HearnNation67

The Minnesota Storm 
Now this one is a highly requested article and while I don't usually succumb to peer pressure, I will say that this team has intrigued me over a little bit of time. I mean, we are talking about a team that hasn't lost in 10 games. That's right, 10 straight wins but if thats not impressive, then let's look at their last 15 games? Well, they've not lost in 15 either. Over the past 20 games, they have run an absolutely dominating 18-2 record. Seriously, I scratched my eyes when I saw that as well. While that's incredibly impressive, they've been doing this with the 2nd best PP percentage and 4th best PK percentage. Minnesota has been the most dominant team in the league and it's no question that I expect that to continue.
 
The Young Players:
Cole Newhook @GrittyIsKing09
Danny DeYeeto @Cran
Groovy Dood @bigAL
Hunter Harrison @I'll change this later
Jack John @GoadenGoalie35
Liam Flaten @flatl99
Michael Hall @Hops
Mickey Dickson @Brewins15
Mikeal Keef @RStar
Woody McPine @HearnNation67
 
Goaltenders:
Let's start with the goalie here in Woody McPine. Woody has been an absolute revelation this season for the Storm. He's boasted this season with a 90.6% save percentage and a 2.06 goals against average. This is top 5 in the league in his position material, infact you could probably argue he's a top 3 player in his position. Actually, I'd like to make a firm belief that he is the best goalie in the VHLM at the moment. Woody also has a league leading eight shutouts (sharing with Nils Friedriksen) and has been one of the best players on this already dominating team. I expect to see him blossom with Prague after getting drafted 35th overall in S71.
 
Defenders:
Minnesota has a glut of brilliant defenders on the team. GM Funk has done an excellent job of bringing in the right players for the right roles on this team. We'll start with Danny DeYeeto, a player who is in the top 10 for assists with 57 which is also netting him around 81 points. His plus/minus is at +74 as well and has 12 PP goals for the team. Danny has been a true leader for this team and it shows with his play. Seriously, Danny has been the most physical player on the team and is being an example to the younger players.
 
Hunter Harrison has been a fantastic utility player for the team. Hunter has boasted a +57 plus/minus with a solid 119 hits and 44 shots blocked. He's not on the team to be a true offensive weapon, however he has been improving on that side of the ice every single season. This season he's truly lived up to his utility name for Minnesota.
 
Liam Flaten has been another brilliant player for Minnesota. Liam has 83 points on the season, 13 power play goals and 61 assists. Heck I'm sure his 22 goals doesn't hurt. Liam has been an absolute defensive dynamite on the blueline for Minnesota. In fact, he's nearly tripled his scoring total from last season when he played for Philadelphia. He was drafted 16th overall by the DC Dragons and is a major blue chip prospect for the team.
 
Mikeal Keef has been another young stud joining this team. Infact, Mikeal has been a fantastic 2 way defender for the team by putting up 40 assists and 57 shot blocks. Minnesota has hit the jackpot with this young +33 defender and every single team in the VHL has been keeping an eye on Mikeal who has been reaping the rewards of training extra hard. In fact, some of his teammates had mentioned that he had been working harder than anyone else on the team and has invoked other teammates to try to work as hard.
 
Forwards:
 
The grooviest dude in the entire VHL, Groovy Dood, has been catching fire as of late for the Storm. Groovy has put up a very impressive 7 goals and 27 assists for  34 points on what I'd like to consider a brilliant rookie season (he played 2 games for Halifax last season). The only hole in Groovy's game is that he's only blocked 2 shots on the entire season and if he wanted to impress GM's at the VHL level, he's going to need to be able to pick up the slack on the defensive end. He's been a very slick player for a 6 foot 1 inch player and always seems to be finding space for not just himself but also for his teammates. I expect a very bright future for Groovy!
 
Jack John has been another veteran in the room for Minnesota. He's been training hard and in private for the past 3 seasons and there seems to be a lot of faith that he can be a very solid piece for Prague. Jack has put up 8 goals, 14 assists and 22 points on limited minutes. In fact, he's boasting a great plus/minus of +33 and has scored 2 goals on the PP. He's been a major physical piece for the team on the offensive side of the ice by putting up 78 hits as well. Everyone knows he's going to be a fantastic depth piece for any VHL team in the future.
 
Michael Hall has been a major piece to this team by boasting nearly a point per game statistics. He's thrown up an impress 24 goals and 21 assists with a +24 plus/minus to note. While impressing on the offensive line, just from that stat line you can see that he does need to work on his defense however his offense has been an absolute powerhouse to note for his depth scoring. Michael has been impressive but I expect him to be even more brilliant down the line.
 
Mickey Dickson is the last forward we're going to talk about today. In fact, probably one of the best forwards on the team. He's been rocking an 18 goal 52 assists for 70 points. Whats impressive about this is that even though he has the calibre to score goals but he's finding the right players at the right time to score. He's showing up on the defensive side of the ice with a +53 plus/minus. Mickey was drafted by Davos back in S71 and I fully expect him to go up to the major leagues this season considering he can be a brilliant playmaker for any team (which is a very hot commodity).
 
That ladies and gents is the Minnesota Storm. Who are we talking about next? Let me know in the comments.
 

S73 Expansion
Friday, June 12th, 3:00PM EST
@Members
 
In December of 2017 the VHL made a very difficult decision to revert our expansion and return to the original 8 teams that we had when the league began. If I'm being honest with you all this was done as a last ditch effort to try and save the league which was floundering at the time. Recruitment was way down, old members were burning out, and the league could not adequately sustain 10 teams anymore, thus the unfortunate demise of the Cologne Express and Stockholm Vikings.
 
It took just over a year before we added another team, the Moscow Menace, to the mix in January of 2019. After that things took off. Only 2 months later we added the Malmo Nighthawks and then 6 months after that both the DC Dragons and Prague Phantoms. In under 2 years the VHL went from 8 teams, the lowest it ever had, to 12.
 
But we aren't done.
 
It is my absolutely amazing honour today to announce yet another expansion to the VHL and this time it's our largest expansion in league history. Bigger than Moscow or Malmo, bigger than DC and Prague, even bigger than the three team expansion the VHLM went through when Moscow was added. Today we announce that four new teams will be joining the VHL for the start of S73 which will bring our total up to 16 teams. Double what we had when the league began almost 13 years ago and more impressively double what we had in December of 2017, not even 3 years ago. This is thanks, in no small part, to the amazing work of the @Recruitment Crew  bringing in members like crazy, as well as the Dev Team (who can't be tagged but are no less appreciated) who continue to make the VHL portal the best site extension the sim league community has ever seen. It's also thanks to all of you though, we're a community first and whether you wear many hats or just "member" you are no less appreciated. When the VHL started with 8 teams people thought it was too much, that it couldn't be filled. To see the league double in size is absolutely phenomenal and I can't express how amazing it is.
 
