Corco

1. I think the final games of the season went decent, but to be honest, I was kind of out of it once we were officially eliminated. It's harder to compete at 100% when you don't have much to play for. 2. Hmmm, I would have to say the early-season RoTY race with Killinger and McDagg; both of them, especially McDagg, came roaring out of the gate to start the season, and it must have been a great feeling for him, having spent a bit more time in the minors than most players. 3. Playoffs. Absolutely playoffs. I'm sure I'm not in the minority when I say that we need to take the next step in this rebuild and make our way into the postseason. 4. I would like to see one of the boys take home some hardware for sure, only if we can't make the playoffs though. 5. No idea. I haven't even checked the box score of a single playoff game. Not interested in the current VHL playoffs at the moment. 6. Vasteras Iron Eagles baby!

Seattle 4-1

1. I expect us to go out fighting, like we did all season; it's the Legion way. 2. I'd say so; we were a much more offensive team this season, so it makes sense that a more balanced attack led to more balanced stats. 3. Hextall has been huge for us, and he'll need to continue to be, as it doesn't look like we have any stud defensive prospects waiting in the wings. 4. Huge; we have to be constantly moving forward and looking to take the next step. We can NOT get complacent at any point. 5. I would like to see us possibly shore up the blue-line, if possible. Outside of that, I don't see a huge need elsewhere on the roster. 6. I really want to improve on my offensive duties as a #1C; I want to score more of course, but I definitely need to work on my faceoffs as well, I'm awful at them right now,

Claiming week 2

Moscow 3-0

Stole one here

1. The first half of the season has been a been a bit of a welcome surprise, as we've certainly a bit better than anybody expected. As a team, I'm happy but as an individual, I am not; I'm unhappy with my individual performance, I think I can be a lot better. 2. I think something like that just comes with experience; we're a young team right now, and offense is much easier to learn than defense. 3. They're both frustrating and promising at the same time, as last year we wouldn't have even been making it into overtime. We feel like we're so close to taking that next step, we just can't get there yet. 4. I think he's done a great job as a young GM promoting activity and prosperity in the clubhouse. He probably faces the most pressure out of any of us to do well, and he does a great job of weathering the storm. 5. I would describe it as one of looking to the future while also living in the moment; we have a very talented core, but we're not ready to compete just yet. 6. Killinger and McDagg have both been fantastic this season, and hopefully both ramp up their production even more to be in serious contention for RoTY. Their development has been fantastic, especially considering their different development paths to the VHL.

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Recruitment is vital to any online sim league; without a strong recruitment efforts, leagues would grow stagnant with members and slowly begin to die (and I believe that was what was beginning to happen in the VHL a short time ago, but I wasn't active at the time so I'm not 100% positive). Always having a fresh batch of newer members provides a league with a new perspective, as those newer members often have the freshest idea for what will bring people to the league, and I feel like the current VHL does a very good job of that. League management understands the importance of having a strong recruiting system, and promotes it with aplomb, however it wasn’t always this way. Now, this is going off my memory, which may not be 100% accurate, but when I joined the league ~2013, recruitment was not NEARLY as intense as it is today. I was only on the SHL at that time, and I had only heard about the VHL in some casual chatter with some SHLers, so I went to check it out and see for myself. I likely received a welcome PM, but I can’t recall. The main point is that I immediately felt unwelcome, as I could feel a sense of elitism with the VHL, with certain members postulating that the VHL was the “big boy” sim league, and other leagues, especially the SHL, were seen as childish and inferior. Now, the members saying those things weren’t league management, but still, to hear that as a new member was not a good sign. In my first few seasons in the league I felt like this mindset persisted, and eventually it went away, but I cannot remember if it went away because I just got used to it, or because it actually went away. Thankfully, I don’t feel like the league acts like this as much anymore, but then again, I’m also not the most active person in the Discord, which is where most league discussion takes place now, so I could be wrong. The league has many more features that aid in member retention now in comparison to when I joined; the portal, improvement in the VHLM, World Juniors, etc. Mentioning the World Juniors is a bit of a toot to my own horn, as I created it when I was VHLM Commissioner in S55, but all of the additions have been fantastic; if the portal had been around when I first joined the league, I feel like the VHL would be even further along in its development as a sim league than it is right now. Don’t get me wrong, I think the VHL is in a VERY good place right now in terms of member retention and recruitment, but hey, it could always be better right? I’ve always been interested in what the maximum amount of players the VHL could have would be, and if you had told me 30 seasons ago how many active members we would have now, I wouldn’t have believed you.

