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I was going to wait until later to release a statement. I didn’t wake up this morning or go to bed last night thinking this would happen. I never ever had plans of stepping away. I feel like this is just a poor, poor misunderstanding where my wording was blown up and examined and taken out of context.. I don’t even know.. walking in circles.. especially seeing as my words came from the source itself.. I have given two years to the role as VHLM commissioner and as I mentioned, I never intended to step away ever.. and didn’t last night or this morning when I woke up.. I have missed family events, family suppers during Easter and Thanksgiving, Ive had situations where my grandfather passed away.. my girlfriend found out she has a tumor in May and very well could have cancer.. and my world is flipped upside down. The sadness I’ve had. The dreams I’ve had to which I wake up in the middle of the night with wet eyes crying.. and I was still here for the league, it’s members, the VHLM and my family who was the VHLM and it’s GM’s. I’ve never left. My activity has never lessened. I was always here at the moment of a ping, a mention, a message.. the moment my alarm rang at 0600 I was on and was here until the moment I put my phone down to go to bed.. I feel frustrated. I feel very heartbroken. I feel disappointed in the leadership and myself. I feel small. Similar to my Hall of Fame speech I got.. I was so excited to be recognized. I was so proud to reach that level. What I got was a very short, rambled paragraph on how I improved the league and am an asshole to some. I felt so incredibly small. I felt worthless. That I try so hard for everyone here to make this league as amazing as it is, as it’s become and as it will grow into.. and felt like it didn’t matter. I don’t know, VHL. Super sad day. I was booted without even being able to say good bye to people I spent all day talking with, helping.. they weren’t just GM’s.. they were my support.. closest thing to online pals and family I’ll ever have.. I am incredibly grateful for them.. With that being said, @VHLM GM , assistants and managers that I’ve had in the past.. I can’t name you all but every single one of you.. Thank you for the amazing 2 years. Yes, sometimes we disagreed. Yes, the M section was a UFC ring sometimes.. sometimes, you know, it even ended on bad terms a little bit and it was unfortunate because in the grand scheme.. I still have a spot for those people. We had many amazing times.. I’m sorry. I don’t even know how to properly thank you guys for being my family for all the hours, days and bad, happy and good times. I just want you all to know that I love you all as members and as people and it saddens me and breaks my heart. I’m really, really going to miss you guys and miss working/talking with you all each and every hour of the day.. I don’t know.. sorry this statement sucks.. VHL, VHLM.. thank you for the support. It’s because of you amazing people, all you different people, that have come together to make this place such an .. addiction. Such a strong hobby. Such a strong part of our lives.. it’s you guys that I always wanted to do right by. I put in the work and hours with the intentions to improve you and your experiences here. I’m not perfect. I’m so deeply sorry for the mistakes I’ve made and to anyone who have crossed swords.. I can’t thank you all enough I just don’t know how to express it and am struggling to find words to say.. I wish you all the best and all the love in the world. Keep making this place a better place than it was yesterday. Remember, mistakes happen. We won’t always agree and we’re such a large group of many differences but we all are here because we love this shit. You can still expect me behind DA BEARZ.. see you out there. Take care..

What it has been like for me as a female in the vhl.. (Note this is just how it has been for me. Other females could very well feel differently.) I found this league off a YouTube video of someone talking about it (I don’t remember who) and thought it would be interesting to try out for myself. I was very much so prepared to be one of the few girls in the league as most things like this are male dominated most of the time. At first I was quite hesitant on here and didn’t really tell anyone my gender because I was frankly afraid of how people would react. In the past I would be treated weirdly because I am not a man and it scared me that it would happen again. I didn’t want to be treated differently. I wanted to be viewed as just another person playing a game to pass time and meet new people. As I got more comfortable in my first locker room (Yukon rush) I felt comfortable enough to tell the people in there.I finally told them I was in fact a female and explained to them why I didn’t say earlier and told them that I really do not want to be treated differently because of my gender because I was here for the same reason they were. That locker room to this day is still one of my favorites because they were so genuinely accepting and didn’t really care. It gave me the confidence to be more open of who I really am. They didn’t change how they acted (honestly they got weirder) instead they continued to be who they were beforehand. I was not treated differently and they really didn’t make me feel any different then one of them. So thank you to everyone in that locker room but special shoutout to: Ricer, Cow, Alex, Dylan, and LPOS for being genuinely great people. As I got moved around I didn’t tell most of my other locker rooms because it didn’t feel right. I did tell one other one and they reacted the same way Yukon did. However, with a couple of the other locker rooms I’m in I’m not going to lie I haven’t because of the fact of being scared of reaction. There’s a part of me that feels like I already don’t fit in, in some locker rooms and me saying I am a girl would just make it more awkward. I already feel as though I’m so different from them just in a personality way that now adding that gender difference would only make it worse. Although this could very well just be me overthinking things to an extreme. Generally for me being a female in the vhl has been a very welcoming experience. I haven’t really had negative feedback from the people I have told (which is everyone now) but more just the fear of negative feedback coming. Thank you to any and everyone who didn’t change how they acted when they found it because it makes me a whole lot more comfortable knowing that they aren’t going to change because of my gender and that I’m not holding back their personality because of that. So I would like to say to anyone who reads this: please please please if you find out a user is the opposite gender please don’t treat them differently. We are all on here for the exact same reason and them being a different gender shouldn’t change how you act. I can’t speak for all females on the platform but to me I want you to act the exact same way. We are humans too. word count: 616

S73 Expansion Friday, June 12th, 3:00PM EST @Members In December of 2017 the VHL made a very difficult decision to revert our expansion and return to the original 8 teams that we had when the league began. If I'm being honest with you all this was done as a last ditch effort to try and save the league which was floundering at the time. Recruitment was way down, old members were burning out, and the league could not adequately sustain 10 teams anymore, thus the unfortunate demise of the Cologne Express and Stockholm Vikings. It took just over a year before we added another team, the Moscow Menace, to the mix in January of 2019. After that things took off. Only 2 months later we added the Malmo Nighthawks and then 6 months after that both the DC Dragons and Prague Phantoms. In under 2 years the VHL went from 8 teams, the lowest it ever had, to 12. But we aren't done. It is my absolutely amazing honour today to announce yet another expansion to the VHL and this time it's our largest expansion in league history. Bigger than Moscow or Malmo, bigger than DC and Prague, even bigger than the three team expansion the VHLM went through when Moscow was added. Today we announce that four new teams will be joining the VHL for the start of S73 which will bring our total up to 16 teams. Double what we had when the league began almost 13 years ago and more impressively double what we had in December of 2017, not even 3 years ago. This is thanks, in no small part, to the amazing work of the @Recruitment Crew bringing in members like crazy, as well as the Dev Team (who can't be tagged but are no less appreciated) who continue to make the VHL portal the best site extension the sim league community has ever seen. It's also thanks to all of you though, we're a community first and whether you wear many hats or just "member" you are no less appreciated. When the VHL started with 8 teams people thought it was too much, that it couldn't be filled. To see the league double in size is absolutely phenomenal and I can't express how amazing it is. Who am I kidding though, none of you want to read about me getting nostalgic any longer. We've got some teams to announce do we not? Let's cover North America first and then travel east. So, starting on the west coast we find ourselves in the city of angels. The VHL has gone a long time without the glitz and glamour of Hollywood but no more. Let me introduce the Los Angeles Stars! Moving east we hit another city that has been sorely missing out on a VHL franchise for what seems like far too long. Once ravished by a fire and burned to the ground this great city rose from the ashes which brought inspiration to it's VHL team, the Chicago Phoenix! With the North American conference handled we head across the pond to the European conference. Once known for expanding it's empire across the globe the United Kingdom has been sorely missed in VHL expansion for too long, that changes now with the London United! Last but certainly not least the VHL moves once again into uncharted territory for the league, Poland. Once nearly completely destroyed by war this great city refused to go down without a fight. That fighting spirit lives on in the Warsaw Predators! The league would like to extend its greatest thanks to @Da_Berr who put together the Stars and United logos for us as well as the @VHL GM 's and @BOG who have kept the lid on this closed over the past few months to keep it a surprise. This is an absolutely amazing achievement for the league and we're excited to see how adding four new teams shakes up the landscape of the league. Now then, to business. There are also going to be some fairly significant changes to league rules and scheduling that are required to make 4 teams work. Season 73 VHL Expansion Draft We'll start with the S73 Expansion Draft, which will obviously be the largest in league history. In order to accommodate that fact there will be more than players from existing teams up for grabs. In fact, there will be supplemental picks in the 2nd round of each of the next two VHL Entry Drafts (S73 & S74), as well as the opportunity for the expansion teams to select their own draft slot for the S73 Entry Draft! The full details of the S73 VHL Expansion Draft can be found below. Scheduling / Playoff Format With 16 teams, there will obviously be a need for a new scheduling format, as the current 8/8/5 format would result in a nearly 100-game schedule. Going forward, teams will play Divisional Opponents a minimum of 6 times per season, Conference Opponents a minimum of 5 times per season, and Cross-Conference Opponents a minimum of 4 times per season. The remaining games will be randomly decided by the STHS Scheduling formula. This is subject to change if testing proves the math wrong but is the intention. The next major scheduling change, as a result of growing to 16 teams, is the need for a new playoff format. With 4 expansion teams added to the mix, the playoff structure will expand to 10 teams, 5 per conference. The playoff format will be as follows: Draft Lottery / Draft Lottery Tournament With 6 teams now missing the playoffs, there will be some major changes to the Draft Lottery format. The first of which is the need for new Draft Lottery Odds. For the purposes of the Draft Lottery, all teams that miss the playoffs will be considered seeds 11-16 in the Regular Season Standings, and their draft odds will start as: "Draft odds will start? Draft Lottery Tournament?" Indeed, with so many teams missing out on playoff action, the league has decided to add a new wrinkle to the Draft Lottery, which is a tournament that will decide the final Draft Lottery Odds, the format for the Draft Lottery Tournament will be as follows: So, in conclusion: 4 new teams, new scheduling and playoff formats, new Draft Lottery Odds and Draft Lottery Tournament. Much excitement, and much congratulations to everyone who made this possible. As the league enters its 13th year of operation it is a source of pride to see the community grow to where it is today, and where it can continue to grow as we move forward! @Commissioner @BOG

With Sonnet not continuing in his role as Houston Bulls GM given the promotion to VHLM Commissioner alongside me, the position was technically open as soon as the regular season ended. While we could wait until after the playoffs, it might be better to get the new GM into the role early, so there's time to take stock of things with the team, and figure out where to go from there. Taking from our pool of applicants in the general thread, the candidate in question has been approached and after a few questions, has been given the job. Congratulations: @VHLM GM @VHLM Commissioner

Hello, everyone. I hope all your weekends went well and you're all bracing yourselves for Monday. My lazy ass is just getting off a nice long stretch of days off and won't be finding my way back to them for another 10 days starting tomorrow. Figured it was likely best to get this out of the way now as opposed to waiting until some time this coming week. My initial thoughts of this season's theme for theme week was pretty damn good but heading into it I didn't know what to expect. Like I did, I just wasn't sure it was going to be this good. What I seen was some pretty good retention, a lot of members being noticed for their hard work, dedication and care they show towards the league and a lot of deserving members were shown a lot of great love over the last little while. I guess now it's my turn to write that little bit of a media spot. Fortunately, I've spent the last 24 seasons as a very dedicated, passionate GM of the VHL, as well as the last 2 years up until recently as the VHLM's almighty and powerful ruler. Working both of these roles for the league has given me the ability to look, hunt and interact with a massive amount of members - new and old. For me, this was something I really liked about the job. I got to notice people. I went out of my way to notice people who just signed up for the site, got to know them and helped get them a little bit hooked or going. It's a cool feel. So when I seen this being the theme for the up coming weeks or whatever, It really made me pumped on who I could talk about. Now, some of these guys are getting love for different reasons. Some of these guys are a little older, some are a little newer but I figure I might as well crunch some words, kill a week with theme week pay (Whatever the hell it is. How much do I claim for theme week? lol) and then maybe slap another week off. Without anymore blabbering, who has caught my eye as members in this league? 1. They're the people that made me want to listen to podcasts. I've been on these sites for something close to what feels like 10 years. I'm not entirely too certain on the correct time but it's been a damn long time. I joined SHL in S2-3 and they're in the 50's or something now (I'm 1/10 active there). During this large amount of time, I've never had a strong interest to ever listen to a podcast. I don't think they were really boring. I just don't think I could sit there and listen to something that long and really care about it. I'm not entirely too sure. Maybe, getting older and all that, it also appeals to me differently now than it would have in the mid-to-late teens. HOWEVER, this all changed when @Berocka started kicking out his podcasts. I didn't miss a single one and would be like "yo, when's the next one at?". They were that awesome. Then I gave @DoktorFunk and @DarkSpyro a chance and liked it just the same. These 3 guys joining arms is always the best. I haven't quite dipped fully into that video one yet but dudes, good shit. It's super awesome to see you guys create this atmosphere over the last few months. Maybe people are going covid-crazy, but I appreciate the amazing dedication you guys have to the VHL. 2. Your name is something I like. You've grown on me, but I knew you would. The moment you joined the league, I was a fan of you. Your name was sweet. I don't know if it's your real one or a made up one, lmao, but who cares. Legit name. I've been a big fan of making my players Russian's or Swede's throughout the many years on these sites. I've always enjoyed your coverage of media and work you put out and unfortunately, you have to play on @hedgehog337's damn team! @Patrik Tallinder Keep up the great work, man. 3. Similar to above. Very much so. Maybe it's because I like the NHLer who actually goes by this name. He's sweet. I think he has a lot of potential and could be a better player than what he is. To think of it, this is basically describing both of these guys - real NHL player and the VHL man himself. Every time he does something around the league or on the Discord, I feel a positive vibe and such from him. You can tell he's super interested in the league and with the few discussions I've had with him, I was really impressed and excited to see what he becomes. He currently leads while the main GM, Sonnet, temporarily steps away from his duties due to personal reasons. While this not being the best circumstance to get his foot in the door, I always had a feeling he'd fine a way. @PatrikLaine Be the Patrik Laine both the Winnipeg Jets AND the VHL need. 4. He's a good, dude. He's a teacher that teaches. @bigAL He's a new dude around the league but he's grown fast as a member. I remember when we were first discussing him coming on board as an Assistant GM in the VHLM and we were comparing the top 2 guys for the job. They were both good candidates while also being fairly different and both would have done well likely in the role, however, bigAL has really done some good stuff. Whether it was in the VHLM GM section or private discussions or in general or whatever the hell, he's always been an awesome person to talk with. I think he will do a lot of good things in this league as long as he doesn't go crazy. Not the wrong crazy anyway, lol. 5. DA BEARZ Now, I do believe I am slightly over 1,000 words which was my main goal here. However, I don't feel like it was enough love given. During my time as VHLM Commissioner, I was always, always keeping my eye on members to see how retention was going but to also see who could very well be the next VHLM GM in the league. There was a few times we took gambles on pretty new members, or members that were first gens, and it largely paid off. Some hiring's were even a little bit of a surprise to some but honestly, very few were bad. I say it like that because I'm sure there had to of been one dud. We ain't perfect, ahah. It was also an an opportunity to keep my eye on everyone else so that each and every time we hired someone or whatever, we were doing what was best for the VHLM. Some people that have surprised me or that I've really noticed doing good by the league are @Zetterberg @Jubis@rory @a_Ferk, @Tate-> always have to throw the gentle giant on the list, @FrostBeard -> amazing dude, hardworker to make VSN great again, @Mr_Hatter -> for letting seattle go 3/4 , @Hooperorama @Aye my name jeff @BigTittySmitty @gorlab -> Enjoy seeing you back in a league that I am in.. @Elijah (Fong's Son) -> For making VHL explode with activity lmao, @BladeMaiden -> You know what for, but well drive the people crazy with this tag. @Joe Exotic -> For quality netflix during covid-19, @Kevin King, @Kekzkrieg -> I feel like I love every Erik Karlsson sig you do, lol There's many more but I could go on forever. Keep up the good shit my dudes. Thank you for making this place diverse and TYPICALLY awesome.

A lot of people have spoken up about these topics, many times over the years, and today they still lead to a constant debate. As such, I would like to speak on these topics and speak my mind because I feel like a lot has gone on here in the past that has either been overlooked, taken in poor terms, lead to members leaving and such, and so I would just love to explain my personal experiences with both these topics, as despite being a white male, I've sadly had to experience both. On January 27th 2010, my best friend in the whole world came out as gay. I've known this kid since I was 4 years old, and I was the first person he told. I was very accepting of the matter, as its none of my business to what he does, and I was proud of him for taking that leap. He hadn't told his parents yet, who are very strict Christians may I add. He also hadn't told anyone else at school or told anyone else really at all, so he was still very much 'in the closet'. Keep in mind, we were like 16-17 here, and bullying was unfortunately as big if not worse back then for anything deemed out of the social 'norm'. So come our final year in high school, he finally outted himself, and the bullying was surreal. I got suspended in school for beating up a kid who beat up my friend, I shoved them in a locker and locked it, but I was mad that my friend was being bullied for his choices, it sickened me. I got the worst call of my life 8 days after my birthday, July 19th, 2012, we had just graduated literally a month ago... and I get the awful news that my friend couldn't handle it anymore...and hung himself in his closet. He left a note, you could literally see the tear marks left as he was writing this damn thing, and I still have it to this day because its the last thing I have of his, as well as some pictures. To this day, I regret that I could not protect him more, and pride month, pride in general, I always support, not just for him, but all of the people in the world just like him facing the same horrible reality. So how does this tie into BLM? Well, I've always been the kind of guy to just want to be friends with people, Idon't care your gender, your race, your anything, if you're cool, if we share the same likes and interests, its very likely we'll become friends because I just am that type of person. My friend, who was from a broken black family, was also a very, very close friend of mine, for years, we met in grade school and never lost touch. One day, he was with his other group of friends, and as they told me due to their recollection, someone or a group of people started opening fire on their group. Keep in mind, they were barely adults, this was around college time. More information came out about this, it was a very "white" dominated group that shot into that group. I lost my best friend because of the color of his skin...all because someone felt they were better than them. It came out that it was 100% a hate crime towards his race, and they didn't even know who he was. He was just in the 'wrong place, at the wrong time'. So why am I posting this? Well, because I have experienced both ends of it. I've lost a lot of friends along the way to this bullshit we call a society and the 'norms' of society. I am a white, straight man, but that doesn't mean I don't see what kind of shit is going on in the world. To anyone, who falls into the categories that are always attacked on a daily basis, please know I stand with you, I support you, I am with you all the way. And if you need an ear, a shoulder, someone to talk to, I will talk to you. I will NOT give up on you.

As some of you have already noticed, @Banackock has stepped down from his position of VHLM Commissioner, as well as his position in the Board of Governors. We would like to thank him for all the time and effort he has put into the position. He has overseen the largest growth period ever in the VHLM, and has put more hours and late nights into the job than could be reasonably expected. With that said, @Sonnet has agreed to take up the vacant Commissioner post, effective immediately. We believe he is a great choice for the role as someone who does fantastic work with VHLM players on a daily basis, and that, along with @diamond_ace, he will only expand on the fantastic groundwork already laid out in the VHLM. Again, thank you to Bana for all your work, and best of luck to Sonnet!

I feel like I have to say something after the mess that was the VHLM last night. I'm a teacher, a community-builder, and a compromise-finder. I know everyone involved in this league thinks of themselves as a good, rational, smart, and well-meaning person. I'm not here to dispute any of that. The humanity, acceptance, and enjoyment you've all shown me in the past few months as I've been here has been tremendous. However, we do need to stop being dicks to each other. Here, there, and everywhere in the world. The discussions that have been happening in #politics this week always starts respectfully but devolves into defensive anger and a digging in of both sides after each side has said all their points. That’s not helpful. It doesn’t have to be. I hear everyone saying the same things. I hear people donating on the forum and arguing that ALL LIVES MATTER on the discord. I see people conflating the current issues faced by black North Americans with the experiences of other minorities from other parts of the world. I see lots of whataboutism: “what about Muslims after 9/11? Or Jews in the holocaust??” These are all fine things to say as long as you’re coming at out from a place of respect for the debate, respect for the other people involved, and respect for the messiness of the world. The argument that ALL LIVES MATTER isn’t helpful right now. It’s true, all lives DO matter, but there’s only one issue on the table right now and it’s BLACK LIVES. It’s the old expression of equality and equity: all types of lives matter equally, which means that some will need an extra boost in order to make it to “equal”. Right now, most of us can see over that fence. We don’t fear for our lives when we make a mistake, like speeding or shoplifting. We weren’t born into poverty, and we can easily imagine a day when we’re happy, healthy, and wealthy. We don’t have to debate politics because issues of governance, law enforcement, and health care don’t usually negatively impact us in our daily lives. To stick with the analogy above, we can see the baseball game. Maybe not perfectly, maybe our fav team is losing, maybe the suns in our eyes, but we can see the baseball game. Right now, across America, across North America, and across the world, a whole lot of people are saying they can’t see the baseball game. They’re saying they haven’t been able to see the baseball game in a long time. They’re saying that this covid pandemic has actually moved them into the parking lot, when all they want is to see the damn baseball game. If someone says they can’t see the baseball game, listen to them. Figure out how you can get them a box to stand on. Give them your box. Don’t tell them to suck it up and watch the highlights later. Don’t tell them that baseball sucks anyways. Don’t tell them that there’s lots of starving kids in Africa who don’t even know baseball exists. Lots and lots and lots and lots of people in our social bubble are stepping out of their lane for the first time because of this incident. NHL players are notoriously bland and apolitical, but there have been some excellent words said by the pros this week that show they are open to learning about and listening to people who have had different lives than us. That’s what this big blowup has all been about. It’s not about the nitty gritty of “this protestor did a bad thing!” or “not all cops” or “not all protestors”. The problem of the discord lately is that people are choosing to use their platform to say “I don’t care”. Again, that’s fine - if you can see the baseball game, you don’t have to care when others can’t see it. Caring is hard emotional work and I wish I could care less. But you don’t need to be kicking the other people as they try to see over the fence. If all lives really mattered, you’d try to build up the people that need it right now, most clearly right in front of us. The time for everyone else’s injustices will come, but right now the single biggest demographic group in America is saying they are experiencing a problem and can’t see the baseball game. Don’t be a dick and say they aren’t. Most of all, just don’t be a dick. Act in good faith. In public and when representing the VHL(M), support others or don’t say anything at all. When you want to have intellectual (instead of emotional) debates about politics, do it in a comfortable place where everyone involved knows you and understands that you do already respect the emotional situation others are experiencing. Show the same respect you say you have for all the people of the world to the one individual person you’re disagreeing with right now. Just, don’t be a dick. There’s enough dicks in the world being dickish to many people. The VHL is our escape from the world. Don’t be a dick. and everyone.

Hello all, Since people didn't like my previous attempt SEEN HERE at a dark theme I decided to give it another go. This time I used an old test theme that Will and I were working on and used that as a foundation. The result was this: After doing a 10 min beta test and having @Enorama say "Not gonna launch a dark theme where 90% of the screen is white again" along with 3 other volunteers saying it looked good its finally ready for release! I'm proud to Introduce the Animated Dark Theme banner! Found here: I will hopefully be able to add additional animated banners but for now you get one. If you find any bugs with this new theme please send me a message or tag me in this thread (other than Commissioner names being too dark) Hope anyone that likes dark themes can find a use for this!

Good evening everyone, this will be the thread going forward that will keep all of you updated on what is happening in the Board of Governors. As some of you may know this thread here had served as a place where @tfong would update the league with the titles of threads in the BOG. With that being said, recently we have had a discussion about being more transparent, especially with what happened in regards to the Expansion Teams and the debacle that resulted afterwards. Transparency has been something that we have been looking to provide for quite some time, but have tried to work around the fact that not everything can be public and we don't necessarily want to put people in an awkward position of providing controversial opinions that would be showcased for the entire league to see. With Mr. Fong separating away from the Board of Governors and more into his role as Head Moderator, the Board of Governors have decided to revamp how they present their content to the league. This idea was loosely inspired by @Mr_Hatter who had brought forth the idea of a third party coming into the BOG and breaking down the talking points rather than just us posting the title of a thread and leaving the rest of the league to imagine. After some discussion and debate on whether or not we should have a neutral party do this, one of the Board of Governors do it or even a committee of BOG members, the Administrators and Board of Governors decided to go with the independent option and will be using myself as the new BOG Correspondent. My goal is to provide everyone in the league with more context into the discussions we are having and break down the different views, with the idea that the league can comment on some of these potential back-and-forths. We feel this is not only a great way to be transparent, but to also test the temperature of the league on some of the discussions. Now obviously not everything will be posted (ban threads, potential league surprises, etc.) but I will make sure that everything else is not only posted, but that all the talking points are broken down for you as well. Feel free to also comment and ask me questions as I want to be someone that you can come to with issues or opinions and I won't hesitate in bringing them up. With that being said, I will be keeping this main post updated with the happenings and will probably post something every week or perhaps I will try and keep it as updated as possible when new things are being discussed. In addition, I will also post any closed discussions that have been ended in the last month. These will be removed from the main post once they extend past the one month time frame. ACTIVE DISCUSSION Topic - Hall of Fame Voting Reform (Discussion started June 22) The Issue: The VHL has voted on the Hall of Fame for quite some time based on a system that allows you to vote up to two players in and you need 50% of the vote to be inducted. This poster is concerned that during weaker classes, there is a higher likelihood that someone who does not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame will be voted in due to the lower benchmark to make it. We have also found quite often that we have been removing a lot of people recently added to the ballot due to their career resumes not matching up. The Idea: Each voting member would have the ability to vote up to 3 or 4 people into the Hall of Fame (they can choose to vote less). Players would require 70% of the vote to make the Hall of Fame, which is a 20% increase on the current standards. Additionally, if a player were to receive zero votes in consecutive seasons, that player would be removed from the ballot entirely. The idea is made in an effort to make the benchmark higher (thus seeing only deserving players make it) and eliminates the idea of players getting in on a weak class. Said poster does admit that there could be an issue of players getting removed too soon due to the ballot elimination portion of the proposal. The Commentary: A lot of the discussion has been centered around the part regarding players being removed, with some suggesting rather than two seasons with 0 votes that we could do three or five, with the idea that it likely lessens the likelihood of someone undeserving being removed from the ballot. This is a concern to some with there being a lot of discussion regarding bringing certain players back to the ballot lately and with players like Mathias Chouinard, who was recently inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame after being removed from the ballot for more than three decades. There has been some support for this proposal although a few members disagree that the current voting standards need to be altered and that no one that has gotten in has really been undeserving. The main poster making this point feels that it really doesn't solve any problems because there are no issues and have been none with how the league has been doing the Hall of Fame voting. The thread has gone in a few other areas too in regards to the ideas of players being returned to the ballot, as this is a very hot topic currently going on in Hall of Fame Discussion. ------------------------------ Topic - VHLM and Deadline Recreates (Discussion started June 16) The Issue: Recently a number of recreates joined forces on the Las Vegas Aces which caused a lot of complaints around the VHLM Community. The concern seems to be that by doing this, it stacks a team and that the league can control this by putting in restrictions on the number of recreates that can join an individual team. The Idea: The main idea by the original poster seemed to center around restricting ice time for recreates and that he had discussed with some VHLM GMs that the focus of the minors is to develop players so we need to make sure to put all players in the best position possible, regardless of them being a recreate or new. The thread, ultimately, was posted to create more ideas so the commentary will have a lot of the ideas that have come up on how to potentially fix this issue. The Commentary: First, a lot of members did not really have a problem with the idea of a team being able to go out and sign five or six players, if those players deem that they want to play for the same squad. The most significant reason why seemed to be that these players, even with carryover, will not be as competitive as the top teams that generally have several 200+ TPE players as most initial recreates won't be past 120 TPE come playoff time. Some members also feel that given there is a Dispersal Draft in the off-season anyway, we should allow deadline recreates to have their fun and play for whoever they want. One member brought up that we could do a waivers system for recreates, but it seemed to get shut down fairly quickly with a lot of members feeling that everyone should get to pick their team for that twenty games and playoffs. The discussion seemed to shift more towards roster construction and how we can avoid the truly awful teams that can surface in the VHLM, with the idea that we should be trying to jump all over all members joining and not just recreates. A great example of this was a player that was highlighted who didn't receive a single contract offer until almost twenty hours after joining. Once again, this goes to the focus that all teams (whether competing or not) need to have, and that is to make room for the actives. One idea that did come up was in regards to only allowing recreates to play third line or lower, as it would let recreates go to whoever they wanted to but only play a limited role. A few members disagreed with the idea as they felt it could really ruin the experience for anyone in this situation and could cause troubles with retaining our retiring members. Finally, there was an idea that we could cap each VHLM Team at 3 recreates that they can sign come deadline time, which did receive a little support due to it being a slight tweak to the current system, but there hasn't been a significant amount of feedback on this idea. CLOSED DISCUSSION Topic - Restructuring the BOG (Discussion started June 13, Closed on June 17) The Issue: With multiple members recently stepping down and/or being removed from the Board of Governors, the Administration Team decided that a revamp was necessarily and an opportunity was there to bring in a few new members. Therefore, each BOG member was to put forth their top four candidates to add based on those who officially applied for the job position posted. The Result: Acydburn, rjfryman, Doomsday and FonziGG were added to the Board of Governors team. ------------------------------ Topic - GM Application (Discussion started June 15, Closed on June 16) The Issue: Based on tfong's idea regarding a running GM interest list, the Administration Team felt it was necessary to start keeping a running list of those members who are interested after the controversy that resulted from the Expansion decisions. This thread was posted just to make sure that the language in the post made sense and that there was nothing missing as it seemed to already be a pretty unanimously popular idea with the league. The Result: You can find the GM Application Thread here which was created in result. ------------------------------ Topic - Inclusion of all BOG in Staff Discord (Discussion started June 13, Closed on June 15) The Issue: After the controversy in the Expansion Draft, it came out that some discussion happened in the Staff Discord, which some but not all BOG members have access to. Therefore, the idea was brought up to include all BOG in the discord so that everyone can have their say and communicate effectively. The Result: After some discussion regarding the idea of potentially creating a BOG Discord instead and leaving the Staff Discord for moderation issues, the point was instead made that we should just not be discussing BOG decisions off the forum so that everyone can participate equally. This also led to the GM Application discussion and an admitting from some of the Administration that there needs to be better communication all-around. ------------------------------ Topic - The 'E' Word. Changes are Coming (Discussion started May 7, Closed on June 12) The Issue: This was the Administrators telling the Board of Governors that Expansion would be happening and that they had already picked GM's who had been figuring out the team names. It also had the details regarding Expansion Drafts, Draft Lotto, Non-Playoff Team Tournament, etc. Essentially this was all discussed in the Blue Team Area, and they were just informing us. The Result: There was some discussion about some of the decisions they had made but ultimately a lot of the thread was going through logos being discussed and team names as well. Ultimately, this thread will have your new four teams to the league and all the other rule changes to accommodate their inclusion in the league. ------------------------------ Topic - Jericho's Post (Discussion started June 3, Closed on June 6) The Issue: Discussion whether we should run a Donation Campaign regarding the BLM issues going on, and if so, what charities we should be donating to. The Result: There was really no vocal opposition to the idea of running a campaign although some were concerned about coming off as too political. As many of you know we destroyed our goals and were able to donate a significant amount of money ($1165 each) to both ACLU and Spirit North in an effort to help meaningful causes in regards to systemic racism in both Canada and the United States. ------------------------------ Remember that this is more than a thread that you can just read up on BOG Content as we encourage to provide your feedback on issues discussed and ask questions. For those who will have questions, I will try to provide you with answers in a timely manner. @Members

Hey guys Alex here I have never really used my first name (aside from my first player) and the reason was I was trying to keep all of you at arms length. not because I don't like you or the VHL its because it would be easier if I ever didn't come back. I understand its pride month and the BLM movement is happening and even though I am a Christian I want to say I stand with you both. your struggle is real and I feel we will see an end to it in our lifetimes. now I want to be open because we have lost members of this great community and they wont come back. I was almost one of them. I suffer from depression and frankly there are days that are better then others. the one constant for the last six years has been the Victory Hockey League. I want you all to know you guys have saved my life a few times just from saying hello. there is a lot of hate going on and a lot of struggle. mines with myself and my head. I've tried to kill myself before but Kendrick and Beketov kept me focused on Cologne and Glass. I left for an extended period before Frence and frankly I missed this place every day. I owe a few people an apology first. @Proto you brought me in as AGM and I love you for that. the choice was amazing and its MY FAULT it didn't work out. you where the most amazing GM ive ever worked under. you helped me learn so much in such a short time. I enjoyed talking to you greatly. next is @Beaviss thank you for the opportunity you gave. im sorry I couldn't do it better. i put to much on my plate thinking I could handle it when I couldn't. I lastly I'm sorry to all of you. I know I'm not the easiest person to be around or play with. however I also want to say thank you. we get a bad wrap here but I have been welcomed back with open arms more times then I deserve. I want to let you all know how much I appreciate you all. even the ones I don't talk to, everyone keeps the doors open. i cant promise ill be super talkative, or always one hundred percent active. I can't even promise I wont leave again. I love you all. if anyone ever needs to talk...reach out.

