Admin Victor 10,531 Posted June 5, 2016 Admin Share Posted June 5, 2016 Still to rank: S1-S3 Calgary Wranglers - S2, S3 S4-S6 Seattle Bears – S4, S5 S11-S14 HC Davos Dynamo – S11, S13 S18-S19 Calgary Wranglers – S18, S19 S19-S25 HC Davos Dynamo – S20, S24, S25 S19-S25 Toronto Legion – S21 S26-S30 Seattle Bears – S28 S35-S39 HC Davos Dynamo – S36, S38 S38-S42 New York Americans – S39, S41 S45-S48 Helsinki Titans – S45, S46 ------- 11. S24-S31 New York Americans 0 Continental Cups and Victory Cups 5 Finals Appearances (S25, S26, S27, S28, S31) 18 Individual Awards 7 Hall of Famers 4 Retired Numbers (G Benjamin Glover, #3, D Daniel Braxton, #15, C Jukka Hakkinen, #17, LW Tukka Reikkinen, #8) A controversial choice putting a team which failed to win a cup on a ranking of cup winners? Certainly. However, it's a game of fine margins and one needs to only look at the team immediately below New York in this list to see how small the difference between success and failure is. S8-S12 Riga won one cup in Game 7 overtime – S24-S31 New York lost five finals, including a Game 7 and including series in which they had 2-0 and 3-1 leads. Is it fair to include one but not the other? There is definitely a purist view that the Americans have no place in this conversation or if they do then only by including the cup they finally won in S32. However, the last 3 seasons of New York's record-setting 11-season playoff run were distinctly different to the first 8, indeed to the extent that these 8 are ranked significantly higher. This run encompassed the entirety of the Hall of Fame career of Benjamin Glover and Daniel Braxton – perhaps the Americans' main downfall was that neither of these was a forward. Instead they had to chop and change various forward combinations, from long-time Americans Jukka Hakkinen and Keon Henderson to rentals like Pavel Koradek and Nikolai Lebedev as well as the era's biggest stars like Leeroy Jenkins and Tukka Reikkinen. New York was persistent, making the playoffs and finals when they weren't expected to even after the increasingly heart-wrenching failure. Losing to Vasteras in their first cup win since S1 was followed by throwing the first ever 2-0 lead in the S27 finals to Helsinki, before falling to archrivals Seattle in S28 and finally collapsing after a 3-1 lead against Davos in S31. This run established the Americans as perennial cup contender and it is one of the great VHL travesties and/or ironies that they only won it all after Braxton and Glover retired. S24 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Dante Terragni S24 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy: Benjamin Glover (co-winner) S25 Tretiak Trophy: Benjamin Glover S27 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Daniel Braxton S27 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Daniel Braxton S28 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Benjamin Glover S28 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Daniel Braxton S28 Tretiak Trophy: Benjamin Glover S29 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Daniel Braxton S29 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Daniel Braxton S29 Scott Boulet Trophy: Leeroy Jenkins S30 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Tukka Reikkinen S30 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Tukka Reikkinen S30 Lemieux Trophy: Tukka Reikkinen S30 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Tukka Reikkinen S30 Mikita Trophy: Shane Lynch & Genghis Khan (co-winners) S30 Scott Boulet Trophy: Tukka Reikkinen S31 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Tukka Reikkinen Hall of Famers: G Benjamin Glover (S24-S31), D Daniel Braxton (S24-S29, S31), C Jukka Hakkinen (S24-S25), LW Tukka Reikkinen (S29-S31), D Adam Schultz (S26), RW Pavel Koradek (S28), C Leeroy Jenkins (S29) ------- 12. S8-S12 Riga Reign 1 Continental Cup (S10) 4 Finals Appearances (S8, S9, S10, S12) 1 Victory Cup (S12) 5 Individual Awards 3 Hall of Famers 5 Retired Numbers (C Layken Heidt, #51, D Torsten Schwarz, #5, D Blake Beukeboom, #2, G Marek Van Urho, #31, D Vladimir Kliment, #77) Whenever a team relocates in hopes of better things and a fresh start, there must be an ideal situation in the minds of those involved. The effect of the Stockholm Rams' move to Riga before S8 has to come close to perfection. From VHL laughing stock to European Conference powerhouse in the space of an off-season and while of course the move to Riga was timed perfectly by GM Dustin Funk as the team was coming out of a rebuild, the Reign still exceeded expectations in the first five seasons. The only time Riga failed to make the final was in S11 when they lost a Game 7 to Davos in the de facto final (the team finished neck and neck at top of the regular season standings). Game 7s were a bit of weakness for the Reign, having also lost them in the finals of S9 and S12, although that was made up by an iconic overtime winner by rookie Zak Rawlyk in S10. If there can be gripes about Riga's performance in this era it would be the lack of serious competition within Europe aside from S11, as well as a lack of the individual success that might have been expected of an individually talented team. Layken Heidt and the defensive trio of Torsten Schwarz, Blake Beukeboom, and goaltender Marek Van Urho made up the core of this team – perhaps what was lacking was a long-term partner for Heidt up front. Nonetheless this was a dominant set of seasons in Riga's first five years in the VHL and remains their best run to date. S9 Mikita Trophy: Ace Lightning S10 Howe Trophy: Marek Van Urho S10 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Layken Heidt S12 Tretiak Trophy: Marek Van Urho S12 Scott Boulet Trophy: Vladimir Kliment Hall of Famers: C Layken Heidt (S8-S12), D Blake Beukeboom (S8-S12), RW Dust'n Funk (S8-S9) ------- 13. S30-S35 Calgary Wranglers 1 Continental Cup (S30) 2 Finals Appearances (S30, S34) 1 Victory Cup (S31) 27 Individual Awards 6 Hall of Famers 1 Retired Number (LW Volodymyr Rybak, #49) A brief overview of the post-expansion Wranglers doesn't immediately scream greatness. Calgary peaked quite early with a cup in their first serious attempt in S30 and was rightly favoured to repeat in S31 after a tremendous Victory Cup-winning performance before suddenly collapsing in five games to New York. The Americans would have the Wranglers' number for another two seasons after that, and just as things looked to be coming to a close, GM Jason Glasser refused to pull the plug. He did so at the detriment of the ensuing rebuild, but Calgary came quite close to adding another championship in S34 and S35, despite largely playing without a defence. That attack-first strategy is what pushes the Wranglers up this ranking slightly – the 27 individual awards in 6 seasons is the second most on the list. Volodymyr Rybak was the constant factor in the success, the dynasty ending with his retirement, and to a lesser extent Clark Marcellin, the GM's player who went from center to defenceman and always sought to accommodate larger egos. These included Alexander Chershenko, Jarvis Baldwin, Chershenko again, and a particularly historical season by Michal Wozniak. Something seemed to click offensively in these Calgary teams and while it wasn't enough to win a second cup, it was fun to watch and quite an impressive achievement really given the constant chopping and changing on defence and in goal, which featured all of Marius Henchoz, Skylar Rift, Satan, and finally Alexander Labatte. S30 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Alexander Chershenko S30 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Marius Henchoz S31 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Volodymyr