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So hello everyone, I like to keep my topics here usually VHL related but I need to break character for a moment to announce something that’s happened very recently to me. All small handful of members knew what I’ve been going through the past 2 weeks. That is, I’ve been running for my American university’s student government vice president position (as a freshman). The pain staking 2 weeks of campaigning, repeating each presentation time after time to different groups, $600 in expenses, and countless nights of rough sleep…paid off. I’m beyond thrilled to announce that I will be my university’s next student government vice president. There were about 900 votes cast, and my ticket won by 8 votes. Now these results are unofficial but I as of now do not suspect that the outcome will change . i don’t know how it will impact my involvement here, I still hold the VHL very close a dear to my heart as it’s been a crutch the past 3.5 years for me. Thank you everyone for just reading this little rant but I’m beyond ecstatic right now.

https://imgur.com/0abbrjRhttps://imgur.com/0abbrjR When I first started this project, I started out with the idea of rating every teams’ prospects and then grading the team on the selections that they made but the more I dove head first into collecting data the harder it was for me to justify grading only the Prospect Pool list on the team page since a majority of the teams had a failing grade due to some teams draft heavily in some drafts and not at all in other drafts. I then decided that a Prospect should be a player that is still in the prospect pool but also still on a rookie contract. While this moved some of the team into a positive position, I am still not complete sure that this is an accurate show case of a team’s prospect pool but rather more a show where a team currently stands or will stand in the next few seasons as it is only a small three season snap shot. Team in a competitive window of win now will not be drafting near the first round or at least not often enough to affect their score in a hugely positive manner. While a team rebuilding the past two or three seasons will show positive since they have collected or should have collected a good number of prospects and lastly a team just starting into a rebuild will have a hugely negative ranking since none of the prospect have either joined the team yet or been drafted yet. Take the ranking at face value is what I am trying to say but could be a good indicator of what teams might be up and coming in the next few seasons while it could also indicate, which teams might be falling off slightly. Either way let’s take a look at each teams’ prospects: Number of Prospects: 10 1st Round Picks: 0 2nd Round Picks: 3 3rd Round Picks: 4 4th Round Pick: 3 Prospect in the VHL: 0 VHL Ready Prospects: 1 Inactive Prospects: 5 Calgary Wranglers Prospects (S93) LW - Miner vHLer (OSL) @Rhynex Entertainment 17th (2nd Round) (S93) RW - Oliver Loo (SSK) (COL) @Misty 23rd (2nd Round) (S93) D - Wladyslaw Mintus (HOU) (OSL) @mintusaurus 37th (3rd round) (S93) D - Carson Tripp (SSK) (STO) @Cartripp14 29th (2nd Round) (S93) LW - Hunter s (SDM) @Hunter S 59th (4th Round) (S91) D - Hezeus Ohmontegue-Steinhardt X (VAS) @Sisyphus 35th (3rd Round) (S93) RW - Trimiskez Artav (STO) @jake 60th (4th Round) (S93) D - Vanman Stein (COL) @Vanman 55th (4th Round) (S91) C - Hershey McFleury @YaBoiDuggie 44th (3rd Round) (S91) D - Thickums Mcgillacutty @Jer_Lefebvre 46th (3rd Round) Grade: F (score: 29.00) Calgary Wranglers prospect pool is rather shallow due to draft location in the past three season with only three 2nd round picks with (S93) LW - Miner vHLer (OSL) @Rhynex Entertainment the teams current best prospect ready to join the roster next season. (S93) RW - Oliver Loo (SSK) (COL) @Misty is still another season away and should join in season 96; with two other S93 Draft picks ready the season after in (S93) D - Wladyslaw Mintus (HOU) (OSL) @mintusaurus and (S93) D - Carson Tripp (SSK) (STO) @Cartripp14. So, how does Calgary have an F grade with four players joining their roster from their prospect pool in the next three seasons? This is due to the inactive players and the fact that the team doesn`t have a need for top prospects being VHL ready in the past three season this season or next thus the grading system hurts them more than other teams. Calgary Wranglers have two player retiring at the end of the season in (S85) D - Phil Strasmore @Phil and (S85) LW - Larry Abass Jr @RileyL; (S93) LW - Miner vHLer (OSL) should replace the retiring Abass Jr @RileyL nicely while Calgary will need to look for a temporary defender or two as the team waits on their top two defending prospects in (S93) D - Wladyslaw Mintus (HOU) (OSL) @mintusaurusand (S93) D - Carson Tripp (SSK) (STO) @Cartripp14; who won`t be ready until S97. Timing is also prefect for (S93) RW - Oliver Loo (SSK) (COL) @Misty as they should also replace the retiring (S86) RW - Adam Rage @MrMom at the end of next season should he resign this off season. Overall, Calgary Wranglers are in an interesting position as they should be in a compete now situation but as if writing Calgary are tied for the final Wildcard spot and will hope that they can force their way into the playoffs. The team will need to re-tool or enter a rebuild in the next three or four season so should become larger players in future drafts and see their prospect pool become stronger. Number of Prospects: 9 1st Round Picks: 4 2nd Round Picks: 3 3rd Round Picks: 1 4th Round Pick: 1 Prospect in the VHL: 4 VHL Ready Prospects: 2 Inactive Prospects: 0 Chicago Phoenix Prospects (S91) RW - Bryce Woodworth @SirRupertBarnes 22nd (2nd Round) (S91) LW - Joshua Schwarzer @Velevra 6th (1st Round) (S91) D - Lionel Collberg @Masu Chan 11th (1st Round) (S92) D - Karol Lamb @dlamb 8th (1st Round) (S93) LW - UghSike (OSL) @UghSike 5th (1st Round) (S93) LW - Jean-Pierre Devote (COL) @eagle_3450 20th (2nd Round) (S93) C - Vanuza Kolesinska (ROM) @chikn 18th (2nd Round) (S93) LW - Kevin OConnor (OTT) (VAS) @Luke033 52nd (4th Round) (S93) C - Micah Cederbaum (SSK) (COL) @MicahC 46th (3rd Round) Grade: B + (score: 78.33) Chicago Phoenix has rather impressive depth in their prospect pool aided by the fact that four of the prospects from the past three season have already made the jump to the VHL for the team. More impress is the fact that they took a risk on (S93) LW - Jean-Pierre Devote (COL) @eagle_3450; who if I remember correctly had shown signs of inactivity just before the draft and seen his draft stock fall to the second round; in which now looks like a rather smart pick; as he is ready for the VHL next season along with last season 5th overall selection (S93) LW - UghSike (OSL) @UghSike. Mean while (S93) C - Vanuza Kolesinska (ROM) @chikn is still another full season away but means we will see three of the five players in the Chicago prospect pool making VHL debut in the next two seasons. Chicago forward core might look a lot different next season with (S85) RW - Babay Shrimp @Blazzer as the only player set to retire but both (S93) LW - UghSike (OSL) @UghSike and (S93) LW - Jean-Pierre Devote (COL) @eagle_3450 set to join the roster; something will need give!! Luckily for Chicago they have a single forward signed at the moment for next season so should easily have room for the two forward prospects and (S93) C - Vanuza Kolesinska (ROM) @chikn the season after. Overall, Chicago Phoenix look like a team moving in the right direction but will need to follow last season strong draft by adding more VHL ready prospects to an already deep prospect pool. Number of Prospects: 6 1st Round Picks: 1 2nd Round Picks: 2 3rd Round Picks: 2 4th Round Pick: 1 Prospect in the VHL: 1 VHL Ready Prospects: 1 Inactive Prospects: 2 D.C. Dragons Prospects (S91) C - Theo Allard @InstantRockstar 10th (1st Round) (S91) RW - Tom Dufour (VAS) @Cookie 29th (2nd Round) (S89) LW - Justin Chen @Jchin1604 33rd (3rd Round) (S93) G - Herald Benson (HOU) @Benson 19th (2nd Round) (S93) G - Connor Hellebuyck (MEX) @HockeyFan4Life 48th (3rd Round) (S93) RW - Brash Candicoot @TrinityMonk 64th (4th Round) Grade: E (score: 41.67) D.C. Dragons are the defending Continental Cup champions and it shouldn`t be a huge surprise that the Dragons have one of the small prospect pools of all the team in the league but have some very key prospects starting with (S93) G - Herald Benson (HOU) @Benson, who like it or not is going to be the goaltender of the future for the Dragons. But there is a problem; (S85) G - Henry Tucker Jr @NSG retires at the end of this season and Benson is still a season away so D.C. has a huge problem and question mark around what they will do in the off season; to get a goaltender until Benson is ready. (S91) RW - Tom Dufour (VAS) @Cookie is ready to make the jump to the VHL next season but doesn`t seem to have a place within the current roster structure in D.C. so could be moved during the off season in either a deal to bring in another defender or a stop gap goaltender. D.C. Dragons are still in contend now mode but will need to find a goaltender to cover off the development gap while they wait for goaltender of the future Benson to be ready and with an aging forward core could look to retool in the off season or the following off season as majority of the forward core will retire. Number of Prospects: 18 1st Round Picks: 4 2nd Round Picks: 5 3rd Round Picks: 4 4th Round Pick: 3 Prospect in the VHL: 0 VHL Ready Prospects: 3 Inactive Prospects: 1 HC Davos Dynamo Prospects (S93) C - Antonia Bucatini (OSL) @CowboyinAmerica 1st (1st Round) (S91) D - Sunset Moth (PHI) (VAS) @McWolf 13th (1st Round) (S93) LW - Forum Content (BRA) @frescoelmo 6th (1st Round) (S91) G - David Slezak @ShawnGlade 20th (2nd Round) (S91) RW - Ivan Ivanov (VAS) @KmaddFPS 32nd (2nd Round) (S93) G - Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen @Snussu 12th (1st Round) (S93) RW - Steve French (ROM) @Seabass 21st (2nd Round) (S91) C - Piston Maicupp (ROM) @MandyManiac 43rd (3rd Round) (S92) LW - Dwight shcrute (STO) @Jamomayo 17th (2nd Round) (S93) D - Billy Joel (HOU) (ROM) @The goat of hockey 27th (2nd Round) (S93) G - Kendra Cavill (LVA) @Firekiss 42nd (3rd Round) (S93) D - Masa Akimoto (LVA) (STO) @Hokikeijot 47th (3rd Round) (S93) RW - Armas Jortikka (MIA) (OSL) @Kavadar 50th (4th Round) (S93) G - Da TypThond (SSK) @Erik Undrafted (S93) D - Russell Sprout (MIA) (ROM) @betta57 45th (3rd Round) (S93) G - Austin Goulet lll (SSK) @Tuchy Undrafted (S93) D - Blaze Thunderstrike (LVA) @eaglesfan036 56th (4th Round) (S93) D - Magni Jinn (PHI) (VAS) @DontCallMeCarson 49th (4th Round) Grade: E (score: 40.56) HC Davos went with the quantity over quality aspect when it comes to their team’s overall prospect pool but that doesn`t mean that they don`t have quality within their prospect pool as Davos has three prospect ready to join the VHL next season in (S93) C - Antonia Bucatini (OSL) @CowboyinAmerica, (S91) D - Sunset Moth (PHI) (VAS) @McWolf and (S93) LW - Forum Content (BRA) @frescoelmo. Whom should be followed rather quickly by three more prospect the following season in goaltender of the future (S93) G - Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen @Snussu, (S93) RW - Steve French (ROM) @Seabass and (S93) D - Billy Joel (HOU) (ROM) @The goat of hockey. So, six prospect in the next two season joining your roster should sound great right? Not when you have nothing on your roster in the first place. These six players are the starting blocks of foundation of a building and will need to hold it together for another season or two. Expect to see Davos at the bottom of the league for at least another season or two unless they start to move prospect for veteran player to build a competitive team. Number of Prospects: 13 1st Round Picks: 2 2nd Round Picks: 5 3rd Round Picks: 3 4th Round Pick: 2 Prospect in the VHL: 2 VHL Ready Prospects: 0 Inactive Prospects: 5 Helsinki Titans Prospects (S92) LW - Adi Dassler @BOOM 3rd (1st Round) (S91) LW - Isaac mclflopper @sportexperts show 19th (2nd Round) (S92) LW - Matthew Highmore (VAS) @NineIQ v2 19th (2nd Round) (S93) C - Tyler Lawson (ROM) @Nyx 14th (1st Round) (S90) RW - Barry McOckiner (COL) @LanerDUST 33rd (3rd Round) (S93) RW - Anthony Simmons II (MIS) (COL) @Starchychaff 35th (3rd Round) (S92) D - Dustin Moore (HFX) @Maxx 24th (2nd Round) (S93) G - Samuel Wazinski @samthemancub 30th (2nd Round) (S91) C - Keegan Vos (ROM) @DDZ_44 39th (3rd Round) (S93) D - Landon Flatt (OTT) (BRA) @Lando10 62nd (4th Round) (S93) C - Aiden Paige (MIA) @Apaige131 Undrafted (S93) RW - Cole Stermer (HOU) (BRA) @Bazeus 57th (4th Round) (S93) LW - Filip Zinek (HOU) (BRA) @FiZi 32nd (2nd Round) Grade: F (score: 30.77) With one of your best prospect being a player that you just traded for in (S92) LW - Adi Dassler @BOOM; who came over via a trade with Moscow Menace shows that the team might be heading in the wrong direction. No VHL ready prospect for a team that is outside of the playoff looking in and traded away their starting goaltender without having a goalie of the future in place means Helsinki looks to be in a tight spot, needing to either trade for a starting goaltender or draft a starting goaltender this off season but likely means if the team cannot get a starter next season; will once again be watching the playoff next season. (S92) LW - Matthew Highmore (VAS) @NineIQ v2 and (S93) C - Tyler Lawson (ROM) @Nyx are two season away and should replace retiring pair (S87) RW - Ellis Woolfenden @D3X and (S87) LW - Jarkko Laakkonen @Xdjk93 at that time. After that Helsinki will need to hope that they hit on majority of their twelve picks this coming draft as the rest of the prospect are rather slim picking at the moment; not helped by five inactive prospects. Helsinki seems to be throwing as many darts at the board and hoping a few of them will stick; not the best way of building a prospect pool in my opinion. If I am correct Helsinki with have twenty-four prospect by the end of this season draft. Luckily for Helsinki; they don`t have any major needs to build a roster next season other than a starting goaltender. Number of Prospects: 8 1st Round Picks: 1 2nd Round Picks: 3 3rd Round Picks: 2 4th Round Pick: 2 Prospect in the VHL: 0 VHL Ready Prospects: 0 Inactive Prospects: 3 London United Prospects Drafted (S90) D - Joseph Dubois (COL) @Dubois 37th (3rd Round) (S91) C - Alexandros Mograine (COL) @sliceruser 42nd (3rd Round) (S91) D - Scrungle Bungle (COL) @Novanod 21st (2nd Round) (S91) D - Arne Holmquist (BRA) @axtron 25th (2nd Round) (S92) D - Vanellope von Schweetz (COL) @Arce 13th (1st Round) (S92) G - Hugo Boss (OTT) @Dil 22nd (2nd Round) (S93) C - Jacob Longstreet (SSK) (COL) @Dynamicmlb_42 51st (4th Round) (S93) LW - Owen two (MEX) (BRA) @do3bo1 63rd (4th Round) Grade: F (score: 12.50) By far the worse prospect pool in the VHL but should anyone be surprised when the team has been super competitive for the past six or seven season; if not longer. An aging roster in a season of either win or bust means that they have either traded away most of their future picks, prospects or selected late in the first round to be competitive. This team is set to enter a rebuild regardless of what happens during this season playoff and will look to see their prospect pool depth increase in the next few seasons. Doesn`t help either when 40% of your prospect pool is also inactive and your top prospect in (S90) D - Joseph Dubois (COL) @Dubois is also inactive. (S91) C - Alexandros Mograine (COL) @sliceruser seems like a hidden gem grabbed in the 3rd round and could make the roster as early as next season; rather impressive from such a late pick. While (S91) D - Scrungle Bungle (COL) @Novanod is two season away at best still but could play a large role as part of the rebuild in London. It will be an interesting off-season in London to see how they start to retool or enter a complete rebuild like I think they are headed for. Number of Prospects: 7 1st Round Picks: 1 2nd Round Picks: 3 3rd Round Picks: 1 4th Round Pick: 0 Prospect in the VHL: 0 VHL Ready Prospects: 1 Inactive Prospects: 2 Los Angeles Stars Prospects (S91) RW - Nico Belique (STO) @Syzygy 24th (2nd Round) (S92) LW - Joe Shmo (BRA) @matt sovick 15th (1st Round) (S93) D - WWumbo (STO) @Fire Tortorella 22nd (2nd Round) (S91) LW - Leo Neelson III (SSK) @silentnyrf31 Undrafted (S93) C - Taylor Swift (MIS) (ROM) @lilchrist 26th (2nd Round) (S93) LW - Connor simard (HFX) (BRA) @Alex99 36th (3rd Round) (S93) D - Connor Mclaughlin (LVA) @Connor Mclaughling Undrafted Grade: F (score: 28.57) Considering Los Angeles Stars took majority of their roster straight into retirement; they have done a fairly good job at starting the process of rebuilding their prospect pool by adding picks; which I am not reviewing and (S91) RW - Nico Belique (STO) @Syzygy via a trade from Vancouver Wolves. The Stars will need to hit on every pick in the next two drafts with limited draft picks and the fact that they have already missed on (S93) D - WWumbo (STO) @Fire Tortorella with their 22nd overall pick last season as he seems to have gone inactive. The only 1st round prospect in (S92) LW - Joe Shmo (BRA) @matt sovick has also gone inactive since being traded to Los Angeles from Vancouver. (S93) C - Taylor Swift (MIS) (ROM) @lilchrist and (S93) LW - Connor simard (HFX) (BRA) @Alex99 are still a few season away from joining the VHL and the Stars but should be joining the roster just as it starts to turn the corner. The Stars have a large shopping list and they should be shopping this off season when the draft starts in a few more weeks. It will be interesting to see who they draft at either 1st overall or 2nd overall depending the outcome of the draft Lotto but with a very strong draft they should come out with three or four really strong foundational pieces to build their team around. Number of Prospects: 7 1st Round Picks: 2 2nd Round Picks: 2 3rd Round Picks: 3 4th Round Pick: 0 Prospect in the VHL: 1 VHL Ready Prospects: 1 Inactive Prospects: 2 Malmo Nighthawks Prospects (S91) C - Phillip Rave @tcookie 17th (2nd Round) (S93) G - Jorgen Lovstrom @Pifferfish 7th (1st Round) (S92) G - Olafur Gunnleifsson @JartY 10th (1st Round) (S93) RW - Ocean Codoller (OTT) (BRA) @FreshOceanCod 39th (3rd Round) (S91) G - Shaunca (MIS) @shaun1979 48th (3rd Round) (S93) C - Caleb Nowell (OTT) (ROM) @PhoenixsPc 44th (3rd Round) (S92) RW - Bjorn Ragnulf @ng1291 26th (2nd Round) Grade: F (score: 37.86) S92 Draft was very unkind to the Malmo Nighthawks as the drafted two players in (S92) G - Olafur Gunnleifsson (10th overall) and (S92) RW - Bjorn Ragnulf (26th overall) @ng1291; both have since gone inactive meaning Malmo came away from the S92 draft with no prospects. This forced them to double down and select (S93) G - Jorgen Lovstrom (7th overall) @Pifferfish their only VHL ready prospect following season. (S93) G - Jorgen Lovstrom @Pifferfish will join the team as the teams goaltender of the future just in time as (S86) G - Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro is set to retire of the second time in his career but with a season of transition means Malmo shouldn`t see any drop off in way of a team in the contention for the Continental Cup. With only one hole to fill due to surprise announcement that (S86) RW - Yaroslav Bogatyrev @Bojovnik was retiring a season early and no 1st round picks in the next two season; it looks like the prospect pool might remain rather slim pickings for at least a few more seasons. Not a huge concern since most of the team is still in the prime and a key piece already in place in (S93) G - Jorgen Lovstrom @Pifferfish. Number of Prospects: 11 1st Round Picks: 6 2nd Round Picks: 5 3rd Round Picks: 0 4th Round Pick: 0 Prospect in the VHL: 4 VHL Ready Prospects: 2 Inactive Prospects: 4 Prospects (S91) LW - Grimgor Ironhide @FrostBeard 7th (1st Round) (S92) C - George Richmond @badcolethetitan 2nd (1st Round) (S91) D - Leif Reingaard @Zetterberg 3rd (1st Round) (S91) G - Olober Syko @Spartan 5th (1st Round) (S93) D - Benjamin Abenduct (OSL) @Schnee 9th (1st Round) (S90) D - Didier Verhault (ROM) @FTK 21st (2nd Round) (S91) LW - Olumide Anderson (OSL) @Theory 23rd (2nd Round) (S92) D - Petit Hughie (LVA) (ROM) @Sen 14th (1st Round) (S92) D - Viktor Vyzovsky (STO) @Vik 18th (2nd Round) (S93) C - Walter Jinn (PHI) (VAS) @Adrest245 31st (2nd Round) (S92) C - Wernher von Braun (VAS) @Prof. Zach Enron 20th (2nd Round) Grade: C (score: 59.54) Moscow has collected a lot of young talent over the past four or five season but I would have thought that they would have scored higher with four players already on the main roster in the likes of (S91) LW - Grimgor Ironhide @FrostBeard, (S92) C - George Richmond @badcolethetitan, (S91) D - Leif Reingaard @Zetterberg and (S91) G - Olober Syko @Spartan but missing on four draft pick seems to have driven down the score; not to mention either rebuild really started in S90 and I am only going to S91 due to rookie contracts. This shows that Moscow really has transitioned or really should be transitioning into a win now situation. Scary to think not only does Moscow have (S93) D - Benjamin Abenduct (OSL) @Schnee and (S91) LW - Olumide Anderson (OSL) @Theory ready to join the roster as early as next season but they also currently hold two first round pick in this season strong first round draft. How likely are we to see some of these prospect trade to rebuilding teams? Number of Prospects: 5 1st Round Picks: 4 2nd Round Picks: 0 3rd Round Picks: 1 4th Round Pick: 0 Prospect in the VHL: 2 VHL Ready Prospects: 1 Inactive Prospects: 1 Prospects (S91) D - Callum Gary Yannick Janser @Daniel Janser 1st (1st Round) (S91) D - Rin Kagamine @Rin 15th (1st Round) (S92) C - Wayne Gretzky (OSL) @MubbleFubbles 11th (1st Round) (S93) LW - Chris Reynolds Jr (OSL) @Crstats23 11th (1st Round) (S91) LW - Luna Everdeen (STO) @Dee 34th (3rd Round) Grade: B (score: 75.00) S91 Draft was the last draft ran by the old management @thadthrasher before handing over the management duties to current Manager @STZ but set the team up for the future with (S91) D - Callum Gary Yannick Janser (1st overall) @Daniel Janser and (S91) D - Rin Kagamine (15th overall) @Rin late in the first round. These two prospects joined an already young developing core and have no helped push the Americans to two consecutive playoff appearances; which should continue to be the norm with one of the better, but smallest prospect pools. Add in (S92) C - Wayne Gretzky (OSL) @MubbleFubbles; who should be VHL ready next season and (S93) LW - Chris Reynolds Jr (OSL) @Crstats23; who will be VHL the following season allowing a steady stream of young prospect to continue to flow onto the teams’ roster. New York Americans are in a good place right now as they continue to improve!! Number of Prospects: 6 1st Round Picks: 2 2nd Round Picks: 2 3rd Round Picks: 1 4th Round Pick: 0 Prospect in the VHL: 0 VHL Ready Prospects: 1 Inactive Prospects: 1 Prospects (S91) C - Spanish Moon Moth @Renomitsu 4th (1st Round) (S93) D - Chuck E Cheese (LVA) (VAS) @a_Ferk 24th (2nd Round) (S93) RW - Jack Dickins (MIS) (OSL) @Mystery_boy98 28th (2nd Round) (S91) RW - Elle Aura Ashe @Lynersify Undrafted (S93) C - Charlie klepacki (HOU) (STO) @chuck.hockey7 40th (3rd Round) (S93) G - Ondrej Vencko @Mutti 8th (1st Round) Grade: E (score: 45.83) Prague Phantoms look all but set to be heading into a rebuild with (S85) C - John Jameson @Frank, (S85) LW - Nikolas Kauppi @Tetricide and (S85) G - Matt Murdock @Acydburn retiring at the end of the season. Prague prospect pool isn`t the deepest or strongest but do have some key prospect in place with (S93) G - Ondrej Vencko @Mutti being the most important as he takes over the starting role from Murdock likely next season. Prague will look to build through what should be a deep draft this off season with four picks in the first two rounds; but they will need to really hit on their selections or they could be looking at a long rebuild. Another key prospect already in the VHL for the Phantom will be (S91) C - Spanish Moon Moth @Renomitsu as likely a key piece to build around. Prague is in for an interesting off season and draft but have put in enough effort to keep them from getting an F so far!! Number of Prospects: 12 1st Round Picks: 5 2nd Round Picks: 1 3rd Round Picks: 5 4th Round Pick: 1 Prospect in the VHL: 2 VHL Ready Prospects: 1 Inactive Prospects: 1 Prospects (S92) LW - Kimi Raikkonen @mattyIceman 9th (1st Round) (S91) G - Red Panda @Lemorse7 8th (1st Round) (S93) D - Lucy Leitner (VAS) @LucyXpher 3rd (1st Round) (S90) RW - Stefan Nikolaev (VAS) @Is_thatok 46th (3rd Round) (S91) C - Dan jr (STO) @Danzo 26th (2nd Round) (S93) RW - Yermolai Nabokov (VAS) @fonziGG 15th (1st Round) (S91) D - Bric Sheithaus (COL) @Oldhead91 38th (3rd Round) (S91) C - Caesar Monterrey (BRA) @CaptainGatsby 40th (3rd Round) (S93) C - French Fries (SSK) (ROM) @solyom 33rd (3rd Round) (S93) D - Ray Stanton (HOU) (ROM) @horoscope 16th (1st Round) (S93) LW - Elf shoes (HOU) (COL) @ELF_SH0ES 54th (4th Round) (S93) C - Isaak Robinson (MIA) (ROM) @isaak 38th (3rd Round) Grade: E (score: 47.08) End of an era in Riga as current GM @hedgehog337 will hand over the duties to a new manager at the end of the season; likely before this season draft. Hedge has done a good job collecting young roster just looking to breakout and collecting a steady stream of young talent that should give the new manager a few tools to help shape the team’s future. Three solid picks in the last three drafts (S91) G - Red Panda @Lemorse7, (S92) LW - Kimi Raikkonen @mattyIcemanand (S93) D - Lucy Leitner (VAS) @LucyXpher should make the team much better starting as soon as next season. All the other prospects are still another season or two away with eleven of the twelve prospects active tell you a lot about the scout effort put in by current so to be former management. Riga can afford to wait for these prospects to develop or use them to add pieces to improve the current roster moving forward since they have such a young roster. Add in two first round picks this season and they could really start to contend sooner than later; not to mention to see a strong prospect pool starting as soon as this season draft. Number of Prospects: 10 1st Round Picks: 6 2nd Round Picks: 2 3rd Round Picks: 2 4th Round Pick: 0 Prospect in the VHL: 4 VHL Ready Prospects: 2 Inactive Prospects: 3 Prospects (S91) LW - Toby Kadachi @ROOKIE745 14th (1st Round) (S91) RW - Gustav Mattias @Berocka 16th (1st Round) (S91) D - Mina @Baozi 12th (1st Round) (S92) G - Giorgiy Costanzov @Mongoose87 5th (1st Round) (S93) LW - Gianfranco Del Rocco (VAS) @Victor 2nd (1st Round) (S93) RW - Nathan Ecker (ROM) @Nathan_8 10th (1st Round) (S93) RW - Marek Nowaczyk (OTT) (OSL) @Chillybro 34th (3rd Round) (S92) LW - Alexis Laffayette (ROM) @DustyMclaren 21st (2nd round) (S93) D - Enn Jinn (VAS) @jhatty8 43rd (3rd Round) (S92) C - Brent Pritchett @Brent 30th (2nd Round) Grade: C (score: 61.50) The Seattle Bears are back after a strong S91 Draft that seen them select (S91) LW - Toby Kadachi @ROOKIE745, (S91) RW - Gustav Mattias @Berocka and acquiring (S91) D – Mina @Baoziin a trade; all playing in the VHL for the Bears. Mix in a few veteran players; acquired via UFA and at this season trade deadline; and the Bears won the North American Conference after starting the season as surprise team even fighting for a wildcard spot. With only one retiring player in (S85) RW - Henry Eagles @Greg_Di and two prospect ready to make their debut in the VHL next season in (S93) LW - Gianfranco Del Rocco (VAS) @Victorand (S93) RW - Nathan Ecker (ROM) @Nathan_8; the Bears will need to make a few rosters decision this off season to make room but that is always a nice situation to be in considering that Seattle should still be a contender next season. I haven`t even mentioed (S92) G - Giorgiy Costanzov @Mongoose87, the team goalie of the future who made his debut this season but could move into a back-up role to develop a bit longer behind (S86) G - Fuukka Rask @Jubis allowing the team to continue to contend without seeing a huge drop off. The VHL was hoping for a few season without being mauled by the Bears; yeah that won`t happen now!! Number of Prospects: 6 1st Round Picks: 2 2nd Round Picks: 1 3rd Round Picks: 1 4th Round Pick: 2 Prospect in the VHL: 1 VHL Ready Prospects: 1 Inactive Prospects: 2 Prospects (S91) G - Toddly Bobbly @ToddlyBobbly 30th (2nd Round) (S93) D - Gul Dukat (COL) @MSouthworth 13th (1st Round) (S92) LW - Wayne Shotzky (STO) @Kenamatic 16th (1st Round) (S93) D - Phil Taylor (OTT) (STO) @Legacy 61st (4th Round) (S91) RW - Kel Varnsen (OSL) @JayF 36th (3rd Round) (S91) C - Rory Sullivan @Odette.Boudreaux 45th (4th Round) Grade: E (score: 40.00) Toronto Legion have been contender for the past few seasons now after winning the Continental Cup in S91 so it shouldn`t come as much of surprise that Toronto doesn`t have the deepest prospect pool in the league but they have some very key prospect with (S91) G - Toddly Bobbly @ToddlyBobbly learning this season as back-up to soon to retire (S86) G - Joel Castle @animal74 and Toronto will hope he is ready to take over the net in the next season or two. Bobbly has looked good in his fifteen starts this season with an 7-3-1 record 2.84ga and 0.910sav%. (S93) D - Gul Dukat (COL) @MSouthworth should add some nice youth to the blueline next season and strength the team backend. (S92) LW - Wayne Shotzky (STO) @Kenamaticand (S93) D - Phil Taylor (OTT) (STO) @Legacy are still a few season away from joining the big club. Toronto still look to be competive for a few more season but that will depend on Bobbly transition to the starting role. Number of Prospects: 9 1st Round Picks: 7 2nd Round Picks: 1 3rd Round Picks: 1 4th Round Pick: 0 Prospect in the VHL: 6 VHL Ready Prospects: 1 Inactive Prospects: 2 Prospects (S92) RW - Logan Ninefingers @Scurvy 1st (1st Round) (S92) RW - Riley Martin @Smarch 4th (1st Round) (S92) D - Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts 7th (1st Round) (S92) D - Vlad Von Carstein @Dom 6th (1st Round) (S92) D - DB IV @wcats 12th (1st Round) (S91) G - Dalkr Vidarsson @KaleebtheMighty 9th (1st Round) (S93) RW - Annie Oaks (COL) @Noodle Enjoyer 4th (1st Round) (S92) LW - Loic Trepagoat (ROM) @Trepagoat 23rd (2nd Round) (S91) RW - Demko (ROM) @Demko 41st (3rd Round) Grade: B + (score: 76.67) Vancouver Wolves have no problem selecting in the first round with seven of the nine prospects being selected in the first round of the past three drafts, with S92 Draft being a huge turning point in the teams rebuild; where they selected five players in the first round. All seven first round picks should be in the VHL as of next season when (S93) RW - Annie Oaks (COL) @Noodle Enjoyer joins the roster. Overall score for the Wolves was hurt by later round picks both as both are currently inactive otherwise this would have been the only team with an A grade. Luckily for Vancouver they have a chance to increase their overall prospect pool and prove that they can draft in later rounds with three 3rds round picks in this season draft; not to mention adding two more highly rated players as Vancouver will select twice in the top 6 again!! Ugh!! This team should be an interesting team to watch as they have the talent to contend sooner rather than later. Number of Prospects: 14 1st Round Picks: 1 2nd Round Picks: 9 3rd Round Picks: 3 4th Round Pick: 1 Prospect in the VHL: 3 VHL Ready Prospects: 0 Inactive Prospects: 6 Prospects (S91) RW - Thor Reingaard @N0HBDY 2nd (1st Round) (S91) LW - Behrens Minion @UnknownMinion 18th (2nd Round) (S91) G - Pipo Popa @npuBeT 31st (2nd Round) (S91) C - Jacob Smith Jr (VAS) @jacobaa19 27th (2nd Round) (S90) C - Aeschylus Jigglejawns CXXXVII II (BRA) @.sniffuM 34th (3rd Round) (S90) RW - Joseph Jec (STO) @Joseph Jec 32nd (2nd Round) (S90) LW - Jorji Costova @Hybrid1486 31st (2nd Round) (S93) D - Cody Toland (OTT) (COL) @ctoland102 25th (2nd Round) (S91) RW - Dietrich Reingaard (ROM) @JigglyGumballs 28th (2nd Round) (S93) RW - Leon Bruhmaninho (SSK) (OSL) @BigBruhman 41st (3rd Round) (S91) LW - Aanarsi Reingaard (HFX) (VAS) @Laine 33rd (3rd Round) (S93) C - Gavin Bebard (MEX) (STO) @Gavin Bebard 53rd (4th Round) (S92) LW - Commander Doom (LVA) @Mech hi 29th (2nd Round) (S92) D - John Season (HFX) (ROM) @dylanjj37 28th (2nd Round) Grade: F (score: 30.36) With only one first round draft pick in the past three season in their current prospect pool you would think Warsaw has been a contender but sometimes things just don`t work out as planned; no matter how good they actually look on paper. Also, when I look at Warsaw this shows the state of the prospect pool and the league ability to generate top end talent more than Warsaw’s ability to draft. With nine second round picks you would think Warsaw has a decent prospect pool but it has been rather hit or miss. Four of the nine second round prospect have gone inactive, retired or have large stretches of inactivity. Warsaw actually has been rather unlucky. Warsaw is still a young and developing team; that really needs (S91) G - Pipo Popa @npuBeT to take over the starting role in a season or two from newly acquired (S86) G - Lachlan Summers @kirbithan. Warsaw will also look for (S91) LW - Behrens Minion @UnknownMinion to take a larger step forward along with the other prospects; who are still a few seasons away. (S91) C - Jacob Smith Jr (VAS) @jacobaa19 at the moment is the next prospect to likely make the Predators roster but that won`t be until S95 unless fast tracked. Overall Ranking of Teams Prospect Pools: Team name Score International Grade Chicago Phoenix 78.33 B + Vancouver Wolves 76.67 B + New York Americans 75.00 B Seattle Bears 61.50 C Moscow Menace 59.54 C Riga Reign 47.08 E Prague Phantoms 45.83 E D.C. Dragons 41.67 E HC Davos Dynamo 40.56 E Toronto Legion 40.00 E Malmo Nighthawks 37.86 F Helsinki Titans 30.77 F Warsaw Predators 30.36 F Calgary Wranglers 29.00 F Los Angeles Stars 28.57 F London United 12.50 F

