Brandon

Credit: @v.2
 
The Victory Cup has been the symbol of VHL status and prestige since the beginning when the Calgary Wranglers were the best team in the league in S1 with a record of 69-3-0. The Wranglers have since gone on to win the Victory Cup a league-leading 12 times (as of S89) with the Toronto Legion right behind them with 11 and Vancouver and Seattle with 10. Over the past 10 seasons, the Victory Cup has been won by five different teams with five different winners from S85-S89 (Warsaw, Calgary, Vancouver, Prague and Moscow) but earlier on it was dominated by some good teams in Moscow (S83-S84) and Vancouver (S80-S82). Obviously, being the best team over 72 games would enhance your chances at winning a championship but, as has shown in many leagues including the VHL time and time again, a championship is never guaranteed. Vancouver was the last franchise to win the Victory Cup and Continental Cup in the same season when they accomplished the feat a league record three consecutive times in that S80-S82 period. The Malmo Nighthawks also accomplished this in S79, the season before Vancouver’s run. But, that double pinnacle is rare. Case in point: the only other time the league’s best team also won the Continental Cup in four consecutive seasons was from S45-S48 when Helsinki won both trophies back-to-back, followed by New York and then Toronto. In fact, the past seven seasons (S83-S89) have been the longest stretch in VHL history between double Cup wins. How will this season’s Victory Cup winner fare in the playoffs? Who’s to know? But, first, let’s meet the contenders:
 
 

Los Angeles Stars: 30-8-1, 61 points, 1st
Last Victory Cup: Never won
Remaining Schedule (1=Hard, 16=Easy): 14
 
The Stars have slowly been building into a contender over the last three seasons, developing drafted talents like centers Todd Cooke @KRZY, Sunglasses Joyo @JetsGoalie101, defenseman Callum Murray @Berocka and goaltender Art Vandelay @Gustav . A couple of deft trades in the off-season to bring onboard forwards Napoleon Dynamite @thadthrasher, Svatopluk Puk @Otaznik, and burgeoning blueliner Elias Lampi @Pifferfish and you have the makings of a top team in the league. Cooke currently leads the VHL in scoring by a large margin with Dynamite tied for fourth while they are posting the two best plus/minus marks in the league. Cooke and Lampi are 2nd and T-5th in assists and Puk leads the league with three hat tricks. Vandelay leads the league with 30 wins as is tied for the lead in GAA and shutouts. What has the Stars on top though is their dominance in the shoot out. They have won all nine shoot outs they’ve taken part in this season – thanks to Vandelay. He has been the busiest and the best goalie in one-on-one, stopping all but one of the 32 shots he’s faced! No Star has more than 3 shootout goals but they don’t really need more. LA has the easiest schedule remaining out of the teams mentioned here so they’ll be a safe bet to continue their winning ways and perhaps win the franchise’s first Victory Cup. 
 
 

Prague Phantoms: 28-8-4, 60 points, 2nd
Last Victory Cup: S88
Remaining Schedule: 1
 
One of the strongest teams in Europe for a while now, Prague is the most recent of this group to have led the league in points having won the franchise’s first Victory Cup in S88. They are a veteran-laden team with time running out for Phantom lifers Jason Argos @Insypher and Perry Laperriere @KaleebtheMighty but last season’s MVP John Jameson @Frank along with Fred Hampton @TownBizness are again among the league’s top scorers. Special teams have also been a strength as Prague boasts the VHL’s best penalty kill and second-ranked power play. But the real story for the Phantoms has been the breakout play of goaltender Matt Murdock @Acydburn. Currently 1st among starters in SV%, 3rd in wins, and 4th in GAA, Prague may only go as far as Murdock takes them as the experienced Phantoms push through another long season hoping their physical style aligns with their Cup aspirations. They only play the three worst teams (Warsaw, Calgary, New York) once each in their remaining games while playing the other five teams on this list 15 times so keeping this pace may prove difficult. 
 
 

Toronto Legion: 24-6-9, 57 points, 3rd
Last Victory Cup: S67
Remaining Schedule: 9
 
Following a similar path to Los Angeles, if not steeper, the Toronto Legion banked on their collection of high draft picks from the last few seasons and pushed all the chips onto the table making a deal for superstars forwards Ronan Lavelle @Arce and Tomas Sogaard @Brandon and then signing defenseman Siyan Vasilievich @badcolethetitan. Although it took a while for the new-look Legion to gel, captain Mac Atlas @v.2  broke out and young stars Jimi Jaks @kelvi and Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer helped lead a balanced attack while the team rounded into form. With one of the best young netminding duos in Joel Castle @animal74 (who is currently tied for the best GAA lead among starters) and Evan Bihler @Eb14 and strong contributions from veterans Jimmy MacElroy @Xflexz, Dens Oden @Snussu and rookie Montgomery Burns @LastOneUp, the Legion have been right with LA all season. But where LA excels in shootouts, Toronto abhors them as the Legion hold a 1-8 record in the contests. Although having a decent schedule down the stretch, Toronto still plays Los Angeles four times and Prague three times still this season in what may determine the points race.
 
 

D.C. Dragons: 27-10-2, 56 points, 4th
Last Victory Cup: Never won
Remaining Schedule: 8
 
On paper, the Dragons aren’t the most talented team, but they are finding ways to win and score – a lot. The highest-scoring team in the league is being led offensively by off-season acquisition forwards Jason @Jason kranz and Vincent Laroche-Gagnier @vincentlg2007 who are second and third in league scoring and first and second in goals respectively, and well-travelled defenseman Ryuji Sakamoto @der meister who surprisingly leads the league in assists and, consequently, all VHL defensemen in scoring after posting over a point-per-game for the first time in his career. D.C. is his seventh team in five seasons and was brought in to help guide the Dragons’ recent 1st round picks on the blueline Mark Calaway @Beketov, Ben Lass @dustywilson22 (5th in rookie scoring), and Eric Queefson @twists. With seven players at double-digits in goals, the Dragons can score in bunches and on the league’s 3rd -best power play. But can Dragon goaltending legend Bubbles Utonium @fishy, who has been playing more like the Continental Cup winner from S85 than the declining veteran of the last couple of seasons, keep up his strong play in his final season? Four more games against the Stars and three versus Davos will test the Dragons’ mettle.
 
 

D.C. and Vancouver will be battling for a playoff spot and perhaps a Victory Cup.
 
 

HC Davos Dynamo: 24-12-2, 51 points, 5th
Last Victory Cup: S37
Remaining Schedule: 11
 
Coming off of their first Continental Cup in nearly 30 seasons, and with considerable departures, people would not have been surprised if Davos had simply taken a slight step back this season. But with the addition of a couple of solid veteran forwards, DB III @wcatsand Vasile Lamb @dlamb, Davos has been able to essentially run it back with a majority of their S89 roster. Unlike most other teams, Davos has been built from the net out with Lachlan Summers @kirbithan, S88’s Rookie of the Year, and a trio of young (one of which at heart) two-way defensemen (David Jokinen @Ahma, Jake Thunder @Thunder, and Skor McFleury @Alex) who lead the attack from the back end. McFleury and Thunder, last seasons’ playoff MVP and assist leader in S88, lead the team in scoring but have a lot of help from Davos veterans Pete Mitchell @Crstats23, James Teekirque @Mongoose87, and Alfred Champagne @Anthique. Recently the defensive powerhouse has gone 9-2-1 in their past 12 games in order to close the gap on the top teams in the league. Overall, Davos has done well despite only a +15 goal differential  that is in large part due to their inability to stay out of the penalty box, as they are currently 2nd in the league with just shy of 500 PIMs. Aided though by their Top-5 ranked special teams, it should be interesting to see if Davos can keep up their recent play and end the longest active Victory Cup drought. 
 
