HearnNation67

I'm in

1. Blue Gatorade 2. My guess is Ondrej Ohradka 3. I'd have to go with either Dallas or Tampa 4. Helsinki 5. Seabass Perrin beause I love seafood, Cinnamon Block for some flavour, and Wolf Stansson Jr for some extra meat. 6. Sonny's Dream by Ron Hynes or Mull River Shuffle by The Rankin Family

1. Helsinki, because they're in 1st place 2. I don't remember but I probably picked us. Still confident 3. I think it's Colorado's year 4. I think baseball, I've always enjoyed playing 5. I think we have top notch defense, but we could use some help scoring. 6. I have not, but I would like to try it at least once.

1. 10-0! 2. I think its Thomas Landry II up next 3. I think I'm guilty of that one 4. I usually go for Honey Garlic 5. I like our squad as is but if we do add someone, hopefully it won't be a goalie 6. Most likely a Halifax Mooseheads or Cape Breton Screaming Eagles game in the QMJHL. First NHL game was Leafs vs Boston in Toronto

This season's Theme Week is focused on future players, so I guess that's what I'll talk about here. My current player, Woody McPine, is only in his 4th season so still lots of time to iron out all the details or change my mind, but here's what I think I'll be doing. My next create will be a speedy, flashy left winger hailing from the happiest country in the world in 2019, Finland. Most likely a descendant of Vikings and named after a former NHL player, this player will not only be speedy and have silky soft hands, but will hopefully be a tough bugger to play against. Growing up in the small coastal town of Kalajoki, this player will have the natural strength of someone who has had to work to help feed his family, both in the fields as well as fishing at sea. Coming from a large family, this player knows the value of hard work as well as working as a team to ensure success. From helping his Uncle Leo on the family farm to being at sea with his fisherman father, he developed a strong discipline and work ethic that he has carried over to the ice. Because the town has just one rink that was often reserved for the adult leagues, this player honed his skating skills on a lake just outside of town (one of many fishing spots in the area), playing shinny with his brothers, sisters, cousins, and other local teens. There weren't many rules out on the lake, and as a result, the players had some close calls with serious injuries, But, this also allowed them to add some toughness and grit to their game. Only a handful of players from Kalajoki have gone pro, but none have made it to the esteemed Victory Hockey League until now (or rather, hopefully a few seasons from now). From a young age, the natural athleticism and strength of this player put him ahead of his peers, and most of the older kids, on the ice. Eventually, at the age of 15, his talent needed more of a challenge than the lake. While he still played on the lake with his friends and family, this player started skating with his Uncle Leo in the local men's league. His time in the men's league helped develop not only his scoring and defensive skills, but also his physical game. He also started to get some exposure, as they would often to travel to nearby towns to play different teams. Eventually, he started to dominate the men's league and after a tournament in the big city of Helsinki, his name started to generate some buzz. Who was this young kid dominating men twice his age? The comparisons to previous Finnish stars started coming. Rauno Palo. Joel Ylonen. Selanne. Laine. Komarov. He even current drew comparisons to current DC stud Mikko Aaltonen. Ladies and gentlemen of the VHL community, I give you an early introduction to Jussi Jokinanegg. Word Count: 500

Woody McPine, rookie goaltender for the Prague Phantoms, recently played his 10th career game in the VHL. After starting the season as backup behind Virgil Ligriv, GM @diamond_ace felt McPine had developed enough to take over the starting role and the young goalkeep has answered the bell, with a 3-3-2 record and a 0.907 save percentage and 2.9 goals against average. McPine seems to have piked up right where he left off with the Minnesota Storm in the VHLM, where he had a 0.9 save percentage and 2.25 GAA in his final season, finishing his minor league career with a 116-46-6 record and 0.88 save percentage and 3.08 GAA. If McPine can handle the workload as a pro and Prague is able to string together a few wins, the young goalie may be able to help the Phantoms back into the playoffs. And from there? Sky's the limit with this team. Word Count:151

1. Rebound control and hand speed have worked for me so far! 2. Getting in the zone with music and dressing the same order each game 3. Let's say within the next 4 games and with a huge one-timer 4. Probably Los Angeles with their close to .500 record 5. Yep, gonna go with Dagmar 6. Gary Tarantino is crushing it lately, already a career high in goals and points, with just over a point per game

+4

Broke my collarbone playing house league hockey. Dad took me to the hospital but neglected to call my mom. The coach called after the game was over to see if I was okay but I was still at the hospital... Mom was not pleased when we got back

1. Just keep playing our game. The wins will come 2. Its huge. Hockey is a team game and we need everyone to contribute 3. Very promising, gotta wear down the opponent. Plus I'm a big fan of physical games 4. Hmmm my guess that is definitely before the results came out would be Alex Pearson, Seabass Perrin, and Thomas Landry II 5. That Virgil Ligriv is an odd duck. Goalies, man... 6. Lots of energy off the ice, but a calm demeanor in the crease. I don't get rattled easy

