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VHL Award Tracker
Preview of The S71 Award Races
 
Welcome everyone, to this season’s first VHL Award Tracker. Last week we took a look at the potential candidates for the VHLM awards, and this week we shift our focus to the VHL. Being 30 games into the season, we should have a general idea of the contenders for each award, though late risers and fallers are sure to impact the race down the road as well. 
 
Also, make sure to check out the wide variety of content here at VSN. There are in-depth weekly updates for both the VHL and VHLM, a great podcast, and daily WJC coverage when it starts up, among other informative articles. Check out our latest instalments here:
 | VSN Radio | VHL Weekly | VHLM Weekly | Deep Rewind | 
 
 
Mike Szatkowski Trophy
 
Awarded to the player with the most points at the end of the season, the race for the Mike Szatkowski Trophy is headlined by Seattle forward Ambrose Stark with 43 points in 30 games. Not too far behind is Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who was only a point away from this title two seasons ago. He currently sits at 40 points. With 36 points each, Julius Freeman and Tyler Barabash Jr have some catching up to do if they want to win the Szatkowski, though it is still very much a possibility that either of them takes it home. Worth mentioning is that both Julius Freeman and Hunter Hearst Helmsley play for Vancouver, so their talents could be mutually beneficial to each other’s point totals.
 
 
Kevin Brooks Trophy
 
The Kevin Brooks Trophy is awarded to the player with the most goals at the end of the season, and the top candidate right now is once again Ambrose Stark, with 20 goals. Julius Freeman only trails by 1 goal, with 19 to his name. Freeman is also only one season removed from a Brooks Trophy and has had 30 or more goals in each of his past 4 full seasons. Another forward from Seattle, Scott Greene, is close as well with 18 goals.
 
 
Alexander Beketov Trophy
 
An award dominated by defensemen, the Alexander Beketov Trophy is given to the player who finishes with the most assists on the season. Out of the top 10 players in assists 30 games in, only two of them are forwards. The leader of the pack at the moment is Hulk Hogan, with 31 assists. In the second place, and the only other player to have an assist per game so far this season is Cinnamon Block. She has an even 30 assists in 30 games played. The top forward, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, has 28, only 3 behind Hogan. Not to be dismissed is Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen, who is a constant threat for this award. He is only 4 assists behind and won this award last season after almost doing so the season prior as well. This award has many legitimate candidates, and it will be an interesting one to keep an eye on. 
 
 
Alexander Valiq Trophy
 
Given to the league’s top offensive defenseman, the Alexander Valiq candidates are very similar to those of the Beketov. Hulk Hogan and Cinnamon Block lead the way in points with 34 each, a 5 point lead over the rest of the pack. Hogan has changed his playstyle a lot recently, becoming a more skill-based player, and it is paying off nicely for him up to this point. The first overall pick of the S69 Draft, Block has had increasing point totals every season since entering the VHL, and this season looks to be no different. Trying to make up ground is star defenseman Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen, as he is tied for third place at the moment. The pair of Lincoln Tate and Apollo Hackett could also find themselves at the top if they can put together a bit of a streak.
 
 
Jake Wylde Trophy
 
Opposite of the Valiq Trophy, the Jake Wylde Trophy is awarded to the league’s best defensive defenseman. This award is much harder to track because it is harder to quantify defence. The league’s top offensive defenseman can be judged by their points, but the top defensive defenseman has to be decided by multiple factors, being shots blocked, hits, and plus-minus. Riga defenseman Lincoln Tate could be a prevalent candidate for this award, with his +14 rating, 58 shots blocked and 90 hits. Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen also has an impressive +8 rating, 64 shots blocked and 69 hits. Inactive defenseman Boone Jenton has had a very productive start as well, although his 309 TPE doesn’t suggest that he will be a major threat down the road. Lastly, another Riga defenseman, Apollo Hackett, has a +12 rating, 58 shots blocked and 84 hits. These names look to be the main competition so far, but it is still early enough that someone else could pull away with the lead.
 
Sterling Labatte Trophy
 
Now we get to the most important Trophy for VHL defensemen, the Sterling Labatte Trophy. Awarded to the top defenseman in the league, both the qualifications for the Vaiq and Wylde trophies are considered to decide on one winner. Hulk Hogan and Cinnamon Block are sure to be in the race due to their unmatched offensive production, while not sacrificing their defensive game as well. Perhaps the favourite for the award up to this point is none other than the winner of this trophy for the past three consecutive seasons, Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen. His 29 points, 64 shot blocks and 69 hits really stand out in terms of versatility, and his reputation as a three-time winner would lead me to believe he very well may have number four. Also in the conversation are the pair from Riga, Apollo Hackett and Lincoln Tate. Their offensive and defensive consistency really helps their cases, and either of them could win it as well.
 
 
Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy
 
The Christian Stolzchweiger Trophy is awarded to the top rookie in the VHL, and this season’s race has contenders from each position. Goalies Jacques Lafontaine and Jaxx Hextall have been starters for their respective teams, and Lafontaine actually has the most wins in the entire league. Hextall does have the advantage in save percentage though, which could sway some voters in his favour. Defenseman Roque Davis has put together a very solid rookie campaign fresh after being selected 2nd overall in the draft. He has 21 points, 49 shots blocked, and 44 hits, which are very impressive for a rookie defenseman, especially on a weaker team. Two forwards lead the way in scoring, as Ola Vikingstad and Kyl Oferson each have 23 points. Oferson has a slight advantage in goals, with 11 over Vikingstad’s 10. A mere 1 point behind them is Thomas Landry II, who also has a remarkable 104 hits, good for ninth in the league. This will be a tight race and a very interesting one to follow.
 
 
Dustin Funk Trophy
 
Awarded to the league’s most improved player, the Dustin Funk Trophy race is one that is always fun to watch. This season’s contenders include the previously mentioned Cinnamon Block, who has jumped from 46 points last season to an 82 point pace, going from very good defenseman to a Labatte candidate. Moscow defenseman Oskar Lagesson has already doubled his S70 point total, sitting at 22 points in 30 games after last season’s 10 in 72 games. This puts him at a 53 point pace, very solid for a sophomore defender. Wranglers forward Sigard Gunnar should have a chance as well with his 67 point pace over his S70 point total of 37. New York Center Keven Foreskin has had an incredible bounce-back season, going from 26 points to a 70 point pace. He will be a real threat if he keeps up this pace.
 
 
Scott Boulet Trophy
 
Given to the league’s best two-way forward, the Scott Boulet Trophy is a bit strange in its criteria, which makes it seemingly for the league’s best power forward. Scott Greene of the Bears has 33 points to pair with his 128 hits, second in the league in that regard. Hunter Hearst Helmsley boasts a nice statline of 40 points with his 124 hits, and he could quite possibly take it home as well. Since Greene has the edge in shots blocked, with 14 over HHH’s 8, I would give him the edge for the trophy as well up to this point.
 
 
Greg Clegane and Aidan Shaw Trophies
 
Led currently by a backup, the Greg Clegane Trophy is given to the goalie with the lowest goals-against average. While Owen May, in his second season ever as a backup, leads the way with a 0.86 GAA, that is simply not maintainable, and I expect that number to drop eventually. The other half of this section, the Aidan Shaw Trophy is awarded to the league’s top goalie. Now, the reason these two trophies are paired together is that their favourites are almost identical every season. And other than May as a possible contender for the Clegane, that is the case this season as well. There are three goalies who are above the rest right now, being Malmo’s Michael Johnson, Prague’s Brick Wahl and newly acquired Greg Eagles for Riga. Johnson has the advantage in save percentage with a very good .932. The one with the edge for the Clegane is Wahl, who has a 1.93 GAA, and Eagles is within striking distance of taking the lead in either of these categories. Raymond Bernard of Moscow could also find himself at the top with a good stretch of games as well.
 