 

Vancouver Wolves: 24-12-2, 50 points, 6th
Last Victory Cup: S87
Remaining Schedule: 12
 
After finishing second in the North American Conference last season, the Wolves did a little shuffling in the off-season seeing Nico Pearce @Spartan  retire, changing up the bottom defense pairing and essentially swapping Henry Eagles @Greg_Di for Girts Galvins @Girts. Other than that, S86 Cup holdovers center Dogwood Maple @dogwoodmaple, defenseman Pierre-Emile Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito and goalie Brandt Fuhr @Tate (T-1st in shutouts with four) have gelled nicely with a young core of skilled forwards to help the Wolves rattle off a recently-snapped 9-game win streak put them back in the Cup conversation. Coming over in the Henry Eagles trade, Hockley Mann @Sen leads Vancouver forwards in points with Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ right behind him and leading the Wolves in goals. Oreo McFleury @JB123 has been clutch and sits among league leaders with five game-winning goals. On top of it all, Brian Payne @Scurvy has been his rambunctious self, leading the team in scoring and sits 1st among defensemen in hits, 2nd in scoring and 3rd in goals. Sporting the second-best penalty kill in the VHL and a 5-1 record in shootouts has helped Vancouver stay in the playoff picture in a tough conference. Having almost two-thirds of their remaining games against the bottom seven teams will almost guarantee they make the playoffs and perhaps push for higher.
 
 
Written by animal74 with files from Alex.

I'd like to bring everyone's attention to game 269 and the disgustingly savage performance by WAR G2 against Toronto... Simon is out for blood

@Zetterberg
 
Hey everybody! Welcome to this season’s VHL Season preview, after a busy offseason, full of roster changes there’s been a considerable shift in team’s outlooks this season. So, without further to do, let’s jump right into it!
 
North American Conference
 
1 - Vancouver Wolves
Forward Rank - 3
Defense Rank - 1
Goalie Rank - 9
Conference Rank - 1
League Rank - 1
 
Coming off of a Continental Cup finals run, the Vancouver wolves had a very busy offseason shipping out Henry Eagles @Greg_Di. However, the additions of Girts Galvins @Girts and Liv Slater @Subject056 is huge for the program! We can expect Vancouver to be absolutely dominant with the only weak point on their roster being their goaltending with Brandt Fuhr @Tate, but even that is very good, despite being a hair below league average. Vancouver is without a doubt the Cup favourite heading into this season and we should not be surprised when they cruise through the majority of the North American Conference.
 
2 - Toronto Legion
Forward Rank - 1
Defense Rank - 6
Goalie Rank - 7
Conference Rank - 2
League Rank - 2
 
Toronto is this season’s most improved team with GM @Moonpulling the trigger and brining in a couple of big names with Tomas Sogaard @Brandon, Ronan Lavelle @Arce, and free agent Siyan Yasilievich @badcolethetitan. For the most part their roster is very well rounded, with the only gap really being that they just don’t have a number 2 defensemen and are running with 3 D, something that could be a touch risky. Toronto is practically the only team that we can expect to go back and forth with Vancouver all season. If Toronto can finish in the top 3 during the regular season it will be considered a huge success.
 
3 - Seattle Bears
Forward Rank - 7
Defense Rank - 4
Goalie Rank - 4
Conference Rank - 3
League Rank - 4
 
The Seattle Bears had one of the busier offseasons, as they made 10 trades bringing in previous award winner AirRig GoodBrandSun @Rhynex Entertainment! Seattle’s top end forwards are by far their biggest strength with Leandro Goncalves @leandrofg , Yaroslav Bogatyrev @Bojovnik, and Randy Bobandy @AJW. In addition to that Seattle has continued their recent trend of trading for a starting goalie with the acquisition of Clueless Wallob @DMaximus . This season we can look for Seattle to maybe push Toronto and Vancouver ahead of them, but given the significant drop to the 4th team on our list, the top 3 in the NA are essentially locked in.
 
4 - Los Angeles Stars
Forward Rank - 9
Defense Rank - 11
Goalie Rank - 6
Conference Rank - 4
League Rank - 9
 
Los Angeles also made several big moves this offseason in order to bring in a great 2nd defensemen with Elias Lampi @Pifferfish, and made a massive trade to bring in Napoleon Dynamite @thadthrasher and Svaltopluk Puk @Otaznik to drastically improve their offense. Even with these massive trades, there is a lot of questions in Los Angeles and they will be needing Art Vandelay @Gustav to stand on their head this season to make up for their D-core lacking a true #1 defensemen. We should see LA make the playoffs again this season, but with an aging core and only 1 notable prospect, their window is closing quickly.
 
5 - D.C. Dragons
Forward Rank - 11
Defense Rank - 10
Goalie Rank - 10
Conference Rank - 5
League Rank - 11
 
The D.C. Dragons are a very interesting team this season and should make the playoffs due to the 3 teams below them actively tanking. With that being said, D.C. is probably one of the most promising teams in the NA as their roster is full of young prospects with a strong veteran presence. With 1 season remaining in Bubbles Utonium’s @fishy career and no real replacement in the pipeline, if D.C. can address that gap they’ll be golden for some time to come.
 
6 - Calgary Wranglers
Forward Rank - 15
Defense Rank - 9
Goalie Rank - 12
Conference Rank - 6
League Rank - 13
 
An era has officially ended in Calgary, with the retirement of Daniel Janser @Daniel Janser, the team is moving into a re-tool and with a plethora of young talent it shouldn’t be long until Calgary is back contending. This season Calgary’s success will entirely depend on Merome Dilson @MexicanCow123 and Phil Strasmore @Phil. Calgary could be in for a long season, but at least it should be a quick turn-around.
 
7 - Chicago Phoenix
Forward Rank - 13
Defense Rank - 14
Goalie Rank - 13
Conference Rank - 7
League Rank - 14
 
Now under new management for the first time ever, Chicago is in full rebuild mode, shipping out everything with value with the exception of franchise player Scotty Sundin @fromtheinside who would like to retire there. Chicago is realistically rebuilding from the ground up and could be in for a long-term rebuild. With that being said, they do have a great young goalie in the system and have multiple firsts in both the next 2 drafts. 
 
8 - New York Americans
Forward Rank - 16
Defense Rank - 13
Goalie Rank - 16
Conference Rank - 8
League Rank - 16
 
Up until this offseason I had never seen a team tank by accident, S89 was a huge success in New York after they made the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons and even won 2 rounds! However, the departure of key players has led to a re-tool as they’ll shift their focus to the next generation of players and build their team around Jasper Davis @Josh. It’s safe to say that for New York, the tank is on.
 
European Conference
 
1- Prague Phantoms
Forward Rank - 2
Defense Rank - 8
Goalie Rank - 2
Conference Rank - 1
League Rank - 3
 
The Prague Phantoms had a relatively quiet offseason, and with that they have managed to come into this season as the EU’s top team. They have one of the best top 3 forward groups in the league and with Matt Murdock @Acydburn in goal, Prague looks really good! The only gap in their roster is the lack of a true number 1 defensemen as they do not have a single defensemen over 900 TPA. With that being said, Prague does have a bit of a leg up on the EU, and are the favourites to reach the finals.
 
2 - HC Davos Dynamo
Forward Rank - 8
Defense Rank - 3
Goalie Rank - 3
Conference Rank - 2
League Rank - 5
 
Coming off of their first Continental Cup since S61, Davos could have very well pulled the trigger on a rebuild, but with bringing in veteran forwards to try and replace their losses to retirement Davos is in pretty good shape for one last kick at the can this season. In stark contrast to a majority of other teams, Davos has two true number one defensemen with Jake Thunder @Thunder and Skor McFluery @Alex. Davos does look strong again this season and should finish in a playoff spot in what will be a hotly contested EU conference.
 
3 - Malmo Nighthawks
Forward Rank - 5
Defense Rank - 2
Goalie Rank - 11
Conference Rank - 3
League Rank - 6
 
Similarly to Toronto, Malmo went all-in this offseason and brought in Daniel Weaver @ThePerfectNut, Henry Eagles, and Mo Probert @Yahtzee and as a result have a very solid group of skaters. However, the one glaring weakness for them comes with their goalie Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro who’s play should take a considerable step back from the previous season as they will have less shots against with a complete roster in front of them. With that being said Malmo should still be fine and will likely make the playoffs.
 
