Ahma

Part 1 - HERE
 
I already did the spiel about how this works in part one for the NA conference above. Check that out for any background details you might need.
 
European Conference
 
HC Davos Dynamo - @Alex 
 
Hey, look at that. Davos finally traded Lachlan Summers @kirbithan away! Oh wait, it was to WAR. Rip HOF chances. Davos is done with the contending phase and have now entered a full rebuild with fringe VHL players and David Jokinen @Ahma making up their roster. Due to a combination of Seattle rulebreaking and a little bit of fortune, Davos received the 1st overall selection in the S93 Draft where they selected Antonia Bucatini @CowboyinAmerica to become their new franchise cornerstone. Davos ended up with a total of 11 draft picks, with Forum Content @frescoelmo, Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen @Snussu, Steve French @Seabass and Billy Joel @The goat of hockey as some of their most notable selections behind Bucatini. Another underrated move might be the inclusion of Sunset Moth @McWolf from Warsaw in the Summers trade, where Davos will hope to get the once highly touted defenseman back on track. Davos had some quality picks along with a lot of developmental prospect selections, so their future success will lie considerably in their ability to develop prospects.

Grade: A-
 
 
Helsinki Titans - @samx 
 
Helsinki's biggest concern entering the offseason was the status of rumored disgruntled young star, Grimgor Ironhide @FrostBeard. News broke midway through S92 that Ironhide had already expressed displeasure with the organization in his VHL rookie season, second season on his ELC, and had notified management that he would not re-sign with the organization. This prompted GM Mickey Dickson to explore the trade market around the S92 TDL, but a deal never got finalized as HSK pushed for the playoffs with their strong core. Finally on the first day of the new season, Ironhide was traded to Moscow in exchange for winger prospect Adi Dassler @BOOM, a prospect drafted one season after Ironhide and at the same position, with a pick swap as well. In the draft, HSK selected Tyler Lawson @Nyx, a prospect who slipped down draft boards due to inactivity fears close to the draft, but had been responsive during the scouting process to some GMs. Samuel Wazinski @samthemancubwas also selected in the 2nd round, as a potential future backup to superstar Fuukka Rask @Jubis or even potential future starter once Rask retires. While having a top young player ask out of the organization is a noted concern, a return of Dassler makes up for it a bit.
 
Grade: C+
 
 
London United - @jacobcarson877 
 
I'm not sure if it was by design, but London was content to simply take a nap through the offseason. Their most significant moves may have been to just re-sign Sjin @Sjin before he hit FA, and to pick up a mutual option on Leonard Triller @Triller. Beyond that, London made no trades and only had 2 draft picks this draft, both of which were in the 4th round. With those picks, London selected Jacob Longstreet @Dynamicmlb_42 and Owen two @do3bo1 to flesh out their fairly shallow prospect pool. After a narrow game 7 loss to miss out on the Continental Cup, London seems confident in their existing roster to run it back for another season. While it could pan out well for them, it's certainly interesting to see the team get older by another season and not attempt to replenish their roster in a deeper draft than usual. There's not much to say about a quiet offseason, but that'd be the one mild criticism as London will see 4 players retire this season, and another 2 next season including superstar goalie Jesse Teno @aimkin. London also still has $5 million in cap space to play around with, and I'd assume they look to add a 4th defenseman to the roster. Whether they'll be able to do that and add a quality defenseman might shape their offseason.
 
Grade: B-
 
 
Malmo Nighthawks - @KaleebtheMighty 
 
Malmo has been the team gatekeeping the EU for a few seasons now, but has never quite gotten over the hump and into the finals. They're facing some cap issues, running just 5 forwards so far as of the time of writing this with $3.5 million in cap space. Only one of their players, Philip Rave @tcookie, is still on their rookie contract, while the rest of their roster are on prime deals. Jacob Stone @scoop is in his literal prime, rising to fill the role of one of the top defensemen in the league, and the team has Ash Sparks facing retirement after S94. Interestingly enough, rising star defenseman Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish @hylands  seemed to not want to stick around in Malmo, so a subpar trade was made for the pending UFA - with Malmo trading up just 4 picks in the draft from 11oa to 7oa while losing the defenseman. With 7oa, Malmo takes Jorgen Lovstrom @Pifferfish, who they hope will step in to be the starter of the future. Personally, I had a different goalie rated as the first one to go off the board, and I believe that there were concerns whether Lovstrom will be able to maintain his development arc over the course of a full career. Another draft/offseason recap, another question about a Malmo draft pick's activity .  I'm sure the Malmo crowd will be thrilled. Hopefully Lovstrom will be the goalie that makes it out of the Malmo prospect pool. I will say though, adding Eric Queefson @twists to replace Amish was a strong add, bringing in a fairly young defenseman for a well valued pick. And I really like the selection of Ocean Codoller @FreshOceanCod as well who flashes a lot of potential as a sleeper pick. It's a mixed bag here, having a player leave at the end of their ELC along with a sketchy top draft pick - but the team did bring in a replacement and still has a strong roster pending FA/trade for a final forward.
 
