Ahma

1. Will DAVID be a contender again next season?!
YES! I BELIEVE!
2. Now that we are deep into the Continental Cup playoffs, which team do you believe looks the strongest?
 
3. Do you believe the regular season should be adjusted in any way in terms of amount of games (lengthened or shortened)? Or is 72 just the sweet spot?
keep it at 72. it has been that way forever.
4. What was your player’s best stat this season?
Points!
5. The Stanley Cup playoffs are also heating up! Was there a series outcome in particular that surprised you?
Toronto actually putting up a fight against without Matthews. Winnipeg getting trashed Tampa out in only 5 games.
6. Other than hockey, what other sports do you enjoy watching?
champions league football and occasional baseball game
7. What was the last movie you watched?
Rebel Moon Part 2 The Scargiver
8. How many holes does a straw have?
math says its one hole, technically, i'll go with that.

1. Will DAVID be a contender again next season?!
 
Oh yes.  I trust Alex
 
2. Now that we are deep into the Continental Cup playoffs, which team do you believe looks the strongest?
 
Moscow
 
3. Do you believe the regular season should be adjusted in any way in terms of amount of games (lengthened or shortened)? Or is 72 just the sweet spot?
 
72 is good
 
4. What was your player’s best stat this season?
 
Ah crap, I wasnt paying attention.  I’m gonna say, the bar bill after winning the division. 
 
5. The Stanley Cup playoffs are also heating up! Was there a series outcome in particular that surprised you?
 
Not yet.  I just hope Boston wins
 
6. Other than hockey, what other sports do you enjoy watching?
 
Football, the Red Sox, been watching Tag lately 
 
7. What was the last movie you watched?
 
At the theaters? Cant remember. Too expensive.  Budget cuts going on here.  On the TV? The Lincoln Lawyer.  
 
8. How many holes does a straw have?
@Ahma says one, he’s always right.  If I didnt look at his presser, I’d have said zero.
 

1. Will DAVID be a contender again next season?!
YES! I BELIEVE!
2. Now that we are deep into the Continental Cup playoffs, which team do you believe looks the strongest?
 
3. Do you believe the regular season should be adjusted in any way in terms of amount of games (lengthened or shortened)? Or is 72 just the sweet spot?
keep it at 72. it has been that way forever.
4. What was your player’s best stat this season?
Points!
5. The Stanley Cup playoffs are also heating up! Was there a series outcome in particular that surprised you?
Toronto actually putting up a fight against without Matthews. Winnipeg getting trashed Tampa out in only 5 games.
6. Other than hockey, what other sports do you enjoy watching?
champions league football and occasional baseball game
7. What was the last movie you watched?
Rebel Moon Part 2 The Scargiver
8. How many holes does a straw have?
math says its one hole, technically, i'll go with that.

DAVID

I could have been DC's GM if it weren't for you meddling kids--who knows what would have happened?
 
 
I also would have had way, way less to say about my time in the VHLM if I ended up being promoted in S68 with the addition of a couple new teams. The BoG toyed with the idea, but eventually they'd decided that they hated me some others were better fits at the time. But I was pretty darn good, after all...
 
 
...and my time was going to come eventually.
 
Cue @ShawnGlade fucking up.
 
I mostly joke because I think I would have been moved up sometime not far from S70 anyway. At one point, I was the one @Advantage wanted to take over Malmo eventually, and had the league known that he'd be giving up the team right after S70, they definitely would have waited a little bit on hiring me and done that instead. I almost could have flushed Malmo's hopes and dreams down the toilet too--could you imagine? At least two franchises should be glad I was unlucky.
 
But anyway, back to what I said earlier. When I joined the league, I knew Shawn as the builder of a solid player and a passionate GM in Davos who made a lot of moves that people questioned. Davos got made fun of a lot, even when they were good on paper. So did Shawn, by extension. Even when the team was good on paper, they just couldn't seem to piece it together. Which, by itself, wasn't a negative reflection on his management. With that being said, it certainly meant that when there was an actual shortcoming, the league picked up on it and ran with it.
 
After pinging Shawn, I hope I can keep it clear that I like him a lot while also fairly saying that I don't blame league leadership for considering it a red flag when he missed a couple drafts in a row without notice. Which is essentially all that presented a serious issue to the league. Things happen, and sometimes things matter a little more than this website--so when that runs to enough of an extent that the league has to BPA your picks and your players start leaving in free agency (future HoFer Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was a big loss), it's enough for the league to also consider that maybe your team could use a bigger loser with more time and energy to devote.
 