4 - London United
Forward Rank - 10
Defense Rank - 5
Goalie Rank - 1
Conference Rank - 4
League Rank - 7
 
London is in a very similar situation to Davos with a good goaltender and defense, but with some gaps in their forward group. Ironically as well, both London and Davos are on the verge of a rebuild with aging cores. With that being said, London could very well push for a top three spot with their elite talent in every position as even up front they have a couple of great players in Leonard Triller @Triller and Molly The Cat @JCarson. However, London’s success will be heavily dependent on Jesse Teno @aimkin and if London makes the playoffs, Teno will be a good bet for MVP.
 
5 - Helsinki Titans
Forward Rank - 6
Defense Rank - 12
Goalie Rank - 5
Conference Rank - 5
League Rank - 8
 
Helsinki is the third and final team that finally made the move to compete with the addition of Landon Wolanin @jacobcarson877 and Lloyd Braun @Toast. When compared to most of the EU, Helsinki has one of the best forward groups in the conference. However, Helsinki’s offense does come at the cost of their defense which consists of a bunch of players in the 600-700 range and YaBoi Oven @Doomsday, Helsinki’s defense should improve over the course of the season and they could potentially push to buy a top defensemen later on.
 
6 - Riga Reign
Forward Rank - 4
Defense Rank - 15
Goalie Rank - 8
Conference Rank - 6
League Rank - 10
 
Riga could find themselves either battling at the top of the conference or out of the playoffs, and a big reason for that is since they only have 2 defensemen. If Riga’s roster works they will without a doubt find themselves at the top of the EU and could very well set a new precedent for roster composition, but if it doesn’t they could easily miss the playoffs and have to make some panic moves towards the deadline. It is also entirely plausible that Riga’s offense just carries them as they have a ridiculous top 4 forwards that would make any team jealous. 
 
7 - Moscow Menace
Forward Rank - 12
Defense Rank - 7
Goalie Rank - 15
Conference Rank - 7
League Rank - 12
 
After being the most dominant team of the 80’s Moscow has moved towards a rebuild and looks to already be a step up on other rebuilding with budding stars in Jeff Lewis @nerji and Nils Andersson @Viper already on the roster. Moscow also has one of the largest prospect pools in the league and should be back in contention very soon!
 
8 - Warsaw Predators
Forward Rank - 16
Defense Rank - 13
Goalie Rank - 16
Conference Rank - 8
League Rank - 16
 
The Warsaw rebuild is still in full send, and with their current roster they should have a top 2 pick in the S91 draft and could very well be a top team in the league very soon as their prospect pool is already looking elite. The only thing Warsaw really needs at this point is a goalie and some defense, both of which should be attainable via the draft.
 
Thank you for reading this season’s VHL preview! Best of luck to everyone this season!

Wanted to throw a suggestion out there that I've been thinking of for a while... Including VHL career stats on the VHL Entry Draft page as a tab. 
 
I've included a few screenshots of what it would look like, essentially just a tab called Career Stats, where if you click it, the data would look like the existing League Overall tab, but it would only include the players from that seasons draft class. Users can sort by games played, goals, points, +/-, hits, etc. 
 
Example of Potential New Draft Page:

 
VHL Career Stats Page (replace players below with draft class and career stats):

^ numbers would all be way higher
 
I feel like it would be a really neat addition, given the data is already displayed around the site in various aspects, probably wouldn't take a ton of development effort (developer's most hated words). I'd imagine we'd see some really interesting and insightful Media Spots pop up because of it, going back and really digging into some unique career statistics that stick out in certain draft classes (like who is the most clutch player, or top sniper with shooting %), or just reviewing a draft class in general, either while the class is still active, or after retirement.
 
The idea spawned from the fact that I'm always checking hockeydb draft classes to see which players performed the best years later. This page could also be further expanded to Career Playoff Stats, although I feel like Regular Season stats are more foundational to everyone.
 
Opinions?

Well damn, this season's team looks a lot different than last season's. I've mentioned it here and there, but making the decision to pull the trigger on a rebuild was pretty difficult - especially knowing that we could have kept all of our veterans and made one last push before we lost most of the team to retirement and FA. However, the organization has the opportunity to level set after 9 straight seasons of extremely strong performances - and 35 awards coming to the team and our players.
 
As we enter the S90's, like we did entering the S80's, it's time to feature a new generation of players who will lead us into the future. We've got a couple familiar faces left on the team, so we've got a nice mix of new and old players making up our leadership team.
 
First Alternate - Nils Andersson - @Viper
 
Typically, I assign captaincy and alternates based on tenure with the team or overall experience in their careers. Viper and Andersson buck that trend, but for very good reason. For those unfamiliar with Viper, he's had a pretty lengthy history of inconsistency with players and a reputation of fizzling out early in his players' careers. When we drafted Andersson back in S88, Viper and I had some chats about how we'd approach this player and how we could keep him going, regardless of any obstacles in his way. Now entering his third VHL season, Viper is poised to have his highest TPE player ever, and has become a great voice to have in the LR and with our advisors. He's learned from mistakes in the past and has showed a lot of maturity since I first met him three years ago, and I'm very confident in giving him an 'A' here in Moscow.
 
Second Alternate - Babay Shrimp - @Blazzer
 
A new face to the team, but a player and user who have already settled into the locker room quite comfortably. There was no shortage of suitors for Babay Shrimp this offseason, and despite Moscow's status as a rebuilding team, Blazzer was more than happy to join us for at least a season and be part of our organization and contribute to our culture. A veteran player who will be able to guide the young forwards on our team, we expect big things from Shrimp on and off the ice this season!
 
Captain - Hammar Voss - @BOOM
 
A long time alternate captain for four seasons now, Hammar Voss takes a step beyond simply being the best defenseman in the VHL, to becoming the Moscow captain. I suppose we're buying into the meme here that Moscow captains always end up off the team the following season since Voss is retiring after this season, but it might have been the easiest captain decision I've made as a GM. Boom is involved in our LR in all aspects, whether it's providing our players with gorgeous sigs, helping to guide our team plans, posting boobs or just chatting with folks, he's been one of my favorite acquisitions to the team outside the draft. I hope we can send a future HOFer off with a great final season!
 
Congrats to all named to the leadership team!
 
 MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW

@leandrofg
Welcome everyone,
 
 
The start of a new season means a new power ranking, and this is what this article will be about. The VHLE only has 6 teams now, so this means that we are going to see more teams that are trying to be competitive. Indeed, this season is going to be a very interesting one as almost all the teams can hope to win the Cup at the end of the season. 
  
#1 Vasteras Iron Eagles 
 
Offense Rank: 1st 
Defense Rank: 1st 
Goalie Rank: 1st 
 
Even if there are a lot of good teams, the Vasteras Iron Eagles are the best of them all. Vasteras simply are the best in the league in every position. They have the best goalie in the league in Olivier Gauthier @fonziGG, they have the best defense lead by Big B @Bigb33 and Hannibal Barca @DreMin15 and the best offense with veterans like Shubham Anand @Will3 and Braeden Panarella @ThatCasual and rookies like Severus Targaryen @Banackock and Axle Gunner @Steve. There is no doubt that the Iron Eagles are going to be really dangerous this season.
  
#2 Cologne Express 
 
Offense Rank: 2nd 
Defense Rank: 2nd 
Goalie Rank: 5th 
 
Just like Vasteras, the Cologne Express are going to be a really good team this season. Indeed, they have the second-best offense and defense in the league with forwards like John Richards @John Cimarno and Keegan Gamble @Keegan Gamble and the defensemen Keno Akara @Keno and Reginald the Dodo @Esso2264 . However, the Express have two young goaltenders that may have some difficulties at the beginning of the season, and this is why they are not going to finish first in the standings this season. 
  
#3 Bratislava Watchmen 
 
Offense Rank: 4th 
Defense Rank: 3rd 
Goalie Rank: 2nd 
 
After missing the playoffs in the last three seasons, the Bratislava Watchmen are finally ready to be competitive again and their goalies WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW @rory and Jonny Elgar @Jonny are going to be important this season. They can also count on a pretty good defense lead by the rookies Walter Fitzroy Jr @Moon and Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish @hylands. The only position that could hurt them is the offense has they don’t have a lot of great forwards like Henry Callahan @dstevensonjr and Otis Boudreaux Jr @Otis Boudreaux Jr. 
  