Grade: B
 
 
Moscow Menace - @Spartan  
 
Moscow had a couple of question marks heading into this offseason. First, how would they manage 7 VHL-eligible forwards with both George Richmond @badcolethetitan and Adi Dassler @BOOM ready to make the jump to the VHL, and how would they remain competitive after the retirement of their rental piece, Dogwood Maple @dogwoodmaple? The trades seemed to happen quickly at the start of the offseason - veteran winger Left Alone @okochastar was moved to Vancouver in exchange for 19th overall. Dassler was also flipped for Grimgor Ironhide @FrostBeard with Moscow upgrading a 3rd to a 2nd in S94, with the potential for both picks to jump up by a round pending Ironhide's contract status. Between Richmond and Ironhide, with both being over 600 TPA to start the season, the hope is that Moscow won't take a significant step backwards from their playoff appearance in S92. In the draft, Moscow was fairly happy to trade out of the draft entirely, with little glaring needs on their current roster outside of depth defense. With 9th overall, Moscow selected Benjamin Abenduct @Schnee, a very active and engaged first gen defenseman. 10th overall was promptly flipped over to Seattle for an S94 WAR 1 and a later 2nd in S93, and 19th overall was sent to D.C. earlier in the day for their S94 1st as well, increasing the Moscow future asset pool. Moscow's big question will be if they can keep taking steps towards remaining competitive and making playoff runs before their entire young core are off of their ELCs.
 
Grade: A-
 
 
Prague Phantoms - @Tetricide
 
Hey look! A brand new GM! Tetricide was hired to lead Prague just a week or so before the S93 Draft, and he had to move quickly to get up to speed with scouting and the state of the team. Prague is in a fairly uncomfortable spot, with stars Matt Murdock @Acydburn, Nikolas Kauppi @Tetricide and John Jameson @Frank all facing retirement after S93. It seems like Prague will be yet another team comfortable to let their aging stars retire in Prague without receiving any assets for them. As of the time of writing this, Prague also has an incomplete roster, sporting just 5 forwards and 3 defensemen with $12 million in cap space. Prague only acquired Pope Francis @nurx via trade with LA during their fire sale, and haven't had much success in FA so far. In the draft, Prague selected Ondrej Vencko @Mutti, potentially the highest ceiling goalie in the draft class. Prague made a couple of safe picks with Vanuza Kolesinska @chikn (who was promptly traded away) and Chuck E Cheese @a_Ferk, who should provide cheap depth for the future. However, Prague will definitely face tough times when their superstar trio retires with little other young talent on the roster outside of Spanish Moon Moth @Renomitsu. Dark days seem to lie ahead for Prague, but kudos to a new GM for respecting players' wishes to retire with their lifelong organization.
 
Grade: D
 
 
Riga Reign - @hedgehog337 
 
Riga also had a fairly quiet offseason when it comes to trades, choosing to continue letting their fairly young team continue to develop after their sales in prior seasons. Those moves left them with a fair amount of picks in the S93 Draft, including three first round picks. With 3oa, they went with Lucy Leitner @LucyXpher, the highest ranked first gen in the class who should look to lead their defense for seasons to come. With picks 15 and 16, Riga took a gamble on Yermolai Nabokov @fonziGG and Ray Stanton @horoscope, two players who have a lot of potential but may need a bit of help and motivation to reach that potential. Fonzi has had a shaky history with getting his players through a full career, and Stanton has had mixed developmental weeks with some concern of a recent slowdown. Their other selections in Elf Shoes @ELF_SH0ES, Isaak Robinson @isaak and French Fries @solyom will be much more developmental prospects, who will need a lot of time to make the VHL roster. Overall, Riga seemed content to let their developmental process continue, but luck was not on their side with 2 of their 3 1sts landing at the end of the first round, where talent was starting to fall off from the max earners or pension earners at prior selections. Riga will need to be hands on with development to make this offseason a true value add beyond just Leitner.
 
