Wilson

Player Name: Evgeni Turakov VHL Team: Ottawa Lynx Cash you have: 2,000,000 Purchase Name: The First Generation Cost of Purchase: 500,000 Cash Left: 1,500,000

Didn't even have to ask for it. What a gentleman!

First of many

There was a new signing that occurred mid-season as it was announced earlier this week, young Russian goal scorer Evgeni Turakov has declared himself eligible to join the VHL. Turakov was offered and accepted a contract of $2,000,000 to join Ottawa for the remainder of the season and has since suited up for 2 games, having a minimal impact but registering 3 hits and a rating of +1. Although his potential may not be realized during his time in Ottawa, Turakov is expected to be a high level goal scorer. Coming by way of Russia, Evgeni spent the last 2 seasons in the JHL suiting up for MHC Spartak, Turakov netted 12 goals in 32 games in his first year before showing more promise and netting 35 goals in 40 games the following season. Evgeni Turakov has very strong hockey bloodlines and was somewhat of a surprise to his family that he decided to join the VHL in spite of the fact that his older brother, Dimitri, is the All-Time leading scorer in the Premier Hockey League. Evgeni would’ve been eligible to join this year’s draft class in the PHL and would have been one of the most highly touted prospects. However, a chance to potentially be drafted into a European franchise drew his interest and was one of the deciding factors in Turakov’s decision. His current landing spot in Canada has the young sniper excited however. We spoke to him briefly before he made his flight to Canada with the use of a translator. “I have never been outside of Russia so this a good chance to see how I like it. Maybe I don’t like it or maybe I will. We shall see but I just want to play hockey. Ottawa gives me that chance. Very happy to get there.” Turakov’s skillset revolves around his foot speed and agility being used to allow himself to generated scoring chances which is where his real ability shines which is putting the puck in the net. Dimitri Turakov has scored over 500 goals (regular season and playoffs combined) in his time in the PHL and his younger brother looks to step out of his shadow and make a legacy for himself here in the VHL. “It would be difficult to go into the PHL and not feel the pressure because of what he was able to accomplish. I want to be my own player so I decided to take a different route to allow myself to do that. I might not be in Ottawa for long but I want to make an impact. I’ll go to whatever team wants me but I just want to show people what I’m capable of.”

Good lord someone help Brampton

No points still, at least I was on for a goal for though

First game. Not a good one for the boys.

Been 12 hours. Im going go accept the offer from @JardyB10 and the Ottawa Lynx

Blades Watchmen Royals

4-1 Oslo

4-2 Dynamo

How creepy was this title?

A Boy in the Shadows: Where has Solomon been? As we all knew when he joined the league, Casper Solomon has always had trouble throughout his life with committing. The tragic passing of his father whom he was very close with throughout his whole life almost ended his career altogether. After coming into the league with Brampton briefly last season and contributing when he could, Solomon has now found himself on the Riga Reign but is currently playing for the Bern Royals of the VHLM. He has been simply going through the motions in Bern so far but lately he seems to have a different look in his eyes. I was able to catch up with Solomon for a bite of food after practice one day to see what had been the issue and where his head is at now. Here are some excerpts from that chat: Bengt Nylund Casper Solomon BN: Well Casper, it’s no secret that Bern was quite pleased to be able to land you this past draft. However you haven’t quite been yourself. Talk about the way you’ve been playing so far this season. CS: I think my natural ability has been able to carry me a decent way this season. Through the 12 games so far I’ve been able to contribute a bit but just not at the level that I know I should be able to. BN: Yes. Not to sound brash but I don’t think it’s an overstatement or surprise to say that we all expected you to start off better here and have more than just 1 goal and 6 assists. How do you plan on changing this for the rest of the year? CS: Luckily I have had a change of attitude. Over the past while I’ve really been struggling again on dealing with the passing of my father. He was a very important man to me but it’s time to really put my dream in my sights because I know it’s obviously what he would want from me. I’ve been working harder in the gym and on the ice and I’ve been trying to get a long with my team mates a little better. I’ve been very distant from everyone during this period and really have only talked to my friend , Maxim Doskov, who lives in Russia so really I’ve been a bit of a loner. I’m going to put my ass on the line and earn everything and try and help Bern win a championship. We all want to be winners and I always have been able to win in every league I’ve been in. I don’t plan on stopping now and I’d like to help Bern with and not simply have them winning games in spite of my efforts. BN: Well sure. It’s been great to hear from you and we hope you don’t stay a stranger like you had been. It would be great to have you back and we hope to see the hard work you’ve been putting in pay off on the ice! 496 words