#4 Rome Gladiators 
 
Offense Rank: 3rd 
Defense Rank: 4th 
Goalie Rank: 4th 
 
Even if the Rome Gladiators are not looking as good on paper as the three first teams, I can really see them compete with them all season long and maybe even cause some surprises. Lead by their captain BjorkaBjorn BjornaBjorkson @JardyB10 and the rookie King Kisslinger @Kisslinger, their offense is looking pretty good and the last winner of the Jake Thunder Trophy, Pope Francis @nurx, will have to play another incredible season to help the team and their goalie Travis Clark @ClarkClanT. 
  
#5 Stockholm Vikings 
 
Offense Rank: 5th 
Defense Rank: 5th 
Goalie Rank: 3rd 
 
The Stockholm Vikings are not going to be a bad team, however they lake the depth forwards and top 2 defensemen to be a really competitive team. Ronald Johnson MacWallace III @RJMW will need to have a really good season offensively if he want to give his team a chance to compete, and Ryan Artyomov @Enorama will also have to be outstanding in the net. 
  
#6 Oslo Storm 
 
Offense Rank: 6th 
Defense Rank: 6th 
Goalie Rank: 6th 
 
Without disrespecting the Oslo Storm, I just don’t see how they can hope to compete this season. Indeed, the team does not really have any elite forward except Ben Dover @Zylen and they don’t even have four defensemen. In addition, their goalie is not going to steal a lot of games this season. We could very well be seeing Oslo pay the cost for their success in previous seasons. 
  
Well, this is all for me, thanks for reading and see you in another VSN article. 
P.S. this is only my opinion, so you may disagree and if it is the case feel free to comment your prediction of the standings in the VHLE this season. 

Dang I didn't realize Brendan Marner would be an inducted HOF member, that's awesome! 

Congrats @CowboyinAmerica and @MetalToday, well deserved inductions!

Sunday Bullets 50CAL Edition
 
So I’ve been playing with a few ideas of different things I can do for PT. I know I’ll still be putting out graphics, but I think I could be doing a series of Player Cards, but I’ll explain a little further in this Media Spot. I’ve always done my Sunday Bullets as my .com article, however I was playing with the idea of a podcast called Audio Bullets which would just be a replacement for my .com article. The bullets have always been an informal way for me to share my thoughts both league related, player related, and a small personal update. Welcome to the long form version of my Sunday Bullets, the Sunday Bullets 50 Cal Edition.
 
Snubbe.d Analfist agrees to a 5 year contract extension which keeps him in Vancouver for the rest of his career. Anyone who knows me, with my past players I’ve always refused to sign full length career contracts. This stems from a time when one of my players was signed long term, and then there was a GM turnover and I was stuck in a situation I just didn’t like. Thankfully I’ve never been in that situation again, but I’m still always hesitant to sign lifetime contracts. I love Vancouver, and Frank is one of the best GM’s out there. I had to outright ask him if there was even a chance that there could be a GM change during the next five seasons, and I was assured that it wouldn’t be a problem. The Wolves went up 2-0 in the Finals, and then unfortunately got reverse sweeped. It was a tough pill to swallow, and while I think we achieved a great result last season, I would have loved to have won it with the group we had. Going forward though, we reload, and prepare to go again. I can’t go the week without mentioning the big acquisition of Liv Slater @Subject056 from Chicago. This really puts the future of the Wolves in a secure position. I think Bouchard still has a lot left in the tank, but the window extends further with Slater on the roster. It was a ballsy deal with some high picks going the other way, but these are the kind of roster shake-ups that the VAN-City Management team make that make them so effective season after season.  
After almost 10 real years, I’ve made my return to the General Manager role in the VHLM as it was announced that I’ve been hired to take on the Houston Bulls.  I’m very honored to take this role. I don’t take the responsibility lightly, as I know that there are a lot of members that desire a chance to be a GM at the VHLM level. I’m very excited to get to work and prove myself once again. My goal as GM is to pump as many players through the Houston Bulls system and graduate them into the VHL. I’ve always had this philosophy, and I’m excited to meet some new faces and possibly some recreates as well.  AJW and Triller did an amazing job and created a hell of a culture in Houston. However, on their way to building a Championship contending team, we lost a lot of the assets for the future. I’m starting off with a completely bare roster, and no first round pick in this season’s draft. I’m excited for the challenge. I believe even with only depth draft picks I can get at least three or four solid young players to start my roster out. From there, I look forward to seeing recruitment do their thing. My job starts from there, as I need to show new players what makes the VHL so special. It’s my job to make them fall in love with this league and community the way that I did - which is what has kept me active for over a decade. I don’t want to spoil too much but I’m going to be going on a full out graphic parade for Houston. Expect to see seasonal Rookie Cards, customized signatures, and a lot of player showcases. The one thing that will separate Houston Bulls players from any other VHLM prospect is that VHL GM’s aren’t going to have to research these players to know who they are. The players that put in the work and want to be known in the VHL Community, will be. As for AGM, I’ve kinda come to an idea that I’m going to try. I’m going to try and advertise the Bulls AGM spot as a 1-Season temporary position for a current Bulls Player. This will give a new member on my team an inside look at what it means to be a GM in the VHL, earlier than probably any other member. It feels like a cool idea to have, but I also recognize how this could go wrong. Either way, I’ve always tried to do things a little differently, so that’s how I’ll be working my AGM role in the first season I was trying to find a good way to incorporate Bulls into Bullets... But it was too corny, so I have a designated BULLet fo it...  
Usually this is where I would talk about my personal life, but I’ve already rambled enough for almost two Media Spots. Overall, I’m in a pretty good place, things are just kind of moving along. Both the kids are doing well. We had the baby go through chickenpox last week which was rough, but he’s a tough little guy and we actually sleep trained him during this. Now, he’s spot-free and sleeping in his crib every night. Probably the hardest part of the chickenpox is that we kept my daughter at her mom’s house during this period of time, so I went nearly two weeks without seeing her. That’s pretty difficult as we have a parenting agreement that has us scheduled so we never go over two days. My goals for the rest of summer is to golf as much as possible, and to get ready for the wedding I have in the winter, down south. Writing this out is usually therapeutic, so I’d like to continue to do the Bullets. I will probably go back to the abbreviated version, I just had a lot to cover this week!  
1000+ Words.
Claim for 8/13 Claim for 8/20

Graphic courtesy of Leandrofg
(Marcel's stats/Daniel's stats)
 
The Calgary Wranglers have made an early exit in the S89 post-season. It was kind of foreseeable as the Albertan franchise had struggled with consistency all season. Chief amongst them their parting captain, who has announced his retirement earlier in the season. He was for the eighth time a point per game scorer in the regular season, but could not repeat the stellar S85-87 numbers. Now an era has come to an end. Dan was one of the longest serving captains in Calgary's long and illustrious history, second only to Marcus Hurley. He brought the Wranglers a cup after one of the longest cup draught in the league's history. He was an offensive dynamo, until age took its toll, and was always not too good to muck his hands with body work. Janser is amongst the top five all time for the Red, White and Black for any significant forward statitistics.
 
So it should come as no surprise, that after the 2-0 loss at the hands of the Wolves, which sealed Calgary's fate in the S89 playoffs, the home crowd in the Saddle Dome, chanted his name. They would not stop, until their Captain would come back from the locker room and do a lap of honour. Already before, players of the opposing team like fellow S81 draftee Nico Pearce or elite defence man PEB as well as Polish wonder Henry Eagles congratulated the Swiss center for his remarkable career.
 
After the Rotkreuz native acknowledged the standing ovations, he was surprised when the Calgary host announced that there will be a ceremony in direct continuation and that Daniel should please stay put on the ice. The older Janser was puzzled, but obviously complied. He assumed that he will be given a Swiss watch or something for his service for the Wranglers. He was taken aback when a podium was pushed onto the ice and GM Ricer as well as AGM Boudreaux entered the stage. All his team mates and even some retired veterans like Lindbergh and Kotkakoivu attended the proceedings. The brass held a speech about Daniel's merits in the Calgary uniform and announced that his beloved number 22 will not ever be worn by any other Wrangler ever again. An honour which has not been extended to a Calgary player since S35, when Ryback's #49 was retired.
 

