Corco

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

Toronto Youngsters Running and Gunning Kristopher McDagg, Chad Magnum, and Nethila Dissanayake celebrate a goal in their recent 3-1 victory over the New York Americans TORONTO, Canada - These certainly aren't the same old Legion we saw last season; the S71 Toronto Legion, led on the statsheet by Zeno Miniti, Bjorn Scoringsonn, and Kristopher McDagg, have displayed quite a bit of spunk already this season. The boys from Ontario have already pulled off upset wins over Calgary (7-4 & 4-3), D.C. (6-2), and Vancouver (1-0), and currently sit in 4th place in the North American Conference, six points back of the conference-leading D.C. Dragons. The Legion have been propelled to this spot in the standings by the strong play of Zeno Miniti, Bjorn Scoringsonn, and rookie forward Kristopher McDagg; that trio have scored a combined 37 points in these first 14 games, with the rest of the Legion squad hot on their tail; defense need not apply baby, sorry Jaxx Hextall!

1. I definitely feel like we're more competitive than last season; having pretty much all of our young players up in the VHL gives us a bit more of an edge compared to last season in my opinion. 2. I think now we have something to play for; like I said above, we have all of our young guns up now, and we actually want to make a push towards the postseason. 3. We lost a defenseman from last season I believe, and I also think our strategies are a bit more offensively shifted, so both of those factors definitely contribute to our run-and-gun style this season. 4. We really just love to amp up our intensity against the Bears, it's just a North American Conference rivalry thing I guess. I would love to see us edge them out for a playoff spot this season though! 5. Absolutely he does! I feel like it will be a three-way race between him, Lafontaine, and Landry II, and it will certainly be a really interesting race to watch, especially given that it seems like scoring is up this season in comparison to S70. 6. Zeno Miniti. This is a guy who had only been regressing since his rookie season production-wise, and now he's pacing our team in scoring. It'll be interesting to see whether or not he will be able to keep this pace up the entire season.

Maybe it’s alphabetical?

Claiming week 2

-1 in a 6-2 victory ?

Finally bested those two in something!

Woes Continue for Legion Toronto forward Bjorn Scoringsonn can only hang his head in shame after a 4-3 loss at the hands of the New York Americans TORONTO, Ontario - What is supposed to be a season of building off the rebuilding progress made last season by the Toronto Legion has not started out according to plan. In the home opener against the rival New York Americans, the Legion appeared to start out S71 on the right foot, with Bjorn Scoringsonn scoring a goal in the first minute, but the Legion were unable to hold the lead very long, allowing New York to rattle off the next 3 goals to end the period down 3-1. The 2nd period was all Toronto though, as Rusty Shackleford and Boone Jenton would each score their first of the season, with the game heading into the 3rd period locked at 3. Shackleford would take a boarding minor five minutes into the third period, and Soren Jensen would score on the ensuing powerplay. That score would hold, and the Americans would take the season opener from the Legion by a score of 4-3.