Gonna keep it short here. You may seen or not my April 1st post in here where I was messing around on stepping down and thing. Except this was a hint, not joke. Following this season I'm no longer a Riga Reign GM. The reason is pretty basic, nothing left in the tank. My involvement in sim leagues is on the way to non existent at this point. And as Riga is close to competing again, there is a need of a way more energetic GM who can make this happen. I'm fairly sure that this time my interest won't come back the same way it did couple of times before. But it was fun times regardless, especially when I was on my prime. Just wish I had more cups lol (here is the part where I'll blame Simon for one last time). So yeah, nothing much else to say. Thanks everyone for the fish and good luck! P.S. don't show this thread to Bana, cause he bout to have a heart attack from happiness

NEED I SAY MORE?

Player Information Username: aimkin Player Name: Ahsoka Tano Recruited From: Returning Age: 31 Position: D Height: 75 in. Weight: 165 lbs. Birthplace: Greenland Player Page @VHLM GM

Some come to laugh their past away Some come to make it just one more day Whichever way your pleasure tends If you plant ice, you're gonna harvest wind -from the Grateful Dead's "Franklin's Tower" As of next season, I will have spent 30 seasons in the VHL. I've always been a big fan of the VHL's 30 in 30 series for telling me lots of stories about the league from before my time. These brought up things that I wouldn't necessarily have gotten from reading through old indexes and checking out records, and that's lived experience--people giving perspectives on the things that happened, instead of just lists of those things that happened. Thanks to those articles, I learned why lots of the things I'd heard about were significant, and the views offered in them also served as a valuable time capsule for me as I learned how important some things are to the league despite never being talked about anymore. So, because I hate myself, I'm doing one of my own. This isn't intended to be a comprehensive picture of league history over the past 30 seasons, nor is it a VHL 30 in 30 in its own right. I'm writing a Gustav 30 in 30, recounting not the league's history but my own and going through what's been most important to me across hopefully the next season and a half and probably a bit longer than that. And what's a better place to start than at the very beginning? It's a very good place to start, after all. Installment number one of 30, here we go It was 2019, and then-18-year-old me was on the floor of my bedroom lost on Reddit. I remember fairly clearly having been "in the middle of some homework," which to me meant that the second I came across anything I couldn't do off the top of my head, I'd pick up my phone and scroll through it for an hour like the degenerate I am. Seriously, my degree probably would have come pretty easily if I could make myself stop doing that. I also remember getting the sort of foggy head feeling that one gets after staring at a screen for hours on end. I'm not sure if this was from whatever I was doing, or my phone, or both, but you'd think that one little promotional post on r/sabres wouldn't tip the scales in favor of (let's be honest) a whole lot more staring at screens in that moment. I'm sure you know where this is going, because you're seeing the product of where it's gone. I joined the forum, made a few "please help me" posts, did my first press conference, and actually closed the VHL window and figured I'd seen about enough. The reason why I came back was that I was dumb enough to still sign up for things with an email address that I actually check, and later that day I got a scouting message from @Thranduil (then a long-time AGM in Halifax) in my inbox. So...yeah, whatever, maybe I'll see what happens after this "draft" people are talking about. After all, I read through the very short-lived and now entirely-nonexistent-on-the-forum VHLM newsletter (recruitment, take note!) and enjoyed it. VHLM Gustav lasted until the 5th round and was taken 36th overall. I'd been scouted two or three times at the time, having joined two or three days before the draft and not earned much yet. But it's pretty safe to say that first-ever Bulls GM @Rin hit on a pick, kicking off what would be a formative first season for me (and one that you'll see talked about across the first few installments of this series). I'd been invited to join the team server and was initially really hesitant--I'd never talked to random people online before and wasn't sure I wanted to--but jumped in late at night (in the middle of some other assignment that I wasn't really doing) and had a good conversation right away about player builds and stuff. I think that sort of thing was a bit intoxicating for an 18-year-old kid whose friends were suddenly all busy moving away and having responsibilities. I suddenly had a group to hang out with whenever I wanted it again, and that really built a sort of bond with this place that I don't think I'd have if I joined today. I'm not sure what I thought the VHL was when I joined. I don't remember being particularly surprised (I was never someone who thought we were a gaming community) but I also remember being mildly taken aback when I heard that our sim output was entirely text-based. I spent a few sims reading through the full play-by-play (because new people stuff; why not?) and thought it was cool anyway. In a way, I miss skimming through that and being excited to see that my player intercepted a pass or whatnot. As far as earning and being part of the community went, it took me a minute. I wasn't always the word-dumper I am today. Instead, my first mark on the league was made in team-specific shitpost articles with very long titles. This extended anywhere from my teammates being detained at airports for "looking too Nordic" to Halifax secretly being a satanic cult to me running player quotes through a colloquial Scottish English translator for some aggressively Groundskeeper Willie-type energy. I was well-entrenched in writing media spots by this point, but my first serious article didn't even come out until halfway through that first season. I won't give away the rest, but S65 was a great time. I learned a lot, got to know lots of people, and grew to appreciate the culture of the VHL. And if you're interested in hearing more of a deep dive into my history--stick around. It's coming just as soon as I can make it.