CGY 4-1

331 Helsinki Titans 332 D.C. Dragons 333 Toronto Legion 334 Riga Reign

Legion's Playoff Hopes Dwindling A recent three-game losing streak has put a damper on Toronto's playoff hopes TORONTO, Ontario - No one predicted the Toronto Legion to even be in the playoff conversation this season, let alone this deep into it, so the fact that they even are is a testament to how much the team has improved in comparison to last years squad. Up until now, the Legion were able to stay in the hunt thanks to strong play by veterans Aron Nielsen and Zeno Miniti, as well as admirable goaltending from rookie Jaxx Hextall, but it looks like their luck may finally be running out. In the last three games, the Legion have been outscored by a combined total of 12-3 (6-2 Seattle, 5-1 New York, & 1-0 DC), and all of those games were against conference opponents above them in the playoff picture. Toronto's next four games include three against NA opponents, and they will almost certainly need to win all three of those games to even have the slightest chance of sneaking into the playoffs. This is a make-or-break weekend for the Legion's S71 hopes.

1. Malmo is pretty nice, plus it's nice to be able to go watch Vasteras play when we travel to Sweden. I HATE Seattle though, so dreary. 2. Local beer league to absolutely flex on the scrubs playing at that time; it's nice to completely obliterate them. 3. I NEED to listen to Ram Ranch by Grant McDonald in its entirety before every game or else I will be complete frazzled and unable to compete at the highest level. 4. Pregame: Human Meat - Postgame: Caramelized hockey pucks 5. Absolutely nothing. I live in the Toronto locker room. I exist only to play hockey for the Toronto Legion, my life serves no other purpose. When not playing for the Legion I sit in my locker stall and stare straight into the darkness. 6. I've never seen a romantic movie in my life. I only watch Bollywood dramas.

