Christmas

Lame, Escabar is probably going to pass me in the rankings.

Storm Outlaws Gladiators Blades

Rush 6 Watchmen 1

Forget that. If you can't try to beat the best, what's the point?

I'm going to sound selfish for a bit, but I don't care. This Pablo Escabar guy is stealing all of my glory because he is buds with our coach! I am a more talented player, and because I'm not as vocal I get screwed with 2nd pairing duties? What the hell? Escabar gets like 80% of the time on the ice, and I am stuck with like 60%. That isn't fair. We should at the very least be getting even playing time. So now he has 70 points and is the king of the Lynx while I'm chilling way behind the pack with a crappy 47 points. That is going to hurt my stock in the draft and I can't sit back while this guy takes all the attention away from me. I call for a mutiny! Who is with me? Anyone? Nobody? Well screw you guys, then. I deserve to be treated better and I will continue to protest until the general manager gives in to my reasonable demands. Do you hear me!? I want respect! And ice time!

We have played through about half the season, and it has been an interesting time in my first junior year so far. As a player, I think it would be a great time to check the teams out and see how they rank in different statistics. Goals For The Blades are the best team in the league in this regard, scoring an unreal 5.58 goals per game. However, they are not the only team to score over 5 goals per game. The Storm were very close to them, scoring 5.33 goals per game. In the second tier of offensive teams you have the Gladiators and the Lynx, who scored 4.61 and 4.03 goals per game respectively. In the third tier were four teams. First of them was the Royals, who scored 3.78 goals per game. Behidn them were the Outlaws, who scored 3.56 goals per game. Third was the Red Wolves, who scored 3.31 goals per game. The final team in this tier was the Rush who scored 3.17 goals per game. The Watchmen were in the bottom tier with .14 goals per game, and last of the bunch were the Wild, who only scored 2.08 goals per game. Goals Against The Red Wolves, despite not being a great offensive team, were tops of the league in goals against with 2.06. With then on the top tier were three other teams. The Blades, Storm, and Gladiators went 1-2-3 with 2.33, 2.39, and 2.72 goals against respectively. The second tier featured two teams again. The Royals and Lynx switched places in this second tier, the Royals with 3.19 goals against and the Lynx with 3.75 goals against. The third tier featured the Watchmen and Outlaws, who allowed 4.92 goals against and 4.97 goals against respectively. The fourth tier features the Rush, who have allowed 5.00 goals against per game, and the bottom tier has the Wild with a whopping 6.25 goals against per game. Goals For/Against When combining the two together, the Blades sit atop the league so far. Their total combined value is at 239.29%, a very high number. The Storm are very close behind them, with a 223.26% value. In third are the Gladiators, who have a 169.39% value so far on the season. The Red Wolves are right behind them, however, with a 160.81% value. Down the ladder are the Royals who are at a 118.26% value. The final team above the average in both goals for and goals agaist are the Lynx, who are right above the mark with a 107.41% value. The Outlaws are the first below the average with a 71.51% value. Behind them are the Rush with a 63.33% value. Second to last are the Watchmen with a 43.50% value. The worst team in both goals for and goals against are the Wild, who are at a minuscule 33.33% value. Mid-Season Verdict The team to most look out for so far is the Blades and the Storm, who are currently in a two-man race for supremacy in the league while dominating their respective conferences. The Gladiators and Red Wolves are obvious second-tier teams in their respective conferences, however do not count them out in terms of production game by game. Behind them it doesn't appear to really matter, as there are only two other teams above the average (and not by much) and the rest of the league is so fair below the average in both respects they aren't even worth talking about at this point. Unfortunately, I am worried about my team's chances with how far ahead the rest of the playoff teams are, but I am holding out hope we will be able to produce better in the second half. Next week we will move to shots for and against between the teams, and see if these teams differ in any ways other than with goals.

How does one player get 26 shots in a game by himself?

Moving up in the rankings.

Applied.

Gladiators Royals Red Wolves Blades

Storm 4-2

3-1 Americans

Meute Wranglers Bears Express

Holy, I love you and I am glad we are teammates. But I honestly don't know what is going on with you this season. We were killing teams in the beginning of the season and I thought that you were a reason for it. But lately you have just been slacking. Missing practices, not spending time with teammates afterwards, and just being kind of anti-social. Man, your numbers have been horrible lately. You have the worst save percentage in the league, the second worst goals against average in the league, and only one shutout? I thought you called yourself the shutout master! This is very concerning, especially as a non-captain with no leadership qualities or clout on the team. Can you please talk to one of your teammates? We are really worried about you, and since we have no other options we are in desperate need for our goaltender to step up and be the goaltender we want. Right now, you aren't being that. Do you want to be traded or something? Is that the problem right now? Please don't say that is the case. We like you as a teammate and we are here for you.