Okay, I am finding the weeks are either getting shorter or we are really speeding through this season as we now reach the halfway mark of the season, school is just starting for most here in Japan and Spirng is in full bloom; is that same situation for everywhere else as I thought that I had seen Alberta managed to get some more snow. I really live in a bubble now that I am an expat!! Eitherway you didn`t come here from me to talk about the weather but rather to see what I think of your teams chances and to rub some salt into the fact that I was most likely incorrect again!! Well, Lets get started since we didn`t have any think fake that I am aware of this week!! Current Standings: Standings Record Points Last Wk Prediction Last Wk 1. Toronto Legion 29-8-1 59pts 11-2-1 1st North American 2. D.C. Dragons 27-10-1 55pts 7-6-1 2nd North American 3. New York Americans 21-11-6 48pts 8-4-3 4th North American 4. Seattle Bears 22-14-2 46pts 8-5-1 5th North American 5. Chicago Phoenix 17-14-7 41pts 6-3-5 6th North American 6. Vancouver Wolves 15-19-3 34pts 8-5-1 7th North American 7. Calgary Wranglers 16-21-1 33pts 4-9-1 3rd North American 8. Los Angeles Stars 1-36-0 2pts 0-13-0 8th North American Next Week Predictions: 1. After post back-to-back weeks with eleven wins; it is very hard to bet against the Toronto Legion at this moment. The Legion should once again be looking at their third week with eleven wins and should hold down the top spot in the North American conference for a second week. Scoring by committee with five different players with more than twenty goals (Diego Machado @Dadam30(28-36-64pts), Harry Callahan @dstevensonjr (21-40-61pts), Jimi Jaks @ke1vi(27-31-58pts), Mac Atlas @v.2 (24-28-52pts) and Steve Lattimer @pugsood(25-27-52pts) already on the season shows how well the offense is spread. Add in another strong season from Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer and you have a unstoppable Legion marching to their own beat. 2. Battle of the Legion and Dragons should heat up this week as the teams face off against each other to start the week. In the end I cannot see the Dragons over taking Toronto but should at least keep pace with the team from the North American hockey capital of the world. Ugh!! If the Dragons have any chance at taking the fight to the Legion they will need Mark Calaway @Beketov(17-39-56pts) to climb back on top of the defensive scoring leader board and The Frenchman @OrbitingDeath (27-42-69pts) needs to stay as hot as coq au vin!! 3. Can New York prove that they are a contender in the North American conference? Well, if they have any chance it would be this week as they have a weak schedule and should actually pull away; and hopefully secure third in the conference. FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist @STZ(22-18-40pts) and Francesco Mancini @GioSivo(16-24-40pts) will need to be better if my prediction is going to come with fruits of my labor. 36W @rory(2.26ga & 0.933%) is still showing that you can never have enough W in one name. While I jest, will New York actually break the Longest cup droughts of all time or will this reach 40 seasons? Yes, I brought this up!! What!! 4. The Bears looks set to fall back slightly this week but I think they have locked themselves into a playoff spot; if asked at the start of the season would I have said the Bears make the playoffs? Double Hockey sticks no!! The Eagle finally learned how to fly in Henry Eagles @Greg_Di(23-34-57pts) and who knew ice cream and cookie could be so great in Oreo McFleury @JB123(23-30-53pts). Not to mention that the House Targaryen symbol was not that of Dragon but rather that of a bear making Severus Targaryen @Banackock(21-29-50pts) feel right at home in Seattle. Congrats on most likely proving this writer wrong and making the playoffs; now don`t mess it up!! 5. Chicago will try to raise this week but, in the end, I think they might be in tough just not to get burned by the ashes as the Phoenix are set for a European invasion. Chicago will either raise from the ashes this week or become ashes so will look to keep Yaroslav Trunov @qripll(30-25-55pts) hot!! Putting some shrimp on the bbq keeps them tasty as Babay Shrimp @Blazzer(13-34-47pts) has shown so far this season. Phoenix will need fan the flames of Ryan Artyomov @Enorama(3.53ga & 0.906%) and see if he catches fire and becomes a Phoenix reborn. Playoff are within reach if Chicago can just avoid being wrangled in or chased off by wolves!! 6. Hey, you know that trade? No not the fake one!! The one completed last week with Calgary; Well, Yeah, that seems to be working out just fine for the Wolves from Vancouver. As the Wolves seem more like a pack going 8-5-1 since that trade and announcement of a leadership group lead by Liv Slater @Subject056(16-23-39pts) or was it due to the bar fight with Calgary fans; in which fingers might have been gifted between players; bring the team closer together on and off the ice. More Seriously Logan Ninefingers @Scurvy(12-15-27pts) finally seems more comfortable and should help pack hunt down a playoff birth. It remains very close between Calgary, Chicago and Vancouver so I have no faith in this placement. 7. Last week I asked the question if Calgary was going to be contenders or pretenders. Well, With a resounding F bomb to my predictions; Calgary has proven that they cannot wrangle their way into a playoffs or higher up the standings. Calgary will need to wrangle up some wins and wrangle up some offense; which at this point of the season; I think we all know that is unlikely!! Phil Strasmore @Phil (9-26-35pts) has been a physical presence on the back end and is really wrangling up the defense for the Wranglers!! Calgary still has a chance at the playoff but they need to stop playing with the fire of the Phoenix and try to keep the wolves a bay!! 8. Huge week for Los Angeles as they once again look to lose every single game for the third straight week. Makes me wonder if they have any fans or stars left coming to their games. Battle for last will provide some star light but it might not be that bright!! Dim season for Los Angeles but the future will look much brighter after this week. Fans will be wishing to continue to see a falling stars. Current Standings: Standings Record Points Last Wk Prediction Last Wk 1. Moscow Menace 26-9-3 55pts 9-3-1 1st European Conference 2. London United 24-10-4 52pts 9-4-1 2nd European Conference 3. Malmo Nighthawks 24-9-4 52pts 8-3-2 3rd European Conference 4. Prague Phantoms 24-10-4 52pts 10-3-0 4th European Conference 5. Warsaw Predators 22-13-2 46pts 8-4-1 5th European Conference 6. Helsinki Titans 19-18-0 38pts 8-5-0 6th European Conference 7. Riga Reign 11-23-4 26pts 1-10-2 7th European Conference 8. HC Davos Dynamo 4-32-2 10pts 3-10-1 8th European Conference Next Week Predictions: 1. Moscow will continue to be a menace in the backsides of the European Conference as I once again have the club from Moscow finish a top of the conference as Axle Gunner @Steve(21-32-53pts) continue to gun down the league and Jeff Lewis @nerji(20-31-51pts) isn`t flipping out; just yet!! Moscow also has a grasp of that it is easier to be a menace as part of a gang with eight players at a point per game or higher. No I am not labeling them all here as these articles are long enough as they are. (that want she said!!) The Menace have the rest of the league looking at help self books on how to deal with a pain in the donkey as that is what the Menace are becoming!! 2. Tied for second, third and fourth isn`t that great is it? Actually if you are playing as united as the United are than you will be more than happy to looking at the playoffs. London is showing it is no Sjin @Sjin (21-29-50pts) to act like a Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ(29-39-68pts) as it is actually quite Leonard Triller @Triller(24-33-57pts). Was that a bit of reach? LOL!! Jesse Teno @aimkin(2.59ga & 0.923%) showing he still very much an artist like Jesse Reno!! London are banded together sing “Going to London” all the way to the playoffs. 3. The Nighthawks are trying to hawk everyone into believing that they are the best and are being down right hawkish!! Instead of using their obscurity to have the rest gawking come the playoffs. One of the peacocking hawks is Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro(2.61ga & 0.921%); who rightfully can be a bit hawkish but might want to watch sparking other teams!! Jacob Stone @scoop(12-36-48pts) will hope that Hawks don`t drop like a stone come playoff time once again. While Viktor Jensen @Advantage(21-29-50pts) will try to dictate a different outcome!! How Hawkish with the Nighthawks be come playoffs? 4. Last week I rather suggested that Prague should look at making a trade or two but I was rather ghosted on that one!! The Phantoms are proving a bit more than a hallucination after drinking too much John Jameson @Frank(29-43-72pts) and a kid with nightmares after eating too much Skor McFleury @Alex(13-47-60pts) while laying in bed looking at Spanish Moon Moth @Renomitsu (25-31-56pts) needing Matt Murdock @Acydburn (2.70ga & 0.934%) to solve a crime of how the Phantoms continue haunt the league with a limited roster. Prague will continue to haunt the league and have many concerned about the Phantoms wraith!! 5. Warsaw is still showing that they still have some teeth and are an animal of prey. Lachlan Summers @kirbithan(2.60ga & 0.934%) still looks like a lion on vacation that continue to be a man-eatting carnivore just devouring the league leading scorers. While Maxim Anisimov @McLovin(25-33-58pts) is proving that he is no fat cat like Vasily!! While Thor Reingaard @N0HBDY(26-27-53pts) might just be a god with more than amazing blond hair. None of that compares to the great defensive play of Rex Wolffe Gregor @oilmandan(11-29-40pts), but don`t look at this man being cloned. Can Warsaw continue to feast and prey to make the playoffs? 6. Helsinki has a behemoth of a task ahead of them just to try to get back in the playoff picture as the look more like a bulky monster of mammoth stranded on a mountain rather than a gods most associate with Titans. Daryl Dixon @Ricer13(20-26-46pts) must think he is back in the walking dead and might rather want to put his head into YaBoi Oven @Doomsday(11-32-43pts) and light a match. Helsinki season has been an Adi Dassler @BOOM(7-19-26pts) and will hope that it will stay Kronchy Kardashian @Garsh(12-26-38pts) rather than go soggy. Either way Fuukka Rask @Jubis(2.97ga & 0.918%) will need to be up to the task otherwise Helsinki will continue to flop around like a beached titan of a whale!! 7. The Monarch has fallen with the announcement of long-term GM @hedgehog337 tenure will come to a close ending a dynasty in Riga. Can he use his influence to rein it in for Riga to make the playoffs? Kimi Raikkonen @mattyIceman(11-17-28pts) on his day could rein in anyone in a formula one car but might not be able to sway things his way as the Reign are playing like they are wearing Elf shoes @ELF_SH0ES(1-1-2pts) while also playing like Reginald the Dodo @Esso2264(9-19-28pts) birds or a bit of a blockheads. Who will have the Eno Velvson @Nykonax(12-19-31pts) to turn these boobs into a new team of dynasty? 8. Holly Davos!! The achieved something that I didn`t expect last week. Yup, the generated a few wins through hard work and being a spak plug kids. Does that mean that they will win more this week. Yup, say hello to the fallen Stars of Los Angeles so I can almost say dynamo might be a mover and shaker this week but will still be last by the end of the week. Say hello to second overall; all depending the outcome of the lotto of course!! Final Thought: 68.75% this week or 11/16 and would have been much better if we didn`t find out that Calgary was a bunch of pretenders unable to wrangle in anyone in the North American conference. European Conference is where all the real action is taking place with top four teams all within reach the conference title but that also means overall the playoff teams are locked and loaded; only fighting for positions. While in the North American conference we have three polite guys all holding the door wide open for each other but no one has bothered to walk through; yet!! This might continue to a while and if it does it might become rather annoying rather than entertaining.

The Houston Bulls achieve 1000 Franchise Regular Season Wins! Graphic Credit: @Vice Entering S93 the Houston Bulls had a total of 988 regular season wins all time. In our 12th win this season, Houston has officially reached the milestone of 1000 Franchise regular season wins. If you'd like to check our history, click me. I want to give a shoutout to the former GMs before me as well, here is the list of wins each GM contributed: S65, S71-S72 @Sonnet - 67 S66-S70 @FrostBeard - 162 S73-S79 @rjfryman - 248 S80-S82 @Moon - 142 (@mattyIceman in S80 too) S83 @Arce - 21 S84-S89, S92-present @AJW - 291 S90-S91 @STZ - 69 Total: 1000 It is very nice to be GM of a franchise with a deep history already, Houston only entered the VHLM in S65, so in 25ish seasons we have averaged roughly shy of 40 wins/season... Tradition, Playoffs, and Development Tradition is something I want to create more of for my team in Houston and reaching this milestone is huge for us. In 25+ seasons the Houston Bulls are still itching for our 2nd Founder's Cup, only hoisting it once in S68. Since my arrival in S84 I am unfortunate to say that I do not sit on the podium along side Frosty, but our playoff history in the last 10 seasons is something that is progressing! S84: 1st round exit S85: Missed Playoffs S86: 1st round exit S87: 2nd round exit S88: 1st round exit S89: 1st round exit S90: Missed Playoffs S91: 2nd round exit S92: 2nd round exit Current S93: 5th overall in standings Houston may hold the 2nd round curse I can't lie. I've been GM for 8 seasons here now and that is the furthest I have managed to push my team. With consistent failure eventually comes success, and I am finding Houston to have success in many other ways besides winning games and trophies. As well as team tradition in consistent playoff appearances and competitive rosters, our team pumps out a lot of young talent! We pride ourselves on development of our players and have seen a lot of recent draft success and gains in TPE. Here's a TPE update on last and current season's rosters to see how everyone's earnings are doing: S92 Roster Antonia Bucatini: 518 TPE Nathan Ecker: 312 TPE Chris Reynolds Jr: 307 TPE Tyler Lawson: 251 TPE Barry McOckiner: 231 TPE Filip Zinek: 175 TPE Jack Dickins: 201 TPE Miner vHLer: 341 TPE Micah Cederbaum: 162 TPE Benjamin Abenduct: 351 TPE Lucy Leitner: 385 TPE Cody Toland: 230 TPE Toby Cook: 150 TPE Ondrej Vencko: 290 TPE Herald Benson: 270 TPE S93 Current Season Roster Filip Zinek: 175 TPE Johnny Tsunami: 169 TPE Elf shoes: 158 TPE Charlie klepacki: 132 TPE Cole Stermer: 130 TPE Hulk Smash: 82 TPE Tommy James Longpre: 67 TPE Ray Stanton: 220 TPE Billy Joel: 214 TPE Wladyslaw Mintus: 206 TPE LaClapbomb Hitstick IV: 70 TPE Herald Benson: 270 TPE Already in last season's roster 12/16 players are ready to move up to the VHLE next season if they haven't already done so. So far with this season's roster we have 10/12 over the 100 TPE mark and 7/12 over the 150 TPE mark. This is really awesome for our team as it puts Houston on the draft map for VHLE and VHL teams to draft our players. With consistent draft success coming from the consistent TPE earning of these talented players, Houston can make a stronger name for itself in the development aspect of our league. It will always be our goal to put the best team on the ice in order to win trophies for our club! Development is the first key of success towards that, so I am pleased to bring in so many new faces who want to hop on board. If you're curious towards our roster this season, we actually made some recent moves! Starting off the season, Houston only acquired contract rights to goaltender Herald Benson. With that in mind and a short stock of draft picks, I traded for two forwards from Miami: Elf shoes and Charlie klepacki. After that, the draft was under way and Houston came out with 2 defenders: Billy Joel and Wladyslaw Mintus, and another forward: Cole Stermer, bringing our roster total to a 4-2-1. This was below bare minimum and thankfully two waivers decided to join right away, forwards: Hulk Smash and Tommy James Longpre. The season rolled on and Houston was only successful for one more waiver signing in forward: Johnny Tsunami, bringing our roster to a 7-2-1. With trade deadline around the corner, a second trade was needing to be made: Graphic Credit: @Vice Defenders Ray Stanton and LaClapbomb Hitstick IV enter the locker room for the cost of two future draft picks. Houston was in need of the support on the blue line in order to have a successful playoff run this season. With second season star Herald Benson putting up league leading numbers, and our second line of forwards: Cole Stermer, Charlie klepacki, and Elf shoes leading the charge on offense, this trade felt like the missing puzzle piece we needed. Before the trade, Houston was riding a last ten game record of 4-5-1. Since the trade, the Bulls have managed to come out of their slump and hold a winning 6-4 record heading towards the trade deadline. I feel good with our play as of late and Houston management will no longer be looking to move assets until the off-season. One more trade was made recently, here, where I made the trade in order to meet S94 pick compliancy. S95 pick compliancy will be a future problem to deal with. --- Now here we are in present date. Houston sits in 3rd, 1 point behind the Las Vegas Aces for 1st place in the Western Conference. It will be a battle to the finish line but I have full faith in the squad we have created this season to find another deep playoff run. The birdies have also been chirping and a recruitment drive may take place following this season's trade deadline. Will Houston see some new faces enter the locker room? Hopefully a fuller roster can be a reality for the Bulls as playoffs are only weeks away. Either way, thank you again to anyone and everyone who has contributed towards Houston's all time team success. 1000 wins is a huge accomplishment that I will hold high for us Houston Bulls