I came across the BoG thread on the matter a couple seasons later when they let me in, and it actually started out as a discussion about (deservedly) removing Bushito as Calgary's GM after the Wranglers were functionally run by Dil and/or Blade for a few seasons on end. But S70's draft came and went with that thread up, and with Davos discourse becoming very public afterward, the topic quickly shifted. To be honest, things went into "who should we hire" pretty soon after that, and it was @Rin who pretty soon after that managed to avoid a lot of debate and lists and whatnot by recommending me specifically for the job. Really, the only bump in the road was Advantage bringing up that maybe I could run Malmo at some point--which he walked back later on saying that he wasn't sure what his plans were yet. So it was settled--I'd known myself that I was the heir to the Nighthawks and was a little bit disappointed to find out that it wouldn't be working out that way, but I've also mentioned before that S70 wasn't very happening in Mississauga and I was really excited when Beav contacted me to offer the big-league job. It was also cool to watch my then-both-former-and-future AGM @Berocka, who had just been hired in Halifax and made a questionable trade there, be moved over to run the Hounds because the personal connection we'd both built with the franchise was strong enough to warrant it.
 
With all the hype around me moving up, I was also a bit conflicted because I really didn't want it to happen the way it did. I'd seen Shawn's resignation post (the league asked him to quit instead of announcing it officially, but it was no secret) and subsequent discussion thread, and really did feel a bit bad. I also wasn't really sure how to approach the situation from my end. Here was someone I really had no issue with, whose team I'd inherited and would have to work with, who was a rostered player on that team, and who also probably was not a fan of me in that moment. I did reach out and we talked briefly, but we mostly gave each other some space at the start.
 
Something that was really important to me was the buildup of team culture. Davos was not in any position to win games in S70, and I'd heard a lot about how the team's community needed work. I didn't really want to deal with figuring out what that meant or how true that was, so I almost immediately created a new team server altogether. I followed the same exact strategy I had in building a locker room in Mississauga (which was mostly a carryover from my first season in Houston), which was to try to focus discussion into publicly accessible channels as much as possible and try to create a mutually beneficial environment for the team and the rest of the community. With the Hounds, I'd never had the need to bring in people who weren't affiliated with the team (and there were some cases where people would join the team for this reason!), but with a gutted and mostly demoralized roster, and no alumni network in my newly-created server, I decided to invite a handful of people who had been particularly good to me up to that point. I especially remember people like @Doomsday, @GlowyGoat, @McWolf, and @Esso2264 at the start, some of which would stay active in that server through my entire tenure even if they never made it onto my roster. On the roster itself was...really not much. We had the ever-reliable @Ahma on defense, and right around the time I was hired was when @Brrbisbrr (one of the nicest people I've ever met on this website) decided to make a comeback. Samuel Ross was my first Davos goaler, and he faced the absolute barrage of pucks faithfully in S70.
 
As you might guess, the biggest event of S70 was my hiring. I won't act like we won much of anything (we finished last, of course). My GM tenure had gotten off to a rocky start. I could have just thrown lines together and checked out until I finally got to draft in S71. But I felt that it was worth putting the time and effort into making a team run, at least a little bit, and I felt that our server benefited from that. I was really proud of some of the ways I felt appreciated by my new team, and haven't quite forgotten this article that's over 4 years old at this point. 
 
My first year with Davos reinforced a lot of what I already knew--that running your VHL team like a VHLM team and actually trying to see that your players have a positive experience instead of zoning them out and doing your lines when you have to is something that pays off. I'd much rather have the record I did in S70, and know that my team had a good time getting there, than have no connection with them and win a bit more. And while it's unfortunate that I couldn't do both of those things at once, you'll see as I cover the rest of my GM tenure that I don't regret it.
 
 

Read my other articles for the full Gustav experience:
 
#1: Lightning Glory Gonna Be My Name
#2: Can't We All Just Get Along?
#3: Who Needs Cybersecurity Anyway?
#4: The House That I Built
#5: Can We Fix It?
#6: American Beauty
#7: The Kids Are Alright
#8: Dogs In A Pile
#9: I Just Wanna Grill For God's Sake

it has been a long time tradition in Davos indeed

it has been a long time tradition in Davos indeed

Thank you all for your nominations! Receiving more than 1 vote and therefore a place on the ballot are...
 
@Banackock
@LucyXpher
@Spartan
 
also receiving a vote each were...
@AJW @Ahma @Beketov @Joel Main @Tetricide @UghSike @ace_five_ @dlamb and @dstevensonjr
 
If you would like to know what you got nominated for, please PM me. I won't be able to respond promptly as currently travelling but I can let you know when I'm back next week.

