Wild fans, we’re a wild and wonderful bunch, right? We’re in sync with the pulse of the puck and we live for the roar of the crowd. However, it seems we’ve got a little kerfuffle on our hands regarding our newest first round draft pick; Charlie Stramel!
Come on now…
Look, I get it. Charlie’s had a bit of a rocky start on a piss poor Wisconsin Badgers team. The kid was thrown into the deep end and, sure, there were a few belly flops. But hey, who among us hasn’t stumbled when faced with a new challenge?
Remember when you tried a shot of whiskey for the first time only to throw it up making the room look like a crime scene? Yeah, let’s not be quick to judge.
Homegrown talent
Our own Minnesota-bred Charlie is a fresh-faced lad from Rosemount, who has skated his way up from the frozen ponds of our beloved state right into the big league. That’s something to cheer about, not something to rain on with harsh words and icy stares.
Listen, getting drafted into a professional team isn’t like winning a goldfish at the state fair. It’s a big deal! The weight on this kid’s shoulders would make a Zamboni look like a feather. The last thing he needs is his own fan base tossing snowballs at him from the sidelines.
Psychic in the house? No.
No one’s got a crystal puck that can predict Charlie’s future with the Wild. But isn’t that why we love the game? The thrill of the unexpected, the edge-of-your-seat suspense, the glorious unpredictability! Instead of griping and grumbling, let’s get behind this guy and see what happens. After all, who doesn’t love a good comeback story?
Remember, folks, hockey’s a game, not a gladiator match. Our players aren’t just numbers on a jersey; they’re real people who tend to have social media accounts. Charlie’s just a young guy trying to make his way in a high-stakes world. Let’s not be the ones to trip him up.
Positivity is the key to success!
From an on-the-ice perspective, he’s a center with size and compete and he wins faceoffs. Y’know, the exact characteristics Wild fans have been clamoring for in a center. Will Charlie Stramel figure out his game and become a superstar? Maybe! Or maybe he will evolve into a contributing player like Mikko Koivu or Joel Eriksson Ek? Maybe he’s not able to figure it out offensively, but with his mobility and hockey IQ, it just seems unlikely that he will never see the ice in the NHL. Time will tell what happens with Stramel!
So, let’s swap the boos for cheers and give Charlie Stramel a hearty Minnesota welcome! Let’s show him we’re not just a fanbase but a family, ready to stand by him through the wins and the losses. He might just turn those college struggles into a Cinderella story. And wouldn’t that be fun to watch?
Hermantown boy living in the desert.