 
Scotty Campbell and Brett Slobodzian Trophies
 
These two can also be talked about together since MVP and most outstanding player mean close to the same thing. I would say Ambrose Stark has a good chance because the lead in both points and goals is a great thing to have on your side. Hunter Hearst Helmsley should have a shot too because he is close to the points lead while also being a Scott Boulet candidate. I would say the most likely candidate among defensemen would be last season’s Slobodzian winner, Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen, with his impressive offensive and defensive numbers. I don’t think any goalies have pulled away yet, though any of the Shaw candidates I mentioned could at any given moment. This is the most coveted individual award, and it should be a great race to follow.
 
 
With the season not even halfway done, some of these candidates will likely fall out of contention, and others that I never mentioned will step it up. These awards will all be fun to keep track of, and we will return to them in a few weeks. Good luck to everyone who hopes to win one, whether you’re in contention now or not.
 
Players mentioned: @Banackock @Beaviss @rjfryman @Bushito @DoktorFunk @Hulk Hogan @omgitshim @flyersfan1453 @Tate @Renomitsu @FakeJenton @Dil @Nykonax @Doomsday @Josh @SlapshotDragon @ROOKIE745 @fever95 @Big Mac @Esso2264 @FacebookFighter @BladeMaiden @Greg_Di @Mr_Hatter

Credit to @Motzaburger for turning back time with this beauty.
 
Hello VHL, and welcome to the Season 71 edition of Deep Rewind. In this segment, we'll explore the vast history of the Victory Hockey League, as a league such as this doesn't make it more than 70 seasons without having good stories to tell. Whether it's some of the greatest achievements of the league's legendary players, the marks left by top teams, or the outright bizarre, the history of the VHL has a story for everyone. Through Deep Rewind, these stories will be told.
 
But first, here's a quick look at what's going on with the VSN this week! We've got plenty of coverage on the next batch of rookies in the VHLM, along with what's going on in the bigs with VHL Weekly. A new episode of VSN Radio was also released, with @DarkSpyro making a guest appearance!
 
The VHLM Review | S71 VHLM Award Tracker | VSN Weekly Review | VSN Radio | The Talents Behind the Trophies
 
Continuing with the theme of the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, the VHL has seen its fair share of oddities when it comes to rookies. In order to thrive, a league needs fresh talent to replenish the ranks, and the VHL is no different. Many dynamic talents have come and gone, some going on to become immortalized in the Hall of Fame. But with individual scoring numbers plummeting in recent seasons, perhaps no rookie class has felt the effects of this more than Season 70 one. Helsinki Titans defenseman Erik Summers led all rookies with 39 points and for a vast majority of the season was the clear favourite to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, which he eventually did. Although Summers is blossoming into one of the VHL's premiere defensemen this season, does he hold the dubious record of being the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy winner with the fewest points (goalies naturally not included)? In Season 58, New York Americans defenseman Colton Rayne won the award with 38 points, which seemingly makes him the holder of that distinction. But, as pointed out by @Renomitsu, the answer is more complicated than it originally seems. 
 
Season 58
 
In the midst of contraction, the VHL has returned to having eight teams. With five of them making the playoffs, it's still not much of a race. The Calgary Wranglers, Quebec City Meute and HC Davos Dynamo are rebuilding, essentially leaving the real battle to be over seeding. The Riga Reign, Toronto Legion and Seattle Bears all finish over 100 points, leaving the Helsinki Titans and New York Americans to fight over home-ice advantage for their match-up in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. The Titans win that battle, finishing with 86 points to the Americans' 83, but ultimately lose the war as New York wins the deciding Game Seven to defeat Helsinki and advance. With four rookies on the roster, including Colton Rayne, the Americans are ultimately no match for the eventual champions, the Riga Reign, who take the series in five games. 
 

Rookies Colton Rayne and Aksel McKnight gave the Big Apple hope for the future in Season 58.
 
For the Americans, however, the future looks bright. Rayne became one of their better defensemen as a rookie, and fellow rookie Aksel McKnight led all rookies with 50 points at left wing. As it turned out, the voters couldn't agree which one deserved to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, with both of the Americans' stud rookies receiving four votes. For the third (and to date, the most recent) time, there were two winners of the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy. In fact, it had been 30 seasons since Alexander Labatte and Shane Lynch were co-winners in Season 28. The first time it happened was just four seasons earlier when future Hall of Famers Benjamin Glover and Mitch Higgins were co-winners in Season 24.
 
However, discrepancies exist on just how many points Colton Rayne scored in his rookie season. His listing on the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy states that Rayne scored 9 goals and 29 assists, for a total of 38 points and a +5 rating. If those numbers are correct, that would make him the recipient with the fewest points in the history of the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy. There is, however, one slight problem. 
 
It's not correct.
 
Both the Season 58 index and Rayne's own player page, since this is the Portal era, have his true statistics for his rookie year: 7 goals, 34 assists, for 41 points and a -7. Oopsie!
 
That is a rather unfortunate distinction for Mr Summers and the Season 70 rookies. Not only is Summers' 39 points the lowest amount to ever lead a rookie class, but it also becomes the fewest amount of points to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, as opposed to Colton Rayne. Sorry, Erik, but at least you're shaping up to have a great career!
 
Season 62
 
After Christian Stolzschweiger's 140 points as a rookie in Season 2, the first winner of the trophy that eventually bore his name remained the gold standard for 60 seasons. Records, however, are made to be broken, and for Stolzschweiger's rookie point total, Season 62 marked the end of it. Although the VHL remained at eight teams, the league was on the verge of thriving once again. Recruitment was on the rise, and while the league's eyes were on the massive collection of prospects in the VHLM, there was still plenty of top talent that just made the jump to the pros, and the VHL was about to be put on notice.
 

Vyacheslav Smirnov burst onto the scene in Season 62, smashing the record for points scored by a rookie with 149.
 
Season 62 featured a ton of scoring, with eight players cracking 50 goals. Surprisingly, two of those players were rookies. Vyacheslav Smirnov and Leph Twinger also topped 100 points, with future Hall of Fame defenseman (and later forward) Maxim Kovalchuk the third rookie to break 100 points (Kovalchuk additionally led all defensemen in points with 117). Smirnov, however, was in a league of his own. The Seattle Bears' rookie centre scored 63 goals, tacking on 89 assists for an astonishing 149 points. Smirnov not only smashed the 60-year-old record set by Stolzschweiger, but his total was also good for third in the entire VHL, behind only future Hall of Famers Podrick Cast and Matt Thompson. Since Smirnov, no other rookie has topped 100 points, with Shane Mars' 94 in Season 66 the closest one has gotten since. 
 
While rookie scoring hit an all-time low last season, it thankfully appears to be on the rise again. Through the first 28 games in Season 71, seven rookies have scored 17 points or more. Three have scored at least 20 points, with Thomas Landry II and Ola Vikingstad tied for first with 22 points each at the time of print. Two goalies are also in the mix as well, with Calgary's Jacques Lafontaine's 19 wins leading the VHL and Jaxx Hextall being a big part of Toronto's surprising season. Time will tell whether or not this is a trend that will continue, but there is no denying that the VHL is beginning to see more rookies making an impact again. They might not be topping 100 points or cracking many stat leaderboards, but it's an encouraging sign that perhaps the claims of a dead puck era were premature. Maybe we won't see another dominant rookie like Christian Stolzschweiger or Vyacheslav Smirnov just yet, or maybe ever, but rookies might just be able to put the fears of scoring less than 20 points as a rookie to rest.
 
Player Mentions: @Erik Summers, @Spade18, @Renomitsu, @sterling, @Chad, @scoop, @Higgins, @Banackock, @DollarAndADream, @Victor, @Beketov, @Doomsday, @Dil, @SlapshotDragon, @ROOKIE745

There has been growing talk about the lack of retired numbers in the VHL in recent seasons (or numbers in general). Fortunately I had a MS set-up just for this purpose which I don't feel like writing so let's look at some of the worst offenders.
 
