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March 27, 2019 | 7
U of T Law Hockey Team Head to Playoffs to Defend Title General Manager’s scouting and recruitment critical to team’s success SPENCER PAVECK (2L)* The Men’s Law Hockey team faces a formidable challenge, as they head to the Winter 2019 Playof fs seek ing to defend their championship tit le and retain the Jennings Cup. Their histor ic Cinderella run of seven consecutive v ictor ies to the Fall Championship has boosted expectations for the team, and fans w ill only be placated w ith back-toback tit les. Law’s handsome General Manager, Ned Hockebucci, has thus far been able to recreate his illustr ious manager ial moves from the past two seasons. Hockebucci was hired by the club in 2015 pr imar ily for his economic ef f iciency in management st yle, and for his advanced approach to analytics and scouting. He quick ly proved his abilit y in the 2017 Entr y Draft by selecting a sk illed cohort of enthusiastic players who became the foundation for the club. A mong these players are Law co-captains Spencer Paveck (2L) and Robbie Marks (2L); defencemen Will Eberlee (2L), Cody Koblinsky (2L), and Shimon “Shimmer” Sherr ing ton (2L); and for wards M ike Jankowsk i (2L), M ichael Cain (2L), and Zachar y Green (2L), who later severed his ties w ith the Law team in order to study for an M BA “exam” worth 2% of his f inal grade. Law’s Sierra Leonean consiglieres Omar Saeed (2L) and Jonas “Grand Mut” Mutuk istna (2L) were also crucial members of this Draft class. Team executives and fans alike were pleased to see their safe return to Canada after their stint on the now-disgraced Sierra Leone Vice President’s personal hockey team. Hockebucci demonstrated that his drafting accomplishments in the 2017 were no f luke and redoubled his ef forts for the 2018 Entr y Draft. Hockebucci’s handpicked scouts on his Hockey Recruitment and Admissions Committee ( Facult y Council) were able to draft former Junior hockey players Kev in “Showtime” Madden (1L) and Matt “Brooksie” Brooker (1L), when they were in high demand from other A mer ican clubs for their of fensive prowess. Hockebucci drafted current National Bench Press Champion Patr ick Pinho (1L) to further bolster a potent of fensive cor ps. Hockebucci and his Facult y Council did not neglect the defensive side of the ice, drafting star puck-handler Matt Maich (1L) and cardio enthusiast Scott Wodhams (1L). A lthough rumours abound that some of these young players were enticed to join the Universit y of Toronto through improper payment of facult y grants, this remains baseless speculation. Hockebucci was nearly as active in the 2018 free agent market. In addition to signing current M V P Chr is Kowal (2L) for the reasonable pr ice of a new set of equip-
ment, he also conv inced early retiree Nic Martin (3L) to lace up the skates for two f inal seasons. Martin was able to shake the rust of f his skates and his abilit y to hammer home tough rebounds proved to be invaluable to Law’s success last season. Hockebucci and his Facult y Council have busily worked the phones to acquire veteran talent to complement the younger players on the Law roster. Hockebucci has clearly asserted that he is not afraid to sign free agents from the upstart European Exchange Hockey Leag ue ( EEHL). A lthough many pundits believe the EEHL is super f luous due to its exorbitant liv ing costs and its lack of even a rudimentar y training reg imen, there is no question that it is a preferred destination for veteran players look ing to renew their careers. Hockebucci has already pr ied away three of the leag ue’s top stars in Jessy “Mootin’” van Kooten (3L), K ieran “Mayhem” May (3L), and Josh “Old Man Winnipeg” Watts (3L). Van Kooten and May joined Law w ith considerable chemistr y from play ing together on the top line of the Geneva Suisse Creditors. A lthough somewhat injur yprone in his old age, Watts (formerly of A msterdam’s Red L ight Racers) represents decades of hockey exper ience, and has been instrumental in helping develop Law’s young stars. Highly sought-after head coach D’arcy “Coach Torts” W hite (2L) has shown his innovative chops in exper imenting w ith his deep lineup and building team chemistr y. A lthough his infamously grating st yle and harsh words have been highly cr iticized by former players, there is no doubt that his st yle br ings success. Law defenceman and darling of the advanced stats communit y Eberlee commented after a recent practice: “Coach Torts is the best coach in the leag ue. Tough, but fair. Manages the egos in the room (see Kowal, Chr is) br illiant ly. Don’t even think about not getting back on D.” Coach Torts’ high hockey IQ , his in-game adjustments, and his opportune timeouts are a central component to Law’s future achievements. Hockebucci has reportedly already beg un look ing ahead to the 2019 Entr y Draft, in particular to f ind a replacement in net for retir ing goaltender Colin Romano (3L). No matter who he f inds, there is no question the new goalie w ill have Chara-sized skates to f ill. Romano has proved again and again that he is the heart and soul of the Law team, and his dependable yet often highlight-reel play has stolen count less w ins for his teammates over the years. He is w idely considered to be the leag ue’s top goaltender, and looks to cap his impressive accolades w ith another
championship in the playof f season. A fter 9 long seasons of haphazard rebuilding ef forts, Law has f inally found success w ith its disting uished lineup, crafted by the shrewd Ned Hockebucci. The current iteration of the Law team is a tantalizing combination of stars in the midst of the pr ime of their careers, upand-coming young talent, and veteran leadership. A s Law heads to the playof fs w ith the undiv ided support of their fanbase, it hopes to enshr ine itself and its esteemed facult y in glor y once again.
Note: Some elements of this article have been embellished for humour. At the time this article was written , L aw had notched a berth in the semi-f inals to continue their title defence and retain the Jennings Cup. U V and its editors wish the team the best of luck in the seasons to come. *Spencer Paveck (2L) is on the Men’s L aw Hockey Team.
