Leaderboard

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

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.

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

Following two consecutive losses on home ice to begin their second round series against the Saskatoon Wild, reports are coming out that some kind of strange ritual took place in the Halifax locker room. This story comes from sources close to the team who say that following a 3-1 game two loss in the VHLM Playoff Semi-Finals, the Halifax locker room door was locked to all media members and strange noises could be heard echoing through the walls. When asked to comment about what went on in the dressing room, team representatives called it a simple "team meeting". By all accounts, this was no ordinary team meeting and many of the reporters who heard the noises were left quite shook. "After the game we saw the management team come down to the locker room. They went straight in and locked the door behind them. At first we thought it was just a team meeting like they told us, you know, to tell the players to keep their heads up and stick to the game plan going into game three, but after a few minutes we started hearing odd sounds coming from the room-- stuff that would keep you up at night. It's hard to describe, honestly." (Larry LeRoy, The Halifax Morning Star) "It sounded like screaming-- not like a coach yelling at the players though, but like blood-curdling screams, and wailing. Nothing like I've every heard in a hockey rink before." (Logan Lawrence, The Low Down) "At first I thought maybe they were playing some music in there, but they were chanting. It was very odd and kind of unnerving. It started softly and they kept getting louder. That's when the shrieking started. After a while it stopped, but they still wouldn't let us in, though I'm not sure any of us really wanted to go in at that point." (Lacy Lewis, Fire On Ice) When the door was finally opened, an equipment manager was seen scurrying off with one of the big garbage bins while the rest of the team seemed to resume business as usual as though nothing had happened. "When they finally let us in it was very eerie. Everyone in the room seemed to be in good spirits, you know, laughing, joking, they had the blutooth going. It was like nothing had happened, but we all know what we heard. Oh, and there was a weird smell, I can't really put a finger on it... maybe bleach?" (Larissa Lacroix, The Crux of the Pucks) Obviously, this is not the kind of story one takes lightly and there is only one question on everyone's lips-- what the hell was going on in there? For my part, I wasn't present to hear the noises first hand, though I arrived at the room after it had been opened again. It smelled like a locker room, sure, but there was something else lingering in the air. It could have been bleach, but it definitely smelled like some kind of strong cleaning agent. Looking around, I noticed that the floor was wet on top of the big Halifax logo in the center of the room. I didn't see a mop anywhere, but it seemed like that area had just been cleaned. Some of the other reporters I was with commented that a number of players seemed to have blood splattered on their white jerseys, though it is hard to say where it came from. This is the playoffs, after all, and we know things can get pretty brutal on the ice. It's a noteworthy observation, nonetheless. I reached out to Halifax General Manager Lexie Leitner for comment. She didn't seem eager to reveal much about the "meeting" except to say that the team was in good spirits and ready for the next game. I pressed on and asked her to comment on the reports of screaming and strange chanting coming from the room. Her answer to this question was very interesting indeed. "Well, you know, we just needed to take care of a few things. It's an infernal-- excuse me-- internal matter so I can't comment on details, but I think the bottom line is the team is going to come out next game and play like they're possessed, you know? If we're going to have a chance at coming back in this series, we're going to need our players smelling blood." (Lexie Leitner, Halifax 21st GM) Out of context, perhaps we might think nothing of this statement from the rookie GM, but with everything that transpired in the postgame and the ominous signs-- the writing on the wall, so to speak-- her choice of words was a little hair raising, to say the least. Was something truly nefarious happening in the Halifax locker room? Could they have been engaged in some kind of occult ritual, perhaps even some kind of sacrifice? I did some more follow up with a few others around the team who claimed to have heard the noises and they had more to say. By way of a caveat, I don't know these witnesses well enough to certify their credibility so I can only offer their testimony with a grain of salt-- that's blessed salt just so we're clear. One source said they heard a name being chanted over and over-- Simon. If true, who is Simon? Nobody on the team or in the organization goes by that name so I really can't say what that could mean. Another source said that the same equipment manager who ran off with the garbage bin was seen midway through the 3rd period carrying some kind of animal and that they saw what looked like horns sticking out of the bin as he ran off with it. Another source seemed convinced that something had happened to John Season @dylanjj37 since the last time he was seen was when the team left the ice after the final horn. I can confirm that Season was not present with the team in the locker room once the doors opened, but anything more is pure speculation. Suffice it to say, there are more questions than answers and Jeopardy seems to be the jeu du jour. ...And now that I think of it, here's one more question: did you read the story about Maple Dogwood's Sauna Snafu? According to the article's author, Dogwood @dogwoodmaple "accidentally" melted the ice surface in Halifax before the start of round two, mistaking the ice temperature control panel for the sauna thermostat. The result was massive flooding across the lower levels of the building. Luckily, the arena crew was able get the water under control and re-freeze the ice surface in time for game one, but I've yet to hear an explanation for why the tunnel leading from the 21st locker room to the ice surface has become an honest-to-god pond full of frogs. Look, I've seen my fair share of horror movies and I don't need to be told that creepy secret rituals and frog infestations are bad omens. This thing has the 10 plagues of Egypt written all over it and I don't want to stick around for when Azrael decides to show up! Okay, okay, it's possible we're sensationalizing this and blowing it all out of proportion. Who knows, maybe it's nothing more than a quirky team-bonding exercise, an unfortunate flood, and a few rapidly breeding amphibians. On the other hand, maybe it's something much more sinister... Games three and four between the Halifax 21st and the Saskatoon Wild go tomorrow and only time will tell if something evil is afoot! ༻⛧༺ Lauren Lambert for VHL.com

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

Player Information Username: nurx Player Name: An Actual Holy Cow Recruited From: Returning Age: 16 Position: RW Height: 80 in. Weight: 140 lbs. Birthplace: Holy See Player Page @VHLM GM

Playoff Tree: DC and SEA tied at 1 LDN leads Moscow 2 zip

The off-season has begun for me and the Vancouver Wolves and it's hard to be out of the mix in the playoffs, which is a fun time. While our future is looking super bright maintaining motivation during the dreaded off-season is tough. Added to this I missed both the damn trivia questions today!! I have been checking in on the VHLM,E, and VHL playoffs and it's been surprising. Ive been rooting for New York in the NA and Prague in the EU. New York mainly because since I have joined the franchise has struggled. It would be cool to see them get to the finals. In the M my buddy @Thunder has been playing well with a point per game average for Saskatoon, so I am rooting for them. It truly does suck missing the playoffs since it's an extra long off-season but I think Vancouver will be sitting pretty next season if we all keep earning. Anyway best of luck to the playoff teams especially Prague, Oslo, and Saskatoon. See ya next week.

For this FZ payouts it is working differently so here we go 1st will get 5 tpe 2nd-9th will get 4 Bottom 21 get 2 Rest get 3 If that is confusing then just wait and see how much tpe you got 5 TPE @der meister @HearnNation67 4 TPE @Cartripp14 @UghSike @Garsh @OrbitingDeath @LucyXpher @Mongoose87 @Patrik Tallinder 3 TPE @MSouthworth @Scurvy @DarkSpyro @dogwoodmaple @youloser1337 @JCarson @VattghernCZ @Oddpurplefly @Frank @Advantage @McLovin @sportexperts show @Renomitsu @animal74 @Hogan @Dadam30 @BOOM @Knight @Joel Main @CowboyinAmerica @Spartan @Smarch @Girts @tcookie @qripll @Sjin @Triller @nerji @Gaikoku-hito @v.2 @Alex @dstevensonjr @leandrofg @Ahma @Noodle Enjoyer @Snussu @Doomsday @CaptainSB @Schnee @DaddyFizz @Velevra @Fno @Thunder @mmrs617 @Ricer13 @Grape @Baby Boomer @rory 2 TPE @Daniel Janser @wcats @Pifferfish @Misty @Gustav @Tim Robinson @jacobcarson877 @badcolethetitan @ace_five_ @RileyL @AJW @aimkin @Breeze837 @Greg_Di @Victor @samx @Lemorse7 @jRuutu @chikn @GoodLeftUndone @RJMW Enjoy and I will never be doing this type of FZ again

Oslo Back In The Finals The Oslo Storm have secured themselves a place in the Renaissance Cup final yesterday, with their 3-1 win over the Stockholm Vikings sealing a 4-1 series victory over the Swedish team. It marks the first time Oslo have made the final since Season 88, which was the last of four consecutive final appearances for the Norwegian side between Season 85 and Season 88. It will be interesting to see who will join them in the final; the Cologne Express are looking to make their fifth straight Renaissance Cup final appearance but they currently find themselves down 3-2 in their series with the Vasteras Iron Eagles. The Spirit Of Competition It sounds like LA are potentially looking at having their chances of winning first overall in the lottery slashed after starting LAS-G2 for 19 games this season. Those 19 starts are 11 starts over the current threshold for BOT goalies to start when a team already has a goalie over 250 TPE on their roster, which they have in the form of the active Matthew McCagg. I presume they’ll probably face similar punishments to that of Warsaw and Calgary following Season 90 and Seattle following Season 92, but an interesting note is the recurring problems that LA have had following this rule in comparison to the rest of the league. There have been nine instances since Season 83 of teams in the VHL breaking the spirit of competition threshold by three or more games and LA alone accounts for four of those instances (Six games over in Season 83, seven games over in Season 86, three games over in Season 89 and eleven games over this season). I don’t think there is any maliciousness here, but there does come a point where you need to figure out a system for submitting lines that makes your team compliant with the rules, especially given LA also has two Louth rule violations in that same timeframe. Some Hidden Gems of The Season 94 Class Figured I’d use the end of this article the same way I ended my last one by talking about the Season 94 class, but while last time focused more on the top guys, figured this time I’d highlight some players who could potentially be good value for a team later on in the draft. Ty Duke is currently sitting 29th in total TPE, but they’ve been displaying some good consistency recently in submitting for press conferences and trivia to help them consistently get around the 7-8 capped TPE mark each week. Dorji Khan currently sits in 25th place in TPE and, while they didn’t earn any capped TPE in their first four weeks in the league, they’ve more than made up for that over the last month, earning at least 9 capped TPE in each of the last four weeks. I’m also interested to see how high the highest earning First-Gen Andrew Skilton goes in this draft. Skilton has max capped in each of the last seven weeks, but this is a particularly strong top-end class as there are ten recreates in this class that have hit the 12 capped TPE mark every single week.

