DANISH DELIGHT

 

 

Being first runner-up in the OSHL Tourney XVIII Draft Lottery might just have been the best thing to have happened to Denmark. After all, history has shown the 1st overall pick to be more of a curse than a blessing. Only twice has the team that picked first even made it to the Legacy Cup Finals over the course of 18 tournaments and 2 seasons. Only once, way back in Tourney III, when a youngish-looking Jesse Stahn uttered his infamous and inaccurate “we won the Olympics!” quote, did the first overall prevail. 

 

At 2nd overall, Doram and his Co-GM, Jimmy Ward, had their sights set on former Hart Trophy winner (T13) Emery Neilson…the whole way. The pick was pretty much set from the moment the Denmark ball sat all alone at the bottom of the lottery machine. It wouldn’t be offered. It wouldn’t move. And despite the chaos of trade week…they never wavered.

 

They were right to stand firm, as all Emery Neilson did…was rack up 36 total points across Denmark’s perfect 6-0 record, twenty-one of those came in the round-robin alone, the 3rd highest round-robin total of all-time. Three more came in the Legacy Cup Finals, including both the game-tying and the game-winning goals in Denmark's 5-4 thriller over the Germans.

 

For his efforts, Neilson nabbed his second Hart Trophy win…the first-player to ever do so.

 

Another “first-player-to-ever-do-so” was goaltender Devon Tchir. Tchir was a member of GM Scott Doram’s last Legacy Cup Championship with Russia back in Tourney V. The big difference this time around, aside from a different team, was that Tchir was now guarding the crease versus crashing the crease. Having only ever being an ice hockey goalie, not having played goal in years, and strapping on a mish-mash of borrowed equipment, all combined to make Doram’s selection of his long-time running mate a risky one. But again, Doram stuck to his guns, and…again…the unwavering resolve paid off. 

 

Devon Tchir became the first player to ever win a championship as both a player and a goaltender. He finished with a perfect 6-0 record. His 3.00 GAA in the round-robin landed him tied for 1st all-time. For his efforts, Tchir would walk away with the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the tournament's top goaltender.

 

Steve Babiuk sniped 12 goals over the 6 games. Dusty Davis collected 17 points from the backend. Mitch Schultz won his second Legacy Cup. Vance McLennan his first cup, as well as a brand new facebook profile pic complete with baby, wife and cup.

 

GM Scott Doram finally was able to vanquish his Denmark-ian postseason demons. Having long been a round-robin success, a 24-9 record entering Tourney 18, Doram’s Danes had managed a paltry 3-8 postseason mark.

 

Despite severely rolling his ankle in game 2 of the round-robin, Doram fought through, amassing 17 points over the final 4 games, finishing 4th overall in tournament scoring, and finally picking up that elusive second Legacy Cup as a GM (third overall). 

 

Doram will now have to set his sights on a third, as the OSHL has announced Tourney XIX is returning to Millenium Place on April 27, 2024.

 

Hart Trophy - Emery Neilson, DENMARK

Vezina Trophy - Devon Tchir, DENMARK
Heart & Hustle - Liam Gallagher, GERMANY