Victor

TORONTO VS DAVOS: THE FINAL BATTLE It went largely under the radar that the Season 38 Continental Cup finals were the first time in VHL history that two teams met in the finals for three straight seasons. It's uncommon enough for back-to-back-to-back meetings within the conferences, even now with an extra round of playoffs added in since Season 31, but three straight appearances in the finals shows remarkable consistency by the Toronto Legion and HC Davos Dynamo. As it happens, Toronto and Davos have quite a bit of history as Seasons 36 to 38 bring their playoff meetings to seven. There was a one-off during Toronto's victory in Season 29 but just before that the Legion and the Dynamo had already met three times in fairly quick succession. It might not have been three straight years, but meetings in Seasons 20, 21, and 24 were all part of the teams' great dynasties remembered most of all for their goaltending staples, none other than Aidan Shaw and Daisuke Kanou. Their duels have gone down in history as will the Toronto vs Davos contests of recent years and we have taken the time here to break down both eras into three different categories and compare the two generations of Legion and Dynamo rivalries. GENERATION ONE (S20, S21, S24) The “twenties” are often romanticised as a time of great rivalries, capped off by Seattle vs New York later on but perhaps it was even bloodier and more dramatic in the first half of the decade. The Legion picked fights primarily with Seattle (S20 and S21) while the Dynamo brought out their best against the Helsinki Titans (S21-S24). Between themselves, Toronto and Davos didn't have as much bad blood given they were in different conferences but they did have excellent and quite comparable rosters, both benefiting from investing into the ridiculously good S18 VHL Entry Draft. The Legion were heralded as the great dynasty, rebuilding in just one season, but the under-rated Dynamo were not far behind though were seen to have less long-term potential. For many, Season 20 was seen as Davos' last chance to win a Continental Cup when in fact it turned out to be just the beginning of an epic battle. The Battle Our first category is self-explanatory, it looks at how close and dramatic the final series were. Season 20 was the epitome of close, as the top two teams in the VHL fought to a gruelling Game 7 as the Legion lost a slight 3-2 series lead to the heroics of Daisuke Kanou in the last two games. Only two games, including the strange first game (a 7-2 Toronto win), were decided by more than one goal as the series went back and forth. Season 24 was about on par with 3-0 and 3-1 wins by the champions from Davos the closest things to a blowout in an intense six-game match-up. By contrast, Season 21 was a bit of a dud, the Dynamo severe underdogs as they just scraped into the playoffs on the last day, and they ultimately lost four straight to lose in five. Granted, two games ended 2-1, two 3-2, and the Legion won Game 5 4-3 only in third overtime. S20: 9/10 S21: 7/10 S24: 9/10 Average: 8.3 Star Power Put simply, the Legion of Seasons 20 to 22 were the reasons for a change to the stricter salary cap system we have today. James Bencharski and David Walcott marshalled the defence in front of one Aidan Shaw and were joined in S21 by Davos' Voittu Jannula. J.D. Stormwall made a cameo as captain that season and the offence also featured Lars Berger, playoff MVP candidate in S20 and triple overtime cup-winner in S21. Yet in Season 24 the Dynamo somehow were even better, featuring six Hall of Famers (Anton Brekker, Pavel Koradek, Leeroy Jenkins, Japinder Singh, Adam Schultz, Daisuke Kanou) and one who just missed out in Mathias Chouinard. This was the stuff of a legendary team like the early days Wranglers or Bears. This category is only hurt by the retools forced upon Davos in S21 and Toronto in S24. S20: 7/10 S21: 7/10 S24: 8/10 Average: 7.3 Goalie Duel You can't mention Toronto and Davos without talking about goaltenders, especially when talking about the era of Aidan Shaw and Daisuke Kanou. Of course they weren't the pioneers for either franchise but rather continuing the work of Alex Gegeny and Benoit Devereux, but they are the most fondly remembered as they made their name in these seasons. During their careers, the Legion won one cup and the Dynamo three, with Shaw having one playoff MVP and Kanou three, all but Kanou's last coming in the Toronto/Davos meetings. Kanou gets the rightful credit for his post-season heroics and in Season 24 posted ridiculous totals of a .962 save percentage and 0.98 GAA. Yet Shaw, better