The Halifax 21st just plowed through the Philadelphia Reapers with a strong 4-1 series win. They won 3 in a row with 3 big shutouts by their goalie Jon Webber III @Webberj who broke the team record for Shutouts in the playoffs After losing game 4, Halifax went in for a strong finish .In an exclusive interview with Dorji Khan, the towering 6’8" monster on the left winger, shared his thoughts on the intense playoff battles, winning the first round and his team’s quest for glory. Reporter: “Dorji, congratulations on advancing to the next round! How does it feel to clinch that first-round win?” Dorji Khan: “Thank you! It’s an incredible experience. The playoffs are a whole different beast. The intensity, the pressure, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever faced. But I thrive on challenges and our team battled hard. That victory was too sweet. Hopefully we keep pushing on just as strong. I’m ready to give it my all.” Reporter: " You signed late last season with the opposition, The Philadelphia Reapers and won the championship. How do you feel that helped you in this series against them? Dorji Khan: " I got to know how they play and their strengths as well as their weaknesses. But I think it's the overall experience I gained in those playoffs that made the difference. It gave me a feel for what to expect in playoffs and how it differs from the regular season." Reporter: " How do you feel about your play so far in the playoffs? Dorji Khan: " I feel good, I'm focused and feeling strong. I feel like I am improving every game and I keep on pushing my limits." Reporter: “Your line had a crucial moment in game 3. Robin Sierra’s @ethanjaeda game-winning goal, assisted by you and Pierre Marc Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito” Dorji Khan: “Robin’s shot was like a laser, no chance for the goalie. Pierre’s pass? Perfectly threaded the needle through the defense. It felt like when we step on the ice together, we were like a finely tuned machine.” Reporter: “You’ve been a key player for the Halifax 21st. What’s been your secret to success?” Dorji Khan: “Visualization helps. Before each game, sit on the empty benches and I imagine myself making those crucial plays and scoring goals. I get myself in a zone almost like meditating. But at the end of the day, I still need to put your work boots on( or skates ), keep showing up for work and to work, and keep the determination. Honestly my success, I owe it all to the team because my teammates have been amazing. We’ve built a strong bond both on and off the ice. Without them, I don’t know if I would have had the same impact. We’re like a family and that camaraderie fuels our performance.” Reporter: “What’s your prediction for the rest of the playoffs? What’s your mindset for the next round?” Dorji Khan: “We’re hungry for the championship. The VHLM Cup is within reach, and we’re not backing down. Our locker room is buzzing. We’ll take it one game at a time, but mark my words... we’re aiming for glory!” 525words PT week April 29 - May 6

Andrew Skilton, A.K.A the GOAT from Palmerston ONTARRIOOOOO I had this idea for a while, but wasn't sure how to...execute it or how to go about it, really. But it came out way better than I was honestly expecting :D! Took me. An unreasonable amount of time but it looks REALLY good in my very humble opinion. Also, there's a few Easter eggs in the photo itself, so brownie points to whoever gets it first! Here's everything broke down bc its kinda interesting: anyway. thats all -ethan

@okochastar

Hello, everyone! The Leafs won so that's some extra motivation to give you all extra TPE! Below are the results of this season's Super Coach! If you have any questions or feedback about this game and how it could be improved, please DM me or post in the thread below. I hope everyone enjoyed playing & if you want more detail on this season's result see this post, https://vhlforum.com/topic/135141-super-coach-team-updates/. How to claim: Claim Uncapped -> Fantasy -> Super Coach -- Forum Username Cost Check Unique? Total Points Percentile TPE @rory 43 Unique Invalid (Over 42$) Invalid (Over 42$) 0 @VattghernCZ 42 Unique 1118 1 6 @dlamb 42 Unique 1087.3 0.988 5 @jacobcarson877 42 Unique 1034.4 0.976 5 @Ahma 42 Unique 1019.8 0.963 5 @leandrofg 42 Unique 978.7 0.951 5 @Garsh 42 Unique 972.2 0.939 5 @Tetricide 42 Unique 968.2 0.927 5 @Doomsday 42 Unique 958.2 0.915 5 @Kisslinger 42 Unique 954.3 0.902 5 @Schnee 42 Unique 925.5 0.89 5 @Frank 42 Unique 923.4 0.878 5 @Pifferfish 42 Unique 918.3 0.866 5 @Patrik Tallinder 42 Unique 913.7 0.854 5 @CowboyinAmerica 42 Unique 909.5 0.841 5 @cLoWn 42 Unique 908.3 0.829 5 @KaleebtheMighty 42 Unique 902.5 0.817 5 @RileyL 42 Unique 901.4 0.805 5 @tcookie 42 Unique 896.4 0.793 4 @scoop 42 Unique 888.5 0.78 4 @Baby Boomer 42 Unique 877.8 0.768 4 @Advantage 42 Unique 876.9 0.756 4 @Fno 42 Unique 869.2 0.744 4 @Lemorse7 42 Unique 867.9 0.732 4 @Steve 42 Unique 867.6 0.72 4 @lilchrist 42 Unique 867.3 0.707 4 @OrbitingDeath 42 Unique 865.2 0.695 4 @UghSike 42 Unique 858 0.683 4 @SlapshotWrangler 42 Unique 856.1 0.671 4 @Noodle Enjoyer 42 Unique 855.6 0.659 4 @FrostBeard 42 Unique 852 0.646 4 @Mystery_boy98 42 Unique 851.8 0.634 4 @Rhynex Entertainment 41 Unique 845.9 0.622 4 @ace_five_ 42 Unique 844.6 0.61 4 @Enorama 42 Unique 840.1 0.598 3 @MubbleFubbles 42 Unique 839.8 0.585 3 @Smarch 42 Unique 837.3 0.573 3 @Phil 42 Unique 835 0.561 3 @Daniel Janser 42 Unique 833.4 0.549 3 @Knight 42 Unique 832.6 0.537 3 @Velevra 42 Unique 829.4 0.524 3 @Anthique 42 Unique 828.2 0.512 3 @Gaikoku-hito 42 Unique 827 0.5 3 @STZ 42 Unique 823.6 0.488 3 @Snussu 42 Unique 822.5 0.476 3 @dstevensonjr 42 Unique 818.7 0.463 3 @JCarson 42 Unique 810 0.451 3 @Masu Chan 42 Unique 809.2 0.439 3 @Victor 41 Unique 806 0.427 3 @Dadam30 42 Unique 805.1 0.415 3 @RJMW 41 Unique 800.9 0.402 3 @LucyXpher 42 Unique 799.8 0.39 2 @Gustav 42 Unique 797.2 0.378 2 @meandyoc 42 Unique 796.9 0.366 2 @sportexperts show 42 Unique 792.7 0.354 2 @v.2 42 Unique 786 0.341 2 @Grape 41 Unique 781.9 0.329 2 @Sjin 42 Unique 781.9 0.317 2 @McWolf 42 Unique 774.2 0.305 2 @badcolethetitan 42 Unique 771.1 0.293 2 @Mongoose87 42 Unique 762.2 0.28 2 @Trazan 42 Unique 760 0.268 2 @Mysterious_Fish 42 Unique 756.3 0.256 2 @Alex 42 Unique 754.7 0.244 2 @qripll 42 Unique 743.4 0.232 2 @McLovin 42 Unique 741.4 0.22 2 @Greg_Di 42 Unique 740 0.207 2 @Zetterberg 42 Unique 739.8 0.195 1 @Will 42 Unique 734.7 0.183 1 @Ricer13 42 Unique 732 0.171 1 @Subject056 42 Unique 725.6 0.159 1 @Mutti 42 Unique 719.1 0.146 1 @Ktoms22 42 Unique 713.1 0.134 1 @Thunder 42 Unique 701.3 0.122 1 @Cookie 41 Unique 700.3 0.11 1 @Kavadar 42 Unique 699.2 0.098 1 @Scurvy 42 Unique 678.9 0.085 1 @HearnNation67 42 Unique 678.2 0.073 1 @Triller 42 Unique 664.4 0.061 1 @aimkin 42 Unique 653.1 0.049 1 @Cartripp14 42 Unique 605.2 0.037 1 @MSouthworth 39 Unique 597.4 0.024 1 @Nathan_8 42 Unique 565.3 0.012 1 @Misty 42 Unique 519.7 0 1

