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**leafsftw1967** · 11-14-2023, 03:28 PM

Mats Marner Calls It a Career

Season Seventy Four will be the last for Mats Marner. It has almost been four years since J convinced me to return to the SHL at the beginning of covid and it has been one hell of a ride. I am extremely grateful for all of the incredible people I met and for the on-ice success Mats Marner had. There are so many incredible souls I could tag that made my comeback to the SHL an unforgettable experience and owe a lot of Marner's success to all of the Berserker, Dragon, Pride, Syndicate and Latvian teammates I had over the seasons.

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I started Marner's career as a fourth-line center on a young promising Newfoundland Berserkers team in Season Fifty Three as an undrafted free agent and progressively developed into a first-line SMJHL MVP during four seasons with Newfoundland from Season Fifty Three to Season Fifty Six. Marner was a part of Newfoundland’s Season Fifty Five Four Star Cup championship team and had the chance to play with a lot of future SHL household names who built the foundations for the Berserker’s dynasty which would see the team make multiple Four Star Cup finals in the coming seasons. During his junior career, Marner won various SMJHL individual awards along with setting the SMJHL FHM Fifty Game Era single season goal record and was proud to be part of the Berserkers captaincy group.

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When graduating to the SHL with the Calgary Dragons in Season Fifty Seven I was welcomed with open arms into the locker room and on the ice Marner's play earned him a spot on the SHL's All-Rookie Team. I enjoyed the regular Dragon poker nights, all the amazing locker room food pictures and getting to know some great people in Calgary. In Season Fifty Nine a change in management in Calgary saw Marner traded for the only time in his career to a young rebuilding San Francisco Pride team. While I only spent less than half a season in San Francisco, the Pride’s locker room left a lasting impression on me as a super a positive, easy going lively room with a lot of friendly people to chat with. It was a great experience developing new connections within the SHL community.

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It was also an honour playing for team Latvia in the IIHF for seventeen seasons for much of it as the team’s captain. Team Latvia has always had very dedicated and enthusiastic management and core group of players and enjoyed representing a country that has been a big supporter of Ukraine.

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Heading into the Season Sixty free agency having a reunion with many long-time friends on an absolutely stacked Chicago Syndicate team was too appealing for Mats Marner to pass up. I could not have imagined all of the success Marner and the team would have over the next fourteen seasons in Chicago. Marner's career really took off in Chicago having 10 seasons averaging over a point a game, being named a 1st Team All-SHL in multiple instances (Season Sixty Four, Season Sixty Five, and Season Sixty Six), leading the SHL in goals both in Season Sixty Four and Season Sixty Six, and receiving various SHL nominations/awards. Probably my favourite memory of Marner's career was winning the Challenge Cup with the Syndicate in S64 and breaking the cup curse (winning my first Challenge Cup in the SHL since joining the community in at the end of Season Six). It was also a great honour to be part of the captaincy group in Chicago. I have absolutely loved my time with the Syndicate and am so grateful for all of the Chicagos in my life. You have been there for all the ups and downs in the past 3+ years of my life and appreciate your friendships.

I could not have asked for anything more out of Marner's career both on and off the ice and really did not want this journey to end but it is time to call it a career as Marner regresses into a third-line role player. Here are some of the career highlights for Mats Marner heading into his final season:

1119 Games Played | 529 Goals | 646 Assists | 1175 Points
*** Currently 5th all-time in SHL career points
*** Currently 3rd all-time in SHL career goals

1x Challenge Cup
2x President's Trophy
1x Four Star Cup
1x Laurifer Trophy

3x First Team All Star
1x SHL All-Rookie Team
2x Jay McDonald Trophy
1x Ron Mexico Nominee
1x Aidan Richan Nominee
1x Raymond Lindsay Trophy
1x Alex Light Trophy
1x Jared Hanson Trophy
1x Roberto Martucci Trophy

With Mats Marner officially sending in his retirement papers to the league: https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=133783 stay tuned for news of a new recreate soon!

***By-Tor*** · 11-14-2023, 03:35 PM

Congrats on a fantastic career! HOF? :eyes:

Marner was one of the goats in my eyes when coming into the league as a first gen.

Credit to enigmatic, Merica, and tweedledunn for sigs

***Wally*** · 11-14-2023, 03:50 PM

Man... I don't think I even have the words for this one. Our friendship has meant a ton on so many levels, but our paths crossing in Newfoundland will be one of my most thankful moments on the site. What a career... for an amazing user.

JNH · 11-14-2023, 04:13 PM

dang that’s a cool NL sig

***Ace*** · 11-14-2023, 04:19 PM

Heckova career.

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