Good day VHL Community and Top of the morning to you, especially to the focus of this article - S73 VHL Draft Class. With S72 having surpassed the 50 games played mark and less than 20 games left it's CRUNCH time. Since we’ve last checked in “VSN’s Top 24 Early Standouts” there has for sure been what some may call chaos, I view it as excitement and more unpredictability. This Draft has some very exciting prospects headlined by MJF @frosty the without question top player of the S73 Draft class Marshall James FrostBeard along with superstar defenceman Tyler Walker and a handful of great goalies in Tonn, Gyrfalcon and Camus all slotted to go 1st round. Along with the unforgettable John Merrick showing flashes of Hall of Fame play as well as a blood relative to the legendary Glade family as VHL players and GM, the youngest highly touted defenceman Shawn Glade III. With the recent news of the VHL’s 4-Team Expansion announced for this offseason creates even more variables and “chaos” for Current VHL GM’s; Let the fun begin. From first glance, it’s easy to see this is not the deepest draft class and a major drop nearing round 3. It's important that I clarify and we are making this clear these “Rankings'' are not a Mock Draft, it is who VSN’s Scouting Department believes are the best picks at each spot without any connections to the teams making the selection nor Positional Value (Pure Rankings). These rankings are based and referring to play progress before the playoffs* The VSN Scouting Department with the amazing crew of scouting experience run @Patrik Tallinder The Director of Scouting and Assistant Director @Spence King have spent countless hours watching every VHLM game travelling across North America and not to mention the passing WJC and now playoffs. A major factor the scouts highly value in a player is consistency (being active weekly/levels of participation) extensively tracking weekly opportunities claimed even as far as the differences between total capped and uncapped TPE earned. VSN scouting Staff are always keeping a VERY close eye on each player’s activity trends and participation in the community. Let’s get ready to rumble! here are VSN’s S73 Draft Mid Season Player Rankings: #1 - Marshall James Frostbeard- 300 TPE Trending down, Low risk, High potential If anyone is shocked to see the MJF trending “down” is the sole reason that @frostbeard is a VHL GM himself and has his player’s rights protected in the draft and he is the clear cut #1 Overall prospect in this draft. #2 - Tyler Walker - 281 TPE- No trend, Low risk, High potential Tyler is the ultimate coaches player, he does everything you ask of him and is always in the right place at the right time, no player other than MJF has shown more consistent growth/Activity and development in their game other than Tyler. Whichever team drafts this young man will be getting a future franchise defenceman that will play MANY games in the VHL and very soon. #3 - Jacob Tonn- 276 TPE No trend, Low risk, High potential Jacob Tonn has proven to be a steal for the ages, with the hounds able to draft some great players and snag Tonn in the later rounds is truly unbelievable that any GM let this young man go past the 1st round let alone outside the Top 5. Tonn is having a fantastic season in his draft year proving to have the potential to be a future starter and potentially star goaltender in the VHL #4 - Micah Adrienne - 276 TPE No trend, Low risk, High potential Micah is by far one of the best defenders his age in a long time. Micah is easily one of the leagues top 5 Defensive defencemen with way above average defensive IQ, amazing body checker with terrifying hits combined with his smooth skating and puck handling make him a real contender for the #1 overall pick come draft day. Biggest Flaw is his terrible discipline. #5 - Jeffrey Pines- 240TPE Trending UP, Low risk, High potential Jeffrey was on a tear after the WJC and really proving the league his playmaking abilities are just as strong and he might actually be a stronger playmaker as well as really fine-tuning his work in the defensive end and proving to be one of the most hated players to play against in the league. Jeffrey has a very bright future in the VHL his potential is sky high and he can fit any role his team needs for him. #6 - Grekkark Gyrfalcon - 228 TPE Trending UP, Low risk, High potential Grekkark Gyrfalcon is what some scouts are calling “The safest pick”. This due to the fact that Grekkark is affiliated with the EFL and is guaranteed to cap out with 12 TPE with his EFL Job alone. #7 - Jean Pierre Camus - 217 TPE: Trending UP, Low risk, High potential J=ean Pierre Camus is our third goalie in the top ten and he's there for a reason. JPC may not have the wins like the other goalies but the skill is there and it’s evident. Truly an exciting player to watch. Camus with a record of 18-42-4 is still currently the league leader with the highest Save % of any starting goaltender. His lightning-quick hand speed combined with incredible style and rebound control and jaw-dropping reaction time #8 - @ShawnGlade III- 213 TPE Trending down, Moderate risk, High potential Shawn is right there with Tyler and Micah in terms of potential. The relative of the legendary Shawn Glade gives us some insight into the hockey blood in this player and his dedication and consistency. Shawns defensive IQ always has him in the right position at the right time. Glade III has an amazing first pass out of the zone to go along with his ability to rush the puck with his strong puck handling and skating abilities. #9 - Groovy Dood- 206 TPE Trending UP, Low risk, High potential Groovy Dude AKA @bigAL The AGM of the new VHLM expansion Franchise the Miami Marauders. Groovy has proven to be extremely active and one of the most consistent draft-eligible players continually increasing his draft stock. Mr Dude is arguably the top playmaker in the draft. His defensive abilities are also what really separates him apart from the other players in this class is his obvious effort and dedication consistently week in and day out and will always give you 110% effort. #10 - Kosmo Kramerev- 204 TPE Trending UP, Low risk, High potential Kosmo is in the top 10 of the league scoring not only as a rookie but also as a defenceman. Kramerev so far in 64 games is 1 point shy, sitting at 99PTS and going to hit the 100 PTS plateau as a rookie. The difference between Kramerev and the “Big Three” Walker, Adrienne and Glade is that Kosmo is a much more offensive-oriented defensive player while saying that he does not lack in defensive abilities and has amazing defensive skills. #11 - John Merrick- 179 TPE N/A, Low risk, High potential John Merrick looks to be a very promising and potential first-line centre in the VHL. Merrick, the User @Steve recently retired unexpectedly Guy LeGrande early and was not expected to recreate LeGrnade had 1177 TPE already and still had 2 seasons to go. That says a lot right there about Merricks potential. Merrick is already proving to be a great 2-way centre, He has the size and strength to go along with his great puck handling and skating abilities. #12 - Wolf Stansson - 190 TPE Trending UP, Low risk, High potential Wolf Stansson was a hot name on Trade Deadline day, and with that being no surprise. Wolf has proven to be the next name on this list of extremely talented 2-way defenders. Wolf plays with an edge to his game and can really bang bodies on the ice and I mean that literally by an “edge” Wolf has learned to master body checking and cutting off the rush with huge hip checks always making clean hits and is never afraid to sacrifice his body. #13 - Dan Baillie Jr – 194 TPE Trending UP, Low risk, High potential Dan Baille Jr “The Junior Rocket” has been trending up and up all season and the ski is truly the limit for this man. His skating is out of this world and without a doubt the most accurate and quickest shot in the draft, Baille Jr goal and assist totals in SSK do not reflect his skill or potential. Baille is going to have a very great and long career in the VHL. #14 -Andre Lebastard- 189 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High potential Probably the best Faceoff man in the draft if not the VHLm.Amazing 200-foot player, Fantastic passing IQ and accuracy, Logs Massive minutes and can shut down and play with the league's top lines, needs to work on his strength #15 - Patrik Laine - 174 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High potential The hottest thing in Houston right now, Laine is one of if not the most active prospects in the pool and is continually opening more and earning a lot of attention and this spot in the rankings. Laine is the most well-rounded prospect ranked to go in the first round with equally strong skating, puck handling, scoring and defensive IQ but still has a long way to go before being VHL ready anytime soon. #16 - Mikeal Keef - 195 TPE Trending UP, Low risk, High potential Mikeal will more than likely be playing in the pros next year, whichever organisation is lucky enough to snag this franchise defenceman will be smiling ear to ear when they call his name to the draft stage. The 6’4 205 lb smooth-skating defenceman excels the most in his own end with his jaw-dropping hits. #17 - Cal Conway - 179 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High potential With his eye lightning, fast hand speed and reaction time Cal has shown many flashes of stardom. Just look at his numbers and its easy enough with an outstanding .913% Save percentage and almost under 2 Goals against a game at 2.07 GAA. #18 -The Terrible Trivium- 189 TPE Trending UP, Low risk, Moderate potential Trivium is built like a truck and if he can turn that weight into muscle he could very well be one of the VHL’s power forward winger for many years to come. His fantastic positioning when backchecking, a total 200-foot player. His Shot is his best asset registering 297 shots on net in 72 games played. #19 - Oh Sens - 162 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High potential The Japanese sensation and fan favourite in Miami Oh Sens has a well-rounded skill set with his puck handling and powerful shot make him such an exciting winger. Very strong player physically, look for next season to be a breakout for this young man #20 - Ajay Krishna - 152 TPE No trend, Low risk, High potential Ajay was once considered the clear cut safest goalie available after the big 3 all set to be taken in the 1st round. Krishna skill is definitely there and with his reaction time paired with his size, his potential in the crease is sky-high. Ajay had a very strong start to the season with high activity and looked to be a lock for the 1st round however the second half of the season Krishna’s progression noticeably declined. Krishna still has time to prove himself as a 1st rounder if he can return to his early-season progression. #21 - Dakota Lamb - 173 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High potential The most skilled Faceoff man in the draft Dakota Lamb has amazing offensive capabilities with his combined skill set of skating puck handling and offensive IQ. Being the most skilled at FO points doesn't always win you the most Faceoffs, Dakota has to put on some serious strength to turn those skills into an invaluable asset. 22- Calvin Harvey - 156 TPE Trending down, Moderate risk, Moderate potential Calvin Harvey has had a rough go this season in San Diego much like the rest of his marlin teammates, he was peppered with shots and really had no chance to ever develop confidence on the ice. He has very good reaction time and a nice Style control. #23 - Matty Socks - 161 TPE Trending UP, Low/ Moderate risk, Moderate potential Matty Socks has been playing phenomenal for the Aces all season. Extremely consistent and without a doubt one of the most skilled defensive defencemen in the draft class as well as the entire league. Along with strong offensive IQ and powerful skating. With some filling out in strength and conditioning as well as passing accuracy socks could be another diamond in the rough #24-Kevin King - 145 TPE N/A, Moderate risk, High potential The player with the most intrigue other than John Merrick. Kevin King has only had a short time to prove himself and even with minimal ice time. However, his skills do all the talking. Scoring and defensive IQ are way above most in the class and especially at this position. King has the best faceoffs skills by far in the draft class. With building strength and continuing to progress at this level don't be surprised if Kevin King is a 1st round pick on draft day. #25 - Han Jae Kuk - 132 TPE No trend, Low risk, Moderate potential Han was at one point the hottest name on the trade block with his great early start to the season, but just like the marlins did this season, Han Jae looks to have drowned. He is borderline inactive and potentially falling out of the top 40 if that were the case. Jae Kuk’s has incredible defensive abilities and above-average skating, he has the skill and potential the issue is an effort right now. #26 - Alec Volchenkov - 156 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High potential Alec Volchenkov is definitely our most interesting and unique player in this draft class and by unique, i am referring to his playing style. Volchenkov is the definition of a Shut down player. His scoring abilities have much work to be done, however, his Faceoffs and defensive play in his own end are above most forward in the VHLM. Volchenkov has the potential to be a lifelong role player in the pros and I could even see him being a team's 1st line Center one day. #27 - Jesper Norberg - 142 TPE N/A, Moderate risk risk, High potential Jesper Norberg has come into Vegas hitting the ground running harder than every pair of dice in town combined. This Swedish winger comes over with a diverse skill set highlighted by his IQ in the offensive zone. His passing, puck handling and skating are showing improvements daily along with an impressive build, very strong on his skates. #28 - Florent Vericel - 126 TPE Trending down, High risk, High potential The Quick sharpshooting Canadian forward signed early in the season with the newly expanded VHLM franchise in Miami. Florent proved very quickly that he is a consistent and very strong shooter. His shot combined with his speed is by far his best attribute at his ability to find the shooting lanes. Strength along with Puck handling is in need of improvement. #29 - Fat Palloon - 122 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High/ Moderate potential Mr Palloon has been on the scouts’ radars from the minute he stepped on the ice with his incredible defensive positioning and willingness to put his body on the line to block shots and passing lanes. Palloon’s season has been somewhat of a roller coaster in terms of production. As of late F.Paloon has made huge strides in his passing accuracy and skating. If he can maintain this progression as of the last two weeks this could be a steal in the draft. Still has a lot of practice to be done over the offseason. #30- Jeremy Lin - 136 TPE No trend, Moderate risk, Moderate potential The once highly touted prospect Lin has fallen and continues to do so, his activity and progression have hit a hard standstill. With his quick and accurate shot combined with his ability to rush the puck up the ice on his own proves lin has the skill. The question mark is consistency. #31 - Kirishima Wakaro - 134 TPE No trend, High risk, Moderate/Low potential Kirishima went ghost a couple of weeks this season where is progression really hit a standstill. Wakaro is still quite the question mark for scouts with his activity being monitored very closely. Kirishima has shown moments of stardom from the beginning of the season with his defensive and offensive abilities and positioning along with his skating. #32 - Rick Osman - 108 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High potential Rick Osman the giant on skates and one of the tallest players in VHLM history Rick a massive 53 banked TPE. His activity has been consistent, never capping out but consistent every week and if Rick can use this offseason to diversify his skill set. Right now his defensive IQ is great but he is really lacking a lot of fundamentals at this level, and must really work on those if he's to ever play in the pros. #33 - Gary Rush- 115 TPE: Trending UP, Moderate risk, Moderate potential Good 2-way forward with equally strong offensive and defensive IQ. Showing consistent growth in Skating and puck handling. Needs improvement in the weight room and work on checking #34- Rocket - 130 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, Moderate potential Rocket is a really solid welfare prospect who takes advantage of uncapped opportunities as well. He usually earns 6-8 capped TPE, and whatever uncapped TPE he can get his hands on as well. There’s a good amount of potential in him as a scoring winger, and hopefully, his steady progression keeps up. #35 - Bobbie Cheechoo - 97 TPE Trending down, High risk, Moderate potential A prospect battling with inactivity at the moment, Bobbie Cheechoo is a pure goal scorer with an exceptional combination of skating and a heavy shot. If he can return to form, there’s definitely some potential here. #36 - S Kuchar- 113 TPE N/A, Moderate risk, Moderate potential Late season signing with the Lynx after they shipped out their top two forwards Kuchar picked up the slack with ease, averaging almost 4 shots on net per game and registering a point per game. Kuchar is proving he can score in this league #37 - Empty - 110 TPE Trending down, High risk, High potential Started off very hot in Halifax scoring over 50% of their goals in his first 10 games played. Incredible offensive abilities and very good defensive IQ, his progression however after the WJC has come to a standstill and Empty has become a real question mark going into the draft. #38 -Keno Wolf- 99 TPE Trending down, High risk, Moderate potential After showing a promising first three weeks, Keno Wolf has only earned 2 TPE over the last 2 weeks, which is quite worrying. If he comes back, it would be good for him to work on his puck handling, which seems to be a weakness as of today. Being able to claim 6 TPE welfare, Wolf shouldn’t have too hard of a time getting back to where he was just a couple weeks ago; It’s just about finding the time and motivation to stay consistent. #39 - Peekay Soupcan - 88 TPE Trending down, High risk, Low potential Peekay has recently gone inactive, a promising youngster started off very strong with consistent activity and production, his scoring and skating are his greatest attributes, if Peekay remains on this trend he will be as quiet as his recent activity. #40 - Victor Grachev- 129 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High potential Very Intriguing prospect Victor is a 1st-time VHL User as well as this being his first experience with any Sim League and he hit the ground running! Grachev has used literally every opportunity to earn the most TPE possible since joining and the effort he has put in so far is incredible, consistency will be the big factor with him. Phenomenal Defensive D-man, very good 1st pass and puck handling knows his role and plays it well. Still needs to fill out his frame and fine touching his overall skill set. Dont be surprised if he goes in the 1st round - "Spence King" #41 - Ben Mills- 73 TPE Trending down, High risk, Low potential Pint-sized Ben Mills started off the season strong playing much more minutes in Mississauga. As the season has progressed it seems as if Mills is going to be a Welfare/Practice player only and if that at best with his inconsistency has him trending down. Good defensive skill and potential, fairly well-rounded skill set, his development seems to have just hit a dead end. #42 - Jiggly Gumballs - 122 TPE N/A, Moderate risk, High potential In only 16 games played and being in VHLM for 2 weeks, Jiggly Gumballs has shown signs of greatness and potential stardom. His defensive abilities and positioning in his own end are impeccable and might be the best shot-blocker I’ve ever seen. Very well rounded skill set and sure to skyrocket up the list if this activity trend continues. #43 - Wane Jetski - 87 TPE N/A, Moderate risk, Moderate potential Scouts have only had a short time to view Jetski since recently joining the league. His scoring touch and skating abilities are what stand out the most. Still needs work in the defensive end along with his hand-eye puck skills. #44 - Theodore James St Louis - 90 TPE Trending UP, Moderate risk, High potential In his very short time so far in the VHLM Theodore James St Louis has made a great impression on VHL scouts his very well rounded game and truly game-changing ability when he’s on the ice for his team. Much about TJS is still unknown as to what role he will take on, St Louis has a very diverse skill set and could potentially be the steal of the draft if his activity spikes. #45 - Teriyaki Chicken - TPE 78 Trending down, Moderate risk, Moderate potential Teriyaki is definitely one of the smaller D in the league but he is built like a truck. His biggest assets are his Checking and defensive skills, a very good stay at home defence. Needs to really work on his passing and puck handling #46 -Drew Minott - 120 TPE Trending UP , Moderate risk,High/ Moderate potential The sky's the limit for this big lanky Goaltender with a very well rounded skill set, the sample size is small so far, Minott continues to show impress scouts more every game. #47-Joromir Jogr - 107 TPE Trending down, Moderate risk, Moderate potential Jogr has gone dark for a while, a very fluid skater and knows how to use his body to create scoring chances, very high hockey IQ and shows flashes of greatness. Really need to work on his passing accuracy #48 -Tim Kameshev - 64 TPE Trending down, High risk, Low potential Kameshev is almost strictly a practice player as of recently however has shown moments of great potential, his skating is what separates him from his peers. Needs a lot of improvement and a big increase in fine-tuning his entire skillset. That's a wrap for our Mid Season VHL Draft Coverage if you enjoyed reading this don't forget to check VSN for regular updates!! We've got A LOT of content being put out almost daily! Don't forget to tune into some of our other amazing material such as - Weekly VHL and VHLM articles. A new feature “Deep Rewind” and learn more VHL history. Keep up with the news in the scouting department getting to know all about the VHL’s Future stars and in-depth look with each VHL Franchise’s prospects pool @VSN | VHLM Weekly | VHL Weekly | Behind The Trophy | @Andre LeBastard @wcats @Mongoose87 @solas @der meister @RStar @Shaka @Dtayl @Hooperorama @Sharkie @dylanjj37 @osens @jman9theman9 @dart @Steve @PatrikLaine @dlamb @fishy @SirRupertBarnes @Mrpenguin30 @IamMOOSE @jpsd @KaleebtheMighty @Dtayl @Snussu @UnkemptCL4PTP @S. Kuchar@JigglyGumballs @G_Rush @DreMin15 @Temppi @aCrypticPancake @Patpou22 @Ben Mills @Hpep @namanert @Nick Kirkpatrick @Sharkstrong @rory @ahockeyguy @Ninjaboi @FrostBeard @Advantage @Poptart @MexicanCow123

It's SHOWTIME !! Season 72 is well underway and it's time to start looking at the biggest early standout players who are eligible for the S73 VHL Draft. This list is stockpiled with some VERY strong talent all the way from 24-1. Analysts at first believed this might be a weaker draft class than S72 however the players are proving that very wrong with over a dozen draft-eligible players averaging over a point a game and some in the top 10 for scoring. This draft will be one for the history books that’s for sure. As we all know though there are lots of hidden gems still hiding in the rough that are just about to shine as well. Now let's get business; Here are the following Top 24 Early Standouts of the S73 VHLM season (This includes only players from when the data had last been updated, which was the week of 5/31. *) The Following rankings are from our amazing VSN Director of Scouting @Patrik Tallinder and myself @Spence King. LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE 24. Florent Vericel; User: @dart (Left Wing) | 5' 11" | 183 lb. | Age: 17 | | Vericel is part of the very deep and strong S73 VHL prospect pool in Miami. This sophomore class is loaded and lots of players are also on this list. Florent has made a recent jump in activity after being very quiet after being drafted to the M, however, he has shown effort putting up back to back 16 TPE weeks. 23. Jeremy Lin; User: @jman9theman9 (Right Wing) | 6' 2" | 200 lb. | Age: 18 | | Jeremy has not had the start we're all sure he expected however it seems that recently Lin has a major increase in confidence on the ice and is really starting to come into his own. Recently Traded To Mexico, and Shortly after named to Team Asia, a very consistent player the numbers are going to come 22. Oh Sens; User @osens (Right Wing) | 5' 10" | 211 lb. | Age: 17 | | The second player on this list that is flooded with prospects from Miami's S72 VHLM draft class. Oh Sens was recently named to Team Asia for the upcoming WJC. Oh sens has made a major increase in production recently with much more activity garnering himself some invaluable TPE proving and proving his growth and effort on the ice as well. 21. Rick Osman; User: @dylanjj37 (Defenceman) | 6' 8" | 250 lb. | Age: 18 | | After winning the VHLM’s award for a top defenceman with Alex Armstrong, dylanjj37 has moved on to his second player, Rick Osman. Also a defenceman, Osman is a very peculiar prospect. He has earned 6-8 TPE in every full week so far but has not made use of much of it. With 98 TPE and only 55 TPA, he definitely isn’t playing to his full potential right now. The Halifax defender isn’t a perfect prospect, but a really intriguing one nonetheless, especially if he can sort out his build. 20. Bobbie Cheechoo; User: @Sharkie (Right Wing) | 6' 1" | 215 lb. | Age: 18 | | American winger Bobbie Cheechoo is an offensive powerhouse, with outstanding speed and scoring instincts. He had a very active first three weeks, putting up a total of 42 TPE, but has since seen a drop in activity over the past week. Cheechoo could be a quality prospect with just a little more consistency, and working on his defensive game a bit. 19. Ajay Krishna; User: @Hooperorama (Goalie) | 6' 8" | 220 lb. | Age: 16 | | With the number of high-profile goalie prospects this season, it has become easy for a first-generation goalie such as Ajay Krishna to fall off the radar a little. However, Krishna has been developing steadily and swiftly, earning every possible capped TPE so far in his young career. A tad more engagement in uncapped opportunities could go a long way for the massive goaltender but isn’t necessarily essential to his success. What he’s doing to earn TPE can be replicated each and every week, which is an encouraging sign. 18. Han Jae Kuk; User: @Dtayl (Defenceman) | 6' 0" | 175 lb. | Age: 18 | | Following a trade to the Marlins, Han Jae Kuk has seen his on-ice production go up with increased ice-time. The South Korean prospect is a much more defensive-minded defender but has proven his ability to make solid offensive contributions as well. After a hot start earning 26 TPE in his first week, he has since found a groove of claiming welfare and practice facility each week, most commonly resulting in a total of 8 TPE due to his activity in the SBA. He could become a nice piece for a VHL team down the line if he keeps up his current pace. 17.Groovy Dood; User: @bigAL (Left Wing) | 6' 1" | 190 lb. | Age: 25 | | After bigAL was named Miami’s first-ever assistant general manager, Groovy Dood has rapidly progressed into one of this draft’s top prospects. Between his AGM position and being one of S72’s WJC GMs, he has wasted no time in making a name for himself. Dood is a playmaking left-winger with experience at the center as well. In terms of earning TPE, he has been growing a lot. Lately, he has been capping out pretty often and making the most of the league’s uncapped opportunities too. There is honestly a ton of potential with this player, and only time will tell if he reaches it to the fullest. 16. Cal Conway; User: @Shaka (Goalie) | 5' 10" | 180 lb. | Age: 20 | | 5’10” goaltender Cal Conway has found himself as the backup for the incredibly successful Saskatoon Wild, behind fellow S73 prospect Grekkark Gyrfalcon. He has excelled in that role, putting up the league’s best save percentage among goalies with more than 10 games played. His weekly TPE output has varied quite a bit from week to week but has never fallen below 6 in any given week to date. Like bigAL, he is also one of this season’s WJC GMs. His status as a backup may make Conway easy to overlook, but don’t make that mistake; he is definitely someone to keep an eye on ahead of the draft. 15. Mikeal Keef; User: @RStar (Defenceman) | 6' 4" | 205 lb. | Age: 19 | | Mikeal Keef of the Minnesota Storm is a fantastic puck-moving defenceman with a skill set that allows him to thrive in any situation on the ice. His stats are consistently nice across the board, displaying no flaws in his game. His TPE production has relied somewhat heavily on uncapped opportunities, which could become a bit of an issue if those dry up. However, that hasn’t happened yet, and as long as he stays active, he will surely find ways to earn those precious training points. I like his potential and think he could be quite the prospect with steady improvement. 14. The Terrible Trivium; User: @der meister (Right Wing) | 6' 1" | 197 lb. | Age: 23 | | Our second straight member of the Storm, The Terrible Trivium is an exceptional possession winger with some quick hands and feet that allow him to keep the play moving forward. He has also shown an offensive flair in his game, with almost a point-per-game average to show for it. Having had a very successful career with Casey Jones, der meister has proven himself to be a strong candidate to make a star forward this time around. 13. Jean Pierre Camus; User: @solas (Goalie) | 6' 8" | 250 lb. | Age: 19 | | Teenage netminder Jean Pierre Camus has had quite the season so far, playing at an elite level for the ninth place Rush. Camus is second to only Woody McPine in save percentage among starters and has done that on a much weaker team. He has been capping out recently, as well as engaging in uncapped opportunities as well. This is a goalie with tremendous upside, and he could end up being a huge steal if the amount of great goalies in this draft causes him to fall at all. 12. Kosmo Kramerev; User: @Mongoose87 (Defenceman) | 6' 2" | 165 lb. | Age: 39 | | Kosmo Kramerev is a Ukrainian defenceman who is fantastic with the puck on his stick. He has an arsenal of weapons in the offensive zone, all stemming from his hard shot and smooth skating. The potential to be an all-situations defender at the VHL level is there, and all it will take is time and consistency. Kramerev earns 10 capped TPE most weeks, along with whatever uncapped TPE is available too. The 39-year-old is already making noise in the VHLM with his 19 goals and 61 points in 42 games, and this is just the beginning of what’s to come. 11. Dan Baillie Jr; User: @wcats (Right Wing) | 6' 4" | 225 lb. | Age: 19 | | S70 Continental Cup champion Dan Baillie had his career come to an end in S71, but now wcats looks to capture that same success and more with Dan Baillie Jr. The new Baillie has jumped to the right-wing, opposite of the man before him. He is about as consistent as they come in earning TPE, always claiming welfare, and often attending press conferences and trivia. Baillie Jr likely won’t be your team’s superstar but is nearly guaranteed to be a really solid part of your forward core. 10. Andre Lebastard; User: @Andre LeBastard (Center) | 6' 3" | 202 lb. | Age: 18 | | The captain of the VHLM’s newest expansion franchise, Andre Lebastard is a playmaking centre who possesses a remarkable vision and a quick stride. He is inches away from a point-per-game average and will reach it by season’s end in all likelihood. Lebastard is on a good path right now, regularly earning 12+ TPE per week, with one recent exception. If he’s still in Miami next season, it will be fun to see him lead a group which contains many names in this list, en route to what they hope will be a deep playoff run. 9. Wolf Stansson; User: @ahockeyguy (Defenceman) | 6' 2" | 184 lb. | Age: 17 | | Coming over from Great Britain the feisty defender Wolf Stansson was selected by the expansion Miami Marauders. Miami is currently is a major rebuild phase but it looks to be working having a strong sophomore group locked up for the S74 season leading the way along with team captain Lebastart, Stansson proves every night he's here to play and you can't watch the game without noticing and saying “who is that“. His activity has been consistent and shows the potential of being a star at the next level maintaining this rate of activity in the community. VHL scouts describe Stansson’s play as a style that all coaches love, his name is the best way to describe it. He truly is a Wolf, you never see him take a shift off and he's the player you love to play with and hate to play against. 8. Jeffrey Pines; User: @rory (Left Wing) | 5' 10" | 158 lb. | Age: 18 | | Finally, we have our next forward on the list, even though it's at eight don't be fooled this draft class has some serious future hall of famers and Pines without a doubt has the potential to be one of those men. If it were not for the once in a generation player like Frostbeard, Pines would be the without a doubt first forward pick and is truly a legitimate contender to be selected #1 overall on draft day. Assistant VHLM GM. Extremely active along with some great graphic skills, Jeffrey Pines has proven early he knows how to score and continues to prove he knows how to put the puck in the net and where to be and when, his hockey IQ is off the charts, Pines has the skill, the IQ and the effort. The sky's the limit and Pines has a very bright future ahead 7. Viktor Mjers; User: @InstantRockstar (Defenceman) | 6' 1" | 188 lb. | Age: 17 | | The Second VHLM GM in this draft and the 3rd of the trio of Superstar Defensemen available in this draft Viktor is continuously showing major improvements in his game from week to week. In a league with very little Russian presents and a very foreign country, Mjers stepped into the league looking like an 8-year vet. Viktor has the potential to be the best offensive defenceman of this draft class, he has shown signs of extreme finesse and poise, very reliable and high energy free-wheeling type of play. His poise and calmness with the puck are amazing. Truly the definition of a 2 way D and a great leader. 6. Grekkark Gyrfalcon; User: @Sharkstrong (Goalie) | 6' 8" | 230 lb. | Age: 27 | | Whichever team drafts this superstar goaltender won't have any worries about activity as he is strongly affiliated with VHLs Partner the EFL Grekkark can claim 12 TPE welfare for his position in the EFL, That guarantees he caps out every week. 5. Shawn Glade III; User: @ShawnGlade (Defenceman) | 5' 11" | 175 lb. | Age: 18 | | After a very strong start to the season playing almost impeccable hockey and shining. Recently selected as a rookie to S73 Team Canada WJC where he is proving he fits right in. Relative to the legendary Shawn Glade could potentially dethrone Micah as the top d in the S73 class as Shawn has the highest ceiling of any play in this draft, currently in the top 10 in D scoring in the VHLM (Glade is proving the apple doesn't fall far from the tree) 4. Jacob Tonn; User: @MexicanCow123 (Goalie) | 5' 5" | 140 lb. | Age: 22 | | Jacob Tonn was by far the biggest name and most highly touted goalie going into the S72 VHLM draft, but to everyone's surprise, no one was taking goalies and Tonn slipped to Mississauga at 18th OVR !!) -Maybe it was his size that turned teams off? However, they made a mistake letting him slip that far Tonn is and has always remained extremely active in the community (Working as VHLM GM) Tonn Has the Potential to be a Superstar Starting Goalie in the VHL one day 3. Micah Adrienne; User: @Poptart (Defenceman) | 6' 6" | 250 lb. | Age: 16 | | “Micah is one of the league best defencemen already at age 16, he came onto the scene late last season with The Reapers and was one of the best defencemen on the team immediately. Adrienne will without a doubt be a top 5 pick come a draft day” 2. Tyler Walker; User: @Advantage (Defenceman) | 6' 2" | 197 lb. | Age: 18 | | “The legitimate #1 (consider "@Frostbeard is protected) Player who is most likely to have his name called first on draft day, Nothing short of a generational talent and future franchise defenceman. Walker possesses all the skills needed to be a star defenceman in the VHL and he has shown in his very short time in the VHLM, he's not here for long. Tyler has proven to be one of the best prospects out of the VHLM and will be playing in the VHL before you can blink” 1.Marshall James Frostbeard; User @FrostBeard (Left Wing) | 6' 5" | 240 lb. | Age: 24 | | Marshall James Frostbeard aka MJF, the first thing that comes to mind when you see him play is “WOW” This young man is on pace and on the path to being one of the VHLs all-time greats. @Frostbeard has the protection rights to his own player in the VHL draft meaning MJF will more than likely NOT even be the first overall pick. Marshall has basically entered the league as a top 5 player in the league (Arguably the best in the whole league) and the VHL and VHL scouts have very good reasons why the report is long here are some key points highlighted; A born goalscorer, always finds the back of the net, his leg strength and stamina allow him to be first on the puck and many times be the first guy back, but can also use his deceptive speed to split the defence carrying the puck Here we are and with that comes the conclusion of our Top 24 Early Standouts. Be on the lookout for our next piece coming out in the near future focusing on the waiver players that have surpassed some of our early standouts as well as checking in with some players from this list and tracking their development. Hey! We've got A LOT of content being put out almost daily! Don't forget to tune into some of our other amazing material such as - Weekly VHL and VHLM articles. A new feature “Ringless” and learn more VHL history and what's most new in the scouting department VHL Weekly | VHLM Weekly | Ringless | Daily WJC Updates

