ManaDeprived has been at the forefront of Canadian Magic ever since its inception in 2010. Not only has the site been the biggest hub for Canadian writers and players to collaborate with and promote, but it’s the symbol of our country’s best players both now and moving into the future.
The team has gone through some changes over the past while, welcoming in new faces to collaborate with including some greats from outside our borders but the focus remains the same. Rally the countries best and brightest to make our fans and our country proud.
Pro Tour Gatecrash descends on Montreal this February, greatest city in the world and home of ManaDeprived. We can think of no better story than to have one of our own hoisting the trophy on home soil, so let’s get to it…
Marc Anderson
Marc has been testing and preparing with the group since Worlds in San Francisco 2011 where the team managed to put one of its members into the top 8. Thanks to reaching Gold level in the players club this year, Marc has been a fixture on the ManaDeprived team, coordinating group testing and ensuring that things run smoothly before each event.
Marc was Canada’s National Champion in 2011 and followed that up with an appearance on the team for the 2012 Magic World Cup. He has earned 35 lifetime pro points over a very short time frame and while he hasn’t picked up many yet this season, things are far from over.
David Caplan
David Caplan was the first member of the team to reach the top 8 of a Pro Tour, setting the bar high for everyone else in their first event as a whole team. David has earned 30 Pro Points over his career and has even stealthily picked up a Grand Prix top 8 along the way.
Known for his prowess behind the computer screen, David has won 2 MOCS events on Magic Online and has earned himself a place in this year’s Magic Online Championship series to follow up his appearance in 2011.
David is not qualified for Pro Tour Montreal, but is helping the team prepare for the big tournament.
Miguel Gatica
Miguel is one of the team’s newest adoptions for this event. Long time friend from past events, he has come to be appreciated for his talents both inside and outside of the game. While only playing Magic seriously for the last couple seasons, Miguel has managed to build up a fairly respectable resume. Holder of 63 lifetime Pro Points, Miguel has been on his country’s National team a handful of times.
Miguel put up two heartbreaking near misses this year, coming 9th at Grand Prix Costa Rica and 12th at Pro Tour Return to Ravnica. While some might have been discouraged by coming so close to the top 8 and missing, Miguel has only continued to put in more effort into his game. Expect to see more of Miguel in the future.
Alexander Hayne
For those who did not have the good fortune of knowing Alex before he burst onto the scene and won Pro Tour Avacyn Restored in 2012, his victory may have been dismissed as a mere fluke. Having known him for a large portion of my Magic career and I can tell you that Alex is one of the most talented and ‘unique’ individuals I’ve had the pleasure of calling one of my best friends.
After top 8’ing pretty much every Pro Tour Qualifier I ever watched him play, he finally picked up a blue envelope for Pro Tour Philadelphia in 2011 and hasn’t missed a Pro Tour since.
Alex has 70 lifetime Pro Points to date, a Pro Tour win, a Grand Prix top 8 and isn’t showing signs of stopping any time soon. Let’s not forget that he is also last year’s Rookie of the Year and the reigning National Canadian Champion.
Rich Hoaen
The veteran of the group, Rich has been a staple in Canadian Magic for as long as I can remember. Now that he’s back in Toronto, Rich has had the opportunity to start playing again. With a victory against none other than Alex Hayne in the finals of Grand Prix Montreal in 2011, Rich was catapulted back into the world of professional Magic and is looking to set his eyes on a Pro Tour trophy to call his own.
Holder of 205 lifetime Pro Points, Rich has made the top 8 of 6 different Grand Prix, including Montreal, Yamagata, New Jersey, Madison, Richmond and Detroit, claiming the trophy twice. He’s also clinched a Pro Tour top 8 in his career and has put himself on the Canadian National team twice.
Hao-Shan Huang
Certainly the person I am most unfamiliar with on the team, but that says nothing of his prowess with a deck of cards. Hao-Shan has made quite a stampede over the last few seasons putting up finish after finish on the Grand prix circuit.
Hao-Shan holds 88 lifetime Pro Points and has top 8’s in three different Grand Prix, twice in Singapore and again in Brisbane. Like Tzu, Pro Tour Return to Ravnica was Hao-Shan’s first time working with Team ManaDeprived, but certainly not his last.
Tzu-Ching Kuo
Prior to his victory at the first every World Magic Cup, few people would have recognized Tzu-Ching Kuo, but to everyone’s surprise, the man can play Magic. Tzu prepared with the team for Pro Tour Return to Ravnica, and was happy enough with the results to come back again the second time.
As well as the championship title he earned at the World Magic Cup, Tzu has 175 lifetime Pro Points and a whopping 8 Grand Prix top 8’s and 5 appearances on his countries Nationals team.
Now that he holds a title, and has made an appearance at the player’s championship, Tzu has become somewhat of a household name for Magic players around the world. Expect to see more good things from him in the very near future.
Dan Lanthier
That’s me! And while I don’t hold an invitation for this Pro Tour, I’m working with the team all the way up to the event. I was a major component to the team for both the World Championships in San Francisco and Pro Tour Avacyn Restored in Barcelona, where we put a member in each top 8 and took the trophy in one of them.
I have 49 lifetime Pro Points, was the Canadian National Champion in 2008 and was on the National Team in 2011. Still no Grand Prix top 8’s to speak of so far, but you can count on seeing me in day 2 of almost every Grand Prix I attend. I’ll be making a run to the top of the standings in Quebec City though, so watch out for me there.
Pascal Maynard
Pascal Maynard has come a long way from the days when I first met him. Aside from beating me in the finals of every event we both play in, he’s made the top 8 of three separate Grand Prix over the past year including Indianapolis, Costa Rica, and Mexico City.
Pascal holds 47 lifetime Pro Points and was a member of the Canadian National Team in 2010. We all expect good things from Pascal moving forward, and though he has yet to actually prove himself on the big stage, he certainly keeps making it to the big stage consistently. Is Pro Tour Gatecrash Pascal’s event? I think it might be.
Doug Potter
Doug has 13 lifetime Pro Points and made 9th place at his first ever Grand Prix but is perhaps the least storied player from the team but has been a major player in Canadian Magic on the West coast for the better part of his time playing the game. He made a Pro Tour appearance in Barcelona, where he contributed his part to the team’s eventual victory. Doug is the first one to tell you that he’s made 26 individual Pro Tour Qualifier top 8’s, falling in the quarterfinals 23 times, but winning the 3 others. Maybe this event is Doug’s time to shine; only time will tell.
Jon Stern
Since returning from his break from the game Jon Stern has been pretty quiet, biding his time while the rest of his peers achieved victory after victory. Jon had a spot on our original squad when testing for Canadian Nationals where we managed to put someone on the team for 5 consecutive years.
Jon has 57 lifetime Pro Points a Grand Prix top 8 and a Grand Prix title to his name from Atlantic City this very year. Once considered somewhat of a fixture in the Canadian Magic scene, Jon is certainly back on his game and playing some of the best Magic of his career.
Pro Tour Gatecrash kicks off in one week, and the team is already well underway with preparation for the event. We are all very excited and confident that this event will be a great success. So make sure you tune in on Friday and all weekend because ManaDeprived will be posting live updates right from the floor so that you can check in on your favorite players and personalities in Magic.
Dan Lanthier was the Canadian National Champion for 2008. Once a level 4 Pro Players Club member for 2 years, he’s attended many high level events including top 50 performances on the Pro Tour a top 32 and a top 16 finish on the Grand Prix level.