Grade: B
 
 
Warsaw Predators - @N0HBDY 
 
Ah, the final team to cover, with Cody Toland @ctoland102 as their sole pick in the top two rounds of the S93 Draft. Warsaw has made some interesting moves over the past couple seasons - they've gone in multiple times to build a competitive team around young talent Maxim Anisimov @McLovin and King Kisslinger @Kisslinger, while also adding an S91 top draft pick in Thor Reingaard @N0HBDY. But they struggled miserably in S92 and decided to try it again in S93, trading yet another 1st round pick away in exchange for Lachlan Summers @kirbithan. For some reason, by trading away Sunset Moth, they're now at only 3 defensemen. And there was no cap issue there, the Predators have a whopping 14.5 million in cap space right now, but no FA adds or trades made as of the time of writing this. They also only have 5 forwards on the VHL roster. Joseph Dubois @Dubois is ready for the VHL call up on defense, but the defense group looks extremely poor for a competitive team. Jacob Smith Jr @jacobaa19 could also complete their forward group, but they'd be leaving so much cap space on the table. If they don't end up making mid-season or late offseason trades, Warsaw would likely have just been better off to sell the young talent they have. So many teams we've covered today and yesterday in the NA conference have incomplete rosters and the cap space for solid players. It would have been a fantastic time for WAR to work the phones and get a very nice haul to replenish their subpar future asset pool and give their young talent in their large but low quality prospect pool some playing time and motivation. Warsaw is definitely not in as bad a situation as they were last season, but if there's no results to show for the aggressive spending, Warsaw will keep taking the heat.
 
Grade: C-

"I'm fully prepared to lead this team new heights. And no, the pressure of two new letters on my jersey does not fade or scare me. Looking forward to another season proudly captaining the team!" Jokinen told the local news after the captaincy announcement.
 
Let's go Davos! Tank engines on and fueled up!
 

Hello!

hard choices here

Davos, Switzerland -- Leading up to the draft, former Houston Bulls forward Antonia Bucatini felt good, but not secure. After all, she had conversations with HC Davos Dynamo, the first pick in the draft, conversations she felt good about. But at the same time, she didn't have a guarantee from the franchise, and she had talked with Seattle, Riga, and even Prague and New York, just in case. Would Bucatini go first, or would she fall in the draft?
 
Ultimately, it was meant to be: Davos took Bucatini first overall, becoming a centerpiece player in the team's rebuild. And talking to Bucatini after the draft, she couldn't be happier, both with the team and her new teammates.
 
"This is a place I not only know some people, but I know they're going to do what it takes to win. That jives with me," Bucatini said. "I'm not really here for awards or any of that. I want titles, something my agency hasn't had since Season 61 - also with Davos, it turns out. We're ready to win once again."
 
There's also another positive factor at play in Bucatini's mind: A longer rebuild could actually be a good thing. All along, she said, she wants to be at her peak near the end of her career, particularly around the exciting seasons of S100 and S101.
 
"Did you know my agency's never spent an entire career with one team? That's crazy," she added. "Maybe Davos will be the first. I'd like that. And I like the group we've got here to do some damage on a prolonged basis as I'm going into my prime. We're just getting started, but it feels like the Dynamo have got something cooking."

WARSAW, PL — It has been a week since Lachlan Summers, Davos' Cup-winning goaltender and team icon for so many seasons, had been dealt to the Warsaw Predators in a blockbuster deal that saw Davos sending Summers and two 4ths in exchange for Warsaw’s S95 1st round pick, Karl Pedersen, Sunset Moth, and Dwight Shcrute. The move may have come from a surprise to some, but Davos has committed to a full rebuild and had to part with their veteran goaltender.
 
“There’s no hard feelings with the move. I think this was the best decision for both teams and I respect that as a player. I also appreciate that I wasn’t blindsided. I was told about a week in advance about a possible trade and got time to sort of come to terms with that,” commented Summers as he arrived at the Warsaw rink for the first time.
 
Summers had just come off an extremely disappointing 17-40-6 season, with a .922 SV% and 3.04 GAA, although it was no surprise that Davos would struggle during S92 after losing most of their veteran players aside from Summers and fan favorite: captain David Jokinen. 
 
“It was an unforgettable run with Davos and I can't thank everyone in the organization enough for my time there, and I just want to play well, no matter what city I’m in. I want to be an asset to the Preds and bring home a championship for the team and the fans. They’ve offered me a warm welcome and I hope to make them proud.”

