Renomitsu

1. We’ve taken a step back of late, going 4-6-2 over our last 12. Where can we improve to get back on track? Fewer penalties, probably. I don't like being on short-handed time so much during our games. 2. Who do you believe has been the team MVP so far and why? Ajay Krishna, I'd think. We have seen how poorly we've generally performed with him off the ice, and I think that describes exactly what an MVP is. 3. Where do you feel you as a player have improved the most since last season? Mmm, probably defense? Our penalty kill percentage speaks for itself. 4. Which underachiever is more likely to salvage their season: Los Angeles or Davos? I'm pretty sure Davos is cursed, so not them. Los Angeles will hopefully start putting things together, but it's hard to overcome the supernatural on Davos's side. 5. How do you take your coffee/tea? I like my tea pretty strong. Earl Grey, steeped two minutes, leave the bag in. 6. Which team from the most recent expansion will be the first to win a cup? We'll see. I'm not a fan of mortgaging the future in favor of a quick fix, so I don't mind if we're not the first.

Thanks for the catch. Per post history, I picked Latrell Mitchell first - @SweatyBeaver you'll need to pick a different defenseman

G - Stone Wolski @Esso2264

F - Timothy Brown @SweatyBeaver

24+ hours have passed. @Anthony Suzuki please make your picks ASAP (I know there are forum difficulties, so you will not be DQed). @Esso2264, you are back on the clock.

1. S75 starts this week! How pumped are you for the season? Eh... kinda excited, I guess? I mean, it's alright... just kidding! Of course I'm pumped! Let's go HIT SOME SCRUBS!!! 2. Are there any specific goals for yourself that you have this year? Finish with more points and a better +/- than last season! I'm making that a goal for the rest of my time in the league. Every season has to be better than the last. 3. There have been a few more trade talks for Warsaw, would you rather keep future assets or try and improve right now? I'm not really a manager. I'm gonna leave the tough decisions up to the guys who get paid to make them. It would be weird if one of us Danes just started coming in and making decisions for a Polish team, don't you think? 4. Was there anything during the off-season that surprised you in the league? Not particularly. There were some lopsided trades, but my agent has been in the league long enough to know sometimes teams get fleeced. 5. Do you feel the off-season went by quick or slow? What could be different to make it better for you? Pretty slowly, but I think that's because we weren't in the playoffs. I appreciated it going slowly because that way I could spend more time recuperating and reflecting on how I can live a better life. 6. Does this roster have what it takes to sneak into the playoffs this year or are we a couple more away? The STHS powers that be decide that, not us. So I have no idea.

F - Jim Bob @Esso2264

FYI @Syzygy, Brock Louth retired last season. Feel free to make up your pick at any time. For now @Da_Berr remains on the clock due to time since SweatyBeaver's pick

D - Latrell Mitchell @SweatyBeaver

@Anthony Suzuki, this is a snake-style draft so you get two picks this go 'round (your 'turns' for selection start with 1 pick, then 2 picks, then 2 picks, then 1 pick). Timer will continue for your second pick. Please note that Esso2264 is the member that goes after you, not me.

It's been >12 hrs (and I have to work for the next 12), so I'm going to pick: F - Chad Magnum @Esso2264 is on the clock. @SweatyBeaver you are free to make up your pick at any point.

smh imagine forgetting Cinnamon Block is a girl

It has been >12 hours since the last pick. @Da_Berr you are on the clock. @Syzygy feel free to make up your pick whenever you are available.

No need to apologize! I just wanted to make sure we're not lagging behind as a group. D - Erik Killinger @SweatyBeaver, you're on the clock!

It's been 12 (actually 14) hours since the thread was posted. @Esso2264 you are free to pick. @Anthony Suzuki you can make up your first pick at any point.