Who am I kidding though, none of you want to read about me getting nostalgic any longer. We've got some teams to announce do we not? Let's cover North America first and then travel east.
 
So, starting on the west coast we find ourselves in the city of angels. The VHL has gone a long time without the glitz and glamour of Hollywood but no more. Let me introduce the Los Angeles Stars!
 
 
Moving east we hit another city that has been sorely missing out on a VHL franchise for what seems like far too long. Once ravished by a fire and burned to the ground this great city rose from the ashes which brought inspiration to it's VHL team, the Chicago Phoenix!
 
 
With the North American conference handled we head across the pond to the European conference.  Once known for expanding it's empire across the globe the United Kingdom has been sorely missed in VHL expansion for too long, that changes now with the London United!
 
 
Last but certainly not least the VHL moves once again into uncharted territory for the league, Poland. Once nearly completely destroyed by war this great city refused to go down without a fight. That fighting spirit lives on in the Warsaw Predators!
 
 
The league would like to extend its greatest thanks to @Da_Berr who put together the Stars and United logos for us as well as the @VHL GM 's and @BOG  who have kept the lid on this closed over the past few months to keep it a surprise. This is an absolutely amazing achievement for the league and we're excited to see how adding four new teams shakes up the landscape of the league.
 
Now then, to business. There are also going to be some fairly significant changes to league rules and scheduling that are required to make 4 teams work.
 
Season 73 VHL Expansion Draft
 
We'll start with the S73 Expansion Draft, which will obviously be the largest in league history. In order to accommodate that fact there will be more than players from existing teams up for grabs. In fact, there will be supplemental picks in the 2nd round of each of the next two VHL Entry Drafts (S73 & S74), as well as the opportunity for the expansion teams to select their own draft slot for the S73 Entry Draft! The full details of the S73 VHL Expansion Draft can be found below.
 
 
Scheduling / Playoff Format
 
With 16 teams, there will obviously be a need for a new scheduling format, as the current 8/8/5 format would result in a nearly 100-game schedule. Going forward, teams will play Divisional Opponents a minimum of 6 times per season, Conference Opponents a minimum of 5 times per season, and Cross-Conference Opponents a minimum of 4 times per season. The remaining games will be randomly decided by the STHS Scheduling formula. This is subject to change if testing proves the math wrong but is the intention.
 
The next major scheduling change, as a result of growing to 16 teams, is the need for a new playoff format. With 4 expansion teams added to the mix, the playoff structure will expand to 10 teams, 5 per conference. The playoff format will be as follows:
 
 
Draft Lottery / Draft Lottery Tournament
 
With 6 teams now missing the playoffs, there will be some major changes to the Draft Lottery format. The first of which is the need for new Draft Lottery Odds. For the purposes of the Draft Lottery, all teams that miss the playoffs will be considered seeds 11-16 in the Regular Season Standings, and their draft odds will start as:
 
 
"Draft odds will start? Draft Lottery Tournament?" Indeed, with so many teams missing out on playoff action, the league has decided to add a new wrinkle to the Draft Lottery, which is a tournament that will decide the final Draft Lottery Odds, the format for the Draft Lottery Tournament will be as follows:
 
 
So, in conclusion: 4 new teams, new scheduling and playoff formats, new Draft Lottery Odds and Draft Lottery Tournament. Much excitement, and much congratulations to everyone who made this possible. As the league enters its 13th year of operation it is a source of pride to see the community grow to where it is today, and where it can continue to grow as we move forward!
 
@Commissioner
@BOG

Made two different five dolla donations for the cause
 
Transaction ID
 3420-5615-7044-9618
+ 
3575-8504-8633-2551
 
Five uncapped tpe for myself and @HearnNation67
 

An update on the Team Canada Fan Experience Contest:
 
 
The results are in! And they are… disappointing to my marketing staff. Ha in all honest, a big thank you goes out to everyone who participated. You didn’t have to, but you made a choice and gave me some of your time, so that’s pretty groovy ✌️
 
 
To find the winner, we can follow the Green line and trace correct answers all the way to the end.
 
 

WOAH?! Crazy right? The two Team Canada goalies were the only two people to score a perfect 4/4. And in the end, @HearnNation67 earned a pretty great prize: a start in the Bronze Medal game at the S72 WJC.
 
 
 
 
First, let’s take up the answers, then we’ll worry about the winners.
1.   SS Hornet, Spartan, is really friggin good at sim hockey. I don’t fully understand the eligibility rules, to be quite honest. The Great Horny Toad came to me with over 450 TPE! But apparently there are situations where a recent graduate of the M can come back – an ‘overager’ really. I’m pretty happy with our choice of a ringer.
 
2.   This was a tricky question to answer. The only correct answers included both of the two answers. There’s lots to unpack here. First, the correct answers were Minnesota and Mississauga. Congrats to those two stud GMs for filling their rosters with good Canadian boys! Second, the amount of Ms in a row there made me dizzy. Third, no one, no one, not one single person guessed Miami? Oof, maybe next year.
 
3.   This answer surprised me a lot actually! I didn’t know of Michael Mac until I saw his name popping up in the scoring race, but at the time of creating this quiz, he was seventh in the league in scoring. (note: scoring means total points @zetterberg). Every player got a guess here, and they are all good guesses. Those players are all still among the highest scoring Mers.
 
4.   And finally, the hardest question of all. Of course, we see many, many players vote for themselves. Classic professional athlete ego. Among the real fans’ votes, there was no clear winner. Lots of players got lots of love from lots of fans, and we’re happy to have that contest end in a tie.
 
But what about the fan locker room experience contest? How should we award that prize? Well, turns out that the pool of eligible players was, uhhh, shallow. Let’s start with the highest scores and work backwards:
 
 

1.   In First Place, the GOALIES! @MexicanCow123 @HearnNation67 ? you don’t win the contest because you’re already in the LR
 
2.   Next, the longest green streak up there, @McWolfand @Zetterberg. Again, ?you already have a key.
 
3.   The only non-players left who got MIN and/or MIS are @Ricer13, @dlamb, and the Discordless- @GrittyIsKing09
 
 
Congrats to Ricer and DLamb, who have earned themselves tickets into the Canada locker room after their bronze medal game tomorrow!
Also, my forever thanks, appreciation, and gratitude to the people who make commemorative graphics depicting DLamb and Ricer's visit.
 
