Victor

I think it's time to talk about Tommy Sleeves. A rookie during Helsinki's last run to the finals in S91, he has gone through his prime as the Titans have gone through a long and painful rebuild. Sleeves' loyalty has been rewarded in the history books though as his physical, defensive style has benefited from playing on one of the league's worst teams. A rough-playing defenceman, Sleeves has racked up the PIM in the last 3 seasons with the tallies of 290, 294, and 336 respectively all in the top 14 highest PIM totals in a single season. That latest mark of 336 is particularly notable as it allowed Sleeves to break the stranglehold that Da'Brickashaw O'Neal has held on the record for over 80 seasons. Sleeves now has the second highest total of all time and finished just 20 PIM off O'Neal's record in S96. With 1,540 PIM in his career, Sleeves is currently in 9th place on the all-time leaderboard and only 318 away from Peter Payne's long-standing record set when he retired in S15. With two seasons to play, it seems inevitable that record will fall unless referees stop penalising Sleeves completely. Sleeves has also been racking up the hits with two 400+ hit seasons landing him in the top 25 of single season records. His latest entry of 411 in S96 was 50 away from Gabriel McAllister's record although it will take a monumental effort to improve on that mark. On the career rankings, hits is probably out of reach but he could feasibly land in the top 15. In any case, that's a record already held by @dasboot's previous player, Vinny Detroit. Finally, Sleeves got first entry on the top 25 most shots blocked in a season, with 272 in S96 placing him 13th of all time. He's 443 SBs away from David Jokinen's record of 1,513, which is doable if he keeps up his S95-S96 pace and is arguably more impressive as he'll have beaten it in an 8-season career rather than 9.

I think I predicted this, yay

Secret 3rd option: Will Ferrell

Sure

Go on then you fiend

One of VSN's most piercing pieces of analysis in recent years.

Yeah best Europe that's right

Week 4 of 4

Higher capacity for one of the leagues most famous and successful franchises

Helsinki consistently makes trades which both teams lose and honestly that's pretty impressive.

It's a 4-hour scenic drive from Milan to Davos (or to Zurich, where the Dynamo play their games) through the Alps, with the train taking slightly shorter. Double that and you can even make it up to gaze at exquisite Swiss scenes from Rome. Ardent Italian hockey fans already had a reason to make the journey for the last 3 seasons, with arguably their finest prospect ever suiting up for the Dynamo, making it to the Continental Cup finals in S96. Now Antonia Bucatini has been joined by Gianfranco Del Rocco in an off-season trade, giving Davos the top 2 draftees from the S93 draft, and Italian fans even more reason to make the fairly short trip across the border. Although winter sports do have popularity and notable success in northern Italy, hockey is still struggling to gain a foothold in the nation's psyche. One of the leading VHL teams being based in Switzerland and now being led by probably the best two Italian players in VHL history, is possibly the best chance of winning over a new generation of fans. While rumours of off-ice relationships continue to be unconfirmed, Bucatini and Del Rocco now have a chance to leaving a lasting legacy on hockey in Italy. Expectations are high now though, in Davos too where one trip to the finals is never considered enough. Will it be a match made in heaven or is it too good to be true? The Italians heading across the Alps are hoping for something special.

Big talk for a team that didn't even medal last time

Goalies, we will do our best to outscore everyone else.

In our hearts without a doubt

Sir, Ravenwing is right there

Week 3 of 4

Love this. I usually have an idea on a name a few months before recreating, but Del Rocco actually I believe was an option for my previous comeback (which ended up being Podrick Cast), or maybe for the next player after Cast. So at least dating back to the S60s, maybe earlier!

Glad to see that I am worth forum content and then some. The Italian S93 draftees reunite (or have they been together this whole time?...) And after 57 seasons, for the first time since the S39 Continental Cup finals, it's a delight to be back in Davos. Thanks for another good few seasons in Seattle Bana.

So this pick goes to Warsaw then?

it's back now

I would have expected shots and save percentage to go up as well then. We did have the save % spike but that was a brief thing at the start of the hybrid era when goalies were overpowered. My theory is its more to do with the balance of teams so even if you're a defenceman on a good team you're facing more competitive teams. Either way I don't think that makes modern defencemen better that they have that opportunity.

Just coming back to this because I was updating career stats so naturally looking at things including defencemen. Something, and I am very confident it's blocked shots, is throwing the entire formula because 7 out of the 10 best statistical defenceman can't have played in the last 30 seasons. 89 out of 120 players with 1,000+ career SBs (and 41 of the top 50) have retired in the last 30 seasons so that requires era adjusting as well without a doubt.

Vote for the most outstanding player in S96. @Members

When GM and BOG member and maybe by then commissioner Keaton Louth proposed to relocate the Quebec City Meute to Vancouver, there wasn't too much opposition. The offer to keep the logo, an original creation by founding GM Pavel Koradek, alleviated most of the fears, while the argument against the Meute name, while strenuous, was convincing enough. The main reason I voted in favour was the opportunity to shed some of Quebec's VHL history. Whilst the Meute outlasted fellow expansion team Cologne who were contracted in S57, they had a controversial past over their first 30 seasons. Koradek steered Quebec to their first championship off the back of acquiring three Valiq brothers and making a big splash in free agency, which made the Meute few friends. Their reputation as the league's villains grew under the outspoken Clinton Chevy, who embraced the role of loudmouth and unfortunately for him couldn't replicate regular season success in the playoffs. Even under Frank Chadwick's second (of at least three) stints in charge, Quebec only managed one Continental Cup out of four straight finals appearances. There was enough playoff failure and general “evil empire” vibes to suggest a move would be beneficial. It's now been 32 seasons in Vancouver and playoff success has certainly been forthcoming. The Wolves have been to nine Continental Cup finals, winning seven, a feat matched only by their rivals in Seattle (seven from eleven finals). They've shed the underachiever tag but what about the controversy? Well, with a threepeat off the back of meta exploitation, and even this season a trade deadline deal for Olober Syko which had many up in arms, I think it's fair to say Vancouver has continued to rub some people the wrong way. But on the whole was the relocation a success? You'd have to say so based on results.

Week 2 of 4