Today we celebrate "May Day" in Finland. To celebrate a day off and the beautiful weather; the sun is shining and it is warm outside, I decided to buy a hotdog from the supermarket's "bakery section". Because I am not an animal, I wanted to eat the hotdog when I got home, so I could eat the hotdog like a gentleman - using a fork and a knife. As I was walking through the crowded city center, the refrain of the song "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton started to play in my head: pa pa pa pa making my way back home, hotdog in my pocket, pa pa pa pa pa. I was having a good time. I then started to think about VHL and the playoffs. I noticed that walking home with a nice hotdog shares similarities with the VHL experience. When you walk home with the hotdog instead of eating the hotdog right away you don't get the instant satisfaction. In VHL you don't get to enjoy the fruits of your labor right away either, you need to be consistent and work hard before your player gets better. A person who eats a hotdog in a public setting is close to a user claiming welfare in VHL: they lack patience, they do not want to work hard, and they often lack the ability to plan ahead. If you are able to walk home with the hotdog, it shows you have patience and discipline, you are willing to work for it, and you have the ability to think ahead. In general, if I think about what the world would look like if all the people ate hotdogs out in public vs eating the hotdog at home later, I think the world would be a better place if people would walk home with the hotdog. The playoffs and the championship are what you are playing for in VHL. Daily and weekly you work towards being the best possible player and in the end, you hope it will translate to championship glory. Sometimes you will get lucky and you land in a solid VHL team, so you might win the championship sooner than many other players, but generally speaking, you need to have patience and discipline. If you ask me, I think it is only a good thing that you need to "work for it" as hunger and hard work make the victory taste even more special. For that reason, hotdogs should be bought from a store located a fair distance from your home. The walk home will make the hotdog taste even better. When you must walk for some time you also have the time to think about eating the hotdog. After a while, simply making the playoffs is not as big of a deal as the championship is the only thing that truly matters. Similar to buying a hotdog. If you buy a hotdog every time you can, after a while the idea of a hotdog gets less exciting. You would have to get some special hotdog or maybe eat it in some special place, or after some special event to make the whole "getting a hotdog" as exciting as it once was when you rarely got one. Luckily in VHL, it is still quite difficult to win the championship. However, it is easy to buy a hotdog and build a solid player in VHL, I think that is not good. I think the price of hotdogs should be higher and building a solid player in VHL should be harder. That way the status of the hotdog would automatically reach new heights, same with building a player. Right now in VHL, you get to enjoy multiple strong seasons as a strong player before depreciation hits, you also start scoring at a fair rate quite soon after entering VHL, but the journey is not as satisfying as it could be as the difference between hard work and showing up doesn't feel as strong as it should feel. If buying a hotdog would be a difficult thing to do people would proudly wait until home before eating the hotdog as they don't want to be too flashy and rub it in the faces of other people. Eating a hotdog would be a rare thing, shared only with friends and loved ones. If building a strong player was harder thing to do users in vHL would feel more proud about building a strong player. The idea of playoffs still carries you through the weekly grind. The regular season is a long process, you have to do a lot of work to improve your player, especially after a certain point. The idea of competing and maybe ending the season in championship celebrations is what pushes you to earn as much TPE as you can. The walk home today was not as bad as it could be, the sun was shining and birds were singing, but I still had to walk a fair amount. The thought of the nice hotdog kept my feet light. When you walk home with a nice hotdog, you make sure you walk home as fast as possible, but you make sure you are not taking any dangerous shortcuts that could prevent you from getting to enjoy the hotdog. Similar to VHL, you don't necessarily have to produce top quality every single week and spend hours researching something, but you can't take shortcuts and let the AI do the work for you. As I have now eaten my hotdog, I feel sad. I came home and started to write a small piece of this article. Then I ate the hotdog. I discovered that the idea of eating the hotdog is more satisfying than actually eating the hotdog. I am currently playing in a team that made the playoffs, I did not get a huge rush when we secured the spot in the playoffs. But the idea of competing still felt good before we were anywhere near the playoffs. Now that I am in the playoffs and still competing, just like with the idea of eating the hotdog, the idea of competing is more enjoyable than actually competing. We as people have the ability to hype things up in our minds to levels that reality can not match. 1030 words 29.4 - 5.5 6.5 - 12.5

The Halifax 21st are facing their biggest adversity of the season right now – elimination from the VHLM playoffs. Trailing 3-2 in the series to the Saskatoon Wild, the strong Halifax team need to access something in themselves that they really haven’t had to do all season. After falling short in the first two games of the series, the 21st answered back with two decisive games against the Wild, knotting the series up at two going back to Halifax. Sadly, the team has yet to win in their home arena against the Wild in these playoffs. They will have to find a way to do that if they plan on taking the team to the finals, but first they have to get a win in game five to stay alive. The team has relied heavily on Maple Dogwood and Andrew Skilton so far but will have to count on the other big names on the team to step it up with their backs against the wall and deliver in a time they need it most. Game 6 goes tomorrow from Saskatoon. Will the 21st step up and rebound from the heartbreaking loss in game 5 or will the Wild capitalize on their momentum and take down the regular season juggernauts?

It was quite the eventful evening for Maple Dogwood and the Halifax 21st, full of highs and lows. The highest high was their Game 5 victory over Philadelphia, which clinched the quarterfinal series and advanced them in the postseason. The lowest low was the disaster that befell the Halifax home arena just a few hours after their victory. "So we win Game 5, which was awesome. The home crowd really carried us through a hard fought game and we were just thrilled with the outcome. But our coach always tells us to not linger on a victory too long because there's still work to be done. So we celebrated for a bit but I knew we needed to improve our play if we wanted to keep winning in the postseason, so I immediately got some rehab work in. Did some stretching, some cold tub dips, and finally I headed over to the sauna like I do after every practice. But I noticed the sauna wasn't hot at all. It just felt like a normal setting, which was really weird, so I found the control panel and jacked that thing up. The screen displaying the numbers was all cloudy so I couldn't really see what it was reading, but I just cranked it up as high as it would go. It definitely started to feel a little warmer, so I just figured I was still amped up from the game and running hot," Dogwood said. It turns out that the star forward for Halifax was so exhausted after Game 5 that he actually fell asleep in the sauna. Now, I know what you're thinking - he'll get heat stroke! He'll need medical attention! Well that's not where this story is going. After a 45 minute inadvertent nap, Dogwood awoke and noticed his feet were wet. "I looked down and saw that my feet were in a puddle of water, which is weird because this sauna has never had any issues with leaks or anything. But I realized it wasn't just a little puddle - it was a lot of standing water. I immediately opened the door and raced out and stepped into ankle deep water in the entire locker room. What's worse, I went out to the arena itself and could not believe my eyes," Dogwood explained. It turns out that the control panel the rookie forward turned the temperature up on wasn't the sauna - it was for the heating and cooling element that controls the ice temperature. In the time he fell asleep, the entire rink had melted into a giant swimming pool. "Apparently I was the only person in the building, which is why nobody stopped it. I guess that's a lesson to my teammates that they shouldn't have been out celebrating, they should've been working or rehabbing like I was. When you think about it, this is really their fault as much as anyone," Dogwood told the media. To make matters worse for Halifax, they have a home game in the Semifinals scheduled for just a few days away and they're frantically trying to either flash freeze the rink or find a new arena to play in until the problem gets fixed. When the Halifax head coach was asked for a comment, he only said that Dogwood better score the game-winning goal to win the title this year with all the trouble he's caused off the ice.