I promise this image made perfect sense in context. The game of Mafia was invented in 1987 by a student at Moscow State University who has definitely never heard of the VHL. That student probably never envisioned Among Us the lengths to which the world would go to study the game, from profitable spin-offs to home-brew versions to even real mathematical research devoted to its analysis. Playing a game like Mafia requires intuition, wit, and lots of knowledge of game mechanics. And running one takes even more. My first exposure to Mafia came much earlier than I thought it was, when @Nykonax floated the idea of a game way back in May of 2019--this would have been S66. He ended up getting a decent-sized player list and making a game happen. At the time, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Not much that was being said in the game thread made much sense to me, and I walked away from the experience considering it largely forgettable. But, I was now aware that this was a thing that could be done on forums. I must have retained that knowledge pretty soon after that, because I remember playing a game in the SBA right around the time of our affiliation fallout. That changed not much of anything about what I knew about the game, but I had retained the basic idea of talking during the day and doing things at night. I'd also joined the EFL (which I will openly admit was fueled by wanting affiliate checks), and in one of those affiliate leagues, I had my first exposure to Town of Salem--a game that you can find on Steam (although I've never played it) that is essentially just a fancy version of Mafia. It turns out that, as a fancy version of Mafia, Town of Salem (or ToS) is readily adapted to a forum game. I still didn't really know what I was talking about in the EFL, but they had a long rule thread and I was more comfortable hanging around there with it being a league that I knew had nothing against me being VHL-first. By this point, it was clear to me that--even though I was clueless--the Mafia concept had managed to stick around for more than just a one-off in our affiliate leagues, and I'd also watched lots of people in those leagues play the games and like them a lot. It was something the VHL was missing, and I was bored--so I figured I should take matters into my own incompetent hands. For those of you who are unfamiliar by this point, Mafia (in general) is a two-sided game consisting of an "informed minority," or an "evil" group of players who plot with each other behind the scenes to kill the others, and an "uninformed majority," or a "good" group who must use their own skills and find out who the bad ones are by talking out in the open (where the bad ones try to blend in and mess with their plans). There are lots of variations on this, many with more unique roles than others. I wasn't confident, so I eventually found myself digging through rule sets on some mafia game forum and settling on a game called Cult in the Jungle Republic where 12 of the 19 people who would end up playing were just residents of the town with no special abilities. We played the game, but most people didn't really like it for that reason--why would you want to play the game where you really couldn't do much aside from following votes? So, it was clear to me that to keep this thing going, we would need to go full Town of Salem--where every single player has a job to do and there are lots of layers to the game beyond just Town and Mafia. Did I establish by this point that I had no clue what I was doing? Whatever. In any case, I relied on two things in equal measure to learn the game, without either of which the game would not be possible. The first was the Town of Salem Wiki, which has every possible role extensively documented with enough information that a game can be run if you read closely enough. The second was @omgitshim, who has every possible role also extensively documented in his head, as well as enough patience that a game can be run even if you're stupid. I spent lots of hours over lots of days dealing with both of those until I felt that I got the point, and then I finally put up the sign-up thread for the VHL's first-ever game of Town of Salem, just over a year after I joined the league and about four months after Cult in the Jungle Republic flopped. Check out the date on that one--is it really a surprise to anyone that we all had the time in our lives to get the game off the ground? ToS #1 was a success, all in all. It took forever--no other game we've played has even started to approach Day 13--but it was a big learning experience for lots of people (myself included) and I had an absolute blast every time I started the night phase and got to see in real time who was taking shots at who. I stuck with asking OMG everything for the most part, but made it through my first game ever without a major crisis. I knew I'd run lots of games at the start, but I had no idea just how frequently I was doing it and I could never pull that type of thing off today. Within a week, I was signing people up for Game 2, and we'd run up 10 games between the end of March and the end of August--that's one game (which itself took just over a week on average between sign-up and last kill) about every two weeks over that time. I'm honestly shocked that we were able to maintain our player base that constantly, but I suppose that's all we had going on over the summer of 2020. In a way, I wouldn't doubt it if COVID was what gave us the amount of interested people to begin with, or if it was the reason why ToS caught on. Regardless, lots of those interested people deserve my mentions. My handy-dandy stat tracking sheets give me all the info I need to tag those who have been involved the most--obviously OMG, but he and @eaglesfan036 have been considered our nastiest, most competent players from the very start. @Doomsday, @Ricer13, @jhatty8, and @Berocka can also all claim to have played just about every single game we've run (with Eagles, Berocka, and @Devise both running their own spin-off versions of ToS at one point or another). Some others who have stuck around consistently for a long time and are still active in our threads today are @Spartan , @Advantage, @N0HBDY, @rory, @Alex, and even @Ptyrell, who has never had a VHL player but has posted over 1,000 times on our forum for ToS and related games (including his own creative project, Town of Pallet). All of these and much, much more have made Town of Salem what it is, which is an awesome way for the community to really feel like a community. I've had so much fun watching everyone go at each other over the past four years (!) and I'm looking forward to a lot more. To bring it back to being a point in the series about my own personal history, this wasn't the first time I decided to just do something fun for the community rather than waiting for it, but it was the most work I'd ever put into that. I think the league would be a much better place if it had more "just doing" in it, and Town of Salem is something I'll always be able to point to as an example of that. Even though it has absolutely nothing to do with the sim hockey part of the league (and therefore is just one of the "intangibles" on my record), I consider it one of my biggest VHL accomplishments and really feel that it deserves a solid place in this series. Read my other articles for the full Gustav experience: #1: Lightning Glory Gonna Be My Name #2: Can't We All Just Get Along? #3: Who Needs Cybersecurity Anyway? #4: The House That I Built #5: Can We Fix It? #6: American Beauty #7: The Kids Are Alright #8: Dogs In A Pile #9: I Just Wanna Grill For God's Sake #10: This Old House

Nikolas Kauppi is my first-generation player, and I gotta say...I'm proud of what I built. Played 2 seasons in the M, 1 in the E, and the rest all in Prague for the VHL. Had a crazy sophomore slump and was denied the Funk trophy the following season by one vote (yeah I'm still hurt by it ). Continued to be ~80 point producer up until this season. I'll add it up to the slider changes that were implemented, but I'm not complaining. I'm just happy he was finally able to break the 100 point barrier and basically do cartwheels on the ice. I originally intended him to be a power forward, but his hits pale in comparison to those who have a more gritty build. Despite no individual awards (probably not this season either, but I'm not waiting to find out before posting this), Kauppi was a part of Oslo's back-to-back Renaissance Cup wins as well as Prague's first ever Continental Cup. I created Bobbus Dingus, an interviewer who had a strange friendship with Kauppi. I make more graphics than articles, but who's to say Bobbus won't be back for my Thorvaldsson era... It's bitter-sweet as I close out the final chapter of Kauppi, but now it's time for him to retire and learn how to use a 9 iron.

Thank you all for your nominations! Receiving more than 1 vote and therefore a place on the ballot are... @Banackock @LucyXpher @Spartan also receiving a vote each were... @AJW @Ahma @Beketov @Joel Main @Tetricide @UghSike @ace_five_ @dlamb and @dstevensonjr If you would like to know what you got nominated for, please PM me. I won't be able to respond promptly as currently travelling but I can let you know when I'm back next week.

I think the leadup to the VHL Draft is probably one of my favourite portions a career. Considering how the last draft cycle went for me, with me spending a large portion of my career with the team that drafted me, building a dynasty with them and eventually winning our Continental Cup together, my hopes are high. Looking forward to my VHL career, my goal this time around is being in the right place at the right time for my personal career. I had a blast riding on Daniel Janser’s coattails last time around, and I still hold that time very dear to me. But this time I’m giving myself the best odds to get myself a legendary personal career. I will be communicative, I will be helpful, I will give my all to whichever franchise has my contract currently. But I will have no objection to hitting FA or working towards trades. With that in mind, I want to outline my current thoughts toward each of the VHL Franchises and how I think they will fit my player, Jillian Woods. Calgary Wranglers Funnily enough, this is the only VHL Franchise to have drafted me. Never played for them the first time around, as they seem to have just picked BPA and then ended up with a bunch of random VHL-ish goalie prospects and shipped me off. Landon Wolanin obviously played a large chunk of time there. Seeing how Strasmore, McFleury and Stauffer have struggled to put up offense though, I am not sure this is a good fit right now. Chicago Phoenix Cole is a GM that I’ve always wanted to play for, and there are a decent amount of young prospects that should have a good amount of success. I’m not sure they have a Janser-level talent here, but this feels very reminiscent of what Calgary looked like coming into S84. I fear that I would probably ride along with Lamb and Collberg for a long while before I could ever step into my own. It would be a great ride, but I wonder if there are better options for my personal success. D.C. Dragons D.C is an interesting scenario. They’re very obviously putting their efforts into winning right here, right now. They’ve got the next couple of seasons lined up, assuming they can find a Tucker Jr replacement, but this could be a great shot for someone like me to shine. Sure, they’ve got Calaway and some really solid supplementary defenders, but a second defender here could get some really strong usage on a team that will certainly score goals. HC Davos Dynamo Davos has very little on their roster, but a ton of draft capital and prospects. This was an expertly planned rebuild, and should be a very potent team. They’ve secured Bucatini and Forum Content up front that should be high TPA players, some decent goaltending prospects, but their main lack here is on defense. Getting to be the player who can take advantage of some high-potential players, especially while the talent level is still low, would give me a great shot of shooting out the gate hot. Helsinki Titans I’m not really sure what to make of Helsinki at this point. This season was obviously not supposed to have happened this way for the team, they had lots of talent, but were a piece or 2 short of the rest of the insanity that is Europe at the moment. They have a lot of prospects, but very few in VHLE territory and none above 300TPA. Most of the team will be aging out by the time I’d be getting around, but for a couple seasons, maybe we could get up to some trouble. Not hugely optimistic though. London United ... hi guys. If you’ve been paying attention to the United roster over the last few seasons, I am a high-TPA defender hater. I much prefer to dump my cap into forwards and goaltenders, which yes, is ironic since I made a defender. I’m sure if I was on the board for myself I would take myself, but we both know that won’t happen, and I’ll be okay without that happening. Los Angeles Stars Not much here to talk about. Much like Helsinki they have a lot of prospects but not many that are near the VHL roster. I wouldn’t mind being one of the first pieces, but I’d probably prefer being the second draft of a rebuild. Malmo Nighthawks This has always been a very D-heavy franchise, and I’m sure Kaleeb knows how to sling D around by now. McFleury will be gone, and Stone aging out, could be a great chance for me to step inat the perfect time to become the next guy. The question is whether there will still be a contending team by that point. Moscow Menace Who keeps giving Moscow picks? Yeah this team is already a contender and has a boatload more picks coming. There’s no room for me I’m afraid, even if it would be a great ship to ride along on. New York Americans This team has been built from the back, and should be set there for the first half of my career. I don’t really think this is the spot that gets me the best start. I will cheer them on in their attempt to break the curse though, as I do always love a curse-breaker. If I were a forward, this would be a prime target for me. Prague Phantoms Prague is on a heater here in their last-ditch effort to get another Cup. By the time I’m up, there won’t much left from the current roster, if anything. They may not have much to sell and this may be a long rebuild. Much like the Stars, could be fun to be a first piece, but I’d much prefer to be in the second draft of a rebuild. Riga Reign Riga will have a new GM coming in for the first time in forever. This core didn’t really turn out, but some pieces could carry over, or some real assets could be recouped and a great team created. This is a really enticing spot for me, and I’m hoping that a great GM can be put in to run this rebuild. Seattle Bears I have always been a Seattle hater, as a Wranglers fan. But hey Leandro and Ricer have both done a stint there, so surely it can’t be that taboo. I can never really project what Seattle will be with Bana’s unique ability to just decide to compete and then it just happens. If I were to pick a positional need now though, it would be on defense and with a lot of talent retiring shortly, I could certainly find a spot in their retool, along with Mina. Toronto Legion Toronto is another team all in, and have a lot of talent retiring in the next couple of seasons. If they choose to ride to the end, this could be a tough rebuild, but they could also be the best team in the league for a couple more seasons. Really depends on what their plan is as to whether I would want to be in on this team. Could either be a really convenient timing on my part, or being the worst defender on a stacked, aging roster. Vancouver Wolves This is pretty much the same situation as Moscow, but a couple seasons behind. This team is loaded, will probably secure their final pieces this draft and move on to kick our asses until we change the rules again. Some things never change my friends and Vancouver winning in the finals against Moscow may once again be on the cards for the next 5 seasons. Oh, and there’s no room for me in this inn. Warsaw Predators This is the oldest, youngest team out there. I fear they may be perpetually cursed to have 3 good pieces forever. What it does mean is that the top couple of players on this squad rack up major success, but the team ends 5th or 6th. Would be a great launching point for me, and maybe I can help break the cycle! I have fond, distant memories of Warsaw, and would love to be back at some point. Anyways, that’s about it. Some final disclaimers here for legal purposes. This article does not replace a draft interview. This article does not exclude anyone. I will sign with whichever team drafts me. I may not extend beyond that, but this article does not imply the results of that future decision. This article is not meant to sway opinion, encourage tomfoolery, or break any rules. Any names and likenesses are purely circumstantial. I am not liable for any decisions made from here on out. This is not legal advice. Talk to your doctor before drafting Jillian Woods. Not available to citizens in Quebec, Texas, Florida and Nova Scotia. Also shoutout to this ridiculous S94 Class, and this wave of defenders who will inevitably kick my ass my whole career.

After Halifax clinched a playoff spot last week, captain Andrew Skilton @ace_five_ decided to take the team out for dinner at the highest-rated restaurant he could find in the city and treat them all to some fine dining. He worked his magic and got them a reservation for 20 for the following evening to celebrate the accomplishment – the first goal of the season being complete. Andrew knew it was going to be a new experience for most of the team, considering the average age of the team is just over 19, with most being 18 or younger. Arriving first, just after Skilton and 20 minutes early, was newcomer Phil Sakic @Phil. Ready to impress and maybe trying to assert some dominance, Sakic took a seat at the head of the table. Coming in together not too much later were management icons @LucyXpher and @Will3. They casually took a seat while making some small talk with Sakic. Entering with some laughter and light ribbing were big guns John Season @dylanjj37, Maple Dogwood @dogwoodmaple, and Pierre Marc Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito, who showed up just before the reservation time together, with Season dethroning Sakic and taking the head of the table. Right on time, in strolled Connor Simard @Alex99 and Jon Webber III @Webberj, who were coming out of a light jog and checking their watches to make sure they weren’t late. Tommy Shelby @Will was next to enter the restaurant, fashionably (literally) late as usual without a care in the world. He sat right in the centre to make sure he could hear and speak to everyone equally. As everyone was getting their drink orders in, some loud laughing could be heard at the entrance as Dustin Moore @Maxx and Alexandr Novotny @Patrik Tallinder made their way in. A fist bump could be seen as the two came around the corner grinning at each other. Trickling in after that were Aanarsi Reingaard @Laine, Ty Duke @TheDuke, Captain Nugget Jr. @Captain nugget and Dorji Khan @Oddpurplefly, who each quickly took their seats and called over the server to get their drinks in, which of course had to be the most expensive ones on the menu (that they could legally drink of course). Last but not least, in running came Robin Sierra @ethanjaeda apologizing profusely and explaining that they went to two of the wrong restaurants before arriving. Apparently, they’d been left out (or they accidentally removed themself) from the group chat saying where the restaurant was. Finally situated, the team ended up having an amazing dinner of steaks, salads, seafood, and drinks until each and every one of them was completely stuffed. They chatted about their individual accomplishments throughout the season as well as what they’ve been able to accomplish together, bringing the 21st out of the basement of the league and making the team a force to be reckoned with. There was talk about the beginning of the season when they couldn’t seem to score more than two goals in a game, to now being the highest-scoring team in the league. Robin Sierra finally let Skilton know that they dyed his laces with glow-in-the-dark ink back on April Fools Day, to which Andrew was baffled he hadn’t figured out yet. Everyone had a good chuckle about the ridiculous story that Saskatoon defenceman Bollos de Trueno @Thunder22 put out trying to disparage management. Even Lucy and Will had a laugh about that one, whether it was through their teeth or not was undetermined. By the end, Dogwood had revealed that the Jelly Coin extravaganza was finally over. They would never be getting their money back, but the investigation had finally come to a close. At the end of dinner, Skilton tapped on his glass and asked for some silence at the table. He stood up from his chair with his glass in hand and said, “I just want to thank each and every one of you for the season that we’ve had. We couldn’t have made it this far without the hard work and dedication of everyone. While we’ve had some ups and some downs, we’ve been able to band together and put up some outstanding numbers for this club. I want to thank Lucy and Will for putting together this group and pushing us to our highest potential. You’ve given us all an opportunity to shine on this stage, knowing that in doing that, you won’t end up seeing us for too long as we make our way to the VHLE and ultimately, the VHL. You’ve made the experience for a new guy like me one to remember, and I’ll carry that through to the end of my career and beyond.” Some cheers of ‘Here here!’ were shouted from various points of the table at this statement. Skilton continued, “It has been an honour and a pleasure to call myself the captain of this squad and I’m proud to call you all brothers and sisters in arms. Now, this isn’t the end of the road, the playoffs are a whole new game, but I’m confident that if we continue what we’ve been doing all season long and trust in each other, we’ll be hoisting the Founder’s Cup in no time! So let’s make a toast, to the best locker room in the VHLM, the Halifax 21st!” As those words were spoken the team erupted in a cheer, clinking glasses and chugging what was left in them. The restaurant staff had to come over and quiet the team because they were disturbing the other patrons. Understanding they were maybe overstaying their welcome, the team began departing. They all decided to take a walk at the pier and take in the ocean and the namesake of the team. Of course, the group can’t go anywhere without causing some sort of havoc, so Phil Sakic was sent to the end of the pier after being told that if he looked straight down into the water he could see the remains of the last ship to dock at Pier 21 before it caught on fire. Unceremoniously, Sakic was shoved into the chilly waters by his teammates, who let him wade a bit before helping him out and handing over a cheque for a new suit. They all had a laugh and began breaking off to head home and get some rest for the upcoming playoffs. (1042 Words)

Playoff Index @VHLM GMHere is your index for the playoffs, we will be starting these tomorrow so please get your lines and such ready in the meantime. The schedule will be the same as always. Games 1 and 2 simmed day 1; 3 and 4 simmed day 2, and any subsequently required games simmed 1 per day. Also as per the rules adding any new players is unfortunately now closed, this is a physical limitation of STHS. However anyone new up until right now have been added to your rosters so you can put them in your lines. Live sims will be in the same place as I usually link when I sim. I will update discord each day when I'm going live. Hope you all had a great regular season and looking forward to some playoff action.

The Vasteras Iron Eagles currently sit 3rd in the VHLE with 91 points with 4 games remaining. The point scoring lead on the team is held by the electric VHLE rookie Gianfranco Del Rocco @Victor who has 76 points in 68 games. Second on the team in scoring is rookie defender, Lucy Leitner, with 56 points in 68 games. With 11 goals and 45 assists, Leitner leads the team in the helpers category, and on paper, 11 goals seems like a respectable number, but a quick glance at Leitner's shooting percentage tells a different story. Shooting at 3.86% on the season, Leitner's 285 shots on goal are the most by any defender in the VHLE. When compared to the defender with the next highest shot total, the problem is strikingly clear. Leitner's former Houston teammate, Benjamin Abenduct @Schnee, has 21 goals on 270 shots, shooting a modest 7.78%. With 10 more goals than Leitner on fewer shots and a shooting percentage that is still below league average, it becomes obvious why Leitner was approached this week with a sponsorship deal from Little Bites-- you know, like the company that makes mini-muffins? Last season, critics of Leitner referred to her then as a "muffin factory" owing to her apparent inability to convert shots into goals at a rate comparable to her peers. Though her shooting percentage last season eventually rose to a respectable 8% by the end of the season, it did hover around the 3-4% mark for much of her VHLM rookie campaign. This time around in the VHLE, there seems to be no such puck luck for Leitner who expressed her frustration with her futile shooting efforts. "My main goal is to help the team win, but when you shoot 285 times and only score 11 goals-- something is wrong with that picture. The silver lining, I guess, is it got me this sponsorship and the team is still doing fine overall". The sponsorship deal, which is set to pay Leitner $100,000 and a lifetime's supply of Little Bites muffins, was signed on Monday evening before the Iron Eagles would take on the Rome Gladiators in a back-to-back. Vasteras would eventually take the win in both of those games with Leitner recording the opening goal in the first game, only 5:38 into the 1st period of play. There were reports of Little Bites' interest in Leitner as a brand ambassador last season until her shooting percentage spiked upward and the "muffin factory" moniker fell out of favor. This season, however, the muffin factory is back up and running, churning out muffins for goalies to gobble up. Ever the optimist, Leitner has remained upbeat about the less than flattering comparison and has continued to work on her shot in practice, hoping to shut down muffin production once and for all. At this time, we don't know if the Little Bites sponsorship would be voided if her shooting percentage eclipsed a certain threshold, but for the time being, Lucy "Little Bites" Leitner is rolling in the dough.