1. We’ve only got a few regular season sims left, who do you predict will be the Continental Cup champion?
 
Moscow
 
2. Our beauty of a captain, David Jokinen, has had a career year! Any words to commend him on this feat? 
 
He’s my hero.
 
3. What do you believe we can learn from this season that we can carry onto the next? Any bold predictions or suggestions?
 
Win more, lose less
 
4. If you had a chance to add a new award to the VHL, what would it be and what would you name it?
 
The Ray Bourque Trophy.  Player who wins the most fights
 
5. Regarding fighting in hockey, do you believe it is a staple of the sport? Or is it something that should be phased out of the game entirely?
 
Ouch.  You serious?  Whoever is suggesting that fighting be phased out is not a hockey player.  You cannot participate in playoff hockey without hitting hard and that sometimes flares up into a fight.  Now, the fighters can decide how hard to punch.  
 
6. The Stanley Cup playoffs have begun! Which team has impressed you most thus far?
 
It’s easier for me to tell you which team has not impressed me.  That would be the Bruins, my team.  They cannot maintain 60 minutes of playoff hockey.  I thought Big Rig would help motivate them, but thus far, they soften up too soon.
 
7. In terms of playstyle and build, which NHL player is yours most similar to?
 
Radko Gudas.  Love that Gudas hip check!!
 
8. Since this debate has flared up again recently: is a hot dog a sandwich?
 
It can be when it’s called a polish sandwich, ie. the hotdog is split in half and placed on two slices of bread with pickles mustard ketchup and onion.  Other than that, no.  Especially when a hot dog is cut up and put in spaghettiios.  Oh, now I’m hungry.
 

1. We’ve only got a few regular season sims left, who do you predict will be the Continental Cup champion?
I've still got Toronto. Europe is going to be a slog to get through, and the Legion have had such a strong team from day one.
 
2. Our beauty of a captain, David Jokinen, has had a career year! Any words to commend him on this feat? 
Oh captain my captain! And assistant captain! And other assistant captain! Here's to hoping it continues next season when I'm also up.
 
3. What do you believe we can learn from this season that we can carry onto the next? Any bold predictions or suggestions?
To be honest? Not really. There's going to largely be a new roster next season, so while it's been great to get a few wins, I think a lot of the game planning will start from square one.
 
4. If you had a chance to add a new award to the VHL, what would it be and what would you name it?
You say people don't build players with fighting? Then let's change that - most fights won now gets an award. We're calling it the Rocky Award until we get a good VHL legend to name it after.
 
5. Regarding fighting in hockey, do you believe it is a staple of the sport? Or is it something that should be phased out of the game entirely?
I swear I didn't see this question before answering the last one. Honestly, the reason that a lot of people play sports is to get some aggression out. As long as it's not causing lasting injuries, then yeah, let them have at it.
 
8. Since this debate has flared up again recently: is a hot dog a sandwich?
People focus too much on this question and not the alternative: I think every ham sandwich should be called a hot dog. Think about it - contains a pig-based meat, you typically want to eat it with condiments for flavor, comes within some sort of bun. Real geniuses have been saying this.

1. We’ve only got a few regular season sims left, who do you predict will be the Continental Cup champion?
Long Live The King! London got this.
2. Our beauty of a captain, David Jokinen, has had a career year! Any words to commend him on this feat? 
Thanks
3. What do you believe we can learn from this season that we can carry onto the next? Any bold predictions or suggestions?
Our rookies will dominate.
4. If you had a chance to add a new award to the VHL, what would it be and what would you name it?
We could try and bring back Top Leader award and name it The Annual @Phil Award.
5. Regarding fighting in hockey, do you believe it is a staple of the sport? Or is it something that should be phased out of the game entirely?
Personally I don't like fighting in hockey, but I understand why it's there. I hope there will be less of it in the future, doesn't need to be fully phased out of the sport though
6. The Stanley Cup playoffs have begun! Which team has impressed you most thus far?
McDavid, 5 assists in the first game of Oilers playoffs. For a team it's too early to say imo
7. In terms of playstyle and build, which NHL player is yours most similar to?
Brady Skjei?
8. Since this debate has flared up again recently: is a hot dog a sandwich?
 