Rybak S31 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Alexander Chershenko S31 Lemieux Trophy: Volodymyr Rybak S31 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Volodymyr Rybak & Alexander Chershenko S31 Mikita Trophy: Ryan Sullivan S31 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Ryan Sullivan S31 Dustin Funk Trophy: Ryan Sullivan S33 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Jarvis Baldwin S33 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Jarvis Baldwin S33 Mike Szatkowski Trophy: Jarvis Baldwin S33 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Jarvis Baldwin S33 Alexander Beketov Trophy: Clark Marcellin S34 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Alexander Chershenko S34 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Alexander Chershenko S34 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Alexander Chershenko S34 Mike Szatkowski Trophy: Alexander Chershenko S34 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Alexander Chershenko S35 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Michal Wozniak S35 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Michal Wozniak S35 Mike Szatkowski Trophy: Michal Wozniak S35 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Michal Wozniak S35 Alexander Beketov Trophy: Clark Marcellin S35 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Clark Marcellin S35 Scott Boulet Trophy: Volodymyr Rybak S35 Dustin Funk Trophy: Michal Wozniak Hall of Famers: LW Volodymyr Rybak (S30-S35), C Alexander Chershenko (S30-S31, S34), D Ryan Sullivan (S30-S32), C Leeroy Jenkins (S30), LW Jarvis Baldwin (S33), G Alexander Labatte (S35) ------- 14. S5-S9 Calgary Wranglers 1 Continental Cup (S8) 3 Finals Appearances (S6, S7, S8) 2 Victory Cups (S8, S9) 11 Individual Awards 8 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers (D Sterling Labatte, #7, LW Matt Bentz, #24) Had it not been for an uncharacteristically poor Season 4, we would be talking about nine straight playoff appearances for the original powerhouse, the Calgary Wranglers, or the exact equivalent of Sterling Labatte's career. The great defenceman, along with legendary GM Scott Boulet, would be the main two elements connecting the S3 champions with the S8 edition. Otherwise, S4 was a bit of a watershed moment, as Calgary moved on from the superstar names – Boulet, Brett Slobodzian, Joey Kendrick – to a more cohesive and just as effective team unit. The names which made up the second Wranglers generation featured a number of Hall of Famers – Devon Marlow-Marta and Josh Vestiquan for instance – but apart from Labatte no names who come up immediately as the first decade's legends. Instead, dependability was the name of the game, epitomised by the likes of Miroslav Ladic, Ace Lightning, goalie Max Weinstein, and another returning member of the S3 champions, Doug Schneider, the defenceman who never missed the cup finals. It would take Calgary a while to peak again in S8, and a first-round sweep in S9 was a sudden halt to a great first decade. It would take the Wranglers quite some time to reach these heights again but it was arguably this team, more than the S1-S3 juggernaut, which established the franchise's tradition of pumping out consistent cup contenders. S5 Mikita Trophy: Joey Kendrick S5 Orr Trophy: Joey Kendrick S5 Delvecchio Trophy: Scott Boulet S6 Gretzky Trophy: Scott Boulet S6 Howe Trophy: Sterling Labatte S6 Delvecchio Trophy: Scott Boulet S7 Tretiak Trophy: Adrian McCreath S7 Orr Trophy: Sterling Labatte S8 Howe Trophy: Sterling Labatte S8 Orr Trophy: Sterling Labatte S9 Bossy Trophy: Matt Bentz Hall of Famers: D Sterling Labatte (S5-S9), RW Devon Marlow-Marta (S5-S9), C Scott Boulet (S5-S6), D Joey Kendrick (S5-S6), LW Josh Vestiquan (S8-S9), G Adrian McCreath (S7), RW Brett Slobodzian (S5), LW Matt Bentz (S9) ------- 15. S31-S36 Helsinki Titans 1 Continental Cup (S34) 2 Finals Appearances (S34, S35) 2 Victory Cups (S33, S34) 10 Individual Awards 5 Hall of Famers 1 Retired Number (C Ethan Osborne, #49) The Helsinki Titans feature prominently in the bottom half of these rankings because they have won a very respectable amount of championships in their history without ever stringing together more than 2-3 seasons of strong contention. This has changed completely since expansion and that owes a lot to the huge change in the team's image, especially crucial as the seasons prior to Mitch Higgins taking over as GM were one of the lowest points the Titans have ever experienced. The rookie seasons of future Hall of Famers Ethan Osborne and Tuomas Tukio were the start of a new identity, even if during Helsinki's peak both players were solid but not superb just yet. A supporting cast which featured at various times Smooth Jive, Anatoli Zhumbayev, Odin Tordahl, and a defence of unheralded but dependable names like Till Lindemann, Willie Weber, and Nic Riopel was enough to make Helsinki a consistent winning machine. Early on, their downfall was Riga in the playoffs, being unceremoniously swept in S32 when the Titans iced their deepest roster, and being upset in S33 after one of the greatest regular seasons. Breaking the Reign's hold on them in S34 was crucial for the Titans' final breakthrough, even though they were still taken to seven games by a limited Calgary. That inability to produce a great playoff performance, as well as failing to defend the S34 Continental Cup is what pushes S31-S36 Helsinki to the bottom of the “dynasties” section of this ranking, but there was definitely enough talent and success to classify them as just about a dynasty. S31 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy: Ethan Osborne S32 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Phil Rafter S32 Mike Szatkowski Trophy: Phil Rafter S32 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Phil Rafter S33 Dustin Funk Trophy: Anatoli Zhumbayev S36 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Ethan Osborne S36 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Ethan Osborne S36 Mike Szatkowski Trophy: Ethan Osborne S36 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Ethan Osborne S36 Alexander Beketov Trophy: Anatoli Zhumbayev Hall of Famers: C Ethan Osborne (S31-S36), G Tuomas Tukio (S31-S36), RW Odin Tordahl (S34-S35), C Phil Rafter (S32), D Ryan Sullivan (S35) ------- 16. S7-S10 Toronto Legion 1 Continental Cup (S9) 2 Finals Appearances (S9, S10) 1 Victory Cup (S10) 14 Individual Awards 6 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers (C Kevin Brooks, #26, G Alex Gegeny, #32) This was oddly one of the toughest teams to rank in this entire list, having to balance the sense of nostalgia from this being one of the teams to beat when I joined the league with the actual facts. In the end, it seems nostalgia won since sixteenth might be a few spots too high for the first great Toronto Legion team. However, I just couldn't convince myself that I was overrating Toronto that much. This was after all a team with a star core of Kevin Brooks, Jochen Walser, and Alex Gegeny, plus two seasons each of the VHL's top two all-time scorers, Scotty Campbell and Mike Szatkowski. The championship in S9 was a hard-fought 7-game battle against Riga, but then only an iconic Game 7 overtime win in S10 by Riga stopped the Legion from repeating. Dethroning a superb Calgary team was also an important achievement, having kept things close in S7 and S8. Four seasons in the playoffs seems a lesser accomplishment in post-expansion VHL but was a very solid run in those days and most importantly there was a very decent chance of a Continental Cup in any of the four, although Toronto could only capitalise at their most dominant. S7 Gretzky Trophy: Scotty Campbell S7 Lemieux