TEAM AWARDS A lot of pressure followed the Legion into S92. They were now the defending Continental Cup champions and the target was squarely on them as they prepared for life without Dens Oden and Tomas Sogaard, two key members of their Cup run. The core remained the same with rookie Kobe Johnson and mid-season acquisition Steve Lattimer brought in to bolster the roster. Despite down years from Mac Atlas and Joel Castle, Toronto made the playoffs as the 4th seed in the North American Conference with continued solid production from Jimi Jaks and Bobby Bob and strong sophomore campaigns from Harry Callahan, Diego Machado and Walter Fitzroy Jr. After defeating New York in the first round, the Legion shocked the VHL by taking out top-seeded Calgary in six games to make their third straight Conference Final. Their luck ended there, however, as they lost in five games to the eventual Cup champs, the D.C. Dragons. Here are some of the individual highlights: - Jimi Jaks was T-10th in the VHL in goals with 38, T-2nd with 3 hat tricks, and 10th with 487 shots - Jaks was also 5th in playoff scoring with 5-16-21 in 15 games. - Bobby Bob’s career-high 71 points were T-6th among defensemen and his 56 assists were T-11th - Harry Callahan was T-2nd with 9 GWG and 9th with 489 shots - Mac Atlas set career-highs with 96 PIM and 207 hits - Jimmy MacElroy tied his career-high of 10 goals and set highs of 142 shots and 6 PPG in his final season - Evan Bihler set career-highs in games (14) and minutes played (648) and SV% (0.938) in his final season - Joel Castle co-led the league with 6 shutouts and was 8th with 32 wins and a 2.56 GAA Statistical Leaders: Goals: Jimi Jaks 38 Assists: Bobby Bob 56 Points: Jimi Jaks 83 +/-: Jimi Jaks 30 PIM: Jimmy MacElroy 107 Hits: Mac Atlas 207 Shots: Harry Callahan 489 Shots Blocked: Walter Fitzroy Jr 146 PPG: Jimi Jaks, Steve Lattimer 7 GWG: Harry Callahan 9 Fights: Diego Machado 6 Wins: Joel Castle 32 GAA: Evan Bihler 2.04 SV%: Evan Bihler 0.938 SO: Joel Castle 6 Here are the S92 Team Awards as voted by the Toronto players and management: Best Defenseman Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer For the second straight season, Bobby Bob lead the Legion in assists with 56 and also led Toronto defensemen with his career-highs in goals (15), points (71, tied for 6th among VHL defensemen), and shots (172) and led them in plus/minus (13). His continued excellence in all three zones was a reason why he was also a major contributor on special teams. Rookie of the Year Kobe Johnson @Vkobe-v It’s been a long journey to the VHL for Ukrainian winger Kobe Johnson. Drafted with the first of Toronto’s three 2nd round picks in the S86 Draft, Johnson has continued developing throughout two seasons in the VHLM and five in the VHLE before making the cut in S92. The only rookie on the Legioni roster, he had a solid campaign scoring 9-13-22 showing skill and versatility. He potted 3 PPG, 2 GWG, and even scored on his only shootout attempt of the season. Unsung Hero Harry Callahan @dstevensonjr Although only in his second season, Callahan quickly cemented himself as an integral part of the Legion’s offense. He was second in team scoring with 75 points and third in goals with 30. But he also showed how he was willing to sacrifice his body with 36 blocks and also shone in the clutch by leading Toronto with 9 game-winning goals. Most Energetic Harry Callahan @dstevensonjr Someone would see Callahan’s team-leading shot totals (489) from S92 and assume he was all over the ice and they’d be right. A seemingly endless motor helped him to improve on his rookie campaign by 20 points and 70 hits (180, 4th on the team). His increased performance and energy was even more evident in the locker room as he became one of the Legion’s most vocal players. This is his second consecutive Most Energetic award. Most Gentlemanly Joel Castle @animal74 Although a fierce competitor, Toronto’s veteran goaltender is known also for his sportsmanship and gentlemanly demeanor on and off the ice. Never one to let a milestone go by without kudos, Castle keeps spirits high and encourages dedication and buy in. This is Castle’s fourth Most Gentlemanly award. Most Valuable Player Jimi Jaks @ke1vi On a team that finished in the bottom half of the league in scoring, Jaks’ 38 goals was very significant for the Legion and was tied for 10th in the VHL. Not only did he lead the team in scoring for the second time in his career with his 2nd straight 80+ point campaign (a career-high 83), he also lead Toronto in plus/minus with +30 which was 11 more than the next player. He was tied for 1st with 7 PPG and second in shots (487, also a career-high). His commitment to detail has allowed him to improve his point total for the fourth straight season and his all-around game helped keep Toronto in the playoff hunt. Legionary of the Year Harry Callahan @dstevensonjr As mentioned previously, Callahan burst onto the Toronto scene not only on the ice but also off of it. He quickly cemented himself in the Legion culture and his strong leadership, strong work ethic, and outgoing personality endeared him to his teammates, management and the fans. He was also selected as an alternate captain in only his second season thus making an easy vote for his second straight Legionary of the Year award. 3-Stars Award Jimi Jaks @ke1vi Jaks contributed on the scoresheet most nights and when he didn’t, he did the little things that win hockey games. The Legion’s most valuable player led the team in goals, points, and plus/minus and that led to also leading the team in total 3-Star selections and points. He also led the team in 2nd-Star selections with 11. Full 3-Star standings below: Congratulations to all the award winners!

hello wonderful members from all walks of life! for the people that don't know me - hope you are having a great time, to the ones that do - hello again and thanks for staying active and awesome.. i know it's been a long time since i made a post on here but I feel like this article is needed to help move forward and shed light on any lingering thoughts, so without making it awkward and using too many what could be useless words for some.. sorry for my bad attitude, nasty comments and selfish decisions among other things i may not have noticed. if that isn't good enough.. please turn it into competitiveness and take it out on me during a game, i'm not here to make anybody feel a certain way and at the end of the day i just want to hype situations, have fun and check in at the right times rather than all the time. there's probably more that could be said but my brain is starting to overlap and i wanted it to be natural, prove it by my actions in the long run by being a good member i know i can be annnnyway going into this new experience i'm going to do things totally different, starting out fresh like i just jumped on the boat hoping i can help a crew float, taking it one step at a time along the way, according to what the players manuals say. ok that's enough rhyming i'm excited to see what happens, don't mind me i'm only here to tap in and applaud others by clapping.. saving a few words for the action in the backend *board noises*