I'm in

- A couple minutes, my laptop likes to disconnect from the internet so I have to do a quick "get in get out" thing whenever I use it -Considering I haven't played a game yet... every team other than Prague - Pizza or Thai food -Can't say I've ever done that tbh - I think about butts all the time - Imagine if there were 2 really fluffy dogs

Woody McPine has issued the following statement following the conclusion of the VHLM s72: “Congratulations to the Saskatoon Wild on a well deserved championship victory. You guys had a fantastic season and were always a tough battle when we played. Our 3-2 regular season record against you means absolutely nothing now, but had the Storm and Wild met, it would've been a hell of a battle between us for sure. Also, congratulations to Zamboni Driver of the Mexico City Kings on making the finals. Our round 2 series showed which tendy could show up for the big games, and it wasn't me this year. Keep up the hard work, and I'll be coming for you in the VHL. Lastly, congrats to all my Storm teammates on a great 2 seasons. It was a ton of fun and can't wait to see you all in the big leagues someday. Happy summer, Woody Word Count: 152

1. My lackluster play at the end and throughout the playoffs 2. We really came together as a team and won a lot. Great way to end my VHLM career 3. I was pretty good at stopping the puck 5. I'll be in the VHL with Prague 6. Pretty excited yeah, it's what we're all working for 7. Yes

The dream season for the Minnesota Storm came to a thunderous halt in the second round of the S72 playoffs. After breezing through most of the regular to a 60-10-2 record with 122 points, the Storm were finally weathered by the Mexico City Kings in 6 games. It was a tough playoffs for Minnesota, as the 8th placed Miami Marauders took the Storm to 7 games, including 3 do or die games for the Storm. The team did all they could to break the funk, from mixing up the lines to benching their starting goaltender, but it was no use. The struggles began in the last 10 games of the regular season, where Minnesota went 5-5, gathering half of their losses on the season in those games, including a 7-2 thumping at the hands of the Saskatoon Wild and a 4-3 overtime loss to the very same Miami Marauders. It appears the writing was on the wall for the Storm, but not many people could see it. Word Count: 167

The Minnesota Storm were a force not to be messed with all season long. Carried by strong offense and goaltending, they had multiple 10+ game win streaks. But as the season wound down and the playoffs began, goaltender Woody McPine failed to show up. This seems to be a trend in the young goaltender's career. McPine has failed to show up in the games biggest stages, whether it's the VHLM playoffs were he and the Storm bowed out in 6 games to the San Diego Marlins, or in the World Junior Championships, where he failed to get Canada past a bronze medal in 2 years. This years playoffs are going similarly, with McPine being pulled 4 times against expansion team Miami Marauders and the Mexico City Kings in 11 games. McPine has a 5-5 record so far in this years playoffs, with a save percentage of 0.837, a career worst, and goals against average of 3.94. These numbers are a stark contrast to his regular season record of 60-10-2, 0.900 save percentage, 2.25 GAA, and 9 shutouts. Is the young tendy cracking under playoff pressure again? Or could he just be tired after playing all 72 games this season? Storm GM @Rayzor_7 seems to believe its the latter, as he benched McPine for Bennett Dahl in game 3 against Mexico City. The first round series saw 8th place Marauders started off hot, winning the first 2 games with scores of 4-1 and a dominant 5-1 game 2, before the Storm woke up with a 7-6 victory, and then another Miama victory of 3-2 to push the regular season champs to the brink and go up 3 games to 1 in their first ever playoffs series. With their backs against the wall, Storm players bailed out their goaltender and rallied off 3 straight wins, led by Mickael Keef with 5 points, and Cole Newhook, Ike Bennet, Mickey Dickson, and Liam Flaten with 4 points each. Minnesota's second round sees them matched up against the 4th place Kings, and it's been a wild ride so far. The Storm took the first game 4-3, and then got thumped by the Kings 7-0 in game 2. Woody was riding the pine in the next game, as the Storm started reliable backup Bennett Dahl instead. The move almost paid off, as the Storm took Mexico City to overtime before Kirishima Wakaro put the puck past Dahl to give the Kings a 5-4 win. McPine was back between the pipes for game 4, which saw the Storm come away with a big 7-4 victory, led by Newhook, Flaten, and Joe Exotic with 3 points a piece. Game 5 was a tight one, a 2-1 victory of Mexico City to once again push Minnesota to the brink of elimination. McPine has played better in games 4 and 5after his benching, with save percentages of 0.892 and 0.882, respectively, and a GAA of 2.5 over the 2 games while picking up 1 win and 1 loss. Time will tell if he can keep it up, but one thing is for sure, McPine will need to play much better if he and the Storm want to raise the cup this year. Word count: 532

1. Play our game. Play as a team. Don't let them in our heads 2. I talk to myself all the time, and its usually along the lines of "Get your shit together" 4. I was not, but anything can happen in playoffs 5. Pretty pleased until it comes to playoffs 6. Probably Chel or Rockband/Guitar Hero 7. About 700 lbs of wood