 
Remember, don’t step on the logo.
 
 
✌️
 
 
 
 
 
 

Team Canada GM Addresses the Media Following Day Four of WJC

By: bigAL, Team Canada GM

 

 
And we go live to bigAL speaking at the World Junior Championship:

“OOF. That one hurts, don’t it? It hurts for a lot, a lot of reasons, but the one that hurts me most is that we almost had it.

We were down 3-2 for most of the second period, until O Cap’n SS Hornet decided we weren’t going into the intermission losing and tied it up. We were on cloud nine, we were all looking forward to the intermission pump up speech and a good ol’ fashioned WJC comeback.

But then the fri- then the refs got involved again. I’m not here to argue balls and strikes, but two calls against the same player in the same period seems a bit vindictive. And to call it with 5 seconds left in the period, right after we score? Frickin’ French refs. And not even the good French refs, the kind from France! Again, I’m not here to point fingers or accuse anything, but you have to identify the coincidence of the referee being from Europe in a game against Team Europe where a controversial penalty gave a powerplay to Europe, completely sucked out Canada’s momentum, and resulted in a goal right off the 3rd period faceoff. You didn’t have to do that Monsiour Le Zebra.

Andre LeBastard, Shite Sports Network:
“bigAL, have you seen the footage from the end of the second period? I heard someone say you had to come running back out of the tunnel to catch the action.”


          “I, uhhh, no?”

Andre shows bigAL a Youtube video titled “Bo Burrows bodyslams Leon Gutzwiler in WJC Semi-final”

          “I, uhhh, I guess it was holding, a little bit. The point is, we’re not going home with the biggest and shiniest awards. That makes me sad, it makes the team sad, and it makes our country sad. The only thing that would make things more sad is if we gave up now. Hockey Canada has invested a lot of time, energy, and RAM towards making us a highly effective hockey team. The least we can do is come home with a medal.

          Since it’s the last game of the tourney, I’ve thrown the lines into a bit of a blender:

Squirrely Dan – SS Hornet – Timothy Brown
Michael Mac – Andrew Su – Joe Exotic                 
Joseph Gainer – JaredN – Remy Moreau                

          This here top line of SS, Squirrels, and Timo is our scoring unit. Squirrel’s got a wicked eye for passing, and Hornet and Brown are known finishers. All three players have got the strong two-way play needed to take on the other team’s top lines. When this line is clicking, we’re winning.

          The Joe SuMac line is another offensive threat line. They’ve got shooters in all three spots. The real beauty of this line is that Su would be a first line centre on any other team, but here he gets sheltered behind the big Horn-dawg and gets to feast on lesser players.

          Now this third line, the Gut Punch, is our sandpaper line. Its sometimes not noticed because of their scoring prowess, but all of Gainer, Jared, and Moreau have some grit and tenacity to them. With everything on the line, it’s time to let those guys go out and do what they do best.

          Defence switches things up, because why the hell not:

Alex Letang – Tyler Walker
Bo Burrows – Liam Flaten            .

          I think this is the only combo we haven’t run yet, so why not give it a go and see what happens.

          Finally, we have to name a starter. You know I’ve hated doing this all tournament, and today’s no exception. Jacob Tonn has done a phenomenal job, but jeez the poor kid’s faced hundreds of shots in four days already. It’s time to give him a break. It also gives our man Woody McPine a shot at glory. I know his name sounds like he should be sitting on a bench, but McPine has been phenomenal in the M this season. If anyone can slam the door shut and guarantee us a W, it’s Woody McPine.

          I’ve got one more change more important than anything line related: I’ve fired the assistant coaches. All of em.

          Those jerks are the ones that set the strategies and the x’s and o’s, and holy hell are those x’s and o’s got big ol’ F’s so far. Can you believe how many shots we’ve given up?? I went and asked them, I says, whaddya think you’re doing, Tonn is drowning out there under 60+ shots every night?! I won’t share what they thought they were doing, because it’s embarrassing and demeaning to the poor men who were just publicly and rather violently removed from their positions mid-tournament, but let me just say that I’m really hoping these new line combos can get us that beautiful bronze medal tomorrow.
              And lastly, I got a few words for Team World ahead of our Bronze Medal matchup. First off, congrats you guys. I know what it’s like to take the ragtag group of misfits and make something magical happen. But, people always forget, the Miracle on Ice wasn’t Team USA’s last game that tournament. You’ve already had your miraculous win over Team Asia, be proud of that, but the Cinderella story stops here.

            Go Canada Go

Wow, another explosive night from bigAL here at the WJC. Tonight, he announces a new starting goalie, he fires three assistant coaches, accuses the referees of national bias, blindly supports one of the most violent minor penalties seen in this tournament, and caps it all off by essentially guaranteeing a win tomorrow over Team World!

I have many, many questions about what he just said. Ask yours below! Players named:

Woody McPine (CAN), 26 saves from 27 shots - (0.963)
 
Let's go bud @HearnNation67

We're 6 games into season 72 and Woody McPine and the Minnesota Storm are on a roll. After losing their first game, McPine seems to have shaken off the rust and helped the Storm rattle off 5 straight wins to bring them into a 3 way tie for second place with Saskatoon and Philadelphia, with 10 points each. The goalie seems to be playing with a chip on his shoulder after last seasons disappointing first round exit to San Diego, a team with only 1 win on the season so far. Having just reached 250 TPE following the 6th game, McPine is at the top of his game and looks ready to lead Minnesota on a long playoff run should he remain win the VHLM for the entirety of the season. Given the Prague Phantoms (McPine pro team) occupation in the basement of the VHL, its possible that McPine will get the call before seasons end, and from there, the sky's the limit.

It is a thrill and an honour to once again be donning the maple leaf for this season's world junior tournament. It is extra exciting to be out there with 3 of my Minnesota Storm teammates Squirrely Dan, Joe Exotic, and Liam Flaten. I am looking forward to bringing our magic from the VHLM regular season to the world stage. As well, I'd like to thank @bigAL for selecting me. I hope I can live up to my top goaltender status from season 71's tournament, and this time help bring home the gold. I'd also like to congratulate my teammates Michael Hall for making team World, and Mickey Dickson for making team USA. I can't wait to beat you both.
 
This team is strong from the ground up with 2 of the top 3 goalies in the VHLM, myself (30-5-1), and Jacob Tonn (23-12-1) from the Mississauga Hounds. With save percentages of 0.902 and 0.899 respectively, we will be a tough duo for the other countries to put pucks in the net and I look forward to sharing the crease with him.
 
