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Ballerstorm · 03-29-2017, 05:05 PM

3532 words - Double Week - 3500 words- 4 mil x2 = $8 million

Present Day:
Coming off of a heartbreaking loss in the Challenge Cup to the New England Wolfpack, Calgary Dragons captain Randy Randleman is entering his first season of regression, something he has never experienced before. The center piece of the Calgary Dragons offense has spent his entire career on the team and looks to follow in the footsteps of Calgary Dragons legend, Esa Anrikkanen by spending his entire career with his beloved team. After 3 Challenge Cups, upset finishes and early exits, it's time to look back on his career thus far and what things will look like moving forward with regression on the horizon.

S23:
The career of Randy Randleman started back in S23, when the he joined the SMJHL as a free agent. The young winger was courted by three teams during this free agency period. The Kelowna Knights, the Vancouver Whalers, and the Montreal Impact. Each team had its draws and its downfalls and this made the choice difficult. The Montreal Impact offered him the most immediate ice time and the chance to play with other highly drafted players, but the team didn't look like they would be as strong as the Whalers and Knights in that first season. The Vancouver Whalers offered him a chance to play for the same city as his favorite NHL team, but didn't seem to push too hard to sign him so he wasn't sure how well they treated their players. The Kelowna Knights offered him a chance to join the team and go for a historic three-peat for the Four Star cup, but he would start on the third line and there was no guarantee he could move up in the first season. Randy decided to join Kelowna and try to become a part of history on a very strong team. The team would ultimately fall short, losing in game 7 of the Western conference finals to the Vancouver Whalers, but by the end of the season Randy Randleman had shown the coaches his work ethic and he had earned a spot on the second line. This first season was a struggle for Randleman as he finished the year with just 8 points in 40 games. After the season ended the Calgary Dragons looked past the point production and saw Randleman for the player they knew he could become by taking him 1st overall in the S24 SHL draft.

S24:
Heading into his second season with the Kelowna Knights, Randy Randleman was named team captain and was firmly slotted on the first line as a centerpiece of the team. Randy put up 47 points in his second season with the Knights and was 2nd on the team behind only MVP candidate Adam Abodobe. As the season progressed Randy Randleman continued to show the hard work that had him taken 1st overall in the SHL draft. By the end of the season Randy was the TPE leader in his draft class despite signing after the draft the season prior. The Kelowna Knights unfortunately fell short again in the playoffs, losing to the Vancouver Whalers again. Randy took home some hardware for the first time in his career winning the Brandon Holmes Trophy for top defensive forward in the SMJHL. At the conclusion of the season many of Randy's draft mates decided to make the jump to the SHL. There was a lot of speculation around what Randy would do as he was the TPE leader of the class and others were already going up to the SHL. After speaking with Calgary Dragons GM Esa Anrikkanen the two decided that another year in the SMJHL with the Kelowna Knights would be good for Randy. The Dragons didn't have a big opportunity for him on their roster and this would give Randy one more shot at a Four Star cup before he joined the SHL.

S25:
In his third season Randy Randleman came out playing like nobody had seen him in the past two seasons. Randy was near the top of the scoring race for the entire year and the Knights captain was determined to lead the team all the way this season. As the season progressed it was clear that this was a Kelowna Knights team to be reckoned with. The Knights stormed into the playoffs on a mission for the cup. Randy Randleman ended the regular season with a career best 55 points up to that point and he was firmly in the MVP discussion, but it was the cup he wanted more than anything. This year the Knights finally won the west and were set to face the Montreal Impact in the finals for the Four Star cup. The two teams had a great series and in the end the Kelowna Knights emerged victorious, giving Randleman the Four Star cup that had eluded him his first two seasons in the SMJHL. Upon conclusion of the playoffs Randy was awarded the Brodie Witzel trophy for SMJHL playoff MVP as well as the Ronan Oâ€™Keefe trophy for Knights MVP. With his business in Kelowna finished it was now time to join the Calgary Dragons in the SHL and show the big league what he had to offer.