Trophy: Scotty Campbell S7 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Scotty Campbell S8 Tretiak Trophy: Alex Gegeny S9 Gretzky Trophy: Kevin Brooks S9 Howe Trophy: Jochen Walser S9 Lemieux Trophy: Kevin Brooks S9 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Kevin Brooks S9 Tretiak Trophy: Alex Gegeny S9 Orr Trophy: Jochen Walser S10 Gretzky Trophy: Kevin Brooks S10 Lemieux Trophy: Kevin Brooks S10 Mikita Trophy: Kevin Brooks S10 Orr Trophy: Jochen Walser Hall of Famers: C Kevin Brooks (S7-S10), G Alex Gegeny (S7-S10), D Jochen Walser (S7-S10), RW Branden Snelheid (S8-S10), C Scotty Campbell (S7-S8), C Mike Szatkowski (S9-S10) ------- 17. S40-S44 Cologne Express 1 Continental Cup (S42) 3 Finals Appearances (S42, S43, S44) 16 Individual Awards 2 Hall of Famers 1 Retired Number (D Ron World Peace, #13) A very recent team on this list but almost a throwback to a time long gone. After a bit of a false start in Thomas O'Malley and Mason Richardson's first two seasons (the 3.5 hour playoff appearance in S40 was a particular low point), the Express really got going in the S42 playoffs and became one of the most entertaining teams to watch ever. O'Malley combined well with other top talents like Bismarck Koenig, Xin Xie Xiao, and Christoph Klose, and at times this attacking juggernaut was an absolute joy to witness. Only two underdog stories in Seattle and Calgary stopped the Express from a very possible threepeat. In the end, Cologne ended up winning the cup after their weakest regular season, although they certainly benefited from career form by goaltender Martin Brookside, a considerable improvement on the homegrown Blaine Olynick and who couldn't truly be replaced by Brock Waldron. Plus of course who can forget the dependable Ron World Peace at the back, a symbol of the Express: turning around a mediocre first decade in the VHL to go on to a memorable run where they were definite fan favourites. S40 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Wesley Kellinger S40 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy: Thomas O'Malley S42 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Martin Brookside S42 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Martin Brookside S42 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Martin Brookside S43 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Thomas O'Malley S43 Mike Szatkowski Trophy: Thomas O'Malley S43 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Thomas O'Malley S43 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Martin Brookside S43 Scott Boulet Trophy: Xin Xie Xiao S43 Dustin Funk Trophy: Bismarck Koenig S44 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Thomas O'Malley S44 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Thomas O'Malley S44 Mike Szatkowski Trophy: Thomas O'Malley S44 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Thomas O'Malley S44 Alexander Beketov Trophy: Thomas O'Malley Hall of Famers: C Thomas O'Malley (S40-S44), RW Xin Xie Xiao (S43) ------- 18. S1-S4 Vasteras IK 1 Continental Cup (S1) 2 Finals Appearances (S1, S2) 1 Victory Cup (S2) 7 Individual Awards 5 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers (C Scotty Campbell, #91, G Matthew Pogge, #33) Anyone in the VHL knows that Vasteras has not achieved much good in the league, and the move to Stockholm hasn't removed the stigma yet. However, things could have been so much different if they carried on how they started. In the first three seasons of the VHL, Vasteras and Calgary were the standard bearers and teams to look up to. Only a heroic goaltending performance by Helsinki's Maxim Desny in S3 stopped a third straight finals match-up between the two. Sadly, that was the beginning of the end, as the subsequent trade of Scotty Campbell appeared to doom Vasteras to an eternity of mediocrity. GM Lucas Tannahill spent another decade trying to recreate the magic of the inaugural champions, but much like his successors, was unfortunate until Vasteras' failure appeared to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The long-awaited second championship in S26 has long since become an obvious false dawn, but who knew in the heyday of Campbell, Matt Defosse, and Matthew Pogge that things would go so downhill. After the first four VHL seasons, Vasteras was arguably the league's healthiest franchise, but that would be the peak of its existence. S1 Howe Trophy: Matthew Pogge S1 Tretiak Trophy: Matthew Pogge S2 Lemieux Trophy: Scotty Campbell S2 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Scotty Campbell S2 Mikita Trophy: Jonathan McKelvie S3 Delvecchio Trophy: Matt Defosse S4 Tretiak Trophy: Matthew Pogge Hall of Famers: C Scotty Campbell (S1-S3), G Matthew Pogge (S1-S4), LW Matt Defosse (S2-S3), C Mike Szatkowski (S4), RW Brannan Anthony (S4) ------- 19. S37-S41 Riga Reign 1 Continental Cup (S40) 2 Finals Appearances (S40, S41) 9 Individual Awards 3 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers (G Mike Szatkowski Jr., #78, LW Brennan McQueen, #95) The “thirties” were possibly the Reign's greatest decade, starting with the drought-busting victory in S33 and ending with another big win in S40. In between, Riga only missed the playoffs for two seasons as they raised the bar for all franchises in the post-expansion VHL. This team in particular had a set core from the S36 draft, with goaltender Mike Szatkowski Jr., captain Brennan McQueen, and the Gows: Robin and Robert III. Slaeter Fjorstrom and Phil Villeneuve rounded out the team on defence and even more so than the S31 version, this Riga appeared destined for glory. The Reign did achieve great success in the end with an absolutely dominant performance in the S40 playoffs (the sweep of Cologne a particular highlight) and were just a win away from repeating against a heavily-favoured New York team in S41. However, it's not the lack of second championship which brings Riga's ranking down but instead the fact they ran into a brick wall in the shape of Davos from S37 to S39. Only once that was removed did the Reign fulfil their full potential and they did so in style, but their peak was just shorter than their immediate rivals who ended up ranked above them. S37 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Kameron Taylor S37 Scott Boulet Trophy: Brennan McQueen S38 Scott Boulet Trophy: Brennan McQueen S40 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Brennan McQueen S40 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Niklas Lindberg S40 Mike Szatkowski Trophy: Niklas Lindberg S40 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Niklas Lindberg S41 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Mike Szatkowski Jr. S41 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Mike Szatkowski Jr. Hall of Famers: LW Brennan McQueen (S37-S41), C Kameron Taylor (S37-S38), C Niklas Lindberg (S40) ------- 20. S35-S38 Toronto Legion 1 Continental Cup (S37) 3 Finals Appearances (S36, S37, S38) 1 Victory Cup (S36) 2 Individual Awards 2 Hall of Famers and Retired Numbers (G Remy LeBeau, #39, C Niklas Lindberg, #91) Much like the team immediately above them, this Toronto team was stopped from achieving even greater things by a historic Davos squad. Nonetheless, the Legion made a bit of history themselves by playing against Davos in a record three straight finals, winning one but being very close to winning all three. The iconic member of this team was certainly goaltender Remy LeBeau, one of the all-time greats, as this was a standout team without any other standout individuals. Niklas Lindberg played most of his career in Toronto yet his greatest individual achievements came once he left. Anatoli Zhumbayev, Reggie Dunlop, Jakub Kjellberg were very