Position: LW Birthplace: Puerto Rico Height: 5'11" Weight: 177 lbs Drafted: S60 2nd Overall, Calgary Wranglers Username: omgitshim Career Awards S62 Continental Cup (Calgary) S64 Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals) S64 Continental Cup (Toronto) S65 Continental Cup (Toronto) S65 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player) S65 Scotty Campbell Trophy (League MVP) S65 Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals) S65 Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points) While Oyorra Arroyo may not have dominated the VHL for extended periods of time such as his fellow Hall-of-Famers might have, it can be said without question that Arroyo’s peak in the mid-S60s was one of the most dominant time periods for a single player in recent memory. In the timeframe of Arroyo’s career, only generational talents Matt Thompson and Podrick cast scored more points; in fact, Arroyo only trails those two in nearly every major stat category from said timeframe. In the time dominated by those two, Arroyo was always playing third fiddle, but finally he now gains the recognition he deserves with his induction into the Hall of Fame. S60 CGY | GP: 72 | G: 25 | A: 30 | PTS: 55 | +/-: +21 | 3 GWG Arroyo came along at just the right time for the then-rebuilding Calgary Wranglers; of the SEVEN picks the Wranglers had in the S60 Entry Draft, only two really made a big impact at the VHL level (Arroyo and Jóhannes Vilhjálmsson). The Wranglers made the right choice, as only one other player in that entire draft would win a Continental Cup (Noel Roux in S61). In S60, Arroyo would finish 2nd in rookie scoring (25-30-55) behind the player who was taken one spot above him in the draft a season prior, Veran Dragomir (42-38-80). Dragomir would go on to have a more consistent career than Arroyo, although Dragomir would not reach the same peak that Arroyo did. Arroyo’s Wranglers would be ousted in the semifinals by the New York Americans, with Arroyo providing little help on offense, only scoring 2 points in 9 games. S61 CGY | GP: 72 | G: 31 | A: 26 | PTS: 57 | +/-: +14 | 8 GWG S61 didn’t bring Arroyo much difference in statistics; his goal total increased while his assists decreased and he barely improved on his point total from the season prior. Despite his pedestrian regular season, Arroyo would explode onto the scene in the playoffs that season, scoring 12 points in 14 games and being a major factor in the Wranglers playoff run that season. This performance would also be the first of FIVE straight postseason campaigns of scoring 10 or more points, a feat matched only by Keaton Louth and HoF Matt Thompson. S62 CGY | GP: 72 | G: 43 | A: 60 | PTS: 103 | +/-: +83 | 11 GWG Arroyo picked up right where he left off after the S61 postseason in S62, setting career highs in every major statistical category, notching the 1st 100-point season of his career. Arroyo was a key piece in a dynamic Calgary offensive attack that had FIVE 100+ point-scorers (Jasper Canmore, Keaton Louth, Mats Johnsson, Niko Bogdanovic, and Arroyo himself), and the Wranglers rode that prolific offense to a 123-point season and a 1st-place finish in S62. The heavily-favored Wranglers dispatched Seattle in 6 games, and would go on to win the Continental Cup in seven games over the Quebec City Meute, atoning for their near-miss the season prior. Arroyo would contribute 13 points on the scoresheet during the run. S63 CGY | GP: 72 | G: 38 | A: 45 | PTS: 83 | +/-: +50 | 8 GWG Arroyo saw a large dip in production (-20 points) for what would be his final season in Calgary; the Wranglers would reach the Cup finals for a 3rd straight season, although this time they would not be victorious, falling to the Riga Reign in 6 games. Calgary would opt to rebuild in the offseason, shipping off two eventual Hall of Famers (Arroyo and Norris Stopko) & Keaton Louth to the Toronto Legion to Aksel McKnight and picks. Calgary certainly got their money’s worth when they picked Arroyo 2nd overall in S60; you would be hard-pressed to find a GM who wouldn’t take a guaranteed 3 finals appearances and 1 Cup victory with a player over the unknown. S64 TOR | GP: 72 | G: 56 | A: 53 | PTS: 109 | +/-: +26 | 7 GWG Arroyo adapted about as well as any player possibly could in his first season as a member of the Toronto Legion; he set career-highs in Goals and Points, as well as taking home some individual hardware for the first time in his career. Both he and Matt Thompson would score a VHL-leading 56 Goals, giving us a dual Brooks-Trophy win in S64; Arroyo was only an assist shy of taking home two MORE co-trophies as well (Beketov and Szatkowski Trophies), but he would have to wait one more season for those. He would also lead the VHL in playoff scoring for S64 with 21 points in 12 games, although he would narrowly lose out on a Kanou Trophy (Playoff MVP) to teammate Norris Stopko, en route to a Toronto Continental Cup. S65 TOR | GP: 72 | G: 62 | A: 63 | PTS: 125 | +/-: +34 | 8 GWG Just when you thought Arroyo couldn’t get any better, he turns around and gives you a season for the ages. Arroyo nearly swept the main offense VHL awards (Most Outstanding, Most Goals, Most Points, & MVP), making up where he came short a season earlier. Arroyo’s stellar season, along with help from The Charm, Tzuyu, and Robert Malenko, would guide the Legion to a 3rd-place finish in the North American conference in S65 and set up a 1st-round matchup with the Riga Reign. Toronto would easily dispatch the Reign in five games, and best the Helsinki Titans in a hard-fought seven game series to secure their 2nd straight Continental Cup victory. Arroyo was less of a dominant force in the S65 postseason than he was a season prior (perhaps his torrential regular season wore him down), only scoring 11 points in 12 games. S66 TOR | GP: 72 | G: 41 | A: 42 | PTS: 83 | +/-: +6 | 4 GWG The penultimate season of Arroyo’s career wasn’t fruitful for either Arroyo or the Legion; Arroyo would post his lowest numbers in three seasons and take home no individual awards, whilst the Legion would end up finishing 8 points out of a playoff spot in the North American Conference. This would be the first time in Arroyo’s career that he would miss the postseason. S67 TOR | GP: 72 | G: 37 | A: 42 | PTS: 79 | +/-: +22 | 8 GWG Arroyo and the Legion entered S67 with a big chip on their shoulders; it was Arroyo’s final VHL season and he certainly wanted to go out on top. Toronto proved their doubters wrong the whole season, steamrolling the rest of the VHL en route to a 113-point season. No other team in the VHL would even come within 20 points of the Legion; Arroyo posted the worst numbers of his career since his sophomore season in Calgary, but he was no longer the main straw that stirred the drink in Toronto. The torch had been passed to Rylan Peace, who’s agency would eventually come to manage the Legion. Dreams of a storybook ending to Arroyo’s career would be cut short by the upstart Vancouver Wolves though, as they ousted the heavily-favored Legion in 5 games en route to a Continental Cup victory. Arroyo’s 8 points would be the lowest postseason point total since his rookie season. Totals CGY/TOR | GP: 576 | G: 333 | A: 361 | PTS: 694 | +/-: +256 | 57 GWG Oyorra Arroyo certainly wasn’t a shoo-in Hall of Famer upon retirement; he didn’t win as many awards as many other Hall of Famers and was never a flashy player. However, what he lacks in Hardware he makes up for in consistency; he was a consistent difference-maker in the postseason, having been a part of 3 cup-winning teams. He was arguably the 2nd-best playoff player of his generation, only trailing Matt Thompson in postseason goals & points from S60-S67. We don’t talk about Arroyo that much in terms of historical greats, but that’s thanks to forever playing in the shadow of two of the greatest players of all-time in Matt Thompson and Podrick Cast; there’s no doubt in my mind that Arroyo would have entered the Hall sooner had Cast and Thompson never played in the VHL. 1,300 Words

D - Aron Nielsen @McWolf Bushito has missed two picks in a row @studentized You're up

@TheFlash bushito missed pick, you’re up

Read the question carefully

F - Acyd Burn @Bushito

1. Hopefully Killinger; we had a decent shot at RoTY last year with myself, but Magnum sputtered out in the 2nd half of the season. I'd love to see either him or McKdagg take home the hardware this season. 2. Hmm, I'd say 29, possibly more if we learn to play better in overtime and shootouts. 3. 4th in North America, 8th in the VHL. 4. I'd say Seattle again; I loved playing them last season. It would be awesome to help hurt another NA team's playoff chances. 5. Davos. I see us matching up very well against them, as they're very similar to us in terms of rebuild development. 6. In a perfect world, win the Funk Trophy and score over 0.5PPG, but I'd be happy with just an overall improvement on last year as a whole.