Welcome to the second edition of VSN’s S72 Weekly recap (Games 120-202). We’ll cover a host of things in this recap each week including highlights of important VSN happenings, three stars of the week, power rankings, rookie profiles, and anything else of importance. But first, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! Under 250 Review | Trade Alerts | Ringless: The S54 Stockholm Vikings Recap Welcome to Week 2 of VSN’s ongoing weekly coverage of the VHL. I would just like to preface this week’s article to say a thank you to the staff here as they have made my transition to full time writer seamless, and I am immensely proud to be representing the VSN here. Without further ado, let’s get into this week’s action. What a whirlwind the VHL turned out to be this week! Some major trades happened early in the week, and to everybody’s surprise, it was some of the league's most dangerous talent on the trading block. Seemingly entering rebuild mode, the Vancouver Wolves traded away their crown jewel and captain Julius Freeman along with a couple of 4th round picks in a three-way trade. In the European Conference, we had Moscow join the rebuild party by also trading away their captain and star forward, Jet Jaguar. Looking at what happened on the ice, some interesting trends are starting to appear. We have seen an increase in scoring across the league, with 12 skaters currently on pace to breach the 80 point plateau, while last season only had 3 players reach that same mark. With a strong last 10 games, going 7-3-0, the Riga Reign sit atop the European Conference tied on points with HC Davos, but ahead on goal difference. Meanwhile, in the North American Conference the top two teams, Calgary and Seattle are in a close and heated battle for the top spot, while the other teams battle it out for the final two playoff spots. 3-Stars First Star Lincoln Tate (RIG) - 5 G, 16 A, 41 Hits Second Star Julius Freeman (NYA) - 9 G, 10 A, +8 Third Star Raymond Bernard (MOS) - .905 SV%, 2.67 GAA, 1 SO Power Rankings @Pengu with the incredible power rankings graphic European Conference The story of the European Conference is very consistent with that of last week. The gap between first and last in the conference has widened by just one point, from six to seven. While they have yet to achieve sole possession of first at any point, the Riga Reign are the clear number one as the only team in the conference with a positive goal differential. The HC Davos Dynamo and Helsinki Titans have both struggled to put together back to back wins all week, but that has been even worse for the Titans as they are not only a point back, but the Reign and Dynamo each have a game in hand. While I expect some stratification of the conference eventually, I would not be surprised if these teams stay close throughout the rest of the season. At the bottom half of the conference, you once again have three teams separated by only a point. However, my money is solidly on the Moscow Menace at the moment. Raymond Bernard has put the team on his back, and I find it hard to believe that their scoring drought will last forever. Conversely to Moscow’s league-leading defence, we have the Prague Phantoms. Despite leading the conference in goals, their one hundred and eleven goals against is the highest in the league. Somehow, Virgil Ligriv has four points already this season, and if the Phantoms can figure out what is going on in front of him it will be interesting to see if he can return to his form from last season. Finally, the Malmo Nighthawks are being single-handedly carried by Condor Adrienne. Without him, I shudder to think where this team would be. With him, however, they are certainly in the running for the last playoff spot in the conference. North American Conference Completely inverse to the EC is the North American Conference. Twenty-one points separate first and last as well as a goal differential of fifty-five goals. At the beginning of the week, it looked as though the Calgary Wranglers may have been running away with the conference, but as the week went on, the Seattle Bears drew within a point. Beyond the point advantage, Calgary also has the slight bonus of having played their backup goalie more than Seattle so far this season. The Toronto Legion fell back to eight points behind, but they maintained a decent cushion from fourth and fifth at their backs. Among the biggest news of the week, The Vancouver Wolves appeared to be throwing in the towel, trading their best player, Julius Freeman, away to the New York Americans, their closest competitor. However, at the end of the week, they still sit one point ahead of the Americans, acting as gatekeepers of the playoff race. With the addition of Freeman, I expect New York to overtake them, but it will be interesting to watch just how long that takes. There is also always a chance that Vancouver has plans for the roughly four million in cap space they now have in order to make another push to the top. At the bottom, we have the D.C. Dragons. Coming into this season, it was obvious that the North American Conference would be a slugfest, but I for one did not see D.C. suffering this much. At this point, it would be hard to argue against a Boris the Forest curse. Notable Games Game 123 - Seattle Bears vs. Calgary Wrangles In a rematch of one of last week’s featured games, the top two teams in the league found themselves facing off yet again. Seattle would come out on top this time after a fantastic team performance in which all but two of their contracted skaters contributed with at least a point. A fantastic back and forth game where Calgary showed some signs of a fight, but came up short in the end and had fans at the edges of their seats from puck drop to the final buzzer. A fine First Star performance from Ray Sheilds along with help from the usual suspects in Ambrose Stark and Berocka Sundqvist was enough to keep these two amazing teams neck and neck at the top of the standings. Also, let’s not forget leading points getter and goal scorer for the Wranglers, Mikko Lahtinen, notched 2 tallies and his total at the end of the week landed him tied for first in the league with 23 goals. Game 167 - Riga Reign vs. Toronto Legion What a dominant performance by the Riga Reign, in all aspects of the game, this was. Phenomenal goaltending, solid and responsible defensive work, along with amazing offensive prowess was on display as Riga brushed aside the Legion. The Reign’s offence was firing on all cylinders and was spearheaded by Season 71’s first overall pick, Kyl Oferson, who scored a tremendous hat trick. Toronto kept the Reign’s goaltender, Greg Eagles, busy all game as they put up 33 shots, but they just weren’t quality enough to really threaten Riga’s strong performance. Kristopher McDagg of the Legion ended the game with 2 assists and logged the most time on the ice in the entire game playing a whopping 32 minutes and 39 seconds. Game 173 HC Davos vs. Helsinki Titans In this European Conference battle, we had two teams right in the thick of a playoff race looking to shore up on points and cement their berth in the postseason. Many people expected fireworks in this one but instead, we got more of a chess match. Neither team managed to muster up much of any momentum in this close-fought battle and overtime was needed to decide a winner. Only allowing one goal and coming up with big saves when Helsinki needed them most, Michael Johnson had a great game with 23 saves. However, it was Ben Hafkey who played the role of hero on this night as he scored a wonderful goal just 1:26 into the overtime period to seal a victory for Helsinki. Acyd Burn scored the lone goal for HC Davos. Events of the Week Fights Game 134 - FULL LINE BRAWL! Wow! This action-packed game between Calgary and Moscow culminated in a huge line brawl shortly after Moscow had brought the game to within one midway through the 3rd period. Jacob Perry and Mikko Lahtinen fought to an inconclusive draw, Sigard Gunnar got the best of Nate Telker and Aleelee Kiak scuffled with RJ Jubis but neither landed any finishing blows. Game 172 - BRAWL! Another brawl, but this time in a cross-conference game. Markus Nygren got himself ejected for instigating a fight with Codrick Past and his linemate Randy Marsh got into a shakeup with Pengu with nobody coming out on top in either fight. Game 199 - HHH Fights Twice Hunter Hearst Helmsley won’t be extremely proud of these two fights. He got laid out by Sigard Gunnar in the 1st period, and maybe his ego took a bit of a hit because he sought out to gain redemption and this time took up a fight with Tyler Barabash Jr. He will have done himself no good here as the fight resulted in the two grappling awkwardly before the refs broke them up. Hat-Tricks Game 133 - ACL TEAR This young Davos side sure is an exciting team to watch, but it was one of the old guards that was at the forefront of this game. ACL TEAR put on a show of his own against the D.C. Dragons where he scored a hat trick, including the eventual game-winner, and even added one more for good measure bringing his tally on the night up to four. Also of note, ACL TEAR did not need the power play to help him out as all four goals were scored at even strength. Game 165 - Ola Vikingstad In a match between two of the recent powerhouses of the league, it was Ola Vikingstad of the Seattle Bears who had the last laugh. It was a pretty dominant game for the Bears, easily overcoming their opponents, and they have Vikingstad to thank for that. Ola scored a natural hat trick that was split between the 2nd and 3rd period which helped lead his team to a 4-1 win. Game 167 - Kyl Oferson This match between two teams right in the middle of an intense playoff battle was one to remember for Kyl Oferson. He scored half of his team's goals with a wonderful hat trick and is showing that he is ready to be a consistent contributor in his sophomore season. Nearly equalling his goal total from last season in 40 fewer games the sky really is the limit for this great young talent. Shutouts Game 124 - D.C. vs. Riga Earning the first shutout of week 2, we had Stone Wolski of the D.C. Dragons who came up with a 14 save effort, for his second shutout of the season, against Riga Reign in a close game that ended 1-0. Perhaps a fire was lit underneath the Dragons’ bellies after stumbling out of the starting blocks to begin the season. Game 141 - Malmo vs. D.C. In what will probably turn out to be the weirdest shutout of the season, D.C. were shutout by the Nighthawks, which seems pretty normal when you look at it on paper. However, this shutout was recorded by Malmo’s emergency backup! Yes, that’s right folks, Malmo does not have a proper backup goaltender and their emergency backup managed eight saves, for a shutout, in a game which was dominated by the Nighthawks. Game 144 - Moscow vs. Helsinki I’m not sure what Helsinki did to anger Raymond Bernard so much, because this is now the third time this season that he has shutout the Titans. After a 41 save performance in Week 1, Bernard is back at it again, this time with 37 saves en route to his third shutout of the season, all of which have come against Helsinki. A lone goal in the 3rd period by Mat Tocco was enough to seal the victory. Game 150 - Moscow vs. D.C. Back to back shutouts from the goaltending duo in Moscow must have you thinking the Menace are on a tear up the standings! Look for yourself, however, and you will find them anchored at the bottom. A 31 save game from backup Clayton Park and a couple of points from Mat Tocco helped them to a 2-0 win. Game 170 - Malmo vs. Toronto Recently acquired Malmo goaltender Solomon Crawford stopped all 34 shots in a tough game against Toronto. His first appearance for the team will be one to remember and General Manager John Frostbeard must be happy with the instant impact. Game 180 - Prague vs. Malmo It wasn’t the most eventful shutout of the season, but Virgil Ligriv will be happy nonetheless after making 20 saves in a 2-0 victory against Malmo for his first shutout of the season. Furthermore, Virgil was traded from Malmo earlier this week and will undoubtedly be extremely happy to shut out his former employer in his first game against them. Game 198 - Toronto vs. Moscow Picking up his second shutout of the season, Jaxx Hextall had a solid game where he made 23 saves in Toronto’s victory over Moscow. Not the toughest shutout of his career, but one that he will be proud of nonetheless. Toronto walked out as 3-0 winners with Teemu Lehtinen Jr snagging two points. Rookie Spotlight Vladimir Shaposhnikov Thank you @Pengu for this awesome banner as well Vladimir Shaposhnikov spent some extra time in the VHLM, bouncing from team to team. He picked up a cup in his first season with the Saskatoon Wild. He was then drafted late in the second round by the Houston Bulls. He proved to be quite the steal for them, scoring fifty-eight points and helping them make it into the second round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, he was drafted by the Helsinki Titans in the VHL. In the offseason that followed, Shaposhnikov was traded by the Bulls to the Las Vegas Aces. There, he became a centrepiece of that team, scoring one hundred and two points and another ten points in the postseason. Entering S72, the Titans were strapped for cap space and Vladimir was due to be called up. They traded his rights away to the Toronto Legion where he joined the squad immediately. Since then, he has had a solid play, with sixteen points in thirty-four games. Arguably, it is the unexpected play from skaters like Vladimir that has allowed the Legion to rise so far above what everyone expected of them this season. After their disappointing recent history, it is exciting to see surprising young players like this be such a big part of their return. Going forward, I would like to see Shaposhnikov get back to what he did best. Given his goal-scoring capabilities in the VHLM, I think his shooting percentage should come up over the course of the season. If the pucks begin to bounce in his favour, Vlad could make a big impact in the weeks to come. I think improvements also need to be made to his defensive game. Shaposhnikov can be invisible at times in his own zone, but that is common with young players. He has the size, I expect we will start seeing him throw his weight around as he becomes more comfortable playing at this level.

Another exciting regular season has come to a close. That means we can dole out some regular season awards! Welcome everyone to the 7th Annual Unofficial VHL Regular Season Awards honoring S72! Thank you to everyone that reads this. I’m always looking for new award ideas. Please keep the award suggestions coming! These awards have been created by me. There is no voting process and they are not officially recognized by the VHL Board of Governors. I wrote descriptions for most of these award names in the original award post. Let’s get things underway! The Pylon Award (worst +/- rating) – Jack Feriancek @Jackie4967 Malmo claimed the bottom 6 spots for this award, with Jack leading the way with a -59. Previous Pylon Award Winners: Season Player + / - S71 John Madden -43 S70 Bert Meyers -45 S69 Basaraba Moose -57 S68 Sven Hitz -58 S67 Piotr Jerwa and Nethila Dissanayake -34 S66 Bryce Zhields -49 The Gandhi Award (least penalty minutes, min 1,000 minutes played) – Jared Spaz @Spaz Spaz just met the 1,000 MP requirement for this award. But he did and claims it with 2 PIM in 1,106 minutes played. Special recognition to Patrik Tallinder @Patrik Tallinder (4 PIM, 2,150 MP) and Dean Clarke @Kyle (4 PIM, 2,166 MP) Previous Gandhi Award Winners: Season Player PIM Minutes Played S71 Soren Jensen 4 2016 S70 Denver Wolfe 2 1988 S69 Hugh Chan 4 2050 S68 Jack Lynch 0 1473 S67 Diljodh Starload 0 2091 S66 Beau Buefordsson 0 1939 Oh what’s this?! A new award, snuck right into the middle of the presentation?! It can’t be… Yes it is! A new award! A lot of people can accumulate penalty minutes, but it takes a special person to get major penalties. The Major2 Award aims to award this special player we can now call the major of majors. The award is given to the player who has the most major penalties. The Major2 Award (most major penalties) - Mikko Lahtinen @Beketov Mikko topped the league with 9 major penalties this season. Congratulations on winning the 1st ever Major­2 award! The Timex Award (received most hits) – Anthony Matthews @Anthony Matthews Matthews led the league by getting hit 274 times. The same number of times last season’s winner, HHH, was hit. Previous Timex Award Winners: Season Player Hits Taken S71 Hunter Hearst Helmsley 274 S70 Hunter Hearst Helmsley 282 S69 John Madden 357 S68 Mikko Aaltonen 297 S67 Rauno Palo 302 S66 Beau Louth 300 The John Wayne Award (most shots on goal) - Jet Jaguar @gorlab Jet launched an impressive 425 shots on goal this season. Previous John Wayne Award Winners: Season Player Shots Taken S71 Scott Greene 402 S70 Juilius Freeman 453 S69 Juilius Freeman 452 S68 Rylan Peace 466 S67 Matt Thompson 495 S66 Shane Mars 533 The “Hit the Broadside of the Barn” Award (most own shots blocked) - Henrik Zoiderberg @HenrikZoiderberg Zoiderberg gets the award with 122 of his shots being blocked. This won over 2nd place finisher and last season’s winner, Guy LeGrande (120 OSB). Previous HtBotB Award Winners: Season Player Own Shots Blocked S71 Guy LeGrande 122 S70 Shawnomir Jagr 129 S69 Julian Borwinn 136 S68 Rylan Peace 144 S67 Beau Louth 153 S66 Oyorra Arroyo 142 The “Can’t Hit the Broadside of the Barn” Award (most own shots missed) – RJ Jubis @Jubis Jubis matched the winning total from last season, 299 missed shots. Really?! You couldn’t have missed just one more to make it an even 300? Previous CHtBotB Award Winners: Player Season Shots Missed S71 Guy LeGrande 299 S70 Juilius Freeman 343 S69 Elias Dahlberg 320 S68 Rylan Peace 351 S67 Beau Louth 364 S66 Roctrion King 372 The New Shin Pads Award (most blocked shots) – Condor Adrienne @OrbitingDeath Condor had this award on lockdown since the very start of the season. He blocked 188 shots, 33 more than the next best player. Simply amazing! Previous New Shin Pads Award Winners: Season Player Shots Blocked S71 Aron Nielsen 153 S70 Guillaume Fontenette 145 S69 Guillaume Fontenette 166 S68 Seabass Perrin 207 S67 Piotr Jerwa 170 S66 Lando Baxter 189 The Tired Legs Award (most minutes played) - Condor Adrienne @OrbitingDeath and Zyrok12 @Zyrok These two teammates tied for this award, both playing exactly 2,227 minutes. Oddly enough STHS figured this to mean that Condor played 30.93 minutes per game while Zyrock12 played 30.94 minutes per game. Not sure how that works out, but nice job guys! Previous Tired Legs Award Winners: Season Player Minutes Played S71 Juilius Freeman 2189 S70 Juilius Freeman 2164 S69 John Madden 2259 S68 Mikko Aaltonen 2290 S67 Shawn Glade 2226 S66 Robert Malenko 2324 The Snap! Award (most power play minutes) - Micheal Gary Scott @Motzaburger In a fitting celebration, Micheal Gary Scott organized the entire office to film a music video to “The Power.” He nabbed this award with 340 minutes on the power play. Previous Snap! Award Winners: Season Player PP Minutes S71 Juilius Freeman 364 S70 Juilius Freeman 372 S69 Elias Dahlberg 368 S68 Joseph McWolf 351 S67 Beau Louth 437 S66 Jake Davis 412 The 1 vs. 100 Award (most time on penalty kill) - Cody Smith @cody73 Prague must take a lot of pride in winning this award. They dominated this category, taking the top 7 spots. Cody took home the award with 356 minutes killing penalties. Previous 1 vs. 100 Award Winners: Season Player PK Minutes S71 Jacob Perry 344 S70 Jacob Perry 380 S69 Wolf Stansson Jr 328 S68 Jack Lynch 353 S67 Aron Nielsen 374 S66 Lew Bronstein 352 The Sean Archer Award (highest face-off win %) - Hunter Hearst Helmsley @Beaviss After being unseated by Jet Jaguar last season, HHH worked hard on his face-off game and reclaimed the title by winning 62.35% of his 3,086 faceoffs. Previous Sean Archer Award Winners: Season Player Face Off Pct S71 Jet Jaguar 61.84% S70 Hunter Hearst Helmsley 60.78% S69 Rauno Palo 59.45% S68 Podrick Cast 62.56% S67 Beau Louth 63.09% S66 Rauno Palo 63.10% The Castor Troy Award (lowest face-off win %, min 1,000 faceoffs) - Richard Penisson @bluesfan55 With Zeno retiring, this award was open for anyone to nab. Richard Penisson rose to the occasion. He only won 38.13% of his face-offs. Maybe blood was flowing to the wrong head during face-offs? Previous Castor Troy Award Winners: Season Player Face Off Pct S71 Zeno Miniti 42.07% S70 Zeno Miniti 42.07% S69 Zeno Miniti 32.27% S68 Gritty 36.31% S67 Gucci Garrop 35.07% S66 Bryce Zhields 30% The Triple Deke Award (most penalty shot goals) - Sigard Gunnar @Big Mac 6 must be a magic number for this category and for Gunnar. He wins this award in consecutive seasons with 6 penalty shot goals. Micheal Gary Scott @Motzaburger also scored 6 penalty shot goals, but needed 14 attempts, giving Gunnar the award. Previous Triple Deke Award Winners: Season Player Penalty Shot Goals S71 Sigard Gunnar 6 S70 Owen Nolan 6 S69 Owen Nolan 6 S68 Jorgon Weyed 6 S67 Veran Dragomir 8 S66 Leph Twinger 5 The Rocky Award (most fights won) – Kristopher McDagg @Viperxhawks19 What a mess this category is. 10 players tied for the league lead with 2 fights won. Ok, so let’s eliminate anyone who lost a fight. Down to 5 players. Now what’s more important? Winning a higher percentage of fights, or having more fights without losing? 3 players went 2-0-0. (Sigard Gunnar @Big Mac, Boris the Forest @chillzone, and Charles Drumm @frescoelmo). Is that better or worse than McDagg’s record of 2-0-4. I’m saying McDagg is more impressive, so he gets the award on the tiebreaker over everyone else, including Jack Feriancek @Jackie4967 (2-0-3). Previous Rocky Award Winners: Season Player Fights Won S71 Owen Nolan 3 S70 RJ Jubis and Ambrose Stark 2 S69 Edward Vigneault 4 S68 Tyler Barabash Jr 2 S67 ACL TEAR 6 S66 Ryuu Crimson 4 The Glass Joe Award (most fights lost) – Roll Fizzlebeef @TacticalHammer Roll claims the award with a dismal 0-3-1 fight record, losing the tiebreaker to Pengu @Pengu who had more draws going 0-3-4. Previous Glass Joe Award Winners: Season Player Fights Lost S71 Benny Graves and John Madden 3 S70 Walter Clements 3 S69 Rusty Shackleford 5 S68 Podrick Cast and Jordan Tonn 2 S67 Kronos Bailey and Hunter Hearst Helmsley 4 S66 Rauno Palo 3 The Stars Award (most stars won) – Julius Freeman @rjfryman Julius received 25 total stars this season. Sigard Gunnar @Big Mac tied with Julius with 10 1st stars. Previous Stars Award Winners: Season Player Total Stars S71 Hunter Hearst Helmsley 28 S70 Randoms 25 S69 Julian Borwinn 27 S68 Matt Thompson 32 S67 Rauno Palo 25 S66 Matt Thompson 28 The “Always a Bridesmaid” Award (most stars without winning 1st star) – Lewis Dawson @Kendrick Leiws won 13 stars this season without ever winning the 1st star. Impressively, 10 of those were 2nd starts. So close Lewis! Previous Bridesmaid Award Winners: Season Player Stars S71 Condor Adrienne 12 S70 Luciano Valentino 6 S69 Tzuyu 12 S68 Zeno Miniti 9 S67 Dan Baillie 13 S66 Mikka Pajari 7 The Biggest Backpack Award (player with the largest difference in points from the rest of their team) - Benny Graves @STZ Benny scored 13 more points than anyone else on D.C. The smallest difference in the history of this award. Previous Backpack Award Winners: Season Player Point Difference from nearest teammate S71 Roque Davis 20 S70 Julian Borwinn 22 S69 John Madden 28 S68 Mikko Aaltonen 28 S67 Podrick Cast 23 The Anniversary Award This award goes to the player whose total points rank matches the season number. This season was season 72. That means this award goes to the player who finished 72nd in total points. The winner of this year’s Anniversary Award is… Ondrej Ohradka @animal74 Somehow, as we keep moving down the rankings, the points keep going up. Great depth we got going on here! Ondrej scored 51 points this season, landing him in the 72nd spot in the rankings. Previous Anniversary Award Winners: Season Player Points S71 Elasmobranch Fish 46 S70 Orion Slade 44 The Egghshell Award (goalie with most overtime losses) - Michael Johnson @fonziGG In his final season, Michael Johnson set a career worst 9 overtime losses. That’s enough to win the Eggshell award. Previous Eggshell Award Winners: Season Player Overtime Games Lost S71 Jaxx Hextall 11 The <Insert best slasher movie of all time title> Award (most PIM by a Goalie) - A Red Guy @.sniffuM I’m still looking for suggestions for this award’s title. Share your favorite slasher film title with me. A Red Guy sliced and diced his way through the competition to win with 12 PIM. Previous <slasher> Award Winners: Season Player PIM S71 Greg Eagles 10 The Poke Check Award (highest % of penalty shots stopped, min 10 penalty shots against) - Virgil Ligriv @MMFLEX Vitrgil stopped 83.3% of the 24 penalty shots taken against him. Previous Poke Check Award Winners: Season Player Penalty Shots Stopped S71 Greg Eagles 79.30% Phew that is a lot of hardware! That concludes our ceremony. Thank you for reading. Congratulations and/or condolences to all the winners! Have a good night!

