The takeaways from my second pro year with the Iowa Heartlanders
On April 15, 2023, we completed our entire season, and my second year as a professional player has come to an end.
First of all, I would like to thank everyone for your support! We could fight through the season because of the huge support from the fans. Thank you.
So now, let's take a look at the team stats and my individual stats for the season.
Team: 72 games, 22 wins, and 50 losses (14 of which were overtime losses)
Individual results: Played 71 out of 72 games. 11 goals, and 19 assists. 30 points total.
As a team
we were aiming to make the playoffs, but we couldn't. We were struggling to capture the win. The most damaging thing was that we did not win a single game on the road in the first half of the season. Also, What was frustrating was that we lost many games by a single goal or in overtime. It was very tough. If we had been able to win these games, the final standings would have been different, I believe.
The first half of the season hurts us. However, with less than two months left in the season, the number of wins started to increase. What was very interesting was the change in defensive tactics in the second half of the season, which resulted in fewer goals allowed and lead us to earn more wins.
What I learned is that winning the game is much harder than you think. There is no easy game at this level. To get the win, We have to play the right way, we have to follow the systems, we have to start on time, and we have to work as hard as we can for 60 minutes.
Our coach often said, “Who wants more, us or them?” I think it is a really good point. In this league, every team is good, and any team can beat any team. You never know who is gonna win until the game is over. Everyone wants to win. No one wants to lose. So, we have to be ready and more hungry to win the game than the others. As a pro hockey player, you have to put all your efforts to perform best in each game. It doesn't matter how tired or sore you are. I think this is the pro mindset. That’s one of the takeaways that I learned from this season.
I am so thankful to my teammates, coaches, and staff for a wonderful year. The result was not what we wanted but I learned so many things from you guys every day both on and off the ice. We had so much fun together. It was a great time that I will never forget!
As an individual
In my second year as a professional player, I felt my role in the team changed a lot compared to the first year. Last year, I had a serious injury and could play only 40 games. This year I was able to play a full season.
I got more ice time than last year in both offensive and defensive scenes. Especially in defense, I played solid minutes in penalty killing and 5 on 6 situations.
I was very happy that the coaches trusted me.
At the same time, with 20 or more minutes of ice time on average, I would have tailed more points. I mean, I had to.
30 points in 71 games are not bad. It could not be done without my linemates. However, it is not enough to achieve my goals. I could have at least 5 to 10 more goals if I finished the chances I had. I missed so many grade-A chances. Next season, I hope I can get 40–50 points throughout the year.
My personal goal for this season was to contribute to the team to make the playoff, and also getting called up to an AHL team. But that didn’t happen. I still need to work hard and improve my offensive and defensive skills to achieve these goals.
Again, I learned so many things in this season. Compared to last year, I think I got better at physical battles (still need to be stronger tho!). I learned the importance of positioning and stick use in defensive situations. Also, this was a big takeaway, how to control my mindset going into a game. I made lots of failures but I kept trying and gained a lot of experiences that will greatly help my hockey career in the future. I am also proud to say that I was able to play in 71 consecutive games, even though my body was aching all the time! lol, My personal goal for the next year remains the same: Getting called up to an AHL team!
Last but not least, I would like to thank my wife, Akane. I am sure it was a big big challenge for her to leave Japan but she decided to come to the U.S. with no hesitation. She sacrificed so many things for me. Thank you so much, Akane!
Also, I really appreciate all her friends around her! (my teammates’ girlfriends/wives) You all welcomed her with open arms and you always helped her in any situation, especially when we were gone for the road games. Akane always talked about you with a big smile when I came back from the road trip! (She actually never stops talking about you all! lol) We love you! Thank you!
To all the fans who supported the team and me, It was a super fun and great season!
THANK YOU!
Yuki