Daniel after his last game for Calgary (graphic courtesy of Rockstar)
 
Our Canadian correspondent Jean-Luc Lieuxperroux (JLL), interviewed the apparently touched Calgary captain at this occasion.
 
JLL: 'Daniel, what a moment for you. How are you feeling?'
Daniel (DJ): 'Well I am overwhelmed, plain and simple. When I came to Calgary, I have been (and still am) in awe about the names in the rafters. Obviously being a fellow Swiss, Scott Boulet was the one closest to my heart. It was a special moment when I received the award which was named after him.'
JLL: 'Some press outlets would argue, that it should be Marcel's jersey up there, instead of yours, as he was arguably the better Janser.'
DJ (laughs): 'You know I read the article in question and the author makes some valid points. Marcel made more out of his talent then I did. He won a WJC and two consecutive Continental Cups. He never had a negative +/- statistic in his VHL career. These are all feats I was not able to emulate. I agree with Molly's statement that stay at home defenders are often overlooked unless they produce massive amounts of hits and/or shots blocked. However, that is not the type of player Marcel is. He flies under the radar, because he prevents plays from even happening with his criminally underrated Hockey IQ. He converts his team's end of the ice into a non-comfort zone for the opposition, alas without taking too many penalties. He does it in a non-entertaining way, rarely making the highlight reel. But this is exactly what you as a coach want from your defenders first and foremost: to make your own zone as interesting as watching paint dry. Having said that, contrary to our perennial competitor for talent, the NHL, we have at least an award dedicated to the contribution of defensive minded blue liners.'
JLL: 'That is true. And on that bombshell I wish to congratulate you to your amazing career as well as a nice after-party.'
DJ: 'Thanks mate, appreciate it.'
 
Please find the Jansers' VHL career stats as well for one final time:
Marcel (regular season): 362gp, 31g, 150a, 181pts, +119, 304 PIM, 431 hits, 628sb, 7gwg, 12ppg, 1shg
Marcel (playoffs): 60gp, 7g, 25a, 32pts, +8, 55 PIM, 78 hits, 94sb, 6ppg
Daniel (regular season): 576gp, 314g, 422a, 736pts, +173, 775 PIM, 1,590 hits, 399sb, 52gwg, 53ppg, 3shg
Daniel (playoffs): 61gp, 31g, 41a, 72pts, +10, 107 PIM, 141 hits, 39sb, 6gwg, 10ppg, 1shg
 
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/138041-a-tale-of-two-brothers-a-shocking-announcement/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/138044-cgy-jansers-reflection/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/138198-a-tale-of-two-brothers-on-the-final-lap/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/138702-a-tale-of-two-brothers-end-of-the-watch/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/138762-cgy-enjoying-the-playoffs/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/138804-a-tale-of-two-brothers-an-interview/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/138869-do-we-value-defensive-players/
 
 

Is sim hockey really making me cry on a Wednesday afternoon?

Dear Calgary, please bear with me.
 
For the past six seasons, you've made me one of the happiest individuals on Earth. You, the fans, and the city deserve so much more than what we could give you during my time with you. Even so, you remained loyal, engaged, and hopeful that we were destined to end the drought that was with us for far too long.
 
Words seem inadequate to express the depth of emotion that washed over me when we were crowned champions. That moment was a realization of a dream long nurtured, the culmination of countless hours of practice, sacrifices made, and battles fought. Yet, that victory extended far beyond the arena. It was a beacon of hope for the city, a testament to what can be achieved when a community unites with a common purpose. The title was not just a sports achievement but a celebration of our shared journey and a testament to the power of perseverance.
 
I am eternally grateful for the journey I've shared with my teammates. Their unwavering determination, camaraderie, and unselfish dedication formed the bedrock of our collective effort. Each member, from the veterans who provided guidance... to the rookies who injected fresh energy, played an integral role in our pursuit of glory. Together we overcame defeat, celebrated victories, and leaned on one another in the face of adversity. The bonds forged on and off the field are irreplaceable and something I will cherish forever. As I reflect on our shared triumph, I am reminded that our victory is a testament to the power of unity and teamwork, and that makes the victory even more meaningful.
 
I attribute my entire experience in Calgary to the Janser family. I can't overstate the impact of having Kurt Janser as a sponsor. Not only was he the one who gave me a shot in the VHLM, not only showing me the ropes of the North American hockey culture but also molding and adapting my game to its standards. But this wasn't everything or enough. There is no doubt in my mind that Kurt slipped some information to Daniel, which, in the end, found its way to Kris Rice's ears.
 
To Daniel, retirement doesn't suit you. You're a Hall of Famer, and I'm glad you already have your jersey in our rafters. Some say that the connections in our brain for love and hate are very similar, and in your case, I believe that to be true. I love you. I'm deeply grateful for the guidance and inspiration you provided, shaping not just my skills but my character as well. This is why I also hate you - you were our heart and soul, and now that I was ready to take over the team for you, your retirement meant it was time for another era. 
 
Kris Rice, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation for believing in my potential and selecting me during the draft. Your trust has been a cornerstone of my journey, and your unwavering support was instrumental in shaping my career. From the early days of joining the team to this moment of reflection, your guidance and belief in my abilities have fueled my determination. Your mentorship has been invaluable, and I am grateful for the opportunities you've provided that have allowed me to grow and contribute to the team's success. Thank you for being a driving force behind my journey... even when it was time to part ways. I won't ever be a First-Gen again, but I wouldn't change a thing.
 
I must acknowledge my incredible teammate, Landon Wolanin, who has been with me throughout this journey. Since we were drafted together, his unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence have ignited a fire within me. Your tenacity, work ethic, and unyielding passion for the game have been a constant source of inspiration. As we pushed each other to new heights, I was driven to be the best version of myself, both on and off the field. Your camaraderie and shared aspirations have been pivotal in my growth. I feel grateful for the opportunity to have been your teammate and to have won a championship with you.
 
I would be negligent to overlook other players that were part of our history, some of whom had more impact on me, others who were valuable additions to our championship-winning group, and those who left without having the opportunity to fight for the ultimate goal. The first player that comes to mind is our incredible goaltender, and even better person, Oskar Lindbergh. After showing their quality elsewhere, they chose Calgary for the last two seasons of their career, and we couldn't have been more grateful for it. Instrumental, not only on the ice but off the ice as well - it was like they were part of the process from the beginning.
 
Our amazing defensemen tandem in AirRig GoodBrandSun and Phil Strasmore, with the former accompanying me in this new chapter in Seattle and the latter staying put in Calgary, now leading the team and getting the nod as the captain. Erlantz Jokinen was another influential piece of our puzzle that couldn't win it all.
 
On the offensive side, we had Saku Kotkakoivu, who had a brilliant career - and arguably with one of the best seasons in the modern era - but was the victim of the surplus in our position, leaving before we could win a Continental together. Lastly, Vincent Laroche-Gagnier. Now a Dragon, I'd call him, alongside Landon, a mentee. The one who was to take the Wranglers' reins in the future. But that wasn't in the cards, and Vin was the first of us to be traded in this off-season saga.
 
Amid the whirlwind of professional sports, I've come to appreciate the profound impact of relationships. They're the threads that weave through the fabric of our lives, connecting us to our past, grounding us in the present, and propelling us toward the future.
 
I want to leave you with one of the best passages or quotes from a TEDx talk by Dr. Gary Lewandowski, Jr. about break-ups.
 
"So, we need to talk."
 
Hearing those four simple words from your relationship partner never feels good. Your heart sinks, palpitates, your stomach flutters, your palms get sweaty because it's never "we need to talk about what a great relationship we have, how we're best friends, and how we're going to spend the rest of our lives together," it's never that; it's always "we need to talk about the beginning of the end."
 
And whether your relationship is awful, good, or great, we don't like endings, we don't like to lose things. And especially, we don't like to lose things that are important to us. And make no mistake, relationships are the single most important thing to you in your life. It's the source of all of your best memories... it's the source of all of your worst memories.
When you think back on your life when you're 95-100 years old, and you look back over the course of your lifetime, you're not going to think: "I wish I owned a better phone, I wish I spent more time on the Internet, I wish I spent more time at work or sleeping." It's not going to be any of those kinds of things. It's going to be: "I wish I spent more time with the people I loved."
 
