04/09/2017
5th-7th iGHL Series Summary:
The Scoreboard, the Scoreless, and the Scorer
Wednesday, 4.6.2017 10:30 PM
Ray Zijab -GHL Website Columnist
THOMPSON (AP) The league has met on three official occasions since the last article so naturally: there is much to relay. The fifth, sixth, and seventh series all supplied plenty of heart-pounding action that has annexed plenty of dynamics and drama to the 16-17 GHL season. From the unveiling of the new GHL scoreboard, to new pre-game drafts, to Hartvikson's game-ending facial injury, to shutouts in back-to-back series, and the fluctuations in the MVP race, there have been plenty of marked events that will synergistically make this season hard to forget.
This season has now hosted seven series in total which have packaged nineteen games and forty-six different players. Twenty-five (season record) of those players skated in the seventh series hosted at the Rydell Rink in the ICON on the last day of March, when GHL Black skated to a 2-1 series win over GHL Silver.
The captains experimented with a new format for choosing sides in this series (and the 5th) with a draft that works like this: two stat-determined captains (top point getters) pick teams using a private snake draft before the series from a list of attending players. The draft was introduced as a way to ensure a more even level of competition. It also encourages more variation and fair play. Whereas before the teams were picked by whatever color the players chose to wear, or which way their stick was tossed (fate), now the teams should be more purposeful and represent great matchups. "It's a bit of fun to form your team," said Nich, "Ill take any of the guys out here, but I like drafting a defensive-minded team who are willing to cycle and share the puck a bit. Guys like Jake Martin, who is now +8 (season leader) for the year by the way, can really be that X-factor in getting wins. You know, its nice to point and pick those types of guys who are a great boost morally and can offer a lot of hockey sage. I also like putting brothers on teams and trying to get that chemistry just right," added Nich, who drafted his brother Zach to stand in goal in the seventh series, as well as the Granger brothers (Tanner and Jacob), and the leading rookie (Austin Ditzig). Duran chose to draft a team more purely rooted in the origins of the GHL, drafting two Grotte brothers (Andrew and Collin), Connor Stinson, and the Bratager brothers (Aaron and Eric) with his first five picks, all of which are top 10 players in the league statistically. "They are mainstay guys who can get the job done."
The most important pick of the night ended up being goaltender Zach Riveland. After a closely contested first game that resulted in a 5-4 Black win, Zach geared down and performed to his full potential en route to a 5-0 shutout. After getting traded to Silver in exchange for Winnipeg between-the-pipe protector Evan Marykuca, the fully bearded netminder went on to capture all three wins with a 2.00 GAA for the evening, earning himself First Star of the series for the first time this season. "Zach was everywhere he needed to be and more tonight," said a member of the opposing team who wished to remain anonymous, "the puck would be all but across the line, when out of nowhere came this wizard of a netminder sprawling to make the save, and he did that too many times to count. He authored his own victories tonight...I think he earned the nickname J.K. Sprawlings." (Go ahead and groan)
Zach is not the only veteran GHL goaltender to exhibit inspired play as of late. Boston native Tim Szargowics had a very similar performance in the previous series when he, too, recorded his first shutout and put three wins to his name with a bounty of saves in his First Star effort. Zach and Tim now share the lead in important goalie stat categories including wins (8) and shutouts (1). Szargowics still holds the slight edge in GAA. The two will square off in the eighth series at the ICON on Mark Schmitz Free Hockey Night on Saturday, April 15th at 6:00 pm. The skaters will be liberated from paying dues related to facility rental thanks to the clout of Mark Schmitz, a long-time member and supporter of the GHL. As a promotion and gesture to the GHL faithful, the GHLPA has also arranged for the first 10 fans in attendance to receive free admission to the game, so don't miss your chance to see and meet some of the best personalities in the game at no cost.
Another expert on the ice in the seventh series was, quite predictably, Duran Vigesaa. After trailing for just one series by a single point for the number one player in the league (statistically), Captain Vigesaa wasted no time in reclaiming his spot on top. The sturdy forward played a balanced game by cashing in on 3 goals and dishing out 3 assists for a 6 point night, earning him Second Star honors and 9 star points for the season. "He was a man on a mission, and uh, I think he achieved whatever he was after," relayed a teammate. Duran would probably not tell you the same, however, as his team only won 1 out of the 3 game series, including getting skunked in the second game. "We didnt play to our potential as an ensemble tonight. Sure, Zach was spectacular agains us in that second game, but we expected a tilt in our favor with the guys we had on our side," concluded Vigesaa. Of course, there were also just as many guys on the other side, which may pontificate on behalf of the draft's nod to parity. Vigesaa (now the only one since Karsten's unofficial retirement), who has not missed a game this season, leads the league in a slew of categories through 19 games including goals (17), points (30), game winners (3), star points (9), and MVPoints (40). There are a limited number of players who have a chance to catch him before the polls.
A less fortunate event to occur during the latest series was the re-injury to silky smooth GHL Black defenseman Matt Hartvikson, who went down with 20 minutes to play in the final game. The blue-liner was making good entrances into the offensive zone all night, but his final trip into the opposing team's zone ended in an opposing players stick re-opening a previous wound about his left eye. The spot has been affected frequently and recently, and it was reported that this injury was the fourth of similar nature and location for Matt. In understandable frustration, Hartvikson displayed a string of adrenalized emotions as he left the ice that screamed something like "I cant believe this happened again. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" If you've ever stubbed the same toe badly two times in a narrow time span, you can relate. Matt made an apology for his "inappropriate response" to the situation and relayed in a social media statement that he was not upset with anyone in particular, but rather the injury and the lost ice time. League officials assured Matt Hartvikson that no apology was necessary but applauded him for his proactivity in sportsmanship gestures. It seems his public relations are as smooth as his play on the ice. Matt's most recent trip to the ER has him glued together enough to return to play quickly, but he said when he returns it's "time for a cage." Hartvikson's mom, Nancy, has reported that he has already made the protective purchase. The situation is reminiscent to previously sustained injuries by GHL's 2009-2010 MVP Jake Martin, who also only wore the bare bucket for a period of time, until repeated inflictions spurred a protective 'furthering' in recent years.
Though there was less than a sellout crowd in the seventh, a familiar pair of eyes followed the action, Friday, a pair of eyes that have watched attentively over the league since its commencement over 15 years ago. The eyes belonged to Kelly Grotte, as does much appreciation from the GHL players and fans. The league has always valued quality over quantity in personnel, and KG has always been the epitome of quality in the GHL organization. As a pioneer, as a commissioner, as a mediator, as a promoter, as a player, and as a fan, Kelly has always done and will continue to do his many jobs well. The league would love to move the all-time GHL great Kelly Grotte from the stands back to the bench where he could coach or play, and where he would be sure to cause a winning spark. There have been rumors circulating that Kelly Grotte has retired from competitive play, but he has not yet been reached for comments concerning this scuttlebutt.
The league also enjoyed the flashy work of three photographers who contributed their time and talents to capturing some great GHL moments. Tim, Darren Stinson, and Kendra Jo led the league with shots on goal for the night after spending the seventh series firing shots through the viewfinder. Their pics can be seen on the GHL page. The league concluded the night by getting a whole-group photo under the new GHL scoreboard.