There’s something amiss in the VHLM right now. There’s definitely something strange going on. I cannot put my finger on it, but I know that I am onto something because the sun is definitely not lining up with the moon. Well apparently it did for a little while, but that doesn’t explain the phenomenon that is happening. And this is the topic I get to write about for my TPE; however, before I get into it, if you read through this I am asking for your help to provide some input and solve this anomaly because I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure it out. How can Halifax 21st be the nemesis of the Saskatoon Wild in season 93? Saskatoon is a dominating team and hands down is going to win the Founders Cup this season, yet every time Saskatoon matches up with Halifax the skies turn dark, the birds stop singing, the squirrels hide their nuts, and Halifax kicks the living shit out of Saskatoon. Halifax and Saskatoon have matched up four times this season, and Halifax has come out on top all four games. These two teams match up two more times in season play, and I’ve got to figure out how Halifax is cheating before the next two games take place. Saskatoon GM, @Dadam30, is doing everything right, and even with their expertise managing the team, cannot seem to overcome the trickery and dirty handed play by Halifax GM, @LucyXpher. Lucyxpher is no stranger to internal investigations, considering the recent jelly coin debacle. But to continue, it has come to the point of having to hire some private investigators to determine what means lucyxpher is doing to cause Saskatoon’s misery. With the help of Harry Bosch, Mitch Rapp, Scott Coleman, Joe Pike, and Elvis Cole, here are some of the potential suspicious actions by Halifax over the course of the season to cause Halifax to have a huge advantage over Saskatoon. When I say “huge advantage” one only needs to look to the record. Look what has happened over those four games. Saskatoon outshot Halifax 102 to 91, yet Halifax put the puck in the net 13 times to Saskatoon’s 4 goals. Halifax was unusually more aggressive in the competitions, outhitting Saskatoon 89 to 68. With the extra hits came more penalty minutes, as Halifax spent 69 minutes in the box while Saskatoon had 57 minutes in the sin bin, yet there was no advantage to Saskatoon. Saskatoon blocked 31 of Halifax’s shots, while Halifax blocked 27 of Saskatoon’s shots. Both teams scored two of their goals on power plays. Given these statistics, the biggest stat that is lopsided, and yes I agree its the most important stat, is the goals scored. What is Lucyxpher doing to give Halifax such an advantage? I asked Elvis Cole to look into this and here is what he found out. Elvis Cole spent a lot of time looking at the accommodations in Halifax, as well as in Saskatoon and he discovered that the conditions of the hotel rooms provided to Saskatoon were sub par. The heating was at uncomfortable levels and the air quality was just above hazardous levels, which is likely the reason the Saskatoon players seemed to be out of shape during the contests in Halifax. Barely breathing while on the ice, there’s no doubt Saskatoon was a victim of foul play. Investigating further, it was determined that Halifax AGM, @Will3, signed for all of the hotel adjustments. To make matters worse, the food provided to Saskatoon was determined to have been poisoned, which to no surprise caused some indigestion problems with Bollos de Trueno, as if Thunder Buns needed any help there. Scott Coleman conducted covert surveillance on a few of Halifax 21st players and reported that John Season, @dylanjj37, spent a lot of time at the Juan Ceson Zoo, which is not unusual, but what he found to be unusual was the secret laboratory that he found John Season going to every day. Coleman noted the unusual manipulation of the monkeys and the walrus. To make matters even more suspicious was the Geico team meeting with John Season and Halifax goaltender, John Webber III, @Webberj. Webber was providing some advice to Duncan the walrus. Coleman came to the conclusion that Webber was given a synthetic cocktail giving him super agility and vision which played a pivotal role in the inability of Saskatoon to score goals against Webber III. Harry Bosch conducted his investigation in the locker rooms and around the arenas to determine foul play. His report indicated that the Saskatoon sticks had been tampered with as there were several sticks with splinters causing a severe loss of power. Saskatoon goal scorer, Oliver Loo, @Misty, had complained about something being wrong with the sticks and this certainly explains why Loo didn’t more score goals against Halifax. Bosch also discovered that the Saskatoon blades had been dulled and all the sharpening tools were not functional. To make matters worse, there were steel weights found in the pads giving the Saskatoon players a sluggish feel on the ice to go with not having edges on their skates. Joe Pike helped Harry Bosch and he found the boards behind the Saskatoon goal to have been altered, giving Halifax an rebound advantage. You might ask, “what about when the teams change sides,” and Pike located wireless devices that automatically adjusted the boards to the desired rebound. Just ask Boston how Florida got their first goal in the last game. This was obvious as Halifax players, Pierre Marc Bouchard, @Gaikoku-hito, has scored 1/5th of his goals against Saskatoon; Maple Dogwood, @dogwoodmaple, put up 6 points against Saskatoon; Aanarsi Reingaard, @Laine, has 21% of his points credited when playing Saskatoon; and John Season has 4 of his 27 assists against the Wild. The final part of the investigation was completed by Mitch Rapp. Rapp spent some time investigating @lucyxpher, finding her to have secretly have been attending the workouts of Carson Tripp, @Cartripp14, and Micah Cedarbaum, @MicahC. Lucyxpher adjusted the tensions of the ropes, causing Cedarbaum and Tripp to have rubber arms just before game 3. Strategically having John Season create a general fight, GM Lucyxpher picked Dorji Kahn, @Oddpurplefly to fight Carson Tripp; and Ty Duke, @TheDuke, to fight Micah Cedarbaum. Both of these fights, which would have normally ended in Duke and Kahn getting their faces smashed in by Cedarbaum and Tripp, ended in draws and had no favorable bearing for Saskatoon. Luckily for Saskatoon, Leon Bruhmaninho, @BigBruhman, worked out at a different gym when Lucyxpher was commmitting the fouled play, and did not have rubber arms and Bruhmaninho kicked the shit out of an uninformed Robin Sierra, @ethanjaeda. Although the Saskatoon luck was not enough to come up with a victory as Halifax goaltender, Joe Webber III, was all jacked up on juice and stopped every puck that went at him. All of these allegations were found to be factual and everything has been turned over to VHL Commissioners, @Beketov, @Acydburn, and @Josh, who requested a $1000.00 filing fee, which was paid in small unmarked bills to Josh, as directed. We will all have to wait for games 296 and 331 to take place to determine if the commissioners did their jobs or if lucyxpher has juice and everything was overlooked. I can only hope that by the time playoffs start the moon is no longer aligned with the sun, the birds are singing again, the squirrels found their nuts, and the Halifax curse no longer exists. 1261 words To be claimed 04-21 and 04-28.

With about 20% of the season left to play in S93, contenders in the VHL's European Conference are in the midst of a potentially unprecedented race for playoff positioning. Just a couple of days ago, teams one-through-five in the EU were *all* tied with 36 wins and separated by just two points in the standings overall. For five teams to be so tightly-packed is incredible, and certainly makes for an exciting ride for the fans! The teams aren't just close in terms of points in the standings either, as they have the second-through-sixth place goal differentials in the VHL as well, with a range of +43 to +60. All five teams seem poised to battle it out for positioning right to the bitter end. Malmo Nighthawks Leading the EU with a 38-15-4 record and 80 points are the Malmo Nighthawks. The Nighthawks have, to an extent, had some issues offensively this season, but they are riding strong team defense and goaltending to a contending spot. Their 190 goals for ranks 8th in the VHL, but their 144 goals against is fewest in the league. Netminder Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro is in the league's top-five in SV% (0.925) and is second among starters in GAA (2.43) and shutouts (4). Viktor Jensen @Advantage is the star of the show offensively, leading the team with 68 points, although Malmo's offense features a pretty balanced attack overall with six players right around or above the PPG mark. All-situations defender Jacob Stone @scoop is having his best year in the VHL, with 67 points, 178 hits, and 138 blocks as the #1 defenseman on the league's best defensive team. London United The London United are actually tied with Malmo at 80 points, but have one more game played and one fewer win (37-15-6). The United boast a formidable roster that's a little differently-constructed than Malmo. They're a lot more top heavy with less depth, but equally effective, with Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ leading the entire VHL with 102 points and linemate Leonard Triller @Triller with a remarkable 85 points in 58 games himself. London has the sixth-best offense but second-best defense in the VHL, with certified superstar Jesse Teno @aimkin between the pipes. Teno is in the final season of an eight-year VHL career spent entirely with London, and he is authoring yet another excellent campaign. Prague Phantoms The Prague Phantoms come next, currently one point back of Malmo/London (37-16-5, 79 points). Prague has a bit of a unique roster construction as they have played most of the season with two fewer players than most VHL contenders. The recent pickup of LeBen Aky now leaves them just one defenseman short of a "full" roster. They have not been punished for this, though, as they've been on a roll all year long. Prague has some true star power in the lineup with John Jameson @Frank, Nikolas Kauppi @Tetricide, and Skor McFleury @Alex, and all three players are living up to the hype. Jameson is second in the VHL with 101 points, Kauppi leads the league with 46 goals (93 points), and McFleury leads the league in assists (62) and defenseman scoring (82) points - while being top-5 in hits (231) and blocked shots (185), too. Moscow Menace The Moscow Menace are fourth in the conference but they, too, are sitting on 37 wins (37-18-3, 77 points) and boast the league's second-best offense with 214 goals for. Moscow are a young team with a roster built similarly to Malmo's in that they're very deep and balanced, and having nine players at the 50-point mark is a testament to that depth. Axle Gunner @Steve has been the team's best player since his rookie season in S91 and continues to improve, having gone from 73 points to 94 to now pacing for 103 this season (83 points in 58 games). On the back end, Leif Reingaard @Zetterberg is having a stellar year with 68 points in 58 games so far. The second-year pro is already one of the league's best offensive blueliners. Warsaw Predators Warsaw (36-20-3) sits in fifth place, with brick wall Lachlan Summers @kirbithan having a massive part to play in that. Summers was brilliant in S90 for Davos and captured some individual hardware then - he seems poised, now, to fill up that trophy case a little further in his first year outside of Davos. Summers has faced a tougher workload than most starters - the only goalies that have faced more shots are Matthew McCagg, Karl Pederson, and Red Panda who all play for rebuilding teams in LA, Davos, and Riga (for perspective - Summers has 32 wins himself; LA, Davos, and Riga combine for 34 wins all together). Despite facing 260 shots more than the nearest goaltender on a playoff team, he's atop the league with a .935 SV% and also has 4 shutouts. Their offense has been keyed by breakout seasons from their entire top line of King Kisslinger @Kisslinger (88 points in 59 games), Thor Reingaard @N0HBDY (86 points in 59 games), and Maxim Anisimov @McLovin(85 points in 59 games). Their biggest weakness is a lack of depth - they have six players over 56 points, but then nobody else with more than 17 - but they did make a recent move to pick up Sunglasses Joyo @JetsGoalie101 to help remedy that. This will mark the 21st season since the league's expansion to 16 teams, and only twice in that time have teams 1-through-5 in either conference been separated by even less than 10 points: S87 when first-place Davos was separated from fifth-place London by 9 points, and S77 when first-place Chicago was 9 points ahead of fifth-place Vancouver, making this season's race potentially historically-close. For the vast majority of S93 so far, these five teams have not been separated by more than 5 points. Remarkably, the first-through-seventh place teams were only separated by 11 points in S87, so there were higher stakes in that case, as two teams didn't even make the playoffs. Still, if the level of play shown by all five of these teams so far continues through the final 13-15 games, we could be witnessing the hardest-fought battle for positioning within a conference in recent VHL history. --- 1032 words, for this week and next

Player Information Username: Phil Player Name: Phil Sakic Recruited From: Member (Knight) Age: 17 Position: LW Height: 71 in. Weight: 195 lbs. Birthplace: United Kingdom Player Page @VHLM GM

me and the owner of the Las Vegas Aces got into a gambling match legally I can't divulge much but lets just say i didn't lose

Brian Payne, Class of Season 91 User: @Scurvy TPE: 1818 Position: Defenseman Nationality: American Height: 6'1" Weight: 225 lbs. VHL Drafted: 26th Overall, by the Warsaw Predators VHLE Drafted: 20th Overall, by the Bratislava Watchmen Played for: San Diego Marlins, Bratislava Watchmen, Warsaw Predators, Vancouver Wolves -- Career Awards Individual All-VHL First Team | S85 All-VHL Second Team (4x) | S86, S88, S89, S90 Jake Wylde Trophy | S86, S85 Sterling Labatte Trophy | S85 Team Continental Cup | S84 Terence Fong Trophy | S84 Victory Cup | S85 -- Before the VHL Some players are born with natural talent. Easy on the eye and easy to catch on. Brian Payne, like others, was brought up with relentless work ethic and determination. This story begins in Spokane, Washington, where Brian grew up and developed his passion for hockey. Payne faced numerous challenges during his early years in hockey. He might have had the wildest passion for the sport but didn't have the talent to match it. Despite the rejections, he never waivered and kept fighting for spots on his teams. That determination paid off when he was drafted by the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League. After four complete seasons in the WHL, Brian Payne became a pillar for the Everett Silvertips. He wasn't just the enforcer anymore, with his growth recognized enough by the coaching staff to be deemed worthy of 1st-Line duties on even-strength opportunities and Special Teams. He didn't, however, lose track of who he was and led the league in penalties and fighting majors during his last two amateur seasons. Despite leading the league in penalties and fighting majors, Payne's style caught the attention of scouts around the VHL. The Minor Leagues After so much progress, Payne hoped to see his name called in the upcoming VHLM draft, but that didn't happen. Instead, his legend as an underdog grew, and Payne signed a free-agent contract with the San Diego Marlins, a team then led by Nathan Powers, who went on to create the first dynasty in the VHLE. It was the moment of truth for Payne. As with most underdogs, they may crawl and fight for an opportunity, but it can vanish without notice. That season was of the utmost importance for Brian Payne, and he knew. During the regular season, it was evident Payne was still adjusting from his amateur enforcer role into a complete professional player. Although his scoring numbers weren't eye-catching, he was able to be the physical player the Marlins needed. During those playoffs, the world saw the first glimpse of what Brian Payne would eventually become. As he grew to a top VHLM player, Brian was paramount during the Marlins playoff run. As the 3rd seed in the West, the Marlins were considered an outsider but took down the Eastern Conference's 2nd-seeded Mississauga Hounds in six games. In the second round of the playoffs, they met the best team during the regular season and eventual champions, Ottawa Lynx - who they took to game seven! Even though their story ended there and the team had quality players, Payne's numbers were recognized as they should. This performance caused Brian's draft stock to rise. However, the VHL world remained skeptical. Drafted 20th in the VHLE and 26th in the VHL, Payne was shortly after those drafts considered a steal. How did management teams across the leagues make such a big mistake? Brian Payne didn't lose any sleep over this and got to work. Moving up to the VHLE meant the competition level would be higher again, but that never held him back. Quickly, he made connections with other players in the Watchmen roster, such as his counterpart, Bo Johansson. While both are defensemen, their style couldn't be any different. They did play off each other and led the Watchmen to the playoffs, but their story wasn't like the Marlins. Regular Season 82 (BRA), 72 Games Played, 12 Goals, 33 Assists, 45 Points, 2 Plus/Minus, 178 Hits, 109 Shots Blocked 81 (SDM), 72 Games Played, 11 Goals, 20 Assists, 31 Points, -21 Plus/Minus, 166 Hits, 76 Shots Blocked Playoffs 82 (BRA), 5 Games Played, 1 Goals, 1 Assists, 2 Points, 1 Plus/Minus, 8 Hits, 9 Shots Blocked 81 (SDM), 13 Games Played, 6 Goals, 11 Assists, 17 Points, -6 Plus/Minus, 43 Hits, 25 Shots Blocked Perseverance That was the word Brian Payne used to describe his time in the VHL. From Washington to Warsaw. From the Silvertips to the Predators. After being selected 26th overall, his goal was to become as valuable, if not more, than any of the 25 players taken before him - and make every team pay. As Payne got to the VHL, it seemed he was already the best version of himself. His presence on the ice was like no other, and his effect was undeniable. Coming up to a star-studded team in Warsaw, the expectation was for Payne to stand back and play second fiddle to the team's stars. Instead, he became one of them. Facing more difficult competition, Payne rose to the challenge admirably. Embracing his role as a physical defenseman, Payne quickly earned the respect of his teammates and opponents alike. With guidance from Dakota Lamb, Payne continued to improve his technique, culminating in a breakout season where he set personal records in multiple categories. Warsaw finished as the 3rd seed in the European Conference but couldn't get past the first-round matchup with the Riga Reign, who showed they were the better team in six games. Season 84 saw Payne's continued growth and success. Despite his defensive-first mentality, Payne's offensive contributions were starting not to be overlooked, and he played a pivotal support role for the Predators' offense. Repeating their previous season's feat, they finished the regular season as the 3rd seed in their conference. They did not repeat their previous performance during the playoffs and embarked on a championship-run playoff journey culminating in winning the Continental Cup. They beat the Helsinki Titans in the first round, the league favorites Moscow Menace in the second, and incumbent champions Seattle Bears in the Finals. This playoff run set the tone for the remainder of Payne's career, and his contributions would be for any team he'd play for. By Season 85, Payne had silenced his doubters and emerged as one of the VHL's premier defensemen. This season marked the start of his six straight 80-point season, and his all-around prowess was more prominent than ever. The Predators team improved throughout the season and became the top team in the league, winning the Victory Cup - but unlike the previous season, there was no Cinderella story in the making, and the Moscow Menace were feeling vengeful. The Predators were swept in the first round of the playoffs, giving life to the tale of the Victory Cup curse. Individually, Payne's dedication and perseverance had finally paid off, winning both the Sterling Labatte Trophy and Jake Wylde Trophy, awarded to the Top Defenseman and Top Defensive Defenseman in the VHL, respectively. From S86 to S88, Payne, already a leader in the Predators Locker Room, tried to galvanize the team towards the Continental Cup again but couldn't. In Season 86, the Predators couldn't get past the first round of the playoffs. In Season 87, the Wildcard round, and in Season 88, they didn't make the playoffs. Brian Payne maintained his elite status, anchoring the Predators' defense with skill and determination. His play and leadership propelled the team to success in the regular season, although they faced playoff disappointment. His level of play rewarded him with a deserved second Jake Wylde Trophy. Brian Payne found himself traded to the S86 champions, Vancouver Wolves. The move marked a significant shift in his career as he transitioned from a rebuilding phase with the Predators to a Vancouver Wolves team poised for a new championship run. His leadership and defensive prowess made an immediate impact, which propelled the team to the Continental Cup Finals. Brian found himself with the opportunity to do something unique and become part of a short list of players who led two different teams to a Continental Cup. The Wolves fought bravely but fell to the HC Davos Dynamo, a team that broke their decade-long cup-winning drought. As Payne entered his final season, the Wolves were poised to make another run at the playoffs, but the team wasn't as strong as the previous year, which amounted to an early playoff exit. It was unfortunate. The trade revitalized Payne as he pursued championship glory one last time. Payne's presence and skill were instrumental in guiding the Warsaw Predators and Vancouver Wolves in the VHL. Before Payne, only one previous Hall of Famer had combined more than 1.300 blocked shots with the point-per-game stat he had held for six seasons. Adding his more than 2.000 hits, and Payne stands alone. Regular Season 90 (VAN), 72 Games Played, 24 Goals, 58 Assists, 82 Points, 24 Plus/Minus, 245 Hits, 133 Shots Blocked 89 (VAN), 72 Games Played, 16 Goals, 68 Assists, 84 Points, 22 Plus/Minus, 261 Hits, 159 Shots Blocked 88 (WAR), 72 Games Played, 15 Goals, 69 Assists, 84 Points, 7 Plus/Minus, 272 Hits, 169 Shots Blocked 87 (WAR), 72 Games Played, 19 Goals, 65 Assists, 84 Points, 2 Plus/Minus, 303 Hits, 195 Shots Blocked 86 (WAR), 72 Games Played, 17 Goals, 63 Assists, 80 Points, 38 Plus/Minus, 246 Hits, 148 Shots Blocked 85 (WAR), 72 Games Played, 21 Goals, 67 Assists, 88 Points, 44 Plus/Minus, 241 Hits, 200 Shots Blocked 84 (WAR), 72 Games Played, 19 Goals, 50 Assists, 69 Points, 14 Plus/Minus, 261 Hits, 190 Shots Blocked 83 (WAR), 72 Games Played, 16 Goals, 36 Assists, 52 Points, 33 Plus/Minus, 235 Hits, 132 Shots Blocked Playoffs 90 (VAN), 11 Games Played, 4 Goals, 6 Assists, 10 Points, -7 Plus/Minus, 26 Hits, 19 Shots Blocked 89 (VAN), 16 Games Played, 3 Goals, 8 Assists, 11 Points, 6 Plus/Minus, 62 Hits, 46 Shots Blocked 87 (WAR), 3 Games Played, 0 Goals, 3 Assists, 3 Points, -1 Plus/Minus, 9 Hits, 8 Shots Blocked 86 (WAR), 7 Games Played, 2 Goals, 4 Assists, 6 Points, -1 Plus/Minus, 37 Hits, 31 Shots Blocked 85 (WAR), 9 Games Played, 4 Goals, 10 Assists, 14 Points, 5 Plus/Minus, 30 Hits, 23 Shots Blocked 84 (WAR), 20 Games Played, 4 Goals, 12 Assists, 16 Points, 1 Plus/Minus, 73 Hits, 42 Shots Blocked 83 (WAR), 6 Games Played, 0 Goals, 3 Assists, 3 Points, -5 Plus/Minus, 23 Hits, 15 Shots Blocked This induction pays tribute to a player who was often overlooked but was able to grow into his unique place in the VHL Hall of Fame. Congratulations on an incredible career, @Scurvy! -- Regular Season Career Stats 576 Games Played, 147 Goals, 476 Assists, 623 Points, +184 Plus/Minus, 2064 Hits, 1326 Shots Blocked Playoff Career Stats 72 Games Played, 17 Goals, 46 Assists, 63 Points, -2 Plus/Minus, 260 Hits, 184 Shots Blocked

