Victor

Kallis taketh and Kallis giveth.

Da fuq is this shit.

Fair enough, could have avoided that by not picking every number but 162 at random. That said, Saeijs and Kroenenburg co won top scorer so that would indeed be a technicality I wouldn't go for.

Beggars can't be choosers.

1. Thoughts on the new expansion teams - any you like in particular, any you don't think were the best decisions? 2. If given the choice, would you rather join an existing team or Moscow in the draft? 3. What is your favourite VHL memory?

I mean it's probably quite difficult to predict who I'll pick when we don't even know where I will pick! (also need an emoji tbh) This is correct - you're both scrubs.

Good evening all - the questions required a bit more digging this week but most were fine with it. 1. Who was the first rookie to be crowned playoff MVP? Ryuu Crimson, co-winner of the award just last season was in fact the first ever rookie playoff MVP! We've had a few close calls before - Daisuke Kanou won it in his 3rd season (and then in his 7th and 8th), which the easiest way to find would probably be in his HOF article. Stolzschweiger was famously the first ever top rookie in S2, but wasn't playoff MVP until S7. Astrid Moon in the meantime had a torrid time in the playoffs as a rookie, but was playoff MVP in S54 as a sophomore - you'd probably have had to check for him in S53 to make sure he didn't beat Crimson to this record. 2. What is the highest amount of points scored in a single season which did not lead the league in scoring? No tricks here - scoring means points, not goal-scoring, and as ever you don't need non-existent regular season indeces to know this information. You do need to know that the records section in the portal only covers records from around S45 if not later, but the on-forum HOF has a comprehensive list dating from the start of the league: https://vhlforum.com/forum/114-vhl-records/ That shows that Alex McNeil, with the 5th most points of all time with 162 points in Season 5 could not have led the league in scoring that season because Scotty Campbell set the all-time scoring record in the same season. Very unfortunate for Alex. Anyway, 2 capped TPE goes to: @Velevra @Jubo07 @Antone10 @BOOM™ @Hybrid1486 @joeyboucher1 @Beketov @Kisshan @SlapshotDragon @CurtisG93 @DollarAndADream @Quik @leafsman @Smarch @Peace @Tagger @ShawnGlade @Stoffiday ? @SidTheKid87 @Ahma @StamkosFan @Philliefan @Sonnet @Rocketman04 @Thranduil @DilIsPickle @SwagSloth @Kuch9 @.sniffuM @majesiu @Enorama @Arthur @wcats @Galdoblame @Ty343 @McWolf @kayfabe @Plate @Poptart @Sharkstrong @BladeMaiden @SlashACM @flyersfan1453 @Josh. @ShawnGlade @FacePuncher 1 capped TPE goes to: @Esso2264 @SpartanGibbles @GRZ You know the drill - week 6 kicks off tomorrow. See you then!

Following in the footsteps of greats: https://vhlportal.com/hof/inductees/128

Loooool.

If you don't wanna get robbed, get better than third place...

Yis.

Glad to hear it tbh regardless of if you end up here this off-season - up to Seattle of course how they play the expansion draft. I've gotten a very good response to a team in Moscow which I was pretty confident in but still feel vindicated in pushing for both that location and to keep the VHL's European presence. For what it's worth, I'm a native Russian speaker, albeit from Latvia, therefore see both sides of any pro- or anti-Russian narrative. The Menace name embraces the unavoidable reputation and turns it into something which works very well IMO for a sports franchise, as well sounding cool, and as you alluded to playing up to an American audience.

This is unfortunate.

Frank too. Basically getting tips from the best GMs.

@Will why is every retirement duplicated?

In the shining new HQ of the Moscow Menace in the heart of the Russian capital, long-time VHL player agent and new expansion GM Victor Alfredsson has his first Q&A session. Q: Welcome back to the GM game Mr. Alfredsson, what made you come back after so many years? A: Well they always say to leave on a high and I think I did that with 3 straight finals and a second cup with Davos in S38. Since then there's been really little incentive for me to get back in the GM game as I'd be setting myself up for disappointment. But creating a new franchise from scratch and building a contender from nothing, that's a completely different challenge and opportunity, and probably the main reason I'm back. Q: Bold talk of contention already before your team even has a single player. What's the target with the rebuild, or build even? A: Well you have to be bold in this city, Moscow has been desperate for a VHL team for decades and when they look around other European franchises like Riga and Helsinki, Muscovites will always think they are superior. There are serious expectations and pressure from the off. I'm a pragmatic man though, I'm going to use past precedent to guide me. Of the last two expansion teams, Quebec won its first cup in its fifth season, while Cologne had to wait til the twelfth. I'll say by our tenth season, the Menace should have a few finals appearances under our belt and hopefully a maiden championship. Q: Finally, you're well known for finding Hall of Fame talent to represent your agency in the VHL. Do Moscow fans have a superstar to look forward to? A: My scouting team is scouring the entirety of the Russian hockey scene as we speak, I really want to make a statement by finding a homegrown talent for the fans to get behind. The GM player should be introduced by the S65 trade deadline, so likely a member of the S67 class. I know there were some rumblings that I'd be bringing Podrick Cast with me from Riga, but he will remain entirely separate from Moscow – that is a career I have no intention of derailing.

Did a minor clean-up since it was odd that WJC was also getting posted in this forum, so quick index to ensure everyone knows where everything is: This forum: VHL GM announcements, captains, jersey retirements, etc. VHLM Announcements: As above, but for VHLM, as well as any other VHLM announcements by the commissioners World Cup Nation Forums: for World Cup team announcements every 2 seasons WJC Team Announcements: for WJC team announcements every season

Kallis I never doubted you.

Kallis what are you doing

1. I'm surprised Quebec has decided to trade forwards to get better. They're just in a bit of a weird place caught between competing and rebuilding or retooling. That said, player for player trades are very difficult to assess initially, it's very much something to revisit in the future. I like it though, the 3-way trade was very unlike modern VHL. 2. Cast, Thompson, Preencarnacion, Sterling in that order, if it was the same teams. Actually, that's also BPA on TPE, I thought Malenko might have snuck up on Sterling but he hasn't. 3. I think one would do much better than the other, although don't know which one tbh. More importantly, I don't think it would have changed much in terms of how many wins we'd get as a team. 4. No, there was a really bad one Toronto made in like S12 - David Knight then reversed it back to their better known logo (which is similar to the one they have now). It was kind of like the one Helsinki has now, but it didn't really work. That is quite niche though. The VHL logo change is actually up there for me, the red one was perfect. 5. Oof that's a tough one. I feel a lot of the newer members are getting close - if I had to pick one I'd say Enorama but probably because I see him the most. 6. I think you're right. I didn't think about it until I heard you say that but I'd struggle to name three others bans in total (other than Anderson). Eldred was one just before the DDOS attack. One of my personal faves is Slobo permabanning a semi-active who PMd one of Slobo's multis who was meant to be a girl asking for a nude. But yeah, slim pickings apart from that.

The last of the real ones.

Я

No fucking around with the shootout.

Top line doing things.

215 Riga Reign @ Seattle Bears 216 HC Davos Dynamo @ Quebec City Meute 217 Helsinki Titans @ New York Americans 218 Toronto Legion @ Calgary Wranglers