MD9

Scheel and Do Help Lead Saskatoon to Victory
Game 1 of the Semi-Finals
VHL.com // J.S. Augusta
 
After finishing the season on a high note, Daring Do dazzled in the first game of the VHLM semi-finals with a three point performance, including two goals. Line-mate Jake Scheel also notched three points, two of which were assists, to help lead the team’s offense. The Wild ultimately won the game, defeating a very game Ottawa Lynx. This hot start of the playoffs should come as some relief to fans of the Saskatoon Wild, as -- although one game is far too early to predict a player’s performance throughout the whole of the postseason -- it’s a rather welcome departure from the early-playoff struggles that plagued players like Scheel and Do last season.
 
Although the Wild ultimately surrendered the second place position to the Lynx, this early victory secures them home ice advantage over the Lynx. It only takes one loss at home for the Lynx to gain that back, but with how close the two teams are in all aspects of the game, even a slight early advantage could prove itself to be a significant one. It’s also worth noting that two of Do’s three points came on the power-play, as the Wild were able to take advantage of a less-disciplined Lynx team.
 
While Do and Scheel may not have become the dynamic duo some thought they would, instead scoring most of their points off of other teammates, the prospect of both players getting hot early is encouraging. If they can continue to play as they did in game one, and players like McAllister and Ron continue to perform (or even play at their regular season pace), the Wild may be a team to watch. 
 

Prospect Watch: Jake Scheel Season Recap
 

 
With the playoffs in full swing, players are now focused solely on pushing their way towards a championship -- and rightfully so. But for longtime fans of the VHL, the long-term outlook is also an interesting thing to follow, even as the greatest hockey of the year is being played. Calgary Wrangler's prospect Jake Scheel has both positive and negative news attached to him, and both are worth discussing. For the sake of starting strong, we'll look at the good news first: after some concerns raised earlier in the year about his potential to play at a high level deeper into his career, Scheel ended the season strong, finishing with 99 points (including an impressive 71 assists). He also ended at a +36 rating, along with an impressive 61.65% faceoff percentage. Overall, he finished 10th in goals, 5th in assists, 7th in overall points, along with the 3rd best faceoff percentage. He also finished 2nd in points among centres: a statistic that would be much more impressive had the first place centre, Mattias Forsberg, not finished with 56 points more than him.
 
So, what does all this say? Mostly that despite some early disappointment, Scheel can relax in knowing that he was a very good juniors player, at least during the regular season. He recorded a high number of points despite his two-way focus, and was extremely reliable on the draw. The Wild got a fairly good return on their initial risk in signing him, given he's not represented by a particularly well-known or reputable angency.
 
What's the bad news, then?
 
Last week, Jake Scheel reportedly missed every single practice with the Wild with a vicious flu. Although he appears to be doing better now, the incident raised a number of concerns among scouts. Firstly, some criticized Scheel for not practicing through the pain, given that the playoffs were coming right around the corner. Others argued that taking the time to recover was more responsible, to ensure he wouldn't put himself further out of the playoffs. More to the point however, even a week of missed training can put a dent on a player's reputation, and perhaps his development. Scheel had previously been remarkably consistent with attending practices and training, often being the first one to arrive at the rink in the morning.
 
With Scheel wanting to crack the line-up of the Calgary Wranglers this coming season, he well and truly can't afford to miss any training opportunities. Although the VHL is not a team with much depth to speak of, it is a league with some extremely talented players at the top. Talent that, needless to say, Scheel wishes to both contend with, and perhaps one day rise above to make his own mark on the league. With that in mind, he needs to ensure that this sort of thing does not happen again -- or at least not often. There's no doubting now that the potential is there for him to be a solid roster player, but he still needs a lot of work before the noticeable kinks in his game can be sorted out.
 
The current playoffs will prove to be something of a proving grounds, to be slightly redundant, for Scheel -- as well as for his teammates on the Saskatoon Wild. Just as last season an article was published questioning Scheel's character due to his poor performances early in the season, a good showing in the playoffs this year could show not just development as a player, but development as a person, and as an athlete. Either way, Calgary Wranglers fans will be watching closely to ensure that last week's anomaly hasn't had an impact on his game, or his development.
 