known as one of the (if not the) regular season greats, was no slouch himself that season with MVP-worthy stats of .946 and 1.45, which is to be expected when their six games in the finals featured three shutouts and an average of 2.5 goals per game. Season 24 might have been the pinnacle of goaltending perfection but Seasons 20 and 21 weren't too bad and that was when Shaw and Kanou were much younger. In S20, Kanou might have had the seven-goal humiliation but he then saved a whopping 96 of 100 shots in Games 6 and 7 to win it all. In S21, he had a bad start in round one against Riga but against his arch-rival was at his usual standard and kept Davos in every game, though he would have need to outplay the superb for the Dynamo to have a chance that season. S20: 7/10 S21: 7/10 S24: 10/10 Average: 8 TOTAL: 23.6 points GENERATION TWO (S36, S37, S38) The Battle A similar pattern was followed in these last three seasons to the one in the previous decade. In the Dynamo's two victories, the series went to seven and six games and Toronto had a 3-1 lead in S36, but the Legion won extremely quickly, with one of the few final sweeps in VHL history (it was just the fourth ever). The difference was that there were significantly fewer one-goal games, most notably just one in Season 36, when the two teams seemed to forget about defensive responsibilities and Davos triumphed with a cumulative score of 22-21. The games were close in S37 but Remy LeBeau conceded just five goals in four games, meaning that the first close battle came this past season, with the outlier over six games being a bizarre 7-1 Dynamo victory. S36: 6/10 S37: 5/10 S38: 8/10 Average: 6.3 Star Power This generation of the HC Davos Dynamo has written its name in VHL history yet you can make a strong case that none of its members (with the exception of Odin Tordahl in S36) will make it into the Hall of Fame. It's of course easier to assess the earlier era with the benefit of hindsight but this Dynamo team features some top players and all-around depth but no one has stood out as truly one of the league's best. Perhaps the best player, statistically, has been Davey Jones, once second string to the effective but unspectacular Sergey Brovalenko but now an offensive leader thanks to a long-term chemistry with captain Thomas Landry. Both players do need more individual success than they do at present and the same goes to younger members such as Naomi Young, Matt Bentley, and Lennox Moher. There is time for this core yet but as of now, it's been a team effort, not one led by superstars. The Toronto Legion have also established themselves as a workmanlike unit after a patient process of building a contender. They did have one surefire Hall of Famer, franchise face and heroic goalie Remy LeBeau, unsurprisingly the leader of their cup win and conference final win in S38. Up front, Anatoli Zhumbayev might join the discussion of being on a Hall of Fame ballot and Niklas Lindberg has become the star man in recent seasons and has a chance to shine in his new home in Vasteras. Jakub Kjellberg, Evgeny Namestnikov, Chico Salmon, Reggie Dunlop and all the others, however, were key components of this Legion era but will not be remembered as individuals in the decades to come. S36: 6/10 S37: 6/10 S38: 6/10 Average: 6 Goalie Duel Remy LeBeau and Lennox Moher have Kanou Trophy apiece and were excellent in the two finals they won. Season 36, on the other hand, was an offensive explosion that is fairly rare for a cup final and put into question both netminders' playoff credentials. LeBeau has more than answered the criticism and back-to-back save percentages of .943 and .935 have, in addition to his regular season body of work, vaulted him into the top echelon of all-time VHL goaltending for good, a worthy successor to Gegeny, Shaw and Alexander Labatte. Moher is only now coming into his own and Season 38 was the first real battle between the pipes and now he must build on the success to become a great in his own right. S36: 4/10 S37: 6/10 S38: 8/10 Average: 6 TOTAL: 18.3 points So the winner is, somewhat predictably, the older generation of Toronto and Davos stars. It may not be a fair comparison because of the ever-increasing parity in the league hitting all top teams of today's VHL but on the whole, it seems fair to say that the meetings of these two teams between S20 and S24 were much more memorable. That said, the newer Legion and Dynamo have made history of their own and for that deserve recognition.

what, they weren't depreciated in the off-season? They could have updated to get back to old attribute levels.