Those weren't the exact words Kris Rice shared with me after we failed to achieve our goal last season - to be honest, that moment is a blur for me, but they couldn't have been much different than that.
 
As I bid farewell to this chapter of my life in Calgary, I am overwhelmed with emotions. The memories created, the bonds forged, and the collective triumphs celebrated will forever be etched in my heart. It's not just the victories I'll carry forever. The resilience, unity, and unwavering support define this journey. As I take my leave, I would like to show my appreciation to all of you - fans, teammates, mentors, and friends - for making these six seasons an unforgettable tapestry of growth, dedication, and shared dreams. This city, these experiences, and your love have left an indelible mark on my soul. Calgary holds a special place in my heart as the place where my dreams came true. I am filled with gratitude towards this magnificent city.
 
To any Seattle fan reading this piece, I couldn't be more proud to have the opportunity to play with your jersey. I am fully committed to supporting this team in their pursuit of victory and confident that we can secure another Continental Cup. I'll have the golden opportunity to play for, arguably, one of the best General Managers ever in Blake Campbell. The team that Blake has assembled to attack this season's title looks promising, and I can wait to put your colors on - and honor them.
 
As I embark on this new chapter, I carry the invaluable lessons of the past, the bonds that have shaped me, and the dreams that fuel my future. Here's to a new journey, friendships, and the shared pursuit of excellence.
 
Love,
Leandro
 

My name is JigglyGumballs, otherwise known as Jiggs. And I am the one who traded the picks and trusted the process. I joined all the way back in June 2020 and for the past year or so, I have been inactive. But now I'm back. A lot has changed since I was last here, a lot of familiar faces, a lot of new ones. A lot has changed with the league itself. Like wtf I can't believe that trivia is on the portal. Anyways, as a sorta older member coming back to the league, I feel like I should introduce (or reintroduce) myself. And no it's not cuz of le good ol' TPE grind but so I can try and adjust to all the new stuff okay.
 
So. Over my time in the VHL, I was pretty active when I first joined and subsequently throughout the career of my first player. Who was creatively named Jiggly Gumballs, who would've thought lol. I prided myself in trying to max out my TPE earning every week and amassing 1002 TPE over my first player's career. I also had an active presence on my team LR's. Eventually, I had become the AGM of the Las Vegas Aces of the VHLM, back when @Spartan was GM of the team. I then took over as GM when Spraytan departed, and sorta coined the term TRADE THE PICKS, TRUST THE PROCESS. The reasoning behind that was the mentality we had in the M at the time. To keep an active LR and team, and thus to help recruitment at the time, the goal was to contend as much as possible. Thus the trade the picks, trust the process mentality began. I memed the living shit out of it, along with trading for 6th rounders which was counter-intuitive towards that mentality, and somehow was okay at being a GM in the M. After that period of time, I gradually got busy with life and stepped down. Taking some time off the league before creating my second player, Gruffud Theofylaktos. At this time, I tried becoming active again and milked the loving shit of my return (like I am now lol) when I did come back. I was apparently AGM of Davos for a period of time before I became inactive yet again. Idk why I don't remember that but apparently I was. This time though, I stayed inactive for a whole year.
 
That leaves us with today. So what's the plan now? What's the goal? So the goal right now is to keep things chill and get myself back into the VHL community. I don't think I'll have the time or motivation to make articles the same way I did prior, so I'll try my best to at least be a welfare player, and occasional full TPE earner. I'm also gonna try and apply for positions again once I get back into the thick of it. It won't be for a while though. I rushed back into the TPE and VHL grind with my second player and subsequently burnt myself out. So instead of doing that, I want to adjust slowly and just get back to talking to y'all. When I feel like I'm ready, I'll apply for open positions again.
 
So that's that. Me back. Me want to VHL. Thanks to @Zetterberg for convincing me to come back.
 
With that in mind, there will come a time again where I will trade the picks. And you better be ready to trust the process...
 
(587 words, using for PT week Aug 14-20)

Yeah, I gave my Europe power rankings a full article, but that's because Malmo is in Europe and honestly, the only reason I even did those power rankings is because Malmo is good now. But I'll go ahead and write a quick couple hundred words on North America as well. I'm going to put them into tiers so I don't have to put as much thought into the order.
 
Top Tier - VAN, TOR, SEA
Vancouver and Seattle look a bit different, but they still manage to be good. Toronto made some huge acquisitions, along with a few players hitting their prime, that could help them jump up very far in the standings from last in the conference a season ago. Seattle could have found themselves a tier lower if not for the Clueless Wallob addition. I think Vancouver's top six forwards are the best group in the VHL; although they may not have the best top end, unlike most teams, they should be able to ice two lines that don't have any glaring weakness.
 
Mid Tier - LAS, DCD
Maybe Los Angeles could be in a tier of their own between D.C. and the above trio, but it's just easier to put these two together as my expected wildcard teams. D.C. is kind of relying on Jason and Vincent Laroche-Gagnier, but that is something that they have that the bottom teams don't. I think the Stars have potential, but I don't think the players they have are good enough to make up for the smaller 5F/3D lineup. The more I look, though, I do think there is a clear distinction here. I see Los Angeles as closer to the top three, and D.C. as closer to the bottom three.
 
Bottom Tier - CGY, CHI, NYA
This is pretty clear-cut, though you could make a case for putting the Dragons in a tier with maybe Calgary or Chicago, but New York is certainly on the bottom. The Americans had their playoff moment last season, but I think it's back to the early off-seasons for them. Chicago and Calgary both have large rosters, but with no real stars, you shouldn't expect too much from them.

My S90 NA Conference Power Rankings
 

 
If you're looking for super smart analysis and breaking down teams and why they're ranked, this isn't going to be the article for you. This was looking for literally five minutes at teams in NA and just throwing down my thoughts of who'll be where at the end of the standings. Lets get into it!
 
1) Toronto Legion
 
It seems like Toronto this season is stacked. They've added Sogaard, Lavelle, and Yasilievich to their team who should be able to carry this team to a first place finish. They should be towards the top of the standings and if they don't go to at least the conference finals, it's a pretty bad season in my books.
 
2) Vancouver Wolves
 
Second I've got Vancouver who were the finalists from NA last season coming in second. Honestly, I could see this team finishing first as they've got Maple, Bouchard, and Payne leading the charge for the team. They also have one of the best blue line this season and fantastic prospects upcoming for them. I could see them going all the way.
 
3) Seattle Bears
 
The third best team in my eyes is the Seattle Bears. On paper, this team could for sure crack first and there is not much of a difference between the top three. With players like Bobandy, Goncalves, Bogatyrev, and also Wallob, they are stacked and will be one of the best teams in the league. Another favorite from NA as these three teams should be the teams to duke it out during the season.
 
4) Los Angeles Stars
 
Alright, this is where NA falls off a cliff. The Stars are mid. They're not going to be super bad, but they won't be amazing either. They've got Cooke and Dynamite, then with Murray on D and Vandelay in net. However, they lack more firepower than the top three, but they're for sure better than the bottom four teams in my mind. They should win the wildcard and get eliminated in the actual first round of the playoffs.
 
5) D.C. Dragons
 
This is where the teams start to get bad. I think D.C. is the best of the worst, because they actually have a couple players that aren't half bad. They've got Jason and Sakamoto who are not franchise players, but superstars in their own right. They just really lack depth. They've got a couple players that can hang with the best, but without depth they'll struggle against the best teams. They'll probably fall to LA in the wildcard round.
 
6) Calgary Wranglers
 
Alright, now we're entering trash tier. Calgary has Strasmore and a bunch of sub 600 TPE players. Their starting goalie is average. They're going to be bad and try to secure a high pick in the draft. That's about it.
 
7) Chicago Phoenix
 
Yeah, this team is screwed. They don't even have a superstar really, just Sundin and Johansson. They're going to be the bottom of the barrel and they'll need a miracle to even scrape 5th in the conference. However, that was all apart of their plan, so not all is bad.
 
8- New York Americans (idk cant put 8 ) because it turns into some cool dude face)
 
Yeah, I don't really know what's going on here. An accidental rebuild? A forced rebuild? Hey, regardless they'll be getting a top pick so that's going to help them in the long term!
 