S26:
In S26 Randy Randleman finally made the jump to the SHL with the Calgary Dragons. Slotted on the wing with fellow rookie VLAD McZehrl on a line centered by Schnitinfritz Jagr at 30% ice time, Randy Randleman saw a huge opportunity in his rookie season. He was also placed on the 1st unit power play with Nicholas Pedersen and Jamie Hill. Randy took advantage of his opportunities during his rookie season and finished the season with 21 goals and 37 points, leading the rookie scoring race. His performance earned him the Ryan Jesster award for rookie of the year, edging out defenseman Winston Windsor. His strong rookie year saw Randy crack the SHL top 100 list at #64 and also earned him a spot on the All-Rookie all star team. The Dragons made the playoffs and although they didn't see much success there was a buzz of excitement within the team for the potential on the roster. With a mixture of veteran superstars and young talent the team was poised to become a force in the SHL, and Randy Randleman had every intention of being a spearhead of that team.

S27:
Coming off of the playoff loss in S26 the entire Calgary Dragons team was eager to improve in S27. Randy Randleman was moved up to the 2nd line paired with Jamie Hill and centered by Alex Mack. While the ice time was the same as his rookie season, still at 30%, the opportunity to move into a more offensive role was a sign of growth for Randleman. He remained on the top power play unit and was also added to the 2nd unit penalty kill for S27. More importantly than ice time though was the role off assistant captain that was given to Randy in just his second season. It was a huge honor for him to get it so early in his career and he pledged to work hard to show that he deserved it. Despite being moved up to a more offensive role, Randy statistics were almost identical to his rookie year as he posted 20 goals and 36 points in his second season, including scoring an astounding 5 goals in a game vs the Edmonton Blizzard. Despite a lower point production, the league saw Randy's growth in the defensive side of his game with his time on the penalty kill and he moved up 6 spots on the top 100 list to #58. This year the Calgary Dragons entered the playoffs as a different team than they were in S26. They had playoffs experience now, and knew what it felt like to lose. They were determined to not let that happen again, and the showed how good of a team they could be by beating the Seattle Riot in 5 games to win the Cole Reinhart trophy for western conference champions and lead them to face the Hamilton Steelhawks in the Challenge Cup finals. The series didn't start the way the Dragons wanted though and before they knew it the Steelhawks held a 3-0 series lead. The Dragons would need to win 4 straight games to come back and win the series, something that is almost impossible to do. The Calgary Dragons didn't care how impossible it was and through determination and will they gutted out back, to back, to back, to back wins. The S27 Calgary Dragons completed the first ever reverse sweep in the Challenge Cup finals. Down 3-0 in the series they won 4 straight games to bring home their first Challenge Cup in 18 seasons and begin what would become a dynasty.

S28:
After an incredible story book season in S27, Randy Randleman and the Calgary Dragons were flying high. The team saw some turnover of the roster, losing VLAD McZehrl and Steven Jalopski but they felt like they could fill the roster spots by adding Chris Johnson in free agency and bringing up young rookie winger, Michael Burch. Randy Randleman remained on the second line, although this year with 5% more ice time and a new linemate. While Alex Mack remained paired with Randleman, the two had a new player to play with in S28, Nicholas Pedersen. Alex Mack moved over to the wing and Pedersen took the center role. Just as the past two years, Randy stayed on the top power play unit, and just as S27 he also saw a normal role on the penalty kill. It turned out that Nicholas Pedersen and Randy Randleman had some natural chemistry on the ice as Pedersen helped Randy have his best season as a pro. With his new found playmaker, Randleman put up 22 goals and 51 points with an astounding +28 +/- rating. The season earned him the Calgary Dragons Jesster Award for team MVP and saw him make a massive jump on the SHL top 100 list up to #20. During the season, Randy Randleman was also honored by his old SMJHL team, the Kelowna Knights. The Knights inducted him into the Ring of Honor and his number now lives in the rafters at Prospera Place. The Calgary Dragons yet again made the playoffs and looked to repeat as Challenge Cup champions, but things didn't go their way and the team was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs in just 5 games. The Calgary Dragons would finish the season with a bitter taste in their mouths and were all too eager to get back on the ice for S29 to show the SHL that they were still an elite team.