The draft. I fell far, but it was the first time I was a touted prospect in any sim league. It was kind of fun being in the top five, wondering where I'd go -- and being able to worry about not being a bust, rather than having to prove myself as a steal.

Everybody eligible get in on this!
 
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Media Spot +7
 
174 + 7 = 181
 
Defense 74 + 6 = 77
Scoring + 1 = 67

Ottawa Overtakes Saskatoon
 

 
VHL.com // VHLM Subsidiary 
 
The VHLM is not known for its parity, to say the least. Last season, the league was all but dominated by the Las Vegas Aces, while the Saskatoon Wild emerged as the best hope to dethrone the presumptive (and eventual) championship winners. This year, the Oslo Storm was the team that jumped to an early and commanding lead. Early on, Saskatoon looked primed to repeat last season's success (so to speak) as the 'favourite' underdog, as much of an oxymoron as that is. However, the Ottawa Lynx have recently overtaken the Wild to claim the second place spot in the lead, proving that they're worthy of being viewed as a contender to upset the Storm this coming post-season. Although fans in Saskatoon may worry now as their team has struggled on more than one occasion to claim wins against theoretically weaker opponents, and as a consequence have dipped in the standings -- granted, still holding a rather unsettling lead over the bottom two teams -- this does seem to suggest something positive for the league.
 
There's more than two contenders this year.
 
Certainly, anything can happen in the playoffs, but almost anyone could have predicted that the finals was going to be Saskatoon against Las Vegas, given how well the Wild played after they made a few moves early in the season. This year, barring a stunning upset, it appears that the league may see an actual legitimate question-mark in the battle between Ottawa and Saskatoon. Something they can at least market on. 
 
To put it bluntly, the VHLM is not doing well right now. Even with two moderately strong teams (and one powerhouse), there remains two teams that haven't even cracked a .350 winning percentage. The fact that the third place Wild have over double the amount of wins than the team one slot below them speaks to how little parity really exists. But, seeings as how there's at least come controversy to build off of, the VHLM can rest assured that its playoff attendance and television ratings might not face as steep a decline as they might be suspected to, after the predictable finish of last year. In fact, the potential of an Ottawa-Saskatoon rivalry is an enticing one, as it pits a team relying upon depth and role-players to succeed, against one relying more upon star-power. Where Ottawa lacks a single point-per-game player, Saskatoon has three -- yet still, the Lynx have proved to be a tenacious team. Rather than viewing the possible series as a duel between McAllister, Ron or Scheel against another highly touted prospect, it can be seen as a clash of styles. Predicting such a battle is difficult, if not entirely infeasible -- while the impressive offense of a player like McAllister could help lift the Wild to a victory, a game or two where the Wild's top stars almost always spells a lost. For example, not long ago Daring Do managed to record a hat-trick -- but without any of the other team's major names really showing up to play, it wasn't enough to grant the team a victory.
 
So, in conclusion -- Ottawa and Saskatoon battling it out in the standings is something of a silver lining in a league which, as it stands, needs all the help it can get to drum up interest. Three competitive teams and two so far out of the picture they barely seem worth mentioning barring some serious line changes is hardly the league most would like to see. But it's better than just having one or two teams, isn't it?

@MD9you know when you said I had a hat trick, I was thinking we won

Changed our lines up a bit to try and give some of our actives more ice-time 5v5. Also, everyone who hasn't done the VHLM Predictions yet for this week make sure to get them in!
 