Seattle
S4 & S5 cups: Danny Tremblay, #31, Patrice Reynaud, #58
S12 cup: Zacky Vengeance, #8, Alexander Beketov, #88, Sandro Desaulniers, #94
S17 cup: Sandro Desaulniers, #94, Markus Strauss, #9
S28 cup: Mitch Higgins, #60, Felix Peters, #92
S43 cup: N/A
S59 cup: N/A
S68 & S69 cups: N/A
 
@Banackock has been GM for approximately 50 years and has not retired a single number in this time. Now to be fair Seattle set the bar pretty high in their early days and after Peters, Higgins, and their friends retired in S30 it was pretty slim pickings. The Bears have unsurprisingly tried to ignore the S43 cup and didn't have a whole load of success for 30 seasons.
 
But under Bana's watch, there has been a bit of a return to the glory days. Gabriel McAllister spent 6 of his 8 illustrious seasons with Seattle and led them them to a cup at last in S59, so you'd assume that would be worthy of retiring his #21. After that, it's not customary for GMs to retire their own numbers but you'd imagine one of Bana's will get the honour eventually – probably Aleksei Federov's #63 or Maxim Kovalchuk's #44. And none of those options would have been retired previously!
 
The S67 core is obviously still active, with the likely players now going to be some combination of Greene, Hogan, Sundqvist, and Funk.
 
Riga
S4 finals: Chris Julien, #13, Markko St. Urho, #14
S10 cup: Layken Heidt, #51, Torsten Schwarz, #5, Blake Beukeboom, #2, Vladimir Kliment, #77, Marek Van Urho, #31
S16 cup: Max Kroenenburg, #54
S20 near-miss: Olivier Scarlett, #32, Max Kroenenburg, #54
S32 finals: Ansgar Snijider, #13, Miles Larsson, #53
S33 cup: Miles Larsson, #53
S40 cup: Brennan McQueen, #95, Mike Szatkowski Jr., #78
S51 cup: N/A
S57 & S58 cups: N/A
S63 cup: N/A
 
Oh look, another long-term GM who hasn't bothered honouring his players. @hedgehog337 Riga definitely has some catching up to do as all those cup wins had some worthy players, from Pietro Maximoff (#25) to Markus King (#50).
 
Fredinamijs Krigars, #43, and Kallis Kriketers, #who knows, fall into the Federov/Kovalchuk category above but definitely worthy of retirement by a future GM (unless hedge is an egomaniac). In the meantime, to pass the time he can also retire Podrick Cast's #96, Ryan Kastelic's #13 (for a third time), and Edwin Preencarnacion's #10.
 
Vancouver
S35 cup: Alexander Valiq, #5
S42 finals: Bruno Wolf, #8
S56 cup: N/A
S67 cup: N/A
 
Quebec dropped the ball a bit after going on 4 straight finals and 1 cup in the 50s. Look at all these Hall of Famers: Lukas Muller. Fabio Jokinen. Fook Yu. Apollo Skye. John Locke. Retire some numbers.
 
Also 2-time GM Frank deserves some love. Aksel Thomassen, John Sleeman, Pierre Gaudette, pick any or all of the three. Your move @Beaviss.

+2 each for Kronos/ACL

Now now, we don't need to use words like that. Some people really like the mold of 6/4/2 and while I wouldn't say we have gotten away from it entirely, it's not really the norm. Some teams still use that, but it's far more of a situational thing. A lot of teams have gotten used to having 9 forwards and sometimes as much as 6D. This season was also one of the first in a bit where I had to manually go grab the CPU bot goalies for teams because most teams were carrying some inactive back up at the bare minimum. 
 
I think the larger problem with taking on more players and bigger roster sizes is how it equates to success in the sim. Which is why that has constantly been an ongoing discussion for the BoG in that thread even. The primary focus seems to be right now in increasing the quality gap in the sim associated with the more nuanced TPA gap. It's not just a matter of every team only having 4-5 good players, like it was in the old days, so every team could see a modicum of success and it wouldn't impact player success too much. Each team carries more serious actives now than they did in the old days, so even under the idealized roster setup some have of 6/4 we have issues, because that 6 or that 4 generally are competing with each other for stats now too. All of it is happening while team stats and scoring in general isn't that much higher than it has been. It's why despite so many good players individual stats aren't skyrocketing either. 
 
The amount of player tiering that we would like to see versus what the league has traditionally seen is so out of whack that it's not exactly the easiest problem to fix. No band-aid quick all has helped and test sims while illuminating only have thus far served to take us deeper down the rabbit hole, if that makes sense. I'm sorry I know you'd probably like a more optimistic answer, but we are simply playing the cards we have been dealt. 

Toronto receives:
Gabriel Gutzwiler
Leon Gutzwiler

New York receives:
S73 TOR 3rd


@Esso2264

Was told to wait a couple hours for the portal to be fixed, it ain't fixed -- it'll be a new sim tomorrow but I understand the league still needs to approve this, just wanted to get it out of the way. Esso and I cam make it 'official' on the Portal once it has been repaired so it tracks all this stuff. 

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!

Credit to @Motzaburger for this dope title graphic!
 
Hello and welcome to Season Two of The Talents Behind the Trophies. In this series, we delve deep into the history of the Victory Hockey League to learn more about the players that the various awards of the VHL and VHLM are named after. Many times, people covet a trophy, yet they don't know the story behind the player the award is named for. Personally, I feel that the stories of these players should be told. You see, these awards were initially named after NHL players, eventually taking the name of VHL players who personified the spirit of that award. Naturally, these are some of the best to ever grace the league, and The Talents Behind the Trophies will ensure their stories are known. 
 
We'll begin with a trophy that is very well-known and hotly contested virtually annually: the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, awarded to the top rookie of the VHL. Originally called the Bossy Trophy after the legendary NHL sniper, it would be renamed in Season 11 after the first player to win the award, Christian Stolzschweiger. Not only was he the first player to win the award, but for many years, the journeyman right wing was the golden standard for rookies of the VHL. With a ridiculous 72 goals and 68 assists for 140 points, Stolzschweiger remained the top rookie point scorer for decades. In fact, his record was only very recently eclipsed in Season 62 by Vyacheslav Smirnov of the Seattle Bears, who scored an insane 149 points. 
 

The Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy is awarded annually to the top rookie of the VHL.
 
As the VHL enters what many consider to be a "dead puck era," the impressive point totals from rookies has naturally dropped off. Indeed, Season 70's winner, Helsinki Titans defenseman Erik Summers, won the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy with 39 points. However, that is not the lowest point total to win the award, with defenseman Colton Rayne of the New York Americans holding that distinction. Fortunately for prospects everywhere, rookie scoring appears to once again be on the rise. Season 71 rookies Kristopher McDagg and Thomas Landry II have both scored 10 points in their first 12 games, with several others close behind. Calgary's phenom netminder, Jacques Lafontaine, is also making a strong case for the award, with 8 wins and a .922 save percentage. There is certainly a strong crop vying for the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy this season.
 
While Christian Stolzschweiger's name is known by virtue of the trophy that bears his name, along with his dynamic rookie season, little seems to be known about the VHL Hall of Famer otherwise. For starters, despite being best-known for his rookie season in Season 2, his story actually begins before that. Stolzschweiger was selected with the 4th overall pick of the Season 1 Supplementary Draft by the Seattle Everblades, playing a full season with them. In those 72 games, he scored 36 goals and tallied 35 assists for a total of 71 points, falling just short of averaging a point per game. The North American Conference All-Star also added 5 points in the playoffs, despite Seattle being swept by the legendary Season 1 Calgary Wranglers, featuring Hall of Famers Brett Slobodzian, Scott Boulet and Sterling Labatte. As a supplementary player, Stolzschweiger was draft-eligible for the Season 2 VHL Entry Draft, being selected first overall by the Toronto Legion.
 