The beginning of the season for the Lynx started out extremely well. We went 8-1 in our first 8 games, scoring at least three goals in each of our games. I was racking up points like no tomorrow, and it seemed like our team was on our way to potentially fighting for top spot in the conference. Since then, we have gone 4-9 and have slipped to 3rd in the conference. The Blades and Gladiators have completely destroyed the league, with a combined 33-6-3 record. They are 13 and 12 points ahead of us in the standings, respectively. Goal differential is no different, as the Blades and Gladiators have a combined 109 goal differential. My Lynx's differential? Minus 10. While the team is well ahead of the Rush at the moment, things look very bleak as the team has been in an absolute free-fall. My numbers in particular have not been up to snuff, either. I started out well over a PPG and was one of the top scorers on my team. Since then the points have not been there, as I now am 5th on the team in scoring with 23 points in 21 games. Of course I should be happy that I am a defenseman with a PPG average, right? Unfortunately it seems like scoring comes easy for defensemen, as the top defensive scorer is Patrick Demko with 21 goals and 57 points in 21 games. That is over 2 points per game. Second is Jack Ryan with 6 goals and 56 points. Out of all the defensemen in the league, I sit at 10th, well behind the top scorers in the league. While it is easy to dwell on the issues that are surrounding the team, the question is how do we fix it? For starters, I need to provide a better defensive game on the second pairing. I am not the guy who is going to be relied on for offense like my teammates Pablo Escobar and Brock Weathers. My -1 needs to turn into a positive and the forwards can take care of the rest. Another individual who needs to step up is Carl Sledgehammer, as much as it pains me to call out a fellow teammate. He currently plays right wing on the first line, but he has only 4 goals and 7 points to show for it. Not to mention he is an abysmal -7 on the season so far. I have seen it affect him in the locker room, and I know he can be better. He just needs to believe in his abilities and the points will come, I know it. The biggest problem that may affect us going into the playoffs will be our goaltending situation. Currently, Holy the Goalie is 8th of 8 starting goaltenders with a .874 save percentage. Compare this with goalies on non-playoff teams. Ivars Klajums of the watchmen has a .907 save percentage on the worst team in the European Conference. 2 Gud has a .897 save percentage on the second worst team in the North American Conference. Even if you grab the worst goaltender from the other teams, you can still potentially grab a few more wins and maybe get the team back in the race for 1st in the conference. If the Lynx want to be a contender, Holy the Goalie needs to step up. All in all, the team has disappointed after a hot start, myself especially. We are lucky that the teams behind us have been a complete dumpster fire, losing 10 games and 8 games in a row, respectively. Since a playoff spot is guaranteed at this point, the team needs to get focused on the post-season and treat every game against playoff teams as a must-win. If we don't, then we will see an early exit come playoff time.

Zach made it apparent to me that the title of this segment was a little bit of a mouthful. Naturally, I understood his perspective and have since elected to create an easy to remember acronym for this media series: FYMC. Please make sure to remember this, because it would be a shame for you to miss out on this new series. Don't you agree, Zach? Numerous captains and assistants have been selected for the new VHLM season, and not a moment too soon! Games already began before the letters were finished being sewn on! The first team to announce captains was the Bern Royals. The two assistants were the intellectual but stern Atticus Finch, and the high-risk high-reward Shawn Velevra. The captain was easy to pick, as Josh Merica stood above the rest in his dedication to the game. As a former FBI agent, I appreciate his ability to lead and work with his teammates. Josh Merica sporting his new "C" The Oslo Storm came next, announcing their captains the very same day. Theo Matsikas, a top pairing defenseman who will rival myself for top future defenseman, was announce as an assistant captain. The second assistant captain selection was a big surprise, as they named starting goaltender Coca Cola, something I have not seen yet in my short playing career. Patrick Demko was selected as the team's captain, and as Theo Matsikas's defensive partner, he will be expected to lead this defensive pairing as the best in the league. The Brampton Blades were third, announcing captains the next day. Franklin Romanowski (a second pairing defenseman with a lot of potential) and E'Twaun Delicious (the prolific right wing scorer) were named assistant captains. However, the top honor of leader and captain for the team was given to incredible playmaker and faceoff winner Bronson Faux. 24 hours later, the championship favorite Minot Gladiators came to the media to announce their leaders for the season. Edgar Balthazar, a second line center with a balance between tenacity and defensive ability, was named the first assistant captain. Another surprise was Hans Winsgate, their starting goaltender, receiving the second letter. The captain was expected to go to Jack Ryan, but instead they went a unique route and gave the captain C to second-liner Vogon Jeltz, who will plan to lead with his goal scoring ability. Vogon Jeltz in Minot showing off his new jersey prior to the team's hope opener The final team to announce captains was the Ottawa Lynx. Jorma Ruutu, while not terribly skilled at this juncture but with a lot to prove, was given the first assistant letter and will hopefully lead the lower lines with his work-ethic. The second letter was given to Thomas Duddy, who has shown his ability on the second line and plans to keep improving. The captain was selected by a rigorous voting process, and has received a bit of criticism due to controversial voting methods. Regardless, it was given to top-pairing defenseman Pablo Escobar. While some may deny his right to the letter, he has worked very hard and earned a spot on the top defensive pairing and is a great leader, as I can attest. It is disappointing to see other teams not follow suit with naming their captains, particularly the Rush and the Watchmen. The Rush appear to be a team in dire straits in terms of activity, and designating at least a captain could help keep them afloat during this playoff race. The Watchmen are in a similar situation, but with the European Conference such a crap-shoot after the #1 spot, they missed out on a chance for a leader to carry them through the league and steal a playoff spot. Zach and I hope that these teams designate captains in the near future, because what this league needs is more young leaders to keep healthy competition. We don't want to have a league of haves and have-nots, do we?