 
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That'll teach you to get to close!

i am cheap good point

Screw thst be a star don't be depth, eagles just doesn't want cap hell and to pay you the big bucks

Scheel Failing to Elevate Game
 

 
Jake Scheel can be viewed as a somewhat divisive player. Not due to off-ice drama or locker room troubles, but rather due to his up and down scouting reports and debates between managers and fans alike as to whether he can really capture his potential. Near the end of last season, his draft stock diminished largely due to the emergence of players who appeared to be safer bets than him. Over the course of this season, his value seems to have diminished even further. He's continued to develop at more or less the same pace he began with, putting in work at practice and sticking around the gym after hours -- but his on-ice performance simply hasn't risen to the point that some expected it to. After being one of Saskatoon's great surprises last season, his performance has... been just about the same.
 
That's really it. He's been consistent ever since his first game in the VHLM. He puts up around a point per game, sets up plays, and performs reliably in his own zone. As a player who made his name off of his two-way, risk-free play, going a point per game might seem 'good enough'. But after being selected in the first round, this year was supposed to be different for Scheel. Even those who doubted his ability to succeed at the VHL level expected him to factor in to the team's offense in a more notable way -- joining the VHLM's many players who far exceed a point per game and showcase the kind of flashy offense that the VHL and its affiliates are known for. In any other league, 49 points in 46 games would be superb. But for a sophomore VHLM forward, it's really nothing to write home about.
 
Perhaps this is a sign of what's to come for Scheel -- perhaps he really is destined to be a 'good', but not 'great' player, bound to float in and out of Calgary's top six once he eventually makes the jump. Anything can happen, and at this early stage of his career it's too early to write off his potential to emerge as one of Calgary's franchise players -- but there's simply been an air of disappointment around him. When compared to a player like Gabriel McAllister on his own team, whose draft year is coming up this season, he simply falls short. Perhaps a few more seasons of conditioning will help turn him into a more complete player, but as it stands, there is little reason to believe Scheel can hold up as anything close to a point per game player in the VHL. If this season is really the best he can do when he's got a year on most of his competition, there isn't much reason to be optimistic about when he faces down players who have numerous years on him.
 
Perhaps what Scheel is really missing is that 'star quality' that some other players have. The ability to step up in a big game and elevate his team to a win. That would explain not just his failure to rise to the top of the VHLM in the first half of this season, but his struggles throughout the playoffs last year. The question really becomes -- is that quality something that a player can gain through hard work, or is this a matter of born talent alone?

VHLM Strategies At a Glance
VHL.com // J.S. Augusta
 
At t his very moment, there are five teams in the VHLM. A glance at these five teams reveals that three rely upon the same basic strategy. That being the '1-1-2' spread between offense, defense, and physicality across all lines in equal fashion. The two teams which have shirked this strategy are the Las Vegas Aces, who play a high offensive style modified by line to better suit the players playing, as well as the Saskatoon Wild, who play a more two-way style with little physical play on their top offensive and defensive pairings. This is similar to the basic strategy -- the 'default' strategy, so to speak -- but differs as it too is focused on the individual players on the team.
 
With Oslo the most dominant team this year, it's apparent that the same general strategy that most teams use does indeed work. Trying to create a system for the team itself could perhaps yield an even more dominant showing by Oslo, but at the same time, you can't question chemistry. What is more surprising than Oslo sticking with the strategy that got their team to the top -- as a well balanced strategy inevitably pairs well with a stacked team -- is that the teams at the bottom, failing to make any gains in the standings, have not adjusted their style of play to attempt to turn around their fortunes.
 
It's difficult to say why coaching in the VHLM seems to follow such a predictable mould, but it is interesting to note -- whether it's simply due to the past success of the 1-1-2 system or due to coaches not wanting to disadvantage certain players who might be forced to leave their comfort zones. This does appear to happen to a lesser extent in the VHL, with two teams following this system, but that's still a minority of teams -- as some have opted for either different, yet still conventional strategies, or outright bizarre strategies such as the Express.
 
 

Key Perought (OTT) for Slashing (Minor) at 8:59
 
Ron Hextall much

VHLM Strategies At a Glance
VHL.com // J.S. Augusta
 
At t his very moment, there are five teams in the VHLM. A glance at these five teams reveals that three rely upon the same basic strategy. That being the '1-1-2' spread between offense, defense, and physicality across all lines in equal fashion. The two teams which have shirked this strategy are the Las Vegas Aces, who play a high offensive style modified by line to better suit the players playing, as well as the Saskatoon Wild, who play a more two-way style with little physical play on their top offensive and defensive pairings. This is similar to the basic strategy -- the 'default' strategy, so to speak -- but differs as it too is focused on the individual players on the team.
 