Christian Stolzschweiger's legendary Season 2 would win him more than just Rookie of the Year honours. 
 
Stolzschweiger's "rookie" season, as well-documented by this article multiple times, was nothing short of legendary. Averaging a goal a game with 72 and assisting on 68 others, Stolzschweiger's 140 points not only led all rookies, it led the entire VHL, outside of the legendary Scotty Campbell. Along with a second straight All-Star selection and the Bossy Trophy as the top rookie, Stolzschweiger also won the Gretzky Trophy as the VHL MVP. However, the Calgary Wranglers again defeated the Legion in the playoffs, despite 14 points from Stolzschweiger in the seven-game series. Season 3 ultimately brought more of the same, as, despite another dominant season with 135 points, Toronto again ran into Calgary in the playoffs and were unceremoniously swept. It also wound up being the end of Stolzschweiger's time with Toronto, as he would be traded to the Hamilton Canucks following the end of the season.
 
With Hamilton looking to reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the Canucks looked to Stolzschweiger to deliver and his dominance continued. The change of scenery having no ill effects, he scored 63 goals and added 62 assists for 125 points, another strong season. A match-up with Stolzschweiger's old Seattle team, since re-branded the Bears, ended in more post-season heartbreak. Despite scoring 11 points, the Bears defeated the Canucks in six games en route to their first Continental Cup victory. After being traded again following the season, Stolzschweiger found himself on the Stockholm Rams, his third team in three years. His dominant play continued, recording 127 more points with 65 goals. However, the one other thing that remained a constant was failure in the playoffs. The Rams were swept by future Hall of Famer Matt Defosse and the Helsinki Titans, as another great year by Stolzschweiger ended in bitter disappointment. 
 

Hall of Famer Matt Defosse, one of Helsinki's first greats, as well as a post-season nemesis of Stolzschweiger.
 
Another season began with another new home for Christian Stolzschweiger, this time with the Avangard Havoc. Looking to finish a rebuild, Stolzschweiger helped pave the way to the playoffs with 46 goals and 66 assists, for 112 points. Avangard reached the playoffs, but Stolzschweiger was thwarted yet again by the Helsinki Titans, who, bolstered by the mid-season acquisition of Scotty Campbell,  defeated the Havoc in six games and went on to win the Continental Cup. For the first time since Season 3, however, Stolzschweiger did not end up on another team, remaining on an Avangard team that, with the likes of Brad Janssen, Alec Miller, McLovin, Sexy McSexington and, of course, Christian Stolzschweiger, quickly emerged as a favourite for the Cup. He responded with another big season, racking up 65 goals and 60 assists for 125 points as the Havoc finished with the best record in the league. Any post-season doubts were quickly silenced with a convincing sweep of the Vasteras Eagles, and Christian Stolzschweiger was finally going to play in the Continental Cup Finals. The Calgary Wranglers, who had ended several seasons for him in heartbreak, once again stood in his way. But behind Stolzschweiger's 20 points in 10 games, the Avangard Havoc would not be denied, defeating Calgary in six games to win the Continental Cup. On top of finally lifting the Continental Cup, Stolzschweiger also won the Howe Trophy as the MVP of the Playoffs. 
 

Sterling Labatte and the Calgary Wranglers were thorns in Stolzschweiger's side early in his career, but could not deny him a Cup in Season 7.
 
Avangard's success, however, proved to be short-lived. Many of the players who were instrumental to their championship season were now gone, but Stolzschweiger remained for his third season with the club. It would also be his last, as Stolzschweiger announced his retirement at the beginning of the season. Despite the rough outlook of Avangard's upcoming season, Stolzschweiger stuck with the Havoc, recording 34 goals and 43 assists for 77 points in his final season. With Avangard missing the playoffs, the season finale against the Toronto Legion, the team that drafted him in Season 2, was his final VHL game. Although the Legion defeated the Havoc 5-2, Stolzschweiger finished his career with a multi-point game, recording a goal and an assist. As he left the ice for the final time, he received a roaring ovation from a grateful Toronto crowd, sending the legend off with the respect brought about by his greatness. 
 
In Season 9, Stolzschweiger's career was fully cemented as one of the VHL's greats as he was inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame, along with the great Scotty Campbell. One of the game's original greats, Stolzschweiger's fame continues to this day. Two seasons after being immortalized in the Hall of Fame, the Bossy Trophy was renamed to the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, which has been coveted by rookie players ever since. Although his rookie record has since been broken, it is difficult to argue that VHL rookies do not continue to chase the success he experienced in his rookie season. Perhaps, just maybe, with this article, the story of Christian Stolzschweiger can be remembered as more than just a dominant rookie season and a name on a trophy. 
 
Best of luck to all the rookies of Season 71 as they look to start their careers by intertwining their careers with Stolzschweiger's by winning the trophy that bears his name!
 
Players Mentioned: avalanchfan21, @Banackock, @Erik Summers, @Spade18, @Viperxhawks19, @Doomsday, @SlapshotDragon, rybak_49, djscooter, @sterling, @scotty, @Cowboy, Brad Janssen, Gibouleau

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!

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

VHL Top 25 Players
 
Part 5: 5-1
 
Well folks, this is it! As the puck has dropped on the brand new season, the clock is running out on the VHL Top 25 Players. Five more rankings to go, and with it, we find out who the top-ranked player in the VHL is this season! It was a tight race for the top, but there can only be one at the top. Join @FrostBeard, @Doomsday, @Erik Summers, @McWolf and @Mr_Hatter one last time as we break down the cream of the VHL's elite!
 
5. Tyler Barabash Jr., C
 
Entering his sixth season in the VHL, Tyler Barabash Jr. is at the top of my list of players I expect to have a breakout year. After playing his minor league hockey with the Las Vegas Aces, Barabash progressed in the league in a fairly typical fashion. It took two seasons to really get adjusted to the level of play in the VHL, but in his third season, he took the league by storm and more than doubled his previous best single-season points total with 77. After a slight regression in S69, which likely had more to do with Calgary being in a tailspin at the time, he was back on track in S70 with an exact point-per-game average. The Wranglers seem to be angling to make another run at the cup after falling just short last season, and with the amount of young talent on their roster, they just might do it. Whether or not they hoist the cup this season, I expect that we will be seeing Barabash Jr. sporting some hardware of his own as he looks to have his best season yet. 
- Erik Summers


 
4. Hunter Hearst Helmsley, C
 
The biggest bust in the league, HHH is -- nah, I’m just messing with you. With some big names of the S63 draft class retiring this offseason, the S66 number one pick has catapulted to the top of the TPE and TPE Leaderboards, and as such expectations are high for the Vancouver Wolves' star forward. HHH is a purely destructive force, having reached over 250 hits in each of the last two seasons, and reaching at least 80 points in each as well, truly finding his stride with the Wolves after his S68 trade from the Riga Reign. He experienced a slight downturn in S70 in his goal-scoring, dropping from 42 to 30 while retaining his 50 assists; still, an impressive haul that earned him 6th place in the regular season for points, tied with teammate Shawnomir Jagr. What separates HHH from his peers and places him in the top five players for the upcoming season is his potential. That might sound crazy given his age and already high levels of play, but Helmsley has the staying power to remain a force in the league for the rest of his career, and even improve upon his prior performances. If any player will break the 100 point barrier for the first time since S68, you can trust that HHH will be first in line to do so. With such a star-studded forward line to work with and the blue line to feed him all day, we expect big things from Hunter Hearst Helmsley as we place him #4 on our list. 
- Mr_Hatter