It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these, and since there’s lots to talk about and catch up on: let’s get this ball rolling! To start, holy crap— college has been kicking my butt. I hate that I haven’t been as active as I would like on the forums and Discord, which really hurts because I’m in that Davos AGM role and don’t want to let the team down, but I know at the end of the day, that getting my degree is my ultimate goal and I know I can’t put my grades on the backburner. 
 
On Monday (which is tomorrow at the time that I’m writing this), I have my dreaded three hour night class that runs from 7PM to 10:40 PM and starts with a quiz that I may have been procrastinating studying for. Yay. Good thing is, we only meet in person three times and the class ends mid semester: for the two quizzes and final which is next week, and starts my second hell week of the semester with four exams (send help). This Thursday, I also have a presentation that I have yet to finish, but have written out the script for, luckily, so that’s one less thing to worry about.
 
Asides from college beating me to the ground, there has been a TON of things going on in the VHL, as expected during draft YPE season. Starting with the fact that Lachlan Summers is no longer a member of HC Davos Dynamo. While it was difficult to let him go, it was the best for our team and honestly, at this point, I was looking at this move from more of a GM perspective than a player one. I would have liked to have spent my first player’s career on one team, but he’s aging and Davos is in a rebuild. It makes sense to move him for pieces that can be used for our next cup window. I hope he can secure a place in the Hall of Fame with Warsaw, though that may be more challenging with the changes in goaltending for STHS coming up next season. Only time will tell!
 
Transitioning into said cup window, I’m super stoked about our new prospects from yesterday’s exciting draft (complete with my favorite debate: is a hot dog a sandwich?). We snagged Antonia Bucatini, Forum Content, Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen, Steve French, Billy Joel, Kendra Cavill, Russell Sprout, Masa Akimoto, Magni Jinn, and Blaze Thunderstrike, which marked our busiest draft since S87! It was exciting to see this was such a first-gen heavy draft and that teams were taking them high, and honestly, first-gens can have some of the highest ceilings of all players, if you take into consideration they may be more active and inclined to earn more than someone who has had two or three players. 
 
To round out this Kirby Rambles, I want to express how excited I am to be able to recreate for the first time. I do believe that picking goalie was the best thing I could have done as a first-gen because the TPE allocation isn’t as complicated as the hybrid system so it was easier for me to transition into things. It’s weird to think Lachlan will be retiring at S94’s TDL and that I'll have been a VHL member for two years soon, but I’m excited to bring my next player to the league! I have had my mind set on this since Lachlan was still in the VHLE and have decided to build an offensive defenseman as my next player. I know I’ll need a ton of help, but luckily, there’s many awesome people in the league that I’m sure will be happy to lend their advice! 
 
That’s all from me this fine Sunday evening, folks. Hope you have a great week and see you in the next edition of Kirby Rambles!
 
 

In anticipation of people writing about the recent VHL entry draft, I figured that there would be all kinds of articles and media spots about the number 1 pick, the first rounders, etc., so I decided to try something different.  I’m going to write about the selections from the bottom up, that is the fourth round of the season 93.  After reviewing these players, I found a few rising stars who will break through and will help lead their teams to championship cups.  In addition, it always makes a GM look good by picking a player late in the draft that comes out on top.  Congratulations to all who were drafted in rounds one, two, and three; and the following are the fourth rounders to be congratulated.
 
64 - Brash Candicoot - DC Dragons
 
Starting with the last pick of season 93 draft, the DC Dragons have selected at the 64th pick, Brash Candicoot, a left winger from the United States.  @TrinityMonk joined the league January 7th, and Candicoot is a first gen player.  Candicoot played one season with the Philadelphia Flyers and contributed with 12 goals and 18 assists.  Candicoot spent a reasonable time in the penalty box and had no problem hitting opponents.  Candicoot will be spending some time in the minors developing his skills, before making his debut in the VHL.
 
Looking at Candicoot’s build, TrinityMonk is doing a really good job building a balanced player and appears to have a bright future making a mark contributing points to his team.
 
63 - Owen Two - London United
 
The London United selected Owen Two in the 63rd slot.  Two is another left winger who is a first gen player.  @do3bo1 joined the VHL on January 21st, and Two has played 40 games with Mexico City, establishing a bone crushing attitude with a multitude of hits.  It appears  do3bo1 is building a power forward, or even an enforcer, as Owen Two is an immediate force for their team.  It’s quite possible if do3bo1 picks up TPA for Owen Two, that Two could potentially become a future dominating force in the VHL.  It’s even possible Owen Two could be a Brock Purdue in the making.
 