solid forwards, but rarely spectacular, as Toronto took teamwork to the extreme in their run. While it is commendable how much the Legion achieved while rarely grabbing the headlines, it nonetheless brings them down slightly as Toronto was not completely dominant, but always efficient. S36 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Remy LeBeau S37 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Remy LeBeau ------- 21. S44-S47 Calgary Wranglers 1 Continental Cup (S44) 3 Finals Appearances (S44, S45, S46) 5 Individual Awards 1 Hall of Famer No Retired Numbers.. yet One of the newest entries on the list, Calgary was minutes away from a fourth straight finals appearance in S47, one where they would have been expected to win a second championship, but fell disappointingly short of having a very impressive run. Instead, the Wranglers had to make do with just impressive, not least because they were constantly in contention for the cup despite never being the clear-cut favourites. Starting with an unexpected win in S44, defeating the favoured Quebec and Cologne, the Wranglers continued to be effective rather than spectacular, although we were treated to heroics from Hans Wingate and some stellar performances by the likes of Tyler Cote, Jackson Miller, and Bismarck Koenig. Despite always being considered inferior to someone else in their conference (generally New York), Calgary lifted its game in the playoffs and have a very solid four seasons to look back on now, wiping away the mediocre years preceding S44. Wingate and Koenig will have Hall of Fame aspirations as well, and some numbers are likely to be retired so this team's list of achievements should grow soon, although it's unlikely to affect this ranking. S44 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Tyler Cote S44 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Hans Wingate S45 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Hans Wingate (co-winner) S45 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Bismarck Koenig S46 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Milos Denis Hall of Famer: D Jake Wylde (S45) ------- 22. S44-S49 New York Americans 1 Continental Cup (S47) 1 Finals Appearance (S47) 1 Victory Cup (S47) 12 Individual Awards 2 Hall of Famers No Retired Numbers.. yet In researching for these rankings, the one fact I found surprising was that New York is currently in the midst of a six-season playoff run. This shouldn't be a huge shock as after all the Americans have been in the playoffs for all but four seasons since S23, however the ongoing generation seems to be weaker than its predecessors. Of course, the standard was raised high and nonetheless S47 was a deserved victory (although the margins were very thin as New York was down late in Game 7 to Calgary). Edwin Reencarnacion in the meantime has continued the recent tradition of great individual success in New York, backed up excellent goaltending performances first by Niklaus Mikaelson, then Blake Campbell, and now Ariel Weinstein. Veterans Thomas O'Malley and Lloyd Light also came in handy in S47. However, just one finals appearance in six seasons is under par for the VHL's top organisation since expansion. If S49 is the end of the run then there will be some regrets, although perhaps there is another shot at glory to come in S50. S44 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy: Edwin Reencarnacion S45 Alexander Beketov Trophy: Nicolas Caprivi S45 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Niklaus Mikaelson S47 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Edwin Reencarnacion S47 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Edwin Reencarnacion S47 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Blake Campbell S48 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Edwin Reencarnacion S48 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Edwin Reencarnacion S48 Mike Szatkowski Trophy: Edwin Reencarnacion S48 Kevin Brooks Trophy: Edwin Reencarnacion S48 Alexander Beketov Trophy: Biggu Kyanon S48 Scott Boulet Trophy: Edwin Reencarnacion Hall of Famers: C Thomas O'Malley (S47), RW Bruno Wolf (S45) ------- 23. S12-S15 New York Americans 1 Continental Cup (S14) 2 Finals Appearances (S13, S14) 2 Victory Cups (S14, S15) 3 Individual Awards 2 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers (RW Brandon Azevedo, #10, C Grimm Jonsson, #39) This is a team which could well be ranked a bit higher on the list. After all, a Game 7 loss in the S13 finals followed by two Victory Cups (and a comprehensive championship win in S14), means three seasons of being a serious cup threat, and this New York team is the lowest-ranked one which was a legitimate contender for at least three seasons. In addition to this being my first Continental Cup with goaltender Vase Trikamaki and the utter superiority of New York during S14, the temptation is there to push the Americans higher. However, this team was arguably the victim of its era. Playing in the VHL's “dead puck era”, both in terms of on-ice production and league-wide activity, the Americans never felt that impressive, considering they were at times icing six of the top 8/10 forwards in the league, including Grimm Jonsson, Zach Arce, Brandon Azevedo, and Zak Rawlyk. The dominance was there, but against weak competition, and New York's first win (the last of the original eight) never had the sense of occasion it deserved. Failing to follow it up as well puts the Americans towards the lower end of the ranking. S14 Howe Trophy: Brandon Azevedo S15 Scott Boulet Trophy: Brandon Azevedo (co-winner) S15 Tretiak Trophy: Vase Trikamaki Hall of Famers: C Grimm Jonsson (S12-S14), RW Zach Arce (S14) ------- 24. S31-S34 Riga Reign 1 Continental Cup (S33) 2 Finals Appearances (S32, S33) 1 Victory Cup (S32) 7 Individual Awards 3 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers (LW Ansgar Snijider, #13, LW Miles Larsson, #53) Ranked immediately above its direct rival, it's interesting to consider if this team, much like S32 New York, would be seen in a different light if the results of the S32 and S33 finals were swapped. Instead, Riga choked against New York as overwhelming favourites and then beat them as underdogs, not to mention with the unheralded Jehovah in place of the now American-owned Alexander Labatte. Of course, S33 Riga was still a very solid team, even if star forward Ansgar Snijider retired without a cup after the Game 7 heartbreak of S32. Miles Larsson, Michal Wozniak, and playoff machine Elijah Incognito on defence formed a formidable squad, which in the S33 playoffs showed the form which saw the Reign open S32 with 19 straight wins. If this team could have combined regular season success with the playoffs, it would likely have been seen more favourably, but instead it seems to contradict itself, looking most dangerous in the playoffs (S33 and S34) with less talented squads than S31 and S32. S31 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Alexander Labatte S32 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Alexander Labatte S32 Alexander Beketov Trophy: Elijah Incognito S32 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Elijah Incognito S32 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Alexander Labatte S32 Dustin Funk Trophy: Josef Heiss Jr. S33 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Elijah Incognito Hall of Famers: D Elijah Incognito (S31-S34), LW Ansgar Snijider (S31-S32), G Alexander Labatte (S31-S32) ------- 25. S32-S34 New York Americans 1 Continental Cup (S32) 2 Finals Appearances (S32, S33) 7 Individual Awards 6 Hall of Famers 1 Retired Number (LW Tukka Reikkinen, #8) These three seasons actually completed a VHL record 11-season