222 Watchmen: 1 vs Rush: 4

218 Storm 219 Outlaws 220 Gladiators 221 Blades

L to R: Mark Edmonds, Joel O’Donnell , Yannic Thibault, Peter Lindsay Joel O’Donnell: Your host for the segment Mark Edmonds: Former VHL defensemen turned analyst Yannic Thibault: Former VHL forward and team mate of Edmonds Peter Lindsay: Former VHL head scout and VHLM coach Joel O’Donnell: Hello hockey fans and welcome to yet another highly anticipated as always edition of VHL on TSN. Today we turn our eyes to the minor leagues where a young Dutch boy as seemingly popped out of nowhere to land himself in the VHLM. Peter, what is your early read on Casper Salomon? Peter Lindsay: Well, he sort of jumps out at you when you first look at him. A 6’3’’ almost 200 pound 17 year old isn’t all that common although not all that uncommon these days either. But he’s a good skater and he seems to have a knack for scoring. There isn’t a lot of tape of this kid but just looking at his list of accomplishments and they seem to hold some water. Now whether or not success in the Finnish Preparatory League will transfer over into the VHLM where there is clearly a jump in competition will remain to be seen but he’s certainly a guy to keep your eye on especially when next season comes around I think. Joel O’Donnell: Yannic, a lot of different teams were out to grab Salomon once the scouting reports started coming through. Who do you think would’ve been the best fit for Salomon and how exactly is he going to slot into the Blades line up where he ultimately ended up? Yannic Thibault: Well the thing is with a young man like this, coming out a relatively quiet country in terms of hockey talent, he’s being pushed into the lime light a bit here so it’ll be interesting to see how he reacts. On top of that, he is quite an unknown and the only game footage we really have of him appears to have been filmed using a potato besides the games he’s suited up for Brampton so far. So really I don’t think it’s fair to make an assessment of who he might have fit in better with. I think getting him over to the VHLM could be a nice move, it may encourage more young players in the Netherlands to pick up the sport and really at this point I’m just rooting for this kid to play well and succeed in the VHLM and into the next level at the VHL. Joel O’Donnell: Mark, what are your comments on that same question? Mark Edmonds: I think Yanny makes some great points about just bringing him over. He seems to be a bit of a diamond in the rough but he’s definitely going to require a bit of polishing. Getting him over the VHLM was the best move for him in my opinion. It’s the best junior league in the world with the best junior aged players so testing himself against the best is going to go a long way in his development as a player moving forward. Joel O’Donnell: Well Peter, since Yannic seems to like to ignore my questions I’m going to redirect this one at you. Where do you see Salomon slotting in with the Brampton Blades? Peter Lindsay: Right now he’s simply a complementary piece on the roster. He’s going to see anymore from 10-16 minutes of ice time on a regular night because the team is just too deep at this point. The Blades are sitting 2nd overall in the league and are going to be aiming for a title this season so we’re not going to see him getting ice time over guys like Delicious, Faux, Teibert and such it just isn’t going to happen and it’s not a slight to the quality of player he is, but simply to where he is in his development. He’s suited up for four games for Brampton so far and the coaching staff really eased him in and he only saw the ice for about 7 minutes in each of the first two games but that’s to be expected when a young player joins a top team mid season. After that however in his next two games he was hovering around the 15 minute mark and he was even able to notch his first two goals in a 10-1 win over the Wild and he looked comfortable out there. Yannic Thibault: I think bringing him into a situation where he could be a part of a winning team right away is huge though. Especially when you look at his past, he’s always been a winner so perhaps being in that environment will encourage even more so regardless of if he’s playing the minutes he wants to. Does that answer your question, Joel? Joel O’Donnell: It'll certainly have to do, Yan because are out. of. time. Well there you have it, folks. A little breakdown of Casper the Friendly Dutchman. For Mark, Yan and Peter, I am Joel O’Donnell and this was the VHL on TSN panel!

