A Different Path (BAP)

[kzoz21]

Drunk already. It was only 4 o'clock but since Patrick had his last final today he figured it would be okay. "God statistics is hard," he thought as he pounded another beer.

15 minutes and 2 beers later his phone started ringing. "Hmmm, a New York City area code? Must be my suitemate Alex," Patrick thought.

“Hiroow?” he howled into the phone. On the other end, a man not named Alex was just then questioning his decision to make that phone call but proceeded nonetheless.

“Hi is this Patrick Cosgrove?” the scratchy voice asked to now completely hammered student.

“Of course it is, but may I ask who is calling my good fellow. I’ll have you know I’m no one to be trifled with, so if you’re trying to sell me something then you’re outta luhhhh.”

All of a sudden he trailed off as something caught his attention across the room. “Look Patrick, this is Glen Sather the New York Ranger’s GM. You and I both know you’re not getting drafted this year, but we think you have some skills to really help this team, so we’d like to sign you to a small deal maybe start you in the AHL and work your way up. What do you say?”

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP. “S***. Must be the connection up in Ithaca. I don’t know why anyone build a school in that s***hole, let alone put a hockey team up there. We sent him a contract already anyway and if he’s interested he signs and we got ourselves a new player.”

The next morning came too soon for Patrick. “God how much did I drink last night. I actually thought I was talking to Glen Sather. Man that guy sucks. He’s managed to outspend everyone on the worst players despite the cap.” As he headed off to the gym he remembered checkout from the dorm was that night and that he needed to check his mail one last time before he left Cornell for the summer.

Putting that key into the keyhole turned Patrick’s summer from one of preparation for another ECAC season with Cornell University Big Red to one of preparation for the AHL. Inside was a envelope request and when he got the thick envelope with the New York Ranger’s logo on it, he knew his conversation with Glen Sather hadn’t been made up.

[Madman55]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

Nice start. I'm following.

[kzoz21]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

thanks man. thought i'd go in a different direction and do a grinder bap. haven't seen one so i thought it would give it some seperation from everyone else's

[shinderhizzle84]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

LOL i laughed when he woke up and was like "OMG what a crazy dream!!" haha

Great beginning man, hoping the rest is just as funny as this last post.

[derrickthomas58]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

Great job man. You should have had Sather sign you to a contract worth $30,000,000,000,000,000,000 to make it ultra realistic. How does he keep his job in a place like NY?

[Madman55]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

DT - it isn't surprising. Look at Darcy Regier in Buffalo. He's screwing the team over and he just signed an extension for next season.

[kzoz21]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

Great job man. You should have had Sather sign you to a contract worth $30,000,000,000,000,000,000 to make it ultra realistic. How does he keep his job in a place like NY?

i loled at that its so true.

probably one or two more updates before games start

[kzoz21]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

“It wouldn’t be the same,” Patrick decided. No more packed arenas, giving his regards to Davey after every goal, and certainly no more saluting the fans after every game. “That,” he decided, “would stay.” Something he could do to honor his time as a Cornell hockey player.

The decision had been made after talking to his parents. His dream had been to play for Cornell and never thought that he would be good enough to even dream of the AHL let alone the NHL.

Now though on the flight from Ithaca to New York he was about to find out just what the Rangers really thought of him. Getting off the plane at LaGuardia Pat knew that he would have to get himself a cab. He was no prize prospect and he knew it.

Walking around Madison Square Garden Pat was confused. Where was he supposed to go? Players only? That sounded good enough.

“Hey kid what you think you are doing?” a huge Russian Cosgrove recognized as Nik Antropov asked.

“Sorry I’m lost. I’m supposed to be having a meeting with Mr. Sather,” he explained unsure of what he was supposed to do next.

“Yah. The office is that way,” Antropov said pointing in a different direction.

After about ten minutes Patrick finally found the GM’s office. “Hey kid you’re late! Look we’re taking a flier on you so don’t do anything to mess that up.” Sather stated matter-of-factly. “Look you’re technically an Unrestricted Free Agent as you weren’t drafted. Right now we’re not sure about your potential, but you’re a physical player and you’ve shown you might be able to put some pucks in the back of the net.”

“Hey kid, name’s Jim and is this Ken Gerander. I’m the General Manager of the Hartford Wolfpack and Ken’s Head Coach. Look, you knew you weren’t starting at the big club and here’s the thing, until you prove otherwise we’re not sure you deserve an NHL contract, so what we’re going to do is sign you to the league minimum which is $36,000 and if you do well enough, then the Rangers are going buy out the contract and make it 2-way so you won’t have to go through waivers at any point. Sound good?”

“Yes sir,” Pat stated. He was just looking forward to getting on the ice.

“Well we look forward to seeing you in Hartford kid. The train is the cheapest and fastest way to get there. Don’t want to cause too much expense for us eh? Hehe.”

[Madman55]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

Nice. I just started a BAP Goalie with the Rangers/Wolf Pack. hopefully you can score some goals and hit some guys. :wink:

[kzoz21]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

Nice. I just started a BAP Goalie with the Rangers/Wolf Pack. hopefully you can score some goals and hit some guys. :wink:

i've only played two games but recorded points in both so far which is amazing. i'm playing on superstar default sliders because its too easy to score on allstar no matter who you're playing as be it sniper or grinder

[kzoz21]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

“Welcome to Hartford kid,” were the first words out of Head Coach Ken Gerander’s mouth as I walked in the door of his spartan office. “Look we have some goals for you to strive for this year. Firstly, be physical. You’re here because you can do that and we expect 295 hits from you as a result. Second we want a plus/minus of 7. The mark of a good defensive forward is a good plus/minus and this is must for the end of the year. About 135 shots should do and try and get 30 points. These two aren’t important just goals you’ll want to work towards.”

