PR - Saints

The New Saskatoon Saints: A Member of the TFHL Elite

It’s now TFHL 19: the Saskatoon Saints and GM Geoffrey Young are an established part of a long TFHL history. The league was founded in 1993 and has weathered fourteen years – give or take a few months here and there – in which hundreds of GM’s have come and gone; and a dozen Commissioners have led the league through varying trials and triumphs. In a recent interview with this Saskatoon StarPhoenix reporter, GM Geoffrey Young nostalgically mused on his six years and eleven seasons in the TFHL. The Saints this season have started their best season in franchise history and are, without question, one of the elite teams in the TFHL. Their top line of Higgins, Paille and Kovalchuk, along with Ballard on defense, is the number one offensive line this season. Management has expressed its expectation and intention to win the Eastern Conference Title this season, and realizes how important conference games will be. At home in Saskatoon, the Saints have gone 8-0-0.

Geoffrey Young: “I got involved with the TFHL after my brother became GM of a struggling team that he would go on to rename the Saskatchewan Wheat Kings. After a couple months of watching and learning from his rookie mistakes – David Easton rip-off deals and other ‘fantasy hockey league’ conventions of humiliation – I decided to apply to join the league. So in TFHL 8 I took over the Mirkava Mutants and moved them to Saskatoon, renaming them the Saints. Of course, in an apprenticeship befitting of an older brother, Tyler introduced me to the essentials of league rules and politics in the traditional TFHL manner: over the course of the next few seasons, I was the most active GM in the league. I remember one trade my brother and I made which involved four teams and over 20 players as well as twice as many picks: We were cowboys! And our season performance reflected that.

When the league switched simulators, everything I had built was erased; but it was an opportunity to start from square one. This meant trading and drafting: two things I enjoy most.

Now after a few seasons, I have built a foundation on a few core players. The Spezza for Higgins trade might have been the cornerstone to the current franchise edifice. Around Higgins, I have compiled about 8 players, all currently around the mid-twenties age range, and I have been patient with them in their developing years. Now I believe it’s the make or break point for our team. Last season was our first semblance of playoff success, losing in the second round to the Aces in a hard-fought seven game series. But we are no beyond our ‘rebuilding years:’ now I expect results. I hope the fans in Saskatoon are excited about what they’ve already seen at home and they can expect their team to do anything to bring home our first franchise Championship.”

The Saskatoon Saints defeated their arch-rivals, the Calgary Hurricanes, today 6-3. The league has changed; the TFHL elite are admitting new members.