With Oslo the most dominant team this year, it's apparent that the same general strategy that most teams use does indeed work. Trying to create a system for the team itself could perhaps yield an even more dominant showing by Oslo, but at the same time, you can't question chemistry. What is more surprising than Oslo sticking with the strategy that got their team to the top -- as a well balanced strategy inevitably pairs well with a stacked team -- is that the teams at the bottom, failing to make any gains in the standings, have not adjusted their style of play to attempt to turn around their fortunes.
 
It's difficult to say why coaching in the VHLM seems to follow such a predictable mould, but it is interesting to note -- whether it's simply due to the past success of the 1-1-2 system or due to coaches not wanting to disadvantage certain players who might be forced to leave their comfort zones. This does appear to happen to a lesser extent in the VHL, with two teams following this system, but that's still a minority of teams -- as some have opted for either different, yet still conventional strategies, or outright bizarre strategies such as the Express.
 
 

Scheel Failing to Elevate Game
 

 
Jake Scheel can be viewed as a somewhat divisive player. Not due to off-ice drama or locker room troubles, but rather due to his up and down scouting reports and debates between managers and fans alike as to whether he can really capture his potential. Near the end of last season, his draft stock diminished largely due to the emergence of players who appeared to be safer bets than him. Over the course of this season, his value seems to have diminished even further. He's continued to develop at more or less the same pace he began with, putting in work at practice and sticking around the gym after hours -- but his on-ice performance simply hasn't risen to the point that some expected it to. After being one of Saskatoon's great surprises last season, his performance has... been just about the same.
 
That's really it. He's been consistent ever since his first game in the VHLM. He puts up around a point per game, sets up plays, and performs reliably in his own zone. As a player who made his name off of his two-way, risk-free play, going a point per game might seem 'good enough'. But after being selected in the first round, this year was supposed to be different for Scheel. Even those who doubted his ability to succeed at the VHL level expected him to factor in to the team's offense in a more notable way -- joining the VHLM's many players who far exceed a point per game and showcase the kind of flashy offense that the VHL and its affiliates are known for. In any other league, 49 points in 46 games would be superb. But for a sophomore VHLM forward, it's really nothing to write home about.
 
Perhaps this is a sign of what's to come for Scheel -- perhaps he really is destined to be a 'good', but not 'great' player, bound to float in and out of Calgary's top six once he eventually makes the jump. Anything can happen, and at this early stage of his career it's too early to write off his potential to emerge as one of Calgary's franchise players -- but there's simply been an air of disappointment around him. When compared to a player like Gabriel McAllister on his own team, whose draft year is coming up this season, he simply falls short. Perhaps a few more seasons of conditioning will help turn him into a more complete player, but as it stands, there is little reason to believe Scheel can hold up as anything close to a point per game player in the VHL. If this season is really the best he can do when he's got a year on most of his competition, there isn't much reason to be optimistic about when he faces down players who have numerous years on him.
 
Perhaps what Scheel is really missing is that 'star quality' that some other players have. The ability to step up in a big game and elevate his team to a win. That would explain not just his failure to rise to the top of the VHLM in the first half of this season, but his struggles throughout the playoffs last year. The question really becomes -- is that quality something that a player can gain through hard work, or is this a matter of born talent alone?

that is the most amazing thing I have ever seen! Game of Thrones and the Process are my two favorite things ever!
 
That's definitely gonna be our sig/theme for next year or when we are actually contenders!