Best off-season: Toronto Legion
Worst off-season: New York Americans
 
Sorry New York for the hate, nothing against you guys. Also why do half the teams in NA have like a shade of red as their main color? I am not against it, just thought it was interesting.

Welcome all to the S89 Hall of Fame induction ceremony!
 
G - Xavier Booberry, S81-S88 
 RS: 520 GP, 282 W, 177 L, 49 OTL, 2.64 GAA, .926 SV%, 34 SO 
 PO: 68 GP, 37 W, 23 L, 8 OTL, 2.61 GAA, .926 SV%, 2 SO
 
S83 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Oustanding)
S83 Aidan Shaw Trophy (Top Goalie)
S83 Greg Clegane Trophy (Lowest GAA)
S85 Aidan Shaw Trophy (Top Goalie)
S88 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable)
S88 Aidan Shaw Trophy (Top Goalie)
3x All-VHL First Team (S83, S85, S88)
 
Our first inductee today is the finest goalie of his generation, having his 3 crowning seasons with 3 different teams, proving he was no product of his teams as the VHL came out of the high scoring era into one likely to be dominated by goalies again following in the footsteps of Booberry. Booberry came agonisingly close to a Continental Cup with back-to-back finals losses in his final 2 seasons, but proved to be consistent enough to become just the 2nd goalie Hall of Famer in the 16-team era, securing his name among the league's all time greats.
 
 
LW - Brendan Marner, S82-S88 
RS: 504 GP, 289 G, 396 A, 685 P, +121, 721 PIM, 1,622 HIT, 324 SB, 46 GW
PO: 45 GP, 23 G, 23 A, 46 P, -2, 40 PIM, 113 HIT, 35 SB, 4 GW
 
S87 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Oustanding)
S87 Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points)
S88 Scott Boulet Trophy (Top Two-Way Forward)
2x All-VHL First Team (S87, S88)
2x All-VHL Second Team (S85, S86)
One Continental Cup (S84)
 
Our 2nd inductee is reasonably rare 7-season career, Brendan Marner working his way from a relative unknown on draft day to becoming arguably the face of the 2nd era of the Warsaw Predators, one of the league's dominant forces circa S84-S85. Marner kicked off his career with a 100-point season and fell below that mark just twice in his next 6 seasons, consistently finding himself among the league's top forwards in his prime, peaking as top scorer in S87.
 
Voting results
Xavier Booberry - 13/16
Brendan Marner - 10/16
--------
Matty Socks - 4/16
Papa Emeritus - 2/16
Oskar Lindbergh - 1/16
Jakab Holik, Kristof Welch, Zach Kisslinger II, Hari Singh Nalwa - 0/16
 
Congratulations @CowboyinAmerica and @MetalToday

Off-Season rankings
 
 
Here I was going to do a quick random thoughts write-up again as seems to become more the norm; which I hate since I rather write interesting and creative idea or make interesting to me graphics but time has not been my friend in the month of August and maybe a bit before that so instead of boring,
I am going no thought or not data collection ranking of the VHL teams off seasons; in no particular order either.
 
 
Calgary Wranglers                   F
it was disappointed off season for the team as fan base now cheers for rival Bears this season and hope for better days.
 
 
Chicago Phoenix.                     C
trade (S88) Liv Slater for futures and selected Franchise goaltender. Struggles still ahead.
 
 
DC Dragons                              C
Made the team better but at the cost futures. Maybe a sign of impatience
 
 
HC Davos Dynamo                  B
Rebuilt second line and depth forwards. Need to run 3d all season and can be a concern but still a solid team.
 
 
Helsinki Titans                         C
Where is the defense? Wolanin & Braun make the team better but enough to make the play-offs?
 
 
London United                        D
Two players around 400TPE in the forward group could be ugly for United. Improved by bring in Nesbitt but is it enough?
 
 
Los Angeles Stars                    C
Saved by New York with Dynamite & Puk trade. Still need to make roster moves with 2.5M but that might be tough at this stage.
 
 
Malmo Nighthawks                 A
Aggressive, Eagles, Probert & Weaver and still 2M remaining for trade deadline. Maybe a contender?
 
 
Moscow Menace                    D
Stepping back to step forward but still have aged assets on the roster?
                       
New York Americans               F         
Traded away assets to get young and a roster that the VHLE would be proud of!!
 
 
Prague Phantoms                    E         
Did you actually do anything this off-season? 2.5M can be used to get better at trade deadline.
 
 
Riga Reign                               F         
3M and two large holes. Can they make a run or further changes to stay competitive?  
 
 
Seattle Bears                           B         
Goncalves & Wallob keeps them contending. Still missing pieces but 3m to spend.
 
 
Toronto Legion                        A         
Pretender to Contender? Siyan & Moscow make them better.
 
 
Vancouver Wolves                  C
Passive-aggressive. Depth is the option and future D. Stepping back is possible.
 
 
Warsaw Predators                  C
Looking to the Future with VHLE roster. Long season projected
 
 
Tell me below as I am sure to care why I am wrong or things that I missed. Again, I did no research so of course I am wrong!!

My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
 
(PART TWO OF TWO)

 
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally

 
11th Overall - Severus Targaryen, Seattle Bears
@Banackock
Honestly just a solid selection by Seattle here. Severus might not light up the scoresheet like some of the top end prospects in the draft, but that's why he is a perfect pick outside of the top 10. Rock solid play as a center is honestly needed by every team in the VHL, and Seattle has their own locked up for the upcoming future. 
 
Who I would have picked: King Kisslinger
 
12th Overall - Obuz Schneider Canut du Bocage, Moscow Menace
@Grape
Spartan is one of my favorite GMs in the entirety of VHL, which is why it feels to be down on one of his selections in the first round. du Bocage no doubt belonged in the first round, but with prospects such as Banner, Zilla, and Kisslinger still available, it's hard to justify taking a defenseman who wasn’t even at the top of his positional board. As du Bocage’s teammate I hope he shatters this rating, but for now it's the biggest reach of the first round for me. 
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
13th Overall - Xiver Zilla, New York Americans
@jhatty8
I think Zilla definitely deserved to go around the 12-15 range, but with some of the other prospects on the board falling the way they had, I didn’t see him as the top prospect at the time. Zilla will be a good point-producer regardless of this ranking, this rating is only due to me favoring some of the prospects behind him.
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
14th Overall - Conference Prince-de-Galles, Prague Phantoms
@UnkemptCL4PTP
I strongly feel like Prince-de-Galles was the top defenseman available at the time, so for Prague to pick him up 14th was definitely a solid pick. Strangely, Prince-de-Galles didn’t receive much post-draft hype outside of Moscow, I think he’ll definitely play up to this selection. If du Bocage and Prince-de-Galles swapped places, I’d honestly like both selections. 
Who I would have picked - Conference Prince-de-Galles
 
15th Overall - King Kisslinger, Warsaw Predators
@Kisslinger
The definition of a steal for me. Imagining a Kisslinger-Anisimov line is criminal. Warsaw really nailed this draft, honestly I view both of their picks as excellent. If Kisslinger and Anisimov aren’t giving goalies nightmares for seasons to come I’ll be very surprised.
Who I would have picked - King Kisslinger
 
16th Overall - Bruise Banner, Helsinki Titans
@ctots
Having two steals at the end of the draft may make me look like a snob, but I honestly think both Kisslinger and Banner should have been selected before 15th and 16th respectively. Banner has the potential to become a franchise cornerstone in Helsinki, one can hope he hits his stride while Dixon and Grimes are still in theirs. 
Who I would have picked - Bruise Banner



 

Honestly more impressive to completely miss on everything so I'll take this as a win

Bana Blabs Down Under #88  

We went and checked out the Perth Bell Tower, Perth Royal Mint, Milky Lane and the Barbie movie on Saturday!
Another Blab brought to you by Talk-to-Text, an easier way to do this. Thanks, Siri. Despite your many, often simple errors. I appreciate you. 📱 
 
S90 VHL Draft and Prospects
Severus Targaryen Player Page (Bana's Player)
 

Hello VHL.  Hope things are going good for you on your side of the world.. T-minus 36 days until we leave Perth for the East coast where were gonna do some mini stops before we head home back to Canada. We're going to be stopping in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns before heading home and I'm pretty excited about that! 52 days until we're back home and that's also something I'm fairly excited about. Mixed emotions. Excited for some things, not for some others and then there's definitely going to be some things I will miss about here too. For the VHL, off-season hit and it's been madness again for Seattle. Lot's of trades, drafting, signings, WJC hype and all of that. It's been pretty busy for me but it's also been a lot of fun working with everyone to make it as fun as it is. But yeah, lots happening so let's get this blabbing over with!
 