Reserving this post to keep track of teams so fishy doesn't have to constantly update the post. Sorry about the re-ping! 1. @Anthony Suzuki F - Kris Rice F F D - Condor Adrienne D G - Jimmy Spyro 2. @Esso2264 F - Mikko Lahtinen F - Andrew Su F - Rhynex Entertainment D - Guy Sasakamoose D - Roque Davis G 3. @Renomitsu (Group Manager) F - Chad Magnum F - Jim Bob F - Timothy Brown D - Erik Killinger D - Latrell Mitchell G - Stone Wolski 4. @SweatyBeaver F - Patrik Tallinder F - Gregg Stallion F - Guy Lesieur D - Odin Omdahl D - Latrell Mitchell G - Jacques Lafontaine 5. @Syzygy F - Kefka Palazzo F - Uhtred F - Groovy Dood D - Hugh Jass D - Cinnamon Block G - Raymond Bernard 6. @Da_Berr F - Benny Graves F - Kyl Oferson F - Jacob Tonn D - Jeff Downey D - Spencer Elsby G - Ajay Krishna

Warsaw, Poland – Aloe Dear sent a playful message to longtime friend and VHL Champion Venus Thightrap: “Watch out for us!” It’s not surprising that the two Danes have stayed in relatively close contact through the offseason – especially since they both participated (on opposing teams) in the Victory Pro-AM, and had ample opportunity to lay out hits, dekes, and shots at one another. And while the Vancouver Wolves unexpectedly ran their way through the playoffs this season, the Warsaw Predators were left in the dust, missing the playoffs entirely. “At this point it’s really unwise to count us out over here in Poland,” Aloe commented in a recent presser, “and I fully expect the management even over in Vancouver to be worried about us in the regular season. They’d better watch out for us!” Aloe looks to improve on what was a mediocre rookie season, with scarcely 50 points. Some attributed her struggle to adjusting to the league, while others supposed the difficulty stemmed from having to play on Warsaw’s first line. Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see how Dear’s game progresses through the next couple of seasons – and how it compares to Thightrap’s.

1. How's your off-season going so far? Get up to anything exciting? I unfortunately didn't get to play in the same off-season tournament team as Venus, but I am doing quite well under @fishy's guidance!! Go Steel... things? 2. Which addition to the team are you pumped for? Uh, can I say all of them? My boys @AW13 and @Jeffie43 are both great additions, and I have some sim league history with them! Even though people generally don't know who Jonessee is, I think he'll be able to turn our team around and continue to progress us towards playoff readiness going forward. 3. One of the topics in VHL lately, especially with GM Muff has been pierogies. Have you had them and are you a fan? I haven't eaten any of our GM's pierogies personally, but I am a fan in general of course! They're basically non-Asian dumplings, and who doesn't like dumplings? 4. Dakota Lamb had huge success last season and for that got an invite to the all-star game as well as rookie of the year, what should we do to celebrate? Hmm... well, provided the pandemic, I think the best thing we can do is not give him COVID and honor him by making ourselves a playoff contender in the next couple of seasons! 5. There's been tons of moves especially in the EU this off-season, how do you think Warsaw fairs against the competition next year? No question, I think we're able to compete much more effectively this season than we did last season. We've brought a number of really active members aboard, and I fully expect us to finish with more wins than last season by a good margin. 6. Are you gonna get one of PS5 or Xbox Series X at release? I dunno.. I've heard people are pretty rabid for them. I think I'll get robbed if I buy one, so I don't think so.