As someone that's still new here, the only thing that strikes me as odd about the VHLM is that there are a bunch of VHL rosters that have very few players, so hypothetically if you just put the VHLM players in the VHL you might actually see more rosters that are able to field more full lines without repeating players on multiple lines as the norm rather than the exception.

wow tmi

As someone that's still new here, the only thing that strikes me as odd about the VHLM is that there are a bunch of VHL rosters that have very few players, so hypothetically if you just put the VHLM players in the VHL you might actually see more rosters that are able to field more full lines without repeating players on multiple lines as the norm rather than the exception.

fixed 4 u

i dont think i've had those before
 
Mashed potatoes are amazing

Klopfenstein and Scheel: Calgary's Prospective Centres
 

 
This season, the Calgary Wranglers had a fairly successful draft - at least looking at it without the benefit of hindsight. They were able to select far and away the most touted player in the draft in Felix Savard, who has already started to have a significant impact on the main roster. With 35 points, the rookie defender is second in points for his team, third overall for all defencemen, as well as third overall for rookies. Having selected such a clear, franchise player, it would be easy to say the Wranglers were among the top winners of the draft without even going down the board. However, they had two more selections in the first two rounds, and picked up two of the VHLM's young centers: Jake Scheel at the #5 slot, and Corey Klopfenstein at #13. While Savard was developed enough to make the jump to the VHL immediately, Scheel and Klopfenstein were generally viewed as more longterm projects, neither having rounded out their game enough to join the league immediately. That being said, both players hold enough promise that Calgary fans can stand to be at least a little optimistic about their future.
 
Both players have made their name in the VHLM off of being playmakers first. and scorers second -- but on an Ottawa Lynx team that needs the scoring, Klopfenstein has proven himself to be a much more versatile player than some suspected at that point in the draft, as he's begun to showcase a knack for the net that came almost out of nowhere, sitting with 16 goals, making him the top goal-scorer for the Lynx (as well as their leader in points overall). Some concerns had been raised over Klopfenstein's ceiling, which led to his dip in the draft, but as he's continued to develop as a very steady pace, there seems little doubt that he will be able to make the transition into the VHL as an extremely solid, well-rounded centre.
 
Perhaps what sets Scheel apart from Klopfenstein in terms of style is simply that Scheel identifies more as playing a two-way, bordering on defense style of play. Although he can still put up points, as evidenced by his 30 assists for Saskatoon, placing him first in assists for the team (and second in points), he comes off at some points as somewhat reserved. He prefers to make safe passes, always ready to retreat on the defensive if the puck gets turned over. Although he is fully willing to get more creative when the team needs a goal, his modus operandi is to make the game easier for his wingers -- putting them in position to score, and covering them on defense. Scheel dropped a bit down the boards similar to Klopfenstein, albeit still making the top five. After being pegged for number two through four most season, some scouts became concerned with Scheel's ceiling as well. However, it appears that like Klopfenstein, he is bound for the VHL sooner rather than later.
 
Certainly, history has yet to be written: looking back, one or both of these players could turn out to be a bust. They could burn out, slow down, or simply fail to develop properly as players. However, the potential is there for the Wranglers to walk away from this draft with both the top prospect in Felix Savard, and two highly capable roster players in Scheel and Klopfenstein, acquired with a mid-1st and early-2nd respectively. Given that's when things start to get a little more uncertain for draft picks, seeing the Wranglers offense either supported or led by these two centers would make Calgary's scouts look quite good for their head office.
 
@crutchfield

Klopfenstein and Scheel: Calgary's Prospective Centres
 

 
This season, the Calgary Wranglers had a fairly successful draft - at least looking at it without the benefit of hindsight. They were able to select far and away the most touted player in the draft in Felix Savard, who has already started to have a significant impact on the main roster. With 35 points, the rookie defender is second in points for his team, third overall for all defencemen, as well as third overall for rookies. Having selected such a clear, franchise player, it would be easy to say the Wranglers were among the top winners of the draft without even going down the board. However, they had two more selections in the first two rounds, and picked up two of the VHLM's young centers: Jake Scheel at the #5 slot, and Corey Klopfenstein at #13. While Savard was developed enough to make the jump to the VHL immediately, Scheel and Klopfenstein were generally viewed as more longterm projects, neither having rounded out their game enough to join the league immediately. That being said, both players hold enough promise that Calgary fans can stand to be at least a little optimistic about their future.
 