Our d-core boasts 3 of the top 5 point getters among defensemen, and consists of Flaten (20G 40A), Tonn's Hounds teammate Bo Burrows (10G 19A), Tyler Walker of the Saskatoon Wild (12G 50A), and Alex Letang from the Las Vegas Aces (9G 50A) are rocking a combined +138 for the season. That, along with their combined 210 points, will be a huge help in bringing home the gold and are the backbone of the team.
 
Our forwards are bolstered by 2 VHLers, Andrew Su, who plays for The Vancouver Wolves and has 4 goals and 3 assists , and rookie scoring leader and 1st overall draft pick SS Hornet, who has 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points with the HC Davos Dynamo. Their experience in the big league will be invaluable for this tournament. They are joined by 3 more Hounds players, Joseph Gainer (19G 20A), Michael Mac (25G 52A), and JaredN (25G 43A). Dan (19G 35A), Exotic (22G 24A), Remy Moreau from the Aces (10G 12A), and Timothy Brown in Saskatoon (30G 28A) round out the forward group.
 
The leadership, experience, and firepower of the skaters on this team give us a clear shot at the gold, and the top notch 1-2 punch in the crease should put us over the edge. But as we all know, anything can happen in these tournaments.
 
Our first test is against a talented team Europe, who are eager to defend their gold medal win from last season's tournament. Will we get a high scoring affair? Or a goalie battle? Or will one team completely overwhelm the other and blow them out of the water? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure, it'll be an exciting beginning to yet another tournament of the league's young stars.
 
Go Canada Go! Let's go get'em boys, and bring back the gold medal that our Country has been waiting for for since season 64.
 
Woody
 
Word count: 505

1. Adam Syreck because a little extra firepower never hurts
2. I'm gonna say Houston
3. Yes, I don't know what the record is but Most losses in a season
4. I have not, and unsure of when I will
5. Yes it is
7. I've always wanted to go to Brazil

It is a thrill and an honour to once again be donning the maple leaf for this season's world junior tournament. It is extra exciting to be out there with 3 of my Minnesota Storm teammates Squirrely Dan, Joe Exotic, and Liam Flaten. I am looking forward to bringing our magic from the VHLM regular season to the world stage. As well, I'd like to thank @bigAL for selecting me. I hope I can live up to my top goaltender status from season 71's tournament, and this time help bring home the gold. I'd also like to congratulate my teammates Michael Hall for making team World, and Mickey Dickson for making team USA. I can't wait to beat you both.
 
This team is strong from the ground up with 2 of the top 3 goalies in the VHLM, myself (30-5-1), and Jacob Tonn (23-12-1) from the Mississauga Hounds. With save percentages of 0.902 and 0.899 respectively, we will be a tough duo for the other countries to put pucks in the net and I look forward to sharing the crease with him.
 
Our d-core boasts 3 of the top 5 point getters among defensemen, and consists of Flaten (20G 40A), Tonn's Hounds teammate Bo Burrows (10G 19A), Tyler Walker of the Saskatoon Wild (12G 50A), and Alex Letang from the Las Vegas Aces (9G 50A) are rocking a combined +138 for the season. That, along with their combined 210 points, will be a huge help in bringing home the gold and are the backbone of the team.
 
Our forwards are bolstered by 2 VHLers, Andrew Su, who plays for The Vancouver Wolves and has 4 goals and 3 assists , and rookie scoring leader and 1st overall draft pick SS Hornet, who has 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points with the HC Davos Dynamo. Their experience in the big league will be invaluable for this tournament. They are joined by 3 more Hounds players, Joseph Gainer (19G 20A), Michael Mac (25G 52A), and JaredN (25G 43A). Dan (19G 35A), Exotic (22G 24A), Remy Moreau from the Aces (10G 12A), and Timothy Brown in Saskatoon (30G 28A) round out the forward group.
 
The leadership, experience, and firepower of the skaters on this team give us a clear shot at the gold, and the top notch 1-2 punch in the crease should put us over the edge. But as we all know, anything can happen in these tournaments.
 
Our first test is against a talented team Europe, who are eager to defend their gold medal win from last season's tournament. Will we get a high scoring affair? Or a goalie battle? Or will one team completely overwhelm the other and blow them out of the water? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure, it'll be an exciting beginning to yet another tournament of the league's young stars.
 
Go Canada Go! Let's go get'em boys, and bring back the gold medal that our Country has been waiting for for since season 64.
 
Woody
 
Word count: 505

O CANADA ??
 
We know we have the BEST fans in the tournament.

 
We travel. We show up. We cheer - LOUD.

 
We are passionate about Canadian hockey.

 
Canadian fans are as much a part of Team Canada as the players.
 
And now, in S72, you Canadian fans can be a part of Team Canada.
 
CONTEST ALERT:
 
Show off your Team Canada S72 WJC knowledge with four trivia questions based on our star-studded roster. Answer all four questions correct, and you are entered to win...
 
TWO TICKETS TO JOIN THE TEAM CANADA LOCKER ROOM AFTER A GAME!
 
Get a never-seen-before look at how the players and coaching staff debrief a game!
Collect signatures from tomorrow's stars of the VHL!
See your favourite players in their underwear!
 
https://forms.gle/nF13bWGHfRf5qaLk7
*for legal purposes, contest is restricted to VHL(M) players from Canada

It is a thrill and an honour to once again be donning the maple leaf for this season's world junior tournament. It is extra exciting to be out there with 3 of my Minnesota Storm teammates Squirrely Dan, Joe Exotic, and Liam Flaten. I am looking forward to bringing our magic from the VHLM regular season to the world stage. As well, I'd like to thank @bigAL for selecting me. I hope I can live up to my top goaltender status from season 71's tournament, and this time help bring home the gold. I'd also like to congratulate my teammates Michael Hall for making team World, and Mickey Dickson for making team USA. I can't wait to beat you both.
 
This team is strong from the ground up with 2 of the top 3 goalies in the VHLM, myself (30-5-1), and Jacob Tonn (23-12-1) from the Mississauga Hounds. With save percentages of 0.902 and 0.899 respectively, we will be a tough duo for the other countries to put pucks in the net and I look forward to sharing the crease with him.
 