S29:
In S29 Randy Randleman was split up from his new favorite line mate, Nicholas Pedersen, and put back with his S27 line mates of Alex Mack and Jamie Hill. Randy was a better player than when they were paired together in S27 and it showed in S29 as he led that line for the entire season and finished the year with a career high 22 goals. He also added 18 assists for a total of 40 points. His performance earned him the #39 spot on the SHL top 100 players list in S29. The Calgary Dragons made the playoffs yet again and this year they were able to advance past the first round. In the western conference finals they faced the Edmonton Blizzard who took the Dragons to game 7 after the Dragons held a 3-1 series lead. With the score tied at 2-2 late in the 3rd period of game 7, Randy Randleman managed to score the game winning goal for the Dragons. The team was able to hold the lead and was once again heading to the finals to face the Hamilton Steelhawks. This year the Challenge Cup finals proved to be different than it was in S27. The teams traded games all the way until they faced another game 7. The series was all too tight and the teams ended up going to overtime, the next goal would win the Challenge Cup. The overtime period didn't last long though, as Michael Burch scored the series winning goal to give the Calgary Dragons their 2nd cup in 3 seasons.

S30:
Riding high off of their second Challenge Cup victory, the Calgary Dragons looked poised to be one of the strongest teams in the league in S30. The team was at a sweet spot in their development where their older players were still at a superstar level of TPE while their young players were hitting elite levels as well. Older players such as Esa Anrikkanen, Nicholas Pedersen, Chris Johnson, Bubba Nuck, Sachimo Zoidberg, and Hunter Wong were all still among the best at their positions in the league. There were also all the players approaching their primes such as Randy Randleman, Alex Mack, Schnitinfritz Jagr, Shane Gagner, and Michael Boychuk. This blend of veteran leadership and young talent helped lead the Calgary Dragons to the President's Trophy for best record in the regular season during S30. They entered the playoffs as the #1 seed and advanced to the Western Conference finals. Unfortunately the Dragons couldn't reach the Challenge Cup finals in back to back years and were knocked out by the Edmonton Blizzard. Randy Randleman saw his role increase in S30 as he moved to the top line with Esa Anrikkanen and Alex Mack. The line played 40% of the ice time and was the focal point of the Calgary Dragons offense. Randy also saw his role increase on the penalty kill, moving from the 2ndunit up to the 1st unit. Randleman took advantage of his increased ice time and scored a career high 25 goals in S30 while contributing 17 assists for 42 points. Randy once again saw himself in the SHL top 100 players list with his S30 performance, this time moving up 3 spots to #36. Randleman also managed to help his IIHF team, the United Kingdom, earn a silver medal in the tournament during the off season.

S31:
The S31 Calgary Dragons saw the team make an unprecedented splash in free agency to acquire one of the best players in the league, Pierre-Luc Laflamme. Calgary wasn't normally a team who would go after big name free agents but adding a player like Laflamme was a huge boost to the team getting back to the Challenge Cup finals. Randy Randleman got the benefit of playing on a line with Pierre-Luc Laflamme as well as his usual linemate, Alex Mack. Together the three provided an extremely dynamic line for the Dragons. In the lead up to S31, Randy Randleman worked harder than he ever had in the past on the physical aspect of his game, turning into a player who could be a power forward for the team while still maintaining his sniper mentality offensively. With Alex Mack being the playmaker, Pierre-Luc Laflamme being a shooter, and Randy Randleman being a power forward who could also score as well as anyone the Dragons had a line that could compete with anyone. Being paired with an elite scorer like Pierre-Luc Laflamme allowed Randy to achieve 20 assists for the first time in his career, while still continuing his 20 goal streak. He finished the season with 21 goals and 40 points while adding 140 hits to his stat line, a number he had never came close to in the past. Randy once again saw his spot climb in the SHL top 100 players list as he was ranked #29 on the list. Unfortunately for the Calgary Dragons the team felt disappointment in the playoffs, once again losing in the first round. The Dragons knew their window wouldn't last forever and that they needed to make something happen to get back to the Challenge Cup finals.

