH Foligno / Zadorov / Fehervary GOALIES Copley / Helleybuyck
MANAGEMENT/COACHING/SCOUTING STAFF Team President - Doug Stolhand General Manager - Doug Wilson Assistant General Manager - Doug Risebrough Head Coach - Doug Weight Assistant Coach - Doug MacLean Assistant Coach - Doug Houda Goalie Coach - Doug Soetaert Advanced Scout/Video Coach - Doug Christiansen Skating Coach - Doug Doull Pro Scout (North America) - Doug Gilmour Pro Scout (Europe) - Douglas Murray
|
|
St. Roch Hawks
General Manager
Doug
Every season is a reincarnation - and nobody does reincarnation better than me
Posts: 2,785
|
Post by St. Roch Hawks on Apr 15, 2023 19:55:48 GMT -5
Finally
I've been chasing a league title since the beginning and finally, I've gotten one. After the bitter disappointments of the past I didn't allow myself to believe this year would be different until after the final game had started yesterday. Once I knew that Adam's Moscow Red Army did not have a final goalie move up their sleeve and would have to have 20 hits in one day, or be an insane +16 in one day, it became clear I was going to win the championship.
Coming into this season I knew I had a good team and that I'd make the playoffs. But the playoffs have always been rough for me. I believe I had one playoff series win before this year. Ever. I had never been in the Final and the previous time I was the #1 seed I lost in the second round so even as this year went along and things looked good from October through February I knew the playoffs were coming and disappointment was possible. I saw no reason to think, after 11 years, that this year would be different.
But it was different. The roster I had built came through when the games mattered. The depth I had cultivated came through when called upon. The balanced roster that I hoped would be able to compete in all 13 categories did just that and allowed me to find ways to win even if certain categories struggled. This year was different than the past in every way and it's changed the way I'll think about this league forever.
I know this about myself - I hate losing more than I enjoy winning. The feeling I have today is one of relief, not euphoria. I'm relieved that I did it. That I finally accomplished the goal of winning a league title and that the onus of being one of those good teams that never quite gets it done is gone. I'm thrilled to have beaten Adam in the final as he was the defending champ and it's only fitting that I faced him and beat him to take the title from him. I may only be borrowing it but like Buster Douglas, at least I did it once.
They'll never know it but I'm glad guys like Charlie McAvoy, Thatcher Demko and Ilya Samsonov were on this team. I drafted McAvoy in 2016 and Demko and Samsonov were guys I drafted in 2015. To have had them on my roster for seven or eight years and finally have them be key cogs in my title run is why Dynasty Leagues are fun. Alex/Morweena - this is why I didn't trade McAvoy to you for Jarry. I was debating it for a long time and the Penguins schedule in April lined up well to help me potentially maximize my goalie starts but I knew if I was going to win a title I'd want McAvoy to be a part of it.
The losses in my past weren't just in season or in the playoffs, either. Twice I lost the Draft Lottery and picked second overall. Those picks ended up being Jack Hughes and Tim Stutzle and both of those guys ended up being cornerstones of this team. They gave me far more production than their ELC salaries warranted and they will be the key pieces of my attempt to defend my title next season.
For the first time in a long time my free agent acquisitions worked out. I spent big to get Matthew Tkachuk and he was amazing. I spent big to get Mitch Marner and he had a career year. I spent big to get Kevin Fiala and he had a great season. I spent big to get Mika Zibanejad and he had another great season. Even depth pieces like Reilly Smith, Gustav Forsling, Victor Arvidsson, Jeff Petry, Brayden McNabb, Blake Wheeler, Kevin Hayes, Adam Henrique and Marcus Foligno came through with good seasons and each of them gave me the depth to always have a full roster of quality players. The midseason signing of Nikita Zadorov was one that really paid off as he gave me minutes, hits, blocked shots and occasional offense.
The trades I made at the deadline didn't work out as I planned but luckily they didn't cost me the title. Zach Hyman, Bo Horvat and Connor Hellebuyck all got worse after I acquired them but they gave me quality depth, they gave me options and they didn't go to a potential playoff opponent.
Having a team that was a mix of guys I drafted (six skaters on my MAJOR roster plus two goalies), guys I signed as free agents (14 skaters on my MAJOR roster plus two goalies) and guys I traded for (one skater and one goalie) made this all the more rewarding. This was a team I hand selected and constructed over the course of years, intentionally creating roster and cap space for these past two seasons knowing I'd have ELC guys in their prime. To have those long-term plans come to fruition and to have ended the year with a win over the most successful team/GM/owner in our league is very satisfying.
I will enjoy this for months to come and apologize to you all for my years of gripes, complaints, bellyaching, self-pity and woe. I can assure you that is done with and the Eeyore part of my personality will forever be silenced by the memory of this season and knowing that it IS possible.
Flags fly forever and this championship flag will forever wave in my memories.
|
|