 
62 - Landon Flatt - Helsinki Titans2
 
Another first gen player was selected in the #62 spot.  The Helsinki Titans picked Canadian born Landon Flatt, a diminutive yet stocky defenseman.  @Lando10 joined the VHL on January 7th.  Flatt joined the Mexico City Kings for season 92, and was a strong force on the team.  Flatt dominated the ice punishing opponents and playing with a fierce attitude.  Flatt had an incredible stat line, 160 hits, 75 shots blocked, and 81 PIMS.
 
In addition to Landon Flatt being a bone crusher for Mexico City, Flatt has contributed team support through press conferences and has provided valuable locker room contribution.  Landon Flatt will be a highly sought after defenseman coming up in the VHLE entry draft as well as the VHLM dispersal draft.
 
 
61 - Phil Taylor - Toronto Legion
 
The Toronto Legion chose a defender for their last pick in the 93 draft, and at #61 Toronto chose Phil Taylor.  Taylor played 60 games with Mississauga and was counted upon to be a defensive defenseman.  Clearly @Legacy has built an enforcer as Phil Taylor spent a majority of time in the penalty box, 90 minutes in just 60 games.  Phil Taylor dominated the ice with 168 hits and 121 blocked shots.
 
Phil Taylor is listed as a first gen player; however, Legacy has been around the VHL since 2021.  Legacy knows how to earn TPE and I look forward to seeing how many PIMS Phil Taylor gets next season as well as many seasons to come.
 
 
60 - Trimiskez Artov - Calgary Wranglers
 
In the 60th slot of the season 93 draft, Trimiskez Artov was selected by the Calgary Wranglers.  This high scoring right winger was a steal for the Wranglers, given Artov’s performance in the first season in the VHLM.  Artov was on the leader board in goals, and what is striking with Artov’s stats with Houston is his high number of blocked hits.  Trimiskez Artov is able to crush his opponents and score goals.  When Artov is not scoring, he is passing the puck to teammates who put the puck in the net.
 
@jake, who joined the league in December, is building a powerful forward with Artov, and I expect Artov to be a high draft choice in the upcoming VHLE draft.  There is no doubt that Artov will be a record breaking forward in the E, and will join the VHL as a high scorer and contributor.  There is one issue that the GM’s may have seen with Artov and why he wasn’t selected sooner, and that is Jake hasn’t earned any TPE for a month now.  Let’s hope that Jake is OK and will be back to earning top TPE real soon.
 
 
59 - Hunter S - Calgary Wranglers
 
Calgary had a back to back picking and before selecting Trimiskez Artov at #60, they picked up Hunter S in the 59th spot.  Hunter S is a first gen left winger who’s experience thus far consists of 48 games with Halifax in the VHLM.  @Hunter S joined the VHL in January, and appears to be active but could probably use a boost from an experienced VHLer to provide Hunter with some ideas to earn TPE.  Hunter is building a balanced player who may turn out to be a sniper by the time he makes his debut in the big league.  Looking at his TPE, Hunter is likely to be a goal scorer and could be the go-to player for penalty shots.  With 15 goals in 48 games, it may not look impressive, but keep an eye on Hunter’s progress and I bet he will make the leader board this season.    
 
 
58 - Marc-Andre Fleury - Los Angeles Stars
 
The last goalie to be drafted in season 93 goes to the Los Angeles Stars with the 58th pick.  Marc-Andre Fleury, is a giant in the net.  Standing at 6 feet 6 inches, Fleury doesnt give much room for the puck to get by him.  The Canadian born played 54 games with Mississauga last season and led the league in shots against.  Fleury, not related to the famous McFleury family,  was ranked #6 in goals against average, with a .904%.
 
@ElementStyx9 has been in the VHL since January of 2023 and is on his second goalie creation.  History shows that Elementstyx9 is a successful VHLer, and doesnt shy away from taking on goalie duties.  Looking at Fleury’s build, it appears that Fleury could really shine when he’s given the change to mind the net in the VHL.
 
 
57 - Cole Stermer - Seattle Bears
 
The Seattle Bears final pick in the season 93 draft is another first gen player, another right winger, and another Canadian born player.  Cole Stermer is the 57th pick in the draft.  The tall slender puck handler has potential.  In 38 games with Mississauga last season, Stermer allotted 18 assists.  This may not seem too impressive on its surface, but when I dug deeper into Stermer’s history, I learned that @Bazeus, who joined the league in January, is still learning the process of the league and earning TPE.  I can relate to the struggles of what to do for TPE and even how to post the TPE, just ask the updaters who had to deal with me early on, specifically @Spartan .  Looking at Stermer’s beginning build, the Seattle Bears are going to have a high scoring, agile playmaker in their lineup once Stermer makes into into the show.  For now Cole Stermer is considered to be an emerging superstar.
 