I'm sorry that you've had to go through what's likely a really stressful event that involves your family and your own safety, but am glad that it resolved in a way where you get some closure and a little extra peace. I don't know how I'd react in that same scenario, and frankly you handled it more bravely than I probably would have. The last several months have been absolutely grueling for me, to be completely transparent. There has been a lot of uncertainty in so many aspects of life for everyone with the pandemic and recent political changes that it's hard to be at peace and without anxiety at this point. There was a three- or four-month period during the pandemic where a lot of medical education wasn't sure if it was appropriate to have medical students on service or not, and sudden demand for healthcare providers as some were exposed to the virus forced those states not even in the truest COVID hotspots look for alternatives for providers, and that included my institution. I've been exposed - though thankfully never tested positive - several times, and there are times that I can't sleep at night because of what I've seen in my ICU shifts. It's also frustrating to be a fourth-year student in medical school, because our schedules have been disrupted and our clinical exposure limited until August of this year, but we're still held to the highest possible standard by residency programs that we can't interview properly for. I don't know what my residency program will truly look like because I don't get to see their facilities or speak with their attendings or residents in-person. Sure, it's expensive to run around the country and see what programs are like - but I'm going to spend the next three years of my life there and I don't know if the program that I match to on will even be one that I like. But while we're panicking about interviews and if any program will want us as much as we want to match to them, juggling clinical duties and teaching in the middle of a pandemic, we're supposed to keep it all together and be good mentors to the students below us that don't necessarily have the same clinical exposure, experience, or coping mechanisms we've developed. Imposter syndrome in medical education - much like in law, engineering, business, and a hundred other fields - is pervasive. In so many ways I feel like I'm a blind man leading the blind, balancing so carefully my limited experience compared to attendings with my relatively large volume of experience compared to those earlier in their training. We're supposed to eventually become leaders in our communities starting next July, but right now I'm not even sure I'm comfortable in my own skin. I've recently lost a grandparent to COVID & its complications, and have also spent nearly as much time supporting my peers and underclassmen as I spend in the hospital. I can't even realistically return home because my current state of residence and where my parents live are both hotspots, I'm obviously in a situation where my exposure risk is extremely high, and my parents are nearing the age where they're considered high-risk (to say nothing of my remaining grandparent); these precautions will continue to be the case through Thanksgiving and likely Christmas. So there. I'm obviously a bit disorganized, but I also frequently take a step back and realize there are others with so many more demanding and immediate problems than those in my little isolated med student world. I have food on my table, am applying to the programs and specialty of my dreams, and have a ton of opportunities laid ahead of me that I can look forward to during and after the pandemic. I'm also actually rather thankful for sim leagues, as they function as an escape where I can spend a few hours outside of the real world and focus on building a story - even if I have to do so hastily - without worrying about my own problems or those of others. They give concrete goals and achievements and a degree of certainty in a time where most else has been frustratingly ethereal, and I think I need something like that in my life as it stands.

1. We were able to play very well in the Lottery Tournament, winning the whole thing. What can we do to carry that momentum into the new season? Hmm, it's hard to say. Obviously we're not a last place team, and we'll generally only get better with time. I don't think it's fair to give us momentum going into next regular season when we really played teams that we should be beating, you know? 2. Bigger surprise champion: Vancouver in the VHL or Miami in the VHLM? Vancouver. They're a really young team, and while they do have some quality players, few really expected them to do damage in the playoffs. Same with Seattle getting kicked out early, I guess. 4. We were able to bring in Jeffrenomitsu The Third from Riga yesterday to bolster our ranks. Got anything to say to the new guy? Welcome @Jeffie43!!! I'm glad you're here 5. If any current NHL team were to join the VHL as the next North American Conference expansion team, which team would you want to see and why? Vegas Golden Knights. It makes for a very interesting story, and they've a history of doing well in their early seasons! I'd like to see them navigate the randomness of STHS though. 6. Riga now owns what feels like half of the Season 75 draft. What do you make of the deals they have been able to make to acquire such an albatross of draft capital? I think some of them were rather lopsided in favor of Riga, especially with respect to the Prague trade. Hopefully the VHL Entry Draft continues to produce quality players so they can make use of those current and future picks. 7. What is the longest distance you ever ran without stopping? Um... probably about 8 miles? That was a while back - I'm pretty sure the best I can do now is maybe a couple of miles, if that.

