Renomitsu

With twenty-one players on Brampton at the end of the season and no Playoff Finals to play in, some say it has been 'difficult' to get all of the players organized and motivated through the remainder of the post-season. "To put it frankly, the Brampton facilities are top-notch, but there are just too many guys here," one player commented. A large number of future VHL hopefuls made their way on to Brampton in the latter half of the season, possibly earning a chance to play alongside players like Zach Parechkin and Maxime Deschamps, but the future remains uncertain for about a dozen players. "Some players have not shown their ability to perform on the ice," a scout reported, "and a few guys don't even seen to show up to practice. That being said, there are still a handful of guys doing the right thing." Is the Brampton roster's trained points distribution representative of the upcoming S45 VHLM Draft corps as a whole? It's likely - but many of them will likely find a new home in the first couple of rounds of the draft.

what what what what WHAT.

I'm just pulling for more former Worlds players at this season's Worlds. It's too bad HKE can't make it out of Taiwan (even if I think the Flash Wolves are better), because I'd love to see how Toyz holds up against the current best; then again, we've got Dyrus and Yellowstar making it for the fifth consecutive time, and the Lord Himself (Faker) to contend again this season. What do you make of the Chinese scene, now that EDG fell so horribly in the playoffs?

Thanks! Felt like this topic was getting a lot of attention, and as a (currently) un-involved party, I thought it would be a good idea to bring together points from both sides.

Didn't even realize there was a LoL thread. Grats to CLG! =] Now there's finally something in http://reddit.com/r/doubleliftstrophycase (seriously, that sht reached #2 on /r/all). Surprised they beat TSM 3-0 so cleanly! Pulling for C9 or TiP to take the last spot to worlds.