 
56 - Blaze Thunderstrike - HC Davos Dynamo
 
What is there not to like about the 56th pick of the season 93 draft.  I mean, look at his name.  Blaze Thunderstrike, a strong defenseman is the final pick for the HC Davos Dynamo.  The Swedish born offensive defenseman is deceptively fast, highly skilled with the puck, physically strong, and is sure to make a splash in the VHL.  Thunderstrike racked up 98 hits, 77 blocked shots, 44 PIMS, and 28 points in 44 games playing for Ottawa in season 92.  Thunderstrike is expected to go high in the VHLE draft and the VHLM Dispersal draft, if nothing else, by his name.  I mean, who wouldn’t want Thunderstrike on their team?  One can only hope that Blaze Thunderstrike eventually gets to go toe to toe against Logan Ninefingers so @Scurvy can feel the hurt from multiple Thunders!
 
To top it off, @eaglesfan036, has been in the VHL so long that he earns extra TPE on welfare alone.  It could be considered an AARP benefit.  Eaglesfan036 has been around so long, he probably knows the VHL handbook by heart.  Eaglesfan036 definitely knows how to navigate the forum and has no problem getting trivia questions right.
 
 
55 - Vanman Stein - Calgary Wranglers
 
The Calgary Wranglers first pick in round 4 of the season 93 draft is filled by Vanman Stein, in the 55th spot, an enormous Canadian born defensive defenseman.  At 6 feet 8 inches, and weighing around 250 pounds, Stein is going to tattoo opponents his entire career in the VHL, and has demonstrated that he’s not afraid to get physical.  In 28 games with the San Diego Marlins, Stein has 66 hits, 37 blocked shots, and has spent 45 minutes in the sin bin.  If Simon T accounted for injuries, there is no doubt that Vanman Stein has already sent many opponents into the locker room for some treatment.
 
Vanman Stein is a first gen player and once @Vanman gets his skates under him we’ll get to see what Stein can really be like.  Vanman Stein is projected to steadily build to a peak of being one of the best defensemen in Calgary’s history.
 
 
54 - Elf Shoes - Riga Reign
 
First gen player Elf Shoes, is the final 4th round pick for the Riga Reign at pick #54.  Elf Shoes is a tall skinny American playing left wing.  Elf Shoes started in the VHLM in season 91, playing 12 games for Ottawa.  It wasn’t until season 92, when Elf shoes began to shine, with Miami.  Don’t let the lack of girth keep you from thinking that Elf Shoes isnt capable of getting physical.  Elf Shoes boasted 119 hits in season 93, doing so without drumming up too many penalty minutes.
 
@ELF_SH0ES started in December and has yet to pick up extra TPE.  Once Elf Shoes starts to gain TPE and applying it to the build, this left wing will make a huge impact on the team.
 
 
53 - Gavin Bebard - Warsaw Predators
 
For the 53rd selection in the season 93 draft, the Warsaw Predators selected Gavin Bebard, a tall skinny center born in Canada.  Bebard is a balanced player who racked up 45 points in 60 games with Mississauga in season 92.  Bebard is agile and strong, and will make a super playmaker, depending on how @Gavin Bebard continues to build the player.  Bebard is not shy of hitting opponents and enjoys scrapping with the instigators from the other teams.  It also appears that Bebard may end out spending extra time in the penalty box due to the aggressiveness.
 
 
52 - Kevin O’Connor - Chicago Phoenix
 
The Chicago Phoenix picked left wing Kevin O’Connor at #52.  O’Connor is starting to come into his own as a playmaker and is going to help put a lot of pressure on the opposing teams with his passing skills.  In addition to his puck handling and skating skills, O’Connor is receptive to hitting opponents.  At this point in O’connor’s career, discipline is not his strongest skill.  @Luke033 is new to the VHL and has remained active thus far, but has yet to peak on TPE earning.  Once this becomes habit for Luke033, I expect O’Connor to become a VHL star.
 
 
51 - Jacob Longstreet - London United
 
Jacob Longstreet, a goal scoring center from the United States, is the 51st pick in the draft, being picked up by the London United.  Longstreet is a pure sniper, and will put the puck in the net with ease.  In addition to Longstreet’s sniping specialty, he has a unique quality of passing the puck at the right moments.  @Dynamicmlb_42 has been in the league since September and has demonstrated a genuine interest in the league.  As TPE builds up, Jacob Longstreet is going to make a scene in the VHL.  Joining San Diego late in the season does not give an accurate reflection of Longstreet’s potential.
 