“Sure, sounds good to me sir,” Patrick said.

“Look kid, call me Coach or Coach Ken or Ken. I’ve been around this organization for a long time and I’ve learned that dictatorial coaching rarely works. Calling me sir just buys into that notion. I know you’re coach at Cornell was a real douche. Schafer always had his panties in a twist about some prospect getting called up and plays a real defensive style. We like to open things up here and score some goals. We’re not great at it but we try.”

“Okay Coach,” Patrick said using the most formal name out of habit. “I’ll try my best to accomplish this.”

“That’s what we like to hear. Now you’ll be working mostly with J.J. Daigneault since he’s our defensive coach, but occasionally you’ll be with me on offense.”

“Okay Coach,” Pat said unsure why he would be working on defense if he was already good at it.

“And Damien Hess? He’s going to be your best friend by the end of the year. But right now you’re going to hate seeing him. Go meet him in the gym now and practice starts in two hours.”

[kzoz21]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

1st game: Springfield Falcons @ Hartford Wolfpack:

3-1 Hartford

Scoring Summary

1ST PERIOD:

5:03 Potter (1) (Fahey, Byers)

2ND PERIOD:

No Scoring

3RD PERIOD:

13:20 Moore (1) (Unassisted)

14:17 Byers (1) (Cosgrove, Graham)

19:27 Brule (1)

Patrick Cosgrove Statistics:
G:0
A:1
P:1
+/- :0
Hits: 2
Positioning: A-
Team Play: B-
Stats: A+

[kzoz21]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

2nd game: Bridgeport Soundtigers @ Hartford Wolfpack

4-3OT Bridgeport

Scoring Summary

1ST PERIOD:

2:58 Colliton (Unassisted)

12:44 Cosgrove (1) (Byers, Graham)

18:29 Walter (Unassisted)

19:03 Dupont (1) (Pyatt, Bell)

2ND PERIOD:

14:57 Kohn (Colliton, Rechlicz)

3RD PERIOD:

14:16 Dupont (2) (Pyatt, Bell)

OT

0:38 Callahan (Thompson, Gervais)

Patrick Cosgrove Statistics:
G:1
A:0
P:1
+/- : -1
Hits: 3
PIM: 2
Positioning: A-
Team Play: C+
Stats: A

[kzoz21]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

“Watch yourself punk,” a thickly Russian-accented voice said after Pat walked into the locker room. It had been Artem Anisimov, the Wolfpack’s first line center. “This is stupid Coach. He score before me so he gets powerplay? He a stupid grinder. Not scorer.”

“Look Artie, not now we’ll talk about this later. Not now,” Coach said calmly as he walked in from his office. “You guys played great out there tonight. It’s tough getting that loss but I thought we showed real character after leading the entire last game and then coming out and giving up some early goals and battling back. The one negative I want to point out is that Cosgrove. You played a great game kid until OT. We put you and Brodie out there because you two had scored tonight and we thought you could get it done, but you can’t be taking a stupid tripping call that early in overtime son.”

“But coach I was going for the puck and he passed it right before I got there and then fell. It isn’t my fault that he couldn’t stand up…”

“SHUT UP KID!” Coach Daigneault screamed. He was always playing bad cop to Gernander’s good cop. “YOU COST US A GOAL! You shouldn’t even have been on the ice. This game should have been over after you and Brodie scored. TWO OWN GOALS?!?! REALLY!? Defense show up at 5:30 tomorrow morning. We’re going to be doing wind sprints! Cosgrove you’re excused.”

“Perfect,” Pat thought. “Now I have to spend even more time with that dick Anisimov.”

[kzoz21]

Re: A Different Path (BAP)

With a few days between games, other than practice there wasn’t much to do. Drinking was out of the question for Pat since he was only 18 and he didn’t feel like getting a fake I.D. or getting in trouble with the law. Speaking of law he should probably get an agent. Even though Pat Cosgrove was just a lowly minor leaguer even they needed representation. His first call was to the law firm Complex Litigation. Not knowing much about Hartford, Pat knew this place because of his devotion to Bill Simmons. Simmons’s friend John O’Connell was a lawyer there and Pat knew that he maybe as a sports fan maybe he could help him out.

“Hi, I’m here to find some representation,” Pat said nervously not sure whether he had made the right decision or not coming here. “Oh I know who you are son. You’re that nice boy from Cornell that the hockey team signed. You’ve done pretty well so far I heard from my husband.”

“Thank you ma’am. I don’t have an agent and this is the only law firm I know about so I was wondering if they might have anyone that could represent me.”

“Oh I’m sure they do honey. By the way, how did you hear about us?”

“Well I listen to Bill Simmons and his friend John O’Connell works here. So I thought I would stop by.”

Wouldn’t you know he’s the only person with an opening today. He’ll be available in 15 minutes hon so have a seat over there.”

As Patrick waited for his meeting he thought about his performance so far this season. Just two games in and he was already both exceeding and falling below expectations. He had produced points in both games but had been shoddy defensively and had cost his team a game with a stupid penalty just 10 seconds into overtime against their biggest rivals. Plus to make matters worse Artie was in a funk and as the highest rated prospect on the team he always got what he wanted and right then it was making Pat’s life miserable.

“Hey don’t let me interrupt kid.” said the man standing in front of Pat. Around the same height and build was a man who clearly thought highly of himself. “I don’t have a lot of time so we’ll keep the meeting short and out here in the lobby. I know who you are and what you need. I can do those things. I looked over the contract you signed and you could not have gotten a better deal considering your prospects at the time. You seem like a nice kid so I’ll do this pro bono until they sign you to a legitimate contract. Trust me, the way you’re playing, it shouldn’t take long. Now I just have to find out how to become certified and we’re good to go.”