1. We’ve only got a few regular season sims left, who do you predict will be the Continental Cup champion?
Long Live The King! London got this.
2. Our beauty of a captain, David Jokinen, has had a career year! Any words to commend him on this feat? 
Thanks
3. What do you believe we can learn from this season that we can carry onto the next? Any bold predictions or suggestions?
Our rookies will dominate.
4. If you had a chance to add a new award to the VHL, what would it be and what would you name it?
We could try and bring back Top Leader award and name it The Annual @Phil Award.
5. Regarding fighting in hockey, do you believe it is a staple of the sport? Or is it something that should be phased out of the game entirely?
Personally I don't like fighting in hockey, but I understand why it's there. I hope there will be less of it in the future, doesn't need to be fully phased out of the sport though
6. The Stanley Cup playoffs have begun! Which team has impressed you most thus far?
McDavid, 5 assists in the first game of Oilers playoffs. For a team it's too early to say imo
7. In terms of playstyle and build, which NHL player is yours most similar to?
Brady Skjei?
8. Since this debate has flared up again recently: is a hot dog a sandwich?
 

1. We’ve only got a few regular season sims left, who do you predict will be the Continental Cup champion?
Long Live The King! London got this.
2. Our beauty of a captain, David Jokinen, has had a career year! Any words to commend him on this feat? 
Thanks
3. What do you believe we can learn from this season that we can carry onto the next? Any bold predictions or suggestions?
Our rookies will dominate.
4. If you had a chance to add a new award to the VHL, what would it be and what would you name it?
We could try and bring back Top Leader award and name it The Annual @Phil Award.
5. Regarding fighting in hockey, do you believe it is a staple of the sport? Or is it something that should be phased out of the game entirely?
Personally I don't like fighting in hockey, but I understand why it's there. I hope there will be less of it in the future, doesn't need to be fully phased out of the sport though
6. The Stanley Cup playoffs have begun! Which team has impressed you most thus far?
McDavid, 5 assists in the first game of Oilers playoffs. For a team it's too early to say imo
7. In terms of playstyle and build, which NHL player is yours most similar to?
Brady Skjei?
8. Since this debate has flared up again recently: is a hot dog a sandwich?
 

Need some more David's to topple the evil Alex's.

DAVID!

So the first thing I had to ask myself is, why? Why would I come back to the league and why now. I wish I had a better answer for you, but it's totally random and not interesting. I have a folder in my bookmarks titled "Sports" and in there was the VHL Link, TSN.ca, Discord, Fantasy Football and Sports Betting. I clicked the wrong one and went here but in turn it technically may have been the right one if you are a VHL lifer. Then I was like, wow when I was 16 (19 years ago) I really enjoyed that place. Now with the odd grey hair coming in, a four year running around and another on the way; it seemed like the worst time to join. But when have I ever done things logically and with much thought? (don't answer that). I'm both excited to see some fresh faces and catch up with some of the guys who made this place what it was. Weird as an original member to come back and feel like the newbie but I might be lost on Point Task stuff. I'll stick to what I do know and then go from there I guess. This is me asking for tips! (Phil, not that type).

I mean that also applies to anyone who ever took a team over from @Devise

Tommy Shelby
Age: 22
Position: C
Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 190lbs
 
Born in Birmingham, Halifax 21st centreman Tommy Shelby's life did not follow the 'typical' path of a VHLM player. In fact, he only started playing a few short years ago when he was 18. Prior to that, he had a difficult childhood and led a rather tumultuous life that is worthy of a novel or a TV series. 
 
With his father passing away at a young age, Shelby's family consisted of his mother, two brothers, and a close aunt. The family was not well off, and although his mother worked various part time jobs, they always seemed to be just scraping by. As the boys got older, the family's plight led them to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and they spent their days trying to make some extra money anyway that they could. In the beginning it was normal kid stuff like selling lemonade on the streets but over time their business practices got a little more sketchy and they began to run various hustles like stealing and reselling goods and loansharking small amounts to other kids. Their drive paid off and in addition to making a name for themselves in the local community, the money they were bringing in was making a big difference in their homelife and had lifted the family out of poverty. On account of this, their mother fully embraced her sons growing business. 
 
As these things go, their lines of business continued to expand and the amount of risk they were willing to take on continued to increase. By the time Tommy was 16, the brothers were running gambling rings and engaged in the drug trade. And through a connection with a local liquor store, they were purchasing massive quantities of alcohol an reselling it at massive markups to their underage peers. The trio had long stopped attending school at this point and were generally consumed with conducting their business and bringing in cash. Although they didn't have much time for sport, the boys would, on occasion, pull the net out of the garage and play some street hockey. When they were kids this always their go to sport when the sun was shining and although they played less as they got older, they never completely abandoned it and tended to retreat back to it when they were having a tough time with the business. 
 