There were some shocking payouts this week with the VHL Virtual Bookie. The biggest impact on this was because it is playoffs and the odds were applied to all the games. Now that the round is over, here are some highlights. The New York Seattle series ended with more goals per game than predicted, costing the Bookie 515 in wages. The Bookie bounced back by counting on Wwwwwwwwwwww Wwwwwwwwwwww @rory to make over 35.5 saves, which he did 3 out of the 4 games, increasing the Bookie’s pockets by 990. FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist @STZ split the shots on goal, by going over 5.5 twice, and under twice. The biggest loss for the Bookie was placing a wager of 1000 on Daryl Dixon, @Ricer13to score over 2.5 points. Unfortunately, Dixon was flat the entire series. On the Toronto/DC series, the Bookie picked up 500 on Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer, only to lose 100 hoping for The Frenchman @OrbitingDeath , to get the first star. The Bookie managed to add 200 from a wager on the puck line. The Malmo/Moscow series was lucrative for the bookie, thanks to Gregger McKeggegger @TheNeonShaman getting over 4.5 shots per game. The Bookie got 3500 out of that wager. Adding a 400 money line wager made up for the 100 wasted on hoping for Reese McFleury @Spaz to get second star. The Bookie should have placed a wager on Grimgor Ironhide, @FrostBeard getting the third star, as that payout was 12000. The big payout came from the London/Prague series. The Bookie placed a 500 wager on John Jameson @Frank to win 45000, and it paid off. Jackpot!! Thank you John Jameson. And the biggest disappointment goes to Rip Wheeler, @ScottyP. A 1000 wager was placed by @Tetricide to win 250000. Go big or go home, and tetricide went home sad. 306 words

Hello there, my dear, amazing readers! Today, I have a special treat for you. I finally managed to get to do an interview with legendary Lucy Leitner. How this thing went? Pretty nice, as you can read right now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good afternoon, Lucy. First of all, thank you so much for finding time to do this interview. Second of all, even though actions speak louder than words and especially in your case, it is probably useless as everyone knows you, but.. Could you say a few words about yourself nevertheless? How would you introduce yourself? L: It's my pleasure! I guess I would say I'm a bit of a hockey nerd. I love playing and watching the game, but I also have some pretty eclectic interests away from the sport as well. I love music and creative writing and I really enjoy spending time with friends and teammates. For me, that's the most fulfilling part of being on a team-- sharing those experiences with good friends. Everyone knows that you are an amazing hockey player and you are very valued amongst your teammates. You proved to be a very solid piece in the rosters of teams you’ve been part of. Do you think that you’re becoming a young idol for upcoming generations of hockey fans/players? L: I appreciate the compliment! I don't know if I'm any kind of idol, but I do want to be a good role model for anyone who might look up to me. I just want to be the best I can be, both on and off the ice, and I think that comes with a responsibility to be a good person as well. So I guess that's my ultimate goal-- be a good player and a better person. Life of a hockey player can be tricky due to numerous reasons. You can get stressed from upcoming games, the thrill of play-offs, the news trying to shame you down for even the tiniest mistakes. And to add to all this, you frequently have to travel. Both when the team is on the road and when you change teams. Last time you made a major change, you moved from Houston to Europe. How do you deal with those stress-inducing factors? L: A lot of that change and travel is still kind of exciting to me, though I'd be lying if I didn't feel any kind of stress or nervousness with new places and situations. The best way to handle it, I've found, is not to dwell on any negative emotions, but just enjoy the excitement that comes with the stress. I try not to get too ahead of myself and just enjoy what's in front of me every day, no matter where I am. As I mentioned, the last major change for you was a change of continents. To Västerås, Sweden, specifically. How do you feel about this town, Sweden or Europe in general? Do you hang out with your teammates? L: Vasteras is a great city! I've really enjoyed being here so far and Sweden has lived up to every hope that I had so I can't complain at all! We've got a great group as well and we've had opportunities to hang out in the town or go out for drinks. Off the ice, I've had a lot of personal stuff going on so it's been a bit harder than usual to make time for teammates, but when I can, I love spending time with them. I believe that your career is steadily going up and up. And the leagues’ GMs think so too. After having an amazing season in Minors with Houston Bulls, you have been drafted in first rounds in both major drafts. That is VHL and VHLE, where you’re currently playing. Do you feel more star-ish than when you started? L: Haha, I guess I feel more star-ish! Being drafted 2nd and 3rd in those drafts is definitely a great feeling, but I also feel like that comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility to live up to the expectations and hopes of those teams that drafted me and used that high pick. I suppose that's what comes with feeling star-ish, but it's absolutely a great honor and I hope I live up to those expectations. I know your personality just flourishes, as if it didn’t flourish before, hehe, and that you like to socialize. However, hockey is a different thing and some people prefer to remain professional in the locker room. Do you often find yourself bonding with your teammates, both on and off the ice, or do you focus more on the practical things, like practise, talking about tactics, etc.? In the end, you have some Europeans on the roster, right? L: I do like to socialize, there's definitely a balance to strike between professional work and personal life. I do love spending time with my teammates though and I try to keep things fun around the rink. It is a game after all and it should always be fun, even if it is a job. I do take time for practice and I'm always happy to talk tactics to make our team better, but it's hard not to enjoy the company of teammates, especially with so many awesome people on the team. We do have some Europeans and so far I've learned that I can't keep up with them if we go drinking, but I do my best! There was Easter last week. How did you celebrate, if at all? I am sure that Czech traditions must have scared you a bit, at least. Did Ondra tell or show you? He told me about it and it seemed fun. L: My family was in town and we had dinner together for Easter, but not much more than that. It's just a good opportunity to be together as a family though, which is becoming a rarer thing as time goes by, so I do cherish those moments. And if Ondra did tell me about Czech traditions, I honestly can't remember, but my imagination goes to wild places! You’re a defenseman, a very good one, and that means you are in a direct connection with your goaltender. Do you find Jorgen and Ondra as good pieces to the defensive side of Iron Eagles’ game? That is, if Ondra is finally sober. L: I don't care what Ondra's drinking, he can do whatever he wants if he keeps playing like he has! Both goaltenders have been absolutely unreal this season. By far, I think we have the best goaltending tandem in the league with both of our goalies at the top of the league statistically. They've been a huge part of our team's success this season so they deserve a ton of credit! If Ondra's drinking, the next round is on me! Alongside Ondra, you managed to pull of some sort of a ‘miracle’ in the minors, where you made it all the way to the second round of the play-offs with Houston Bulls. I believe that the mood wasn’t filled with disappointment. More than that, you guys showed that you can fight and shocked some, to be sure! Do you think season will turn into a bigger success? Västerås is a much stronger team than Houston was at this point last season, currently sitting on a second place. L: I really hope that we can have some success in the playoffs this year with Vasteras. It would have been amazing to have won with Houston, but I feel our chances this season are a lot better with the quality of our roster, so I am hopeful. We can't be complacent though, and it's going to take commitment from our whole team to make a long playoff run, but I believe we have the pieces and people to accomplish it! Now for the final round of questions: Why is the vanilla ice cream light in colour, when vanilla itself is dark in colour? L: I have no idea... Aren't vanilla flowers white though? Maybe that has something to do with it. What would be the one and only thing that you’d eat for the rest of your life if you had only one option? L: I love Vietnamese spring rolls-- the kind with rice paper, not deep fried. I could eat those every day forever! And if you had to spend a month on a shutter island with one of your teammates, who would that be and why? L: That's easy, I'd bring Ondra because I need someone I can trust, but also someone who's a lunatic in the best way possible! Alright, that is all for this interview. Lucy, thank you so much for participating in this, even though you had to wait so long for it. I apologize for that. But it was amazing and sweet having you here, I hope we can repeat this joyful activity soon! L: Thank you! It was fun to chat with you and I'd love to do it again sometime! ------------------------------------------------------ I hope you liked this interview, dear readers. Thank you for reading it up until here, I will see you next time with fresh news and articles from the hockey world! - Ben Icio del Torro ------------------------- 1543 words capped for week ending 04/21/24 All answers of Lucy Leitner were written by @LucyXpher

This is based off of the time I bought the Las Vegas Aces and moved them to Quebec City. I made this version in French: Albeit I don't speak French let alone Quebecois French (ok je parle un peu але моя українська краща. ухххххх слухайте Ana Lua Caiano на Spotify, її музика чудова) so if it translates weirdly my apologies. idk why i talk so formally on here its really not that serious There's Lore I guess? There was an Expansion Draft, but I was too lazy to see how ACTUAL VHL(E/M) expansion drafts work so I just went based off of vibes. QUEBEC TALONS ROSTER - VHL VERSION: Connor Simard (Halifax 21st) Maple Dogwood (Halifax 21st) Cole Stermer (Houston Bulls) Johnny Tsunami (Houston Bulls) Nikita Yolishev (Las Vegas Aces) Eugene Ryanheart (Las Vegas Aces) Dakota Nachbaur (Mexico City Kings) Isaak Robinson (Miami Marauders) Aiden Paige (Miami Marauders) Taylor Swift (Mississauga Hounds) Matteo Stefano (Mississauga Hounds) Marek Nowaczyk (Ottawa Lynx) Jillian Woods (Ottawa Lynx) Staroseltsev Mikhail (Philadelphia Reapers) Magni Jinn (Philadelphia Reapers) Keith Perry (San Diego Marlins) Kevin Johnathen (San Diego Marlins) Austin Goulet lll (Saskatoon Wild) So. Yeah.

https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/17588090/

Tommy Shelby Age: 22 Position: C Height: 6' 0" Weight: 190lbs Born in Birmingham, Halifax 21st centreman Tommy Shelby's life did not follow the 'typical' path of a VHLM player. In fact, he only started playing a few short years ago when he was 18. Prior to that, he had a difficult childhood and led a rather tumultuous life that is worthy of a novel or a TV series. With his father passing away at a young age, Shelby's family consisted of his mother, two brothers, and a close aunt. The family was not well off, and although his mother worked various part time jobs, they always seemed to be just scraping by. As the boys got older, the family's plight led them to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and they spent their days trying to make some extra money anyway that they could. In the beginning it was normal kid stuff like selling lemonade on the streets but over time their business practices got a little more sketchy and they began to run various hustles like stealing and reselling goods and loansharking small amounts to other kids. Their drive paid off and in addition to making a name for themselves in the local community, the money they were bringing in was making a big difference in their homelife and had lifted the family out of poverty. On account of this, their mother fully embraced her sons growing business. As these things go, their lines of business continued to expand and the amount of risk they were willing to take on continued to increase. By the time Tommy was 16, the brothers were running gambling rings and engaged in the drug trade. And through a connection with a local liquor store, they were purchasing massive quantities of alcohol an reselling it at massive markups to their underage peers. The trio had long stopped attending school at this point and were generally consumed with conducting their business and bringing in cash. Although they didn't have much time for sport, the boys would, on occasion, pull the net out of the garage and play some street hockey. When they were kids this always their go to sport when the sun was shining and although they played less as they got older, they never completely abandoned it and tended to retreat back to it when they were having a tough time with the business. Unfortunately for the brothers, the success andd profit that they had come to enjoy didn't last very long. The fact is, this isn't 1920 and these types of things don't stay secret for long in the age of cameras everywhere. In the face of insurmountable evidence against them, all 3 brothers reached plea agreements with prosecutors. The agreements called for siezure of all proceeds of their crimes, a short stint in juvenie detention and lengthy community service. In detention, the brothers once again retreated to their old past time and Tommy started a street hockey league in the yard. The league was a huge success and the winning team (which was the Shelby team) even had a match against a team of guards. When Tommy was released, he was just shy of his 18th birthday and he knew that he had a choice to make. He could revert to his old habits, make some good money for awhile but he knew that eventually he would be caught and this time he wouldn't be considered a kid. Or he could find a legal way to have the life he wanted. As part of his community service, Shelby began volunteering at the local rink and it was here that he noticed an advertisement for tryouts for a local U18 team. Despite most of hockey experience being on the street with a ball, Shelby didn't hesitate to sign up and began devoting his time to hockey. He convinced the rink manager to let him use the ice overnight and would spend hours and hours practicing. Tryout day came and, perhaps partly due to his training and partly due to low turnout, he made the team. He was no superstar when he started that season but he continued to work at it relentlessly and he would later credit his coaches and teammates from that obscure team as teaching to him to be the player he is today. By the end of the season, Tommy was the best player on the ice, every game. One of Shelby's coaches was so impressed with his progress that he set up a tryout for Shelby with a professional team the following season. It came as no surprise to the coach when Shelby made it. And it was shortly after this that Shelby's new coach introuced him to a personal friend of his - former VHL player, commissioner, and agent Don Draper. Draper had been retired and this meeting was simply meant to be an opporunity for Shelby to get some career advice. By the end of the meeting, Shelby had convinced Draper to be his agent and get him on the fast track to the VHLM. And now, partway through his first VHLM season, Shelby has his sights set on the VHL Entry Draft.

It's a tad off with the video and audio but only a second, maybe less. Enjoy my lookback at what I accomplished with Jesse. Thank you to everyone who supported me and Jesse over their career. I truly appreciate it.

Player Information Username: RileyL Player Name: Boris Bone-Breaker Recruited From: Returning Age: 29 Position: D Height: 78 in. Weight: 238 lbs. Birthplace: Russia Player Page @VHLM GM

Maybe an idea for a third jersey rather than a complete rebrand. Anyways, hope you like it.