Yes, its true… The approval for the VHL Virtual Bookie has been made final and begins now. After many months of dealing with Tulalip Tribal Gaming, the Resort has given me permission to run the operation as the VHL Virtual Bookie. To start the bookie operation, I have selected the next four VHL games of the playoffs. But wait! There’s more…. As an introductory offer, games 4 and 6(if necessary) are included with your wager of game 3 in each series. 3 chances to win on 1 wager! VHLE and VHLM games will be added in the future. Betting is simple, all you need to do is look at the game #s below, and make your wagers by submitting a reply with the game #, which bet, and the wager. You do not have to bet on every game, or every prop. And its preferable that wagers are made before the game begins! From there, its on you! All wagers are in increments of 100, or in the amount to make a whole number depending on the odds, ie. if the odds were -125, then the wager would be in increments of 125. And because I’m such a nice bookie, you might see game time notes to help with your decision making. Remember, gambling can be an addictive habit. If you feel you need help with your addiction, seek assistance. The VHL Bookie is not responsible for your addiction. To begin the virtual booking with a variety of choices, plus to increase the number of words for maximum TPE out of this, here is a list of betting choices: Puck Line - The point spread of the winner Total Score - The number total goals between both teams that are scored Money Line - The winner of the game But wait, there’s more. Individual props include: Shots on goal - the over/under of shots on goal by a player Points - the over/under of points by a player No, the virtual bookie has not forgotten the goalie prop. Saves - the over/under of saves made by a goalie And to make things even more exciting, there is the awards prop Third Star - Second Star - First Star Unfortunately, there are no parlay bets or teaser bets at this time. Let the virtual betting begin! Game #49(#53 & #61included) - Seattle Bears vs New York Americans New York is coming off an easy series against the Chicago Phoenix, while the Seattle Bears are well rested. Even though New York had little difficulty scoring against Chicago, Seattle traded for Fuukka Rask, @jubis, and Rask went 21-2-3 with Seattle. Seattle is currently up 2 games to 0. Puck Line - New York Americans +1.5 (+160) Bet 100 to win 160 Seattle Bears -1.5 (-190) Bet 190 to win 100 Total Goals - Over 6.5 (-115) Bet 115 to win 100 Under 6.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Money Line - New York Americans (+160) Bet 100 to win 160 Seattle Bears (-192) Bet 192 to win 100 Shots on Goal - FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist @STZ Over 5.5 (-125) Bet 125 to win 100 Under 5.5 (-110) Bet 110 to win 100 Oreo McFleury @JB123 Over 6.5 (-140) Bet 140 to win 100 Under 6.5 (+105) Bet 100 to win 105 Points - Tord Yvel @Trazan Over 1.5 (+130) Bet 100 to win 130 Under 1.5 (-125) Bet 125 to win 100 Daryl Dixon @Ricer13 Over 2.5 (+140) Bet 100 to win 140 Under 2.5 (+105) Bet 100 to win 105 Saves - Wwwwwwwwwwww Wwwwwwwwwwww @rory Over 35.5 (+110) Bet 100 to win 110 Under 35.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Fuukka Rask @Jubis Over 22.5 (-110) Bet 110 to win 100 Under 22.5 (+135) Bet 100 to win 135 Stars of the Game - First Star - Gustav Mattias @Berocka (+2300) Bet 100 to win 2300. Second Star - Jasper Davis @Josh (+4500) Bet 100 to win 4500. Third Star - Fuukka Rask @Jubis (+1400) Bet 100 to win 1400. Game #50 (#54 & #62 included) - Toronto Legion vs DC Dragons The Dragons are definitely a playoff hockey team, going into Toronto and taking the first two games. They now come back home and have a chance of sweeping the Legion in front of their home fans. DC’s offensive prowess has been incredible thus far, causing oddsmakers to struggle with predicting the results. Puck Line - Toronto Legion +1.5 (-130) Bet 130 to win 100 DC Dragons -1.5 (+145) Bet 100 to win 145 Total Goals - Over 5.5 (-125) Bet 125 to win 100 Under 5.5 (+120) Bet 100 to win 120 Money Line - Toronto Legion (+110) Bet 100 to win 110 DC Dragons (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Shots on Goal - Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer Over 2.5 (+110) Bet 100 to win 110 Under 2.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 The Frenchman @OrbitingDeath Over 6.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Under 6.5 (+130) Bet 100 to win 130 Points - Diego Machado @Dadam30 Over 1.5 (+150) Bet 100 to win 150 Under 1.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Theo Allard @InstantRockstar Over 1.5 (+165) Bet 100 to win 165 Under 1.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Saves - Joel Castle @animal74 Over 35.5 (+110) Bet 100 to win 110 Under 35.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Henry Tucker Jr @NSG Over 34.5 (-105) Bet 100 to win 105 Under 34.5 (+115) Bet 100 to win 115 Stars of the Game - First Star - The Frenchman @OrbitingDeath (+1500) Bet 100 to win 1500 Second Star - Jimi Jaks @ke1vi (+3200) Bet 100 to win 3200 Third Star - Joel Castle @animal74 (+2900) Bet 100 to win 2900 Game #51 (#55 & #63 included) Malmo Nighthawks vs Moscow Menace Moscow went to Malmo and took the first to games, now they are home and are up 2-0. Can the Menace live up to their name and sweep Malmo, or are the Nighthawks ready to play some hockey. Puck Line - Malmo Nighthawks -1.5 (+140) Bet 100 to win 140 Moscow Menace +1.5 (-155) Bet 155 to win 100 Total Goals - Over 6.5 (+160) Bet 100 to win 160 Under 6.5 (+105) Bet 100 to win 105 Money Line - Malmo Nighthawks (-110) Bet 110 to win 100 Moscow Menace (+125) Bet 100 to win 125 Shots on Goal - Gregger Mckeggegger @TheNeonShaman Over 4.5 (+175) Bet 100 to win 175 Under 4.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 George Richmond @badcolethetitan Over 4.5 (-110) Bet 110 to win 100 Under 4.5 (+160) Bet 100 to win 160 Points - Viktor Jensen @Advantage Over 1.5 (+135) Bet 100 to win 135 Under 1.5 (-110) Bet 110 to win 100 Axle Gunner @Steve Over 1.5 (+120) Bet 100 to win 120 Under 1.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Saves - Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro Over 31.5 (+140) Bet 100 to win 140 Under 31.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Olober Syko @Spartan Over 32.5 (+175) Bet 100 to win 175 Under 32.5 (-110) Bet 110 to win 100 Stars of the game - First Star - Jacob Stone @scoop (+5000) Bet 100 to win 5000 Second Star - Reese McFleury @Spaz(+9000) Bet 100 to win 9000 Third Star - Grimgor Ironhide @FrostBeard (+12000) Bet 100 to win 12000 Game #52 (#56 & #64 included) London United vs Prague Phantoms This series is tied at 1-1. Both teams are deep in talent and it is making for an exciting series. The oddsmakers are being generous with these odds, but remember, anything could happen! Puck Line - London United -1.5 (+220) Bet 100 to win 220 Prague Phantoms +1.5 (-150) Bet 150 to win 100 Total Goals - Over 5.5 (+135) Bet 100 to win 135 Under 5.5 (+180) Bet 100 to win 180 Money Line - London United (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Prague Phantoms (+120) Bet 100 to win 120 Shots on Goal - Leonard Triller @Triller Over 6.5 (+140) Bet 100 to win 140 Under 6.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Rip Wheeler @ScottyP Over 2.5 (-110) Bet 110 to win 100 Under 2.5 (+210) Bet 100 to win 210 Points - Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ Over 1.5 (-125) Bet 125 to win 100 Under 1.5 (+130) Bet 100 to win 130 Nikolas Kauppi @Tetricide Over 1.5 (+150) Bet 100 to win 150 Under 1.5 (-110) Bet 110 to win 100 Saves - Jesse Teno @aimkin Over 35.5 (+140) Bet 100 to win 140 Under 35.5 (-105) Bet 105 to win 100 Matt Murdock @Acydburn Over 36.5 (+190) Bet 100 to win 190 Under 36.5 (-110) Bet 110 to win 100 Stars of the Game - First Star - Rip Wheeler @ScottyP (+25000) Bet 100 to win 25000 Second Star - Matt Murdock @Acydburn (+20000) Bet 100 to win 20000 Third Star - John Jameson @Frank (+9000) Bet 100 to win 9000 Bookies Wagers Game #49 Bookie likes this one because Fuukka Rask @Jubis has been a monster in goal and will keep New York scoreless. Total Goals Under 6.5 (-105) Wagering 515 to win 500. Bookie likes this one also because there’s a good chance Rory is going to face a lot of shots from Seattle. Saves - Wwwwwwwwwwww Wwwwwwwwwwww @roryOver 35.5 (+110). Wagering 300 to win 330. Bookie is taking a chance on this one, but has a good feeling about how much impact Daryl Dixon has on Seattle’s scoring. Points Daryl Dixon @Ricer13 Over 2.5 (+140) wagering 1000 to win 1400. Game #50 Bookie feels this one is a lock because Toronto has got to get back in the series and Bookie says the veterans will be stepping up. Shots on Goal - Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer Over 2.5 (+110) Wagering 500 to win 550. Bookie really likes the chances of this one as The Frenchman has been nothing short of a superstar all season. Stars of the Game - First Star - The Frenchman @OrbitingDeath (+1500). Wagering 100 to win 1500. Bookie is taking a risk with this one as the payout isn’t the best, but Bookie thinks Toronto will come back in game #50, and even if Toronto loses, the score will be within the odds. Puck Line - Toronto Legion +1.5 (-130) Wagering 260 to win 200. Game #51 Bookie sees this as a straight up winner as Moscow surprised Malmo at home, and Malmo wants revenge. This one might be a double winner for Bookie as there’s a good chance Malmo evens the series. Money Line - Malmo Nighthawks (-110). Wagering 440 to win 400. Bookie’s got a feeling about this one. There’s just something about the name! Stars of the game - Second Star - Reese McFleury @Spaz (+9000). Wagering 100 to win 9000. Bookie really likes this one and feels the oddsmakers screwed up when they decided to put this prop on the table. Bookie thinks Mckeggegger will be shooting at least 7 shots in the first game. Shots on Goal - Gregger Mckeggegger @TheNeonShaman Over 4.5 (+175) Wagering 1000 to win 1750. Game #52 Bookie doesn’t want to touch the money line, puck line, or total goals with this series. Bookie thinks the teams are too closely matched and have outstanding goalies, making everything unpredictable. At any rate, Bookie feels this one has a really good chance of winning. Points - Nikolas Kauppi @TetricideOver 1.5 (+150) Wager 500 to win 550. Bookie has a good feeling about this one because he’s looking to Toronto to put the brakes on Prague, especially on Rip Wheeler, @ScottyP. Bookie feels Prague won’t even shoot enough shots at Teno to meet the over, so Bookie feels the under is the safer bet. Saves - Jesse Teno @aimkin Under 35.5 (-105) Wagering 525 to win 500. Bookie has mixed feelings about this bet, not because he doesn’t think Jameson won’t get a star, but feels that Jameson has a better chance of picking up first star or second star of the game, and given the two free games, it makes it even more enticing to place a wager, even though its for the third star. Bookie feels the reward is worth the risk. Stars of the game - Third Star - John Jameson @Frank (+9000) Wagering 500 to win 45000. I wouldnt do Rip Wheeler any justice if I didnt tell him how much it pained me to include him in any kind of accolade, or even mention him as a chance to do anything other than getting his face smashed in by Logan Ninefingers, @Scurvy. Scottyp, I hope you lose your ass!! Everyone else, good luck!! One last thing, you may ask if there is any free TPE handed out, but I cannot guarantee that. I can only say there is the same likelihood of getting free TPE as getting TPE wishing @Victor a happy birthday!! 2096 words