playoff streak for New York, but are split for a few reasons. Firstly of course, the Americans won a cup in these three seasons, unlike the previous eight, while also almost abandoning the core which made them so successful previously (namely Daniel Braxton and Benjamin Glover). In fact, if the first eight seasons saw some continuity, in S32 New York seemed to go down the path of mercenary help. In these three seasons, the Americans had impressive rosters made up of players who had or would go on to be better known for their time elsewhere. Alexander Chershenko, Ryan Sullivan, and Skylar Rift are perfect examples of this. The chopping and changing actually brought New York more success, but that was the bizarre fallout of the S32 and S33 finals against the Riga Reign, ranked immediately above New York here – the weaker team won each final, with goaltender Alexander Labatte, the greatest of his time and maybe ever, somehow contriving to end up on the losing team both times. As an 11-season run, the Americans obviously rank higher but these last 3 seasons were so different to the earlier 8 that it doesn't feel right to rank them as one. S32 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Radislav Mjers S32 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy: Skylar Rift S33 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Ryan Sullivan S33 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Alexander Labatte S34 Alexander Beketov Trophy: Ryan Sullivan S34 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Ryan Sullivan S34 Scott Boulet Trophy: David Smalling Hall of Famers: C Alexander Chershenko (S32-S33), LW Tukka Reikkinen (S32), D Ryan Sullivan (S33-S34), G Alexander Labatte (S33-S34) C Phil Rafter (S34), LW David Smalling (S34) ------- 26. S22-S24 Helsinki Titans 1 Continental Cup (S22) 2 Finals Appearances (S22, S23) 6 Individual Awards 2 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers (D Michael Angelo, #6, G Jakob Kjeldsen, #41) This section of the ranking is very much about teams winning in the season they were underdogs and somehow losing to the underdogs in the season they were favoured. This was the case with S22 Helsinki which pulled off a major upset over one of the greatest all-time VHL squads from Toronto, inspired by Hall of Famer Cam Fowler. When the core of Fowler, Michael Angelo, and goaltender Jakob Kjeldsen added another future Hall of Famer in Tarik Saeijs, the Titans looked poised to repeat in S23, but almost lost the conference to Davos. They did make it to the finals but suffered Game 7 heartbreak to the Calgary Wranglers, a team ranked third last on this list. There was less regret than there might have been had they failed in S22 as well, but the Titans effectively just missed out on considerably enhancing their legacy. One last hurrah in S24 ended very quickly at the hands of a rampant Dynamo as Helsinki continued their pre-expansion tradition of short cup runs which never became dynasties. S22 Howe Trophy: Cam Fowler S23 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Tarik Saeijs S23 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Tarik Saeijs S23 Lemieux Trophy: Tarik Saeijs S23 Dustin Funk Trophy: Tarik Saeijs S23 Tretiak Trophy: Jakob Kjeldsen Hall of Famers: RW Cam Fowler (S22-S24), C Tarik Saeijs (S23-S24) ------- 27. S28-S31 HC Davos Dynamo 1 Continental Cup (S31) 2 Finals Appearances (S29, S31) 1 Victory Cup (S30) 5 Individual Awards 4 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers After the S27 VHL Entry Draft, Davos looked poised to great long-term success, but was ultimately undone by the complacency and arrogance of GM Tyler Barabash. The Dynamo ended up scrambling for a championship in S31 before their core departed through retirement and free agency . Phil Rafter and David Smalling formed the perfect partnership of sniper and two-way forward for many years, but S31 was not their best year – nor was S29, the other finals appearance by Davos. It's an odd situation, while it's hard to argue Davos was unsuccessful, they seemed to underachieve throughout and got their act together in spurts, one of which came in the S31 playoffs. Arguably the Dynamo's best season of this run was S30, which also featured star names like Ansgar Snijider and Daniel Braxton, yet they were swept in the first round by Calgary. The eventual Continental Cup in S31 was the least this talented core deserved, but there is the inescapable feeling that they could have won so much more. S28 Mikita Trophy: Kasey Braun & Shane Lynch (co-winners) S28 Scott Boulet Trophy: David Smalling S29 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Ying Qin S30 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Daniel Braxton S31 Scott Boulet Trophy: David Smalling Hall of Famers: C Phil Rafter (S28-S31), LW David Smalling (S28-S31), LW Ansgar Snijider (S28-S30), D Daniel Braxton (S30) ------- 28. S34-S37 Quebec City Meute 1 Continental Cup (S35) 1 Finals Appearance (S35) 1 Victory Cup (S35) 6 Individual Awards 2 Hall of Famers 1 Retired Number (D Alexander Valiq, #5) Had Quebec had a bit more luck in S43 or S44, they would have had more entries on this list, but instead the Meute's greatest run to date doesn't quite stand up to other franchises' great moments. Winning a cup just five seasons after entering the league was impressive though, even if that free agency of S34 when they landed Yuri Grigorenko and Skylar Rift helped immensely. The Meute's four seasons in contention never felt like a very cohesive unit – they won on talent more than on chemistry. The Valiq brothers, the free agent signings, and selling the farm for stars like Wesley Kellinger and Miles Larsson, made Quebec the VHL's villains, a role they embraced but which also probably limited them in the end. Aside from a solid S35 performance, the Meute never really threatened otherwise, falling to, on paper, weaker teams from Calgary, Toronto, and Seattle in other seasons. The attack never matched the solid defence and the often spectacular goaltending from Rift and one season of Tukio. S34 Dustin Funk Trophy: Tomas Valiq S35 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Skylar Rift S35 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Skylar Rift S37 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Tuomas Tukio S37 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Tuomas Tukio S37 Aidan Shaw Trophy: Tuomas Tukio Hall of Famers: D Alexander Valiq (S34-S37), G Tuomas Tukio (S37) ------- 29. S15-S17 Seattle Bears 1 Continental Cup (S17) 2 Finals Appearances (S15, S17) 14 Individual Awards 2 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers (RW Sandro Desaulniers, #94, C Markus Strauss, #9) Almost interchangeable with the Seattle team immediately below it in the rankings, S15-S17 Seattle more or less gets the edge because of one man: Grimm Jonsson. Trading for the center propelled the Bears right past his old team, New York, into the finals and as he established himself as the first “new Scotty Campbell”, the awards ceremony was always a pleasant time for Seattle. In fact, not many teams ranked above these Bears can beat their 14 individual awards. Jonsson was helped by Emerson Hrynyk, Seattle's best defenceman since Patrice Reynaud retired in S9, who would have had a Hall of Fame career if he hadn't retired before S18. Hrynyk helped make up for a lack of a LaFramboise in goal – the S17 cup was backstopped by the young Alex... Young, who had replaced journeyman Greg Harbinson previously. At their best, the S16-S17 Bears were a great attacking force, even if they were lucky in beating Toronto in the de facto final of S17 with 3 overtime wins out of 4. S15 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Grimm