 
3. Julius Freeman, LW
 
As one of the premier forwards in the VHL, it's no surprise to find Julius Freeman here in the Top Three. What is surprising, however, is that despite scoring ten less points than he did in Season 69 (nice), Freeman jumps into the top three. The retirements of players such as Julian Borwinn surely helped, but it doesn't change how deadly Freeman is. Even with high-scoring players like Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Shawnomir Jagr in Vancouver, Freeman's production is always there. Drafted second overall by the Vancouver Wolves in Season 66, his rookie season was the only year in which Freeman did not top 30 goals. After breaking out in Season 67 with 37 goals and 36 assists, he contributed another 9 goals and 8 assists in the playoffs to help the Wolves win the Continental Cup. Freeman's best season came in Season 69 (nice), in which he won the Kevin Brooks Trophy with a league-leading 44 goals, along with 45 assists for a career-high 89 points. As mentioned, Freeman's production dipped in Season 70, scoring 36 goals and 43 assists for 79 points. It was still, however, the second highest point total of his career, and with 122 hits, a new element to his game developed. Going into Season 71, Julius Freeman remains as one of the league's elite forwards and scoring threats, putting him at #3 and a well-deserved recognition as one of the VHL's truly elite players. 
- Doomsday


 
2. D Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen
 
A Hall of Fame player, one of the best players in recent memory to play in VHL. A truly dominant Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen has been a treat to watch for many seasons. For the last 3 seasons with 80 point in each of them, Smitty has been the best defenceman in the league. His greatest ability in no doubt is his wonderful offensive mindset each time he comes on to the ice. Even though, while playing for Davos, he was not really able to shine, after his switch to Moscow, he has been completely destroying his opposition and has been proving that he deserves all the accolades he has got. With added S70 Continental cup to his name, he will have a lot to prove in last 2 seasons of his career. In my eyes, he is going to be the best defencemen and won’t be losing his title until his retirement. Who knows, maybe he will be able to get that Sterling Labatte Trophy under his belt again?
-FrostBeard


 
1. Jet Jaguar, C
 
Jet… Jaguar… Doesn’t the name itself sound wonderful? One of the biggest surprises of the S66 draft is none other than Jet Jaguar. Selected 10th Overall in S66 draft, Jet has been a true wonder for his Moscow team. In his first season, he was able to show to everyone his amazing talent and ability to score goals. You might think that Jet would have been a Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy top candidate but no, he was overshadowed by Shane Mars, a 3rd Overall pick of the same draft who was able to be a bit better at everything that season. But let’s face it - who actually remembers Shane Mars? Jet Jaguar has been wonderful all throughout his career with only once in S68 slipping under a point per game. Last season he led the league in points and was truly amazing in everything he did. With a brilliant playoff run and a Continental Cup win, there might not be much more accolades to get but he clearly will strive for them and there won’t be anything stopping him. With Moscow still as one of the favourites for the Cup, you might see Jaguar taking up a bigger role with his team with each game played. In my eyes, there is no doubt that Jaguar is the best player in VHL right now. 
- FrostBeard

 
And with that, the Season 71 VHL Top 25 Players has officially come to an end. From all of us here at VSN, thanks for tuning in every day as we counted down the league's very best players. The puck has officially dropped for the next season, so our work for the next ranking has officially begun! Be sure to check out new content from VSN that will be on the way soon! Stay safe, and may STHS be ever in your favor. 
 
Love, 
VSN Staff
 
Players Mentioned: @Bushito, @Beaviss, @TheLastOlympian07, @rjfryman, @Jubo07, @flyersfan1453, @gorlab, @Spade18

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

Waiting to see if my player bypasses top 20 and goes straight to top 5 with my 40 point season 

VHL Top 25 Players
 
Part 4: 10-6
 
It's zero hour for the new VHL season, the Commissioner's Cup is in full swing, the indexes are currently nowhere in sight… all is right in the world. But even better, it's time for our Top Ten in the VHL Top 25 Players! Featuring a mainstay at forward and some defensive stalwarts in and out of the crease, we're truly entering the realm of the VHL's elite now. Find out who @FrostBeard, @Doomsday, @Erik Summers, @McWolf and @Mr_Hatter deemed worthy for this elite ranking below!

 
10. Apollo Hackett, D
 
Among the most effective physical defensemen in the league. Apollo Hacket has always been true to his brand of hitting hard and asking questions later. Starting in the VHLM with the Saskatoon Wild, Hackett nearly reached the 100 hit mark in only 43 games. That offseason, he was drafted 16th overall by the Riga Reign, where he has played ever since. When your late-second round pick becomes part of the top ten players in the league, you know you got a steal. Today, Apollo leads one of the best defensive cores we’ve seen in some time. In recent seasons, the Reign has had several rosters that were considered cup contenders but have come up just short each time. And, while it is difficult to keep a team’s cup window open for a long stretch, Hackett is a veteran who just keeps getting better with age. In Riga’s most successful recent season, we saw a very different style of play from Apollo. Despite still being very physical, he was more disciplined and only took 110 PIMs. He also played a more offensively minded game with a career-high 16 goals. It will be interesting to watch and see which Apollo Hackett shows up this season.
- Erik Summers


 
9. Finn Davison, G

A goaltender already playing for his 3rd team, you might think we are talking about a player who is at best a back-up goaltender. In this case, we are looking at the fabulous Finn Davison of Riga Reign. His rise to fame could be attributed to excellence we saw when he was a goaltender on the HC Davos Dynamo. A lot of ups and downs and yet, in S67 and S68 he proved to be one of the better goaltenders in the league at the time. His game in S68 awarded him with both Clegane and Shaw trophies. Last season, S70 for him was an interesting one, he joined a team in Riga that had a lot of potential with many older stars that are well known around the league. Finn was able to lead his team to the playoffs and help them fight for the European Conference title. He posted a great statline and showed that he has all the tools necessary to be a goalie that any contending team can count on. All throughout his career, Finn has been a solid choice and will remain as that next season. The question we have to rise is this - can Finn Davison end his career on a season that would earn him another Clegane and Shaw. In my eyes, it is more than possible so we shall have to see how Mr. Davison will do next season and if he will be able to dominate. 
- Frostbeard


 
8. Greg Eagles, G
 
The career of Greg Eagles is one that has been marked with professionalism, sportsmanship, class, and of course, steadily improving netminding skills. Beginning his VHL career in Season 67 as the 19th overall selection of the Vancouver Wolves, Eagles quickly realized the zenith of the VHL with a Continental Cup victory, although he was serving as Ismond Kingfisher's back-up. Eagles didn't need to wait long to become the starter, however, as he played in 66 games in Season 68. Winning 31 of them, he recorded a .902 save percentage, with goals allowed average of 2.84 and two shutouts. However, a critical error by General Manager Keaton Louth in failing to play the backup goalie in 8 games meant Eagles had to sit on the bench for the first two games of the series, which Vancouver split with Calgary. Despite a .927 save percentage, Eagles and the Wolves lost in seven games to the Wranglers. Determined to go further, Eagles' next season was a tremendous improvement. Winning 44 games in 64 appearances, Vancouver made the playoffs again, defeating the Toronto Legion in seven games. However, the Semi-Finals saw Eagles and the Wolves lose to the eventual repeat champion Seattle Bears. Despite Vancouver adding rookie goalie Jimmy Spyro in Season 70, Eagles continued to elevate his play. Serving as a proud mentor for the rookie, Eagles won 37 games, with a .923 save percentage, 2.15 GAA and nine shutouts. However, disaster struck in the playoffs, where the Season 70 Aidan Shaw and Greg Clegane Trophy winner was shelled by the Seattle Bears. Jimmy Spyro even was given the start in the decisive Game Five, marking a grim ending to a fantastic season for Eagles. Will Eagles recover from his disappointing playoff performance to get the Wolves back to the finals and win a Continental Cup of his own? Based on his lofty rating, VSN certainly believes Greg Eagles can do it. 
- Doomsday