As announced in our statement regarding the Black Lives Matter Movement, the Victory Hockey League will be opening up our Christmas Charity Drive up early this year, as a means to help in some small way those affected by racial inequality. We have decided to pledge up to $500 to two charitable organizations TBD (1 American organization supporting BLM, 1 Canadian organization supporting Indigenous Peoples). We will be matching member donations up to this amount, and dividing the total evenly, between the two foundations. All donations made explicitly for this drive will be used 100% to go to these causes. Any donation of $5 or more will allow you to claim 5 Uncapped TPE. Should we reach our goal of $500, all members will be eligible to claim a free doubles week, regardless of if you made a donation or not. A thread has been created in our League Donations section, and can be found HERE. If you would like to donate to the cause, please do so through the league’s paypal, and post your Transaction ID in that thread. As previously mentioned, all donations will be used in full, with none going into the league's account. UPDATE: The league has selected the two organizations that will be receiving the funds raised by our members. The first of which is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which, if you are unaware, is an organization that was founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person" in America. As one of the leading organizations in defending minorities, as well as a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, we feel the ACLU represents exactly what the world needs as they push for change to bring equality to all, in a nation that has been divided for too long. The organization that will be receiving the other half of the funds is Spirit North, a group that works with indigenous youth in Canada "find the courage to take on any challenge, develop leadership skills, improve their health and wellness, discover new talents and unlock their limitless potential." As the indigenous peoples have faced extreme hardships throughout Canadian history, it was important for us, as a league with a primarily Canadian member-base, to look within, and see what change we can help enact at home, as we aim to improve as a community on all levels. Another note is that, as those of you who are in our affiliate league, the EFL, will know, they have also started a donation drive to support the BLM movement. As affiliate leagues who are both working towards the goal of helping minorities and marginalized peoples, we have decided that anyone who donates to the cause in one league, may claim the donation bonus in the other. For example: As someone who donated to the VHL Donation Drive, you would be eligible to claim a free week + 5 uncapped TPE in the EFL, while anyone who donates in the EFL may claim a doubles week in the VHL. With that said, we will be closing the donations on Friday, June 12th @ 5PM ET, and splitting the donations equally between the ACLU and Spirit North. As the league has shown an incredible amount of support, and we close in on nearly $2000 pledged by our members, we have decided that, should we hit the $2000 milestone, all members of the league will be eligible to claim an additional 5 Uncapped TPE. The positivity and support shown to helping the causes stated have been nothing short of incredible, and while this is not the purpose of the drive, we believe that you should all be rewarded for your kindness and generosity. FINAL UPDATE: Donations have been submitted to both the ACLU and Spirit North. I want to take this time to once again thank everyone for their generosity, and express how proud we are of the community as a whole. The Community perks (Doubles Week + 5 Uncapped TPE) for hitting our goals of $500 and $2000, respectively, will be claimable until the end of the Season 73 Theme Week. Thank you, Victory Hockey League @Commissioner @BOG @Members

Welcome to the third edition of VSN’s S72 Weekly recap (Games 203-287). We’ll cover a host of things in this recap each week including highlights of important VSN happenings, three stars of the week, power rankings, rookie profiles, and anything else of importance. Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! Ringless | Under 250 | Early Standouts | Deep Rewind Recap This week was the nightmare of goalies around the league. With more than twice as many hat-tricks as we had shutouts, offences surged as defenders and net-minders alike scrambled to keep the puck out of the backs of their nets. Teams appear to be throwing a lot more pucks at the net, with the top goalies in the league still maintaining save percentages comparable to that of previous years. However, the top GAA numbers among starters are over a quarter of a goal worse than in recent seasons. On the offensive end of things, we have multiple players on pace to set the highest points totals since S68, perhaps even breaking triple digits once again. But the big news everyone is talking about is the announcement of four new expansion teams coming in S73. This bold and aggressive move has been met with a mixed reception. While it is always exciting to see new teams enter the league and give opportunities for maximum ice-time to as many as possible, this decision comes at a time where parity already seems to be on the decline from the past few seasons. However, it is impossible to tell how much of that break in parity may have come as a result of General Managers, who knew about this expansion prior to the season, trying to get their rosters ready for the expansion draft and lower cap that will undoubtedly come with the move to sixteen teams. Regardless of your feelings on the expansion, it shines a new light on several recent trades that were almost certainly made with expansion concerns in mind. 3-Stars First Star A Red Guy (NYA) - 12 GP, .920 SV%, 2 SO Second Star Micheal Gary Scott (NYA) - 4 G, 20 A, 27 SB Third Star Lewis Dawson (MAL) - 5 G, 10 A, 19 Hits Power Rankings Thanks to @Pengu for this excellent graphic. European Conference This season’s European Conference has been too close to call right from the get-go. Here we are at the end of week 3 and we still have no clear picture of who will be missing playoffs. Not much has changed as far as power rankings go but the Riga Reign seem to have solidified top spot in the conference, capitalizing on a 3 game win streak to end the week. Helsinki are hot on the tails of Riga and should they slip up, the Titans will be waiting to leapfrog them into first place. HC Davos are just 3 points behind Helsinki and made a huge trade this week by acquiring Hunter Hearst Helmsley, so their intentions are clear, they want to make a serious run for the Cup. The final playoff spot belongs to Moscow but they are tied on points with Prague and are only in based on their superior goal differential. However, they do have a game in hand and will be hoping to use that to their advantage to put some room between them and the Reign. Still at the bottom of the standings are the Malmo Nighthawks but their playoff hopes are far from squashed. They sit just 3 points behind Prague and could very well find themselves in the playoffs if just a couple results go their way. There’s still lots to play for in this European Conference and it very well could go right down to the wire. North American Conference Over in the North American conference, we still have the two top dogs going toe to toe for the coveted top spot. Calgary once again remains on top for the 3rd week running, closely followed by the Seattle Bears who are a mere one point behind the Wranglers and will be hoping to keep that pressure on as the season winds down. Having made some huge trades, and directly benefiting from those trades, the New York Americans have jumped up to 3rd place in our power rankings and the statement they made by acquiring Acyd Burn is clear for all to see; they want that cup! They are an impressive 8-1-1 over the last 10 games and have to be considered one of the most dangerous teams in the entire league as of now. Toronto might be slightly upset to fall to 4th in the power rankings, but they are just one point ahead of New York and the Americans have added some key pieces to their team that just slightly edges out the Legion. Vancouver has fully accepted that their time for contending is up, and is selling the farm. Parting ways with Hunter Hearst Helmsley this week, Vancouver is already 8 points behind New York and falling, and it’s hard to see them in a playoff spot come to the end of this season. Another 8 points behind Vancouver, we find the D.C. Dragons. Things just haven’t gone their way this season and they sit dead last in the entire league with only 34 points. If the Dragons manage to figure out just what is wrong with this team, they could make a push for that final playoff spot. There’s no denying the star power is there, but they will have to turn things around very quickly or they’ll be stuck in the basement all season long. Notable Games Game 206 - Seattle Bears vs. Calgary Wranglers Early in the week, we got a showdown between the top two teams in the league. At the end of the week, Seattle still trailed Calgary by a point, but this game went a long way toward narrowing that gap. Despite the fact that Seattle held the lead for the majority of the game and never found themselves behind, this game felt very close. Until the fifty-ninth minute, when Guy LeGrande scored on an empty net, it looked as though the Wranglers might still wrest control away and send it to overtime. But in the end, this game really came down to powerplay production. Each team had six opportunities on the powerplay, but the victorious Bears netted two goals on the man advantage compared to the Wranglers’ zero. Game 227 - Riga Reign vs. HC Davos Dynamo We also got a game between the top two teams in the European Conference, although they were first and third at the time, that resulted in another match to keep you on the edge of your seat. Lincoln Tate stole the show with five assists, one on each Riga goal, and Codrick Past was a major player as well with four points of his own. It is fitting than the two of them combined for the two assists on the final, game-winning goal. Production on the Dynamo side of the puck was much more distributed, with nine different players appearing on the score sheet, but only Robin Winter with more than one point. When HC Davos scored their third in a row to take the lead at the midway point of the third period, it looks like they might have enough momentum to win the day, but the Reign quickly answered just a minute later and denied them overtime with a game-winner in the fifty-ninth minute.. Game 264 - Helsinki Titans vs. New York Americans Finally, we saw a matchup between the third-place teams in each conference. After seeing the first two notable games this week, I didn’t believe we could get a closer one, and I almost highlighted the 8-1 win Davos had over Malmo just to buck the trend, but this game was just crazy. This game became a battle between New York’s back-up goalie and Jim Bob, the Helsinki sophomore who, in fifty games, has already hit his point total from his rookie season. New York jumped out to an early two-goal lead in the first period, but the Titans brought that within one thirty seconds into the second. But for another thirty-five minutes, the two sides were at a stalemate. Then suddenly, Jim Bob ties it up with under five to go, but the Americans quickly answer with another go-ahead goal. So once again, it has to be Jim Bob to tie it up with under a minute to go. Overtime was scoreless, so we went to the shootout. The goalie who leads the league in save percentage among starters again New York’s backup. But after four rounds, a goal by Acyd Burn won the game for the Americans. Events of the Week Fights Game 233 - BRAWL! These teams have some history, or as much history as a rivalry can have in just a few seasons in the league, and that showed as a brawl broke out just thirty-three seconds into the game. Gary Neal beat up Roll Fizzlebeef and Lewis Dawson beat up Ondrej Ohradka, who was then ejected from the game, and Condor Adrienne, Thomas Landry II, and Andrej Petrovic each received minors for their involvement. Game 275 - Gritty beats up Graves and Jungkok beats up Ritchie It was a rambunctious first period between the Wolves and Dragons and Vancouver got the upper hand through force. A minute after the first goal, Gritty and Benny Graves dropped gloves and Graves was sent to the ice quickly by the physical veteran. Three minutes after that, Jungkok found Raleigh Ritchie to much the same result. The Wolves violence didn’t end there either. In the Third period, Brock Louth was given a major and ejected for a vicious spearing. Something had the Wolves hot, but it paid off in this 5-1 victory. Hat-Tricks Game 221 - Codrick Past A slug-fest at the top of the European Conference, this game had everything, two players with seven shots apiece, fifteen penalties and our first hat-trick of the week. Codrick Past scored all three goals for the Riga Reign in this one, but Acyd Burn kept it close and sent the game to the shoutout. The Reign would end up winning after outshooting the Dynamo 49-42. Game 230 - Julius Freeman On a new roster but hasn’t missed a beat, Julius Freeman stole the show, scoring the game-winner in an action-packed first period before finishing his hat-trick on the powerplay late in the third. Micheal Gary Scott should also get a little credit with three assists on the night. Game 239 - Jerry Garcia This is the game of the year for the HC Davos Dynamo. Half of their roster had a multi-point game, with Jet Jaguar racking up six points off a goal and five assists. However, the central figure of this event is Jerry Garcia, who scored his second hat-trick of the season. Over a quarter of his goals, this season have come in games where he got a hat-trick, so teams should be scared any time he puts one in the net. Game 242 - Guy LeGrande Guy LeGrande opened the scoring, put in the game-winner, and then completed his hat-trick just after the midway point of the game. The New York Americans escaped the first period down by just a goal, but by the time LeGrande was done with them, it was a 5-1 blowout. Game 246 - Raleigh Ritchie This should be about the point where you notice we had a lot of hat-tricks this week. Don’t worry, it isn’t over yet. Raleigh Ritchie got the D.C. Dragons on the board and then scored less than two minutes later to give them the lead. They would lose and regain that lead before he scored his next one, but with just six seconds left in the game, Ritchie scored the first hat-trick of his career. Game 255 - Julius Freeman With his second of the week, and of the season, Julius Freeman started the game off with an assist on a powerplay goal by Owen Nolan. He followed that up a few minutes later with a short-handed goal. However, the Phantoms and Americans entered the third tied. Freeman was having nothing of a tie and scored twice in the span of a minute and a half to put the game away. Game 266 - Thomas Landry II This is my favourite type of hat-trick when a player gets insanely hot for a short burst of time and simply can’t be stopped. That is what happened here with Thomas Landry II, scoring three goals in just under three minutes. Bonus fun fact about this game! Wolf Stansson Jr had four points this game, but none on Landry’s hat-trick goals. It is safe to say the whole team was on fire. Shutouts Game 218 - D.C. vs. New York This game started out ugly for the Dragons and never really got any better. New York shocked their opponents with two goals in the first thirty-six second of the game. From there, they were able to sit back and control the game, scoring just one more before it was all said and done. But it was A Red Guy who stole the spotlight of the night as he earned the first shutout of the week with twenty-eight saves. Game 244 - Helsinki vs. Vancouver For a team that is fighting for first in their conference, the Helsinki Titans have a problem with getting shut out. This time it was Jimmy Spyro and the Wolves who did the honours. With twenty-two saves, Spyro earned his first shutout of the season. Despite having a bumpy ride in his first season as a starter, Spyro has always been able to dominate games and he got to show that proficiency here. Game 269 - HC Davos vs. New York In a week with an exceptionally low number of shutouts, A Red Guy managed to earn two of the only three this week. Facing twenty-two shots over the course of the game, the Americans allowed most of those in the first period. They only held a one-goal lead for the majority of the game, but A Red Guy shut the door for another great finish. Rookie Spotlight Zyrok12 Thanks to @Pengu for this excellent graphic. Zyrok12 is a 16-year-old Spanish defenseman who is enjoying quite the amazing rookie season. First joining the VHLM in Season 71, with the Ottawa Lynx, Zyrok12 was out to prove to everyone that he was a force to be reckoned with. He had a very respectable first campaign where he picked up 54 points in 71 games, as well as helped the team to the Cup Finals with 15 points in 16 games which they unfortunately lost. Next season he was drafted 2nd overall into the VHLM by the Yukon Rush where he absolutely exploded for 117 points in 72 games. He would once again help lead his team to the finals, but come up just short, this time losing to his former team the Ottawa Lynx. Drafted 12th overall by the Malmo Nighthawks he has built upon his success in the VHLM and has made the jump to the big leagues almost seamlessly. Being a strong, puck-moving, defence first d-man who skates effortlessly it’s not hard to see why he has seen so much early success. He comes in at 5th in rookie scoring, but could easily be in 3rd as he is just one point away from taking that spot. On top of all of this, Zyrok12 is an absolute workhorse. He is in the top 10 of the entire league for minutes played this season, and he earned the respect of his fellow teammates in Malmo, who voted him as Assistant Captain in his very first season. As long as Zyrok12 continues to improve at his usual pace, he will be a great addition to the Malmo Nighthawks. His low shooting percentage is somewhat suspect, but you can attribute that to bad luck. Perhaps some work is needed on the scoring front for Zyrok12, as he has scored just 2 goals so far this season, but as he gains experience his shot selection will become better and better. Since he is not the biggest guy, he will need to focus on his skating in order to be successful at the highest levels, but he is certainly someone to keep an eye on in the very near future.

Welcome back to Future Watch, where we analyse the prospect pools of each VHL team! In the last article, we covered the North American Conference. This week, we will shift our focus to the European Conference. Without further ado, let’s get to it. PRAGUE PHANTOMS | 6th in EU | 9th Overall Top Prospect: Woody McPine - S71 3rd Round (35) Prague saw both of their prospects from last season return to the VHLM in S72, and has added two more. Leading the way for the newcomers is third-rounder Riley Knight Gee. The 5’10” defenseman is a solid player at both ends of the ice and has produced at just over a point-per-game rate over his whole VHLM career to date. His TPE earning has varied a lot in his career so far, mostly because he doesn’t earn an overwhelming amount of capped TPE, but he takes advantage of any uncapped opportunities that present themselves to him. Also new to the organization is Ernie King, who is an interesting prospect. After joining pretty late in the season, King had two productive weeks, earning 23 TPE in that time frame. Following that, he went inactive for two weeks, and only claimed 1 TPE in the next week after that. But then he came back, and seemed back on track, until going inactive yet again for the past two weeks. He could be an intriguing prospect if he finds any regularity in his TPE earning, but hasn’t shown the ability to do so yet. Returning from last season’s Future Watch are S71 draftees Woody McPine and Jack John. McPine is a VHL-ready goaltender having an amazing run with Minnesota this season. His record of 40-5-1 is truly unbelievable, displaying his ability to lock it down when his teammates need it most. He had a brief dip in activity not long ago but is back on track to becoming quite possibly a VHL starter. John is exactly where we thought he would be last time we checked in on him, as his impressive steadiness in earning TPE has remained intact. He has seen much growth in his game this season, already setting career-highs in goals and points, as well as tying his records of assists and hits. This is with 26 games remaining too. Lastly, we have the recently acquired Adam Syreck. Leading the VHLM in points, Syreck is an offensive monster who has torn up the league for two seasons now. With over 350 career points in the minors, Syreck will look to replicate that success with Prague next season with his VHL-ready status. He consistently earns around 7 TPE per week from welfare and practice facility. Prague’s group doesn’t have a crazy amount of upside but will produce some quality players for the future. RIGA REIGN | 5th in EU | 7th Overall Top Prospect: DeFenz Mann - S72 2nd Round (18) Riga’s farm system is one of immense depth at both the centre and defence positions. They have two VHL-ready prospects, and one of them has returned from last season’s Future Watch. That would be JaredN, an S70 draft pick who has steadily made his way to the VHLM’s TPA cap over the past few seasons. He doesn’t have tremendous upside but will provide some high-quality scoring depth for the Reign. The Canadian centre is in the top 10 in scoring in the VHLM in S72 with 84 points, which is a big improvement on what was already a breakout season in S71. DeFenz Mann finds himself in the same boat as JaredN, at least in the sense that they are both waiting for their shot at the VHL level. Mann leads all defencemen in points this season and is following up an incredible S71 performance with possibly an even better one. He earns around 13-14 TPE per week most commonly but can add onto that as well. He is definitely one to keep a watch out for. After picking DeFenz Mann, Riga would later have two back-to-back third-round picks in the S72 Draft, with which they picked Jay Jones and Bobby Wyman. Wyman is an active member in the EFL and SBA, displaying his experience in sim leagues. His TPE output fluctuates a fair amount, but ultimately he’s still earning enough to be successful. He is a mean two-way defender with a physical edge, which is nice to see in a young player. Jones is also a decent two-way player, but he really shines in the offensive zone, where he’s able to put on a show with his versatile skill set. He also sees his TPE output fluctuate a bit, but usually, he doesn’t fall below 10 in a week. There are some less active players in this organization who could be of importance down the line, and as the trend seems to be, one is a centre and the other is a defenceman. The centre is Cassius Gardner, who has struggled to find any regularity in his TPE earning. However, he can claim 6 TPE from welfare due to his SBA activity, so if he can build on that, he could be a really nice piece for the Reign. On the blueline, we have Joe Jacks, who was earning 6 TPE every week, before dropping heavily in activity over the past few weeks. He could potentially be a good depth piece if he gets back to where he was, but as of lately the signs haven’t been too encouraging. Riga has a decent group with plenty of depth, which is nice to see. MALMO NIGHTHAWKS | 4th in EU | 4th Overall Top Prospect: Chris Hylands - S72 2nd Round (14) In contrast to the Reign, Malmo does not have much depth at all, especially with the departure of Adam Syreck. However, depth isn’t all that makes a good prospect pool. What the Nighthawks have is star potential. Their only two active prospects are undeniable stars in the making and have been trending upward for some time now. We’ll start with their top prospect, in my opinion, Chris Hylands. Hylands was selected by Malmo in the second round of the S72 draft and has continued the tear he was on leading up to his draft. He is an extremely flexible player, in the sense that his skill set is adaptable to however the team needs him the most. He can score, set up plays, and break up plays coming the other way. He has established himself in the community with his job here at VSN and is a must-watch for the future. Six picks before Hylands, defender Viktor Alexei Kamenov heard his name called by the very same Malmo Nighthawks. Although I have him ranked lower than Hylands, it is no slight to Kamenov, who has been earning TPE at an almost unbelievably high rate for a while too. He and Hylands have been somewhat similar prospects, rising in the draft rankings around the same time, and finding their current jobs around the same time as well. BigTittySmitty has found his place in the community with scouting, which I can relate to. His series “A Sit With Tit on VHSC” has been a hit so far, and his future looks both secure and bright. HC DAVOS DYNAMO | 3rd in EU | 3rd Overall Top Prospect: Mickey Dickson - S71 3rd Round (25) Davos returns this season with a similar boatload of prospects, though this group doesn’t necessarily have the same upside as it did a season ago. With the sheer volume of players here though, you are bound to have some valuable players come out of it. The team has two players who are ready for the big league, one of whom I believe to be the team’s top prospect. That player is Mickey Dickson, who recently made noise around the league with an article about the importance of treating girls no differently than boys in VHL locker rooms. Outside of that article, Brewins15 has been a relatively quiet member on the forums but has been putting in the work behind the scenes extremely consistently. 10 TPE per week is just about a guarantee, and because of that, Dickson has seen steady and encouraging growth for a long time now. Also, VHL-ready is winger Big Chungus, who has been decreasing inactivity lately. Following the S71 Draft, Chungus quickly proved himself to be a huge steal for his draft slot and had a fantastic VHLM season with Ottawa. He is on pace to improve his goal total this season as well, even after the team lost last season’s MVP, Richard Penisson. If Chungus could just get back to where he was a mere four weeks ago, he goes from a decent prospect to possibly Davos’ best. With two second-round picks in the S72 Draft, Davos elected to choose forwards Joe Exotic and Jer Lefebvre. Joe Exotic is bordering on inactive at this point, but could be a thrilling prospect for the Dynamo should he return. Lefebvre was a bit of a reach at his draft position at the time of the draft but has wasted no time at all in proving his worth to anyone who doubted him. He has earned 69 TPE in under four weeks since the draft and is putting up some nice numbers in the VHLM. Consistency is one of the most common issues for less active prospects, as not everyone has the time or willingness to update every week. Gino Alkamino has flirted with inactivity many times but has ultimately stuck around for three VHLM seasons now. The tendency for his activity to go up and down leads me to believe there isn’t a ton of upside here, but he could definitely be a solid depth piece at the VHL level as long as his activity outweighs his inactivity. Someone who’s had these same habits for even longer than Alkamino is King Kruul. He goes inactive for weeks at a time but never seems to walk away entirely from the league. Being an S69 prospect, his potential is not very high, but he could also serve as a depth piece if he can bring his TPE from 217 to 250 soon enough. In the fourth round of the S72 Draft, Davos seems to have found a lot of success. They picked Turner McHugh with the 37th pick, and he has been exactly what they hoped for. McHugh is a skilful playmaker, which are less common in today’s VHL. His skating and vision stand out the most, and hopefully, they can translate to success at a higher level of play. The team followed McHugh’s selection with American defenceman Chance Rust. This season, Rust returned for his second World Junior Championship, and unfortunately fell to Team Europe in the finals. Rust is a great puck-moving defenceman and will be a solid addition to the Dynamo’s blueline once he reaches the VHL. One more S72 fourth-round pick has become a player to keep an eye on, and that would be Jared Willis. He went from earning 2-6 TPE per week prior to the draft, to an average of 13 since then. His draft position may cause him to have a lower profile than most, but his promise is up there with some of the names taken above him. While it isn’t a player’s dream to go in the fourth round, some would consider them lucky. Multiple prospects go undrafted each season and need to get themselves noticed by VHL teams in order to get a contract to keep their dream alive. Davos has two of these players, being Riley Walker and Trey Nets. Neither of them have been too active lately, but Trey Nets specifically has shown VHL promise early in his career. He left a comment on last season’s Future Watch, explaining that he had to step away from the league for a bit due to some terrible circumstances and that he would be back soon. We here at VSN are rooting for you, and wish you the best moving forward. HELSINKI TITANS | 2nd in EU | 2nd Overall Top Prospect: Spencer Elsby - S72 2nd Round (17) Helsinki saw a big change in the structure of their prospect pool this season. Last season, the draw of their group was the number of decent players who were almost VHL-ready. Well, those players have moved on to the VHL, and now this group has had a complete identity shift. The thing about the active prospects in this system is that each one has shown notable potential. Starting off with the highest potential player, we have my VSN Scouting partner, Spencer Elsby. Elsby has a job as the AGM of Philadelphia, and one as a scout and writer for VSN. As far as his player is concerned, he is unquestionably among the top prospects league-wide. He is approaching 300 TPE and has made his mark on the ice as a premium two-way defender with the potential to quarterback a powerplay. Elsby is a big part of Helsinki’s future and adds onto an already exciting group of defencemen. Also selected in the S72 draft were Zamboni Driver and James Rose. Zamboni Driver seems to be on pace to become Helsinki’s starter one day with his recent increase in productivity TPE-wise. He has been a quality goaltender for two seasons in the VHLM now and has already produced a great VHL player with Joey Boucher. Rose has been earning nicely as well and seems to be yet another fine defenceman in this prospect pool. I would say he is more of a two-way defender with a versatile offensive tool kit and a good mind for the game. Both of these players just back up the idea that the S72 Draft was an absolute slam dunk for this Helsinki team, and will fuel them in the future. Taking a trip back to the previous draft, Bob Helminen and Hex Valentine make their returns to this list in S72. Last season, I called Valentine and Ike Bennett wildcards for the Titans, as Valentine had just come back from a long stretch of inactivity, and Bennett had just gone inactive. This label proved to be accurate, as one ended up inactive, and the other one is still around. Valentine is quite possibly poised to be the backup to Driver if everything stays how it is now, given that his period of inactivity has made it difficult to catch up with his peers. Helminen is back as well, though he certainly won’t be next season. A VHL-ready prospect, the Finnish winger is currently pushing for a goal-per-game average on the season. He has earned his TPE very steadily over the course of time, not necessarily blowing anyone away with it, but proving his reliability. Overall, Helsinki has some nice pieces at all positions and a good foundation for the future with this unit. MOSCOW MENACE | 1st in EU | 1st Overall Top Prospect: Alex Letang - S72 1st Round (11) Moscow’s prospect pool is one with undeniable promise, and the one that I truly believe is at the top of the VHL. Headlining this group are two first-round picks in the S72 VHL Draft, being Lucas Brandt and Alex Letang. Brandt is a centre with close to 300 TPE, and an amazing ability to put the puck in the net seemingly at will. The amount of ground he’s been able to make up on the other stars of his draft class has been a sight to see, considering how late he joined in relation to the majority of them. Letang was recently named Las Vegas’ GM after the resignation of Proto, and also holds a job as an updater. He is a defenceman with high upside on both ends of the ice and is with Brandt on the road to VHL stardom. On the trade front, Moscow has been extremely active in obtaining prospects over the past season. Most recently was Kazimir Komarov, who we actually covered in this season’s North American Future Watch. Komarov has a rich family history, some untapped potential, but also some struggles with consistency. They have also received two S72 draftees, one of which was directly after the draft. Remy Moreau would be that player, and he has inspired a lot of confidence since the deal. A period of inactivity dropped Moreau’s draft stock, but with five consecutive weeks of 12+ TPE, he seems to have left that in the past. Acquired from Davos, Michael Hall makes up the other half of S72 draftees traded to the Menace. Hall has been reliable in his weekly TPE output, with at least 8 TPE in all except his first week. He’s on pace for a second straight 30 goal season in the VHLM, and could even push for 40. He’s a goal scorer at heart, with a great release and some remarkable skating ability. He, along with the other two acquired by trades, is on track to become important parts of this team should their activity stay up. In terms of their own success at the S72 VHL Draft, this team had it in abundance, especially in the later rounds. Kicking off their later picks is Keith Krestanovich, who they chose early in the third round. Krestanovich earns a base of 8 TPE per week and frequently adds onto that as well. His player is a quality sniper with a lot of offensive potentials, but his defensive game is lacking. Moving on, Moscow then picked Cole Newhook later in that same round. Newhook was a late joiner, and only really hit his stride in the league after the draft. Now, he is one of the most active members on the forums and earning far more TPE than ever before. There is legitimate star potential here if everything goes right, which is rarely said for a third-rounder. With the second last pick in the draft, the Menace struck gold yet again with Pietro Angellini. This is another player with star potential, and who only showed that after the draft. He excels in protecting the puck down low and taking it to the net as much as possible. He went from earning 37 TPE over his first 8 weeks, to suddenly earning 89 over the next 4. Hopefully, all these prospects can keep it up because there is an almost unfathomable amount of upside to this group. That concludes another season of Future Watch. I wish the best for all these prospects, and hope to see you at the VHL level soon! Here at VSN, there are many outlets for you to follow these prospects yourself. Consider catching up on the WJC with daily updates, or seeing if any of them are making noise in the minors with VHLM Weekly! Here is some of VSN’s most recent work: WJC Updates | Deep Rewind | VHL Weekly | VHLM Weekly Players mentioned: @KnightRiley @Greg Ernest @HearnNation67 @GoadenGoalie35 @Spade18 @jared @Mike @TTtheT @Lefty_S @jhatty8 @ashton112 @Hylands33 @BigTittySmitty @Brewins15 @Ferda @Joe Exotic @Jer_Lefebvre @ChaceT @LefLop @Turner @turkey2349 @Jared Willis @GlowyGoat @KillaScrilla @Spence King @Tape-to-Tape @MattyIce @Big Bob @DrHexDex @twists @Spartan @Gooningitup @Da Trifecta @Hops @Boragina @GrittyIsKing09 @okifenoki

The Seattle Bears have been a force in the VHL over the past few seasons, winning the Continental Cup 3 out of the last 4 seasons. This team, a creation of @Banackock's roster management is a perfect example how efficiently drafting, signing contracts and making smart roster moves can give you flexibility for years to come. We will be taking a look at the roster moves and homegrown talent to see how Seattle went from just another playoff contender to a dynasty. Let's start with the drafting. The Bears were very smart with their drafting, so let us take a look back through who the Bears picked before their Continental Cup victories. S67 DRAFT 2nd Overall: Rayz Funk, G @Rayzor_7 At 2nd overall, the Bears get their franchise goalie. This is a smart pick considering that they have 2 more first round picks in this draft (5th and 7th overall) but picking your franchise goalie gives your team a lot of stability if you can put a good blue line in front of him. So far with the Bears, his playoff stats are off the charts, averaging a .930 SV% and 2.00 GAA when it is crunch time in the spring. Safe to say this pick paid off for Seattle. 5th Overall: Hulk Hogan, D @Hulk Hogan Another good pick here, getting a highly touted defensive prospect to go along with your franchise goalie. With a big frame for blocking and battling in the corner, Seattle scores a two-way defensive prospect with this pick. 7th Overall: Acyd Burn, RW @Acydburn This was a good pick. Even though he isn't with the Bears anymore, Burn almost recorded a point per game in 4 seasons with the Bears and helped them win their first 2 Continental Cups. 13th Overall: Scott Greene, C @DoktorFunk Solid Two-Way Center who can both play lockdown on the power play or score on you. He has been a steady playoff performer for the Bears, recording 55 points in 61 playoff games with Seattle so far. 17th Overall: Berocka Sundqvist, D @Berocka Solid second round pick. Sundqvist has been a defensive force while having solid points offensively. In 36 games so far in S73, Sundqvist has 42 points which are solid numbers for a defenseman. He was a part of all 3 of Seattle's Cup Winning Teams. The S67 Draft brought this team together, and they have other players from that draft on their team that they did not pick such as LW Guy LeGrande (14th Overall) who have been steady contributors. They also have young guns on their team in the likes of Randy Marsh (@oilmandan) on defense and Uhtred (@leafsman), Ray Sheilds (@Zetterberg) and Ola Vikingstad (@Dil) on offense. However, the biggest piece to the success of the Bears lately has been their contracts. Their contracts are so flexible and they have most of their roster on flexible, long term contracts. @Banackock has done a great job getting contracts that fit the needs of his players financially but also keep the team a contender year after year. Final Thoughts: The Bears are still a force this year. So far through 36 games in S73, The Bears sit at 24-10-2 record which is good for 50 points and 1st in the VHL. This team is definition of what smart front office, drafting and roster management choices can do for a team down the stretch. You know though, I wouldn't be surprised if the Seattle Bears win a few more Continental Cups before their window is closed. (589 words, 3275 characters)