Jonsson S15 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Grimm Jonsson S15 Lemieux Trophy: Grimm Jonsson S15 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Grimm Jonsson S15 Mikita Trophy: Grimm Jonsson S16 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Grimm Jonsson S16 Lemieux Trophy: Grimm Jonsson S16 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Emerson Hrynyk S17 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Grimm Jonsson (co-winner) S17 Howe Trophy: Devon De La Soul S17 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Grimm Jonsson S17 Mikita Trophy: Emerson Hrynyk S17 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Emerson Hrynyk S17 Scott Boulet Trophy: Keyvan Kljk Hall of Famers: C Grimm Jonsson (S15-S17), C Markus Strauss (S17) ------- 30. S10-S12 Seattle Bears 1 Continental Cup (S12) 2 Finals Appearances (S11, S12) 3 Individual Awards 2 Hall of Famers 3 Retired Numbers (LW Alexander Beketov, #8, C Zacky Vengeance, #88, RW Sandro Desaulniers, #94) There have been some great Bears teams in the VHL's past and also a very lacklustre 20 seasons since expansion, reaching a point where Seattle would probably give quite a bit for just a few season of contention. They specialised in making the most of decent teams in the VHL's second decade, winning a cup in S12 and S17 – the teams were so closely linked that Sandro Desaulniers was a rookie in S12 and then GM and retiring veteran in S17. The stars of the S10-S12 roster was the forward trio of Zacky Vengeance and Hall of Famers Josh Vestiquan and Alexander Beketov, at the times the most potent trio in the league. However, the Bears had to wait for record-setting form by goaltender Steve LaFramboise, who just missed on the Hall of Fame, to finally overcome their many rivals, including Riga in a Game 7 in S12. In the previous two seasons, Seattle was outplayed by dominant teams from Toronto and Davos and it's telling they are ranked fourth of the four contenders of the time. S11 Mikita Trophy: Alexander Beketov S11 Tretiak Trophy: Steve LaFramboise S12 Howe Trophy: Jonathan Matthias Hall of Famers: LW Alexander Beketov (S10-S12), LW Josh Vestiquan (S10-S12) ------- 31. S5-S6 Helsinki Titans 1 Continental Cup (S6) 2 Finals Appearances (S5, S6) 3 Individual Awards 4 Hall of Famers 4 Retired Numbers (G Maxim Desny, #20, C Daric Radmonovic, #17, D Lennowitz Schalkwinnz & D Doug Schneider) The first good Helsinki team set the tone for the next 30 seasons of Titans history. After a huge Cinderella run in S3 to Game 7 of the finals inspired by goaltender Maxim Desny, Helsinki missed the playoffs in S4 but came back straight to the finals in both S5 and S6. By the end of the run the Titans lost Desny and gained the rookie Dominik Stryker and more importantly traded for Scotty Campbell, pretty much a guaranteed championship at this point of his career. It wasn't just all about Campbell though, as Helsinki also benefited from “7 finals in 7 seasons” Doug Schneider, who made up half of the famous Hebrew Hammers defensive pairing with Lennowitz Schalkwinnz. The latter was part of an underrated core including the likes of Daric Radmonovic, Aiden Alexander, and future Hall of Famers Branden Snelheid and Campbell's long-time linemate Matt Defosse. This era is better remembered for the dominance of Seattle and Calgary but for two seasons, Helsinki became a legitimate counterweight to that. S5 Tretiak Trophy: Maxim Desny S6 Gretzky Trophy: Scotty Campbell S6 Lemieux Trophy: Scotty Campbell Hall of Famers: LW Matt Defosse (S5-S6), RW Branden Snelheid (S5-S6), C Scotty Campbell (S6), G Maxim Desny (S5) ------- 32. S25-S26 Vasteras Iron Eagles 1 Continental Cup (S26) 1 Finals Appearance (S26) 1 Victory Cup (S26) 3 Individual Awards 3 Hall of Famers 3 Retired Numbers (G Andreas Bjorkman, #41, D R.J. Stafford ,#74, C Lasse Milo, #92) A recurring theme in this section of the ranking is unspectacular teams going on a good run at the right moment. This was especially necessary for Vasteras in their third or fourth attempt to end a cup drought stretching back to S1. A promising core of RJ Stafford, Lasse Milo, and Andreas Bjorkman spent many seasons treading water, trying their luck with a number of rental star forwards like Lars Berger and Peyton Nydroj. It was a case of third time lucky, as trading for eventual playoff MVP Phil Gerrard before S26 was the masterstroke needed for Vasteras to finally take their chance. After then trading for Kevyn Hesje midseason, the Iron Eagles overtook New York as cup favourites, finally leaving Davos' shadow claiming their second and to date last championship. Perhaps Vasteras' best quality was how well-rounded team was – Hall of Famers like Gerrard, James Bencharski, and the young Tukka Reikkinen mixed in with the eventual retired numbers of the aforementioned Stafford, Milo, and Bjorkman. However, it only all came together for a few weeks. S25 Mikita Trophy: James Bencharski S26 Howe Trophy: Phil Gerrard S26 Tretiak Trophy: Andreas Bjorkman Hall of Famers: D James Bencharski (S25-S26), LW Tukka Reikkinen (S25-S26), C Phil Gerrard (S26) ------- 33. S14-S16 Helsinki Titans 1 Continental Cup (S15) 2 Finals Appearances (S14, S15) 6 Individual Awards 3 Hall of Famers 2 Retired Numbers (RW/D Matt Bailey, #91, LW Carl Jacobs, #16) The Helsinki Titans are a remarkable franchise for two reasons: they've never experienced a particularly long low point in their history but before expansion they also never had a particularly notable run. In fact, they won their first Victory Cup only in S33 and specialised in 2-3 season spurts of playoff contention. S14-S16 was one season longer than S26-S27 which puts it just above it in the ranking, but other pre-expansion Titans teams were more impressive from season to season. Apart from the second half of S15, after trading for the impressive but inconsistent Brandon Rush, Helsinki never felt like a surefire pick for the cup – they were clear underdogs when losing the final in S14 and limped in an ill-advised attempt to defend their crown in S16. The core of the team was established at the S12 draft, when the great Matt Bailey (also new GM) and goalie Izaak Muller joined the promising Carl Jacobs – in truth, the Titans only improved the supporting cast in the following seasons without ever becoming a genuinely impressive squad. S14 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Matt Bailey (co-winner) S14 Scott Boulet Trophy: Matt Bailey S15 Howe Trophy: Matt Bailey S15 Scott Boulet Trophy: Matt Bailey S16 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Leander Kaelin S16 Scott Boulet Trophy: Leander Kaelin Hall of Famers: RW/D Matt Bailey (S14-S16), LW Carl Jacobs (S14-S16), RW Leander Kaelin (S16) ------- 34. S26-S27 Helsinki Titans 1 Continental Cup (S27) 1 Finals Appearance (S27) 9 Individual Awards 4 Hall of Famers The best of the worst is definitely one of my all-time favourite squads to witness in the VHL. The Titans had some good old defencemen – David Walcott sealed his place in the Hall of Fame with 111 assists in S26, while the always reliable Japinder Singh was there for both seasons – and a solid goaltender in Claudio Martucci, but this was all about outscoring the opposition. Leeroy Jenkins, Pavel Koradek, and Matthew Boragina was one of the best lines in VHL history, Koradek the sniper, Boragina the unsung hero, and Jenkins the legend breaking a hits record and making his name as one of the VHL's best ever. The team was balanced perfectly and although they were never dominant, it always felt the Titans could go on a hot streak at the right time – exactly what they did in S27 finals by winning four straight games after going down 2-0 to start. S26 Scotty Campbell