For no other reason than because foxes are my favorite animal and Halifax is the VHLM team I'm most involved with, I introduce to you the Halifax Foxes! For anyone who might think this is serious, let me be clear, it's not. I think that the reference to Pier 21 in the Halifax 21st name is an amazing moniker for a VHLM team and I have no serious reason to suggest it change... but we can have fun here, and that was the goal when I put together this rebrand-- and it's not like Foxes aren't native to Nova Scotia, right? *Google confirms they are!* In any case, here are the jerseys! Home Away Alternate I'm not the biggest fan of the diagonal wordmark (unless it's the New York Rangers), but I didn't have an alternate logo to use and it looked decent enough with the gradient so I decided to stick with it. Let me know what you think and why the Halifax Foxes should never exist. And what other names would suit Halifax as a VHLM team? Foxes as a Vancover Wolves minor league affiliate anyone? ༻❁༺ Claimed for 04/14/24 theme week (rebrand)

Imagine being from Boston. Your city is big, important, and historically relevant. You're in a crowd of some of the most passionate sports fans around. You love a good bowl of clam chowder and you find it a little bit charming that you can sometimes tell who's your neighbor by listening to the way that they talk. It's a much better existence than that dump over in New York, where the people sound funny, the Giants fans won't stop reminding you of what Eli Manning did to the Pats, and don't even get you started on their idea of pizza! But what's to stop them from feeling the same sort of pride in themselves and the same sort of derision towards you? After all, you sound funny to them, the helmet catch was pretty sweet, and maybe living in a heavily Italian area has given some people a pretty good idea of how to make a pie. It's obvious to most on either side who take the time to think about it that all these things are silly, but that doesn't even stop lots of people who think it's silly to think that way from doing so regardless. I've seen this come up in the VHL time and time again over the years, which will make this a perfect intro to at least one other article I have lined up, but here it shall fit as I'm doing my best to put things in chronological order. My first experience with VHL tribalism came not long after I signed up. I distinctly remember one of my very first questions in the Bulls server being related to team rivalries and who I should write articles about--which led to me writing some of the anti-Halifax pieces I alluded to in my last article--but something a little more serious than friendly rivalry between @Rin and @McWolf was more serious conflict that arose between the VHLM's two expansion franchises that season, boiled over into personal issues between members, and had effects that persisted for seasons longer than they should have. Anyone who was around at the time is probably aware that I'm talking about Houston and Philadelphia and the conflict between Sonnet and inaugural Reapers GM @BladeMaiden. I'm going to stay out of anything personal related to this because I feel that isn't quite my story to tell, but I think there was a lot to sort out from the perspective of the players themselves. The expansion teams in S65 had quite a bit in common that would naturally lead to competition. They were led by very active first-time GMs with one or two seasons of VHL experience, they started with similar assets, and they both featured team servers that were among the most active the league has ever had to offer. VHLM expansion then was symbolic of a whole lot more than just having more teams--the league had just started to boom, its then-largest-ever draft class had just opened the floodgates, and everyone was out to prove that they were important in this whole sea of newness. And where most teams were active and built their identities on positively representing themselves to the wider community, Houston and Philly were really active and got there by hating each other. In my almost-30 seasons in the VHL, I've never seen anything like it and I've really never seen anything close. Both teams were full of first-gens (hello to fellow S65 Bull @Grape!) and the bad thing about that, if someone chooses to manipulate it, is that first-gens are super impressionable. I'm unfamiliar with how things got started in the way they did. All I know is that not long after I'd joined the team, I'd read through some really nasty exchanges on the forums, been snapped at a few times myself with not much reason, and heard a lot secondhand. Beyond just whatever GM conflict there may have been, the players were heavily involved. In Houston, we were never mobilized to join in arguments, nor were we ever told what to think (something that I don't think could have been said the same both ways. @FrostBeard has a great thread covering the Reapers' side of things that also happens to explain a lot about some of the interactions I remember having with people I'd have no reason to dislike normally). That said, we certainly had enough exposure to the situation that we knew what to think anyway and were often fueled by the need to do what we thought was necessary to defend our team. I remember being part of some Discord arguments. I remember being angry at some forum topics that should have had nothing to do with me. And you know what? It probably helped keep me active. I had people in Houston that I considered my friends and I wanted to see them treated right. I wasn't about to walk away from that situation. People who played for the Reapers probably felt the same way, and though my perspective is probably biased, it seemed absolutely insane how deep that ran. I remember multiple occasions when I saw one person fighting with someone else--and within a few minutes, that amped itself up into three or four. I don't believe any of the worst offenders there are still in the league, and I also can't say I'm disappointed by that. What I am disappointed by is some of the negative fallout that caused for some. I talked to a handful of people at the time who felt that they were treated very unfairly, and I remember a particularly unpleasant experience had by one of our active first-gens that he later cited as a major reason why he left the league altogether. Were this only a GM problem, it would be one thing. But players came to believe that being part of the problem equated to being part of things in general, and some who wanted to be important got sucked too far into that. It was also a shame that it led me to think negatively of some people who played for the Reapers (Frost is one example, but I can think of others) who weren't even part of the problem. I'm sure that some people also associated me negatively with the Bulls. And there was no reason why that should have been the case--former S65 Reapers like @McLovin and fellow Buffalo expat @DMaximus are people I genuinely like and people who I've never seen trying to fight anyone. But that sort of thing was hard to see in the moment when I saw others who I won't name coming after my GM and teammates simply for existing. It's something that I never hope to see again in the VHL and it's a problem that I'm glad to say our current group of GMs never has. It also happened to be something that was on my mind quite a bit in my first VHL season, enough so that there has to be some way that it shaped my course as a member. I think it made me realize early on that GMs are only human and that not every person I met online is worth my time and effort in stressing about. But do you know what else I learned? I had enough fun anyway that I learned that that's OK. Read my other articles for the full Gustav experience: #1: Lightning Glory Gonna Be My Name

@dogwoodmaple

It's roughly the midpoint of the season which means soon I will be putting up the HOF ballot up for BOG discussion. Most of you will see the results of that discussion and vote in around a month or so when the induction is announced in the off-season. Anyway, I like to use this time to look ahead at who currently playing might be joining the ballot after their retirement and on this occasion will share the (not particularly detailed) thought process. S85 draftees: John Jameson @Frank and Jesse Teno @aimkin are slam dunk Hall of Famers in my mind, perhaps even both first ballot entries. Teno has the two utterly dominant playoff runs in S88 and S92, plus a league-best regular season in S91 in between, and an overall consistent body of work dragging London to becoming an elite franchise. Jameson maybe had less trophies than expected, but is on track for a fourth 100-point season, has been ever-present in the Boulet conversation and also has transformed a middling franchise in Prague. Doubt anyone else from S85 makes it. S86: The Frenchman's @OrbitingDeath case is gathering pace, having won his first championship and individual trophy last season and likely adding to that in S93. Lachlan Summers @kirbithan is in the same boat as Teno, maybe needs another strong season to be slam dunk but has done enough for the ballot. Time is running out for the rest of the draft class and too early to tell for anyone younger.

April fools day played chaos around the league and delayed these predictions slightly as I had to re-collect some of the data since a fake trade announcement by a person that shall remain anonymous caused the re-simming of a few games. Overall, as far as I can see it didn`t effect the standing or my prediction but just rather altered some stat lines. Without further ado, lets get into this weeks predictions: Current Standings: Standings Record Points Last Wk Prediction Last Wk 1. D.C. Dragons 20-4-0 40pts 13-1-0 1st North American 2. Toronto Legion 18-6-0 36pts 11-3-0 2nd North American 3. New York Americans 13-7-3 29pts 9-4-0 3rd North American 4. Seattle Bears 14-9-1 29pts 8-5-1 7th North American 5. Chicago Phoenix 11-11-2 24pts 5-8-1 4th North American 6. Calgary Wranglers 12-12-0 24pts 8-6-0 6th North American 7. Vancouver Wolves 7-14-3 17pts 2-9-3 5th North American 8. Los Angeles Stars 1-23-0 2pts 0-14-0 8th North American Next Week Predictions: 1. The top two teams in the North American conference should really start to pull away from the chasing group behind but we see a change at the top due to a much weaker schedule that saw Toronto led by Diego Machado @Dadam30 (18-28-46pts) and Joel Castle @animal74 (2.30ga & 0.933%) leapfrog the D.C. Dragons in the standings. It would be rather surprising if they didn`t but I have been wrong before. 2. The D.C. Dragons will enter a tough stretch of hockey and depending on how they handle it will determine if they hold onto first in the conference at the end of the week or if they fall to second. It might be determined by the head-to-head games between Toronto and D.C. making these games a much watch. The Frenchman @OrbitingDeath (23-29-52pts) and Mark Calaway @Beketov (13-29-42pts) continue to be the best at their current positions offensively forcing teams to look at ways to slow them down; it hasn`t worked so far!! 3. A huge trade this week should shake up the group of five teams all fighting over the final playoff spots. Calgary managed to collect Larry Abass Jr @RileyL and Jens Lekman @Bobcat from the Vancouver Wolves for a S94 CGY 1st and Thor Odinson @GoalPlays; which greatly improves this team. Add in what should be easier schedule than other team and I see Calgary starting to climb the standings. How far they make it will be determined by games against New York and Seattle. It will be interesting to see the impact of the trade this week and if Calgary is now a true contender or pretender!! 4. All signs point this team to being better than what their record currently shows with scoring stars Jasper Davis @Josh (11-21-32pts) and FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist @STZ (13-15-28pts), not to mention a stud defender in Tord Yvel @Trazan (2-28-30pts) but New York just doesn`t seem to generate enough scoring a group and this is keeping them right around mid pack in the conference. Strong goaltending continues for 36W @rory (2.19ga & 0.934%) so the question remains is it time to shake things up in New York? 5. I keep expecting Seattle to fall back due to inconsistent or rather rookie goaltending as Giorgiy Costanzov @Mongoose87 (3.68ga & 0.895%) is just trying to keep his head above water. So how are the Bears continuing to win games? Enter former Vancouver Wolves Henry Eagles @Greg_Di (19-25-44pts) and Oreo McFleury @JB123(20-23-43pts); who have been reunited this season in their former rivals uniform. Simple put Seattle have been able to outscore most of their problems and I think this can continue. They will finish the week anywhere from 3rd to 6th this week and could be actually tied in points with a team or two. 6. Easy schedule should see Chicago hanging off the back and hopeful of wildcard spot by the end of the week but I am starting to see that this team will fall off the back. Chicago will miss the playoffs this season unless something changes defensively as Yaroslav Trunov @qripll(24-19-43pts) and Babay Shrimp @Blazzer(9-23-32pts) cannot out score the issue on the back-end. Ryan Artyomov @Enorama(3.66ga & 0.902%) continues to hold on but simple needs more assistance. 7. Hope to start the season has quickly faded to disappointment as the team has struggled with chemistry and decided to pull the trigger on a trade with Calgary to improve their future bringing in a S94 CGY 1st and Thor Odinson @GoalPlays while shipping out veteran players Jens Lekman @Bobcat and Larry Abass Jr @RileyL just brought in this season to provide guidance to younger Wolves players. What the future hold for the remainder of the season? Likely hood looking at more losses than wins and a date with a lotto pick. 8. Mclean Hoover II @McLean Hoover (8-14-22pts) is trying his best to keep Los Angeles from losing all remaining games in the season and that might not happen but only when they face the great HC Davos team from the European conference. Well, That doesn`t happen this week so we will see if they can at least steal a point or two; unlikely!! Current Standings: Standings Record Points Last Wk Prediction Last Wk 1. Moscow Menace 17-6-2 36pts 10-2-2 4th European Conference 2. Malmo Nighthawks 16-6-2 34pts 10-3-2 2nd European Conference 3. London United 15-6-3 33pts 11-2-1 3rd European Conference 4. Prague Phantoms 14-7-4 32pts 8-5-2 1st European Conference 5. Warsaw Predators 14-9-1 29pts 7-6-1 6th European Conference 6. Helsinki Titans 11-13-0 22pts 5-9-0 5th European Conference 7. Riga Reign 10-13-2 22pts 6-8-1 7th European Conference 8. HC Davos Dynamo 1-22-1 3pts 1-13-0 8th European Conference Next Week Predictions: 1. Moscow proved me wrong but also shows why I didn`t know what to make of their tough schedule last week as Moscow aced the week with two losses and two overtime losses; in what I would rather view as near perfect week. Moscow put fear into the European conference last week and that should continue for most of the season now. Jarmo Ruutu @jRuutu(14-29-43pts) is all set to have a career season and leads the Moscow attack. While Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage @Grape(14-23-37pts) is turning into a star on the back-end. Moscow is showing why they are Men with Aces in the pockets!! Ugh!! 2. London was the best team in the conference last week and I think this continues as Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ(21-31-52pts) simply has been the one of best player in the league driving the offense that has become London’s calling card. While I think the United are not all that United in offensive ability; it doesn`t effect their United winning ways. It will be close between Malmo and London this week but I am giving London a slight edge here. 3. Yup, you guessed; if you actually read the whole article the next team in line is Malmo Nighthawks. Malmo is still one of the most complete teams as shown by having a different leading score again this week in Viktor Jensen @Advantage(16-25-41pts). While Jacob Stone @scoop (10-28-38pts) is showing that he is one of the best defenders in the league. Malmo should continue to roll but might take a small set back this week and fall to third. 4. When I seen the trade between Calgary and Vancouver earlier this week I cannot help but feel that Prague missed a huge opportunity to improve their roster and really set the tone for the remainder of the season. They cannot go back and change the past so look at why I think Prague continue to struggle; shot diff!! Prague gives up ton of shots when playing the top teams in the league and have only managed to stay in the playoff hunt thanks to the might and effort of Matt Murdock @Acydburn(2.86ga & 0.931%). If for whatever reason he falters, than Prague could be looking at the playoffs from the outside. John Jameson @Frank (22-29-51pts); Nikolas Kauppi @Tetricide(23-25-48pts) and Skor McFleury @Alex(10-33-43pts) are trying everything to keep Prague playoff relevant but Prague really needs to get a full roster to help them. 5. Nothing has changed from last week to this week as a lot of the success of the Predators is down to Lachlan Summers @kirbithan(2.81ga & 0.931%), as another team having issues with shots against shows the lack of true number one defender on the roster. I have Warsaw current locked in 5th and the final wildcard spot but that could change if Warsaw doesn`t find away to secure a strong defensive core and Helsinki actually turns their season around. The Predators are more like a lion without teeth at the moment and have no bite. 6. I almost don`t know what to say about the team from Finland as Helsinki should really be fighting for third in the conference and not playing five hundred hockey at best. With $4.5M in salary cap; the team really needs to find depth scoring and close the gap between their star forward Daryl Dixon @Ricer13(13-24-37pts) and Owen Lazaro @traphag(22-22-44pts). Otherwise they risk losing a season that really the Titans should be a playoff team. At the moment the Titans are more like the Titanic!! 7. A team that I am not concerned about at all since I don`t have them making the playoff but continue show that the Reign are not far from being ready to compete soon. Shubham Anand @Will3 (18-19-37pts) continue to lead Riga offense. If I do have any concern about this young team, it would be around the lack of true number one defender developing but Lucy Leitner @LucyXpher looks set to fill that role next season but Riga will need to find more defensive help if the team is going to take a step next season. 8. Hello we will see you next season!! Okay, I wish I could get away with that but I cannot, right? David Jokinen @Ahma(10-24-34pts) continue to lead Davos; which really should surprise anyone. Carson Walker Jr @Cwalker(10-10-20pts) is struggling in his second season in the league after having a strong rookie campaign. While James MacAvoy @Enraged(9-16-25pts) continues to have his name mentioned around the rookie of the year. Davos does have some depth pieces in place while they wait for future prospect to develop and once again should add a top pick at the end of the season. Final Thought: Nine for sixteen or a nice 56%!! Not a bad week when you consider that I complete got Prague and Moscow mixed up in the European Conference, While Vancouver and Seattle are completely different thought processes that I need to change; made easier by the fact that Vancouver looks to have moved into the sell now mode while looking forward to adding through next season draft. Prague, Helsinki and maybe New York need to shake a few things up! But overall the season doesn`t have that many surprise but that could change quickly as Calgary has improved and this could shake up the North American conference. We are starting to see groups form in both leagues and this could keep things interesting for most of the season.

Vancouver Wolves awards After a season break the most important and the only awards that matter are back!! Season 93 seen great growth and the future arrive this season in Vancouver but in the end, there was too much of a learn curve or simply a learning season for the Vancouver Wolves. Vancouver was hopeful of making the playoffs this season but in the end missed the playoff by three points; which seems closer than it really was. The Awards are a great time reflect on the past season while recognizing the players that made a difference one way or another for the Wolves this season. Enough waffling about and let’s get onto the awards, shall we? Best Defenseman: Vancouver Wolves started the season with five defenders with two veterans in Liv Slater @Subject056 and Jens Lekman @Bobcat, who were tasked with leading a rookie back end with new comers Vlad Von Carstein @Dom, Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts and DB IV @wcats. A quarter of the way into the season it was clear a five man system just wasn`t going to help the development of the younger defenders so out goes Jens Lekman @Bobcat to Calgary giving more minutes to the rookies and more of a opportunity so who at the end of the season was Vancouver Wolves best defender? Unsung Hero: Every time that I have these awards to handout you would think it would get easier and easier to determine some of them but the Unsung Hero award is one of the hardest one to give out since it is hard to define what is a unsung hero, I usually think of someone that might have gone under the radar a bit and played an important role for the team but might not get as much credit as they deserve. This season unsung hero is….. Most Energetic: Welcome back Vancouver after two season of a rather quiet locker room where a pin being dropped would echo throughout; this season seen the locker room come back to life in a big way with general excitement being feed off of the fans and the city with seven rookie, four veteran players arriving from other teams. General feeling that Vancouver would be a much better team and have a chance at the playoffs. While that excitement might have dropped off as it became clear that Vancouver wasn`t likely to make the playoff; it still gave the locker room and the fan bases much to cheer about; not to mention cheering for rival teams and against Calgary when it came clear that Vancouver might get extremely luck and land two lottery draft picks this season. So, who lead the charge in the locker room? Most Valuable Player (MVP): I can waffle on and on but I think this award is rather clear who is the team MVP this season and really has been for the past three or four season so let just pull the band aid off quickly shall we…. Rookie of the Year: Seven rookies started the season for the Wolves and through a ton of hard fighting, blood, sweet and tears we have to award one of the seven with the Rookie of the year. Throughout the season we seen different rookies really take the rein and rather impress from Vlad Von Carstein @Dom, early hot start to the season being second in the league rookie scoring, Mikko Borisyuk @Minebro rather impressive half a point per game pace, Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts physical presence and defensive ability, Riley Martin @Smarch high shooting percentage on his way to just missing thirty goals this season and Logan Ninefingers @Scurvy turn around to finish with sixty-three points. So Who is the ROY for the Wolves? Little Wolf Award (Most Hits): Sniper Award (Shooting Percentage): QB Award (PP Assists): Tooth Fairy (PIM Award): Always Responsible (Plus/Minus): Oops Sorry Eh!! (Least Hits) It wasn`t me!! (Least PIM): Shoot the lights out (Most Shots): Work Horse Award (AMG): Common Coach (Least Played): Bruised and Battered Award (SB): Three Stars Award: Ah, Poopy!! I forgot to collect the data again for the three Stars so give me a second and have a drink or two at the back of the room while I go get the data!! Final Thoughts Always a tough season when you believe the team should have made the playoff and as management you put a team together that you think should give the team a chance to play competitive hockey down the stretch. In the end that wasn`t the case this season but it was a huge move in the right direction giving much more hope, continued excitement as we build a contender. This off season should keep the excitement high as two more really good prospect should join the prospect pool; only making the potential of this team that much stronger. With a few holes within the roster needing to filled I would expect Frank will be active this off season trying to bring in players to help the team make another jump forward. I am also not forgetting the exciting debut of another rookie next season in Annie Oaks. It is going to make this off season once again feel like is it going to last forever since I am ready to get the new season started now!! Exciting days are ahead for the Wolf Pack!! @okochastar@Frank@Gaikoku-hito@Scurvy@Minebro@Smarch@GoalPlays@Sullvino@Subject056@Dom@wcats@Girts@KaleebtheMighty@Trepagoat@Demko@Noodle Enjoyer