 
7.  Rayz Funk, G
 
Enter Rayz Funk, the highest ranking goalie on our TPA charts and the highest ranked goalie in this list; for good reason. Since being drafted second overall in the S67 VHL Entry Draft, Funk has accumulated some serious accolades. Rayz took home the Stolzschweiger in his rookie season, coming into the league as a starter with an impressive .913 SV% through 65 games played. Despite never winning the Shaw or Clegane trophies, marking regular season success, Funk has his back to back Daisuke Kanou trophies for playoff MVP to dry his tears, earned along with back to back Continental Cups for his Seattle Bears in S68 and S69. In these two campaigns, Funk truly put the team on his back and helped bring the cup home, with an impressive .935 SV% in S68 and a .924 SV% in S69. All said, across his three seasons in which the Bears have made the playoffs, Funk has a cool .927 SV% in playoff matches, which is remarkably consistent for a player just now entering his prime. He has a truly clutch hand. With many seasons still ahead, Funk looks poised to take the majority of goalie awards in the near future, or at the very least be a strong competitor. Despite a slight downturn in last regular season’s performance, he still managed a .916 SV% with a 2.42 GAA, a respectable statline. This season, Funk will look to improve upon this performance and return to his prior form that saw the Bears so dominant in seasons past. - Mr_Hatter


 
6. Acyd Burn, RW
 
Just outside the top 5, we have a big riser compared to our rankings last season, as Acyd Burn goes from 13th to 6th. The longtime Seattle Bear benefits from a change of scenery, combined with a cleanup of his act and the retirement of a couple of players ahead of him to jump up to #6 in our rankings. In fact, after playing the first 4 seasons of his career on the American Pacific Coast, the right-winger was traded to the Malmo Nighthawks during the last offseason. He appears to be the team’s most offensively skilled forward, as he’ll be joining Phil Marleau and Aleksander Rodriguez when they try to bring the Swedish franchise back in the playoffs, after a season where nothing seemed to work. Burn worked hard throughout the last offseason as he’ll try to hit less and spend less time in the penalty box, compared to last season (201 hits, 93 penalty minutes). It’s not a bad decision for the former 7th overall draft pick, as he’s definitely skilled enough with the puck to concentrate on this aspect of the game. With Marleau, Rodriguez, Jerry Garcia and Condor Adrienne all capable physical players, Malmo really needed finesse players more than another power forward racking up penalties, which is exactly what Burn brings. Look for him to exceed his previous career marks of 36 goals and 80 points, and maybe give the league’s stars a run for their money, in the races for the Mike Szatkowski and the Kevin Brooks trophies.
- McWolf
 
 
There you have it, VHL! Tomorrow not only brings us to the official beginning of Season 72, but to the end of the VHL Top 25 Players, with the final five players of our rankings. Who's going to get that elusive top ranking? What player got action from a performing primate? Stay tuned for the series finale tomorrow!
 
Players Mentioned: @Renomitsu, @Poptart, @Greg_Di, @Spade18, @Beaviss, @Spyro, @Rayzor_7, @Acydburn, @Phil, @Jtv123, @GustavMattias, @OrbitingDeath

A new season is scheduled to begin in just a few days, and today I'd like to take the time to announce our Captains. Before we start though, I will reveal we had a private Discord vote to who should be our second Alternate Captain. I was kinda underwhelmed by the results... because only five people voted. LaFlamme voted for himself, even though his player is in the minors... ?. Other than that, it was an even 2-2 split between Killinger and Hextall so I've decided to use RANDOM.ORG's integer generator.

A set of seven in two rows, so there can be no ties! First row is Hextall, second row is Killinger. May the battle of the Alternate Captain begin! 
 

In the S68 Hall of Fame discussion thread, a number of players were listed for consideration to be added to the ballot, including two with the following stat lines:
 
RS: 576 GP, 333 G, 361 A, 694 P, +256, 137 PIM, 211 HIT, 215 SB, 57 GW
PO: 77 GP, 42 G, 36 A, 78 P, +18, 13 PIM, 21 HIT, 41 SB, 10 GW
 
RS: 576 GP, 338 G, 351 A, 689 P, +83, 286 PIM, 692 HIT, 316 SB, 60 GW
PO: 51 GP, 17 G, 36 A, 53 P, -2, 282 PIM, 17 HIT, 20 SB, 1 GW
 
The first one is Oyorra Arroyo @omgitshim who has just been inducted into the HOF. The other is Veran Dragomir @Velevra who played the exact same 8 seasons as Arroyo but isn't even on the ballot.
 
Now there is a simple explanation below and for lots of voters the below makes a big difference:
 
Arroyo:
S64 Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals)
S65 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable)
S65 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding)
S65 Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points)
S65 Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals)
2x All-VHL First Team (S64, S65)
Three Continental Cups (S62, S64, S65)
 
Dragomir:
S60 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy (Top Rookie)
S67 Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals)
1x All-VHL First Team (S65)
1x All-VHL Second Team (S67)
 
Essentially, Dragomir had the better start to his career and the better end, while Arroyo had a higher peak in the middle. Dragomir was less lucky in the playoffs, only making the finals once on an underdog Quebec in S62 while Arroyo made five straight appearances from S61 to S65. Arroyo had three 100-point performances compared to Dragomir's 1, but Dragomir had 3 other 90-point seasons, including when the two combined efforts on the Victory Cup-winning swansong in Toronto in S67.
 
Certainly if they were both on the ballot I'm sure Arroyo would still be inducted first and his was a well deserved induction. But seeing how close their careers really were, is Dragomir hard done by not even being on the ballot?


 
On a vaguely related note, I have realised the Velevra has won the Stolzschweiger Trophy as the league's top rookie with each of his past 3 players (Apollo Skye, Dragomir, Soren Jensen). That is probably a unique achievement.

VHL Top 25 Players
 
Part 3: 15-11
 
While the first week of the new VHL season has begun, with games set to begin in just two days, the VHL Top 25 Players list is already in full swing. We covered some stellar forwards yesterday, but our group today features some of the VHL's stellar blueliners, along with a forward the VSN feels is primed for a big year this season. @FrostBeard, @Doomsday, @Erik Summers, @McWolf and @Mr_Hatter return for the third installment of the VHL Top 25 Players, starting with #15 below!

 
15. Vladimir Pavlov, D

One of the best players to come out of the S67 Prospect class. Clearly an offensive beast with a tremendous ability to hold his own on the defensive end too. Pavlov had a rough going at the start of his career as his first 3 seasons in VHL showed great promise but nothing that would elevate him to be considered one of the best players in the league. S70 made a change in that narrative as he clearly showed he is one of the better players to play on VHL ice. His 74 points for a defenceman made him crack Top 15 league scoring list and also made him the 2nd most productive defenceman in the league last season, just behind his teammate Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen. The first season being a point-per-game might be a great motivator to increase skills even more. There are few questions left that we don’t have an answer yet - will Pavlov be able to keep his game up on the same level, is this his ceiling or is this just a small part of what he is able to do on the ice? I do believe Mr Pavlov has all the skills and talent needed to be the best defenceman in VHL, whether or not he will manage to do that is up to him.
- Frostbeard


 
14. Mikko Aaltonen, RW
 
Although he was selected by the Riga Reign with the fourth overall pick of the Season 66 VHL Entry Draft, Mikko Aaltonen instead is known for his time with the D.C. Dragons. A deadly sniper at RW, in his time with the Dragons Aaltonen has never scored less than 35 goals, peaking with 40 in his first season with D.C. in Season 68. Despite his excellent game awareness and positioning, Aaltonen is oddly a career minus player, including the VHLM as well. Even though I highly doubt it's of his own doing, it's clearly something the VSN pollsters noticed. After a promising start to his career in Riga where he tallied 54 points in his sophomore year, Aaltonen's career was turned upside down when he was selected with the fourth pick of the Season 68 Expansion Draft by the newly-formed D.C. Dragons. All he's done since then is become one of the league's best scoring threats, scoring 110 goals in three seasons with the Dragons. However, he now faces the dreaded depreciation for the first time this season. Can Aaltonen keep up his lethal efficiency and climb up the ranks next season? 
- Doomsday