Our d-core boasts 3 of the top 5 point getters among defensemen, and consists of Flaten (20G 40A), Tonn's Hounds teammate Bo Burrows (10G 19A), Tyler Walker of the Saskatoon Wild (12G 50A), and Alex Letang from the Las Vegas Aces (9G 50A) are rocking a combined +138 for the season. That, along with their combined 210 points, will be a huge help in bringing home the gold and are the backbone of the team.
 
Our forwards are bolstered by 2 VHLers, Andrew Su, who plays for The Vancouver Wolves and has 4 goals and 3 assists , and rookie scoring leader and 1st overall draft pick SS Hornet, who has 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points with the HC Davos Dynamo. Their experience in the big league will be invaluable for this tournament. They are joined by 3 more Hounds players, Joseph Gainer (19G 20A), Michael Mac (25G 52A), and JaredN (25G 43A). Dan (19G 35A), Exotic (22G 24A), Remy Moreau from the Aces (10G 12A), and Timothy Brown in Saskatoon (30G 28A) round out the forward group.
 
The leadership, experience, and firepower of the skaters on this team give us a clear shot at the gold, and the top notch 1-2 punch in the crease should put us over the edge. But as we all know, anything can happen in these tournaments.
 
Our first test is against a talented team Europe, who are eager to defend their gold medal win from last season's tournament. Will we get a high scoring affair? Or a goalie battle? Or will one team completely overwhelm the other and blow them out of the water? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure, it'll be an exciting beginning to yet another tournament of the league's young stars.
 
Go Canada Go! Let's go get'em boys, and bring back the gold medal that our Country has been waiting for for since season 64.
 
Woody
 
Word count: 505

Hello, and welcome to season 72, edition 2 of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 
Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! 
 
Ringless | VSN Weekly Review | Future Watch | Talents Behind The Trophies
 
The Review
 
This week’s biggest story is arguably the most newsworthy thing to happen to the VHLM in quite some time. One of the league commissioners, @Banackock, a man I worked personally alongside for several seasons, is no longer in the role. The issues and reasoning that have resulted in this outcome are beyond the scope of this article at this time, but it is surely a watershed moment for the league as the torch is passed from one of the standard-bearers of the league and a beacon of stability. He was, as we know, a bit of a firebrand, but none can question the amount of work he put into the league to make it what it is now. 
 
As a result of this departure, a quick hire was made to fill the vacancy, and while there are certainly many qualified candidates, the position has been filled by @Sonnet, current GM of the Houston Bulls. This was his second stint with the team, and it has proven to be a brief one, as he will be stepping down from the role at the end of the season. For the time being, he will occupy both positions, and the replacement GM will be found when the current Bulls season is complete. Sonnet will surely bring a fresh perspective to the leadership of the VHLM, and surely a voice coming directly from the GM ranks can only be a good thing. The VHLM gladly welcomes Sonnet and looks forward to what is hopefully a long and fruitful tenure. 
 
Of course, while the commissioner change is the biggest event of the week, it certainly hasn’t stopped games from being played. The standings as we last presented them didn’t leave much room for the discrepancy - there was a lot of tight clumping toward the middle, and one would have been hard-pressed to pick from among a handful of teams. As the league has progressed, some things have started to spread out, whereas others have remained nearly as tight as before.
 

 
At nearly the halfway point of the season, the Minnesota Storm have pulled out of what was previously level pegging with the Las Vegas Aces, to take sole ownership of first. The Aces, on the other hand, have fallen behind the Saskatoon Wild as well. Conference-wise, the Storm lead the East by 13 points. Second is currently being held by the Mississauga Hounds but only by a single point; they and the Philadelphia Reapers were level at this point last week so given the gap is now only one, these two will likely be battling it out to the end. 
 
The Ottawa Lynx, who were also level with the Hounds and Reapers, have now fallen behind (8 to the Reapers and 9 to the Hounds) and seem to be a relatively stable fourth. The Halifax 21st have to feel a bit like the VHL’s New York Americans, as they’re out of the playoff picture by 7 points despite being ahead of a team in the other conference that would currently be in. 
 
Bringing up the rear are the expansion Miami Marauders. This isn’t terribly surprising as the Marauders are in their first season and are working with just what was available to them out of the expansion, and they’ll likely see a bit more competitive hockey down in South Beach next time out. 
 
In the West, as stated before, the Wild have overtaken the Aces. Still, the gap is a meagre 2 points, so there’s not likely to be a clear and definitive conference winner anytime soon. This race will keep the interest of fans in both Saskatoon and Las Vegas until the very end of the season. An interesting thing to note regarding the race between the Wild and Aces would be their goal differences. Saskatoon have a +90, while Las Vegas only have a +51 - this difference is almost entirely in goals for, as they’ve conceded nearly identically across the season. 
 
In third with 44 points are the Mexico City Kings, a team that doesn’t have much to play for in their own conference as there is a sizable gap on both sides in the standings, but they’ll want to fight for seeding in the playoffs, where they’re in direct competition with the Hounds and Reapers. The Yukon Rush, who sit in fourth in the West on 28 points, are the classic example of a team who will make the playoffs due less to their own ability and more to the lack of rostered players on the teams below them. They should be quite the attractive destination to waiver players, as they’re good enough to provide a playoff opportunity, yet should be able to offer larger roles to new players than those above them. 
 
Rounding out the conference are the San Diego Marlins and the Houston Bulls, two teams that will be composed almost exclusively of waiver players and looking to make a run next season, at 9 and 4 points respectively. 
 
That’s how the standings appear at the moment, but what effect has that had on the ELO ratings for the teams at this stage?
 

 
The first thing that jumps out to me about the ELO graph this time around is the gap between the Marlins and Bulls. It has only manifested itself in a 5 point differential in the standings, but the ELO chart shows the Marlins as being a pretty significantly better team than the Bulls at the bottom. Additionally, Yukon is performing worse in ELO than not only Halifax (which makes a bit more sense) but also Miami. Miami’s line took a big jump when they went on a 3 game winning streak - two of the wins were over Houston and San Diego, but the other was over an Ottawa team that’s well above them. A similar dip can be seen in Ottawa’s line at around the same point.
 
Minnesota looks to be the class of the league by a wider margin here than in the standings, and that jump in their line is likely the result of two margin of victory wins over Halifax, 10-2 and 8-0. The line for Ottawa is also seemingly closer to the teams just behind them than the teams just ahead of them, even though the standings don’t reflect that.
 
Something that wasn’t as immediately recognizable, but seems to tell a larger story, is the placement of that green line in the middle. That’s our third-place team, the Las Vegas Aces. The ELO chart only has them in a comparatively paltry 6th at the moment, while Saskatoon, who are only 2 points higher in the standings, are in 2nd in the chart which matches their place in the standings. Mexico City, the team chasing the Aces, are ahead of them in ELO, as are the Hounds and Reapers from the East. Could the ELO chart be a predictor of some unexpected movement up and down the standings from some of the unexpectedly placed teams? 
 