The next two weeks are super busy for me so trying to do an extra long media spot to count for two weeks. I am off to Las Vegas for two weeks which is waaaay too long to be in the desert. So this weeks Around the League will cover a bunch of topics such as Bollos de Trueno potential draft spot, a look in on Rip Wheeler, the race to the playoffs, and maybe other random stuff to get me to 1000 words. BOLLOS de TRUENO A quick look in at the upcoming draft shows a pretty deep first round and truly a bunch of “can’t miss” draft pick for the first 10-15 picks. Lots of big names and huge earners litter the top spots and a large amount of these picks are defensive players. What does that mean for Trueno? Well lets look deeper at BDT. Without even looking at @Thunder current player in Trueno we have to think his draft stock is high simply because of his history. His first player, Jake Thunder was the type of defenseman that set the standard for modern era VHLers looking to make a Hall of Fame dman. Not knowing what type of build Trueno will be, it seems likely we will be looking at Jake Thunder 2.0 but maybe better since Thunder is passed the learning curve now and knows what to put his TPE into now. Currently, Bollos de Trueno plays for Saskatoon and is having a great season. In 61 games he has 12 goals 39 assists 51 points with 94 hits and 67 SB. 6 of his 12 goals are on the power play and he somehow snagged a shorthanded goal to show he is a threat in any circumstance. He currently sits #7 in overall TPE (3rd overall for defenders) for the upcoming draft class that shows 7 defensemen in the top 15. So where will he go? Based on the current standings it looks like LA will have #1 pick with Davos picking #2. LA’s needs could force them to take a sure pick goalie in Soju @Frank first overall and based on Franks past players could prove to be the smart choice. If Davos had the second pick they could go with #2 in overall TPE in Jillian Woods @jacobcarson877who is lighting it up in Ottawa (18-47-65) and another guaranteed winner of a pick. But could Davos draft Trueno at #2 since his former player was a Davos legend? Davos has some young forward talent but some needs all around so tough to say, only @AlexAlex knows. There is some amazing forward talent as well in Maverick Goncalves @leandrofg who skipped the M and is already playing well against better talent in the VHLE. Maverick is supreme talent and earner, and we can easily see him go #1 in this draft or any previous draft. If he falls to #2 will Davos pick him up to lead their club in the future? Other names like Felicia Hardy @JCarson, Pierre Mac Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito, The Phantom of the VHL @Hogan, Pombo @samx, Lazlo Holmes @Gustav , Maple Dogwood @dogwoodmaple, Erik Thorvaldsson @Tetricide, and Wally Lose @youloser1337 all complicate the matter too since they are all great talent with historically great players. My prediction for Bollos de Trueno’s draft spot is #2-#8 spot. My sincere hope is that he somehow falls to Vancouver’s draft selection so that I may play with my friend in real life. But it’s more likely he ends up somewhere else just based on pure statistics and, in that case, I hope to smash his face on the daily. LOL. Best of luck Trueno, either way I can’t wait for you to get to the VHL and make another Hall of Fame defenseman. RIP “Glass jaw” Wheeler To date, I have recruited four players to the VHL. Two shit the bed early and were useless. One made the hall of fame (Jake Thunder) and one recruit I like to consider an off and on disappointment in Rip Wheeler. Now, I know Rip in real life, and we work together. So, we often have conversations about Rip Wheeler @ScottyP and my player, Logan Ninefingers dropping the gloves and going at it. For example, he told me that he was, “going to make that rookie Ninefingers pay the price in the big leagues,” when my player got to the VHL. So recently when the Vancouver Wolves squared off against the Prague Phantoms in game 393 in Prague. So, in front of his sold-out hometown crowd Rip Wheeler tried to assault young Vancouver forward, Riley Martin @Smarch. At the 16:44 mark Rip embarrassed himself by challenging the youngster to a fight by slashing him up the ice over and over. What happened after will be shown on YouTube clips for ages as the rookie Martin served right hand after right hand into Wheeler’s mouth. Wheeler looked like a puppet on strings as Martin showed the veteran forward a little about pugilism on ice. To add fuel to the fire poor Wheeler was given a game misconduct for his antics and a guaranteed hearing with league officials over his behavior. However great the fight win was for Vancouver they ended up losing in a shootout to a goal by Skor McFluery. VHL Standings At the 60-game mark the Toronto Legion are currently the best team in the league with a 43-15-2 record. Malmo, Seattle, London, New York, Moscow, and Prague are all close and this off-season should be a fun one to watch. Seattle and Moscow made the most moves at the deadline to try and improve their clubs and I think both were successful and pose a real threat to other clubs come playoff time. Warsaw, defending champs DC, and Chicago also have their talents and are looking to wreck their pairings come playoffs. The current hot team in the league is Malmo with a 4-game win streak and is in a battle for top spot in the European division with London. It will be an exciting ending to the season to see where these clubs shake out. will claim for weeks 04/28 and 05/05

Reducing VHL unemployment since S65. It's true that I have an important job. It's true that I have a lot of posts, that people have liked those posts a lot, and that I'm a big fancy old guy who can make targeted attacks against you and your player specifically influence league policy through both my job and my role in the Board of Gustav. But I still find it hard to claim that I'm any more influential than I used to be. Maybe I'm a little more respected as the portion of people here newer than me continues to grow, but influential? I think I was at my peak as a VHLM GM. That influence stayed within our own team for the most part, while others just heard about it--but I've never been able to say that the work I put in to interact with people helped to shape them into active members quite as much since then. I won't tag everyone who played for me and eventually ended up in a management role of some sort, because that would be a few too many tags (). Instead, I'll point out a few who started on my teams and made it really far. I like to think that the work of @Ricer13 and @Berocka speaks for itself, and while I take zero credit for anything that's happened since S68 or so, I still think about their beginnings with the Hounds--Ricer as a then-pass-first forward who initially described himself as a "lurker" in our server after we drafted him late, and Berocka as a waiver signing who didn't even join our server at first and who we had to pressure a bit to talk to us. I think both of these were cases where the VHLM can really change the course of a person's involvement--I described in my first article here how I was very hesitant to say or do much at first, and the teams that go beyond a simple "welcome, tell me if you need anything" can make lots of things happen. VHLM GM is also the one job I've had where I feel no need to self-deprecate. I never won much on the VHL level, I've done some unpopular things and been less visible as a commissioner, there have been times where I've said things I now disagree with in BoG, and my heart was never in updating during the time when I did it. But I was really good in the M and I believe that on some level, the league has seen activity from people other than myself that may not have necessarily happened had my team been run by some other GMs of the day. This led to me writing up a statistical article a few seasons in where I concluded that people on my teams were more likely to get hired than people off of them. Looking back on the first one, this wasn't even true. It's a long story, but my analysis showed a p-value of about 0.2 and most stats people don't care until that goes under 0.05. Some of the comments I got weren't incredibly friendly, either--I managed to make it funny by joking about it on Discord a lot, but it definitely rubbed some people the wrong way. It was still a joke about 6 months later, and I still occasionally caught some snarky comments about it at that point, so I ran the numbers again. This time, it came with a better understanding of calculating statistical significance (along with a better understanding that maybe I shouldn't tag 27 people in passing mentions to get my point across). I had the right p-value in mind and put together an updated list. And lo and behold, after a few more seasons as a VHLM GM, it had become super-ultra statistically significant. In fancy statistical talk, our "null hypothesis" was "Gustav does not positively influence a member's chances of being hired" and the results pointed to strongly rejecting that statement. Like anything in stats, though, this isn't direct proof, and I also think that the multiple layers of interpersonal relationships and luck and whatnot that are separate from the numbers don't make any test like that definite. But I'd done my best to quantify it in a way that I've never seen anyone else do, and I think that in the end it is a real testament to my own effect on the VHLM (however seriously you want to take the results). In the end, 15 people who were either my teammate or a player I had GM'd (mostly the latter) got jobs as GMs or AGMs between S65 and S70--not counting three hires I'd made on my own terms by making my players my own AGMs. At a rate of about three hirings per season, I think that's pretty solid. So I hope you can forgive the ego stroking in this article, because it's kind of what I have to do to make it a readable piece about what I've done for the league's first-gens. What happened to these players on my teams is a different (and less biased) story from the player and team end, and I'll be happy to tell it soon. Read my other articles for the full Gustav experience (hi Berocka): #1: Lightning Glory Gonna Be My Name #2: Can't We All Just Get Along? #3: Who Needs Cybersecurity Anyway? #4: The House That I Built #5: Can We Fix It? #6: American Beauty

@Mysterious_Fish asked me to run round 1 as they were busy. So you're stuck with me (for now). Another year, another disappointing cup run for [insert your favorite team here]! To drown your sorrows, have some bonus TPE! The form will close at 6 pm EST on Monday, 4/22. ROUNDS WILL BE RELEASED AS SOON AS THE MATCHUPS ARE SET*. *Unless NHL decides to start Round 2 early for some reason. Then I will do East / West if necessary. SCORING SYSTEM (like last year) Max - 225 points Series winner - 10 points Series Length (doesn't have to be the winner) - 5 points TPE PAYOUT Stanley Cup Champs in round 1 - 4 additional TPE 1st - 6 TPE 2-3 - 5 TPE 4-5 - 4 TPE 6-10 - 3 TPE 11-20 - 2 TPE 21+ - 1 TPE HERE IS ROUND 1!! GOOD LUCK!!! Check to see if you completed it!

This season has been a little rough for Vancouver’s rookie winger, Logan Ninefingers. He has done some good things at times and abysmal at times. He has recently gotten into a physical role and had some good fights along the way. So today I’m going to take a deep look at Nine finger’s career fight card. VHLM S91 Game 304- vs Alexandros Mograine (Saskatoon) (fought to a draw) VHLE S92 Oslo/Bratislava Game 67- vs C1 (rome) Win- at least I can beat up a bot Game 78- vs Karol Lamb @dlamb(BRA) -- Loss--- Getting beat up by your GM really hurts. Game 114- vs S Winston Dixon jr @Rjdixon01 (VAS) Win Game 117- vs C1 (ROM) draw- me and this dude have beef for sure Game 21- playoffs vs Theo Allard @InstantRockstar (COL) Loss S92 Pro Am Fight vs Callum Gary Yanick Janser @Daniel JanserDaniel - LOSS S93 VHL Vancouver Game 195 vus Raimo Tuominen @SlapshotWrangler(CGY) Draw Game 298 vs Jarmo Ruutu @jRuutu (MOS) loss Game 306 vs Tommy Sleeves @dasboot(HSK) loss Conclusion, winning fights isn’t easy and apparenlty Logan needs to hit the weight room in the off season. Happy Friday everyone

In which @Advantage accidentally offered me a $1 bonus, which I purposely accepted, which made the portal look like we were in cap trouble. Expansion was the name of the game back in the day. S65 saw the founding of the Moscow Menace franchise, along with two additions to the VHLM in Houston and Philly. I'd played for Houston and was fairly intrigued when I saw that the big league would be expanding again right in time for me to join it. The Malmo logo looked cool, the limited impressions I'd had of inaugural GM Advantage seemed positive, and I just really liked the idea of being a team's history rather than simply adding to it. They were also one of a handful of teams to actually scout me, which is something I don't care about as heavily now but did as a first-gen. In the days leading up to the draft, I had a good time taking in the new member experience. I remember @MubbleFubbles writing a mock draft that said some nice things about me, and I took that idea and made what's still one of my favorite articles ever--my own mock draft, 50 picks deep, that taught me everything I needed to know about every player when I was writing it. I really knew nothing ahead of time about who was going where, but correctly speculated on a bunch of things. Some that I'm proud of were Julius Freeman over Shane Mars to Vancouver at #2 overall, Apollo Hackett to Riga at #16, Edward Vigneault at #33, and Rhys Chism at #39--oh, and my very own Jerry Garcia, 7th overall to Malmo and the first player ever to be drafted to the Nighthawks. My mock was weirdly accurate with Malmo picks in general. I ended up joining Rusty Shackleford (@K1NG LINUS) and Nacho (@Nacci25), picked 17th and 37th overall in both my article and the actual draft. Also of note were goaltender Juan Jaundice (@Jus) and monster goon MORPHEUS DESTRUCTIOUS (@Abaddon), as well as Blake Laughton and @Grape, my VHLM teammate and the only other member of Malmo's inaugural draft class to be active today. I knew some of these people already, and the time that all were active was enough for me to get to know the rest. Our locker room was super active and a really fun place to be in general, removing quite a bit of the doubt that many players have when they leave the M. But of course, we were an expansion team that finished last in S66. Garcia played just-OK and wasn't really anything special despite having lots of empty space on the roster to stand out from. These trends would continue in S67, where the team got marginally better and so did Jerry. Worse, we already had a couple of our S66 picks go inactive. There was some sort of foundation built, at least (we drafted @Phil's Phil Marleau and @fonziGG's Michael Johnson, players that stuck with us at forward and in net for a while)--and we figured it wouldn't be too-too long before things started going the right direction. And go the right direction it did in just the next season--not only did we pick @OrbitingDeath 's Condor Adrienne (the best defenseman of the generation) at #1 after winning the draft lottery, but @Beketov's Matt Thompson (the best player of the S60s) signed with us in free agency for his last season. A few things happened in S68 that were really nice. First, Garcia had his best season on defense. His stats (60 points, 154 hits, and 150 SB) may not mean a whole lot to anyone used to the standards of the S90s, but they were pretty solid for that time and got me nominated for the Jake Wylde Trophy. And though the vote had solid support, it fell one short of winning. I still haven't won an individual award not named Campbell, and this was the closest I ever came. But I digress--S68 had a whole lot more going on as far as the team was concerned. We went from the VHL's basement all the way to the top, finishing first place in the standings and taking home the Victory Cup in just our third season of existence. At some point in our first few seasons--and I think it was here--Advantage became the first VHL member to ever hit 1000 wins as a GM. All of that was cool, and we carried that success into the playoffs, where regular-season MVP Thompson played so well--shooting at somewhere around 20%--that it drew accusations of sim rigging and the strongest demand for live sims up until that point. That's the reason why we have live sims today, actually--it's not a special event as much as it's proof that the simmer isn't cheating. The playoffs went very well, and we made the finals with the chance of becoming the earliest championship winners of any expansion team in the league's history. The finals had been simmed live before S68, so doing them this way was as much common practice as it was the result of peer pressure. So, we did them live--and although I never once believed that the sims were being rigged, the people who thought they were certainly had something to laugh at when we got swept by Seattle (whose core by this point was made up of multiple players who used to be my own first-gen players in the M). It was my first finals, and would remain so for quite a while. After S68, my player success (and my team success) declined steadily. I don't remember a whole lot about S69-71 as a player, to be honest--S69 was my best run as a VHLM GM (as I'll talk about in a future article), and I remember S70 being absolutely dominated by Moscow. Also during this time, Garcia somehow acted as Condor Adrienne's kryptonite. He didn't even steal stats, either, because his totals went down a little bit even as I kept adding to his TPE. But after S71, Advantage stepped down, @FrostBeard took over as GM and started the team's first rebuild, at the start of which he was gracious enough to give me a fair deal to move Garcia out to the Davos team I was then running. That's also a future article, but the long story short is that I made Jerry a winger and enjoyed a couple seasons of being half decent on my own underachieving team before retiring. Jerry Garcia would eventually finish his career with 420 points (an amazing coincidence). He never won a Cup or an award and was never really the top player on any of his teams. He doesn't even come close to making my own Hall of Not Bad series. In fact, I believe that he was the worst player to ever reach 1500 TPE back when 1500 TPE actually meant something. But even though his TPE total was his most impressive number, that's still representative of over a year of work that I put into making him what he was, and I have no regrets about it (not even the part where I built Passing over Scoring). Jerry taught me that I could make it in the VHL as more than just a flashy new kid, that I could earn with the best of them and build a player that most people still respected even when that didn't show up on the leaderboard. And I hope no one who played with him regretted it, either. There were lots of players drafted after 7th overall in S66, but none of them can say that they were Malmo's first choice--and I like to think Malmo wouldn't have had it any other way.

Player Information Username: Greg_Di Player Name: Roger Eagles Recruited From: Returning Age: 21 Position: G Height: 76 in. Weight: 190 lbs. Birthplace: Poland Player Page @VHLM GM

Player Spotlight - Matteo Stefano @mmrs617 The Canadian born winger joined the VHL earlier this month on April 2, 2024 and had jumped right into things in the league. Stefano was signed by the Mississauga Hounds right after joining the league has been played spectacular in his first eighteen VHLM games. So far in those eighteen games Stefano has put up seven goals and nine assists, which if projected over the Hounds full forty-nine games Stefano would be the second highest scorer on the team. Currently to date Stefano has earned 139 TPE I’m just ten days, which is an amazing number especially for a first generation player in the league. The 139 TPE puts him as the four highest TPE earner at forward on the Hounds roster as well as the second highest VHLM Dispersal Draft eligible player for the Season 94 VHLM draft. With a high end work ethic and brilliant one ice ability alot easy showcased in under two weeks in the league, Stefano might challenge for the First Overall draft pick in the VHLM when the time comes

“Tfong” has not been a member of our league for years at this point. Yet to me and many others, “Baozi” is not a member of this league. For years, our head moderator was known in the league as Tfong, making the switch over to Baozi seemingly in late 2021. I have been in this league for nearly 5 years and have shared more time with Baozi then I have Tfong, yet I will always know the head moderator to be Tfong. I believe this is the case for many older members, and a cause of confusion for the younger ones. This week is all about rebranding, and I think rebranding yourself is the hardest thing you can do. TXC is a name that I used in the VHL for a brief period of time. I coined it after less than a year of joining and its original intention was to draw away from Hogan. Hogan was meant to be my player and I didn’t exactly know what I was doing when I created my player. I did actually receive many people calling me TXC, but as you can see, I’m Hogan again. Hogan never left people's minds, many still referred to me as it and I think now if I was still TXC many still would call me Hogan. In response to me telling Gorlab my name is no longer Hogan. Gorlab- “it is to me…and it always will be” N0h- “Calling you txc is just weird” As I learned from Gustav’s most recent 30 for 30. Instant Rockstar once tried to rebrand as “Goonie”. This was a few months before my time but it seems as if the Goonie name was shed very early, but late enough for him to get a VHLM GM job. Diamond Ace- “@beketov just so you know, the new member was actually ir the whole time” I believe the VHL’s most notable rebrand was one done by Kachur. Many know the legend of Horcrux, and those there to experience it know that the legend lives up to the stories. For those who don’t know, Kachur was an old member who was banned and generally not heard from in a long time. On the other hand, Horcrux was a huge piece in the current landscape of the VHL and the moderation team .Horcrux presented themselves as a queer woman, which we now know to not be anywhere close to the truth. Horcrux was only in the league for 2 months, Oct-Dec 2021. 59 Days in the VHL with 323 posts equally out to about 5 and a half per day. This number does not include the discord which would bring our totals up immensely. Around the middle of Horcrux’s time in the league, there was a large change in the COC, while not directly caused by them I believe they had the second largest hand in that whole scenario. But not all things last, shortly after Horcrux was found to be Kachur and was rightfully banned. I don’t want to bring up the specifics behind everything. Kachur was a horrible member who caused a lot of pain for numerous of our members and I do not wish to bring it all back up. In the end, rebranding yourself in the VHL is something that is so incredibly hard to do. Once members know you as one name or character, it will stick. But with true dedication I am sure it’s possible. Or in the case of Horcrux, pure delusion.

The Vancouver Wolves season has been rocky as far as standings go. However, after recent shootout loss to Calgary the Wolves highly touted rookie class has given GM @Frank another problem to worry about. Despite given a curfew by their GM, four rookies, Riley Martin @Smarch, Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts, Logan Ninefingers, and Vlad Von Carstein @Dom snuck out and hit the bars. While at a popular club known as the Roxy they were allegedly confronted by several Calgary fans who made the trek over to watch the game. Apparently the four rookies took offense to some of the comments about Vancouver’s play this season and the fists started flying. In the end, we saw nine Calgary fans transported to local hospitals and the four rookies sitting in the city jail. Rumor also has it that giant defensemen, Guntis Gavilrovs ripped a finger off one of the assailants to give it to Logan for a full set. But this can’t be confirmed. Upon their release the four had no comment as they were escorted to some cars to be whisked away. GM Frank Chadwick gave a press conference at noon today and gave the following statement: “Last night four of my players broke curfew and went out on the town. This is an internal matter that I will deal with, and they will not like the consequence for that. I feel a day of bag skating is in their near future. Furthermore, the issue with the fight last night I have no issue with how they handled themselves. Were a team, and in my opinion, they defended the team, and they will not be punished for that. I am proud that four of my youngest players stood together and battled as family. It's why I drafted them.” Reporter: “Can you confirm the rumor that Guntis Gavrilrovs tore someone’s finger off and kept it last night?” Frank: “No comment”