With the VHLM regular season coming to a close, we managed to sit down with Minnesota Storm goalie Woody McPine for a quick interview. The young stud has a 59-10-1 record through 70 games, with 9 shutouts. Q: Woody, you've had an incredible season so far. What do you attribute to your success? W: Well, I put in a lot of hard work at the tree farm in the offseason that made me stronger and faster. But ultimately, it comes down to my incredible teammates. We wouldn't be here without all of us working together. Q: Now, you've been pulled twice in the last five games, both against Saskatoon. Is that something you're concerned about with the playoffs coming up? W: No I don't think so. Everyone has tough games and I'll bounce back in time if we play them in playoffs. Just have to make sure I'm mentally prepared. Q: How do you mentally prepare yourself before each game? W: I like to get in the zone by listening to music and just being off in my own little world for a bit before we hit the ice. Q: How do you stay focused during the game? W: Everyone knows who the dangerous players are on each team, and which players specialize on getting under your skin. You have to try and ignore what they say and do, and shrug it off when they put a puck past you. It's easier said than done (chuckles). Q: Switching gears, you were once again selected to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. How was the experience this year compared to last year? W: It was a little different since I didn't play as much this year. But it was still an honour to wear the Maple Leaf and come away with a bronze. Q: A huge honour for sure. Now back to the regular season. You got your 100th career win this season, any thoughts on that? W: Oh that was a huge thrill. We had a bit of a celebration afterwards with the team. I have the puck on my bookshelf at home. Q: What kind of books do you read? W: A little bit of everything really. But mostly biographies of musicians and athletes, or fantasy/sci-fi adventures. Q: This is likely your final season before moving up to the big leagues with Prague. Excited? W: Excited is an understatement (laughs). I never dreamed of this growing up, so I want to soak it all in and don't want to take anything for granted. Q: Have any predictions for the upcoming playoffs? W: It'll be tough, but if we can focus and play as a team, I think we can win it all. Last season we had home ice advantage in our first series against San Diego but still lost in 6 games. So we have a chip on our shoulders this year and want to prove any doubters out there. Q: Well Woody, thanks for siting down with us and good luck the rest of the way. W: Not a problem, thanks for having me. Word Count: 518

1. I think we'll get 123 2. All of us, once we win the 'ship ? 3. Playoffs, that's what really matters 4. I'd say defence. Can't lose if the other team can't score 5. Probably peppers or onions 6. Just try to get in the zone and listen to music. And getting dressed in the same order each game

The Minnesota Storm have been dominating teams all season long, out-shooting their opponents by a wide margin in many games. In their most recent meeting with the Mississauga Hounds, however, the script was reversed. The 6th place Hounds came out flying, with 14 shots compared to Minnesota's 2 in the first period. Goaltender Woody McPine held his own during the onslaught, and the period finished in a 1-1 tie with goals coming from McPine's world junior teammate JaredN for the Hounds, and another Canadian star Joe Exotic for the Storm, who beat another Team Canada alumni, Jacob Tonn. Danny DeYeeto had an assist on Exotic's goal, while Tonn and yet another Canadian Junior star Bo Burrows assisted on JaredN's. Period 2 was better for the Storm, as The Terrible Trivium, assisted by (another Canadian junior) Liam Flaten and Michael Keef, put a puck past Tonn less than 1 minute in. But it was all Mississauga after that, as they out-shot the Storm 12-5. But McPine was up to the task again and managed to stop all 12 shots. The Hounds started the 3rd period on fire, as Marshall James Frostbeard put one past McPine just over a minute in, tying the game at 2. That goal was assisted by, you guessed it, another Canadian Joseph Gainer, as well as Shawn Glade III. The Hounds went on to out-shoot the Storm 15-5 in the third. Overtime saw a back and forth battle, with both goalies shutting the door. The Storm finally edged out a shot advantage of 5-3, but neither team could put the puck in the back of the net. The shootout saw JaredN put another puck past McPine, but it wasn't enough as Ike Bennett and Mickey Dickson both beat Tonn to win the game for the Storm.

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1. I like the part where we beat every other team multiple times 2. It feels too easy sometimes because we're so great 3. Quite pleased, McPine is doing much better than I expected 4. It'll be hard to be better 5. I'm currently not working and I watch netflix, read, play video games, sometimes exercise, play music, and try to become woke 8. I have a chemistry degree but I think my favorite subject to learn about if I didn't have to do work for it would be history or anthropology

The winningest goalie in Minnesota Storm history reached another milestone this week. In just his 155th career game, Woody McPine recorded his 100th career VHLM win with 14 saves on 16 shots in a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Marlins. The first 7 of those came after he was signed by the Las Vegas Aces and the remaining (franchise leading) 93 came for the Storm. McPine sits 3rd in games played (and started) by a goalie in team history with 122 and also holds the franchise record for shutouts with 12, where he is closely followed by phenom Jaxx Hextall @ROOKIE745 who had 10 in just 72 games. When asked how it felt to get his 100th career win, McPine replied “Dang, that's a big number.” McPine has a career record of 100-41-5, and has a league leading record of 44-5-1 with 8 shutouts and 4 assists on the season. Word Count: 150

Thanks my guy