S32:
During the time leading up to S32 the Calgary Dragons decided to make a change and named Randy Randleman team captain. Long-time captain, Esa Anrikkanen was still a massive part of the team but he decided to hand the "C" to Randy as a sign of handing the future of the team to be Randy's to lead. The changes didn't stop there either. The team made yet another splash in free agency by adding another elite winger in Tommy Creller to their lineup. The immense depth they had at forward meant that Chris Johnson could be transitioned to defense instead of his usual forward role and the Dragons could still role out 3 stellar lines. Randy played multiple roles during S32, playing both with Alex Mack and Tommy Creller, as well as playing with Nicholas Pedersen and Pierre-Luc Laflamme. Randleman's physical game continued to evolve and by seasons end the stat line showed him at 168 hits, 28 more than the previous season. From a point production standpoint Randy took a step back in his new role. He scored just 16 goals, failing to reach 20 for the first time in his career as he ended the season with 37 points, also a career low. His career worst season saw him drop on the SHL top 100 players list to #47. The team on the other hand was a powerhouse. The Calgary Dragons rolled into the playoffs on a mission for the Challenge Cup and after 2 years of falling short of a finals appearance the Dragons took the west again and lined up to face the Manhattan Rage, led by Randy's old teammate VLAD McZehrl. The Dragons proved to be the stronger team as they shut down VLAD and took the Challenge Cup in 5 games, earning Randy and the team their 3rd cup in 6 seasons. The Calgary Dragons had clearly established themselves as a dynasty in the SHL.

S33:
Coming off of a massive S32 Challenge Cup victory it was clear that the Calgary Dragons were aging. Older players like Nicholas Pedersen and Esa Anrikkanen needed to slide over to the wing and this opened the door for a new opportunity for Randy Randleman. The career winger worked hard all off season on his face-offs and slid into the #1 center role for the Dragons. His strong defensive game would be perfect to play center and allowing Esa and Pedersen to move to wing would allow them to extend their careers. Randy saw himself paired with Nicholas Pedersen and Shane Gagner on the top line and just like in S28, Pedersen and Randleman had instant chemistry. With the addition of Gagner the three formed the best line in the league and after the team started slowly the trio led the Dragons to 1st place in the west. Randy Randleman enjoyed his best season of his career as he scored a career high 26 goals, 38 assists, and 64 points while adding 116 PIMs and 152 hits. He played huge minutes, the top unit of every special teams line, and finished the season at +20. These numbers were good enough to get him into the MVP discussion and earn him the respect of his peers around the league as a top scorer in the SHL. The Calgary Dragons hit the playoffs in stride and dispatched the Seattle Riot with ease in the first round. Next the Dragons faced the Los Angeles Panthers for the Western Conference Championship. The series took 6 games for the Calgary Dragons to dispatch of the Panthers, while in the east the New England Wolfpack and Toronto North Stars went 7 games before the Wolfpack advanced. It was a heavyweight battle in the finals between the Wolfpack and the Dragons. The two teams were widely regarded as the best teams in the SHL and they both fought hard in the finals. In the end the New England Wolfpack did a phenomenal job stopping the line of Randleman, Gagner, and Pedersen and were able to defeat the Dragons in 6 games. This was the first time Randy had ever lost in the finals and it was a new feeling for him. After such a successful regular season both for himself and for the team it all ended so close to the prize the team was after.

Looking Ahead:
As Randy Randleman enters regression he still looks to be an elite player in the SHL and has a lot of hockey left to play for the Calgary Dragons. Regression is just another chapter in his SHL career and though it will try to slow him down, Randy will do his best to combat it as it comes. He plans to play for as long as he can, until he can't skate anymore and he does more to hurt the team than to help them. There are many more seasons to reach for a cup and play alongside his friends and teammates. With the excellent management of the Calgary Dragons I am confident that Randy and the boys will bring more cups home to the fans of Calgary, all the while Randy will be chasing Esa for the Calgary Dragons points records as the two of them both play for as long as they can stretch their careers out to.

Steelhead77 · 03-30-2017, 08:10 AM

What a career so far! Towel

---> ParmBorg Highlights <---

#1 All-Time SHL Goal & Point Scorer
- First 2,000 TPE Player in SHL History -
- First 400 Goal Scorer in SHL History -
- Only 500 Goal Scorer in SHL History -
- First GM to Win 5 & 6 Challenge Cups -
Esa Anrikkanen Award - SMJHL ROY - Est. S34
Vidrik Onoprienko Award Winner - S45

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