calgary vancouver riga DC

Toronto 3-2

Maxim Kovalchuk Position: D/F Birthplace: Russia Height: 6’6" Weight: 208 lbs Number: 44 Drafted: 2nd OV S62 (Seattle) Username: @Banackock Career Awards S62 Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman) S64 Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman) S65 Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman) S65 Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman) S65 Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists) S68 Continental Cup (Seattle) S69 Continental Cup (Seattle) S62 SEA | GP: 30 | G: 87 | A: 87 | PTS: 117 | +/-: +16 | 2 GWG SEA | GP: 9 | G: 5 | A: 13 | PTS: 18 | +/-: -4 | 2 GWG Kovalchuk’s rookie season would not only turn out to be the finest of his entire career, but arguably one of the finest rookie seasons in VHL history. As of S71, only four VHL rookies ever scored more points in a single season than Kovalchuk: his own teammate C - Vyacheslav Smirnov (149PTS - S62), LW - Jardy Bunclewirth (132PTS - S18), C - Alexander Thrower (120PTS - S53), and D - Michael Angelo (119PTS - S20). Maxim was part of a dynamic Seattle offense whose top four scorers combined for over 500 points in the regular season; the Bears’ high flying offense wouldn’t turn into much success in the playoffs, as they would be eliminated by the eventual-champion Calgary Wranglers in 6 games. Kovalchuk wouldn’t go home without any hardware though, as he would take home the Alexander Valiq Trophy as the VHL’s Top Offensive Defenseman at the season's end. S63 SEA | GP: 72 | G: 25 | A: 40 | PTS: 65 | +/-: +62 | 3 GWG SEA | GP: 6 | G: 1 | A: 3 | PTS: 4 | +/-: +3 | 0 GWG S63 was practically the definition of a "sophomore slump" for the Russian defender, and it would not be nearly as prosperous for Kovalchuk as the previous season; his point total nearly halved, with the only improvement coming in the form of adding nearly +50 to his +/- rating. In all fairness to him, it would be hard for any player to improve upon a 117-Point rookie season. Despite strong seasons from future HoFers Gabriel McAllister and Matt Thompson, the Bears would lose in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Calgary Wranglers once again. S64 SEA | GP: 72 | G: 17 | A: 52 | PTS: 69 | +/-: +50 | 4 GWG SEA | GP: 6 | G: 2 | A: 3 | PTS: 5 | +/-: -1 | 1 GWG S64 would see Kovalchuk slightly raise his point totals from the season prior, although offense wasn’t where he made large strides that season. Kovalchuk’s improvements were mostly made in his physical play, as he reached a posted then-career highs in Hits (208) and Penalty Minutes (118) as he rounded himself into a quality two-way defender. His improvements in his own end would not go unnoticed, as he would take home the Jake Wylde Trophy as the VHL’s Top Defensive Defender after being eliminated at the hands of the Toronto Legion in the playoffs. S65 SEA | GP: 72 | G: 18 | A: 70 | PTS: 88 | +/-: +31 | 2 GWG SEA | GP: 6 | G: 0 | A: 7 | PTS: 7 | +/-: +1 | 0 GWG Although he wouldn’t score as many points as he did in his rookie season, S65 might have been the finest overall season of Kovalchuk’s entire career. With 70 assists and 88 Points, Kovalchuk would take home the Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists), Jake Wylde Trophy, and the Sterling Labatte Trophy as the VHL’s Top Overall Defenseman. His 88 Points led all defenders, 1 point more than rival Toronto defender Tzuyu. Despite 100+ point-seasons from Veran Dragomir, Sebastian Ironside, Vyacheslav Smirnov, and Matt Thompson, the Bears were once again ousted in the first round, this time via the Helsinki Titans. S66 CGY | GP: 72 | G: 27 | A: 59 | PTS: 86 | +/-: +39 | 2 GWG CGY | GP: 7 | G: 3 | A: 4 | PTS: 7 | +/-: +3 | 0 GWG S66 would be the 1st of Kovalchuk’s career not spent in Seattle; in the offseason, Kovalchuk along with Sebastian Ironside and the FA rights of Matt Thompson, were sent to the Wranglers in a rebuilding move that gave seattle two 1st Rd picks, two 2nd round picks, along with depth players Lando Baxter and Wlodzimierz Zajaczkowski. Kovalchuk adjusted well to his new home, leading the Wranglers defense by scoring 86 Points and patrolling the blueline with 242 Hits and 221 PIM; his quest for a Continental Cup would fall short again, falling to the Vancouver Wolves in the semi-finals. S67 CGY | GP: 34 | G: 8 | A: 16 | PTS: 24 | +/-: -12 | 0 GWG SEA | GP: 38 | G: 21 | A: 33 | PTS: 54 | +/-: -3 | 2 GWG Kovalchuk’s sixth VHL season would bring about massive change to his career; he would return to the city he had called home for so many seasons, but more importantly, Kovalchuk would switch positions from defense to forward. A midseason trade saw Kovalchuk head to Seattle along with promising John Frostbeard in exchange for budding star Joel Ylonen; despite those two acquisitions, the Bears would fall short of making the postseason in S67. Kovalchuk’s transition from defender to center went smoothly, as his 78 Points combined between Calgary and Seattle led the Bears in scoring at the season's end. S68 SEA | GP: 72 | G: 33 | A: 29 | PTS: 62 | +/-: +21 | 5 GWG SEA | GP: 14 | G: 7 | A: 10 | PTS: 17 | +/-: +8 | 1 GWG At long last, Maxim Kovalchuk would get his ring. The S68 Bears finished the regular season with 91 points and the best record in the North American Conference, thanks to their fantastic forward core of Acyd Burn, John Frostbeard, Joel Ylonen, and Kovalchuk. The Bears would defeat the Toronto Legion 4 games to 2 in the first round, and that would be the most competition they would face in the entire postseason, as they swept their way through the Wranglers and Nighthawks in the next two rounds. S69 SEA | GP: 72 | G: 17 | A: 27 | PTS: 44 | +/-: +10 | 2 GWG SEA | GP: 19 | G: 5 | A: 5 | PTS: 10 | +/-: +4 | 2 GWG Kovalchuk’s final VHL season would be his worst statistical season by far, barely breaking the 0.5PPG plateau. There was a reasonable explanation for this though, as Scott Greene took over as Seattle’s #1C, which meant Joel Ylonen moved into the #2C spot previously occupied by Kovalchuk, and Kovalchuk became a winger, only playing around half of the minutes he had played every season prior. Cutting down on Kovalchuk’s minutes did proved to be fruitful for the Bears, as with 93 points they locked down the #2 seed in the NA Conference heading into the postseason. The Bears dispatched of the upstart NY Americans in a grueling 7-game series, and defeated both the Vancouver Wolves and Riga Reign consecutively in 6 games to capture their 2nd straight Continental Cup. In what was a perfect career-ending moment, Kovalchuk scored what proved to be the game-winner of game six, capping off a career where he sacrificed a great deal for the betterment of his team. Regular Season Totals SEA | GP: 470 | G: 161 | A: 338 | PTS: 499 | +/-: +xx | 20 GWG CGY | GP: 106 | G: 35 | A: 75 | PTS: 110 | +/-: +27 | 2 GWG ALL | GP: 576 | G: 196 | A: 413 | PTS: 609 | +/-: +214 | 22 GWG Playoff Totals SEA | GP: 60 | G: 20 | A: 41 | PTS: 61 | +/-: +11 | 6 GWG CGY | GP: 7 | G: 3 | A: 4 | PTS: 7 | +/-: +3 | 0 GWG ALL | GP: 67 | G: 23 | A: 45 | PTS: 68 | +/-: +14 | 6 GWG Maxim Kovalchuk retires as not only one of the best players of his generation, but arguably the greatest Russian defender in VHL history. His 609 career points ranks 122nd all-time in VHL history at the time of his induction, and 6th all-time among Russian-born VHLers. His career arc was quite odd, seemingly peaking in his rookie season and then dipping before another peak a few seasons later. Playing 3/8 VHL seasons as a forward also sort of skews his perception as well, as he certainly had a chance to be the greatest defender of his generation had he not switched positions. Instead, he enters the Hall of Fame as a member of a small but seemingly growing group of dual-position players, one that includes Ay Ay Ron, Conner Low, & Matt Bailey.