 
13. Guillaume Fontenette, D
 
Picked up late in the second round, with the 16th overall pick, Guillaume Fontenette has spent his entire career to this point with the Helsinki Titans. It makes sense that he was a late pick, with his first half-season in Ottawa leaving a lot of questions about his potential unanswered. However, in his second VHLM season, playing for the Mexico City Kings, Fontenette really showed his potential as a stay-at-home defenseman. In that season, he racked up 109 shots blocked and 57 assists. As is expected, his offensive production dropped off as he made the jump to the VHL, but his defensive prowess continued to shine, continuing to block over 100 shots per season. Then, in S69, Guillaume’s game transformed. He jumped from a 25 point season to a 66 point season while still blocking 166 shots. This proved to be more than a fluke in S70 as he topped his personal best again with 69 points (nice). The Titans have a chance to prove themselves this season after losing several veterans to retirement. Fontenette is poised to lead a new, younger generation to victory in Helsinki.
- Erik Summers


 
12. Condor Adrienne, D
 
The defending Jake Wylde Trophy winner, Condor Adrienne is fresh off a career year where he set personal best in most statistical columns. His 17 goals, 57 points, 149 shots, 289 hits and 126 shots blocked all represent new career highs for the Vatican City-born defenseman - except for shots blocked, for which he just tied his previous best, set a season prior. It seemed like it would be hard for Adrienne to pass Jerry Garcia, his stand-at-home blueliner teammate, on the Malmo Nighthawks depth chart, but Garcia’s offensive woes might have forced the team’s coach hand to push Adrienne up the ladder, and it showed in its statline. The story now seems like it could repeat itself for the former 1st overall draft pick, as he appears to be among a tight group of favourites to capture the Jake Wylde Trophy in Season 71 as well. He will, however, need to keep up his fantastical defensive performances for it to happen and, as Malmo’s management team changed during the offseason, so could the team’s direction. Maybe next season, Adrienne could be lifting a different Trophy at the VHL Awards Show, like the Alexander Valiq or - dare I say - the Sterling Labatte. Who knows? Sky's the limit for the multi-talent blueliner.
- McWolf


 
11. Scott Greene, C
 
Just shy of the top 10 we have the Seattle Bears’ number one centre Scott Greene. Fourth on the TPA lists, Greene has been an integral part of the Bears roster since being drafted 13th overall in the Season 67 draft as a part of the infamous Bears class of 67. Greene is a consistent scorer, having scored over 20 goals in each of his four seasons, failing to reach the 50 point mark just once in his sophomore season. His performance in S70 left him with a career-high in points of 64. Greene is a key man for the Bears on the faceoff, having won 57.51% of his 2909 faceoffs taken. Additionally, it appears the centre has hit the weight room, as his hits total from S69 to S70 increased from 43 to a whopping 245. We at VSN expect this to be the season that Greene catapults to the top of the leaderboards. He is an incredible talent but will need to be on his A-game if the Bears want to challenge again for the Continental Cup. With Acyd Burn and Orion Slade having departed in the offseason, his wingers will be shaken up, and there is only so much time to adapt to mostly a brand new line. If he hits the ground running, he can help carry this still-young Bears squad to another deep playoff run. 
- Mr_Hatter

 
#25 to #11 have now been revealed, so be sure to not miss tomorrow's segment, where we delve into the Top Ten players in the VHL, where there's sure to be a lot of goalie love. Is Victor pleased with where Vladimir Pavlov placed? Is there a player in the complete wrong spot? Not here at all? Stay tuned in the comments.

 
Players Mentioned: @Victor, @flyersfan1453, @GRZ, @okochastar, @OrbitingDeath, @GustavMattias, @DoktorFunk, @Acydburn, @BluObieZ

Yes... I am absolutely stealing this idea from @Jubis. It reminds me of the time I used to buy hockey magazines, I wanted to see what the writers thought about the teams I enjoyed watching, but over time I found they became more and more similar and it became a 'new shit, different pile'. One of the things I always looked at -- if they were in the magazine -- was stat and team predictions. Every writer seemed to have their own opinions, and it really became the only differences I perceived. 

So I thought I'd do one for Toronto. 

Bjorn Scoringsonn
Last Season: 18 G - 20 A - 38 P
This Season: 15 G - 38 A - 53 P

For the majority of last season Scoringsonn was partnered with Chad Magnum and Nethila Dissanayake, and while Dissanayake produced reasonably well, Scoringsonn was never able to elevate his play to a similar level while on the first line and finished the season nearly tying his career high in points. 

Scoringsonn will once again be featured on the Legions' top offensive line, however he has two entirely different teammates. Okay, sure, Chad Magnum is still the teams top center but things have changed. Rookie Magnum was mostly a checking forward, focusing on a lot of hits with a bruising style of play. Sophomore Magnum worked through the off season developing the offensive side of his game, and will contribute on the score sheet far more than his rookie season. 

Then you have Erik Killinger taking Dissanayake's spot, and with that brings a more defensively responsible but offensive game. With Magnum's development, the introduction of Killinger and his own talents I suspect Scoringsonn to play a key role in Toronto's production. 


Chad Magnum
Last Season: 7 G - 17 A - 24 P
This Season: 20 G - 31 A - 51 P

Chad Magnum -- as we mentioned above -- was a role player, a checking forward if you will, but for the entirety of his rookie season while playing nearly thirty minutes a game. During the off season, however, Magnum focused on his skating, puck handling and offensive abilities like his shot and positioning. It's an easy assumption that Magnum will have a far better season statistically on a line with Killinger and Scoringsonn.  

If we use Dissanayake's 50+ points on the left side of Magnum and Scoringsonn last season, we can safely assume that Chad Magnum's sophomore season in the VHL will be a significant improvement from the 24 points he had prior. In fact, I'd put him in the conversation to win most improved, especially if the line gels right from the start. 

Chemistry wise it should be all set, and it kinda makes sense actually. Killinger is a two-way forward with strengths at both end of the ice, while Magnum is a physical forward with a developing shot and they're both coupled with Scoringsonn's comparatively better passing. If anything, you can predict how this line will function. 
 
 
Nethila Dissanayake
Last Season: 30 G - 28 A - 58 P
This Season: 22 G - 20 A - 42 P

Dissanayake's team leading 58 points was -- in all honestly -- a pretty remarkable feat considering the roster Toronto had in S70. The team used a '6F-4D-1G' setup, and Dissanayake was at the helm of it all. His thirty goals is a reach for some Legion players, while others a future achievement. As we've mentioned above, Dissanayake's line mates last season were Chad Magnum and Bjorn Scoringsonn, but this season he's being shuffled to the second line with McDagg and Miniti. 

Despite being shuffled down the lineup, it could be argued that the line he shares with McDagg and Miniti is more balanced than the one he had with Magnum and Scoringsonn previously. Although it's reasonable to assume his production will drop, he'll still be relied upon to score goals for the Toronto Legion with his reduced but still heavy ice time.

Dissanayake will return to his more physical roots, sharing a similar story with McDagg, and might just be a troublesome lineup for some teams to manage. I suppose we'll see, right? 
 
 
 
Zeno Miniti
Last Season: 6 G - 16 A - 22 P
This Season: 14 G - 20 A - 34 P

Miniti was quite clearly nothing more than a depth player for the Legion in S70. He had just over 11 and a half minutes per game, yet he still managed to register 22 points for an impressive (considering his role) 0.53 points per twenty minutes -- which was, in fact, forth best on the Legion roster. Perhaps he was under utilized during his past season, but there are no complaints coming from his player agency so they must have been alright with it. 
 