Hello, and welcome to season 72, edition 2 of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out! Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! Ringless | VSN Weekly Review | Future Watch | Talents Behind The Trophies The Review This week’s biggest story is arguably the most newsworthy thing to happen to the VHLM in quite some time. One of the league commissioners, @Banackock, a man I worked personally alongside for several seasons, is no longer in the role. The issues and reasoning that have resulted in this outcome are beyond the scope of this article at this time, but it is surely a watershed moment for the league as the torch is passed from one of the standard-bearers of the league and a beacon of stability. He was, as we know, a bit of a firebrand, but none can question the amount of work he put into the league to make it what it is now. As a result of this departure, a quick hire was made to fill the vacancy, and while there are certainly many qualified candidates, the position has been filled by @Sonnet, current GM of the Houston Bulls. This was his second stint with the team, and it has proven to be a brief one, as he will be stepping down from the role at the end of the season. For the time being, he will occupy both positions, and the replacement GM will be found when the current Bulls season is complete. Sonnet will surely bring a fresh perspective to the leadership of the VHLM, and surely a voice coming directly from the GM ranks can only be a good thing. The VHLM gladly welcomes Sonnet and looks forward to what is hopefully a long and fruitful tenure. Of course, while the commissioner change is the biggest event of the week, it certainly hasn’t stopped games from being played. The standings as we last presented them didn’t leave much room for the discrepancy - there was a lot of tight clumping toward the middle, and one would have been hard-pressed to pick from among a handful of teams. As the league has progressed, some things have started to spread out, whereas others have remained nearly as tight as before. At nearly the halfway point of the season, the Minnesota Storm have pulled out of what was previously level pegging with the Las Vegas Aces, to take sole ownership of first. The Aces, on the other hand, have fallen behind the Saskatoon Wild as well. Conference-wise, the Storm lead the East by 13 points. Second is currently being held by the Mississauga Hounds but only by a single point; they and the Philadelphia Reapers were level at this point last week so given the gap is now only one, these two will likely be battling it out to the end. The Ottawa Lynx, who were also level with the Hounds and Reapers, have now fallen behind (8 to the Reapers and 9 to the Hounds) and seem to be a relatively stable fourth. The Halifax 21st have to feel a bit like the VHL’s New York Americans, as they’re out of the playoff picture by 7 points despite being ahead of a team in the other conference that would currently be in. Bringing up the rear are the expansion Miami Marauders. This isn’t terribly surprising as the Marauders are in their first season and are working with just what was available to them out of the expansion, and they’ll likely see a bit more competitive hockey down in South Beach next time out. In the West, as stated before, the Wild have overtaken the Aces. Still, the gap is a meagre 2 points, so there’s not likely to be a clear and definitive conference winner anytime soon. This race will keep the interest of fans in both Saskatoon and Las Vegas until the very end of the season. An interesting thing to note regarding the race between the Wild and Aces would be their goal differences. Saskatoon have a +90, while Las Vegas only have a +51 - this difference is almost entirely in goals for, as they’ve conceded nearly identically across the season. In third with 44 points are the Mexico City Kings, a team that doesn’t have much to play for in their own conference as there is a sizable gap on both sides in the standings, but they’ll want to fight for seeding in the playoffs, where they’re in direct competition with the Hounds and Reapers. The Yukon Rush, who sit in fourth in the West on 28 points, are the classic example of a team who will make the playoffs due less to their own ability and more to the lack of rostered players on the teams below them. They should be quite the attractive destination to waiver players, as they’re good enough to provide a playoff opportunity, yet should be able to offer larger roles to new players than those above them. Rounding out the conference are the San Diego Marlins and the Houston Bulls, two teams that will be composed almost exclusively of waiver players and looking to make a run next season, at 9 and 4 points respectively. That’s how the standings appear at the moment, but what effect has that had on the ELO ratings for the teams at this stage? The first thing that jumps out to me about the ELO graph this time around is the gap between the Marlins and Bulls. It has only manifested itself in a 5 point differential in the standings, but the ELO chart shows the Marlins as being a pretty significantly better team than the Bulls at the bottom. Additionally, Yukon is performing worse in ELO than not only Halifax (which makes a bit more sense) but also Miami. Miami’s line took a big jump when they went on a 3 game winning streak - two of the wins were over Houston and San Diego, but the other was over an Ottawa team that’s well above them. A similar dip can be seen in Ottawa’s line at around the same point. Minnesota looks to be the class of the league by a wider margin here than in the standings, and that jump in their line is likely the result of two margin of victory wins over Halifax, 10-2 and 8-0. The line for Ottawa is also seemingly closer to the teams just behind them than the teams just ahead of them, even though the standings don’t reflect that. Something that wasn’t as immediately recognizable, but seems to tell a larger story, is the placement of that green line in the middle. That’s our third-place team, the Las Vegas Aces. The ELO chart only has them in a comparatively paltry 6th at the moment, while Saskatoon, who are only 2 points higher in the standings, are in 2nd in the chart which matches their place in the standings. Mexico City, the team chasing the Aces, are ahead of them in ELO, as are the Hounds and Reapers from the East. Could the ELO chart be a predictor of some unexpected movement up and down the standings from some of the unexpectedly placed teams? The Highlights The top of the goals and assists leaderboards are surprisingly both players from a relatively middling Ottawa Lynx team - Big Chungus with 38 goals as more of a scoring specialist (his assists are low enough that he falls a bit back on the total points leaderboard) and Adam Syreck with 55 assists as well as the overall points lead with 78. There are only a handful of players who have broken that 70 point barrier thus far: Syreck, Kazimir Komarov, Ike Bennett, Michael Mac, and Bob Helminen, all representing different teams (Ottawa, Saskatoon, Minnesota, Mississauga, and Philadelphia, respectively). The recurring theme here, and it’s something that matches up with the ELO charts as well, is a conspicuous lack of Las Vegas representation. For a team that’s third in the standings, and with a decent lead over the 3-team chasing pack behind them, they don’t really show up as often as might be expected at the top of the scoring charts. Their top scorer is Alex Letang with 53 points - this is certainly a fine performance from Letang, especially as he’s a defender, but at the same time it’s a full 25 points behind the leader overall. It’s also saying something that their top scorer is a defender at all - where are the forwards? The first place to look is at goaltending, maybe they’re being carried from the back, but while Nils Friedriksen is doing very well in goal with a 2.24 GAA and 0.898 SV%, he’s largely in line with the other top goalies. Are these Aces paper tigers? While on the topic of goaltending, there is a player that deserves to be noted for something that is rather unusual. The top of the save percentage charts one might expect to see someone like Woody McPine, Grekkark Gyrfalcon, or Zamboni Driver. Those three, along with Friedriksen, are among the top 5 in both GAA and SV%, but they also have good teams in front of them as well, to varying degrees, and that is not to take away from any of their performances either. However, the current SV% leader is none other than Jean Pierre Camus of Yukon. He’s not nearly as high on the GAA board, at a 3.49 and a full goal lower than any of the goalies listed above, but GAA is more heavily affected by the team. There is no true stat measuring just a goalie alone, but SV% is the closest thing to it, and Camus is carrying Yukon to a better performance than they otherwise might have had. It’s an interesting thing to point out, and Camus deserves credit, regardless of where his team is. That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time! GMS @Proto @Ricer13 @Rayzor_7 @Motzaburger @MexicanCow123 @InstantRockstar @DMaximus @Dil @McWolf @ColeMrtz @DoktorFunk Players Mentioned @Spartan @HearnNation67 @Sharkstrong @Tape-to-Tape @Spade18 @solas @Biggreen10 @LastOneUp @Gooningitup @Caboose30 @Big Bob @Ferda

Special thanks to @Pengu for being a beauty and making this! New York Americans Receive: Julius Freeman S74 TOR 4th S73 TOR 4th Toronto Legion Receive: Fredrik Elmebeck Vancouver Wolves Receive: Ryo Yamazuki II S74 NYA 2nd S74 MAL 1st Analysis Our second major trade of the week, it looks like we aren’t going to have to wait for the trade deadline this season to see the big moves. Not only that, but we also got an interesting three-team trade. As usual, I will first examine what each team got, then talk a bit about who got the best value, and finally, we will take a look at the players in the trade. The big headline of this trade is Julius Freeman going to the New York Americans. The Americans also received a couple of fourth-round picks, but those are usually inconsequential as the VHL stands today. Freeman is undoubtedly a future hall-of-famer and I would be shocked if Vancouver doesn’t retire his number. With Julius, the Americans are receiving a perennial scoring threat, power-play quarterback, and lockerroom leader. New York is currently tied in points with Vancouver, but this move makes clear which of these teams sees themselves as a contender this season. If the Americans make a deep playoff run, Freeman also provides a lot of experience in that regard, including having his name on the cup. It is somewhat shocking to see the Vancouver Wolves packing it up this early in the season, especially when you consider that, even without Freeman, they may still be able to make the playoffs. However, with any path to the finals likely going through both Seattle and Calgary, it is understandable that they are looking past this season already. So what did the Wolves receive to prepare for the future? Ryo Yamazuki II is a depth forward that could find a home on most rosters. He likely won’t ever be a top-line talent, but he is exactly the type of player you want to fill out the rest of your roster. He is also in a contract year, so, if there is always a chance he will be gone in free agency, so I think this was more of cap move for New York than anything. The real prize for Vancouver is those picks. A first and a second in S74 means that they will have to wait to see the true value of this trade. However, with Malmo entering their rebuild a season earlier than many expected, their S74 first-round pick may be less valuable than it seemed when New York acquired it. As a side note, the ways in which New York got screwed by the John Frostbeard trade are extensive and deserve their own article. All I will say about that trade here is that the retirement of Frostbeard and the early tank of Malmo both destroyed the value the Americans got from that trade and are some of the keep factors that necessitated their acquisition of another top forward in Julius Freeman. Finally, we have the Toronto element. Allowing New York to free up enough cap space to acquire Julius Freeman, the Toronto Legion receive Fredrick Elmebeck. Now, I’m going to drop the pretence of talking about this simulation league as though these are real players and real teams for a moment. For those of you who don’t know, Elmebeck passed away four months ago. He has since been memorialized with the Fredrik Elmebeck Memorial Trophy for the most exceptional members of our community. Elmebeck had a close relationship with Peace after working together in Saskatoon. The value that Peace gets out of this trade is his own and I will not sully that by talking strategy or return. Get-to-Know the Players Julius Freeman Drafted 2nd overall in S66, Julius Freeman made his presence known immediately with thirty-nine points in his rookie season. He followed that up by lifting the Continental Cup in just his second season. Two-time Kevin Brooks trophy winner, Freeman has been overlooked for other awards throughout his career, but his stats can not be ignored. He finished S71 one point shy of bringing his career average to a point per game. Leaving the Wolves for the first time, it is exciting to see what changes may come under a new system. Over the past two seasons, Freeman has already adopted a more physical play-style and is already in triple-digit hits just a third of the way into the season. With the increased physicality, he has also spent a lot more time in the penalty box this season. New York has to be hoping that can be changed because this is a player you want on the ice at every opportunity. Ryo Yamazuki II Next, we have Ryo Yamazuki II, drafted late in the third round of S68, the New York Americans got an absolute steal. After spending an extra season in the minors, Yamazuki scored thirty-nine points in his rookie season, funny enough, the same as Freeman. After a bit of a sophomore slump, he returned to form last season and is once again on pace for a solid thirty-five to forty point season. On Vancouver’s roster, he will be relegated to the third line most likely, but, if he is unsatisfied with that, he will be a free agent at the end of this season and I am sure there are a lot of teams looking for his kind of talent to fill out their second line. Fredrik Elmebeck Please visit this thread and view many of the great remembrances of a great person. That is all.

Thank you all for your nominations! I can now reveal the following members will be going on the ballot: @Banackock @DMaximus @Enorama @Jubis @PatrikLaine @Renomitsu @Ricer13 @rjfryman @Sonnet @FrostBeard @Doomsday The following members also received 1 vote each so congratulations to you too: @Beaviss @DarkSpyro @bigAL @der meister @diamond_ace @dlamb @DoktorFunk @Jericho @probably not noah @GustavMattias @Jubo07 @McWolf @Motzaburger @JigglyGumballs @Mr_Hatter @Patrik Tallinder @Quik @Tagger @twists @Zetterberg and me - aww thanks

I've drawn inspiration from @PatrikLaine's article about his VHL experience, and I figure I will too. Just now, I've also read @ShawnGlade's article about his 2 year anniversary on the site, and I recommend both of the aforementioned articles. HOW I FOUND THE SITE, AND WHY Scrolling aimlessly through google in search of a fun hockey game to help with boredom at home while doing schoolwork was how I found the site. MY BEGINNING HERE @Beaviss was obviously the first person who mentioned or interacted with me, as he welcomes everybody to the VHL. As soon as Beav posted the topic, @ContinentalCup036 posted with "I think I just found my new best friend" Which we followed up with plenty of Gritty gifs. After I made Newhook, @DoktorFunk and @McWolf reached out to me, wishing to sign me. I signed with the Hounds, and @Berocka and others on Mississauga were great helps in keeping me active and helping me around the site. I owe most of my activeness to the S71 Hounds. AFTER THE DRAFT I owe most of my activeness to the Hounds, but my limited success in points and playing to @Victor, who was instrumental in helping me find my groove (as well as Groovy Dood @bigAL). I am part of the best team in the VHLM, the Minnesota Storm, and that success has helped me find tons of fun on the forums. MY MAIN FRIENDS I have made tons of friends here, and my best friend here is arguably @der meister. We had chatted before the Donation Drive in the Minnesota LR, but I wouldn't say we were friends. Since I'm school age and can't donate, he donated for me. After that, we talked a ton in DMs, and LR. Another notable bud is ContinentalCup, mainly because of my chosen username, but we are friends for other reasons too. Everyone in the Minnesota and Moscow Locker Rooms are great people, and I enjoy chatting with them. Some are @Rayzor_7and@Mr_Hatter, among others. I've found much fun in just talking with people and making jokes. LRs have played a major part of my VHL experience. GRAPHICS Ah, graphics. One of the things when I logged onto the site for the first time I wanted to be able to do immediately. It wasn't immediately, but soon enough I made my first graphic. It turned out decent, but it wasn't amazing, but it was something. Now, I'm quite a bit better if I do say so myself. @Quik helped me out so much, and my graphics since then have been much, much better. Another member who helped me out is @Alex Bridges, and @TXC and @gorlab with mental reinforcement. I thank Gorlab here again for my first signature, and @Kendrick for the second one somebody else made for me. I hope to rise among the ranks of graphic makers. FROM NOW ON I will continue to be active over the summer, albeit not as, but everyone can still count on me being here. If you need help, feel free to come to me, new members and old (old members probably wont need any, but anyways). This is so much fun. It was one of the greatest days of my life when I found the VHL. 543 words

Welcome to the final edition of VSN’s S72 Weekly recap (Games 371-432). We’ll cover a host of things in this recap each week including highlights of important VSN happenings, three stars of the week, power rankings, rookie profiles, and anything else of importance. Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! Ringless | Under 250 | VSN Australia | Talents Behind The Trophies Recap At last, we have reached the end of another season and there was a lot of excitement this week. Scoring seems to be returning to the league as hat-tricks once again outnumber shutouts and there is no greater evidence of this than the fact that we have a hundred-point player for the first time in four seasons. Congratulations to Condor Adrienne on that accomplishment. One thing that was very clear this week was the importance of having a strong goalie, even in these high-scoring matches. Goalers like Jacques Lafontaine, Raymond Bernard, Samuel Ross, and Michael Johnson all came in clutch when their teams needed it most this week. It will be interesting to see what effect spreading the talent around the league more has on the trend toward higher scores as we expand to sixteen teams next season. With so many teams already looking to retool in the coming season, it will be interesting to see which ones are forced into a multi-season rebuild as the talent pool becomes smaller. But this is a recap, not a prediction, so let’s get back to it. There were several tight playoff races this week and several teams showed us that these playoffs could truly be anyone’s game. The Riga Reign and HC Davos Dynamo both entered the playoffs on a bit of a rough week, so their first-round matchup might be more exciting than your typical one-seed vs. four-seed competition. Meanwhile, teams like the Helsinki Titans and New York Americans entered the playoffs strong but both find themselves matched up against teams who boasted much higher goal differentials in the regular season. Even the Toronto Legion encouraged us to be on the lookout for upsets as they beat the best team in the league, the Calgary Wranglers, just to make it into the postseason; calling into question just how their first-round meeting would go. As we enter the playoffs, there is always a sense that anything can happen, but that feeling seems especially pronounced for some reason this season. Regardless, I am pumped to get to see some exciting games in the last instance of the eight-team playoff format. 3-Stars First Star Jet Jaguar (DAV) - 10 G, 10 A, 57.03 FO% Second Star Hulk Hogan (SEA) - 3 G, 12 A, 20 SB Third Star Samuel Ross (DAV) - .915 SV%, 2.64 GAA, 1 SO Power Rankings European Conference The final power rankings of the season are here and the European Conference had an epic 3 team battle to the finish. The top of the conference was wrapped up with Riga taking the top spot, a spot which they held for a good portion of the season after their somewhat slow start. Helsinki climbed back up into 2nd place, winning their division and secured the critical home-ice advantage for their playoff series with Moscow. Now here’s where things get interesting. The last 2 playoff spots had 3 teams fighting it out, right up until the last games of the season. Moscow, who are in 3rd place almost solely thanks to the remarkable season of Raymond Bernard, seem to have risen from the dead and claimed their spot in the postseason. Holding the last spot, in somewhat of a surprise, we see HC Davos who started out the season extremely hot, but stumbled their way through the meat of the games and eventually found their game again as the season ended. The blockbuster acquisitions of Jet Jaguar and Hunter Hearst Helmsley seem to have taken time to adjust to the team, but who knows what could happen if both stars heat up come playoff time. Devastatingly, the Prague Phantoms will miss out on the playoffs this year, and the gap was just too much to overcome on the final day. They hold on to 5th spot in the rankings and will be looking ahead to next season where they will hope to improve on this one. Finally in the last spot are the Malmo Nighthawks. The game plan was to tank this season, and they did just that, ending the season with the worst record in the league and earning highest odds for the upcoming Season 73 Draft Lottery. North American Conference A bit of a different story over in the North American conference, as all the playoff spots were pretty much accounted for heading into the final games of the season. Front runners all season long, the Calgary Wranglers finished hot and held an 8 point lead over Seattle as the season came to a close. They are the only team to break 100 points this year. Seattle came close to bursting through the 100 point marker, but fell just short and finished 2nd on 97 points. The race between these powerhouse teams was a joy to behold all season long, and Calgary slowly pulled away with their insane consistency. The gap between Seattle and New York is quite sizable, at 13 points, but the Americans have earned a playoff berth as well as a matchup against the Bears in what is sure to be a thrilling contest. Taking the last playoff spot, and in 4th place, we have the Toronto Legion, who really stumbled to the finish line. A 4-6-0 record in the last 10 games was barely enough to edge out the Vancouver Wolves who ended up finishing just 1 point out of the playoffs, even after trading away most of their star players. The Wolves accepted their fate as outsiders pretty early in the season, but they were nearly gifted a playoff spot in what turned out to be a somewhat weaker North American conference. The D.C. Dragons will be pretty upset with how the season went, not many people had them down as bottom feeders, but owning their own 1st round pick which is a lottery pick after this disastrous season, has to be seen as a success and they will be looking to pick up a piece to add to their core in the upcoming draft. Notable Games Game 411 - Malmo Nighthawks vs. HC Davos Dynamo This week was a lot more of a nail-biter for the Dynamo than I’m sure they would have liked. First, they were passed by the Moscow Menace, then they quickly for the Phantoms right at their heels. However, HC Davos entered this game with the ability to nearly cement their place in the postseason. They stepped up to that challenge. The Rogue Davis to Jet Jaguar connection was strong as Davis assisted Jaguar on the first three Dynamo goals. In that span, they gave up one goal to the Nighthawks but that would be the only one. They went on to score two more before the final buzzer, but the last fifteen minutes of this game were mostly just keep-away. This was a game Davos was expected to win, and they did, but it was far more important than it seemed. With a loss in the match, the Dynamo would have put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. Instead, they got Riga in the first round, may God have mercy on their souls. Game 425 - Riga Reign vs. Seattle Bears For the Riga Reign, their road to the playoffs, though more secure, was a bit bumpier this week. Despite entering the week looking to have secured the first seed with a nine-point lead over the Helsinki Titans, by the time it was all said and done, that lead had dwindled to just four points. Despite Guy Sasakamoose having one of his best games of the season, and certainly his best period, the Seattle Bears matched them goal for goal, even taking a lead for eight seconds in the second period. As we neared the final minute of play, it looked like Riga might have finally secured the win, but with just sixty-two seconds left Seattle tied it again. Overtime was not enough to settle this one, so it was off to the shootout to find a winner. Ambrose Stark scored immediately for the Bears but that was matched in the second round by Codrick Past. It was Scott Greene in the third who would finally give the Bears another lead, one that would end the game. Game 429 - Calgary Wranglers vs. Toronto Legion Lastly, we have the story of another team just trying to hang on. After a shockingly strong start from the Toronto Legion, they slowly crept back down the standings as the season stretched on. At the other end of that spectrum, the Vancouver Wolves started slower than expected but stayed in close competition for a playoff spot throughout the early weeks. However, in a move that made very little sense before we all knew about the coming expansion, the Wolves management decided to liquidate many of the teams best assets and seemingly forgo all hope of a playoff run. But as the season wound down, these two teams found themselves closer and closer in the standings. That led the Legion to enter one of the toughest games of their season in a must-win position. It did not look good as the Calgary Wranglers scored first with a goal early in the first, but Toronto retained their composure. In the second period, they answered with two of their own and that would be it for the scoring. The Legion had won and with that, they would finally return to the postseason. Events of the Week Fights Game 379 - Lahtinen beats up Gutzwiler I’m sure you are familiar with the saying, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Well, I can’t think of a better example of that than this smackdown. Certainly, Toronto came into this game with a plan to play a physical game and throw the Wranglers off their grove. That started just twenty-one seconds in the game and a fight broke out between Mikko Lahtinen and Gabriel Gutzwiler. However, just as Gabriel lost the fight convincingly, so too did the Legion come up short in this match. Game 388 - McDagg vs. Laughton There weren’t a lot of fights this week so I chose this opportunity to highlight a reformed man. Back when I was writing recaps of every single fight in the league, I wrote Blake Laughton’s name more than any other, and, while he certainly gets in a scrap now and again, I have noticed a drastic decline in his thuggish behaviour. Perhaps, he was a little out of practice, as Kristopher McDagg wiped the ice with him in this fight. Hat-Tricks Game 379 - Kris Rice Kris Rice opened the scoring, scored in the middle of the game, and closed the scoring to complete his hat-trick. With assists from Charlie Paddywagon, who also had a three-point game, on each of his first two, Rice quickly put the game out of the Legion’s grasp. With his final kill-shot in the first half of the third period, Kris finished his first hat-trick of the week. Game 396 - Kris Rice That’s right, I said, “of the week.” Just a couple games later, Kris Rice was back at it again. This time it was the Helsinki Titans that felt his wrath, but the Calgary Wranglers spread the points around with four separate players racking up three tallies on the point sheet. Rice and the Wranglers had an explosive first period where he scored two of their four goals. They went silent for the second before scoring again just seconds into the third. Just a short while later, Kris completed his second hat-trick with the final goal of the game. Game 400 - Jerry Garcia In the middle of what looked to be a crazy comeback story in the making, Jerry Garcia found himself on the unfortunate end of a losing hat-trick. Despite scoring the first three goals of the game, with Jet Jaguar contributing primary assists on all of them, the Phantoms clawed their way back to eventually take the day. For a brief moment, it looked like they might be able to knock the Dynamo out of that final playoff spot. Game 411 - Jet Jaguar After their loss to the Phantoms, HC Davos had to work hard to hold onto the final playoff spot in the European Conference. The veteran Jet Jaguar took that to heart. Scoring the Dynamo’s first three goals of the game, all on assists from Roque Davis, it was just his second that ended up being the game-winner. But late in the third, Jaguar made a statement, finishing his first hat-trick of the season. Game 413 - Mat Tocco The Vancouver Wolves were another team in the hunt for a playoff spot this week, and Mat Tocco brought us a little bit of that old magic for which he is known. Ending the night with four points, he netted two of his own in the second period and completed the hat-trick in the middle of the third. Although I am sure he would have liked a shot at the postseason, this has to be a satisfying way to close out the season. Shutouts Game 401 - Vancouver vs. Toronto There were just two shutouts this week and this one had a lot of significance in the final standings. Toronto finished just one point ahead of the Vancouver Wolves, so they ought to be crediting Jaxx Hextall and his amazing performance in this game with saving their season. Hextall stopped all thirty shots he faced to hold on to just a 2-0 victory and send the Legion to the postseason. Game 432 - New York vs. HC Davos In the very last game of the season, HC Davos entered knowing they had fended off the Phantoms at their heels, but that didn’t mean they had nothing to prove. All season, I have heard about how great a contender the Dynamo could be if they made a play for a goalie. Samuel Ross wants to put that thinking to bed. There is nothing better than entering the postseason with a goalie on a hot streak and a twenty-eight save shutout is a great way for Ross to start one. Rookie Spotlight Joakim Bruden A huge thanks to @Zetterberg for this great graphic. Joakim Bruden played 3 seasons in the minors, all for the Ottawa Lynx. He enjoyed a stellar career there, managing to win an amazing 121 of 152 total regular-season games. On top of that, an incredible 2.53 GAA in the minors over those 3 seasons is quite the achievement as well. He made the playoffs in each season and improved every time as well. It took them 3 tries, but they eventually won the big prize in Season 71, only losing twice throughout the entire playoffs on the back of some wonderful performances by Bruden. This season, he made the jump to the big leagues and showed to the world that he is a young goalie to keep an eye on. There were only a handful of rookie goalies this season, but Joakim stood out from the rest by leading most of the stat categories. In 15 games, he had a remarkable .914 save percentage and 2.70 goals-against average, both of which put him in first place among rookies. He picked up 5 wins, to 7 losses, which is a very respectable record for a rookie and he will be looking to build on this very successful rookie campaign. I think it’s only a matter of time before Joakim will take over as the #1 in Davos. He has shown he has the fight, passion, and most of all, skill to compete in this league. His mechanics are solid and he has a great foundation to build upon. Going forward, he will likely need to work on the more physical aspect of his game, like size and agility before he can break into that group of elite goaltenders. As long as Joakim keeps improving at this rapid pace, we have quite the prospect on our hands here and I am quite excited to see how his career develops.

Note: This article was written before the first round of simulations occurring on 6/27/20 Hello, and welcome to the first edition of a new season of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out! Make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! Ringless | VSN Weekly Review | VSN Australia | Talents Behind The Trophies The Review Another regular season has come and gone, and it is time we head into the playoffs! Who will be crowned this season’s Founder’s Cup Champions? Will it be our Prime Minister’s Cup-winning Minnesota Storm? Or will it be a plucky underdog, taking out the big teams on their route to immortality? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out! Without further ado, let’s dive into our regular season review and see just how the end of the season shook out. The aforementioned Minnesota Storm lead the league as they have for a while now, ensuring the number one overall spot heading into the playoffs. They will be matching up in the first round against the Miami Marauders, who make the playoffs as one of the league-wide wildcard spots. The second overall Saskatoon Wild will go up against the next wildcard of the Ottawa Lynx. Following this is the Theusch Division winners of the Philadelphia Reapers, who will be playing the Mississauga Hounds. The final matchup of the first round will be between the Mexico City Kings and the Las Vegas Aces, two teams which finished with just a point between them, the Kings advancing with their additional three overtime losses, despite their wins being one fewer than the Aces. Missing out on the playoffs we have Halifax 21st, the Yukon Rush, the San Diego Marlins, and the Houston Bulls. Good luck next season! Let’s post the ELO chart one final time, and with those statistics in mind, dive into the first round preview! First Round Preview Minnesota Storm (1) vs Miami Marauders (8) Certainly, making the playoffs in their inaugural season is cause for celebration in Miami, but is it crazy to think they have a chance in upsetting Cup contenders in Minnesota? In their regular-season matchups, while the Storm were able to score consistently against the Marauders, Miami also caused Minnesota some trouble of their own, conceding the most goals against of any regular-season series. Granted, there were eight games played against each other compared to some 5 or 7 game series, but ultimately it is clear that the Marauders can do some damage to the solid Minnesota defence, as evidenced by them beating the Storm in 3 of 8 matches. Not a majority, but good enough to not write a surprise victory off! The Storm relies on a host of depth talent, with top goalscorer in the league Ike Bennet providing a real threat in front of the net. While Bennet is the only member in the top 10 players in the league for points, the whole team produces, as evidenced by their league-leading 345 goals scored. This season, VHLM vet Mickey Dickson has stepped up to the plate, reaching a career-high of 95 points, while defensemen Liam Flaten sits at third in the league for defensemen with 111 points. The Marauders rely on a studded blue line themselves, with Kosmo Kramerev and Wolf Stansson at first and third on their roster for points. They are particularly strong at the centre position, with Dakota Lamb and Andre Lebastard reaching third and sixth in the league for points scored by centres. Saskatoon Wild (2) vs Ottawa Lynx (7) Our next series will pit the Corcoran Division champions Saskatoon Wild against the Ottawa Lynx. The Lynx finished the regular season last in their division, but their division was the strongest of any, with the highest total points between their three teams. The Wild should feel strong going into this matchup, which they are heavily favoured in after winning all six of their regular-season matchups against the Lynx, including one shootout win. The Wild scored more against the Lynx than any team not named Houston or San Diego, and are looking to continue this trend. The Lynx are not likely to go down without a fight, but a lot will be riding on their rookie goaltender Ajay Krishna to carry the team as their highest TPA player, after their midseason firesale to Philadelphia. Saskatoon, on the other hand, has a host of top talent, including four players at the cap. Their top centre, Lucas Brandt, will be looking to lead the line along with the team’s highest goalscorer Timothy Brown whose 58 goals is tied for fourth in the league. Tyler Walker is tied for the league lead in assists and is vital in moving the puck around for those scoring opportunities. As shown in the ELO charts, the Wild are top contenders along with Minnesota, as they made up the difference, each with essentially the same ELO by the end of the season. Philadelphia Reapers (3) vs Mississauga Hounds (6) The Philadelphia Reapers were on a bit of a run there to end the season. With 26 games remaining, they moved for Ottawa’s big stars of Adam Syreck, DeFenz Mann, and Big Chungus, as well as Rich Dickbutt McFudderdudder for some very solid depth, to complement their already star-studded roster. The Reapers have an incredible six capped players and are looking very dangerous on both ends. They have four of the top 10 players in the league for points, including Adam Syreck and Bob Helminen leading the pack with the top two slots, and those two are joined by Big Chungus’s 61 goals, good for second in the league. With all that power it seems difficult for the Mississauga Hounds to mount a challenge, but not impossible. The odds are certainly stacked against them, as the Reapers have shown they can consistently beat the Hounds, winning six times while only losing twice, though each team won once in a shootout. One thing in the Hound’s favour is their own ability to score, and while they might not be exactly favoured in a shooting gallery, it might be their best chance. Other than the Minnesota Storm, the Hounds were the team that scored the most on the Reapers, although they did have three more games to do it in compared to the Aces and Kings, for example. Led by right-winger Michael Mac, the Hounds have a competitive roster, with a lot of balanced scoring options. Their goaltender Jacob Tonn will be very important in seeing how far they can go; the capped netminder had a relatively poor regular season compared to his ability, but if he turns it up in the playoffs the Hounds have the opportunity to go far. Mexico City Kings (4) vs Las Vegas Aces (5) Finally, we come to the closest out of all the first-round matchups, with the Mexico City Kings taking on the Las Vegas Aces. Despite the Kings maintaining a steady ELO lead, they have never really widened the gap since they split apart around their 45th game of the season. This is the only match in which the lower-seeded team might actually be favoured. Despite the Kings coming away with one more point in the regular season, thanks to their extra overtime losses, the Aces were the team that narrowly took the regular-season matchup. The two teams went three regular time wins apiece, but the Aces took two additional matches in the shootout, giving them a 5-3 edge. Additionally, they scored almost identically, with the Aces once more narrowly taking the lead, 22 goals to 20. The Kings don’t have many statistical leaders on their team but are built to last with all of their players up and down the roster getting on the score sheet. Chris Hylands is their top guy with 107 points, while their goaltender is Zamboni Driver, a strong performer that is looking to improve on his play in last season’s playoffs that saw his team lose in the second round. Their field general of Viktor Alexei Kamenov is integral to their play, leading the team in assists from the blue line along with Chance Rust on the second pair. The Aces have a little bit more star power, with the top assist man in the league, Alex Letang, leading their blue line (he is tied for first with 94 assists). Gregg Stallion and Jeff Blaze, each with 49 goals, are lethal in front of the net, and will be key in this series. Additionally, the Aces have strong depth options, having attracted a number of midseason signings of players from reputable agencies whose skills will help to even the playing field in the playoffs. That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time! Players Mentioned: @Caboose30, @Brewins15, @flatl99, @Mongoose87, @ahockeyguy, @dlamb, @Andre LeBastard, @Hooperorama, @twists, @a_Ferk, @Advantage, @Spade18, @Mike, @Ferda, @Weretarantula, @Big Bob, @LastOneUp, @MexicanCow123, @Hylands33, @Tape-to-Tape, @BigTittySmitty, @turkey2349, @Spartan, @SweatyBeaver, @NyQuil VSN Writer Mr_Hatter