Time to start reading up on this class. Learning which players are which members will be a good start.

I have unleashed a monster!

It seems my alter egos have quite contrasting opinions here.

Upon my return I decreed we only play non-playoff teams.

Bueno.

Whoa there Collier.

Fever has been forced to step aside from the job on a temporary (I believe) basis but we will definitely be needing someone to do the job at least for S39. Pay is 1 TPE a week, 2 TPE for the first week since a lot of transactions need to be processed, both in the spreadsheet and in the threads. Apply below.

them's the scrubs

Didn't even remember he had two pretty bad seasons in the middle. Brushed over in memory by the sheer aweseomeness. S27 class <3

Ah there's the first mistake! Riga won in S16, not S15. Silly me of whenever this was made. P.S. This league has a distinct lack of Patrick Palmer

Presumably for a MS I never wrote. Might as well post it here. ALL-TIME PLAYERS WITH 3+ CONTINENTAL CUPS (22 AS OF S38): 5-TIME CHAMPION (1): Leeroy Jenkins: S24 HC Davos Dynamo, S25 HC Davos Dynamo, S27 Helsinki Titans, S28 Seattle Bears, S30 Calgary Wranglers 4-TIME CHAMPIONS (2): Scotty Campbell: S1 Vasteras IK, S4 Seattle Bears, S5 Seattle Bears, S6 Helsinki Titans Doug Schneider: S2 Calgary Wranglers, S3 Calgary Wranglers, S6 Helsinki Titans, S8 Calgary Wranglers 3-TIME CHAMPIONS (19): Tommy Brown: S1 Vasteras IK, S2 Calgary Wranglers, S3 Calgary Wranglers Sterling Labatte: S2 Calgary Wranglers, S3 Calgary Wranglers, S8 Calgary Wranglers Brad Janssen: S2 Calgary Wranglers, S6 Helsinki Titans, S7 Avangard Havoc Josh Vestiquan: S7 Avangard Havoc, S8 Calgary Wranglers, S12 Seattle Bears Danny Tremblay: S4 Seattle Bears, S5 Seattle Bears, S7 Avangard Havoc Markus Sedin: S9 Toronto Legion, S12 Seattle Bears, S13 HC Davos Dynamo Jonathan Matthias: S11 HC Davos Dynamo, S12 Seattle Bears, S13 HC Davos Dynamo Zach Arce: S11 HC Davos Dynamo, S13 HC Davos Dynamo, S14 New York Americans J.D. Stormwall: S18 Calgary Wranglers, S19 Calgary Wranglers, S21 Toronto Legion Lars Berger: S18 Calgary Wranglers, S19 Calgary Wranglers, S21 Toronto Legion Max Kroenenburg: S16 Riga Reign, S21 Toronto Legion, S22 Helsinki Titans Rhett Gouldhawke: S18 Calgary Wranglers, S19 Calgary Wranglers, S22 Helsinki Titans Jardy Bunclewirth: S18 Calgary Wranglers, S19 Calgary Wranglers, S23 Calgary Wranglers Anton Brekker: S20 HC Davos Dynamo, S24 HC Davos Dynamo, S25 HC Davos Dynamo Daisuke Kanou: S20 HC Davos Dynamo, S24 HC Davos Dynamo, S25 HC Davos Dynamo Adam Schultz: S22 Helsinki Titans, S24 HC Davos Dynamo, S25 HC Davos Dynamo Mathias Chouinard: S23 Calgary Wranglers, S24 HC Davos Dynamo, S25 HC Davos Dynamo Japinder Singh: S24 HC Davos Dynamo, S25 HC Davos Dynamo, S27 Helsinki Titans Elijah Incognito: S28 Seattle Bears, S29 Toronto Legion, S33 Riga Reign

CAL G is open it would appear then.