(graphic pending again ) VSN Presents: S93 VHLM Playoff Preview Better late than never! Today we're going to take a look at the VHLM Playoffs, see how each team is looking in their quest for the Cup and have the folks from VSN predict how the playoffs are going to go in our humble opinions! It was a fantastic season in the VHLM, so let's take a look at how these playoffs can and *already have* shaped up! First Round: Because I was late on getting this article out, the first round is already done by the writing of this article, so we'll cover each series in terms of how each team fared and if they met expectations! Halifax 21st (2nd) vs. Philadelphia Reapers (6th) Coming into this series, Halifax had the best offense in the regular season by a pretty far margin. 234 goals for on the season for Halifax, compared to 178 goals for by the Reapers, it was clear from the get that one team would absolutely have the offensive edge. What wasn't expected however, was how shutdown Halifax's defense would be against the Reapers, only allowing 5 goals against the entire series. When your team is able to dominate on both ends of the ice, it was already decided how this series was going to go. Philadelphia put up a good fight, but a juggernaut like Halifax is a team that would be significant challenge to overcome, and Philadelphia just didn't have all the pieces they needed this time around for a deep push. Prediction: N/A VSN Vote: 3 Halifax, 0 Philadelphia Saskatoon Wild (3rd) vs. Mississauga Hounds (7th) Another similar case to the Halifax and Philadelphia series, the Wild came into the playoffs with the second best defense statistically in the regular season. With all their defensemen nearly maxed out in earnings, they would be a remarkably difficult challenge for Mississauga to overcome. Mississauga wasn't going to shy away from it however, as the likes of Taylor Swift @lilchrist, Jack Dickins @Mystery_boy98, and Anthony Simmons II @Starchychaff were going to do everything they could to chip away at the defense, but it wasn't enough for them. While they managed to put up 9 goals in their 5 game series, the constant onslaught they faced from up and down the Wilds roster proved to be their match. Another strong effort, but going up against stacked elite teams like these two series thus far, it was going to take something significant to go right for these teams to have a fighting chance. Prediction: N/A VSN Vote: 3 Saskatoon, 0 Mississauga Houston Bulls (4th) vs. Las Vegas Aces (5th) Arguably the closest of the series played in the first round of the playoffs, next up we have the Bulls going up against the Aces. Very evenly matched teams, the Bulls only edge against the Aces in the regular season was their defense and goaltending. After a very rough start to the series, the Aces pulled their starter in favor of their backup THE MIGHTY ICE WIZARD @DaddyFizz. The Aces bolstered one of the best first lines in the league with the likes of Pombo @samx, Finneas Finnegan O Cleirigh @Gorth playing a key role in providing offensive firepower. The depth of Houston proved to be an issue, however, as the Aces couldn't get consistent scoring up against Houston, and were also dispatched in 5 games. Prediction: N/A VSN Vote: 3 Houston, 0 Las Vegas Ottawa Lynx (1st) vs. Mexico City Kings (8th) In our final first round matchup, we had the epitome of an atom bomb vs a coughing baby. Ottawa came into the playoffs with the best defense in the regular season by a pretty large margin, and Mexico City sold assets at the deadline. It was pretty clear who was going to win this series, but the way they won it was rather interesting when taking a look at the rest of the playoffs. The fact Mexico City managed to squeak out a win against Ottawa was amazing, and they even managed to shut out Ottawa in the game they won. Let that go to show that anything could happen in the playoffs, but it was most definitely a fluke as Ottawa got it together and dispatched them in convincing fashion over the next two games. A great showing by Mexico City, the future is very bright for the Kings! Prediction: N/A VSN Vote: 3 Ottawa, 0 Mexico City Second Round Onto the second round of the playoffs, we finally enter a place to give proper predictions, and with how pretty straight forward the first round was, we enter completely uncharted territory now as the playoffs ramp up into a new level of competitiveness. Let's take a look at the matchups! Ottawa Lynx (1st) vs. Houston Bulls (4th) Onto the first series of the second round, we have Ottawa vs. Houston. Bolstered by their top line of Kevin OConnor @Luke033, Ocean Codoller @FreshOceanCod, and Sammie Kiefer @Fno, the Lynx are a dangerous offensive team for the Bulls to face. The Bulls can match offensively however, with the likes of Filip Zinek @FiZi, Johnny Tsunami @Vice & defenseman Ray Stanton @horoscope. On top of that, having the best goalie in the playoffs in Herald Benson @Benson backing them up, this is going to be a remarkably close series, but VSN predicts the depth and offensive prowess of the Lynx will find cracks in the armor, and give them the series! Prediction: Ottawa in 7 VSN Vote: Ottawa 4, Houston 1 Halifax 21st (2nd) vs Saskatoon Wild (3rd) Another incredibly even series, we have Halifax going up against Saskatoon! The Wild have been blessed with a good offensive showing, especially by players like Jacob Longstreet @Dynamicmlb_42 and Bollos de Trueno @Thunder in particular. The 21st, however, have a goalie that has already put up 3 shutouts in these playoffs in Jon Webber III @Webberj, and it is VSN's prediction that with Webber's shutdown ability, and Aanarsi Reingaard @Laine & Andrew Skilton's @ace_five_offensive ability, that they will prove too much for Saskatoon to overcome, and provide Halifax their first Founder's Cup Final appearance under new GM @LucyXpher! Prediction: Halifax in 7 VSN Vote: Halifax 3, Saskatoon 2 Founder's Cup Final Ottawa Lynx (1st) vs. Halifax 21st (2nd) Onto the final series of the prediction, we have the grand finale, Ottawa vs. Halifax! When the best of the best in the league go up against each other for the Cup, you can expect a hard fought series no matter what, and this will be absolutely no exception. It will be Ottawa's defense up against Halifax's offense, but that's too linear of a path to put the series on. Every aspect of both teams will play major factors in who comes out on top, and the slightest slip up may cost either team the Cup. With the stellar play of Jon Webber III that would have gotten Halifax to this point however, it is VSN's prediction that Halifax will give it just a little bit more, and win the series and the cup for the Halifax 21st! Prediction: Halifax in 7 VSN Vote: Halifax 3, Ottawa 1 Thank you for joining VSN in our VHLM Playoff Prediction! Best of luck to everybody still in the playoffs!

With Mexico City’s post season coming to a quick end, Ahsoka Tano is officially on break and looking for her next home. Maybe it’ll be Mexico City? But who knows. With the VHLM draft coming up, and the buzz around the young defenseman minimal, who knows where she will end up next season. Ahsoka had finished the season off with 1 goal and 10 assists over 15 games with a -7. Her one goal did come on a power play. While not great, it isn’t really enough to reflect her potential. Given the lack of active teammates around her, it’s not surprising that Tano struggled to make much in her start. In the short-lived post-season, Tano did manage 2 goals and 1 assist for 3 points over 5 games and was -4. Surprisingly, one of her goals was a game winner. “We all know I didn’t have a chance to really show what I can do so I hope that whichever team decides to draft me knows that I’m a hard worker and I’ll do whatever I can to make a difference. Also I’ll try and figure out how to stop getting penalties.” 193 words for week ending 5/5/2024

One of many posts I came across back in the day that featured someone who was really important in one of our affiliate leagues saying negative things about ours in their league's Discord server. Did we deserve it? On some level, yes. Most people know that there are things you just shouldn't say anymore. Maybe not everyone agrees what those things are. Maybe some people aren't quite up on what means what and how those meanings have changed. But you've got to be living under a rock if you aren't aware that much of the Western world has fairly recently come to terms with how our choices of words can affect others, intentionally or otherwise. Whether with any intent to hate or not, lots of words are out there that once were generally accepted in most casual settings and have since been looked at with a bit of hesitation. "If I were a member of this group, would I appreciate this word being used in this way?" is a fair question that's made lots of people reflect. If you're over 20 or so, chances are that you've had both the exposure to such things being common and the life experience to question it. I'm sure you know the sorts of things I'm referring to, so I don't think I need to keep explaining. I won't act like I haven't cringed at a thing or two I've said or found funny in the past. I'm also not going to act like the VHL hasn't, either. Talk to any super-old member, and you'll probably hear a whole lot about how the league used to be the Wild West of the Internet. I've read lots of "if you think this is bad, you haven't seen anything"-type comments, and I believe them. I've seen members attack each other personally and drop comments that really aren't OK in general. But by the time I'd joined the league, it was a good bit tamer than it was. And it's a good bit tamer today than it was then, as well. The single most impactful day in the history of "what is and is not OK to say in the VHL," though, came about after I'd joined. October 31, 2019, should have been a really cool day for the VHL. That morning, @Beaviss, who had revolutionized league recruiting and brought it back from the brink of nonexistence by reeling in the great classes of the S60s, was hired into a very deserved role as league commissioner. The VHLM was in the middle of their Cup finals in S68, with a Game 6 slated for that day that could have given the Houston Bulls their first ever championship. And it was Halloween! What's not to like? There was a lot to like in Houston, that's for sure--that Game 6 I'd mentioned went their way. The season was over and the M had their champion. But the story didn't end there--in fact, this one starts at this point because one comment that responded negatively to the game did so with a choice of words that would not be accepted in the VHL today. Though you can find the thread easily, I'm not going to link it for a couple reasons--mainly, what was said initially came from members who I genuinely believe are good people, who apologized for what they said and took accountability to settle their own business. I consider the start of the situation much more their business than mine, so all I think is absolutely necessary to know is that one of those "ways to describe things that used to be common and now are considered less fine to say" made its way onto our forum. It isn't OK now and wasn't OK then--but it's also a matter that has been settled. Houston, interestingly, was helped quite a bit by deadline signings. The VHL had recently rolled out a strengthened affiliate program (the one still in existence today that gives a free 12 TPE to the super important people in our affiliate leagues), and much of the SBA's leadership had created right at the deadline and signed with the same team. With that being Houston, and with a full weekly cap claimable by all these players, all of SBA leadership saw the thread when they won the Cup--and that also meant that all of SBA leadership saw what was said. At the time, the SBA's guidelines for personal conduct were very different from ours (and much more strict). I had been in their league for a very short time at that time as a very casual affiliate member and never had an issue with anyone there myself, but I was familiar with a few stories that at I thought were ridiculous (I really don't remember most of the stories or most of the details of what I do remember, and it's also been almost 5 years, so I'm not sure if my opinion is any different now). But being a league with stricter guidelines, I can understand where some people may have been shocked to see things posted that they would have dealt with personally on their own website. I'm not going to say that the SBA response was entirely in the right. Our league wasn't given much opportunity to officially respond to a fairly aggressive pushback, and later on that same day, the SBA had removed their affiliation with us entirely. Their justification for this was (legitimate or not is up to you) that the VHL had generally held relaxed standards that the SBA was not interested in promoting, and that recent events had made it clear that the VHL was not interested in changing them. One day in the books for Beav as commissioner, one affiliate partner lost, and one serious dialogue that hadn't even begun to reach a conclusion--what a start to a job (and an admittedly funny one). This was something that made lots of VHL members mad--myself included, and I had nothing at all to do with that game thread. From my perspective at the time, the entire community, just about none of which I felt were actually hateful people and most of which really didn't go around regularly dropping off-color words, had just been punished over something that probably never would have gone down the way it did had the Hounds been able to win a few more playoff games the finals been anything at all other than the team with the SBA's entire BoD up against the team that dropped the first comment. I had a lot to say about this, mostly on Discord, and although I remember being very opinionated and openly saying that I thought the whole thing was pretty stupid, that was about as far as I ever took it. The first few days on the VHL end saw some reactions from our members, though, that certainly didn't help the situation. Some people went to their league to call them the same sorts of words that lit the fire, and not only got banned for it but became shining examples of people the SBA could point to and identify as parts of the problem. I remember disliking some people I'd never talked to personally, and I felt that even though my own disagreements never broke any rules (written or otherwise), I felt that I was disliked by some people as well when I made them known--something I confirmed much later on when I joined BoG and found a screenshot of the list of people the SBA had a problem with, with me on it. Things were pretty quiet after the first few weeks or so, though. We kept observing the affiliation agreement on our end because we didn't want to punish any regular SBA users who had nothing to do with the situation, and while the topic kept coming up (it was huge news!), it didn't ever turn into people going at each other's throats. The only differences were that VHL tasks weren't claimable in the SBA, and lots of us had grown to distrust one another. After five months of sitting around and passively disliking each other, though, the VHL was informed that affiliation was gone forever. The league had been working behind the scenes to try to work out a set of policies that were agreeable to everyone, and it was eventually decided that this was no longer realistic. VHL leadership claimed that this decision was made unilaterally, and you can read the thread I linked there to try to develop your own opinion on the matter. That was one of the more interesting arguments featuring really important people on both sides that I've ever seen, and it relit the fire on our end. Lots of people made it clear how much they still hated the SBA then--I think I did too, but I don't remember. Something that made me think about things a lot, though, was this post made by SBA member @Beowoof a couple days after that announcement. What was detailed in that post didn't fully line up with what I'd seen or my own perception of the situation (I was in BoG at that point and had access to all the primary sources of info), but if I tried to look at it from the SBA's perspective, I found the thoughts laid out there pretty reasonable and could see how someone on their end could have viewed things in that way. I also liked what @okochastar had to say there and thought a bit about how I'd gotten to know a handful of people from the SBA in the past months and really liked them. The sim league world was really a better place once we stopped wondering how we could run around shit-talking each other and got past all the stupid league identity stuff to just have a little bit of fun together in our free time. Plus, I'm sure the VHL wasn't perfect then and isn't now--but the league had taken a harder stance against the sorts of things we were called out for in that time and I really didn't miss seeing them. Why, though, is this in Gustav 30 in 30 instead of just being a recap of the league in general? I'm mostly describing things done by other people, and the most I was ever connected to the situation was that I complained about it a lot. Well...I talked quite a bit in my second installment about how I'd been part of a very tribalistic team-versus-team drama in the VHLM and how that shaped my views on having basic respect for people. I think that did quite a bit in terms of adjusting how I dealt with people I knew I'd have to see again around the site. But I think that sort of tribalism popped up again on the level of the entire league, had real league-altering consequences, and sucked me back into the mindset to some extent. I was important enough as a VHLM GM that the league knew who I was, and so now I had to make sure my league was taken seriously. The SBA, much like any other league, has tons of good people in it that deserve my respect whether I've met them or not. I think this was the last time I jumped on any "my group is better than your group" train in a sim league as blindly as I did, and I think I learned a lot by watching things go down that helped make it so I wouldn't jump on things like that again. Also just like any other league, following incentives for benefit takes priority. Reddit recruitment was pretty much the only source of new members for either of us at the time, and the SECOND our accounts were reported and blocked from a bunch of communities, guess whose affiliation was magically back. I will also clarify that I have NEVER believed the VHL to be a hateful place in general. At the end of the day, now that I'm done caring about it, I think this was an unfortunate situation featuring lots of immaturity both ways that somehow eventually ended up changing the vibe of the league a little bit for the better. For the most part, I think we had good people who had gotten used to a certain environment and evaluated how they did things once that environment was challenged. To some extent, that was eventually me too. I did some growing that I'm almost glad happened as a result of staring alone at a screen instead of saying something wrong in real life and hurting people close to me. That isn't to say I learned to be offended by everything, or that I'm now whatever cartoonish representation of "woke" some people have in their heads over things like this (in fact, I really couldn't care less about that sort of mindset). There's a huge difference between that and just having respect for people and treating them normally--and I think the VHL has largely learned to adapt in those ways. I'm not sure that I'd say I'm glad this was a big chapter in VHL history, but I'm glad that we're past the negative parts. Enough of that--it's time to have fun with what's left of my Wednesday night. 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 #7: The Kids Are Alright #8: Dogs In A Pile