Unfortunately for the brothers, the success andd profit that they had come to enjoy didn't last very long. The fact is, this isn't 1920 and these types of things don't stay secret for long in the age of cameras everywhere. In the face of insurmountable evidence against them, all 3 brothers reached plea agreements with prosecutors. The agreements called for siezure of all proceeds of their crimes, a short stint in juvenie detention and lengthy community service. 
 
In detention, the brothers once again retreated to their old past time and Tommy started a street hockey league in the yard. The league was a huge success and the winning team (which was the Shelby team) even had a match against a team of guards. When Tommy was released, he was just shy of his 18th birthday and he knew that he had a choice to make. He could revert to his old habits, make some good money for awhile but he knew that eventually he would be caught and this time he wouldn't be considered a kid. Or he could find a legal way to have the life he wanted. 
 
As part of his community service, Shelby began volunteering at the local rink and it was here that he noticed an advertisement for tryouts for a local U18 team. Despite most of hockey experience being on the street with a ball, Shelby didn't hesitate to sign up and began devoting his time to hockey. He convinced the rink manager to let him use the ice overnight and would spend hours and hours practicing. Tryout day came and, perhaps partly due to his training and partly due to low turnout, he made the team. He was no superstar when he started that season but he continued to work at it relentlessly and he would later credit his coaches and teammates from that obscure team as teaching to him to be the player he is today. 
 
By the end of the season, Tommy was the best player on the ice, every game. One of Shelby's coaches was so impressed with his progress that he set up a tryout for Shelby with a professional team the following season. It came as no surprise to the coach when Shelby made it. And it was shortly after this that Shelby's new coach introuced him to a personal friend of his - former VHL player, commissioner, and agent Don Draper. Draper had been retired and this meeting was simply meant to be an opporunity for Shelby to get some career advice. By the end of the meeting, Shelby had convinced Draper to be his agent and get him on the fast track to the VHLM. 
 
And now, partway through his first VHLM season, Shelby has his sights set on the VHL Entry Draft. 

When I look at the teams missing in the VHLM, and even in the VHL, it's a team in the Province of Québec. 
I know that in the past a team in Québec was in the league and moved to Vancouver, but with only half the teams in the league comes from North America and the other half are in Europe, that give not much room for a lot of city that should have a team in either of the three leagues. The VHL have a mix of North American team and European Teams, the VHLE is Europeans and the VHLM is North American.
 
I'm kinda surprise that in neither league a team in Montréal have existed in almost 100 seasons! The Canadiens is the most iconic hockey team and there is no team trying to emulate their success? It would be nice in the future to have a team with a Bleu Blanc Rouge branding in the VHL. We had some people lately that tried to make customs jerseys for the VHL team and it was difficult for some of them to find the right colors for them. A nice «tricolors» jersey would have been nice to see something different than Black&White. I know that New York have really similar colors, but the emphasis on each color is not the same. We can’t move a team in New York, the biggest market of the East Coast away, so maybe an expansion? Would be funny that the city who is the origin of the NHL and the team who have the most Stanley Cup will have his first team from an expansion!
 
The branding of Québec was a nice one, and I love that Vancouver took a part of «La Meute» to bring in their Wolves branding. In almost every sim league, we have Wolf somewhere, and that’s a thing that the real-life professional hockey is missing. I don’t consider the Coyotes to be one, but in the AHL we have the Chicago Wolves and nothing in the ECHL. The only thing that I don’t agree with, it’s staying with only the black and white as color… I find it a bit boring.
With all the teams in the Province that play in either of the three majors leagues, I’m sure we can look at some of them and get inspiration from. The Canadiens, the Rocket, the Lions and if we look at junior, we can add the Remparts and the Armada.
 
There is a lot of logo and amateur branding for a come back of a team in Québec so the inspiration won’t be a problem. You can’t use the Nordiques name or the logo, but a rebrand of «La Meute» or use the Harfangs if you want an animal can be a good option. If you want something more original, you can use the city fortification that are more than 300 years old and a big part of the heritage of the French colonisation. That can also be use about the part that they are the only territory in America that speak French as their first language.
So this is it, I’m not a graphic guy so won’t bring my personal branding.
 
 

Teno and Summers all timers

I guess we have to eliminate you then

From Vancouver Wolves
 
to
 
Vancouver OJ's
 



Because they also got away with it
 

Their gloves are all a size too small?

7 1/2! not bad not bad

Come on @Frank!
 
 
@FrostBeard