Chapter Text
The end of the Golden Age of Hockey?
Published July 2018
By John Phillips
When Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov were first drafted nine years ago, the hockey world waited with anticipated breath to see what they would bring to the MHL. The expectations were sky-high for two youngsters, but they delivered. Ilya Rozanov won the Cup in 2014 with the Boston Raiders, and Shane Hollander and the Metros had secured the Cup back to back in 2015 and 2016. It was not a question if either of them would win another one but when. Both players were just a couple of months shy of 25 years old at that point with their prime years yet to come.
But even these two generational players eventually had to pay the price of fame and it came ringing for Shane Hollander first. It couldn’t be more dramatic in the rivalry between the two of them, as the first signs of ruin came during a Boston-Montreal match-up in April 2017.
After a middling season for both Boston and Montreal, either team was desperate to win and get to the playoffs that season. Yet the game lasted only seconds for the Montreal Captain as he was down out by a hit – completely legal and clean – from Boston’s Enforcer Marlow. The game was lost for Montreal Metros and the team posted an update later that season that their Captain would be out for the remainder of the season. There seemed no cause for worry at that time. Take the break, rebuild and come back stronger next season.
Until news broke by the end of summer, only days before the start of the preseason, when out of nowhere Montreal Captain Shane Hollander was announced to retire at only 26 years old. There have been many speculations about the extent of his injuries of that fateful Boston-Montreal game around that time. But there was never any official statement from the hockey player himself. In fact, the former Montreal Captain has not even been spotted in public ever since.
As silently and private as Shane Hollander disappeared from public eye, as loud and public was the fall of Ilya Rozanov. From the beginning of last season, it had been clear that something had been bothering the Russian. Whether it was the death of his father that finally got to him or something else, Rozanov was off his game. On the ice, he forced too much, risked injuries and spend a record time in the penalty box. Off the ice, photos and videos of a drunken and partying Boston Captain did their rounds. Now Rozanov has always been a notorious ladies-man and partygoer but it seemed all inhibitions were gone for the first time in his career. And for ever since Rozanov joined the Raiders, the team didn’t make the playoffs last season.
One could call it a slump or a bad year, but the real shocker was yet to come. Not even even twenty-four hours ago it was announced that Ilya Rozanov has signed the Ottawa Centaurs. What has prompted to Boston Captain to sign with arguably the worst team in the league? Was Boston finally done with his antics? We hope to find out more during the upcoming press conference.
One thing is for sure, within twelve months after the end of last season, it seems pretty clear that the Golden Age of Hockey that Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov were predicted to start has officially ended.