Meute Reign Dynamo Americans

90 Outlaws 2 vs 3 Red Wolves

86 Gladiators vs Blades 87 Rush vs Royals 88 Lynx vs Wild 89 Storm vs Watchmen

So much for me flying under the radar.

Express 4-1

Dammit, the Lynx keep on winning but somehow are unable to get past the Gladiators. That team is on fire and I cannot understand what is going on over there. Is it something in the water, or what? Seven wins, zero regulation losses. The team just cannot be contained and it is crazy. Then the second most goals for and third goals allowed. Ridiculous. I mean look at the stats for these players. Jack Ryan, a defenseman, has 23 assists and 28 points in 9 games. What the hell? Is he playing 60 minute games or something? Then you got Vogo Jeltz. I don't even know what to think of these stats. 19 goals in 9 games. Let me say that again. 19 goals. In 9 games. 19! What is going on with that guy? The thing is, the rest of the team isn't even lighting the roof on fire compared to the rest of the league. It's just these two guys. Vogon Jeltz and Jack Ryan probably don't even belong here with what they are doing right now. It's almost criminal. Someone needs to arrest these two before they steal the championship from the league!

Player Information: Full Name: Francis York Morgan Age: 28 Born: Langley, British Columbia Height: 6-3 Weight: 210 Position: D Shoots: Left Pro’s: Passing: · Francis York Morgan's coffee gives him the uncanny ability to be able to see into the future, which allows him an incredible knowledge to see where other players are going to be during the course of the game. He always seems to put the puck in the right place at the right time, and by doing this is going to be a premiere puck-moving defenseman in the VHL one day. Checking: · His many years in the FBI has provided him with a wealth of physical training, allowing him to knock players off of the puck with relative ease. His years of training make him one of the most fit individuals in the VHLM, and if he continues to undertake his FBI training regimen, he will likely be the most fearsome body-checker in the entire league. His legs are also incredibly massive after many runs through dangerous locales as an FBI agent, which means when he is hitting you, he is going to be hitting with an immesurable force. Defense: · As a defenseman, he has focused his game on reacting to the play and making sure his goaltender is protected, something that he did well in the FBI. However now he focuses on serving and protecting his team's goals against, and has done a great job of it up until this point. Con’s: Attention Span: · One of Francis York Morgan's biggest assets, and biggest curses, is his imaginary partner Zach. With Zach, he tends to space off and have small conversations with the partner, and this has happened during games and caused his team to suffer as a result. He has talked about odd-ball movies, favorite types of food, and past events that he waxes nostalgic about. His coaches have had long talks with him about this problem, but they have had no success, as any talks longer than 10 minutes somehow change the subject to Zach and his opinions on things. Scoring Touch: · Francis York Morgan is not a scorer. If you are expecting an offensive dynamo that is able to put pucks in the net from the point with any regularity, you are looking at the wrong guy. There is almost no reason to even pass him the puck in the offensive zone, because he will either give it right back to you or he will take a slapshot into someone's shins and cause a scoring chance the other way. The odds are he may not even score a single goal in the VHLM this season, as he simply doesn't know how to shoot effectively. Emotional: · Due to the loss of his parents, it is unknown whether or not Francis York Morgan has it all put together emotionally to be able to handle losses in the big leagues. He has shown signs of being a clutch player, but has also shown signs of mental instability which could hamper his development and his ability to perform when push comes to shove. Final Thoughts: · With his defensive ability and skill with moving the puck up the ice, Francis York Morgan may be the best defensive prospect in the upcoming draft skill-wise. However, his mental toughness and ability to score may be put into question and affect his placement in the VHL draft. Either way, Francis York Morgan is going to be one of the top prospects to look out for down the road.

What.