158 Storm: 7 vs Rush: 2

159 Gladiators 160 Royals 161 Red Wolves 162 Blades

Any idea when I might get some of that LR access?

Name : Casper Salomon Position : Right Wing Age : 17 Height : 6'3 Weight : 190lbs Handness : Left Hometown : Kessel, Netherlands A Strong Troubled Young Man - The Story of Casper Salomon Childhood Casper Salomon was born in 1998 in The Netherlands in a small town called Kessel. Casper was the first born to his young parents, his father Bruno and mother Matilda. Bruno Salomon made his living as a professional soccer player in his homeland of the Netherlands. He played for a number of top flight clubs in the Eredivisie, which is the top tier league in the country. Bruno was a goal-scoring winger who played for Vitesse, Feyenoord, and Ajax. Bruno also won a league title with Feyenoord in 1999 and brought young Casper out onto the pitch to celebrate with the team when he was just a year old. Casper’s father Bruno on the right Casper grew up as a small child and didn’t even hit 100 pounds until he was almost 13. Salomon did grow up as a competitive athlete however. Twice he was scouted to try out for the U-12 National Soccer team. Casper played a fullback in soccer however which is quite the opposite of the way in which he plays hockey. Salomon was however always a very aggressive child and often got into arguments and sometimes even fights with his classmates causing him to be suspended numerous times but luckily he was able to avoid expulsion. Casper is the oldest of his father with two younger brothers. Bruno Jr. is 12 while Hendriks is just 2 years old. Bruno Jr. is a top rated prospect in soccer and has been involved with the youth academy for PSV Eindhoven since he was 8 years old. Bruno has followed in his brothers foot steps to a point and has also been heavily involved in the National team picture for the Netherlands, having been named to the U-12 team 4 times and also captaining the team in the U-12 2012 World Cup in which the squad finished in 3rd place. Bruno Jr. playing for the Eindhoven youth side Casper grew up playing in the Dutch minor hockey league from the time he was 5 until 12. Salomon broke numerous scoring records including scoring 267 goals in a single season in his last season in the Netherlands. Due to his high level of success however he also received a lot of criticism and backlash from opponents and even team mates and especially from rival parents for being a show off. Reaching this level of success also had Casper playing across the continent of Europe and travelling to places such as Ukraine and Poland. Here, Casper experienced a lot of racist remarks and almost forced him to quit playing competitive sports entirely. However, due to help from his family and friends Casper carried with his career as many scouts and his coaches encouraged Casper to take his talents elsewhere. A young Salomon poses for the camera Teenage Years In 2010, the entire family moved to Malmo, Sweden so Casper could carry on his dream of playing professional hockey. Salomon was much more at home here and made friends easily without much trouble in the schooling system. It was thought his behavioral issues had comes to an end. He played in Sweden for 3 seasons before receiving a full scholarship to the Helsinki Prepatory Academy in Finland. In Finland, Salomon continued his torrid scoring pace in his first season. In 32 games for Helsinki Academy he netted 53 goals and 29 assists to lead the school to their first National Preparatory League title in almost two decades. Not to mention by this point in his physical development, Casper had sprung up 8 inches to clock in at 6’1’’ and weighed a sizeable 170lbs for someone of just 15 years of age. Unfortunately tragedy struck for the Salomon family. At the beginning of the next season Casper’s father, Bruno Sr. was killed in an automobile accident caused by a drunk driver back in Kessel. Casper and his family were devastated by the news as Bruno Sr. was truly the rock of the family. The whole country mourned together as a beloved soccer star had passed due to the stupidity of man. Following this accident Casper returned home to be with his family, dropping out of the academy and stopped playing hockey entirely. His poor behavior returned once he was attending regular high school back at home and he got in many fights. After the 4th fight he was expelled from school and had limited options. Luckily, he received a visit from his head coach at Helsinki, Jarmo Kaskelainen as well as his best friend and team mate at the academy, Maxim Doskov. Under the urgence of the situation and the support he received from his family and old team mates at Helsinki Academy, Casper returned to Finland to play out the last of the season. Despite missing the first half of the season, Salomon returned to play in the final 15 regular season games and scored 22 goals and 19 assists however he really put his mark on the league when the play offs came around. In the 12 play off games Helsinki played Casper Salomon netted 29 goals and 14 assists for a whopping 43 points. Needless to say, led by Salomon, Helsinki was successful in winning back to back league title for the first time in school history. Salomon playing in the Finnish Preparatory League Leading up to the VHL Salomon has been around the block in terms of where he was played his hockey and it doesn’t stop here. Since the end of his grade 11 year Salomon moved to the New England area and has been training with the New England Patriot’s athletic staff to put himself in peak physical condition. Casper Salomon working out with Patriots Training Staff Casper has been a bit of a loner for his whole life due to his behavioral issues and selfish attitude he has had while playing sports. Coupled with the hardship of losing his father he is certainly a very mentally strong young man. As he moves forward with his career there is no doubt in anyone’s mind whether or not he will have the drive to do so. However, there is a chance that though he won’t be giving up on his dream if he pushes people the wrong way, they may end up giving up on him.