Goons

July 7th-13th

Memoirs of a General Manager It's been a while but I am back with the final instalment of a four-part recap of my almost five-season tenure as GM of the HC Davos Dynamo. You may find the first three parts at the bottom of this Media Spots page and they document, respectively, the initial S34 firesale, the decision to build a core without the draft in S35, and the final touches prior to winning the Continental Cup in S36. S37-S38: Staying Afloat The Skinny The plight of a VHL General Manager is no easy one. During the playoffs, even when things are looking good (which still takes a lot of nerves and tinkering more often than not), behind the scenes negotiations are often going at a furious pace as eliminated teams look to improve in the off-season and contenders assess their options. Having triumphed in our first truly competitive season, a rebuild for the Dynamo was not an option, but all signs pointed to a busy off-season simply to defend the newly-won crown in a nerve-racking seven-game series against Toronto. Big decisions were on the horizon largely because of the impending departure of Odin Tordahl, who, while being a free agent signing the previous off-season, was still an extremely valuable asset to lose. Fortunately, Tordahl was accommodating and allowed himself to be traded after the finals rather than hitting free agency again but he seemed set on New York as his favoured destination, causing some potential suitors to shy away from a worthwhile offer and other good deals fall through. The Trades To (S33) RW - Odin Tordahl To S38 NYA 1st (D Don Draper) Negotiations were tense despite all my willingness to send Tordahl to his favoured destination given his great help in Season 36. Odin was a free asset and a luxury for Davos but that didn't mean I was prepared to give him up for cheap. In the end, the deal wasn't one you'd expect for a player of Tordahl's calibre under normal circumstances but it was a fair swap all things considered. Of course, being a contender, I hoped to acquire some players ready to step in straight away but a draft pick expected to be a lottery selection (in the end New York almost surprised many and just missed out on the playoffs) was still a good deal. Plus, I intended to trade it for a player I wanted for a long time straight away. To (S35) C - Naomi Young To S38 NYA 1st (D Don Draper) S39 DAV 1st (LW Andrew Erikson) S38 DAV 2nd (D Ryan Barrett) By the time the off-season rolled around and I knew the preferences of Tordahl and New York as well as the impending firesale in Helsinki, Naomi Young was the top candidate to replace Tordahl. It was a player I wanted as part of a S35 trio featured Lennox Moher in goal and Matt Bentley on the blue line and most importantly, a top center, of which I always wanted two. Of course, a 'swap' of a winger for a center is a curious one but in this case there was another reason: I knew of Sergey Brovalenko's intention to retire after Season 37. As such I decided it was worthwhile to go a season with three centers since another opportunity to acquire a young center so suitable for the Dynamo was extremely unlikely. The price was hefty, however. In raw terms it was Tordahl and two more picks for Young, which on paper doesn't look too good. The reality was significantly different and it was the only way to acquire Young (in addition, Tordahl didn't go to an immediate rival for the cup). In the current market this is a normal price to pay for a top player and any rebuilding team wants to get a deal similar to the one the Titans got, though the picks don't always pan out. They have for Helsinki however, and for that reason, as well as their other selling trades by departing GM Mitch Higgins, the Titans are now the new promising team on the block, again. From a buying GM's perspective, there's always the underlying hope that the picks you deal don't work out and make the trade look better on your end, but it's a risky business. Where there was luck in this facet in my trades for Thomas Landry and Davey Jones for instance, it really was only fair that it evened out here. Three strong seasons from Young with at least on cup have also more than made up for the loss of such great but ultimately, from a contender's perspective, expendable picks. To (S31) D - Nikita Lebedev To (S30) D - Lars Lessio S39 DAV 2nd (D Jordan Cousins) S37 DAV 3rd (D Vasily Miroshnychenko) S38 SEA 3rd (RW David Sharp) S38 DAV 3rd (LW Rocky West) S39 DAV 3rd (RW Matt Gilbert) While the Tordahl and Young trades were well thought-out and drawn-out processes, with a significant amount of tension in the time where all I had was a, for a contender, unnecessary top S38 draft pick, this deal with Toronto was quick and easy. Two seasons prior to this, I had acquired a cap dump defenceman from the Legion in Mario Linguini and along with journeyman Lars Lessio he gave Davos the defensive depth to defeat Toronto in the S36 finals. If Linguini was a trade I pursued, I didn't expect to be offered Lebedev nor did I think I had the cap space for him. However, it happened and in an act which was maybe a subtle apology for defeating Toronto but mostly carelessness, I traded all the few draft picks I had left in the next three drafts. Fortunately for me, none of them have shown any promise since being drafted by the Legion. As it happens, while a Davos with Linguini defeated a Toronto with Lebedev (obviously not the key components even in S36), the Dynamo featuring both former “Legionnaires” fell to Toronto in S37. Yet in S38, following Linguini's retirement, Lebedev finally won a Continental Cup for himself in his final season, against the Legion. To S37 HSK 2nd (RW Azmet Ali) To (S34) RW - Matteo Gallo I thought I was done with the Lebedev trade but another surprise awaited in this busy off-season. Felix Zamora, a free agent I hoped to sign alongside Tordahl an off-season earlier, returned to test the waters following his stint in Quebec and now was set on signing with Davos. This required a cap dump and one of a good player who posted good totals in his time with the Dynamo, starting as the team's captain before wandering off into inactivity. Although Zamora was the reason for the trade and has performed well here and contributed as expected in the locker room, this has still been one of my personal favourites. It was a symbolic deal, trading my first pick as Davos GM (Gallo) for a pick which turned out to be my best steal (Ali). Season 39 was to be Azmet Ali's VHL debut after great development in the VHLM but for cap reasons he was traded for just a fourth-rounder to Quebec. As a result, this trade is not as important other than for the signing of Zamora but it were only horrible circumstances which meant Ali didn't contribute more to the Dynamo, as a depth forward or a trade piece. In addition, this was to be my last trade and the signing of Zamora my last transaction. The following off-season the retirements of Brovalenko and Linguini gave us the necessary cap space and the core of the team went on to win a second Continental Cup in three seasons. Conclusion Five seasons, one last place following a firesale and three straight finals against Toronto which brought Davos a record eight Continental Cups in 28 seasons as the Dynamo (nine in 38 including the first decade as Amstel/Avangard). It's been a solid run and I feel that unlike my unfortunate stint in New York now over 20 seasons ago, this has been a job well done. I don't regret any trade I made and will argue that those I didn't win were a wash. I was lucky but did work hard to secure two free agent signings in Tordahl and Zamora and largely as a result of impatience rebuilt significantly faster than anyone, including myself, expected. Perhaps there was another season in me before passing on to Molholt to rebuild but circumstances caused an earlier stepdown and in fact a smoother transition. We will aim to make history in Davos with a third championship in four seasons but whatever happens in Season 39 it's been fantastic to write another chapter of the greatest VHL franchise with an excellent and active locker room. I now don't doubt I'll be back in the business sooner rather than later but wherever that is, it will be hard to top this run that I was lucky to be a part of.

Builders: (S37) Greg (S38) Bentz ^ got any preference sterling? We can split 'em up. Players: (S33) CAL G - Advantage has had this for about a year now (S35) Smalling (S36) Labatte - Ball (S36) Sullivan - IR? (S37) Rafter - Me! (S37) Rybak (S38) Osborne - Jamie/Higgins? (S38) Snijider - muffins Phil is on Smalling or Rybak. So need one more, maybe two, not sure if IR signed up for Sullivan or no.

MF perfectly suits MapFreak #MissYouBaby

but... facts

I can do Phil because friends

What's really disappointing is that Kjellberg surpassed 550 TPE.

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