Hello, and welcome to season 72, edition 4 of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out! Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! Ringless | VSN Weekly Review | WJC Update | Deep Rewind The Review Well into the season now, and things are really starting to clear up for our teams in the VHLM. The standings are, anyway - there’s been an ongoing debate about what the playoff format should be after the expansion Miami Marauders have raised the team count to 12. While strictly on performance, the Marauders themselves should be worthy of a playoff spot, the conference they’re in is stronger than that of the Yukon Rush, who have fewer points but are in as things stand. This will surely have to be looked into at the end of the season, but for now, we have what we have. Standings-wise, things are fairly simple now. The Minnesota Storm have really pulled away as the top team overall, a total of 107 points at this stage is particularly impressive. The best of the west title seems to be relatively settled as well, and it will be going to the Saskatoon Wild barring a late-season collapse. In fact, the only real playoff race we have left at this stage is for home ice between the Las Vegas Aces and Mexico City Kings, and that likely won’t make much difference either way as they’ll just end up facing each other in a playoff series. The better team will prove itself the hard way out of those two. The Philadelphia Reapers sit in a sort of no man’s land, definitely contenders and will be favoured to get out of at least one series but will have to pull some upsets (or have upsets pulled elsewhere) to come home with the cup. Both the Mississauga Hounds and Ottawa Lynx are strong, competitive teams that just don’t quite seem to have enough to climb up into that top tier. Mississauga, in particular, were on the heels of Philadelphia last time out, but what was once a two-point gap has blossomed to 14. The Miami Marauders, Halifax 21st, and Yukon Rush have enough about them to always be a threat in a game, even if they come out on the losing end more often than not. Then there is the expected fall to the bottom teams, the San Diego Marlins and Houston Bulls, who are surely just playing for pride at this point. What does all of this look like in the ELO chart? Have things spread out similarly there, or is there still a cluster of teams in the upper-middle of the chart? Let’s take a look at the chart as it stands and see what effect the most recent games have had. One noteworthy thing that was mentioned in a previous edition of Under 250 was the placement of Las Vegas’ line on the ELO chart. They’re still only the 6th line now, but at least their recent upward swing has pulled them close to the lines of the Reapers, Hounds, and Kings, respectively. Plus, they’re now tied for 4th in the standings so having the 6th line isn’t as far from where they’d expect to be. In the same cluster of lines, but performing more highly in ELO compared to the standings, are the Mississauga Hounds. A clear 6th in the standings, well back of the Aces and Kings, surprisingly the Hounds find themselves above both in ELO. In fact, it’s only been within the last few games where Philadelphia’s line has pulled away from that of Mississauga. The steady decline in ELO of the Ottawa Lynx stands out as another particularly unusual trend - in the standings, they haven’t really moved. They’ve been in 7th for much of the season, and closer to 6th than 8th. Early on, they had been bouncing around with some of the teams in the cluster above them, but for a while now they’ve been pretty settled. On the ELO chart, however, their line has just continued to fall this whole time, and two unexpected things are true of the Lynx at this stage. The first is that ELO seems to consider them closer to the streaking Marauders than any of the teams above them, and by a good margin; the standings do not bear this out, but it’s interesting to note. The second is that they’ve dipped below the starting point of 1000, and trajectory-wise seem likely to be there for good. They’ve been fairly consistently above it all season, with a brief stop on the wrong side around the 36 game mark, but considering the angle the line has taken since about game 51, it doesn’t appear as though they’ll see the better side of 1000 the rest of the way. At the bottom of the chart, the Marlins and Bulls seem to be levelling out. This makes sense, as a loss by either of them would be expected, and therefore shouldn’t tip the scales a great deal, unless the margin is particularly high. Just above that, it looks as though Yukon may pass Halifax by the end of the season. This would be noteworthy since, despite their proximity in the standings, it was back in the single-digit game days when Yukon was last above Halifax in ELO. The gap has been tight but fairly consistent for some time now, but both are on trajectories where they may meet back up. The Highlights There have been some interesting trends in the last 10 games played for each team - strong showings as expected from the Storm, Wild, and Reapers, with 8-2-0, 8-1-1, and 9-0-1, respectively. The most surprising result is that of the Las Vegas Aces. Despite their nudge upward in ELO, their last 10 is only a modest 5-4-1. This is a team tied for fourth yet only going .500 recently. Among the teams outperforming the Aces in their last 10, surprisingly the expansion Marauders have put together a solid late run and have trended upward with a 6-4-0. The only other real standout in this particular category comes from the last place Houston Bulls, who despite only 5 wins in 62, have won twice in the last 10. In terms of individual performances, this season has been the Adam Syreck show. 133 points in 62 games is more than 2/game on average and is also 18 points clear of his next closest competitor. In fact, tied for second is Syreck’s Philadelphia teammate, Bob Helminen with 115, and it’s likely the two have worked together for a lot of those points. The highest non-Reaper is Lucas Brandt of Saskatoon, also with 115. In addition to topping the total points chart, Syreck also leads in assists with 81, although he’s much more closely followed there by Alex Letang with 79, Tyler Walker with 78, and King Kruul with 76. Helminen, on the other hand, is tied for the league lead in goals with yet another Reaper, Big Chungus - both have 55. Ike Bennett closely follows with 54, Lucas Brandt with 53, and Syreck pops up once more in 5th with 52. There are a few other stats with a runaway leader as strong as Syreck is in points, however. Fat Palloon has been the shot-blocking king this season with 190, 39 ahead of his nearest competitor. Big Chungus, who popped up a few times in the point charts, has done a lot of his work on the power play - his 25 power-play goals are 8 ahead of 2nd, and the rest of the pack tightens up behind him so strongly that 2nd is only 4 goals ahead of 10th. Lucas Brandt, on the other hand, has taken advantage of the extra ice space when his team has been down a player. Shorthanded goals tend to be rare to begin with, so Brandt’s 5 stands out among a field where only one other player has more than 2. Finally, the current point-scoring streak is led by Tyler Walker with an impressive 8. Defenz Mann has 6, and after that, there are 7 players each with 5, so in comparison, Walker’s 8 stands out. That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time! GMs: @Rayzor_7 @Sonnet @DoktorFunk @Ricer13 @MexicanCow123 @iRockstar @Dil @ColeMrtz @Spartan @Motzaburger @McWolf @DMaximus Players mentioned: @Spade18 @Advantage @Mike @twists @Caboose30 @Ferda @LefLop @Big Bob @UnkemptCL4PTP

https://imgur.com/xjyil5z Artist statement: Wow, that was a project. This thing took me many, many hours - definitely more than it looks like at the end. This was my first time doing a project where I a) had to manually scrape a lot of game data from the index; and b) had to search out multiple people's NHL player renders to do multiple jersey swaps. I had to learn a lot of new skills to make this infographic happen. I enjoyed having a purpose to dig through the gamesheets, which can be daunting if you don't have a purpose to be rummaging in them. The player design was easy once I found the suitable images. The jerseys are inconsistent, but whatever, it's only 2TPE and my first big project. I'm proud of the logo behind the glove on Kosmo, the positioning of the Andre cutout, and the flashy colours of the dlamb. I'm I like the general idea of the piece - the information there is valuable and interesting, but I'm struggling with the colour choice and background design. Any feedback on the design is welcome!

Hello all, I feel like it's time to reintroduce myself to all of those who really care to read 600 creative words from me, as it's been a while since I've been as active in the VHL as I have been lately. My name is Barzy, but you can call me Dan, sorta like my original player Dan Montgomery (smooth segue). I joined the VHL way back in season 61 (ancient times to some) off of a reddit post in the r/newyorkislanders subreddit made by the one and only @Spade18, and then quickly joined with @Smarch on the Yukon Rush. This quickly led to me having a midnight deep dive of the VHL and getting quite overwhelmed with how exactly to create a player. The week I joined was pretty much the last week before the VHLPortal was active, so my original player is probably among the last to have started a player update page, which I do not care to find. What I did care to find was this article from my first media spot in 2018. Here's some review screenshots from some familiar faces, singing my praise @DollarAndADream and @Banackock. So obviously you can tell I was kind of a big deal back in my day (2018 was my day). So now we can fast forward and Smarch in his wisdom as anointed me as AGM of the Yukon Rush- not many AGMs if any existed at this time if I recall- and he really just wanted to step down at the end of the season. Well, when he saw a bright up and comer like me, he handed the reigns over for the playoff run where we promptly blew it with a much better team (keep this in mind). Now after a full offseason of getting meme'd and losing most of my players, I knew what I needed to do .... TANK! So Tank I did, and I was able to gather up 3/6 of the first round selections in next year's draft by trading up and comers @Enorama and @SidTheKid87. This led to me having a well stocked team for what was to be my final season as a GM (until @Josh my AGM took over due to my inactivity on this front). Well, we rode being the best team through the regular season, into the playoffs, and if you remember from earlier.... we lost in 5 to I believe Oslo (now Minnesota) or Ottawa. Heartbroken, I kept going and focused on my player, Dan Montgomery, who had just transitioned from Center to Defenseman. We'll skip Monty's first 2 seasons in the VHL now that you know he never won anything in the VHLM, because they were spent with Helsinki, the team that drafted him, and an empty locker room, with a lame duck GM in @Higgins. Things soon changed as the OG bossman himself @Quik took over Helsinki once again, and promised great things to this wide-eyed first gen. Quickly, he and Quik decided it would be better for the team if he moved to Dman with a large crop of incoming forward talent namely, Kronos Bailey and @Jubo07, and even a once-in-a-generation goalie in Alexander Pepper @Sonnet. This Helsinki team is where I started to coast and become a welfare kind of player, which was fine given the nice TPE base I had given myself from ~4 seasons of hard work and TPE earning. My grinding resulted in a season 66 to remember where I made all-VHL first team, won the Alexander Valiq trophy, and most importantly my only Continental Cup (so far). This Titans team should've earned more, as we had so many great life-long Titans, but that season really was it. We made the finals a couple more times if I recall, but then kind of trailed off.... and so with it my VHL career seemed to come to a nice, and subtle ending... until @Beaviss and Bana convinced me to recreate on a whim, and Xavier leFlamant was born! Xavier is everything I wanted to do with Dan Montgomery where he's a colorful character, a forward (after I sheepishly moved Dan to defenseman), and even a non-USA player so I could make every world cup team. I chose to be from Martinique mostly because I wanted to pick a non-France French speaking country where I could flap my "flamingo" wings. This ended up being extra cool because it teaches people Americans like me do know geography, which some people refuse to believe. While this choice resulted in a few early exits in the world juniors tournament, it was still a great decision for me nonetheless (thanks @Pengu and @Zetterberg for those memories). Which of course leads me to Xavier's time in the VHL, where I am today! I was lucky enough to be drafted by my once mentee (seriously) and now TPE whoring online-friend Enorama, at 20th overall. Like seriously guys read all of the above that I just wrote including DaaD calling me a VHL stud and then imagine I get taken 20th overall, what an absolute steal from my once mentee (I taught him well). I get to play with some new faces I've never seen before in @GRZ (The Great Mikko) and work under a great AGM I've never played with in @fonziGG, along with some ever familiar faces. I even got @McWolf (who I didn't want to not name here) kicked out of the lockerroom for spying because his player SuperSmall Hornet had made the VHL. As a whole, I'm happy with my VHL experience, and glad to see where it goes from here. Seriously, I sat down here to try my best at writing 450 words and now I'm over 900 so I get to claim this for a media spot next week as well, absolutely sick. In summary kids, stay in the VHL it's fun, it won't rot your brain... BARZY OUT claiming 6+$500 donation bonus free week ending 6/21 claiming 6 2eek ending 6/28

Hey all. I've been blessed to have a lengthy career with the Riga Reign - the place Apollo Hackett has been privileged to call home since day one of his professional career. And Hackett's career has been marked with some of the best-earning players and fantastic teammates from beginning to end - from the likes of Joseph @McWolf and Ryan Kastelic @Enorama to Lincoln @Tate and Guy Sasakamoose @Cxsquared, he's had the privilege of being among the best defenders on an all-time stretch of a great defensive team . And that's to say nothing of Kallis Kriketers @hedgehog337, Finn Davison @Poptart, Greg Eagles @Greg_Di, the future in @efiug and the plethora of fantastic old (like my classmates - you know who you are!) and new forwards like @Patrik Tallinder, @Pengu, Ryan Busser @Z16and Kyl Oferson @Nykonax; Apollo has been extremely lucky to have teams stacked to the gills from line 1 to 4. I have full faith in Tate and Sasakamoose to carry the defensive torch for the Reign after Hackett's geriatric self calls it quits at the end of this season. And I've tucked a nice little boost in to my TPE to see if we can nab that cup at the end. It's been an absolute pleasure playing through this defenseman's career. Best of luck, Riga - you're in great hands.

(First off, I'd like to thank @rjfryman for helping to talk to me about this topic, I think a lot of this system comes from his discussions with me so I'd like to ensure that credit goes where credit is due. It is mostly his idea and I really just got this from him with my own current reasoning for it.) Hello, I would like to propose a running list of a pool of GM candidates and the required qualifications associated with being in the pool. This pool would also apply to AGMs as well. The reasoning behind this would be to establish a public list and view of the users that are qualified for GM jobs based on them meeting minimum requirements (experience as AGM, length in league, external experience etc...) for transparency reasons. Once this pool is established, any person from this list can respond to a GM post hire and Blue/BOG is aware that a person on this list is qualified for the job. This also means that hires from outside the pool will be not possible barring extreme circumstances (along with sufficient explanation). In my mind this would alleviate the problems of favoritism in the selection process. OBviously establishment of the pool would not be the only reason for hire, as other internal factors should be considered, but at the very least people can see where they stand in terms of other qualified candidates. I also would extend this to AGMing as well. Currently AGMs may be hired by the GM of teams without much due process. I propose that AGMs must also meet certain minimum requirements before being qualified to the AGM list, at which point then GMs can hire them at their discretion. To further this, all those AGMs that currently work in their teams would also be recognized as having "official gm training" and we could make this a mandatory step in qualification for the GM pool. In part of my discussion with several members, which I'll let them tag themselves for credit if they choose to, this is the conclusion I arrived at in order to maintain a more transparent hiring atmosphere. The structure of this idea is not fully fleshed out yet so I do invite other input into this but I believe this would be a good thing to go towards.

So where do I begin... Well, as some of you may know, I have battled my weight for quite some time. I used to play hockey, baseball and tennis in high school and was fairly athletic despite never being a smaller kid. I went to University sitting at a weight of 250 lbs and was feeling far better about myself then as while I wasn't small, I had a fair bit of muscle on me as well. University resulted in a nasty pop habit and a consistently up and down lifestyle. One minute I would be focused on hitting the gym and another minute I would be ordering 2 lbs of wings and drinking energy drinks to get me through a cram session or while finishing off an assignment. Ultimately, I finished out that year fulfilling the freshman fifteen and then some....as I ended my first year of University around 300 lbs. These habits wouldn't change over the next few years...and fast forward nine years later and I weighed in at 425....which as a 6"0 foot guy is something I never thought I would do. One morning I wasn't feeling so great and I went to the hospital which led to a conversation about a fatty liver and the discussion that I always dreaded having..."You need to lose weight or there is a good chance you will see an early death." Now I don't know if this was partially scare tactics...but I knew this was ultimately true but I always felt I was invincible. Regardless of their intentions, it most certainly worked. This scare happened on February 15th, 2020 and since then I have undergone a complete transformation for how I live my life. So...here is a list of things that has happened since then: * Currently Weigh 387 lbs (-38.0) * Trying to average around 2000-3000 ml of water per day * Have been avoiding things like pop (one can in the last few months and didn't really enjoy it) * Diet is mainly Fruits, Veggies, Lean Proteins (Chicken, Fish, Leaner Red Meats). I do try and balance out my food groups in by working in limited grains, dairy, etc. * Joined Weight Watchers three weeks ago and have maintained my healthy eating zone every single day since joining * Purchased some Bose earbuds and a Fitbit Versa 2 to help motivate me to be more active * Down two sizes in shirts and feeling a lot better mentally and physically * Girlfriend is down about 25 lbs since mid-February as well (she wanted to support me and join in to help) Biggest thing I need to work on is certainly exercising. I feel that now that I have my eating and drinking down, that it is time to start working in more exercise while maintaining that healthy eating lifestyle. Generally when I work I manage anywhere from 5000-7000 steps in a day so to maintain a 8000+ step trend consistently, I need to start figuring out ways to get off my ass when I am home. Covid doesn't help but the girlfriend and I plan on doing things like Golfing, Tennis and perhaps some water activities like Kayaking and Paddle-boarding this summer. I would buy a bike or rollerblades but they have been sold out everywhere here. So yeah...that's basically where I am at. I definitely am cooking more now that I have Weight Watchers as some of the recipes are awesome there and I love the balancing act of fitting within a certain range of points. So how is everyone else doing?

As the Moscow Menace move on from our first glorious era into a retool, it's a good time to look back and what we have achieved in seven seasons and counting, with the 2nd Moscow Hall of Fame induction. The past few seasons have been an exhilirating ride – two finals appearances, a Continental Cup in S70, and plenty of individual success to go around. One member who was here for the early lows and also the recent highs is Dan Baillie. A S65 expansion draftee, Baillie made his VHL debut with the Menace that season and stayed with us for almost the entirety of his career. Only one player has played more games for Moscow than Baillie – Jet Jaguar – and he was a key part of our build up from the ground. Baillie's loyalty was rewarded in a big way at the end. After several under-the-radar 30-goal seasons, Baillie broke into the All-VHL Second Team in that great S70, scoring his 400th career point with 3 games to go in the season. This put Baillie, for a time, top of the Moscow all-time scoring charts and only Jaguar has crossed the 400-point milestone since. Things would only get better as the Menace lost only 3 games en route to the championship, Jaguar passing the cup over the Baillie to lift it as his last act as a member of the Moscow Menace. Congratulations @wcats! Graphic credit to @gorlab as always

OVERVIEW It’s been over 24-hours since I joined the Victor Hockey League (VHL) and I’ve since seen my player sign into the VHLM (minors). Today I wanted to peal back the curtain and talk more about the experience as a new player and the community at large for what has been a wonderful start to play in this league. JOINING THE LEAGUE I first stumbled on VHL through Reddit, and specifically the r/EANHLfranchise subreddit where the recruitment was posted. I was hesitant, never having played a hockey simulation league before but figured I’d give it a shot. From there I got my email verification and began sifting through the mountain of information that comes with joining the league (a task I’m still going through as this is being written). From there I created my player, Kevin King, a Center from Detroit, MI, United States and began working on the TPE for said player. I did all this pretty solo, not sure how quickly to get integrated into the community on here. What if I didn’t care for this? What if I wasn’t any good at it? Finally though, I read through the signings and other guidelines and reluctantly joined the Discord. This was the best move I could’ve made. If I had any advise for commissioners on things to tell new players, it’s joining Discord and interacting with the very helpful community. OFFERS AND THE FRIENDLY GM CORE I first received an offer from @DMaximus of the Philadelphia Reapers. Then offers from Las Vegas and San Diego respectively, along with some well wishes from @Banackock & @Rayzor_7 who just came to welcome a new player. And that was the sense I got from this league as a whole. Over the next 12-hours I spoke with each GM who offered me a deal and was taken back by the help and sincerity of everyone I spoke to. @Viperxhawks19 was amazing in his responsiveness and willingness to continue to help me ease into the league, even after my decision to sign with the Las Vegas Aces, joining @Spartan who spent an hour my first night helping me navigate everything before I had even signed with the team. COMMUNITY After signing with Las Vegas, I was then ushered to the Lockeroom where I got to meet more teammates and my education on how to do things in the VHL continued. I’ve learned and been walked through so many things in such a short time but have never felt out of place among the community. I wanted to take this time to do write this, not just to fulfill an article, media spot, theme week, or whatever, but to really give thanks to some amazing people who helped make this first step much easier than it would’ve originally been. Since my signing I’ve had the chance to be apart of some constructive VHL related conversations and some downright odd chats. For my one and likely only fluff piece, thank you DMaximus, Banackock, Rayzor, Spartan, Viper, @Poptart, and anyone I may have missed for being apart of my first 24-hour journey through the VHL/VHLM. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Claiming for Theme Week

Thank you to all the applicants, I want to point out that the requirements and such are indeed high while the compensation isn't so I do want to point out a special thanks to all those that were willing to put forth themselves to do the extra work for the community for essentially peanuts. The MOD team has chosen at this time to add @Renomitsu and @frescoelmo to the team. Given that there were a number of worthy candidates available, it is unfortunate at this time we only have the two openings available so I invite you to inquire to me directly if you want feedback on your application.

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out! Also, make sure to check out the wide variety of content here at VSN. There are in-depth weekly updates and an award tracker for the VHL, a great podcast, and daily WJC coverage when it starts up, among other informative articles. Check out our latest instalments here: VSN Weekly Review | Talents Behind The Trophies | Ringless | Deep Rewind First Round Review This year’s first-round had some results that were a bit unexpected based on the final standings. The Minnesota Storm ended up leading the league by a mile in the regular season, and once the playoffs arrived, they struggled. The Saskatoon Wild and Philadelphia Reapers pulled away from the chasing pack as well in the regular season, carrying that momentum forward into the playoffs, and what looked to be the hardest-fought series between the Mexico City Kings and Las Vegas Aces was fairly close, but not the closest. Minnesota Storm vs (8) Miami Marauders This series put the 122 point Minnesota Storm up against the expansion Miami Marauders, who with 62 points, had only slightly more than half of what Minnesota did. Most would have expected this series to be a sweep, or at best 5 games. That’s why they don’t play these games on paper. Minnesota ultimately did advance past this series, but it took the full complement of games to do it. Miami taking the top seed to 7 is a fantastic accomplishment for the expansion franchise in its first season, and they should be proud to have done it. However, having that taste of victory in their mouths only to have it ripped away cruelly, in the end, will just leave these guys hungry for more heading into next season. Saskatoon Wild vs (7) Ottawa Lynx Ottawa, the other playoff team besides Miami without really that strong a performance in the regular season, performed a bit more closely to what might have been expected. This series was never close, with Saskatoon taking the win in 5 games, and most of the actual games weren’t that close either. In the three worst losses they were outscored a total of 20-5, and those aren’t the type of scores you’d write home about, even as an underdog. The 4-2 loss in game 2 wasn’t bad though, and they did win a game, although 4-3 in overtime is not the most convincing of wins. Philadelphia Reapers vs (6) Mississauga Hounds This is a series that perhaps should have been closer than it was. There was only a 17 point gap between these two teams in the regular season, so Mississauga certainly competed well enough to look like a threat. Ultimately, Philadelphia had been favoured for a reason and made that perfectly clear in the series, but this is one that should easily have gone to 6 or 7 games. Instead, the Reapers finished their business in 5, and the Hounds were unceremoniously removed from the playoffs in the same number of games as the Lynx who were a significantly worse team. Unlike the Lynx though, the Hounds made some of their losses competitive, with games 4 and 5 in the series only going Philly’s way by a goal each. Mexico City Kings vs (5) Las Vegas Aces This series was easily the headliner of the round going in, based on expectations. These teams finished only a single point apart, and they both spent the season among the more competitive teams. Both would have harboured dreams of a playoff run as well, so it was especially harsh on one of them that they ended up facing each other. That team ended up being the Aces, a team with a lot of late regular-season drama over a sudden influx of players. These players obviously didn’t end up helping them quite enough as the Kings dumped them out in 6. Interestingly, thanks to a single 8-2 drubbing in game 2, Las Vegas actually outscored Mexico City over the course of the series, but it’s only the wins that count and the Aces couldn’t find enough of them in total. Second Round, As It Stands This leaves us with only four remaining teams, and it’s the top teams in the standings who advanced. There haven’t been any upsets yet, at least in terms of series wins (there have been in terms of individual games and competitiveness of series) so we find our semifinalists all with a real chance to win the cup. Can Minnesota, the regular season favourites, shake off the playoff jitters that nearly removed them unexpectedly in the first round? Can Saskatoon and Philadelphia, two teams with not much between them in the regular season, produce a close and exciting series? Minnesota Storm vs (4) Mexico City Kings This series was expected to be a rather wild one, and so far it has not disappointed. Minnesota would have assumed they were the better team coming in, but after their performance in the first round, Mexico City will have liked their chances as well. As it stands, it’s been a fairly close one, 3-2 in favour of Mexico City. Most of the individual games have been close as well, with the exception of a 7-0 Kings win. The series could still go either way, but since the Storm can’t afford another loss, it’s just about favouring the Kings right now. Saskatoon Wild vs (3) Philadelphia Reapers One seed apart. Separated by 3 points. Both took their opening series in 5 games. If there’s one series that would be expected to come down to the wire, this is that series. So far, it has lived up to that billing in terms of the total games (3-2 in favour of the Reapers) but not so much in terms of the scores. There has only been a single game that has been close, a 3-2 overtime win that went Saskatoon’s way, whereas the other Wild win and all of the Reaper wins have been blowouts. 5-2, 6-2, 5-1, 6-1. As with the other series, it favours Philadelphia slightly because they only need to win a single game, whereas Saskatoon can’t afford a loss, but it’s still up for grabs. Playoff Performers Each of the remaining teams, should they win the cup, will have a few players to look at as the reason they’ve reached their goals. Potential playoff MVP candidates, should things go their way. Some teams will be more of a team effort than others, but every team has its standouts. If Minnesota wins If Minnesota wins, it will likely be due to the lead from the back style of defender Liam Flaten. 16 points leads a team with fairly spread out offensive contributions and the fact that he’s done it while also defending and preventing opposing goals makes it all the more impressive. Squirrely Dan has been the best of the forwards, with 14, followed by three players on 11. If Mexico City wins Mexico City’s case is harder to make, but Jeffrey Pines just about edges it out for right now. 14 points leads the team, but there’s also a 13 from Jay Jones, a 12 from Arthur Dayne, an 11 from Chris Hylands, and two 9s. They’ve been the definition of a team effort. Of note is the fact that Zamboni Driver has played the most minutes and faced the most shots, but the actual goaltending stats don’t stand out enough really. If Philadelphia wins Here’s the team where the goalie has the best case. John Poremba is the best among both SV% and GAA among goalies remaining in the competition. He’s also tied for the most wins. Adam Syreck has put up 16 points so far, carrying on right where he left off from the regular season, and arguments could be made for Jer Lefebvre and Spencer Elsby depending on how they perform going forward. If Saskatoon wins Looking at the way the stats have broken down for Saskatoon so far, their best case is probably Kazimir Komarov at the moment, with his 16 points leading the team. King Kruul and Tyler Walker aren’t too far back, and as they’re on defence, that would likely be taken into consideration. Four other guys in double figures for the Wild, most notably Adam Frence, but any of these would need a final round push to breakthrough. That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time! GMs: @McWolf @Spartan @DMaximus @Motzaburger @Rayzor_7 @rjfryman @iRockstar @DoktorFunk @Ricer13 @Dil @MexicanCow123 @ColeMrtz Players mentioned: @Gooningitup @Kachur @LefLop @Advantage @Spade18 @Spence King @CrlineDijohn14 @Jer_Lefebvre @Tape-to-Tape @rory @Infernal @Hylands33 @TTtheT @jacobaa19 @flatl99

Community. A word we often use to describe the vhl. We are just one giant community all here to have fun and meet new people. Everyone has had different experiences and thoughts on the community as a whole. I decided to talk to some people asking them six questions about the vhl community in general. Before I get into their responses I want to share my own experience. The questions I asked were as follow: How long have you been on Vhl? 2. Generally, how has your experience with the community been? Positive or negative? 3. Do you feel as though you have been accepted into this community well? 4. Do you feel as though you can be yourself here? 5, What would you like to change about the community? 6. Has being part of this community changed you at all? Good or bad. My replies? I’ve been in the vhl for 3 seasons so however many months that is. Generally speaking, it has been a very positive experience. Most people I’ve met have been extremely nice and welcoming. I have definitely met some amazing people. I do think I’ve been accepted well for the most part. There are always going to be people who maybe aren’t as accepting but for the most part, everyone has been great. At first, I didn’t feel as though I could be myself but now I definitely do feel as though I can be who I am and don’t have to piper ah sort of front on. I think for the most part it’s a very good strong community. I think I would change the fact that sometimes locker rooms are completely dead for days at a time. I wish it wasn’t like that but it’s also understandable because people do have other things to do. I think it has changed me to an extent because it has taught me how to interact better with people from all walks of life. I went and talked to 8 different people about their own experiences on this platform asking them the same questions. The responses are as followed: Question 1 ranged depending on the play, some being here for a couple of months to some being here for over a year or longer. One person interviewed (Renomitsu) has been here since 2010. Which is the outlook of things it is nice to have a difference of when they came on because that can change things? The 2nd question I got a lot of the same answer. Mostly the same answer. Everyone talked about how for the most part it has been a very positive and rewarding experience. No one had any real bad things overall to say about how the community was. I was told that it definitely has changed into a more positive place over the years when it might not have been in its earlier days. The 3rd question which I think is a super important one also got a lot of the same answers. They were all yes I feel very well accepted. They felt as though they could all be themselves and were accepted by the community. This I think is amazing to see because the more accepting as a community we are the more people will want to join. The 4th question very much goes along with the 3rd one with do you feel like you can be yourself. Once again it was an overwhelming amount of yes. They all felt as though they could be themselves within the community which is also very important. The next question was what they wanted to be changed. The most popular answer was that there is a lot of drama or that things are taken too seriously or not serious enough in some cases. Zetterberg said “you shouldn’t hold it up against someone if it isn’t a constant behavior” which I get that sometimes things are said. They aren’t meant to be mean but can be taken that way. Then someone gets hurt and holds it against that person for a long while. The other part of this was people thinking that there were times where nothing was done or not a lot was done in a situation and then a repeat situation would happen. Multiple people said they would like to see that changed. Renomitsu said that they feel as though people can always speak their minds because they are afraid of what other people will think. He always feels as though we should hold everyone to an equal standard and that standard should be high for everyone. I agree that everyone should get the same punishment and be able to speak what is on our minds. Cow said he didn’t feel as though any changes are needed but did applaud that more mods are being hired. The last question I assumed would be mostly no which was true. There were some cases although they said they were changed. Rayzor for example has said that he felt as though he has learned to control his language more and although he isn’t perfect he has gotten better with it. I think this was a very interesting experiment to see. It’s also nice to see that for the most part, the community is a very positive place for all people. This really speaks to the people running the server and how they have grown it. From what I heard it may have not been the best in the past but it seems to be a lot better. This is amazing to hear. Props to all mods, commissioners, and anyone behind the scenes who helps make this community a great place. If anyone below would also like to answer the questions feel free to do so. I’ll try to react to as many as possible. To anyone who participated thank you even if I didn’t use your name directly. I really do appreciate it. I do know now everyone will have these same views but from what I see this is a very kind and amazing community. 1015 words