Consolidation of the VHLM – A Desperate Plan, or a Necessary Amendment? With a changing of the guard for the General Manager positions in the minor leagues, the VHLM faced what first seemed like a minor hiccup that has evolved into a full-fledged discussion regarding the viability of the league’s structure. In the past couple of weeks, flyersfan1493 (Riga), tfong (Brampton), Sixersfan549 (Moscow), and Ramicus (Yukon) have openly stepped down between minors and majors, with replacements ready for only two of the four. Players, coaches, GMs, and commissioners have all voiced their opinions on the state of the VHLM, citing disparities in active players, seasons-long efforts (with significant sacrifices) to produce a sure-fire championship team, and competitive integrity as reasons to retain or uproot the league’s configuration. With VHL’s population intensely and fundamentally split on decisions regarding the future of the minor leagues, it becomes increasingly important to lay out the long-term effects of a contraction or retention. So, what’s important? Point 1: The VHLM is a developmental league. Let’s make one thing clear – the VHLM is a league distinct from, but associated with, the majors. Its purpose, in theory, is to house and cultivate talent for use in the VHL – this is precisely why brand-new players are not permitted to draft directly into the pro league as soon as they announce their candidacy. Spending a season in the minors allows individuals to hone their skills to a level that is competitive with long-time professionals, even if it seems as though top VHLM prospects could go toe-to-toe with mid- and lower-tier players being drafted into the big leagues. In fact, certain upper-league players are even sent down to the VHLM to continue development in the minors, as franchises are allowed to send players up or down based on their performance. If nothing else, the league gives immature players a chance to spend time at the practice facility and observe their peers in action without season-affecting implications. At times, it gives players a chance to renew their passion for the league without inadvertently hamstringing the organization they’re contracted to – whether it’s caused by issues off the ice, or a loss of confidence on it. If the VHLM plays such a vital role in the future of the VHL, then players ought to be given a meaningful and motivating experience that propels them to future success. Point 2: League competitiveness is largely dictated by GM vigilance. Above: Number of active players plotted against the number of regular season wins. It doesn’t take a robust statistical analysis to determine that VHLM team success is dependent on the number of players a GM is able to recruit; the trend is so clear and obvious in the above figure that no regression is necessary to say (with certainty) that there is a correlation between non-computer players and wins. There are a variety of ways to acquire players – in particular, drafting, trading (players and picks), waivers, and GM players. While a strict players vs. wins relation is certainly pertinent to the conversation, perhaps a chronological review is in order; I’ve used the North American league as an example. Upon closer inspection, it’s difficult to see anything resembling consistency from season to season: the Brampton Blades win totals varied from 32 to 62 over the five seasons analyzed, and Saskatoon went from 61 wins in S41 to a paltry 6 wins the following season. A mass exodus of players – from a top-half 14 non-defaults to the league-worst 4 players – is likely to blame for Saskatoon’s abrupt fall from grace. One particular counterpoint to this argument is the quality of prospects from season to season – certainly, a first overall pick like Biggyu Kyanon (184 TPE in his first scouting combine report) or Phil Hamilton (178 TPE) would provide an impact that mid-tier prospects couldn’t – but even this doesn’t provide extreme outliers from the numbers-game being played in the first figure because of the way the draft is ordered. Kyanon’s (Saskatoon) and Hamilton’s (Yukon) teams faced off in the North American semi-finals, but not without a first-round scare heavy underdogs Brampton Blades. This seems to indicate that having a solid number of non-default players is conducive to a competitive season (take into consideration the Blades’ late-season player surge). If there are so many players