 
50 - Armas Jortikka - HC Davos Dynamo
 
HC Davos Dynamo has added yet another Finnish player to the roster, which likely makes @Ahma happy.  With the 50th pick, @alex drafted Armas Jortikka, a power forward at right wing.  Jortikka played 44 games with Mississauga in season 92, and contributed by scoring 16 goals and getting 14 assists.  Jortikka tagged plenty of hits and blocked shots in those 44 games.  In addition to his strength, Jortikka is talented with the puck handling skills.  @Kavadar joined the league on January 21st, and is sure to improve his player at a higher rate now that he’s joined the Davos club.
 
 
49 - Magni Jinn - HC Davos Dynamo
 
The first pick in round 4 of the season 93 draft, and the last player to be mentioned in this media spot goes to HC Davos.  Magni Jinn, an offensive defenseman is going to be a star.  Jinn, one of the Jinn brothers, has already proven to be a major contributor to his team.  Playing season 92 with Philadelphia, Jinn scored 75 points, had 100 hits, and 109 blocked shots.  This solid defenseman is a physical player and will make an impact in the VHL.  @DontCallMeCarson has been in the league for a couple of years and knows his way around the VHL.  Partnering up with Walter and Enn, Magni Jinn dominated the VHLM.  At no surprise to Alex, Magni Jinn is considered to be a steal for HC Davos.
 
This concludes the discussion of the 4th round picks for the season 93 draft.  This media spot will be used for claiming four weeks of TPE.
 
2353 words

Has anybody told Jokinen that the two extra A's come from ScAndinAvia?

I stand behind this Scandinavian team!!  
 
Congrats all. 

S93 HC DAVOS DYNAMO CAPTAINS
The rebuild is in full swing this season, leading the way is...
 
Captain - David Jokinen @Ahma!
Now in his 7th season with the team, and 6th as captain, Jokinen embodies everything a captain should be and leads by example on and off of the ice! Jokinen will look to lead Davos to another cup in the coming seasons! Jokinen looks to continue their improved play from last season!
 
Alternate Captain - David Jokinen @Ahma!
Jokinen has proved to be a positive presence in the Davos locker room, and for that reason has been awarded an 'A' for this season!
 
Alternate Captain - David Jokinen @Ahma!
David, the leading scorer on the Dynamo for this season will be looking to continue their play this season and hopefully cross the point per game mark for the first time in their career!

"I had some jitters before the draft I'll admit. I knew it was going to be a big day for me and for my career and I was nervous to meet my new team. When Davos called my name I immediately proceeded to embarass myself by shaking the GM's hand and calling him by the wrong name. Haha, I hope he can forgive me as I'm now just really excited to be a member of the Davos hockey club."
 
That was Steve French after being drafted by Davos 21st overall at the S93 VHL Entry Draft.
 
I figured the draft would be interesting and even though I had conversations with quite a few scouting teams in the end I had no clue where French was going to go in the draft. He was ranked around 20th overall by scouting but ranked 19th overall in tpe. In the end by having Steve go 21st overall he becomes my latest drafted player in any VHL draft. Which if you've seen my activity trends lately I definitely understand why. I've been slacking compared to my past players. 
 
I'm happy to see French get drafted by Davos though. If you don't know, I've got quite a lengthy cupless drought dating back to s11 that includes quite a few finals appearances where my teams have fallen short. But, Of course I won that cup in S11 as a member of the Davos Hockey Club and I haven't played for them since. So maybe the only team I've ever won with can be the team that helps me break this curse. 
 
 
 
 

yes sir

this is crazy! groundbreaking journalism by Victor, truly stuff worthy of a 1st overall pick.
 
@Victor remember the one time 8 years ago you joined my podcast with @eaglesfan0366 and other fantastic people? i think we peaked back then.

I do but I'm ready to experience my 2nd peak

this is crazy! groundbreaking journalism by Victor, truly stuff worthy of a 1st overall pick.
 
@Victor remember the one time 8 years ago you joined my podcast with @eaglesfan0366 and other fantastic people? i think we peaked back then.

@Alex @Banackock @hedgehog337 @Frank
 
some sound issues in the 1st minute but all the important stuff is clear as day

To please the TikTok generation, the media, and the sponsors, VHL announced that the settings of the sim will be changed. In short, from now on we should see more goals than in the past as the goals slider was moved from the "owie ouch boo boo, I can not score" to "come on in, the more the merrier".  The change is going to affect all three leagues, VHLM, VHLE, and VHL.   
 