@aimkin

An archive of all of my written work and graphic posts so far on the forum. I did this mostly for myself so I could work backwards and reformat some of the older articles and keep track of series names and such. The pieces below are ordered by date posted-- newest to oldest. Feel free to read or if you have any ideas for articles, I'm happy to discuss a request or collab! Pier 21: Pier 21: A Sacrifice to Simon Pier 21: Into Deeper Waters Pier 21: Full Steam Ahead Pier 21: Landfall Pier 21: Hello Halifax! Halifax SuperSailor: Halifax SuperSailor #7 (S93 Playoffs Round 2): Maple Dogwood Halifax SuperSailor #6 (S93 Playoffs Round 1): Andrew Skilton Halifax SuperSailor #5 (S93 Week 5): Jon Webber III Halifax SuperSailor #4 (S93 Week 4): John Season Halifax SuperSailor #3 (S93 Week 3): Dorji Khan Halifax SuperSailor #2 (S93 Week 2): Maple Dogwood Halifax SuperSailor #1 (S93 Week 1): Alexandr Novotny Lucy Leitner: Lucy "Little Bites" Leitner Lightspeed: Lucy Leitner Breaking the 4th Wall: Season 92 and Draft Reflective Pre-Draft Report: Lucy Leitner Prospect Deep Dive: Lucy Leitner Lightbringer: Lucy Leitner Prospect Profile: Lucy Leitner Running With the Bulls: Running With the Bulls: Tempting Fate Running With the Bulls: Lange Lines Running With the Bulls: Tending to Controversy Running With the Bulls: H-Town Heat Running With the Bulls: Tinker Tyler Sidney Spy Running With the Bulls: BensonGPT Running With the Bulls: Valtr Bílý Running With the Bulls: Green...ish Running With the Bulls: The Heisenberg Principle Running With the Bulls: S92 Roster Primer VSN Articles: VSN Presents - S92 Junior Showcase Tournament Recap VSN Presents - The Season 92 Junior Showcase Tournament Miscellaneous: VHLM Playoffs: Round 2 Preview Game 7 Prediction: Mexico City vs Miami Marauders 6-6-6 . . . 7? Predictions for Tonights VHLM Playoff Games S92 VHLM Playoffs Preview 3 Midseason Signings Playing Big Roles for VHLM Teams S92 VHLM All-Star Selections S92 VHLM Trade Deadline: Top 3 Trades S92 VHLM First Team All-Stars 3 VHLM Players to Watch in Week 3 3 VHLM Rookies to Watch in Week 2 Graphics: Halifax 21st Re-brand: Halifax Foxes VUT Player Card Lucy Leitner Signature Graphic

PLAYOFFS BABY!!! GOOOO NIGHTHAWKS!!! ️

Haven't done a graphics in ages lol

After a long, hard-fought battle with cancer, Mama Sike decided it was time to rest. Thank you VHL for providing an outlet for me in this difficult time.

I could have been DC's GM if it weren't for you meddling kids--who knows what would have happened? I also would have had way, way less to say about my time in the VHLM if I ended up being promoted in S68 with the addition of a couple new teams. The BoG toyed with the idea, but eventually they'd decided that they hated me some others were better fits at the time. But I was pretty darn good, after all... ...and my time was going to come eventually. Cue @ShawnGlade fucking up. I mostly joke because I think I would have been moved up sometime not far from S70 anyway. At one point, I was the one @Advantage wanted to take over Malmo eventually, and had the league known that he'd be giving up the team right after S70, they definitely would have waited a little bit on hiring me and done that instead. I almost could have flushed Malmo's hopes and dreams down the toilet too--could you imagine? At least two franchises should be glad I was unlucky. But anyway, back to what I said earlier. When I joined the league, I knew Shawn as the builder of a solid player and a passionate GM in Davos who made a lot of moves that people questioned. Davos got made fun of a lot, even when they were good on paper. So did Shawn, by extension. Even when the team was good on paper, they just couldn't seem to piece it together. Which, by itself, wasn't a negative reflection on his management. With that being said, it certainly meant that when there was an actual shortcoming, the league picked up on it and ran with it. After pinging Shawn, I hope I can keep it clear that I like him a lot while also fairly saying that I don't blame league leadership for considering it a red flag when he missed a couple drafts in a row without notice. Which is essentially all that presented a serious issue to the league. Things happen, and sometimes things matter a little more than this website--so when that runs to enough of an extent that the league has to BPA your picks and your players start leaving in free agency (future HoFer Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was a big loss), it's enough for the league to also consider that maybe your team could use a bigger loser with more time and energy to devote. I came across the BoG thread on the matter a couple seasons later when they let me in, and it actually started out as a discussion about (deservedly) removing Bushito as Calgary's GM after the Wranglers were functionally run by Dil and/or Blade for a few seasons on end. But S70's draft came and went with that thread up, and with Davos discourse becoming very public afterward, the topic quickly shifted. To be honest, things went into "who should we hire" pretty soon after that, and it was @Rin who pretty soon after that managed to avoid a lot of debate and lists and whatnot by recommending me specifically for the job. Really, the only bump in the road was Advantage bringing up that maybe I could run Malmo at some point--which he walked back later on saying that he wasn't sure what his plans were yet. So it was settled--I'd known myself that I was the heir to the Nighthawks and was a little bit disappointed to find out that it wouldn't be working out that way, but I've also mentioned before that S70 wasn't very happening in Mississauga and I was really excited when Beav contacted me to offer the big-league job. It was also cool to watch my then-both-former-and-future AGM @Berocka, who had just been hired in Halifax and made a questionable trade there, be moved over to run the Hounds because the personal connection we'd both built with the franchise was strong enough to warrant it. With all the hype around me moving up, I was also a bit conflicted because I really didn't want it to happen the way it did. I'd seen Shawn's resignation post (the league asked him to quit instead of announcing it officially, but it was no secret) and subsequent discussion thread, and really did feel a bit bad. I also wasn't really sure how to approach the situation from my end. Here was someone I really had no issue with, whose team I'd inherited and would have to work with, who was a rostered player on that team, and who also probably was not a fan of me in that moment. I did reach out and we talked briefly, but we mostly gave each other some space at the start. Something that was really important to me was the buildup of team culture. Davos was not in any position to win games in S70, and I'd heard a lot about how the team's community needed work. I didn't really want to deal with figuring out what that meant or how true that was, so I almost immediately created a new team server altogether. I followed the same exact strategy I had in building a locker room in Mississauga (which was mostly a carryover from my first season in Houston), which was to try to focus discussion into publicly accessible channels as much as possible and try to create a mutually beneficial environment for the team and the rest of the community. With the Hounds, I'd never had the need to bring in people who weren't affiliated with the team (and there were some cases where people would join the team for this reason!), but with a gutted and mostly demoralized roster, and no alumni network in my newly-created server, I decided to invite a handful of people who had been particularly good to me up to that point. I especially remember people like @Doomsday, @GlowyGoat, @McWolf, and @Esso2264 at the start, some of which would stay active in that server through my entire tenure even if they never made it onto my roster. On the roster itself was...really not much. We had the ever-reliable @Ahma on defense, and right around the time I was hired was when @Brrbisbrr (one of the nicest people I've ever met on this website) decided to make a comeback. Samuel Ross was my first Davos goaler, and he faced the absolute barrage of pucks faithfully in S70. As you might guess, the biggest event of S70 was my hiring. I won't act like we won much of anything (we finished last, of course). My GM tenure had gotten off to a rocky start. I could have just thrown lines together and checked out until I finally got to draft in S71. But I felt that it was worth putting the time and effort into making a team run, at least a little bit, and I felt that our server benefited from that. I was really proud of some of the ways I felt appreciated by my new team, and haven't quite forgotten this article that's over 4 years old at this point. My first year with Davos reinforced a lot of what I already knew--that running your VHL team like a VHLM team and actually trying to see that your players have a positive experience instead of zoning them out and doing your lines when you have to is something that pays off. I'd much rather have the record I did in S70, and know that my team had a good time getting there, than have no connection with them and win a bit more. And while it's unfortunate that I couldn't do both of those things at once, you'll see as I cover the rest of my GM tenure that I don't regret it. 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