available for waivers that are free- and normal-claimed, the next logical question becomes: why are there still VHLM teams with human players numbering in the single-digits? This point can be interpreted one of two ways – either the VHLM needs GMs willing to take on a more even distribution to produce a competitive league from the top down, or the handful of players competing on a less-active team need to have a reason to stay active. Point 3: Sim league non-veterans need a reason to stay dedicated and active. Many of the long-time VHL members, whether they’ve participated in one sim league or a dozen, probably remember their first in some capacity – whether it was active, friendly, competitive, or well-organized, for example – and why they stuck with it or went inactive. As it stands, a player that’s brand-new to sim leagues wants a locker room and general manager that give them a reason to continue writing media spots, toiling in GIMP or Photoshop, or recording podcasts from week to week. Locker room discussion, introducing the nuances of league function, and team success are integral to maintaining interest in a team. As some individuals have indicated, your first season in the league could be with a 15-man team or a 6-man team – and, as shown in my second point, the numbers alone can have a tremendous impact on a team’s success. Even with an exceptionally active GM, it could be difficult for newer players to acclimate to a locker room that has the same couple of names posting over and over again. As stated in Point 1, players – new or old – need a meaningful first season to extend their careers; as such, it’s critical that the VHLM creates a proper environment that allows for a stronger crop of draft prospects the coming season. If all of these points thus far seem like an indictment of VHLM GMs, fear not – there’s plenty to support their case. Point 4: VHLM GMs try to make their franchise as successful as possible. Success is oft measured in titles. VHLM GMs are hired with the intent of propagating and developing the prestige of their city’s team – and sometimes, that means forsaking a season or two to forge a legendary season that produces a team of stars. In some respect, this is the goal of the VHLM – to produce a powerful corps of VHL draftees that can, to some degree, guarantee success. Whether these teams go to a local VHL team is irrelevant – it’s effectively impossible to guarantee a smooth geographic transition from team to team. Above: VHLM Playoff appearances by team and season. From the VHLM Playoff index. It is important to recognize that VHL GMs have been massively successful in this respect. In the past twenty seasons, the longest playoff drought has been a mere four seasons (held by Brampton, S34-37), showing that teams are hardly down-and-out if they miss the playoffs one season. Yes, it is frustrating to have one’s pre-rookie season be a non-competitive one, but that could be the case for a variety of reasons – it’s not necessarily logical to place the blame squarely on the team’s GM. When a high-level staff member like a general manager is evaluated, it’s often done with the following phrase: “What have you done for me lately?” Even further yet, there’s something to be said about the storylines that develop from a set of excellent VHLM teammates. High-level prospects who have been seen playing together suddenly become members of opposing teams because they’re drafted separately as professionals; sometimes the development of a narrative is nearly as important as the end result. Maybe it sounds a little romantic – but isn’t that the way we’d prefer things to be? Final Point: What is the VHLM meant to do? Changes on a league-wide scale are never decided by a singular article or individual member of the VHL – the consensus of the league should be the ultimate decider. There are two directions for the VHLM to go, if change is being seriously considered: are GMs “supposed” to provide a strong developmental environment for all players, season-in and season-out, or is it acceptable to let a season go in the name of ultimate success? What is the true goal of assigning GMs in a developmental league, if not for their team’s prosperity? At the same time, how can one continue to justify bringing in new talent if they aren’t given the best chance to experience enthralling, motivating success before he’s swept off his feet into the professional league?