Draft happened and my player, Severus Targaryen, was selected by the Seattle Bears at 11th overall. I was so close to clicking the button on someone else... it was soooooo close.. and they would have been happy in Seattle and been a legend.. but Targaryen is 100%... nothing else really is. It's the safest bet for anything and everything and it's in a position that holds a lot more value when it comes to activity, build, loyalty etc... We also managed to select @zepheter  which I'm 10/10 excited about. They're going to be a huge presence on the Bears blue line for seasons to come. @Jaja Dingdong @Jayrad28 @Hockeywizard676 round out Seattle's draft and overall, not bad.. Happy moving forward. I think there's some work we could do here.. some potential..  @Jaja Dingdong accepted their contract before even @zepheter... SO GG !!! Now let's get you doing other kinds of tasks! They will help you earn more TPE, don't take too much time and you'll be better.. faster too... so it's more fun! Trivia on the portal is fun too. You can guess and have 25% odds! Seattle has made a lot of trades and we once again look like a completely new team this season.. Boga, Maloish, Gregor, Bobandy @Bojovnik @youloser1337 @oilmandan @AJW are the only players remaining from last seasons roster. Tons of new faces and absolute crazy trades were made to bring in elite talent like @Rhynex Entertainment, @leandrofg @DMaximus @Webberj @WildfireMicro... Amazing off-season. The group has shown good potential in the LR.. once the season starts going, it's going to be great... We need to find one more piece. We have something lined up.. also something back up just incase.. Happy, happy, Happy..  Go Bears Go! World Juniors are happening and it's been a lot of fun so far! Managers have been a good group and Team Asia has surprisingly done some good! They're currently battling it out for a Bronze medal.. which is a lot more than most were probably thinking.. Overall I think they're ranked 5/5 (last) for TPE and I think the drop between 4->5 and 5->6 are pretty decent too. Overall though, massive success. @Zetterberg has been an amazing presence as leader and is always there to help. @N0HBDY has done well simulating and the hype and activity has been okay I suppose! ASIA, ASIA, ASIA.  
 
Excited for the week ahead... What's coming up for the league? VHLE Draft just happened.. so VHLM draft? Then just league prep I think? Good stuff. Take care league!
 
 
Edited August 4 by Banackock

Wow!!! What a crazy show this evening.  Thanks to the streamers/E commies for providing such top tier coverage of the VHL's most respected league!
 
Here are some of my takeaways as a viewer who stayed til the end:
 
- Draft started hot with some GM players / recreates going in the top 5!
- Round 2 was kinda ass with Catia Goncalves surprisingly sliding to the Storm at pick 7.
- Z stole the show when Vateras had 10 CONSECUTIVE picks.  A sign of an exciting new E after contracting to 6 teams? Or a snooze fest and depth overkill with bloated rosters? You decide.
- Aurora Skylight slipped to round 5, with the Storm snagging him with pick 30.  Chat was going crazy!!!! Fans and player agents were heated!!! Was this the steal of the draft or did he slip for a reason?
- I then went to make food and came back and was one of the final 10 viewers.  Stopped paying attention but saw that Muff went to the Brat Watchers completing the 3PPAO reunion.
 
Overall another super fun filled evening in the VHL world

My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
 
(PART ONE OF TWO)

 
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally 


 
1st Overall - YaBoi Oven, Helsinki Titans
@Doomsday
 
Who could argue with YaBoi Oven going first overall? Not only does this selection suit a need for the Titans as a frontline franchise defenseman, but any team in the VHL would be more than happy to have a defenseman prospect on Oven’s level in their pool. An expected first overall pick, in terms of position and overall I view this as a good first overall selection.
 
Who I would have selected - YaBoi Oven

 
2nd Overall - Walter Fitzroy Jr, Toronto Legion
@Moon
 
This isn’t exactly unexpected. Moon is the GM of Toronto and thus you get a franchise defenseman who is willing to stay long term, as long as Moon remains employed in Toronto. Fitzroy will be a good player, but I can’t am not a fan of GM’s making slight reaches to select their own players. Still, Fitzroy will be a good player in Toronto. 
 
Who I would have selected - Axle Gunner
 
3rd Overall - Ryan Artyomov, Chicago Phoenix 
@Enorama
 
I don’t think I can overstate how awesome this pick is for Chicago. With recent GM turnover, the new leader of operations in Chicago certainly smashed their first pick. Artyomov will be an excellent goalie in the VHL, and will be key in Chicago regaining contention and making a push for another cup. Artyomov is also probably the best selection in terms of suiting team needs so far as well. Just an awesome pick all around. 
 
Who I would have selected - Ryan Artyomov
 
4th Overall - Axle Gunner, Moscow Menace
@Steve
 
A near 100 point scorer in the VHLM with the Philadelphia Reapers, Gunner is a borderline steal for me. I wouldn’t exactly call 4th overall a drop or decline however. Gunner is a center, and figures to play for Moscow sooner rather than later, where he will be a steady contributor in Moscow’s retool. Another excellent selection, but it’s hard to mess up a top 5 selection.
 
Who I would have selected - Axle Gunner

 
5th Overall - Maxim Anisimov, Warsaw Predators
@McLovin
 
I may have been higher on Anisimov than others viewing the draft, but I see this pick as an absolute steal. While Anisimov may not be as valuable defensively as a Center or Defenseman, he was by far the best winger prospect in this class. I think Warsaw nailed this pick, and are setting themselves up with a surefire hardware candidate season in and out. 
 
Who I would have selected - Maxim Anisimov
 
6th Overall - Raimo Tuominen, Calgary Wranglers
@SlapshotWrangler
 
While I like Raimo Tuominen as a prospect, and I agree he should have been a top 10 selection, top 5 is just a small reach for me. I don’t see him being the best positionally or overall at this point in terms of the draft. While I think Calgary is getting an excellent player, they could have almost certainly traded down a few selections and got the same player. I will be excited to see Tuominen in Calgary, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was just slightly overdrafted in my opinion. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
 
7th Overall - Catia Goncalves, Riga Reign
@cLoWn
 
While I have some question marks regarding Goncalves, I do think she will be a good player for the Reign. Similar to Tuominen, I saw Goncalves as a top 12-15 prospect, with 7th being just slightly early for my taste. Regardless I do think the Reign are getting a capable player and a solid prospect to build a young core up with. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu

 
8th Overall - Jarmo Ruutu, Moscow Menace
@jRuutu
 
The Menace had an amazing draft. While Gunner may be the best prospect overall selected to Moscow, in terms of pure value I think Ruutu has a case for one of the best in the first round in general. I had Ruutu as a top 5 selection, so while seeing him fall to Moscow was a surprise, it is a welcome one! Spartan is once again assembling a young capable core for the Menace’s retool. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
 
9th Overall - Jebidiah Big Ol Doinks in Amish, Malmo Nighthawks
@hylands
 
I think picking up Jebidiah/Hylands is a sneaky hood move for the Nighthawks in their quest for a bounceback to competitive hockey. I think at this point in the draft most of the top end talent had seeped out in terms of the quality selected in the top 5, but Jebidiah is an excellent defensive prospect. I can’t decide if this was a draft fall or the perfect spot for Hylands to end up at.
 
10th Overall - Martin Kemp, Riga Reign
@leafsman
 
Another reach for the Reign. I would have been fine with a Kemp selection at 10, but doubling down on first round wingers when two amazing centers were available is very questionable for me. As previously stated for Goncalves, Kemp will be a good player, it’s just all about fit and the scheme in Riga for me. 

Good move! Definitely increases his value for me

Nice write up! Good thing Tuominen is making the move to C to become our franchise centre!!!