Here! Willing to be a group manager as needed

1. Already feels like we haven't played hockey in forever, what are you doing to satisfy your craving for more hockey? I've gotten some tickets for the VHL Finals from a contact on the inside (@BladeMaiden ?) so I'll be headed to see the ultimate series... in person!! (assuming there's no COVID in the VHL world lol) 2. Are you watching this year's VHL playoffs? If so, who are you cheering for? See above! You bet I've got my girl Venus going all the way. 3. We're planning a team paintball tournament, you are a captain, who is your first pick for your team? Probably the new guy, Mitchell! We've gotta get him involved, and making him my first pick is a great way to do it! Plus he's got a mean shot. 4. Now that you can relax on training a bit for off-season, what are your go to cheat foods? Cheat foods? Cheat foods!? My body is a temple. No cheat foods for me, I get my enjoyment out of making the most of life in other ways! 5. We'll soon have a ton of players join us from the draft, what are your ideas for some hazing? Aw, I'd never. That was always more Venus's thing, but she always does it in a prankster-y friendly way. 6. How did you do with VHFL this year? Are you going to have to study harder for next season? I thought I would be first when I saw my point total... but my group was stacked and I got third! ?

Aloe Dear LW Warsaw Predators

1. The season ends in just a couple days, are you happy with your performance this year? Overall, no. I won't be satisfied with our performance until we start winning again, and that'll take time. Even then, we can't get complacent: we need to ensure we're constantly improving, and ensure we're treating every loss as a learning experience. And, guess what -- that means we'll be learning every week as long as we're in this league. 2. With us not owning our 1st round pick, do you still plan to give it your all in the 1st overall tournament? Yeah, why not? At the end of the day I need to justify the chance Warsaw took on me, as well as my paycheck. What's there to lose? 3. Have you been playing the new NHL 21 game? If so, what are your thoughts? Hmm... I do not think there are many of us in Denmark that play this "En Aych Ell." I am not familiar, though I think Venus has tried to loop me in to playing it sometimes. 4. Would you be interested in being a guest on a podcast? Sure. That's not a lot different than answering these press conference questions, so I do not see the harm in it. Plus, hopefully it lets me give more than the canned answers I'd normally give in a post-game presser. 5. Do you have any goals that you specifically want to reach individually next season? The playoffs! That's not an individual goal, but it's what I want out of Season 75. 6. I asked last week, but now that the season is nearly done, cup winner? Riga. I love a good underdog story, and Tate deserves a good ride into the sunset kind of story.

1. Since the trade last week that brought in Latrell Mitchell and Willie Dredge the Preds have gone 6-8-1. Do you feel the team has improved with that trade? I think it's hard to say. The landscape of the league is always shifting, and it's possible that we could have had a couple of games vs. backup goalies in this stretch. We'll need more time to see if it was actually a net positive (although I think it was). 2. Speaking of trades, today is trade deadline! Do you feel that Warsaw will be involved in the market or keep quiet and why? (If it is passed the deadline why or why not were they active?) Generally keep quiet. We're not in any hurry to win championships, and I suspect we're okay with the relatively young core we've worked to build. 3. Are there any trades that you think will or have happened that will or have shocked you? Nah, I don't think so. The playoff teams are fairly delineated and I don't know if, among the many of them, there's anyone who doesn't think they have a chance. 4. With rosters being set after today going into the playoffs, who do you think will win the cup? I dunno. Moscow? Seems like they're doing alright. But it's a complete crapshoot in the playoffs to be honest. 5. How many more seasons before you think Warsaw is contending for a playoff spot and maybe being the team to add pieces at trade deadline? Probably three seasons. We're an extremely young team and many of us are from the same draft class, so we'll become progressively and uniformly better rather than having some regressing players and some with multiple years left in their "prime." 6. With off-season just 20 games away, what are your plans for off-season? Taking it easy and relaxing for a while probably. I'll probably meet up with Venus too!