I'd just like to put myself out there for when/if you need a new grader. I'm an experienced technical & scientific writer, and just recently finished my summer classes (endocrinology & medical terminology yayyayay), so I'll have a little bit more time to spend on VHL.

Played in Madden Madness, which I got into because of Advantage (<3) Got into VHL briefly, then took a looooooooooong break (3 years? 4 years?), and came back. c:

I agree with Cowboy. It would be a little confusing, especially as a new member, to have answered a question (and think you're done with the trivia) only to be met with more questions. I also like the idea of community participation, or at least delegating question generation to more than one person via job(s) or a simple ask for questions.

Washington, D.C. – A local journalist covering the VHL recently lamented the quality of his work as of recent, indicating that his other responsibilities negatively affected his ability to put out writing worth reading. “It’s annoying, sometimes, to have to come down to the wire day-in and day-out,” he was quoted as saying, “but frankly, I have so little time for the VHL that it feels like I’m putting out writing I can’t be proud of. Hopefully things will change in the coming weeks.” He was also cited as feeling “ashamed” of his articles at times, particularly with the lack of time to provide interesting statistical analysis in favor of pursuing other activities. “There’s a tremendous amount of content available for the VHL that’s been left totally untapped,” he suggested, “and it’s a travesty that I can’t inundate myself with these numbers and provide something more meaningful.” Indeed – an entire database of statistics lies publically available for the Victory Hockey League, but can one really call oneself a journalist if they’re waiting until the last minute instead of getting the first scoop?

The Season 45 VHLM Dispersal Draft – Who’s Who? With all of the excitement surrounding the major league draft – particularly with stars like Phil Hamilton (D), Greg Clegane (G), and Biggu Kyanon (D), the top three draftees in the most recent scouting center rankings – it’s easy to overlook the incoming crop of minor leaguers. And who would blame most of the fans? This most recent draft has a surprisingly deep pool of defenders and goalies, and a distinct scarcity of excellent forwards (Nezhmetdinov notwithstanding). With a whole host of players, lots of practice, and a full season to go in the minor leagues, let’s figure out who might be hearing their name called in the first round for the VHLM Draft. Premium Players There are only a few players that can really even have the potential to reach the first line in the VHL – but isn’t that the way it always has been? Here, we’ve got the cream of the S46 VHL crop in just three players – Zach Parechkin, Sean Blacker, and World B. Free. Zach Parechkin, LW S44 VHLM Team: Brampton Blades Current TPE: 95 First on the list is none other than Zach Parechkin, an exceptionally young forward from Burnaby, BC. A solidly-built player, he stands a few inches taller than six feet, and weighs in at two-hundred and some change. He’s been working up a storm, showing off his skating and sniping abilities in the Brampton practice facility. More importantly, however, he helped lead a surprisingly potent-but-outmatched Brampton team to two wins against the heavily-favored Yukon in the first round of the playoffs. He managed 40 shots, a couple of points, and 14 hits in six games against the Yukon Rush – a team with a tremendous amount of TPE under their belts. While those stats aren’t entirely flashy, consider that most critics wrote the team off as a simple 4-0 for the Rush, who outmatched the Blades in nearly every line. With a full additional season for development, Parechkin will look to make waves across the league and set up whatever team drafts him – keep tabs on this young Canadian. Sean Blacker, C S44 VHLM Team: Saskatoon Wild Current TPE: 64 From the reaches of frescoelmo comes Sean Blacker, a 22-year-old center that hails from the capital of Northern Ireland and is ostensibly built like a truck – 6’5” and 230 pounds. In a recent article, Blacker was quoted as “understanding their work ethic and what it takes to win” – clearly an individual with a degree of appreciation and understanding for the road ahead. He feels as though his “learning curve for [his] transition into the VHLM feels like it has been seriously accelerated,” and his stats show it. He earned about a half point per game, playing a bit out-of-position at left winger. Frescoelmo has a history of success across several seasons of the VHL, so you can expect Blacker to produce once he gets a season of the VHLM and VHL behind him. World B. Free, D S45 VHLM Team: Oslo Storm Current TPE: 51 Continuing his trend of selecting former basketball players with interesting names, stevo’s taken on Free as a client (this comes after taking on Ron World Peace). The coach/agent has taken on some tips and tricks from his former client, molding Free into an exceptionally well-rounded young player if nothing else. “He’s been showing solid checking, skating, and passing so far – and that’s on top of his unusual defending ability,” a scout was quoted as saying. Interestingly, stevo has kept things relatively quiet on a media front – with very little hype generated for his client. The question then becomes what his amateur and professional career will be like; with very few games played this season, he doesn’t even show up in the top 50 for points, a quality that has a few GMs scratching their heads. What the front office elects to do with Free is up to them – but he feels like something of a wild card, even with his skill on the ice. Players on the Edge Even if there are a few standouts, there are a few more of the remaining seventeen players that have a shot at productive careers in the VHL if they show additional promise in the minor leagues. Among them are Mathieu Baptiste, Shawn Muller, and Jordan Maverick; we’ve covered Baptiste in an earlier article, so we’ll be showing off Muller and Maverick instead. Shawn Muller, RW S44 VHLM Team: Bratislava Watchmen Current TPE: 39 The only promising right winger in a class generally full of weaker forwards, Muller has his work cut out for him. He’s put in the time – showing up to training camp on the day of his arrival – and has developed into a serviceable forward that has helped his team to the second round of the playoffs. He has no shortage of shots – sending 21 towards the goals of a few different teams – but has yet to connect on any of them. With so many shots on goal, some may question his scoring ability (certainly not those who have seen him in practice); and his practice vs. performance dichotomy is certainly a hit against him. However, with only part of the season played, Muller has time to put in the same level of dedication he’s shown so far – hence why he’s on the edge. Jordan Maverick, LW S44 VHLM Team: Bern Royals Current TPE: 29 Maverick, who joined the league only a few weeks ago, is a US native from Minnesota. Of the three border-line players, he’s certainly had the most experience in the regular season. With 31 games and 26.4 minutes per game to his name, Maverick had 21 points (9 g, 12 a) – an excellent mark, and one of the better +/- stats on a team filled with no-names (heh). In addition to his scoring and assists, he’s put up 90 hits and been tested with over a few dozen face-offs. While he’s by far the most experienced of an inexperienced crew, we’ll have to see him on a better team before we can make any judgments. Will the Royals take him back for next season?