Trophy: Leeroy Jenkins S26 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: David Walcott S26 Lemieux Trophy: Leeroy Jenkins S26 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy: Leeroy Jenkins (co-winner) S26 Mikita Trophy: David Walcott S26 Sterling Labatte Trophy: David Walcott S26 Scott Boulet Trophy: Leeroy Jenkins S27 Howe Trophy: Claudio Martucci S27 Scott Boulet Trophy: Leeroy Jenkins Hall of Famers: C Leeroy Jenkins (S26-S27), RW Pavel Koradek (S26-S27), D Japinder Singh (S26-S27), D David Walcott (S26) ------- 35. S15-S17 Riga Reign 1 Continental Cup (S16) 2 Finals Appearances (S16, S17) 1 Victory Cup (S16) 3 Individual Awards No Hall of Famers 1 Retired Number (RW Max Kroenenburg, #54) S15-S17 is a bit of a lie for this team since the Reign kept on making the playoffs until S21, but a change of GM and much of the personnel in S18 means this can be divided into two separate runs. The only constant is Riga legend Max Kroenenburg, until very recently a mainstay on the Hall of Fame ballot, who was part of an extremely fun S20 team all about attack and little else. S16 though was the complete opposite – Kroenenburg was a sophomore and the team's best players were goaltender Jonas Markstrom in the form of his life (he won the Slobo Trophy) and captain and defenceman Kaiser Straf. The Reign were hard to beat and little else – possibly the most boring Continental Cup winners. Despite not including the years S18-S21 in the title, that's possibly the main reason Riga isn't even lower on the list – since the only other accomplishment of being swept in the S17 finals was largely due to a weak European Conference. S16 Brett Slobodzian Trophy: Jonas Markstrom S16 Howe Trophy: Kaiser Straf (co-winner) S16 Tretiak Trophy: Jonas Markstrom ------- 36. S6-S7 Avangard Havoc 1 Continental Cup (S7) 1 Finals Appearance (S7) 1 Victory Cup (S7) 1 Individual Award 5 Hall of Famers The Avangard Havoc were a failed experiment which moved to Davos in S11 but had one bright spark in their brief history in the VHL: S7. In truth, this team is quite interchangeable with the teams immediately below it on the list, but is helped by having both a Victory Cup and two seasons of challenging for the cup. In terms of the players involved, unfortunately some sparkle is removed by the fact some of the better-known names – David Night, Alex McNeil, and Mike Szatkowski – were only briefly involved in the failed run of S6. The actually successful season was all about Christian Stolzschweiger, one of the VHL's greats still in his prime. His contribution was immense and with all due respect to other of the Havoc's stars like Marrko St.Urho and Danny Tremblay, as well as young star Josh Vestiquan, Avangard wouldn't be on this list without him. In truth, few remember the non-existent location won a cup anyway. S7 Howe Trophy: Christian Stolzschweiger Hall of Famers: RW Christian Stolzschweiger (S6-S7), LW Josh Vestiquan (S6-S7), D David Night (S6), C Alex McNeil (S6), C Mike Szatkowski (S6) ------- 37. S22-S23 Calgary Wranglers 1 Continental Cup (S23) 1 Finals Appearance (S23) 3 Individual Awards 1 Hall of Famer + Retired Number (LW Jardy Bunclewirth, #10) I have a soft spot for the Wranglers, especially this team for which I helped kickstart the rebuild before leaving after S19. However, there is no denying that this wasn't a particularly talented team. Joey Clarence was easily fourth-best of the S18 goalies, while Dante Terragni was a steady stay-at-home defenceman. Evgeni Fyodorov peaked too early and Mathias Chouinard too late to have a chance at the Hall of Fame, with the the team's only representative being Jardy Bunclewirth, the lone remnant of the S18/S19 champions. Bunclewirth was past his best by the time Calgary became good again in S22 and in truth this team benefited from circumstance. Firstly, the dominant Toronto Legion were decimated by the new salary cap bracket structure, while the new trade rules around percentages of salary were misinterpreted allowing Calgary to go over the cap before anyone realised after their championship. S22 Sterling Labatte Trophy: Dante Terragni (co-won) S22 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy: Evgeni Fyodorov S23 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Mathias Chouinard ------- 38. S29 Toronto Legion 1 Continental Cup (S29) 1 Finals Appearance (S29) 1 Victory Cup (S29) 1 Individual Award 2 Hall of Famers Before the Bears' feat in S43, S29 Toronto took the crown as worst Cup-winning team in the VHL. At least the Legion's success wasn't limited to the playoffs – they also somehow came from outside the playoffs to easily win the regular season before then tamely falling back into fifth place in S30. Dougie Daniels, Gaz, and Jarppi Leppala are the weird mix of names which was engraved onto the cup in S29. The star of the show was the much-maligned Jason White, who somehow had the season of his career at the right time, being crowned VHL's top scorer in the league's lowest-scoring season to date. That was the only individually stand-out performance for the team – the two Hall of Famers, Alexander Labatte and Elijah Incognito, were still in their entry-level contracts and would hit their peaks after moving to Riga in S31. S29 Lemieux Trophy: Jason White Hall of Famers: G Alexander Labatte, D Elijah Incognito ------- 39. S43 Seattle Bears 1 Continental Cup (S43) 1 Finals Appearance (S43) 1 Individual Award No Hall of Famers or Retired Numbers I've never hidden my disdain for the Seattle Bears' win in Season 43 and still don't quite understand how they did it. Two great teams on paper in Quebec and Stockholm never got a Continental Cup in part because they were overtaken by these underdogs in S43. It is telling that despite being Seattle's single best season since S30, the franchise is highly unlikely to retire any of its members' numbers. James Faraday and Phil Villeneuve were essentially rentals, better known for their time elsewhere. The real homegrown stars were Brady Stropko and Niklaus Mikaelson, who fittingly shared the playoff MVP award between them. Stropko was let down by inactivity common for his agency, while Mikaelson, the best shot this team had at a Hall of Famer, retired far too early. Everyone else was a peculiar mix of youth and inactives which somehow defeated 3 superior teams en route to the most unexpected championship. S43 Daisuke Kanou Trophy: Niklaus Mikaelson & Brady Stropko mediocrepony, Devise, Da Trifecta and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tagger 2,722 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 I'd be interested in this. 14 minutes ago, Victor said: Who will finish 39th? Only been here since S35, but I'm guessing S43 Bears. Victor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,531 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Admin Share Posted June 5, 2016 Just now, YEAH!stlemania said: I'd be interested in this. Only been here since S35, but I'm guessing S43 Bears. On a slightly related note, I was quite surprised in the initial research to find that NY's been making the playoffs since S44. Pretty underrated run. Tagger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotAVHLM-GM 1,858 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 3, not more, not less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,583 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Interesting stuff Curious to see where my Calgary squad ranks :3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,531 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Admin Share Posted June 8, 2016 Updated with 34 through 39. Members still around who were part of these teams: S27 Helsinki: @Knight@Munk @jack @Koradek stll pops in. @Boragina's