Casper Salomon - Unassigned

Casper Salomon: Worth the Risk? An Exclusive Interview with Jack Armsworthy Jack Armsworthy: Hello, folks. It’s your favorite hockey coach turned analyst here. This week I have a special treat for you. Today we have joining us a young star from the hockey hotbed of the Netherlands. Casper Salomon has taken an interesting route before finding himself on the doorstep to the VHL. Let’s get to know him! Casper, it’s great to have you here and we thank you. Can you outline for us your previous playing experience and how it may help you in the more competitive VHLM and VHL? Casper Salomon: Hi, Jack. It’s great to be here. Well I’ve played in a couple countries in my 17 years. I grew up playing in the Netherlands but just until I was 12 years old. I didn’t have a lot competition while playing there so there was no real challenge for me, which my father believed, would stunt my growth as a player. After that the whole family picked up and moved to Sweden. We lived in Malmo for the next couple of years and I got to play in the top tier of the minor hockey league there. I still had a lot of success but it was good to be playing with players who were on a similar level as me. Even then though I was experiencing a lot of success and before you know it I was offered a full hockey scholarship from a prep school in Helsinki, Finland. I went to Finland alone when I was 15 and my family moved back to Kessel, where I’m from in the Netherlands. I had a ton of fun playing there and we ended winning back to back national prep league titles which has definitely been my career highlight. I think constantly moving up to newer and more challenging leagues is just part of the progression of being a great player and moving to the VHL is the next step I look forward to taking. Jack Armsworthy: Now your stats are certainly impressive, Casper. You’ve broken goal-scoring records in all of the leagues you’ve played in. However, some people have said you may be a bit selfish. How would you answer those critics? Casper Salomon: Well I mean to win games you have to score goals, that’s the way I look at it. If I’m on the ice and I think I’m the best option to score the goal, then I’m going to do that. If not, I’ll pass it. I think I’m a special player and to be honest I think I’m the best option to score the goal. So you can call it selfish but in my eyes I’m just doing what needs to be done to win games and championships. If you look at my past I’ve done a pretty good job of winning so. Jack Armsworthy: Hey fair enough, kids. I’m a big fan of the offensive game. I’ve seen some of your tape and you seem to play a high temp, high-energy type of game. How did you become this type of player? Casper Salomon: I’ve grown up as an athlete my whole life. My father played professional soccer back home so I’ve always grown up very competitive. I’ll do whatever it takes to win and sometimes that requires getting physical. That’s why I ended gravitating towards hockey over football. If you get physical in football, you get red carded, if you get physical in hockey, everyone cheers for you. I like to get the boys going and if I can do that with a goal, great but if I have to do it by laying the body on someone, then I’ll do that too. Jack Armsworthy: There’s a line you must walk though, don’t you agree? In the past two years in the Finnish prep school league you were suspended twice for a total of six games. Can you hold your emotions in or is this going to keep haunting you? Casper Salomon: Yeah I’ve apologized for those incidents. I’m not really trying to reflect on those right now. It’s about moving forward and becoming a better person and hockey player. In the heat of the moment things happen but that was the past. I’m a more mature person now and I think that reflects in my play since then. I definitely do my best to control my emotions but I think as anyone who plays the game can tell you, it’s hard to always do that but I promise to make a conscious effort. Jack Armsworthy: Well, Casper it’s been a pleasure getting to know you more as a person and as a player. I wish you a long successful career and we’re all looking forward to seeing who snatches you up off the waiver wire. I’m sure it won’t take long! Casper Salomon: Thank you very much. It’s been a pleasure. I hope to be back soon talking about some of my VHLM successes!