Is it too late to join!?!?!

1. I'm very happy with his development; I don't think I've missed earning the max with him in any week (outside of the week I created him) yet. Hopefully that trend stays the same! 2. It was a steal! Anytime you can get two VHL quality players for only a 3rd is fantastic! 3. I'd say so. My own personal performance has definitely improved from last season, and the team overall is absolutely having more fun; hopefully we stay in the thick of the playoff race and keep up our strong play! 4. We definitely need to improve defensively, but thats to be expected when you have a young team; the best defensive teacher is experience, and that takes time. 5. I can see why people have said we're benefiting from sim-luck, as we're very good in overtime and shootouts this season, but you can argue that we're getting lucky simply because we're getting better overall as a team. 6. Absolutely nothing; I am saving up for later in my career to fight depeciation.

TORONTO, Canada, - To put it simply, the Toronto Legion were awful in overtime and shootouts in Season 70. Whilst the Legion weren't the worst team in the league in overtime (the Prague Phantoms went 2-8 in the extra period), the Legion still had a losing record in OT, going 3-4. The Legion were however, without question, the worst team in the shootout in S70, only winning 3 out of their 12 games that went to the skill competition, bad enough for a .250 winning percentage. Going into the offseason, one of the main factors of their game that the Legion wanted to improve upon this season was their play in extra time, and so far into S71, it appears that they are on their way to achieving that goal. The S71 Legion currently maintain a .500 combined winning percentage in extra frames, going 0-1 in overtime and 4-3 in the shootout. The boys from Ontario look to be a possible dark horse playoff candidate this season, and if they wish to make that big step out of the rebuild their above-average extra time play will have to continue.

Vancouver 5-2