The VHLM’s Newest Community: The Miami Marauders By: bigAL, MIA AGM Ahead of S72, the VHLM expanded to include a new franchise. The Miami Marauders joined at the same time as an influx of new members, and the new team offered first-time GM Krice a unique opportunity. “The sim hockey is fun and all, but what keeps me [in the VHL] is the fun of being in a really active team locker room,” says Krice when asked what keeps him here in the league. “And so,” he explained, “in my first GM assignment, I wanted to build a strong locker room.” Krice and bigAL both believe that teams in the VHLM serve an important purpose on the overall league structure. These teams are our new members’ first contact with the league, and so it is vitally important that this first contact happens in a way that encourages members to return. With friendly people, friendly policies, and a few ringers brought in from other teams, Miami sought to be the most successful locker room in S72. Expansion teams are designed to be unsuccessful on the ice in their first season. Without a dispersal draft, the Marauders were without a drafted player prior to the S72 draft. Without the year-over-year depth production ready yet, Krice sold off his high draft picks and built with an eye for the future. Without a chance to compete this season, Krice approached the draft with a focus on acquiring players who are strong community members. The Miami draft board was not ranked by TPE, or by how many times a player had been recreated. Instead, the GM and AGM ranked their preferred players by forum activity and general enthusiasm for the VHL. A lot of these players are eligible for the VHL draft this upcoming season. You don’t often get to see their LR contributions, so allow me to provide the league with a scouting update. I’m going to revisit the inaugural Miami Marauders draft class, highlighting their on and off ice skills, and assess their potential as VHLers. Draft Position Player Name + TPE VHL name S72 stats VHL commitment 23 – C Andre LeBastard (169) Andre Lebastard 13-26—39 (42 GP) S73 Draft eligible 26 – D Kosmo Kramerev (173) Mongoose87 19-42—61 S73 Draft eligible 29 – D Wolf Stansson (143) ahockeyguy 18-27—45 S73 Draft eligible 37 – RW Bobbie Cheechoo (94) Sharkie 13-13—26 S73 Draft eligible 42 – G Bacon (133) Bacon 13 W, 0.869, 3.96 GAA, 1 SO NY Americans (S72) 49 – C Dakota Lamb (134) dlamb 22-30—52 S73 Draft eligible 52 – RW Oh Sens (122) osens 11-18—29 S73 Draft Eligible 23 – C Andre LeBastard (C) Andre Lebastard 13-26—39 (42 GP) S73 Draft eligible Andre is the heart and soul of our team. He was voted by his peers to be the first captain of the Miami Marauders, and he has surpassed all expectations. Andre makes a concerted effort to engage with each and every member of our team on Discord. He’s active in a variety of timeslots, because of his upside down Australian time. Andre can help you and your team start your day off with a smile, or go to bed on a high note with a goofy joke. He almost always reaches his weekly TPE cap, and will continue to be more a successful journalist as his Shite Sports Network brand takes off. Andre will bring his fiery passion for winning and his unparalleled sense of humour to any VHL locker room. 26 – D Kosmo Kramerev Mongoose87 19-42—61 S73 Draft eligible You might know Mongoose as the guy who makes the excellent Seinfeld graphics. His player, Kosmo Kramerev, makes it even clearer that he’s a huge Seinfeld fan. Mongoose is a huge add to any locker room, even if you don’t know Seinfeld. He’s always around the discord and on top of league affairs. Mongoose is a calm, cool, and collected guy who doesn’t get sucked into the internet controversy of the day, and does his best to put the team first. On the ice, Kramerev has been tearing it up. He’s 7th in defence scoring, putting up a ridiculous 61 points on a team that might not get 61 points all season. Miami drafted Kramerev with a high pick, and a VHL team should too. 29 – D Wolf Stansson ahockeyguy 18-27—45 S73 Draft eligible Wolf Stansson is another player the experts might have called a ‘reach’ at the draft, but the Marauders are very happy with Stansson through the first half of the season. In the locker room, Wolf is our local intellectual. Wolf is deep and thoughtful in the conversations he starts, whether they are big thinkers like “what IS a chair?” or when he’s coordinating interviews with his fellow players. Stansson is a caring, compassionate, and team-focused member of our new community. On the ice, Wolf has been attached to Kramerev’s hip all season. While Wolf hasn’t reached the offensive ceiling Kramerev has, Stansson is still producing at more than a point a game. In the S72 draft, Miami got Stansson at #29; in the S73 VHL draft, Wolf shouldn’t be on the board by the time pick #29 comes around. 37 – RW Bobbie Cheechoo Sharkie 13-13—26 S73 Draft eligible Bobbie Cheechoo started the year off quite strong. He was the first big ‘graphics guy’ Miami drafted in S72. As a California dude, Sharkie is active in those prime PST time zones. In recent weeks, Cheechoo has scaled back his commitment to the VHL and has been less responsive in the locker room. Sharkie is still active on the forums: in each of the last two weeks, Sharkie has earned 14 or 15 TPE. Cheechoo is definitely a player worth taking a late-round flyer on in the S73 draft. 42 – G Bacon Bacon 13 W, 0.869, 3.96 GAA, 1 SO NY Americans (S72) Bacon bacon bacon. This greasy goaler is a really fun person to have around in the locker room. He’s keeping the team in games on the ice, and is an active and engaged member of the community. Bacon loves to get in on the jokes and goofy bits, but also is able to take a stand when the team is slighted. His passion for the league and connection with his team will be a big asset for the Americans in S74. On the ice, Bacon’s strong play earned him a spot on Team Asia’s WJC team. Fatigue has not been a problem in the season so far, but Bacon has started every single one of the Marauders’ S72 games. 49 – C Dakota Lamb dlamb 22-30—52 S73 Draft eligible 52 – RW Oh Sens osens 11-18—29 S73 Draft Eligible Much like Brennan and Dale, dlamb and osens are a package deal. Miami was very excited to pick up both boys in close proximity in the fourth round. Knowing Dakota and OhSens like we do now, it was an absolute steal getting these two as late as we did. Both dlamb and osens are a lot of fun to have in a LR: osens is legendary for his high-effort/low-quality graphics and his borderline terrifying off-ice hijinks; dlamb runs the night shift in the LR and keeps everyone highly entertained until 5am EST. Dlamb has to be commended for his leadership skills in LR management, conflict resolution, and sim hockey intellect – he is applying for a variety of league management and staff jobs, and will likely be a leader in the VHL for many seasons to come. Both these two players are worth an early pick for any VHL franchise looking for a scoring centre, a physical winger, or two fun-loving goofballs in the LR. *** The seven players listed above represent all Miami draft picks from the first to fourth rounds. The Marauders have hit on 95% of their high picks from the S72 draft. No players drafted in the fifth round or beyond became active enough to warrant interest for the S73 VHL draft. Since the S72 draft, the Marauders have signed two players from waivers: Rocket (90 TPE LW): 8-7—15, S73 VHL(M) Draft Eligible Florent Vericel (119 TPE LW): 8-12—20, S73 VHL(M) Draft Eligible Both Rocket and Vericel had friends on Miami already, and have integrated into the team locker room perfectly, and both would be positive additions to any VHL or VHLM franchise. *** Miami built its draft board based on community participation, enthusiasm for the league, and overall dedication to the cause. Other managers might be looking at TPE, or goals/assists, but I want the VHL scouts to know that each and everyone one of these characters is a good person, a great teammate, and an excellent addition to your big-league team. If you have any further questions about any of our players, feel free to join our discord locker room or message the management team. Happy theme week! & Marauders -bigAL, AGM Word count: 1500

Player Information Username: BladeMaiden Player Name: Venus Thightrap Recruited From: Other (I am a mother trucking recreate) Age: 21 Position: C Height: 69 in. Weight: 140 lbs. Birthplace: Denmark Player Page @VHLM GM

@Pengu is a graphical wizard deserving of thanks and praise. HC Davos Dynamo Receive: C Hunter Hearst Helmsley S74 VAN 3rd New York Americans Receive: LW Acyd Burn S74 DAV 2nd Vancouver Wolves Receive: RW Dalton Wilcox S73 NYA 2nd S74 NYA 1st Analysis Another day, another massive blockbuster trade in the VHL. In a season filled with big trades, we're treated to more of the same as two of the biggest stars of the VHL are on the move, along with a slew of draft picks. Jerry Garcia and the HC Davos Dynamo are sending Acyd Burn to Esso Drunkmann and the New York Americans, with Hunter Hearst Helmsley headed to Davos. Keaton Louth and the Vancouver Wolves get an S74 NYA 1st, S73 NYA 2nd and a reliable veteran in Dalton Wilcox. The biggest part of the trade, naturally, is VSN's top-ranked player on the Top 25, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, moving to Davos. General Manager Jerry Garcia's squad is a very different one from Season 71, now looking to contend for a Continental Cup. While a young core still remains in place, there's now a massive wealth of veteran talent that makes the HC Davos Dynamo a true contender this season. As it stands, they won't have much of a draft class next season, and that's ok. If they manage to retain enough of the veterans, this team will only get stronger as players like Roque Davis, SS Hornet and Robin Winters develop. The biggest question mark this season is whether or not veteran goaltender Samuel Ross will be good enough in net for Davos to lift the Cup. Joakim Bruden has the potential to be their guy in the future, but this season, it will be up to Ross. If Ross can elevate his game, the Dynamo's roster is good enough to beat anyone. With Acyd Burn now joining his fifth team in five seasons, it looks as if he might have finally found his forever home with the New York Americans. "After speaking with Acyd and his representation, we felt confident that New York would be an excellent place to finish his career and push for some silverware. Who doesn't love the Big Apple?" stated New York Americans Assistant General Manager Alabaster Slim, with General Manager Esso Drunkmann considerably too inebriated to field questions. "We are a team composed of many veterans and perhaps the young core of Davos just wasn't quite the right fit for him." It's been a rough couple of seasons for New York, but this time, it seems as if the playoffs are finally in reach for the Americans. With the D.C. Dragons struggling and Vancouver unexpectedly committing to a rebuild, New York should make the playoffs by default, but just getting there isn't going to be enough for them. "We weren't looking to the future when making these trades," continued Slim for the incapacitated Drunkmann. "Our aim was to compete now. We didn't feel like starting a rebuild early was plausible and we were confident we only needed a couple of pieces to really take this team to the next level. Furthermore, our top line of (Soren) Jensen, Burn and (Julius) Freeman is likely one of the most dangerous in the league as well." With General Manager Keaton Louth unexpectedly committing to a rebuild earlier in the season, it's been a changing of the guard for the Wolves. Franchise mainstays Julius Freeman and Hunter Hearst Helmsley are now gone as Vancouver prepares for a new core to be built. "I think I got great value for two older players," Louth stated in a press conference held after the trade. "It sucks to move them after playing together in Vancouver for so long, but it had to be done." However, Louth has done a tremendous job of getting Vancouver ready for the future. "Vancouver has six first-round picks in the next two drafts and some of them will be fringe-lotto picks," continued Louth. "Grab some fresh new talent to inject into our core and try to sign a couple of big free agents." With two first-round picks in the upcoming Season 73 VHL Entry Draft and four in Season 74, Vancouver certainly does have the tools to build a home-grown core, and they may need to depend on that. After signing free agents Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen and Gritty under the guise of competing for the Continental Cup, then proceeding to start a rebuild, luring free agents to the Wolves may prove to be tougher for Louth than he anticipates. But as lower round picks lose value with the big expansion changing the draft to 16 picks per round, Louth ultimately won't need to rely on outside signings. If he can maximize those picks, and hit on some gambles with the wealth of second-round picks he has, Vancouver may become too good of a destination for free agents to hold the experiences of Werbenjagermanjensen and Gritty against him. Overall, Davos benefits the most immediately. Adding a player like HHH makes them an immediate threat to any contender, especially when they really didn't pay a whole lot. New York ended up paying more for an extra season of Acyd Burn, who has not had much luck sticking with teams since being moved from Seattle. However, his timeline fits perfectly with the Americans', so it's quite possible he'll stick around here. Vancouver continues to stockpile draft picks, and with clever drafting, they will be right back in the thick of things again. Surprisingly enough, it's Garcia and Davos taking the biggest gamble with this move. They move a second-rounder in S74 and Acyd Burn for essentially half of a season of Helmsley. As a pending UFA, it's ultimately up to HHH where he spends his final season, which means there's a distinct possibility that half a season is all Garcia gets from this trade. Of course, it won't matter if the HC Davos Dynamo win the Continental Cup, but they could also be left empty-handed if they don't win the Cup and Helmsley leaves. Vancouver certainly is the safest bet to get the most value, but if this trade gets Davos or New York a Cup, they'll have gotten what they wanted too. One thing's for sure: this will be a fun trade to revisit down the road. Get-to-Know the Players Hunter Hearst Helmsley Ranked as the top player in the VHL in VSN's annual Top 25, Hunter Hearst Helmsley was certainly playing at that level this season. With 58 points in 46 games, he's already surpassed his career lows and this season could be among his best. At times, Helmsley was on pace to score over 100 points at times, his production slowed with Julius Freeman traded away. Still scoring well above a point per game, HHH will look to prove that his success wasn't dependent on Freeman, his long-time teammate. Joining a very powerful group of forwards in Davos, all eyes will be on HHH to see if his torrid pace from earlier in the season will resume. Acyd Burn Didn't we just write one of these for Acyd Burn? The two-time Continental Cup winner with the Seattle Bears is now joining his fifth VHL team in the past two seasons as he heads to the New York Americans. Although clearly on a better pace than his last with Malmo/Riga, things still didn't seem quite right in Davos for Burn. As big name after big name marched into Davos, many wondered if he was playing to his full potential. With his move to the Big Apple, we're going to get our answer, one way or the other. Dalton Wilcox While all the buzz of this trade is on a franchise player leaving the team he's spent most of his career playing for, it's easy to overlook Dalton Wilcox. The 28th overall pick of the Season 67 VHL Entry Draft by the Malmo Nighthawks, Wilcox has instead been an integral piece for the New York Americans after they acquired him in a trade. The reliable right-winger has never scored less than 20 goals in a season and has been a strong player on the power play, recording 11 power-play goals three separate times during his career. As Vancouver enters a rebuild, Wilcox is a tremendous veteran presence to have around for the young players left on the Wolves. Players Mentioned: @Beaviss, @Acydburn, @Dalton Wilcox, @GustavMattias, @Esso2264, @Josh, @McWolf, @Sonnet, @Brrbisbrr, @PadStack, @Hylands33, @Velevra, @rjfryman, @flyersfan1453, @eaglesfan0366 Under 250: the VHLM Review | Top 24 Standouts | VSN Weekly Review | Future Watch | Ringless | The Talents Behind the Trophies | WJC Team Rankings | WJC Update 1 | WJC Update 2 | WJC Update 3 | WJC Update 4

After having an abysmal 18-48-6 in S72, the Houston Bulls needed an overhaul. @Sonnet, the Houston Bulls GM at the time decided that a complete roster overhaul was in order. Houston released almost their whole roster and decided to build their team through free agent signings, trades and waivers. It didn't seem like a good move at the time, especially consider that Houston was the best team in the league 4 seasons ago and went on to win it all that year. However, this move would bring in some much needed talent. I will be listing all of the moves made in Houston and why even though they are in last place, this is the best move for the future of the Houston Bulls. TRADES: May 11th, 2020 HOUSTON BULLS ACQUIRE: S72 PHI 6th (Ken Fury) S73 PHI 2nd PHILADELPHIA REAPERS ACQUIRE: S72 SDM 2nd (Jer Lefebvre) In my opinion, this move is a solid move for both teams. Philadelphia gets a second round pick in Lefebvre to further establish themselves as a contender for the championship in S73, while Houston gets a solid 6th round defensemen in Ken Fury, plus a future second to boot. If Philadelphia doesn't win the cup in S73 and that 2nd they give up turns into an impact player for Houston, this trade can go sideways for the Reapers very quickly. Even now, with the second round pick that Houston gave up not being their pick, Houston gets a player and that pick back for practically scraps. TRADE WINNER: TBD May 30th, 2020 HOUSTON BULLS ACQUIRE: Riley Knight Gee PHILADELPHIA REAPERS ACQUIRE: S73 HOU 1st The winner of this trade we will not know until S74. Houston gives up their first for a former Houston great in Gee, but if that pick ends up being 1st overall, it could be a costly move for the Bulls in the near future. The Reapers don't get much towards their cup push here but the pick they acquire could be a lottery pick. TRADE WINNER: TBD June 2nd, 2020 HOUSTON BULLS ACQUIRE: D James Rose HALIFAX 21ST ACQUIRE: S74 HOU 2nd S74 HOU 3rd S74 HOU 4th This trade helps out both teams. Houston gets an immediate impact player in Rose, who has recorded over a point per game since the trade. Halifax on the other hand, get some mid to late round picks in the S74 draft which can transform them from fringe playoff contender to a contender in just 2 seasons. The real winner of this trade will be decided by the players that Halifax selects in the S74 draft. TRADE WINNER: TBD Now, let us take a look at some of Houston's free agent signings and waiver claims. They have made offers to many players and many went on to sign with other teams, but some of the players that Houston signed have turned into stars for the franchise. Signing #1: RW Casey Scott for 1 year, 1.5 Million Houston here gets a solid ground and pound forward who has a decent shot. He has great hands and is hard to knock of the puck. Signing #2: RW Patrik Laine for 1 year, 1.5 Million Houston gets another right wing in Patrik Laine. He has an offensive threat whenever he is on the ice whether he is shooting or passing. He doesn't use his 6 foot 5 inch frame to his advantage and is questionable defensively, but this is a good signing for Houston. Signing #3: C Sidney Patrick Crosby for 1 year, 1.5 Million Houston gets a good centerman in this deal. Crosby is a well rounded center who isn't very physical but is great on both defense and offense. It shows in the stats as since the signing, the 18 year old has 21 points in 20 games with the team, 11 of those being goals. Houston got a gem with Crosby here. Signing #4: RW Kevin Murray for 1 year, 1.5 Million Murray is a nice depth right wing who has great skating and defensive ability, but isn't very good offensively. He fits well in Houston's penalty kill and is good with his stick as well. Final Thoughts: Houston still has a long way to go before they are the juggernaut of the league again, but with some solid roster players, stockpiled picks in the next draft and younger talent that can make a line electric, I wouldn't be surprised if Houston is a contender for the cup again next year. (751 words, 4005 characters)

@Banackock I really want to thank you for everything you’ve done for the M. Idek if you remember this, but you left a comment on one of my posts in my draft season that said “I’m watching you @Patrik Tallinder.” This comment, along with another comment from @diamond_ace, were just regular comments. But for me, they were motivation to stay active. Especially when my name was nowhere to be found in draft-related articles at that point. To be recognized, even just briefly, by commissioners and GMs was exciting, and part of the reason I started making draft content was to give other new members that same feeling. Cheers man, good luck with Seattle in the future.

Hello everyone, and welcome to a brand new series on VSN! In Diamonds In The Rough, we take a look at some of the upcoming draft’s underdogs. This season has had no shortage in underdogs, to say the least. We have an abundance of unique storylines to cover with these players, and we’re excited to see where they fall on their draft day. With the expansion teams coming in for this draft and being underdogs themselves, maybe they take a chance on a player like this. Now, let’s see who it is that we’re talking about. - Ajay Krishna - G | Ranked #20 in midseason rankings Ajay Krishna has been one of my personal favourites of this draft class for a little while now. Impressively earning every possible capped TPE available to him so far, the goaltender’s progression to this point is something that can be maintained for as long as he chooses. While he hasn’t capitalized on a crazy amount of uncapped TPE opportunities, he did show a flash of promise just a couple of weeks ago when he posted a week of 30 TPE, 18 being uncapped. His TPE earning habits remind me somewhat of a young Jacques Lafontaine in his draft season, and Lafontaine has unquestionably turned out great for the Wranglers. What makes Krishna an underdog is his total TPE. His 146 TPE places him at 23rd in the draft class, so he has a bit of a hill to climb. You may be asking how his TPE would be so low with his impressive productivity, and the answer lies partially in the newly added late joiner TPE. Krishna joined in a time when the adjustment was not automatic, and he needed to claim it manually. He did not do so, and missed out on 12 TPE. Combining this with his lack of uncapped TPE participation so far, it seems that he is a bit behind right now. The good news is that his outstandingly consistent capped TPE earning makes him a very high potential, low-risk pick in the draft. The uncapped TPE will hopefully come as well, and if that is the case, we could be looking at an extremely valuable goalie prospect. - Kevin King - C | Ranked #25 in midseason rankings A prospect with almost scary potential, Kevin King has unfortunately fallen victim to poor timing. Joining in the very last week of S73 eligibility, he has found himself in a position where he has a ton of catching up to do. That said, he has not wasted as much as a second so far. Kicking off his career with a week of 46 TPE, King made a statement to the VHL right out of the gate. Pairing that with the second week of 14 TPE where he capped out once again, it becomes apparent that he’s a player who could skyrocket in value over the next few weeks. On the ice, the offence hasn’t come yet for the American forward, but he does have a decent build. His only glaring weakness is puck handling, but that can be ironed out pretty quickly with time. I expect the goal totals to increase a lot really soon, and hopefully, that puts him closer on the radar of VHL GMs. With his late entry into the VHLM, it sparks the question of where he would be if he had joined earlier. Would he be pushing for a spot in the top ten, or even the top five? That said, there is a spectacular amount of talent here, and hopefully, he is able to reach his highest potential. - Alec Volchenkov - C | Ranked #27 in midseason rankings SirRupertBarnes is a user who is looking for redemption. His last player, Dimitri Volosenkov, was one of the most exciting prospects of the S66 Draft. Following his top-five selection in the draft, Volchenkov would go on to have a fantastic rookie season with 70 points in 72 games. However, that success would be short-lived, as he would post 21 points the next season and go entirely inactive. This time around, his latest player Alec Volchenkov hopes to prove his reliableness. So far, his TPE production shows that he’s off to a great start, with 74 TPE over 4 and a half weeks, including 50 in the last 2.5 weeks. The Russian is a fantastic two-way player who shows much promise as a playmaker as well. He always finds a way to get the puck to teammates in open ice, which is an incredibly useful skill at both ends of the ice. Especially at a time where the majority of forwards prioritize scoring, his ability to thread the needle will likely be coveted by VHL teams to balance their lineups out a bit more. There’s quite a bit of promise in this player, and I don’t think Volchenkov will burn out as Volosenkov did. - John Merrick - C | Ranked #11 in midseason rankings It’s hard to call a first round prospect an underdog, but I think it’s very fitting for John Merrick, given the circumstances. Like King, Merrick entered the VHLM in the last week of S73 eligibility and has not had much time to catch up. I think it is fair to consider him an underdog since had he recreated at last season’s deadline, he may have very well been a contender for a top-three selection, possibly even first overall. The reason I say this is because Steve’s last player, Guy LeGrande, was an S67 player who had already amassed 1177 TPE, which still stands as seventh in his draft class, even with over two weeks since he retired. Merrick is a goal-scoring centre with all the right tools to be successful offensively. His faceoffs could use some work, but he’s still extremely early in his development, so it will likely be improved soon. He has had a quality start to his career with the Mexico City Kings, with 16 points in 26 games. With his rapid improvement presumably continuing for the playoffs, expect him to be a real breakout candidate there. This is undoubtedly an elite prospect, and only time will tell how far he can climb up the rankings before draft day. There are definitely other prospects who have fallen under the radar for one reason or another, but these ones are the most notable ones to me. It’s always fun cheering for the underdog, so make sure to keep an eye on these players around draft time. If you’d like to give some recognition to an underdog of the S73 Draft class, feel free to leave a comment on this article. With that said, we’re all done for this season, but make sure to come back next season for the underdogs of the S74 draft class! One way to follow these prospects is to keep up with VSN’s VHLM content! We’ve got weekly updates for it as well as the big league. Keep an eye out for that, as well as an upcoming mock draft! But really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg with VSN content. We’ve got plenty of diverse content that any member would like. Here’s our latest work: | VHLM Weekly | VHL Weekly | Behind The Trophy | Players mentioned: @Hooperorama @IamMOOSE @SirRupertBarnes @Steve

It is approaching 1 month since I joined this hockey forum and I know that doesn't sound like a long time but with how crazy the world has been in 2020, it certainly feels like a long time. I just want to write an article on my thoughts of the site, the people who have stood out to me and about my future on the site. Let us begin. What do I think of the VHL? I think the VHL has been an amazing experience. I've gotten a couple of my friends to join the site and they have also had a blast on here. I think this is a great online hockey experience that any hockey fan would enjoy. The community is extremely friendly and always willing to help new players out, the discords are super active for both teams and the main discord and there is always a way to change it up in the VHL. I think the TPE system is an extremely unique way to upgrade player attributes and I have enjoyed earning both capped and uncapped TPE throughout my first month on the site. As shown by our BLM drive a couple of weeks ago, the community is so eager to help out and make a difference by raising $2000 dollars in 2 weeks which for an online hockey forum is extremely impressive. I watched one of the old draft streams last night. They are extremely well done as are most of the articles and media spots on the site as well. Who has caught my eye so far? Before I pick out people that have stood out, I just want to say that this whole community is super cool. Everyone has been welcoming and helped me out when I needed it so first I want to thank everyone for taking me in for this first month. Now, who has caught my eye? A Future Commissioner: It was a hard choice when I received offers from several teams in the VHLM when I first joined back in May, but @Sonnet made me an offer I couldn't refuse and since then, we have become very good friends and teammates. It sucks that he can't be Houston's GM next year, but I know he will be doing a large amount of great things for the VHLM when his transfer to Commissioner happens next season. Teammates: The Houston locker room has been a great place for me to meet new players, make friends and just have a fun time. I've enjoyed the company of several players. Veterans like @MattyIce and @KnightRiley or new players and recreates like @Enorama @JigglyGumballs @DreMin15 and @d3vilsfire. It has been a blast for me even though we aren't looking so good in the standings at this time. A Certain VHL GM: I have always seen this person leave positive comments on my media spots and it just shows how good a person they are. Not to mention they are currently in the middle of a VHL Dynasty. I talk to them in general in the discord server as well and they are just so positive. I am talking about the one and only @Banackock The Staff Team: The Commissioners and Staff on this site are great. They do their jobs but also have a lot of fun doing them and they are always alive in the VHL discord. They have helped me out and overall made my VHL experience that much better over these last few weeks. What do I think of my future in the VHL? If anyone were to leave this site after one week or just a month, you have to be out of your mind especially considering how unique an experience this is. Will I stay on the VHL? To answer that, absolutely. The last month was an absolute blast and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to stay here for a lot longer. Even though I am just a high school kid, I will still make time for the community and to play in the VHL. With Summer Vacation right around the corner, now is the perfect time to do it! I am here to stay for a lot of years to come. (709 words, 3612 characters)

Hello all, and welcome to my S73 Early Mock Draft for the Top 10 picks in the upcoming draft. I decided to keep it ten with the Expansion Teams being able to be slotted anywhere from 11 to 16. Therefore, by looking at the current standings I decided to stick with the top ten and mock who I think could end up on each of those teams, if the picks were laid out how they are. This is the order that I am going off of: 1. D.C. 2. Malmo 3. Prague 4. Vancouver 5. Moscow 6. Malmo (from DAV) 7. Helsinki 8. Toronto 9. Vancouver (from NYA) 10. Malmo (from RIG) Now obviously a lot can change with trades, the remaining twenty games of the season, and obviously with the draft lottery. However, I thought this may be a fun little short article to see who has been trending well and where some of these players might end up. Now onto the first five of the top ten... 1. D.C. Dragons - Tyler Walker (D - 279 TPE) @Advantage I feel like D.C. could go anywhere but goalie here and it would make a lot of sense. Ultimately though, with a lot of the team's defenders already in their prime, the Dragons scoop up the top player (that isn't a GM) available in Walker. The Canadian has recorded eighty points in fifty-two games this season for the Saskatoon Wild and has been a steadying presence on the blue line for one of the league's top teams. Walker projects as a two-way defender that can do it all on the ice, as he has the skating to be everywhere, and the offensive instincts to create a lot of pressure in the opponents end. There are some other solid options, but this seems to be the easy pick to make and the one I would expect Enorama to settle on. 2. Malmo Nighthawks - Micah Adrienne (D - 253 TPE) @Poptart I have a feeling that Malmo will be a little disappointed to not end up with Walker, but I think that disappoint will quickly clear once they realize that Micah Adrienne is a fantastic pick as well. The young defender is poised to be a guaranteed top three pick in this draft, and with his defensive play style, he reminds me a lot of Jerry Garcia when Malmo took him with their very first entry draft selection in team history. Adrienne has had a great year in the minors by showcasing his well-rounded game with fifty-eight points, one-hundred and seventy nine hits and seventy-three blocked shots. To me this is also a fairly easy pick for a team that could use a defensive stabilizer alongside the more offensive Viktor Alexei Kamenov. 3. Prague Phantoms - Groovy Dood (LW - 192 TPE) @bigAL I see Diamond_ace as someone who loves to take new members that have both a great work ethic and a professional attitude, and Dood will certainly meet these requirements. The two-way forward has shown off an impressive leadership quality and intangibles that could see him selected higher than expected. I have a feeling Prague goes forward here with their surplus of defenders, and this seems like as good of pick as any. 4. Vancouver Wolfpack - Jeffrey Pines (LW - 221 TPE) @rory Like Dood before, I think Pines has showcased some great activity thus far in the league. Pines does have a bit more of a traditional player build than someone like Dood, so that could give him the edge at the third overall selection to some, but I see him falling to four and being an awesome pickup for the Wolfpack. Active first gens who are making their names well-known in the VHL are not so easy to come by when surrounded by a mix of recreates, but Pines is exactly that and would be a great first of two selections for the Vancouver Wolfpack. 5. Moscow Menace - Shawn Glade III (D - 201 TPE) @ShawnGlade I am not really sure where Shawn will go as I know some have issues with him, but at the end of the day he is the best skater available at this point and at a position that Moscow could use. With Moscow going towards a rebuild, Glade III can give them some clear talent at the position, as the defender has shined this year on Mississauga with his two-way play style. His game is similar to Walker's but perhaps not quite as developed yet, but that play style could lend well to the Victory Hockey League wherever he is drafted. 6. Malmo Nighthawks - Jacob Tonn (G - 268 TPE) @MexicanCow123 Some feel it is best to wait on goalies but at this point there really isn't a skater any better. With the Nighthawks being able to take Frostbeard with their final pick of the first round, I believe they go and take their goalie of the future here in Jacob Tonn. He sits third in the entire draft in TPE and has been able to keep the gap tight between himself and both Frostbeard and Walker. Ultimately he will fall a bit due to position, but the Nighthawks have to be thrilled to get a future top pairing D and future elite netminder with their top-two picks. 7. Helsinki Titans - Dan Baillie Jr. (RW - 182 TPE) @wcats At this point I could see the Titans leaning towards some experience and taking the forward in Dan Baillie Jr. There are a few players that could go here (some will be featured in the next couple of picks) but I see the scoring Power Forward going here. Baillie possesses a great shot to go with his big frame and developing physical play. I don't necessarily think this is the right pick due to the work ethic being solid, but not at the elite level I think that is still available, but with his experience I could see DBJ going seven to the Titans. 8. Toronto Legion - Kosmo Kramerev (D - 185 TPE) @Mongoose87 I could see Kosmo Kramerev as a future steal when we look back on this draft in ten seasons. The defender has been a tremendously active individual in his own locker room and has showcased activity by being one of the top earning players in this draft. As a first generation defenseman, I do think his value is enough that he could go as high as four, but ultimately I do see the potential in him slipping if teams like Moscow value the veteran aspect of Glade over the newer talent in Kramerev. I for one think that this is a potential climber by the time we hit draft night, but for now I'm sure the Legion would be thrilled to acquire his services at pick eight. 9. Vancouver Wolfpack - Andre LeBastard (C - 181 TPE) @Andre LeBastard I was back and forth with a few names but Andre LeBastard has been one of the more active players in this draft. I have tips from inside his VHLM LR on how active he is, and with the time and effort he has put into his skillset, I definitely feel that it is not being exaggerated. Like Kramerev, this player is a bit quieter around the league but has let his play do the talking in a big way. Also like Kosmo, I could see Andre moving up in this draft and in my opinion, he would be a better pick at seven than Baillie Jr. If he keeps it up, this is another name that could be a big deal in a few seasons, and if so, the Legion will have an important player in their hands. 10. Malmo Nighthawks - Marshall James Frostbeard (LW - 286 TPE) @FrostBeard GM player. Last pick. Y'all get it. Frosty is a beast and the best player on paper in this draft. He will be an elite forward in the future for Malmo, and will make up what is a practically perfect first round for the Nighthawks, as they are able to acquire a future top forward, defender and goalie with their three picks.