RW – Casper Salomon #9 Born: Kessel, Netherlands Height: 6’3’’ Weight: 190 lbs Casper Salomon is a young free agent looking to be picked up by a team in the VHLM. Having grown up in the Netherlands, hockey was not naturally his first sport. Instead, Casper grew up splitting his time between hockey and soccer. The major difference between his play in the two sports is that he was a large menacing fullback in soccer whereas he uses his strength and size to help out on the offensive end in hockey. Coming in as a virtual unknown, Salomon is looking to make a good first impression on the teams in the VHLM to land himself a spot on a roster. Salomon lived in the Netherlands until he was just 12 years old. Once his special talent for hockey was realized they soon moved the child to Sweden to help hone his game. Casper played in the top tier league in Malmo until he was 15 where he then moved to Helsinki, Finland on a full hockey scholarship to the Helsinki Prepatory Academy. In a total of 52 games in his Grades 10 and 11 years, Salomon scored 72 goals and 49 assists to the league in scoring both seasons while also leading Helsinki Academy to National titles in back to back years. Although, Salomon comes in as an unknown quantity, his stats from his past speak for themselves. PROS: Size: Coming in as a 17 year old who stands at 6’3’’ and 190 pounds Salomon certainly isn’t a player who is going to get pushed around. He knows how to protect the puck and he knows how to retrieve it. Both of which he does very well with his size. Once Salomon gets caught up to the skill of the VHL game he will have no problem throwing his weight around and making an immediate impact due to his large physical build. Scoring Ability: Casper is a natural scorer. He’s proven it at every level of the game he has played. He broke the Finnish Prep league scoring totals and only played two of a possible three seasons. On top of that he holds the record for most goals scored in a single season in the Dutch Minor Hockey League, with 267 goals as a 12 year old. The level of competition will rise for Salomon and although that may slow down his scoring pace, it won’t be able to stop it. Speed: This is Salomon’s hidden talent. When people look at him on the ice, standing so high and weighing in at a sizable portion, they don’t expect him to be able to move as well as he can. Speed kills. Growing up on the soccer pitch and ice rink has had Casper moving his legs for his whole life. He skate as fast as the wind and he can do it all day long. CONS: Defense: Although Salomon grew up playing soccer as a fullback, his offensive tendencies seem to be erasing his defensive past. This will be the weakest point of his game that he will need to spend time on if he intends to be a top player in the VHL. Goals are great, but defense wins championships and if he can receive the proper training and coaching to round out his game, Casper will be a force to be reckoned with at the professional level. Passing: The offensive end of the ice is where Salomon makes his mark. However, he has been cited as being selfish on a number of different occasions. Perhaps playing in a league where he was far the superior of his teammates and competition made him this way or is this just the way he is? We’ve seen Casper show flashes of excellence as a playmaker when he opts to, it’s just that this doesn’t’ happen too often. Perhaps given the chance to play along side better quality teammates will change his attitude but this may be something GMs will be wary of when looking at Salomon. Discipline: Always being the best player in the league may have had a bit of a negative effect on Casper Salomon. He has been referred to as being a “spoiled” player. Always being catered to by coaches, players and even the league management from time to time has given him a sense of entitlement. When things don’t go his way he has been known to lose his cool and make bad decisions putting his team behind a man and even getting himself kicked out of games and suspended for further contests. A solid coach and positive environment around Salomon may be necessary to keep his emotions caged.

Hey guys, Just decided to join in the fun here. I've been playing over at SHL for awhile and figured I'd come have have a little enjoyment over here as well. Cheers pals