The Highlights
 
The top of the goals and assists leaderboards are surprisingly both players from a relatively middling Ottawa Lynx team - Big Chungus with 38 goals as more of a scoring specialist (his assists are low enough that he falls a bit back on the total points leaderboard) and Adam Syreck with 55 assists as well as the overall points lead with 78. There are only a handful of players who have broken that 70 point barrier thus far: Syreck, Kazimir Komarov, Ike Bennett, Michael Mac, and Bob Helminen, all representing different teams (Ottawa, Saskatoon, Minnesota, Mississauga, and Philadelphia, respectively). 
 
The recurring theme here, and it’s something that matches up with the ELO charts as well, is a conspicuous lack of Las Vegas representation. For a team that’s third in the standings, and with a decent lead over the 3-team chasing pack behind them, they don’t really show up as often as might be expected at the top of the scoring charts. Their top scorer is Alex Letang with 53 points - this is certainly a fine performance from Letang, especially as he’s a defender, but at the same time it’s a full 25 points behind the leader overall. It’s also saying something that their top scorer is a defender at all - where are the forwards? The first place to look is at goaltending, maybe they’re being carried from the back, but while Nils Friedriksen is doing very well in goal with a 2.24 GAA and 0.898 SV%, he’s largely in line with the other top goalies. Are these Aces paper tigers?
 
While on the topic of goaltending, there is a player that deserves to be noted for something that is rather unusual. The top of the save percentage charts one might expect to see someone like Woody McPine, Grekkark Gyrfalcon, or Zamboni Driver. Those three, along with Friedriksen, are among the top 5 in both GAA and SV%, but they also have good teams in front of them as well, to varying degrees, and that is not to take away from any of their performances either. However, the current SV% leader is none other than Jean Pierre Camus of Yukon. He’s not nearly as high on the GAA board, at a 3.49 and a full goal lower than any of the goalies listed above, but GAA is more heavily affected by the team. There is no true stat measuring just a goalie alone, but SV% is the closest thing to it, and Camus is carrying Yukon to a better performance than they otherwise might have had. It’s an interesting thing to point out, and Camus deserves credit, regardless of where his team is. 
 
That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!

GMS
@Proto @Ricer13 @Rayzor_7 @Motzaburger @MexicanCow123 @InstantRockstar @DMaximus @Dil @McWolf @ColeMrtz @DoktorFunk

Players Mentioned
@Spartan @HearnNation67 @Sharkstrong @Tape-to-Tape @Spade18 @solas @Biggreen10 @LastOneUp @Gooningitup @Caboose30 @Big Bob @Ferda

https://imgur.com/dG0eh8W
 
Congratulations to Team Canada!
The fifteen players selected to play for Team Canada at the S72 World Junior Championship are as follows:
 
 
Squirrely Dan @jacobaa19 | SS Hornet @McWolf | Timothy Brown @a_Ferk
Joseph Gainer @joeg | Andrew Su @Da_Berr | Michael Mac @LastOneUp
Joe Exotic @Joe Exotic | Jared @jared | Remy Moreau @Da Trifecta

      Alex Letang @Spartan | Tyler Walker @Advantage
      Liam Flaten @flatl99 | Bo Burrows @Walter Fizz
 
               Woody McPine @HearnNation67
               Jacob Tonn @MexicanCow123
 
All players can join the discord server at: https://discord.gg/zbQD4d
 
Merry World Juniors Time!!

1. I like 2 sims a day
2. Pretty fuckin good, we're rollin
3. Probably Las Vegas or Saskatoon
5. I don't know anything about it but I'm always a fan of tv crossover episodes, so it should work out
6. African or European?
7. Just like, be nice to each other

The Minnesota Storm are ROLLING. The team has won 9 games in a row, several of them in dominant fashion. This includes 12-0 and 11-0 shellackings of the Houston Bulls and San Diego Marlins respectively. In an incredible team effort, they put up a total 161 shots and gave up just 12, in those 2 games. The sky, no, outer space, is the limit for this team at the quarter mark of the season. They sit tied for first place with the Las Vegas Aces at 30 points. The 2 teams have met just once so far this season. It was a very evenly matched game, Minnesota put up 31 shots, Las Vegas put up 30. And as it turned out, that one shot was the difference as the Storm came out on top 2-1. The teams don't meet again until game 209, and we can expect another tight battle as the players should be rounding into midseason form.
 
Word Count: 159

We are the best *AROUND* nothing's gonna ever break us down

The Minnesota Storm have been firing on all cylinders lately. After being shutout by the Ottawa Lynx in game 50, they rallied and are currently on a 5 game winning streak which has brought them within 2 points of 1st place in the VHLM. Over the course of the streak, they've outscored their opponents 32 – 12, including a 12- 0 thrashing of the Houston Bulls. That game saw all but 4 Storm skaters see the scoresheet and the defense, led by Danny DeYeeto @Cran and Liam Flaten @flatl99 (each with 6 points), hold the Bulls to a measly 9 shots. DeYeeto and Flaten have been studs on the back end during the streak, with a +/- of +15 and +11, respectively, over those 5 games. The 2 dmen aren't too shabby in the offensive zone either, as mentioned above. During the current win streak, DeYeeto has racked up 2 goals and 12 assists for 14 points, while Flaten has managed 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points. Overall, DeYeeto sits 2nd in team scoring with 25 points, while Flaten is 4th with 21. DeYeeto, a career minor leaguer, seems to have found his form from 2 seasons ago when he returned to the Storm after a brief stint with the Saskatoon Wild and had 114 points in 72 games, a 1.58 ppg average. His 25 points is 14 games is 1.78 ppg. Flaten, who is in only his 1st full season in the league, was picked 13th overall by the Storm in the S72 draft after putting up 31 points in 61 games with the Philadelphia Reapers. His 1.5 ppg makes GM @Rayzor_7 look like a genius. The sky is the limit for the young defenseman.
 