last player is Lars Siktanc, who @Daniel ironically signed for Helsinki (didn't even realise this was a cup-winning GM!) No @Squinty or @8Ovechkin8 S16 Riga: @DGFX. as Harvey Singh and @HF92 as the unheralded Jamie Nathanson. I think that's it. 8O8 also makes an appearance. S7 Avangard: @tfong also @Sandro a bit @Knight and @Mike were there in S6, not the cup winning year. Well Knight was also only there for S26 not S27 Helsinki. Knight Curse. S23 Calgary: @JardyB10 GMed this thang among his minions were @diamond_ace, Munk, Sandro, and @.sniffuM Also @STLZACH, he popped in last year. And fucking @Spangle S29 Toronto: Sandro gets a hattrick! Was GM. @sterling and @Beketov also. RIP Funks, @Tyler, not to be confused with @Tylar, and @Edgar S43 Seattle: Hopefully a few more... @Molholt @Higgins @Da Trifecta @Wasty @Mr. Escabar @Boomcheck @Phil @Lunaro @R1c3Muncher lol @Corco and @Mr. Grumpy Bear to be continued... Da Trifecta, Daniel, Baozi and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Moderator Baozi 1,635 Posted June 8, 2016 Head Moderator Share Posted June 8, 2016 That was when I met Nibbz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,531 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Admin Share Posted June 8, 2016 3 minutes ago, tfong said: That was when I met Nibbz and where is he now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Moderator Baozi 1,635 Posted June 8, 2016 Head Moderator Share Posted June 8, 2016 Just now, Victor said: and where is he now Dunno, somewhere eating KFC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tylar 219 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 keep my name outta ur mouth quebec scum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,531 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Admin Share Posted June 8, 2016 1 minute ago, Tylar said: keep my name outta ur mouth quebec scum making Tylar specific trivia questions about Quebec only now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLastOlympian07 2,388 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 1 hour ago, Victor said: making Tylar specific trivia questions about Quebec only now sass level 1000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunaro 208 Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 wow i didn't even get a mention for my cup with seattle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollarAndADream 3,356 Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 FUcking Niklaus Mikaelson. Early retirement. Could have been something greater! Da Trifecta 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kesler 1,514 Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 11 minutes ago, DollarAndADream said: FUcking Niklaus Mikaelson. Early retirement. Could have been something greater! Also could have fetched me another first @Da Trifecta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,531 Posted June 10, 2016 Author Admin Share Posted June 10, 2016 4 hours ago, Lunaro said: wow i didn't even get a mention for my cup with seattle Can't name everyone, especially the unsung heroes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,531 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Admin Share Posted June 19, 2016 Updated with the second mag article - third one coming in the next couple days. Another rundown through the still active members involved: S35 Quebec @Mr. Power as Rift and then @Higgins as Tukio. @Frank also featured as he sold his soul to Quebec. Seems like one last hurrah for the likes of Jericho, Kyle, Boragina, Koradek, and sherifflobo. S12 Seattle, and S17 Seattle @Beketov was part of both. Beketov of course winning the Mikita which is now the Beketov. Then he was Alex Young, one of his now 4 goalies in 40 seasons! @Streetlight, @gregreg, and @Smarch all made an appearance on S17. As did @sterling of course, with Jonsson being the standout player in those 3 seasons. Little remains of S12. Sandro, Ball, and McNeil were part of S12 and lasted with Seattle for a while longer, Sandro GMing S17 as well. S6 Helsinki Firstly, @Higgins get the retired banners for Lenny and Schneider damn it! Scotty, Brooks, Zero, Cowboy, among this star-studded squad which is no longer with us. I think the lone survivor is @TheLastOlympian07 who was probably inactive at the time. S26 Vasteras @Phil and @sterling were the key curse breakers here. @.sniffuM just starting up on his best player, Tuuuuuka. S15 Helsinki Quik, Kyle, bobbylu, Edgar, Ray Funk, all gone. But @tfong is still going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smarch 2,939 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 These articles all point towards it's time for us old losers to leave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,531 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Admin Share Posted June 19, 2016 12 minutes ago, Smarch said: These articles all point towards it's time for us old losers to leave old winners* and no we need at least someone around from each champion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 5,014 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 that vasteras cup was something special @sterling .sniffuM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.sniffuM 1,741 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 1 hour ago, Phil said: that vasteras cup was something special @sterling They can take away my team but they can never take away my championship Phil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLastOlympian07 2,388 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 @Victor S1-S7 i was active the whole time, so no I wasnt inactive during the cup win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank 4,764 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 7 hours ago, Victor said: Updated with the second mag article - third one coming in the next couple days. Another rundown through the still active members involved: S35 Quebec @Mr. Power as Rift and then @Higgins as Tukio. @Frank also featured as he sold his soul to Quebec. Seems like one last hurrah for the likes of Jericho, Kyle, Boragina, Koradek, and sherifflobo. Hail satan everyday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da Trifecta 1,896 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 On 6/9/2016 at 11:21 PM, DollarAndADream said: FUcking Niklaus Mikaelson. Early retirement. Could have been something greater! I cry every night when I go to sleep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,531 Posted July 4, 2016 Author Admin Share Posted July 4, 2016 A slightly belated tagging session on 23-27. Reminder that 16-22 were posted here yesterday: http://www.vhlforum.com/index.php?/topic/31830-ranking-the-cup-winners-part-4/ S14 New York @sterling @Smarch and I remain S33 Riga sterling and @eaglesfan036 got traded to NY after losing to NY in S32 and lost to Riga in S33. Malcom Spud and Troy Athera did the opposite but they're gone now. Mike was the GM who decided Jehovah > Labatte. And was right... S32 New York Same as above. Plus me, @Advantage @Mr. Power @.sniffuM @iRockstar @Tyler and by the end of it even @Phil and @Knight got involved. S31 Davos Phil and Knight of course were mainly Davos round these times. Helped by @gregreg @frescoelmo and @tfong and @Kendrick S28-S29. Bushito with the classic GM until disappearing for the cup win. S22 Helsinki And of course it was Kendrick who GMed this team, with @CoachReilly the playoff hero. @Advantage got his number retired, @Frank was there as a first-gen and frescoelmo joined for S23 and S24. frescoelmo, eaglesfan036 and Baozi 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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