Before getting started with my next hockey campaign, I thought it might be interesting to look back on the past seven seasons and reflect on trades that have fundamentally altered the course of this league.
Prior to Season 1: Thistles trade Gord Roberts (LW) to Bulldogs for Jack Ruttan (LW/C)
I conducted a brief tournament prior to the start of Season 1 so that I could learn the rules of Strat-O-Matic hockey and tweak the rosters for balance. For those brief few games, Gord Roberts, arguably the second-best player in league history after Cyclone Taylor, was a Thistle. I didn't see his potential; what I saw was a (seemingly) low shooting percentage, less positional flexibility, and a greater likelihood to take penalties. So when I swapped Roberts and Ruttan, I didn't realize it would end up being the most lopsided trade imaginable. How lopsided? Ruttan has managed to get into 40 regular-season games and has collected nine measly goals (and only two before this most recent season); Roberts, meanwhile, has suited up for every one of his team's 104 regular-season games and has scored 75 goals, the third-most ever.
Season 1: Bulldogs trade Alf Smith (RW) to Thistles for Ernie Russell (RW)
It didn't take me long to realize my mistake with Roberts. Alf Smith was a similar player, and I was sure I had badly underestimated his potential, as well. To make it up to the Thistles for the loss of Roberts, I had the Bulldogs trade Smith to the Thistles for Ernie Russell. To justify the trade in narrative terms, I noted that Smith had started the season out stone-cold. While this trade wasn't quite as lopsided as the notorious Roberts/Ruttan swap -- Smith has scored 69 goals in 104 games, whereas Russell has 28 in 81 -- it does make me wonder how everything would have turned out if Roberts had stayed on the Thistles and Smith had stayed on the Bulldogs!
Season 2: Bulldogs trade George Richardson (RW/LW/C) to Comets for Scotty Davidson (RW)
Richardson was a spare part on the Bulldogs but has blossomed into a star with the Comets, and now holds the captaincy. I certainly didn't anticipate his rise to prominence when I made this trade in Season 2. That year, Richardson finished twenty-fourth in the league in total points, but in Season 3, his first full season with the Comets, he jumped all the way to eighth. He's remained a top-tier player ever since (finishing tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and seventh over the past four seasons). Davidson, meanwhile, was a useful player for the Bulldogs until he was shipped to the expansion Bearcats midway through Season 7.
After Season 2: Thistles trade Tommy Dunderdale (C/RW) and Paddy Moran (G) to Bulldogs for Riley Hern (G) and Harvey Pulford (D)
Although the Roberts/Ruttan trade was the most lopsided, I'd have to say that this trade would rank as the most impactful overall. Dunderdale was coming off of a down year, but still had MVP-caliber talent. The Dogs put him on a line with Bruce Stuart and Gord Roberts, and the rest is history; that trio has become the most dominant line in the league. For the Thistles, the centerpiece of the deal was Hern, who's won two Goaltender MVP trophies in the five seasons since that trade. Clearly, both teams benefited from the exchange; the Dogs, however, ultimately came out on top. While Pulford was little more than a throw-in who played just a dozen games for the Thistles, Moran has performed very well in goal for the Bulldogs, and even won the Playoff MVP trophy in Season 4 and Goaltender MVP in Season 7. The Thistles, meanwhile, are still seeking their first title, and Hern has been the worst playoff goaltender of all time, with a horrific 3-11 record and .877 save percentage.
Season 4: Millionaires trade Fred Whitcroft (RW/D) to Thistles for Harry Westwick (C/RW)
When the Millies joined the league for Season 4, they had zero natural centers on their roster. They made do as best they could until they were able to flip Fred Whitcroft to the Thistles for Harry Westwick, a center who was playing out of position at right wing because the Thistles were already loaded up the middle. Westwick made an immediate impact for the Millies, and was even better in Season 5 when he finished tenth in the league in total points and helped the Millies win the Creighton Cup in just their second year of existence.
It's no coincidence that the Victorias are nowhere to be found on this list. In order to keep things interesting and to make all the franchises feel unique, I've adopted a "franchise philosophy" that governs how I handle personnel decisions (drafts, trades, etc.) and in-game tactics (matchups, line combinations, etc.). In terms of personnel decisions, I've set the Vics up to be extremely conservative, hanging on to their players (even when it's slightly disadvantageous to do so) and making only minor, "safe" trades. Seems like that approach has worked out pretty well for them so far!
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