The rest of the Storm defensemen haven't been too shabby this season either. Hunter Harrison @I'll change this later is a reliable young defenseman, who is on his 3rd team in 3 years since being drafted by the Yukon Rush in S70. He has put up 3 goals and 3 assists and is +18 on the season, and is on pace to mathc his career high of 31 points he set last season with Philly. The d core is rounded out by 3 rookies, Han Jae Kuk @Dtayl (33rd overall), Mikael Keef @RStar (38th overall), and Jikim Connolly @Jikim (76th overall). HJK has had the most success so far in this young season, with 6 assists and a +1 rating in 14 games. Keef (2A, -3) and Connolly (1A, +1) both played partial seasons last year with the Mississauga Hounds. Keef put up 19 points (4 goals and 15 assists) and was +7 in 20 games, while Connolly had 3 goals and 3 assists and was -5 in 8 games. Should these young defensemen get the opportunity to get more ice time, its no doubt they will be able to reproduce these numbers, but with DeYeeto and Flaten leading the way, who knows when that will happen. The Storm also had defenseman Grant Thiel, another former Reaper, but he was released after just 2 games.
 
Word Count:504

The Minnesota Storm have been firing on all cylinders lately. After being shutout by the Ottawa Lynx in game 50, they rallied and are currently on a 5 game winning streak which has brought them within 2 points of 1st place in the VHLM. Over the course of the streak, they've outscored their opponents 32 – 12, including a 12- 0 thrashing of the Houston Bulls. That game saw all but 4 Storm skaters see the scoresheet and the defense, led by Danny DeYeeto @Cran and Liam Flaten @flatl99 (each with 6 points), hold the Bulls to a measly 9 shots. DeYeeto and Flaten have been studs on the back end during the streak, with a +/- of +15 and +11, respectively, over those 5 games. The 2 dmen aren't too shabby in the offensive zone either, as mentioned above. During the current win streak, DeYeeto has racked up 2 goals and 12 assists for 14 points, while Flaten has managed 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points. Overall, DeYeeto sits 2nd in team scoring with 25 points, while Flaten is 4th with 21. DeYeeto, a career minor leaguer, seems to have found his form from 2 seasons ago when he returned to the Storm after a brief stint with the Saskatoon Wild and had 114 points in 72 games, a 1.58 ppg average. His 25 points is 14 games is 1.78 ppg. Flaten, who is in only his 1st full season in the league, was picked 13th overall by the Storm in the S72 draft after putting up 31 points in 61 games with the Philadelphia Reapers. His 1.5 ppg makes GM @Rayzor_7 look like a genius. The sky is the limit for the young defenseman.
 
The rest of the Storm defensemen haven't been too shabby this season either. Hunter Harrison @I'll change this later is a reliable young defenseman, who is on his 3rd team in 3 years since being drafted by the Yukon Rush in S70. He has put up 3 goals and 3 assists and is +18 on the season, and is on pace to mathc his career high of 31 points he set last season with Philly. The d core is rounded out by 3 rookies, Han Jae Kuk @Dtayl (33rd overall), Mikael Keef @RStar (38th overall), and Jikim Connolly @Jikim (76th overall). HJK has had the most success so far in this young season, with 6 assists and a +1 rating in 14 games. Keef (2A, -3) and Connolly (1A, +1) both played partial seasons last year with the Mississauga Hounds. Keef put up 19 points (4 goals and 15 assists) and was +7 in 20 games, while Connolly had 3 goals and 3 assists and was -5 in 8 games. Should these young defensemen get the opportunity to get more ice time, its no doubt they will be able to reproduce these numbers, but with DeYeeto and Flaten leading the way, who knows when that will happen. The Storm also had defenseman Grant Thiel, another former Reaper, but he was released after just 2 games.
 
Word Count:504

The Minnesota Storm have been firing on all cylinders lately. After being shutout by the Ottawa Lynx in game 50, they rallied and are currently on a 5 game winning streak which has brought them within 2 points of 1st place in the VHLM. Over the course of the streak, they've outscored their opponents 32 – 12, including a 12- 0 thrashing of the Houston Bulls. That game saw all but 4 Storm skaters see the scoresheet and the defense, led by Danny DeYeeto @Cran and Liam Flaten @flatl99 (each with 6 points), hold the Bulls to a measly 9 shots. DeYeeto and Flaten have been studs on the back end during the streak, with a +/- of +15 and +11, respectively, over those 5 games. The 2 dmen aren't too shabby in the offensive zone either, as mentioned above. During the current win streak, DeYeeto has racked up 2 goals and 12 assists for 14 points, while Flaten has managed 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points. Overall, DeYeeto sits 2nd in team scoring with 25 points, while Flaten is 4th with 21. DeYeeto, a career minor leaguer, seems to have found his form from 2 seasons ago when he returned to the Storm after a brief stint with the Saskatoon Wild and had 114 points in 72 games, a 1.58 ppg average. His 25 points is 14 games is 1.78 ppg. Flaten, who is in only his 1st full season in the league, was picked 13th overall by the Storm in the S72 draft after putting up 31 points in 61 games with the Philadelphia Reapers. His 1.5 ppg makes GM @Rayzor_7 look like a genius. The sky is the limit for the young defenseman.
 
The rest of the Storm defensemen haven't been too shabby this season either. Hunter Harrison @I'll change this later is a reliable young defenseman, who is on his 3rd team in 3 years since being drafted by the Yukon Rush in S70. He has put up 3 goals and 3 assists and is +18 on the season, and is on pace to mathc his career high of 31 points he set last season with Philly. The d core is rounded out by 3 rookies, Han Jae Kuk @Dtayl (33rd overall), Mikael Keef @RStar (38th overall), and Jikim Connolly @Jikim (76th overall). HJK has had the most success so far in this young season, with 6 assists and a +1 rating in 14 games. Keef (2A, -3) and Connolly (1A, +1) both played partial seasons last year with the Mississauga Hounds. Keef put up 19 points (4 goals and 15 assists) and was +7 in 20 games, while Connolly had 3 goals and 3 assists and was -5 in 8 games. Should these young defensemen get the opportunity to get more ice time, its no doubt they will be able to reproduce these numbers, but with DeYeeto and Flaten leading the way, who knows when that will happen. The Storm also had defenseman Grant Thiel, another former Reaper, but he was released after just 2 games.
 