The Mighty Ice Wizard is interested in this position.

Applying!

Shame and other spices, I didn't stop to look. The idea of eating a hotdog when I get home took over my body and soul, I was blinded by the hotdog. I ate it cold, but it was in prime condition, because I can't come home with a half-eaten hotdog

1.Everything went right in the first two games but we need to up the pressure and get more shots to win the series 2. Yes honestly boring. but the leafs are losing so always a positive 3.Pray 4.Interstellar, its long and every time you watch it you see something new 5. I like the random personal question 6.The best part has been playing on a team that has been successful, active and fun to be apart of.

@Spartan Give this to your squad

Quarter Finals Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. Mexico City Kings (8) Ottawa has been a force the entire season. They earned points in 59 of their 72 games, almost doubling Mexico City's point total. Pair this with the Kings selling off many players at the trade deadline and we've got a recipe for a sweep. Ottawa in 4 Players of Note: Ottawa - Jillian Woods, The Phantom of the VHL, Hugo Boss Mexico City - Gavin Bebard, Ahsoka Tono, Connor Hellebuyck Saskatoon Wild (2) vs. Mississauga Hounds (7) This matchup may be closer than it appears. Mississauga has improved greatly throughout the season. This should come down to their defense and how they handle Saskatoon strategically. If Saskatoon can exploit some of Mississauga's weaknesses early it will spell disaster for the Hounds. Saskatoon in 6 Players of Note: Saskatoon - Carson Tripp, Felicia Hardy, Oliver Loo Mississauga - Anthony Simmons III, Toby Cook, Taylor Swift Halifax 21st (3) vs. Philadelphia Reapers (6) I predict that Halifax will have a relatively easy time with Philadelphia, as long as they keep Walter Jinn in check. Halifax has a shut-down defensive core that any team will dread. They may have a misstep, but should bounce back fairly easily. Halifax in 5 Players of Note: Halifax - Maple Dogwood, John Season, Andrew Skilton Philadelphia Reapers - Walter Jinn, Tim Robinson, Soju Houston Bulls (4) vs. Las Vegas Aces (5) This will be the closest series in the first round. I have Houston coming out on top as they have been a more consistent team as of late. Las Vegas made a great push at the end of the season, but I only see that as delaying the inevitable. If Vegas wants to come out on top, they will need to score early, and score often. Houston in 6 Players of Note: Houston - Herald Benson, Cole Stermer, Wladyslaw Mintus Las Vegas - Pombo, Finneas Finnegan O Cleirigh, Masa Akimoto Semi-Finals Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. Houston Bulls (4) I think this is where the fatigue starts to set in for Ottawa. Houston is a tough team with some very accurate shooters. Ottawa will need to step up their playoff game after a relatively easy first round. If Houston can catch the Lynx off guard, they may have this one. Ottawa in 6 Saskatoon Wild (2) vs. Halifax 21st (3) The closest series so far. This is the first one I have going to 7 games. Ultimately, it will be the 21st's defense that will win this one. Saskatoon won't be able to win if they can't score. I predict each game in this series will be a one-goal game, with no more than 5 goals scored in each. Halifax in 7 Finals Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. Halifax 21st (3) The final showdown between the Eastern Conference's top teams. Only three points separated these two teams, with Halifax actually coming ahead in regulation wins. This should be a back an forth affair. I predict this will be the closest finals since S90, with at least a couple going to overtime. Ultimately, I think Halifax has the upper hand by a fraction. This will be a tough loss for the Lynx, but they should have some returning talent and some exciting draft picks. Look for them to be in this position next season as well. Halifax in 7 Skylar Rift Trophy - Andrew Skilton

@shaun1979

The VHLM Season 93 is in the books and the playoffs are just around the corner. Coming into the campaign, the Halifax 21st hoped to position themselves well for a run at the Founder’s Cup, and a 2nd place overall finish accomplishes just that. With 106 points and a 51-17-4 record, the 21st trailed Ottawa by 3 points in the race for the Prime Minister’s Trophy as the best team in the regular season, but they won’t mind missing out on that hardware if they can make good on the promise of their roster to contend for the league’s ultimate prize. The last time Halifax won 51 games in a season was back in Season 78 when they had 54 total wins. In the 31 season history of the team, Season 93 ranks as the 5th best in franchise history and for a team that has occupied the VHLM basement in recent history and has yet to win their first Founder’s Cup, the success of this regular season is an opportunity for hope. Of course, nothing can be taken for granted—it's hockey after all and anything can happen—but the 21st have good reason to be proud of their regular season effort and cause to hope for playoff success. Up and down the lineup, the 21st were one of the deepest teams in the VHLM this season. With 72 games played, the Halifax 21st had 9 players with over 50 points on the season, including all 4 of their regular defensemen and 5 of their top forwards. Leading the way, Maple Dogwood @dogwoodmaple, Pierre Marc Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito, and Alexandr Novotny @Patrik Tallinder were all over a point per game and ranked among the league leaders in important stat categories. Dogwood would finish the season ranked 7th overall in goals, 8th in assists, and 4th in the league in total points with 85. Novotny would finish with the 4th most assists with 58 and was the 3rd highest scoring defensman with 75 total points. Bouchard ranked 1st among all centers who had more than 30 faceoffs taken with a 58.84% win rate in the circle with 1990 faceoffs taken across the season. Add this invaluable utility to his 73 points in 72 games and you see his incredible value to this Halifax team. Heading into the playoffs, there is still headroom for the 21st to improve. To break the 4th wall for a moment, at the time of writing, 6 players have reached the 200 TPE limit for the VHLM while the team has 10 forwards, 4 defenders, and a goaltender at or over 110 TPE—most over the 130 mark. If the 21st can make a run deep into the playoffs, there is still opportunity for this team to improve significantly as every player on the roster has been taking big strides this season. If they remain dedicated, this could be a greatly improved team as they go deeper into the playoffs. Morale is high as the regular season draws to an end and this is a team that truly believes in itself. The road ahead will be difficult however as Ottawa, Saskatoon, Houston, and even Las Vegas all come into the playoffs as legitimate contenders. Mississauga and the defending champion Philadelphia Reapers are also teams that cannot be overlooked and underestimated. Once the playoffs begin, the regular season matters very little—anything can happen. It’s what makes this part of the season so exciting and sometimes heartbreaking. The 21st will be hoping that they’re on the right side of history this time around and that they can finally put it together as a franchise and win their first Founder’s Cup. As the only team left in the VHLM yet to win the coveted trophy, that victory would mean a great deal to these players and this franchise as it completes it’s 31st season of play. For first season general manager, Lexie Leitner, this is a great opportunity for the Halifax 21st, “It’s difficult to win in the VHLM and with player turnover every season, it’s difficult to stay competitve for multiple seasons in a row. Right now, we have an amazing team and I’m so proud of each and every one of our players. They’ve done an incredible job all season to get to where we are, but we all know the work isn’t over yet. I believe in our players and I know we’ll get their best once the playoffs begin”. The playoffs are set to begin on either Thursday or Friday this week and first round matchups should be announced later tonight. It is expected that Halifax will be taking on the reigning champion Philadelphia Reapers in their first round matchup as the 3rd seed against the 6th seed, with the winner of this series taking on the winner of Saskatoon and Mississauga. The regular season has been enthralling, but the playoffs is what every team plays for and it’s going to be exciting to see how it all plays out! ༻❁༺ Claimed for week ending 5/5/2024