i wanna be on munks team pls just get me in the s46 draft yay

This is my first Weekly Trivia. I should only have one point. I think.

N... no hits or shots blocked? ;-;

5-3 Vikings

Wranglers Vikings Wranglers Vikings

Hackett learned that he earned his first of the three stars in an August 6th against the Ottawa Lynx - to his bewilderment. "What's all this about stars, anyways?" he was reported saying to his teammates after the game. It seems as though Hackett's got a lot more to learn about than playing physical defense. The young Canadian defender managed a goal and an assist in the game, helping Brampton to a 4-3 win over the Lynx. An avid Brampton fan that was clearly too ready to explain brought pages' worth of printouts with statistics and predictions over to Hackett in something of an ambush, who was overwhelmed by the fan's fascination with numbers. "See, you've got HTT, OSB, OSM, GW, GT--" The fan was shooed away by a couple of Hackett's teammates before the defenseman stepped into the locker room. "I'll take time later today to figure out what all of these methods of analysis are," Hackett said, a big smile on his face, "but I'll focus on what actually happens on the ice for a bit before I wrap myself up with numbers. I'm glad to know there's somebody willing to teach me, at the very least."

The Brampton Blades: VHLM’s Boarding House? One only needs to take a single look at the recent waiver minor league waiver history to notice that Brampton Blades executive tfong has been on the move. In the few weeks alone, he’s laid free claim to six different greenhorn prospects – Mathieu Baptiste, Lars Siktanc, Daryn Petersenn, Saul Hackett, Jon Panik, and Maxime Deschamps – with hugely varying levels of experience and agent history. A few hecklers have made an effort to promote Brampton as something of an adoption home for young hockey players trying to make a name for themselves. What, if anything, can be expected from these players, and what impact have they already made on their newfound home? Is tfong crazed and going out on a limb in claiming these prospects? Is he a genius, claiming the best upcoming hockey players while the rest of the league is largely unaware? Mathieu Baptiste Agent: iRockstar Current TPE: 34 Baptiste, one of multiple Canadian prospects claimed by Brampton, is currently managed by iRockstar – an individual with some history in VHL. He’s managed players such as Zack Gagnon and Mikey Blade, but his most recent client other than Baptiste – Teuvo Ruutu – is a winger for the Wranglers, who has seen experience on a few teams, and even changed positions (from defenseman). If nothing else, Baptiste has an agent who’s seen quite a few players in his time – and with Ruutu listing a +46 plus-minus in his most recent season with the Stockholm Vikings and a new gig in Toronto, the outlook is most certainly positive for new center Baptiste. One of the most refreshing qualities scouts have seen in Baptiste is his resolve, and wisdom beyond his years – Mathieu is an individual who has experienced failure and success, and seems more in tune with himself than anyone could reasonably expect from a minor league player. It translates to his on-the-ice aptitude in the form of skating and versatility; he can skate circles around the competition, as shown in practice and against other minor leaguer. Even beyond that, he’s been able to adjust to his shot on the fly; this adaptability and sniping talent is something major league GMs will definitely look out for. Lars Siktanc Agent: Boragina Current TPE: 10 Something of an enigma, LW Lars Siktanc was claimed only a few days ago by the Blades; it’s for this reason that nothing can really be said of the Czech winger. He’s shown moments of brilliance for the Blades, showing an ability to score at a whim, but the young man’s commitment to the league must be made concrete before any scouts can begin generating hype. He’s a touch short at 5’9”, and although his game is acceptable from a VHLM perspective, Siktanc has to sharpen his skills to command a large contract. Daryn Petersenn Agent: Hockeyman9114 Current TPE: 0 While Siktanc and Baptiste show potential for tremendous upside, the same can’t be said of brand-new defenseman Daryn Petersenn. In fact, the young German has yet to show up to much of anything – the training facility, camps, team functions, media sessions – and nobody knows if he ever will. A decent physical specimen at 6’3” and 203 pounds, the claim on Petersenn may have been because of his dashing looks instead of his ability. Saul Hackett Agent: Renomitsu Current TPE: 30 The second of the recent Canadian prospects claimed by Brampton, Saul Hackett is an individual that doesn’t speak to the press very much – he seems to want his performance to do the talking for him. When interviewed, Hackett was willing to give some insight on his philosophy, conveying his intent on improving in a league where he and his agent are relatively unknown. He has spent almost all of his time coordinating with other defensemen, particularly line-mate Petersenn and the team’s goalkeepers, and wants to keep press and scouting combine results on the down-low. If he shows his commitment to the league, Hackett has a rare chance to go from total unknown to solid draftee. Jon Panik Agent: Kyle Current TPE: 0 Jon Panik’s such a recent addition to the league that not much can be written about him specifically – agent Kyle is a significantly more interesting talking point. We’ll hold our breath on Brampton’s third Canadian until he’s had a chance to catch his own; Brampton just barely finished signing the paperwork as of writing this article. Maxime Deschamps Agent: scotty Current TPE: 60 Our last prospect on today’s list is none other than Maxime Deschamps, a French Season 45 prospect that has been making the slow crawl up draft boards since his first game on the ice. Just a couple of weeks ago, Deschamps was ranked around the twentieth spot by scouts observing the VHL Scouting Combine. Although he has recently been used on the wing by the Blades, the center has been putting tremendous effort into facing off against fellow center Mathieu Baptiste, while also honing his physicality on the ice with a variety of defensemen and forwards. He appears to be a well-rounded forward with decent control over the ice due to his defensive aptitude, speed, and scoring capability – clearly intending on playing a supporting role on the ice instead of a pure goal scorer. Little needs to be said about Maxime’s agent, scotty – a manager that has taken on Scotty Campbell, Tomas Jenskovic, and RJ Stafford in past years. His pedigree reaches all the way back to the inception of VHL, and it’s for this reason that scouts may get excited over Deschamps. If the young center can continue his progress from the past couple of weeks – accumulating 26 TPE since the fifth VHLSC rankings – he could prove to be a solid pickup for the middle rounds of the draft. So, you decide – are the Blades tfong’s crazed way of giving new hockey players a new home, or is there method to his waiver claims?

Rush Blades Wild

Brampton 4-2