Claimed:Jeltz v. The Top VHLM Goal Scorers (FINAL: 6/6)

[CowboyinAmerica 2,710]

 

The Great VHLM Goal Scorers of History

 

Vogon Jeltz, the first line right wing of the Minot Gladiators currently has 19 goals through 9 games. And that’s after a cold stretch of two straight games without a goal – five of his first seven games resulted in hat tricks, while the other two of those games saw Jeltz score two goals apiece.

 

Now, it’s early in the season, and it makes no sense to get ahead of myself with prognostications. However, seeing as how I’m in the media, writing things that make no intrinsic sense is part of my job description. Plus, it’s so pretty to see these numbers:

• 2.11: The number of goals Jeltz is averaging per game
• 152: The number of goals he is projected to score this season at this current pace
• 44%: How many of Minot’s total goals have been scored by Jeltz
• 9: Jeltz’s goals lead over E’Twaun Delicious, who was taken three spots ahead of him in the draft
• 44.5: How many games it will take him to pass Mario De Rossi’s S41 league-leading 94 at this pace

It’s safe to say that Jeltz may end up one of the most prolific goal scorers of all-time. However, what does that mean? We decided to take a look back at the three highest goal scorers in VHLM history to find out, as well as draw any comparisons that we can.

 

 

#1. Evgeni Fyodorov – Ottawa Ice Dogs – 186 goals

 

Some teams simply aren’t fair. The S21 Ottawa Ice Dogs finished the regular season with 129 points, 36 more than the next closest team in the standings. The team was solid up and down the lineup; fellow winger Keon Henderson finished with 129 assists on the season. However, nobody, and I mean nobody, could score like Fyodorov. At 186 goals, he finished just six shy of the entire Brampton Battalion team, a team that managed to win 21 games by itself. His goals were more than double third place Frank Ricard (I’ll explain second place shortly), and he bested teammate J.J. Stafford by 109 goals.

 

The reason behind the surge? Fyodorov had talent with his 92 scoring, but it also had a lot to do with a particularly underwhelming class of VHLM goalies. Mattias Backland, from Fyodorov’s own Ottawa team, led all goalies with a .895 save percentage. The best goalie to play all 72 games that Fyodorov faced, Brampton’s Patrick Byrd, finished with a .894 save percentage and a 3.93 goals against average. That’s like shooting on an empty net.

 

 

#2. Gunnar Axelson – Saskatoon Wild – 185 goals

 

Close but no cigar, Axelson finishes just behind Fyodorov in the standings. Coming in three years later in Season 24, also benefitted from a much stronger supporting cast than Veltz has around him this season, with Saskatoon finishing with 129 points in the final regular season standings. Team goalie CAL G would later go on to the Hall of Fame, while two fools named Mike Molholt and Vladimir Boomchenko destroyed all comers in the assist category with 128 and 101, respectively.

 

To me, Axelson’s season may be even more impressive than Fyodorov’s for one key reason: competition. While scoring seemed to be up across the VHLM when Fyodorov made his mark, Axelson’s 185 goals were a full 109 more (243 percent!) over second place Evgeni Galchenyuk. Axelson’s next best teammate, Milan Zarek, scored just 56 goals, showing that Axelson carried the team by himself. In addition, there was at least some modicum of goaltending – aside from his own team’s CAL G, Andreas LaFontaine also finished with a respectable .903 save percentage and a 3.17 goals against average.

 

 

#3. Greg Adams – Oslo Screaming Seamen – 139 goals

 

Are you future VHLM historians on a hunt to find the most underrated VHLM season of all-time? The place to look is in Season 21, that aforementioned land of milk, honey and no goaltending. Fyodorov finished not only with a record 186 goals, but a record 272 points as well. Second on the all-time points list and third on the all-time goals list? Well, that would be another Season 21 player: Oslo right wing Greg Adams, whose 139 goals and 250 total points places him upon the pantheon of all-time VHLM greats.

 

Of course, it would if, you know, he had actually won an award for it. Fyodorov won the Sakic (MVP), the Dionne (most points), the Hull (most goals), and the Yzerman (two-way forward). Ottawa’s Keon Henderson beat him out by 18 assists for the Oates. And even the playoffs didn’t go his way, with Oslo being bounced in the first round by a Kolari (now Turku) team that tied them in the final regular season standings. Greg Adams got no respect, but he gets some now as the forgotten man with the third-most goals in VHLM history... unless, of course, Jeltz continues on his current pace of 152.

Edited February 23, 2015 by CowboyinAmerica

[Phil 5,017]

Now, it’s early in the season, and it makes no sense to get ahead of myself with prognostications. However, seeing as how I’m in the media, writing things that make no intrinsic sense is part of my job description.

 

I love that. 

 

Great article here  

[jack 496]

I'm going to assume Veltz is a contraction of my first and last name, and not a mistake

 

Lovin' this season so far (apart from the last two games). Who knows, maybe we'll make history.

[CowboyinAmerica 2,710]

I'm going to assume Veltz is a contraction of my first and last name, and not a mistake

 

 

I always transpose the J and V, can never seem to get it right. Should be fixed.

[Guest]

Content: 3/3 - Hits 450 words easily. Definitely gave the stats analysis a personal touch, I like that. Definitely something to discuss seeing Jeltz's numbers, it's fun to see historical pieces during the season trying to project historical significance..

Grammar: 2/2 - I'll give you the 2 points, very solid writing overall. A few notes:

- Vogon Jeltz, the first line right wing of the Minot Gladiators currently has 19 goals through 9 games. -> Missing a comma after Gladiators

- Coming in three years later in Season 24, also benefitted from a much stronger supporting cast than Veltz has around him this season, with Saskatoon finishing with 129 points in the final regular season standings. -> I think you meant to put Axelson at the beginning of "also benefitted" and just forgot, making the sentence end weird, almost with no solid beginning to end.

Appearance: 1/1 - Looks fantastic, I love the use of the old logos, nice formatting of topic headers, the title, and other small formatting pleasures!

Overall: 6/6 - Great job!

[Kendrick 4,724]

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