Credit to @Motzaburger for rockin' around the clock to produce this image. Hello VHL, and welcome to the Season 72 edition of Deep Rewind! In this segment, we'll explore the vast history of the Victory Hockey League, as a league such as this doesn't make it more than 70 seasons without having good stories to tell. Whether it's some of the greatest achievements of the league's legendary players, the marks left by top teams, or the outright bizarre, the history of the VHL has a story for everyone. Through Deep Rewind, these stories will be told. With the S72 World Junior Championship underway, VSN is your first stop for WJC content! Along with team rankings for the tournament, check back for daily updates on the day's games! Additionally, both VHL and VHLM weekly reviews are still being churned out, and Ringless debuted this past week to go with The Talents Behind the Trophies for your VHL history fix! Under 250: the VHLM Review | VSN Weekly Review | Future Watch | Ringless | The Talents Behind the Trophies | WJC Team Rankings | WJC Update 1 | WJC Update 2 Season 72 marks an important milestone for the Victory Hockey League: it's the tenth anniversary of the return of the World Junior Championship, set to begin this week. The annual tournament features the VHL's best up-and-coming prospects, competing on an international stage, with teams representing Asia, Canada, Europe, the United States, and the World. The WJC not only gives the VHL a glimpse at the next generation of players but potentially the next general managers as well. With no experience required, the WJC has also become a proving ground for those looking to try their hand at managing a team. Season 72 marks the tenth anniversary of the return of the WJC, and what better way for Deep Rewind to celebrate the tradition of this developmental tournament by going back to Season 62 when the WJC returned? With the return of the World Junior Championship, the first major decisions to be made by WJC Commissioners Banackock, McWolf and BarzalGoat were choosing the inaugural general managers for the five teams. Of the five members chosen, three of them went on to GM a VHL team: Jubo07, selected for Team Canada and is currently the Helsinki Titans' GM; Enorama, who led Team Europe and is the current D.C. Dragons GM; and ShawnGlade, who was chosen for Team USA and was the GM of the HC Davos Dynamo from Season 64 to Season 69 (nice). TheLastOlympian07 was selected for Team World, and Dtayl was Team Asia's GM. With the GMs and rosters decided, it was finally time for the World Junior Championship to return! The first game of the World Junior Championship pitted Team World against Canada, with the very first goal scored by SEA RW1 late in the first period, assisted by Patrick Triscuit and Braylon James. Just over a minute later, Jake Davis provided the first goal by a human player to tie it up for Canada, with Cayden Saint and Leph Twinger with the assists. However, Canada quickly asserted their dominance with a 5-2 victory on the back of Davis scoring a hat trick. The first day also featured Team Asia asserting itself behind strong games from Vyacheslav Smirnov, Maxim Kovalchuk and Sergei Kovalev, defeating World and USA before dropping a close one in a rematch with World. It was a tough start for the USA, going 0-2 against Asia and Europe, coming up short on two one-goal games after blowing third-period leads. Strong goaltending from Kallis Kriketers helped Europe end the first day at 1-2, hopefully taking momentum with them into Day 2. Dan Wilinsky, Leph Twinger and Julian Borwinn put a halt to that with three-second period goals against Kriketers and Europe, improving Canada to 3-0 to open Day Two. Team USA notched their first victory on the back of Ismond Kingfisher, along with a three-point game from Marvin Harding as USA defeated World 4-0. It turned out to be a rough day for World, who proceeded to be trashed 7-1 by Asia and suffered a 3-1 loss to Europe, but a 2-1 win against the USA left them at 2-4 and kept the day from being a total loss. Day Two also featured the first meeting of the United States and Canada, in which Kevin Weekes backstopped Canada to a 4-2 win, keeping them at 4-0. Team Asia finished the day at 3-1, right in the thick of the race for the top spot. Kevin Weekes and Canada were victorious in their first meeting with Team USA. Day Three started with a huge match-up between the top two teams of the WJC so far, Canada and Asia. Fireworks were expected, and both teams absolutely delivered in a game that was an absolute nightmare for both tendies. Canada and Asia combined for 108 shots and 11 goals, but two huge third-period goals by Leph Twinger erased a 5-4 deficit for Canada and kept their perfection alive. A rematch later in the day again saw Canada top Asia on Jake Davis' seventh goal of the tourney, giving them a 5-4 win. Europe sat at 2-5, with the United States and World held even at 2-4, with the final day of round-robin going to be the deciding factor of the seeding. The United States had a rough draw, facing off against both Canada and Asia on the last day of round-robin play. However, behind a masterful performance in net by Ismond Kingfisher and two-point games from Marvin Harding, Shawn Glade and Dan Montgomery, the USA stunned Canada 3-1 to hand them their first loss of the WJC. They fell just short of defeating Asia, losing 4-3 after surrendering two third period goals and finished 3-5. Canada crushed World 6-2 behind a Leph Twinger hat trick, finishing 7-1 as World dropped to 2-6 after additionally losing to Europe to close out round-robin play. Europe finished at 3-5, drawing even with the United States, but Europe and World would meet in the Quarter Finals to determine which one would be competing for a medal. Europe, backed by Kallis Kriketers, reached the Quarterfinals against Team World. After a tournament that featured a lot of scoring thus far, fans were treated to a defensive game between World and Europe in the Quarterfinals. It didn't start out that way, with Chace Trepanier, assisted by Joseph McWolf and Braylon James, scoring in the opening minutes to give World an early lead. Several minutes later, however, Europe drew even on a Vaydar Odinsson goal, with Jesper Stromberg and Mikka Pajari picking up assists. It was a dismal second period for World, who were outshot 7-1, but Cole Mertz bailed out his teammates by stopping all seven, keeping the score tied at 1-1 heading into the third period. After only managing six shots through the first two periods, World exploded for 15 in the third, with Jessy Thomas, assisted by Joey Boucher and SEA D2, scoring the go-ahead goal just over three minutes in. Europe mustered 11 shots of their own, but Mertz held on strong to give World a 2-1 victory, sending Europe home and setting up a Semi-Finals match with Canada. The United States and Asia squared off in the first Semi-Finals game, and it could not have been much of a worse start for the Americans. After Billy Pilgrim was called for holding, Asia capped off their first power play with a goal by Maxim Kovalchuk to strike first. Sergei Kovalev and Kisshan Shan also would score later in the period to put Asia up 3-0, going up 4-0 early in the second courtesy of Nikita Flipachyev. The United States, however, stormed back, making it 4-2 on goals by Jose Gonzalez and Bryce Zhields. A power-play goal by Shawn Glade early in the third put the Americans within one, but Tzuyu's third point of the game was a goal that restored the two-goal lead just seconds later. Marvin Harding would get USA within one later in the period, but their furious rally fell short, and Asia advanced to the Finals on a 5-4 win. Alexander Pepper and Asia defeated the United States to reach the Gold Medal Game. With a 7-1 record, Canada was heavily favoured against a World squad that had scrapped to get here, but the World had no plans of being a speed bump. Julian Borwinn quickly put Canada on the board, but in less than two minutes, Chace Trepanier had scored two goals, with Joseph McWolf assisting on both goals, and suddenly Canada was down 2-1. However, it did not last for long, as Leph Twinger capitalized on a feed from Burnt Toast to tie the game three minutes later. Tied at 2, the Canadians came out for the second period and absolutely took over the game. Outshooting World 24-7 in the second period, Cole Mertz refused to yield, and World continued to hang on. However, Canada got their chance for a power-play after McWolf recorded a goalie sack on Kevin Weekes, and mere seconds later Burnt Toast broke the tie with a power-play goal. It proved to be the only goal of the period, and Canada led 3-2 going into the third. Although World mounted a determined bid to tie the game, including pulling Mertz in the final minute for the extra attacker, Weekes and Canada held on for a 3-2 win and a date with Asia with gold on the line. But first, the United States faced off against World with the bronze medal on the line. After their fierce effort against Canada, World was physically and emotionally spent, and it showed against the United States. Only able to muster 15 shots, Ismond Kingfisher had a much more pleasant experience than Cole Mertz, who had to face 46. The Americans racked up goal after goal, with World seemingly unable to mount any spirited resistance. Finally, and mercifully, the nightmare for Mertz came to an end, with Team USA handily winning the bronze medal with a 6-0 victory. Behind Kingfisher's shutout, Dan Montgomery and Shawn Glade both scored four points. There was now one final game to play, with the gold medal on the line. Although Cole Mertz made this save, the United States dominated the Bronze Medal Game. The United States had created an expectation for fireworks with their six goals in the Bronze Medal Game, and Canada and Asia did not disappoint. With a staggering 30 combined shots in the first period, starting goaltenders Alexander Pepper and Kevin Weekes had their hands full. Leph Twinger and CGY D1 quickly put up two goals to give Canada a 2-0 lead, but Sergei Kovalev quickly tied the game with two quick goals of his own. But just as he had done the entire tournament, Leph Twinger picked up Canada and put them on his back, completing the hat trick in the first period to give Canada a 4-2 lead. An early power-play goal by Jake Davis extended the lead to 5-2, but Dylan Nguyen got Asia back to within two late in the period. With 32 combined third period shots, neither Canada or Asia was content to keep the score where it was. Tzuyu's goal early in the period got Asia within one, and the arena was buzzing as the minutes ticked away. With Asia seemingly bound to tie the game, it was instead Jake Davis who found twine, putting Canada up 6-4 with just minutes left. Although Vyacheslav Smirnov scored to bring Asia within one with a minute and a half to go, it was too little, too late. Gear flew from all over Canada's bench as the players streamed onto the ice, the inaugural VHL World Junior Championship winners and recipients of the gold medal! On top of gold medals, Jake Davis was named the Most Valuable Player of the WJC, with Leph Twinger being named the Top Forward. Maxim Kovalchuk of Asia was named Top Defenseman, and American netminder Ismond Kingfisher was named the Top Goaltender. As the Season 62 WJC came to a close, the entire event had been a tremendous success. A renewed interest in junior competition in the VHL had been rekindled, as both prospective players and managers sought to prove themselves on an international stage. Today, ten seasons later, the tradition continues. Top prospects, players looking to make a name for themselves, international pride, and the next potential batch of league managers all come together at the WJC to make an unforgettable event for all involved. As the VHL continues to grow, it's safe to say the World Junior Championship will be here for beyond ten more years, providing countless more memories and chapters to the history of the VHL. Jubo07 and Team Canada, Season 62 World Junior Championship Gold Medalists. Player Mentions: @Banackock, @McWolf, @BarzalGoat, @Jubo07, @Enorama, @ShawnGlade, @TheLastOlympian07, @Dtayl, @Da Trifecta, @Josh, @Symmetrik, @DollarAndADream, @Laflamme, @hedgehog337, @oilmandan, @Spade18, @.sniffuM, @Lefty, @BarzalGoat, @BOOM™, @Tim, @Devise, @ColeMrtz, @Jtww, @Tape-to-Tape, @Kisshan, @Arayvenn, @Jose Gonzalez, @tfong, @ChaceT, @Toast, @Sonnet

Welcome back to WJC Update for the Season 72 World Juniors Championship. This series is about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment! Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment. VHL Weekly | VHLM Weekly | League History | S72 WJC Team Rankings The round-robin is officially over, and our matchups are set for the medal round. All in all the standings are pretty comparable to our second update, only the final pair of teams has swapped spots. Team USA maintains their top spot after a brilliant string of performances. Next is Team Europe who narrowly edges out Team Canada. Finally, Team World has overtaken Team Asia for the fourth position thanks to their tenacity in the final string of matches, despite actually losing to Team Asia in their final game of the round-robin. Let’s dive into the individual team’s performances now. Team United States of America Coming from their humble starts after the first day of play, the United States has continued its strong run of performances coming out of Day Two. The US started Day Three with a strong win against fellow contenders in Team Europe, outsourcing the Europeans by a score of 6-4. Lucas Brandt played a fantastic game, scoring two goals and assisting once, as the Americans mounted a push late, scoring three goals in the third period. Ending the round-robin on somewhat of a sour note, the Americans lost to Team Canada in an overtime thriller, despite outshooting the Canadians 57-34. They won’t be happy but considering they went through the entire round-robin only losing twice, both in overtime, and I’d say they are sitting pretty for the medal rounds. The Americans are a textbook case of balanced scoring; they have nine players with ten or more points; the next closest is Team Europe with only six. They have the most goals scored with 45 and the highest GD at +11. Jack Feriancek and Mickey Dickson combine to be a lethal front line, each with 15 points, while winger Gino DiGiannantonio has impressed as well, scoring 4 points in their final two matches to sit at third on their scoring charts. Their defence will have to improve, however, and goaltending remains inconsistent. John Poremba’s .886 SV% may not be enough, despite thus far being good for six wins, but at the end of the day, if they keep outsourcing the opponents, it doesn’t matter how many you concede. Team Europe The Europeans will be somewhat disappointed with how their final day of round-robin hockey went but certainly ended with a morale booster. Playing three games saw them lose twice, against both the United States and Canada, and then win big against Team Asia. They were simply outgunned against the Americans, but they let Team Canada slip past them in a disappointing 4-3 loss that saw them outshoot their opponents 48-39. In that game, Richard Penisson did well to score twice, but a lack of discipline saw them concede twice early on in the third period. Really, their biggest error was conceding a total of nine penalties, on which they were punished three times. Their final game, and indeed the final game of the round-robin overall, perhaps felt like a bit of a release. The Europeans took out their anger on poor Team Asia, winning the match 7-3. Gregg Stallion, who is tied with Penisson for most goals on the team with 6, found the back of the net twice. Zyrock12 had a particularly impressive four assists from the blue-line. The Europeans blue line, in general, has been a constant force, with all four of their defencemen scoring nine or more points. They will be a good team to look to coming into the medal round, with a very balanced profile across defence and offence. Team Canada Barely behind Team Europe in the standings, Team Canada is looking strong going into the medal round. Sitting with a tournament-best 28 goals allowed, the tournament’s best goaltender Jacob Tonn has been on fire. His .924 SV% is the best amongst starters, and he is the only starter to have under a 4.00 GAA, sitting at 3.47. Canada’s issue isn’t scoring either, per se. Their star centre SS Hornet has the second-most points and is tied for the most goals with 8. However, he is the only Canadian in the top ten for points. They just need more from the rest of the team. Day Three started off with an unfortunate loss to Team World. After going down 3-2 in the first period, World always stayed one step ahead, ending the match with a final score of 4-5. However, their next two games proved their efficacy against the big boys this tournament, beating both Team USA and Team Europe, the two teams above them in the standings. Balanced scoring and a goaltender standing on his head saw them win 4-3 against the Europeans. Against the Americans, Tonn played another good game, but it was their power play that deserves the most credit, scoring three of their five goals. Joseph Gainer put away the game just 48 seconds into the overtime period as the Canadians upset their neighbours on the southern border. Team World The biggest storyline from Day Three has to be Team World’s impressive performances to end the round-robin. Winning two of their three matches, losing only once in overtime, Team World put themselves on the map here. An incredible performance from defenceman DeFenz Mann against Canada saw them win the first one 5-4. Mann had a hat-trick in the first period, and further contributed with the sole assist on fellow blueliner Latrell Mitchell’s game-winning powerplay goal in the third period. Then they played Asia, and well, I’ll let the stats speak for themselves. 7-3 final scoreline, Gary Neal with a hattrick and two assists, Mann with one goal and four assists, Micah Adrienne with three assists. Speaking of Gary Neal, he is looking like a potential early favourite for tournament MVP. Leading the league in goals (tied with 8), assists (11), and points (19), his only knock may be that Team World could struggle to advance in the tournament. If he keeps playing like this though, I’m not sure they will struggle. Nothing is guaranteed, however; just one match later, they lost to Team Asia in a shootout. The first period was incredible, with seven goals scored between the two teams. Aleelee Kiak had a fantastic game, scoring two goals and assisting twice, but it wasn’t enough to seal a win for World. Team Asia Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Despite ending Day One at the top of the standings, Team Asia now brings up the bottom and faces immediate elimination in the playoff game against Team World. Their Day Three performances left a lot to be desired for the most part, as they lost 7-3 on two separate occasions. Those games have been covered for the most part; the short end of it is Asia did not do too hot. Their game against Team World showed, however, that they aren’t out of the running yet. Jungkok remains their top scorer, with 12 points. His hattrick in that shootout victory against Team World was vital, including a game-tying goal with 4 minutes left to push the game into overtime. However, with a lack of top talent, Team Asia is going to have to grind out results if they want to progress in this tournament. Bacon has been a consistent performer, with a .914 SV% over five games played, and may prove instrumental moving forward into the medal rounds. But for now, that will be all from us. Do you agree with our assessment? Tune in next time for your WJC Update, presented by @Hylands33! See you there! Players Mentioned: @twists, @Jackie4967, @Brewins15, @pennypenny, @CrlineDijohn14, @bluesfan55, @SweatyBeaver, @Zyrok, @MexicanCow123, @McWolf, @joeg, @Mike, @dasboot, @Poptart, @LittleRiDog, @Grant, @tfong, @Bacon VSN Writer Mr_Hatter

Wow, what can I say? It was truly an honor to play for the Menace. @Victor you took a chance on me in that draft and in reality that's probably the reason I am still here now. The VHL was pretty tiny when I first joined compared to now. Without that expansion draft I probably would've ended up on someone's 3rd line and faded into irrelevance. You and all the boys @gorlab @hedgehog337 @Matmenzinger @Mr_Hatter @ContinentalCup036 @flyersfan1453 @Telkster @Kyle to name a few, made me fall in love with this game... Made it fun. I was never the kind of earner that some of the guys here are and you guys didn't care. I can't thank you enough for an absolutely fun packed career. I see this induction as one for all of you. Because without you I wouldn't be here. Thank you all so much! you all hold a very special place in my heart. I will be MENACE forever.

VSN is back here again with our Team Rankings for S72 WJC! Competition to be the team will be tough and we are here to give our opinion on who is going to be crowned the best! As always - share your opinion and tell us what do you think and who in your mind is going to win it all! Don’t forget to check out other amazing content we are creating here for you to enjoy - from our weekly reviews of VHL and VHLM to articles about league history and newest in the scouting department! VHL Weekly | VHLM Weekly | Ringless | Future Watch When talking about these teams we are looking at somewhat of an interesting situation where three teams have very strong rosters compared to the other two teams. That said, we have seen plenty of surprises in these sort of tournaments so we should not turn a blind eye of them. That said, here is our ranking of teams competing in S72 WJC! 1.Team USA When it comes to Team USA, it should be clear that right now they don’t have a true star goaltender to lead them on to the ice. John Poremba is a quality goaltender and can hold his own but in a competition of this scale, it just is not going to be enough. What really makes Team USA a true power is their skater depth. With players like General Zod, Robin Winter, Randy Marsh, Vin Calia and Jeff Blaze on their first line and Gino DiGiannantonio with Shawn Glade III being at the bottom of the lineup, I see no reason to doubt their abilities to score. Their ability to create offence will be recognised and I see no reason to doubt that Team USA will be the team with most goals scored in Round Robin. Will their goaltending be enough, hard to say, but I am sure they will compensate that with the best possible offensive game we have seen. Strengths - Skater depth, high scoring ability across their lineup Weaknesses - Goaltending 2. Team Europe Team Europe has been very consistently one of the top teams for quite some time now and I see no reason to doubt that in the slightest. As I look through the roster, we see a very well rounded group of players who would fit on any team and could play any role given to them. Probably the most dominating part of their roster is their incredible goaltender Zamboni Driver who talent-wise is miles ahead of anyone even remotely challenging his position. His play is well recognised and if he will be able to show his best, there won’t be much discussion who is going to be tournament MVP. That said Team Europe will rely heavily on their ability to have a strong defensive game throughout this tournament. For this team, using their true star player in Valterri Vaakanainen is crucial for gaining an upper hand against teams of equal strength and talent. Strengths - Depth and goaltending Weaknesses - Weak skating ability 3. Team Canada Team Canada, very similar to what we saw in Team Europe, great balance in every position, strong forward and defencemen group with highly talented goaltender pair. Talking about their goaltenders, both Woody McPine and Jacob Tonn are extremely good players and have the ability to take over games if any other part of their team is struggling. Their forward core with Andrew Su and SS Hornet will be their driving force. Not really sure how Team Canada will set up lines but it is clear that with JaredN also on the team, possibilities for line combinations are too many to count. Their most problematic part of their roster is going to be defence and not because their don’t have the ability to be stars, on the contrary, they are well balanced two-way defenders, every single one of them. So the question I ask is - if necessary, who will be their Number 1 defensive defenceman to hold the line in clutch situations? Strengths - Depth all across their lineup Weaknesses - Lack of true defensive presence 4. Team World Team World was ranked 5th last season and we are not too far from there this season. Team World has a roster that they can depend on but it is very average. From their goaltending being on a similar level as Team USA, you could say that I am underrating this team but the problem is is that Team USA have the offensive and defensive game to support lack of star goaltender. This tournament, Team World have to be absolutely perfect on offence to even get a chance at winning games against any of the top teams. They have few truly amazing players like Aleelee Kiak and Micah Adrienne who can be juggernauts for their team but I don’t think their bottom lines will be able to sustain being pounded away by their opposition. Strengths - Star players, Weaknesses - Average goaltending and weak Centre players 5. Team Asia We have been worn about Team Asia so many times that I am quite scared to rank them this low. With fairly weak goaltending and lack-lustre defensive core, there is very little they will be able to do against any of the above-listed teams. Their saving grace might be Vladimir Shaposhnikov and Jungkok and their wickedly amazing scoring ability but even that might not be enough. With few upcoming stars and players like Dan Baillie Jr, Kazimir Komarov and Viktor Alexei Kamenov they are here to compete and who knows, maybe we are looking at another strong tournament for a team that has been put down by VSN for some time. Strengths - First-line forward goalscoring ability Weaknesses - Goaltending, depth and defensive game With the most talented young players in this tournament, it could go any direction, from Team USA losing every game to Team Europe having worst goaltending in Round Robin. Good luck in the tournament everyone, let the best team win! Players mentioned : @ng1291, @tfong @wcats @Gooningitup @BigTittySmitty @Grant @Poptart @jared @McWolf @Da_Berr @Jubo07 @Tape-to-Tape @ShawnGlade @pennypenny @NyQuil @Sonnet @Matt_O @oilmandan @CrlineDijohn14 @MexicanCow123 and @HearnNation67

Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review!. These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment! Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment. So far we have two teams still perfect after the first day of games, with Team Asia taking the number one spot thanks to their regular/overtime wins, closely followed by Team Europe whose two shootout victories are enough to take the second position. The United States comes next, having won one and lost one in overtime, while Team Canada is all over the place, going 1-1-1 through their three games. Rounding out the standings is Team World, whose performance leaves a little to be desired, as they have lost three times, once in overtime. All in all, the standings are neck and neck, with three teams tied on points heading into Day 2 of games. Let’s take a look at all the action from our first day of games, right here on your WJC Daily Update! Team Asia Despite not having a single skater in the top ten for points (you have to go all the way down to Jungkok at number 12, though he is tied for tenth with four, all goals, in fact, more on that later), Team Asia is off to a great start this WJC. Both their games have been nailbiters, with their first victory coming in a 4-3 victory against the Canadians. Despite being outshot 45-24, Team Asia held strong, with a particularly impressive third-period display of defensive grit. Bacon’s 42 saves may not have earned a star, but he certainly showed what it means to put the team on his back in this one. Our first star of the game went to a well-deserving Kazimir Komarov, whose two goals (including the game-winner) were vital in securing the victory for the Asians. Going back to Jungkok however, take a look at his performance in Game 5 against the United States. Take a good hard look at the stat’s line. Yes, you are reading that right; four goals in just the one game from the Korean. Speaking of putting the team on his back, this was almost single-handed; but not quite. Arthur Dayne assisted three times, and the aforementioned Komarov was the one to put the icing on the cake four minutes into the overtime period. It’s been a good showing from Team Asia so far; let’s see if they can keep it up! Team Europe The Europeans have started off the tournament with two wins, but it could have just as soon been two losses. Finding themselves in two back-to-back shootouts, if their luck was just a little worse you could potentially have seen them much farther down in the standings. Regardless, lady luck smiled on them indeed, and they walked away with both the wins. Similar to Team Asia, their only skater near the top-ten in points is Valtteri Vaakanainen, who is coincidentally also tied for tenth with four points. Does this mean balanced scoring, or do our top teams have some hidden issues they need to sort out? Their first game against Team Canada was neck and neck, with four separate equalizers being scored. Gabriel Gutzweiler’s brace was key in keeping the Europeans in the game, while Chris Hylands was the man to score the winning shot in the shootout. The second game was a little different. Despite trailing early on in the first to Team World, they quickly came back with three unanswered goals, absolutely blitzing them. Despite eventually conceding the equalizer, they did enough to take it to the shootout where their goalie Zamboni Driver came up big, stopping one and psyching out the second shot to end it after just four shots. Team United States of America The United States has been an interesting team thus far; they certainly know how to put on a show. Jack Feriancek and Mickey Dickson are both electrifying players, whose five points apiece land them solidly in the top 10 for points. Each had three in their first game against Team World that seemed to be trying to answer the question “how many different periods of domination can we have?” Despite a strong start in the first period, the United States conceded four in a row in the second, before then scoring another four in a row to take the victory a thrilling 7 goals to 5. Robin Winter came up big, kicking off the comeback with a shorthanded goal twelve and a half minutes into the second period, before scoring the equalizer just a minute and a half later. Game two was a heartbreaking overtime loss to Team Asia, but showed great signs of promise, as the Americans were never really out of reach of victory; it just didn’t go their way. Lucas Brandt and Jack Feriancek each had a goal and assist to their name, but despite their best efforts were unable to take the victory. Team Canada Despite sitting fourth in the standings, Team Canada has been on fire to start the WJC. They have four players inside the top ten four points, including three of the top four centres in the tournament: SS Hornet, JaredN, and Andrew Su. Alex Letang is the lynchpin defenceman holding the group together and is tied for most points from a defenceman, while Timothy Brown is holding strong. The Canadians have the top three slots for +/-, a factor helped out by their third game against Team World that saw them win by a blowout score of 6-1; five goals scored in the first period. Andrew Su’s four-point game was particularly impressive, though it was goaltender Jacob Tonn’s 49 save performance that deserves significant praise, considering he wasn’t even named one of the stars. Their first two games were very tight, and although it didn’t quite go their way, losing in a shootout to Team Europe and losing by just a single goal to Team Asia isn’t the worst way Day One could have gone. Looking ahead, Canada needs to stay the course; they have the firepower and they have the grit to take this tournament for themselves. Team World While Team Canada’s fourth-place position might be a little disingenuous considering their +3 goal differential, Team World’s -8 is just about right for their performances thus far; but even with that being said, I wouldn’t count them out just yet. Yes, they lost big to Canada, but they only fell to the United States by 2 goals, and only lost to Team Europe in a shootout. What Team World needs is more consistency. Their goaltender, Hex Valentine, has been about as hot and cold as you can get. His games against Team USA and Team Canada left a lot to be desired, conceding a total of 13 goals across 71 shots, but a strong 40 save performance against the Europeans showcased what he can do. With all that being said, how can Team World dig themselves out of this? They are in an interesting position: they have one of the greatest disparities in talent between their lines of any team. Left-winger Gary Neal leads the tournament in points with eight, on two goals and six assists, and is shooting at an impressive 16.67% rate. Considering Aleelee Kiak’s and Latrell Mitchell’s strong performances as well (with Mitchell’s three goals ranking best amongst defencemen), you would think they would be a stronger competitor. But with a lack of depth scoring, they have struggled. We will see if they can turn this around. But for now, that will be all from us. Do you agree with our assessment? Tune in next time for your WJC Update! See you there! Players Mentioned: @tfong, @Bacon, @Gooningitup, @Infernal, @Jubo07, @DaftRaincloud, @Hylands33, @Tape-to-Tape, @Jackie4967, @Brewins15, @Sonnet, @twists, @McWolf, @jared, @Da_Berr, @Spartan, @a_Ferk, @MexicanCow123, @DrHexDex, @LittleRiDog, @Grant, @dasboot VSN Writer Mr_Hatter

At the end of the day, for whatever the reason or whatever side there is or opinion, these guys are in the same position I was to do what’s best for the league. Whether I or you or anyone agrees or picks sides, it’s as simple as that and they are doing their jobs. I don’t agree but I understand this very greatly as it was always my mission to serve you , the same it is for them. For me now, I’m going to continue this. I am going to help you newer members or those that require the boost to get going. Anyone, always, is more than welcome to drop me a message or ping and I will be there for them in a heartbeat.. I will always be there for the VHLM and the league. It is my passion. It’s where my heart and mind are at for this very amazing league and you amazing people that make it that way. People make mistakes. I ain’t perfect. Their issue was my mistakes. They seen growth but not the required growth and everyone shares different views, different backgrounds and upbringings and all that jazz. I respect those. It’s their view, they lead the way. I am on a similar path but will work towards finding my way to the path they wish for our great league to be on so that I can continue to help and make this league a better place for everyone. I love you, Zeke. I love all the members I’ve come across over the years and I’m so greatly appreciative of all the kind words, gestures and support I’ve received from most of you. Again, I can’t express it but you guys brought me strong happiness and a sense that while I made mistakes, I also made a difference. Please continue that, please continue the growth.. and please continue to find ways to be better as members, individually and together, and as a league. I will catch you out there and I will always be around. CHEERS DUDE!