eat drink & be queer

let's talk hockey

[fabasten]

Upcoming Willmack-adjacent hockey stuff:

5/20- USA v Germany @ 2:20pm EDT

5/21- Canada v Norway @ 10:20am EDT

5/22- Canada v Slovenia @ 10:20am EDT

5/23- USA v Latvia @ 6:20am EDT

5/24- Canada v Slovakia @ 2:20pm EDT

5/25- USA v Hungary @ 10:20am EDT

5/26- USA v Austria @ 10:20am EDT

5/26- Canada v Czechia @ 2:20pm EDT

5/28- Canada vs USA quarterfinal match @ 10:20am EDT

5/30- Canada vs Finland semifinal match @ 2pm EDT

5/31- Canada vs Norway bronze medal game @ 9:30am EDT

5/31- Will at MayeDay celebrity softball game @ 6pm EDT

6/1-6/6- Draft Combine

6/8- Will at Stanley Pup 🐶 @ 8pm EDT

6/13- Macklin Celebrini's 20th Birthday 🎉

6/24- Mack at Canada v Switzerland World Cup match @ 3pm EDT

6/26- NHL Draft, 1st round

6/27- NHL Draft, 2nd-7th rounds

6/30-7/2 Sharks Dev Camp

7/1-7/2 Mack hosting soccer camp for Airbnb in Toronto

7/1- Official start of the new fiscal season. Opening day of free agency/trading for the 26/27 season. Mack & Will contract extensions expected to be signed at this point

7/2- Sharks Prospect Scrimmage at 2pm EDT

7/7- Mack at World Cup ⚽️ match in Vancouver

7/15- ESPY Awards @8pm EDT in NYC (Mack nominated for Best Breakthrough Athlete & Best NHL Player)

7/16- NHL '27 game trailer ft. Mack on the cover @11am EDT

7/16- NHL 26/27 schedules out at 1pm EDT

7/30- Will at Shoulder Check Showcase in Fairfield, CT

9/12- Rookie Faceoff, Kings vs Sharks @8pm EDT

9/13- Rookie Faceoff, Sharks vs Mammoth @8pm EDT

(I'll pin this for reference. Please lmk if there are any other important dates I'm forgetting)

[fabasten]

This was entertaining 😆

[fabasten]

(rpf disclaimer) I just think that Mack doesn't care about how much he is going to get paid in his contract as long as he can find a way to get a no trade clause for Will in it :p

Lol you might have a point 😆

[fabasten]

Fab can I just say how much I absolutely LOVE your blog? You bring such creative and refreshing hockey/willmack takes to the tag and I adore reading them! Every time I see your user in my notifs I get super excited because I just know it’s going to be an absolute masterpiece! You have helped me understand a lot about the game (even though I grew up watching) that I have previously struggled with 😅! And you’re super funny so it’s always a blast reading your posts/analyses lol! Just a little appreciation for you since these past few days have been hectic🫶🏼🫶🏼

Thank you so much! I really enjoy getting to dig in on these asks & love how many new fans have come to appreciate hockey. (And having fun discourse with older fans like you!) I try not to get too technical so it's not a slog to read, so I'm really glad you think I'm finding that balance. Appreciate you taking the time to drop a nice ask! 💜

[fabasten]

Hey, it's Jayden Perron!

I've been wanting to talk about Perron for a long time, and this is perfect timing.

So, who is he and where has he been?

Former USHL Chicago Steel linemate of our very own Macklin Celebrini back in 2022-2023, that dynamic duo was dubbed "Puma" Perron & "Cheetah" Celebrini by Steel announcer Mark Citron.

Off the ice they were best friends who lived together with the same host family. On the ice, their chemistry was undeniable. The "Cat Connection" combined for 158 points that season and were incredibly fun to watch. Playing on Celebrini's right wing, Mack said he was a "special player" and they "saw the ice the same way". (Sound familiar?)

Perron was praised for his high hockey IQ, deceptive playmaking ability, elite puckhandling & passing skills and his speed on the ice. He wasn't a liability defensively either, with strong forechecking & passable backchecking. And he had a wicked wrist shot.

His consolidated ranking during his draft year (2023, same as Smith) was #20, but his ranking varied quite a bit depending on who you asked. Dobber Prospects had him as high #12, Elite at #29, NHL Central Scouting at #43 & Flo Hockey's Chris Peters at #52. Nearby everyone agreed he would go no later than mid-second round.

But he was picked at #94, in the bottom of the 3rd round, by Carolina.

Why? Because he was 5'9" and 166 lbs.

In a notoriously deep draft class, teams simply weren't willing to bet on an undersized player, no matter how skilled he was. Remember, this was the year that Zach fucking Benson slipped to #13 (and Buffalo basically ran to the podium to nab him).

After that disappointing draft, Perron went on to play for the University of North Dakota for 2 years where he did... okay. His freshman year, he had 18 points in 39 games, and his sophomore year he had 19 points in 31 games. He still looked pretty good, but he wasn't getting a ton of ice time as an underclassman.

But then he transferred to the University of Michigan, and everything started to click again. In his junior year, he had 41 points in 40 games, finally scoring over a point per game for the first time since Chicago. (Interesting to note, his assistant coach in Michigan was one of his coaches at the Steel.)

For his senior year, Perron is expected to stay in Michigan and continue honing his skills. The Hurricanes own his rights until August 2027, and I'd be kind of shocked if they didn't offer him an ELC before his rights expire. (If anyone can appreciate the value of a skilled undersized player, it's Carolina.)

But if they don't end up signing him, I'm nearly positive another team will. In an era of Zach Bensons and Lane Hutsons and Logan Stankovens, the NHL is finally starting to recognize that size isn't everything. The game is moving faster, and fans absolutely adore sneaky, slippery players who can dangle the puck, get out of danger & somehow manage to find the net.

Hell, if Carolina passes, I hope San Jose is smart enough to give him a chance. No matter what happens, this isn't the last we'll see of Puma Perron.

[bobshark96]

This is my first post here, I’ve been lurking for a while but I made some art and wanted to share it. :)

[fabasten]

[fabasten]

I get so nervous when I see the tag trending 🤣

[fabasten]

In Mack's words, re: his contract extension. (I've highlighted the important parts.) Just like we thought, he's obviously aware of the Carlsson deal & the cap going up & thinks players should get paid, but he also understands the importance of building something special with your team.

He's not a guy who's going to take $10m or something crazy low (nor do I think he should), but I also don't think he's going to ask for $20m.

I heard Quinn Hughes is going to get 3 x $18m. It'll be interesting to see how many players start hitting that $18m mark now...

[fabasten]

Sluts 💜

[lilachaze271]

Sharks 26-27 trailer first look!!

(Will, Mack, Wennberg, Kiefer, and Toff aura-farming; Sam unable to keep a straight face; and Graf and Ivar looking like human versions of two distinctly different but equally nervous puppies oh we are so up)

[fabasten]

Omfg the next time I see the "T" word I'm blocking, WE NEED TO BE DONE WITH THIS DISCOURSE.

[fabasten]

Home opener against Florida 🦈🏒🐆

[fabasten]

"We've played a couple good courses in the Bay..."

"We also golfed a couple nice ones in Arizona..."

"When we're at home we can just go golf..."

[fabasten]

Can I submit the name "Camp Celebrini" for consideration? It has a nice ring to it

[fabasten]

If you're still doomposting after *finally* getting some new Willmack content, then maybe you just hate joy and need to find a new hobby 🤣

[0rdinaryth1ngs]

mis and dickie training with mack! celebrini camp is on like right now will you better be on that plane buddy