Both players have made their name in the VHLM off of being playmakers first. and scorers second -- but on an Ottawa Lynx team that needs the scoring, Klopfenstein has proven himself to be a much more versatile player than some suspected at that point in the draft, as he's begun to showcase a knack for the net that came almost out of nowhere, sitting with 16 goals, making him the top goal-scorer for the Lynx (as well as their leader in points overall). Some concerns had been raised over Klopfenstein's ceiling, which led to his dip in the draft, but as he's continued to develop as a very steady pace, there seems little doubt that he will be able to make the transition into the VHL as an extremely solid, well-rounded centre.
 
Perhaps what sets Scheel apart from Klopfenstein in terms of style is simply that Scheel identifies more as playing a two-way, bordering on defense style of play. Although he can still put up points, as evidenced by his 30 assists for Saskatoon, placing him first in assists for the team (and second in points), he comes off at some points as somewhat reserved. He prefers to make safe passes, always ready to retreat on the defensive if the puck gets turned over. Although he is fully willing to get more creative when the team needs a goal, his modus operandi is to make the game easier for his wingers -- putting them in position to score, and covering them on defense. Scheel dropped a bit down the boards similar to Klopfenstein, albeit still making the top five. After being pegged for number two through four most season, some scouts became concerned with Scheel's ceiling as well. However, it appears that like Klopfenstein, he is bound for the VHL sooner rather than later.
 
Certainly, history has yet to be written: looking back, one or both of these players could turn out to be a bust. They could burn out, slow down, or simply fail to develop properly as players. However, the potential is there for the Wranglers to walk away from this draft with both the top prospect in Felix Savard, and two highly capable roster players in Scheel and Klopfenstein, acquired with a mid-1st and early-2nd respectively. Given that's when things start to get a little more uncertain for draft picks, seeing the Wranglers offense either supported or led by these two centers would make Calgary's scouts look quite good for their head office.
 
@crutchfield

VHLM's Most Physical Players
VHL.com // J.S. Augusta
 
When you're talking about statistics to keep an eye on in juniors, hits aren't usually the one to come to anyone's mind. With so many young, smooth skating players, the attention is inevitably placed on skill -- skilled offense in particular. That being said, the VHLM is no stranger to physical play, even if it isn't what the league is known for. The most physical player this year has been Augustus Gloop, clocking 127 hits on the season. The hard-hitting displays from Gloop have been a bit of a highlight in an otherwise dismal Yukon season. Rask Rowe sits at number two for Las Vegas, playing the valuable role of power forward for the team, adding a mix of offense and physicality that will prove useful to the team as it attempts to repeat its championship success, despite a weaker line-up than last season.
 
Jon Snow sits at number three with 103 hits, playing as one of Ottawa's better stay-at-home defenders. Playing the lowest minutes per game of any player in the top five for hits, Snow could definitely be higher up if he was given a bit more icetime. At number four is Daring Do, who has managed to mediate an otherwise slow season by being a physical force on Saskatoon's top line: complimenting Scheel's defensive playmaking and McAllister's offensive brilliance with much-needed grit. At number five is Nicomedus Raven, who is having an oustanding season overall with 52 points. At 99 hits, along with 39 shots blocked and a staggering +38 rating, there's no doubt that Raven has been a key for Oslo's extreme success this season. Although her physical play is more of a cherry on top of extremely solid two-way hockey, it's one more element that separates her from the pack of VHLM defenders.
 
Even if the league itself focuses on skilled play, these types of gritty players can be invaluable to a team's success. In fact, the skilled nature of the league almost guarantees the value of checking players, as they're able to throw a wrench into the otherwise fluid play of top offensive players. You can't dangle around a defender if you're knocked flat on your back, and if a winger comes down and smashes you into the boards -- you might be just a little more prone to let the other team control the boards around your own net.