In the official press release, the league stated that the goalies have been too powerful, which caused the need to make the change. Those who read the press release perhaps noticed that the lack of goals was never directly mentioned as the focus is mainly on the goalies and how good they are. Based on the whispers I have heard (1), the decision to change the settings now is the result of ongoing negotiations between the league, player association, the media, and the sponsors.  The league has been worried for some time now about the dominance of active players in comparison to the welfare users. The goalie position has traditionally been a position that only the most active members pick. If you want to make it to the very top you need to earn a large amount of TPE, there is a lot of competition and only one goalie can play at once, so the welfare users tend not to pick a goalie position.
 
Active player domination in the goalie position has caused concern also among the media and sponsors as active TPE earning tends to lead to top-level players being built, which in the goalie world translates into fewer goals as a top goalie can change the direction of the game on their own. From the sponsor's and media's point of view, the lack of goals is bad for the business as the TikTok generation is not able to enjoy a game of hockey without seeing a goal at least once every five minutes.  From the league's point of view, the lack of goals also means fewer donations as the "pay-to-win" - crowd has started to feel the return for the donations is not as high as it maybe should be. Being active is one thing, but when you start to donate real money to the league you expect to be at least mildly aroused when you open the index after each sim.  Representatives of the pay-to-win crowd were interviewed during the negotiation process. The message was clear: bring us more goals or we will spend our money elsewhere.

The player association, according to the whispers I have heard (2), was against the decision to change the settings. The worry was that if the settings were changed the players would find the game itself closer to Sunday afternoon practice rink hockey than serious competition between professional athletes. Therefore, the player association suggested that instead of starting the season with 0 goals and 0 assists, each player could have 30+30, that way the statistics at the end of the season would look better and the game itself would remain the same. The media and sponsors were interested in the suggestion as the TikTok generation has notoriously poor memories, but not being able to show the goals anywhere ended up being too big of an obstacle.  The league was also positively involved in debating the suggestion as the pay-to-win players tend to only care about the statistics. If there was a big increase in the goals and assists without the product on the ice suffering too much, perhaps the number of donations would also increase. But after the media and sponsors ended up rejecting the idea - it was enough for the league.
 
In the end, all parties managed to find a solution that pleased everybody - the settings would be changed, which would result in more goals.  It is too early to say and predict just how much the scoring will actually increase, but it is fair to assume the big difference will be seen in 5 to 10 seasons from now. The long-term goal is that fewer and fewer active users create goalies as putting TPE and effort into the position seems a lot less attractive than now. The hope is more and more welfare users end up creating goalies, which will only increase the scoring more as the goalies developed by welfare users will almost certainly never reach the same levels as goalies created by the active users.  As the active players decide to create forwards and defenders instead of goalies, the scoring will increase even more as there will be more top-level players on the ice. This pleased the league, the media, and the sponsors. According to the whispers I have heard (1,2), the player association was the least pleased party around the negotiation table, but the hope for the player association is that the game of hockey will grow and spread to new markets through the increased exposure in media and through sponsors investing in the sport around the world. Despite welfare goalies potentially dominating the goalie scene in the future, the player association hopes players from those new markets will bring active goalies into the league who can have it in their hearts to be the whipping boys of the league, the media, and the sponsors.  
 
The settings were changed in the sim, but so were the settings changed in the hearts and minds of the users in VHL. How many users can find satisfaction in being handed free goals and assists by the league? Will the index be visited less frequently during office hours than now? Is it time that we see the rise of not only welfare goalies but also classics such as the enforcer and powerforwards as the users look into meaningful build options? Both, powerforward and enforcer, have gone almost extinct in VHL during the recent years. A big part of that is the ongoing propaganda by the league to remove checking and fighting as big hits and dropping the gloves does not please the sponsors and the media. 
 
One thing is for certain: the winds of change are blowing.
 

1. The voices could be real and heard by others
2. The voices could also be real and heard only by me
 
1010 words
4.3-10.3
11.3-17.3
 
 

Honestly I think people are vastly overestimating how damaging this will be to goalies, it’s not that substantial.

Quite the scandalavia

https://vhlportal.com/vhl/WC/92/ProTeam.php?Team=8

I literally rewrote it last week lol. It says Nordic.

I'll just change it in the index. Shouldn't be a problem.

Nah, the script says Nordic.. the commissioners changed it.