Word Count:504

The Minnesota Storm have been firing on all cylinders lately. After being shutout by the Ottawa Lynx in game 50, they rallied and are currently on a 5 game winning streak which has brought them within 2 points of 1st place in the VHLM. Over the course of the streak, they've outscored their opponents 32 – 12, including a 12- 0 thrashing of the Houston Bulls. That game saw all but 4 Storm skaters see the scoresheet and the defense, led by Danny DeYeeto @Cran and Liam Flaten @flatl99 (each with 6 points), hold the Bulls to a measly 9 shots. DeYeeto and Flaten have been studs on the back end during the streak, with a +/- of +15 and +11, respectively, over those 5 games. The 2 dmen aren't too shabby in the offensive zone either, as mentioned above. During the current win streak, DeYeeto has racked up 2 goals and 12 assists for 14 points, while Flaten has managed 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points. Overall, DeYeeto sits 2nd in team scoring with 25 points, while Flaten is 4th with 21. DeYeeto, a career minor leaguer, seems to have found his form from 2 seasons ago when he returned to the Storm after a brief stint with the Saskatoon Wild and had 114 points in 72 games, a 1.58 ppg average. His 25 points is 14 games is 1.78 ppg. Flaten, who is in only his 1st full season in the league, was picked 13th overall by the Storm in the S72 draft after putting up 31 points in 61 games with the Philadelphia Reapers. His 1.5 ppg makes GM @Rayzor_7 look like a genius. The sky is the limit for the young defenseman.
 
The rest of the Storm defensemen haven't been too shabby this season either. Hunter Harrison @I'll change this later is a reliable young defenseman, who is on his 3rd team in 3 years since being drafted by the Yukon Rush in S70. He has put up 3 goals and 3 assists and is +18 on the season, and is on pace to mathc his career high of 31 points he set last season with Philly. The d core is rounded out by 3 rookies, Han Jae Kuk @Dtayl (33rd overall), Mikael Keef @RStar (38th overall), and Jikim Connolly @Jikim (76th overall). HJK has had the most success so far in this young season, with 6 assists and a +1 rating in 14 games. Keef (2A, -3) and Connolly (1A, +1) both played partial seasons last year with the Mississauga Hounds. Keef put up 19 points (4 goals and 15 assists) and was +7 in 20 games, while Connolly had 3 goals and 3 assists and was -5 in 8 games. Should these young defensemen get the opportunity to get more ice time, its no doubt they will be able to reproduce these numbers, but with DeYeeto and Flaten leading the way, who knows when that will happen. The Storm also had defenseman Grant Thiel, another former Reaper, but he was released after just 2 games.
 
Word Count:504

The Minnesota Storm have been firing on all cylinders lately. After being shutout by the Ottawa Lynx in game 50, they rallied and are currently on a 5 game winning streak which has brought them within 2 points of 1st place in the VHLM. Over the course of the streak, they've outscored their opponents 32 – 12, including a 12- 0 thrashing of the Houston Bulls. That game saw all but 4 Storm skaters see the scoresheet and the defense, led by Danny DeYeeto @Cran and Liam Flaten @flatl99 (each with 6 points), hold the Bulls to a measly 9 shots. DeYeeto and Flaten have been studs on the back end during the streak, with a +/- of +15 and +11, respectively, over those 5 games. The 2 dmen aren't too shabby in the offensive zone either, as mentioned above. During the current win streak, DeYeeto has racked up 2 goals and 12 assists for 14 points, while Flaten has managed 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points. Overall, DeYeeto sits 2nd in team scoring with 25 points, while Flaten is 4th with 21. DeYeeto, a career minor leaguer, seems to have found his form from 2 seasons ago when he returned to the Storm after a brief stint with the Saskatoon Wild and had 114 points in 72 games, a 1.58 ppg average. His 25 points is 14 games is 1.78 ppg. Flaten, who is in only his 1st full season in the league, was picked 13th overall by the Storm in the S72 draft after putting up 31 points in 61 games with the Philadelphia Reapers. His 1.5 ppg makes GM @Rayzor_7 look like a genius. The sky is the limit for the young defenseman.
 
The rest of the Storm defensemen haven't been too shabby this season either. Hunter Harrison @I'll change this later is a reliable young defenseman, who is on his 3rd team in 3 years since being drafted by the Yukon Rush in S70. He has put up 3 goals and 3 assists and is +18 on the season, and is on pace to mathc his career high of 31 points he set last season with Philly. The d core is rounded out by 3 rookies, Han Jae Kuk @Dtayl (33rd overall), Mikael Keef @RStar (38th overall), and Jikim Connolly @Jikim (76th overall). HJK has had the most success so far in this young season, with 6 assists and a +1 rating in 14 games. Keef (2A, -3) and Connolly (1A, +1) both played partial seasons last year with the Mississauga Hounds. Keef put up 19 points (4 goals and 15 assists) and was +7 in 20 games, while Connolly had 3 goals and 3 assists and was -5 in 8 games. Should these young defensemen get the opportunity to get more ice time, its no doubt they will be able to reproduce these numbers, but with DeYeeto and Flaten leading the way, who knows when that will happen. The Storm also had defenseman Grant Thiel, another former Reaper, but he was released after just 2 games.
 
Word Count:504

2. Woody is my first 
3. Nah, it was an all around team effort. Proud of the boys
4. Top 3 in regular season, champs in the playoffs
5. I think Squirrely Dan is going to have a breakout season and rack up the most points
6. A little bit of everything. As long as it has energy and can amp me up, its on the playlist. In the words of Barney Stinson "Start high, get higher"
7. If we're talking team flights, then private. But of I'm just traveling on my own then I'll go public.

We're 6 games into season 72 and Woody McPine and the Minnesota Storm are on a roll. After losing their first game, McPine seems to have shaken off the rust and helped the Storm rattle off 5 straight wins to bring them into a 3 way tie for second place with Saskatoon and Philadelphia, with 10 points each. The goalie seems to be playing with a chip on his shoulder after last seasons disappointing first round exit to San Diego, a team with only 1 win on the season so far. Having just reached 250 TPE following the 6th game, McPine is at the top of his game and looks ready to lead Minnesota on a long playoff run should he remain win the VHLM for the entirety of the season. Given the Prague Phantoms (McPine pro team) occupation in the basement of the VHL, its possible that McPine will get the call before seasons end, and from there, the sky's the limit.

We're 6 games into season 72 and Woody McPine and the Minnesota Storm are on a roll. After losing their first game, McPine seems to have shaken off the rust and helped the Storm rattle off 5 straight wins to bring them into a 3 way tie for second place with Saskatoon and Philadelphia, with 10 points each. The goalie seems to be playing with a chip on his shoulder after last seasons disappointing first round exit to San Diego, a team with only 1 win on the season so far. Having just reached 250 TPE following the 6th game, McPine is at the top of his game and looks ready to lead Minnesota on a long playoff run should he remain win the VHLM for the entirety of the season. Given the Prague Phantoms (McPine pro team) occupation in the basement of the VHL, its possible that McPine will get the call before seasons end, and from there, the sky's the limit.