Miniti will be stepping up into a greater role with the team, and he's got the talent to do so. In previous seasons with Prague, Miniti was a 67 and 44 point scorer for the expansion team, and Toronto will be hoping to unlock that potential once again. Miniti is a non-physical but offensively oriented player, so it can be assumed that he'll be the offensive catalyst for the second unit. They get him the puck, create some space, and he'll find room to shoot. 

The second line will be an energy line, there is no doubt about that, but they've got some quality scorers too. 
 
 
 

Aron Nielsen
Last Season: 10 G - 28 A - 38 P
This Season: 14 G - 41 A - 55 P

We're predicting an impressive point increase on Nielsen's offensive numbers simply because the Toronto Legion have become more dangerous offensively compared to the Legions' S70 roster, along with other factors we've mentioned below. He is the power play quarterback and top defender on the team, so he will -- much like last season -- be on the ice quite a bit during scoring chances and the likelihood of him contributing to a successful opportunity are higher than ever now. 

Nielsen is coming off a career season with Toronto, and there is no signs of him slowing down, but he has announced this will be his final season in the Victory Hockey League. Surprisingly enough -- despite facing natural regression -- he has reported to the team in better shape than he was last season, so retirement comes as a surprise. One last hurrah for Nielsen would be nice, and perhaps a chance to win the top team trophy (pending a trade to a proper contender, of course.)? 



Rusty Shackleford
Last Season: 7 G - 37 A - 44 P
This Season: 10 G - 31 A - 41 P

It doesn't make any sense, right? What exactly is the reason Nielsen is projected to have a far better season with a better team, but Shackleford -- nearly coming off a career season with Toronto - is expected to take a slight dive in his own production? The answer is quite simple, actually, and that was somewhat covered above in Nielsen's segment. Nielsen has reported to Toronto in the best shape of his life, while Shackleford reported to Toronto having aged slightly. Obviously it's possible Shackleford continues his offence from the blue line, but with what is being reported from Toronto's training camp, it's not unreasonable to assume it won't be as impressive. 

The only reason he maintains 40+ points is because Toronto has a new identity up front, and Shackleford will likely see more ice time this season than he did in S70. 



Boone Jenton
Last Season: 11 G - 23 A - 34 P
This Season: 13 G - 26 A - 39 P

Jenton is the second defensive pairings offensive catalyst... wait, what? No, Puigdemont scored fifty three points last season. What are you talking about? 

Well... yes. 

With reports coming out of the Legions' training camp indicating Puigdemont is forth on the depth chart for all Legion defenders, it's pretty clear that he's lost a step or two in his abilities, so to have Jenton the go-to #3 defender in point production makes sense. Jenton's point totals will be inflated slightly as the team around him gets better, but it's more or less his average. 



Carles Puigdemont
Last Season: 12 G - 41 A - 53 P
This Season: 9 G - 30 A - 39 P

Puigdemont is still a servi- well, no, actually he isn't. Any other team and he'd be less than depth -- he'd be bought out, as would Jenton, but on Toronto he has an opportunity to to simply play the game of hockey... and quite a bit of it, actually. His stats by sheer involvement alone have been impressive, 38 and 53 respectively in his two seasons with Toronto, but both of those seasons he was actually a serviceable defender.
 
After reporting back to the Toronto Legion in almost unfit shape, a steep decline in production is a reasonable prediction to make, although we have him and Jenton coming in at 39 points each due to the higher offensive abilities of the Legions' S71 roster. 




A lot of Legion players from last season aren't returning, but have been promptly replaced by developing prospects from the VHLM, so our predictions were made after comparing the rosters of S71 TOR to S70 TOR. Teemu Lehtinen Jr won't be returning, but is replaced by a stronger player in Erik Killinger; Matthew Kai leaves the team, but Kristopher McDagg climbs up from the VHLM to take his place; Owen May was traded, but rookie starter Jaxx Hextall is already a better goaltender; and finally Edu Stava's departure allows Miniti to move up the depth chart. 

It'll be an interesting season for Toronto, and I'm excited to see how close my predictions are. 


Now we'll cover the rookies... in a VHL.com article (sike!). 

1500+ words. 

VHL Top 25 Players
 
Part 1: 25-21
 
The Season 71 draft class has found their new homes, as have the free agents. We've had some trades, said goodbye to some legends, and recently immortalized two more. That can only mean one thing: a new season of the Victory Hockey League is just around the corner! Naturally, with a new season on the horizon, it is time once again for VSN's VHL Top 25!
 
This season, VSN top dog @FrostBeard, writers @Doomsday, @Erik Summers, and @McWolf, along with multimedia specialists @Berocka and @Esso2264, put their heads together to determine just who the Top 25 VHL players are going into Season 71. They are joined by @Mr_Hatter, VSN's VHLM aficionado, for the write-ups. For our first installment, covering #25 to #21, you'll be reading about some tough defensemen and forwards, along with a goaltender who may only be scratching the surface of his potential. 
 
25. Jerry Garcia, D
 
Starting off our list we have one of the top defensive defensemen in the league, Malmo’s Jerry Garcia. Garcia has been somewhat of a mystery in the VHL. Currently, he sits at fourth in the TPA charts for defensemen, third in TPE, but he has thus far struggled to break out onto the forefront of VHL stardom. His highest point total in a season remains at 60 from his S68 season in which Malmo made the finals, in part thanks to having Matt Thompson on the end of his passes. Hopefully, with the addition of winger Acyd Burn in the offseason, Garcia will once again shine as his playmaking can really control the tempo of the game. He just needs a team around him which can support that, something I think Malmo has built for this season.  While struggling to find points has been somewhat of an issue for him (he has still reached 40 points in all but his rookie season), his defensive contributions have been unquestionable. His shots blocked totals over the past five seasons consistently rank him in the upper echelon of defensemen, and he isn’t afraid to get physical, reaching a career-high 236 hits this past season. Keep an eye out for Garcia to make his mark on the VHL in S71 and propel Malmo to fight for the top spot in the European Conference. 
- Mr_Hatter

 
 
24. Roll Fizzlebeef, C
 
With 66 points last season, Roll Fizzlebeef came one short of beating the record for most points in a season by a Prague Phantoms skater, a record set in their inaugural season by Zeno Miniti. His 29 goals also rank him second in the three-year history of the most recent expansion team. He failed to reach the 30-goal mark, which he did the two previous seasons while playing for the Calgary Wranglers, but we won’t hold it against him, because he only missed by a single goal. One other area where the Canadian centre has always shined is the hits column, evidenced by the fact he levelled opponents 214 times last season, making it the 2nd time he broke 200 hits in his career. Now, with his team fresh off their first-ever playoff berth, Fizzlebeef is looking forward to establishing on-ice connections with offseason acquisitions Thomas Landry II and Joel Ylonen, as he enters the penultimate season of his career as, once again, the star of the Phantoms. As the supporting cast around him solidifies, we expect Fizzlebeef to take a step up as well. 
- McWolf


 
23. Berocka Sundqvist, D

It would be hard to overlook a player who has been playing amazing after switching his position from being a tough grit grinder on the forward side to an amazing two-way defenceman in just a single season. As a forward, he absolutely dominated VHLM and had an amazing performance in S67 when he was able to get 100 points with Minnesota Storm. He already in VHLM showed great promise on the physical side of hockey and clearly showed that he can block shots and be a truly hard hitter. His career has been interesting as in 3 seasons he has spent up in VHL, Berocka already has 2 Continental cup wins. As a rookie in the Playoffs, Mr. Sunqvist didn’t perform very well but still was able to contribute and help his team win it all. His next two seasons in playoffs were absolutely amazing as he improved his game and with the switch do defence, he was able to be 2nd in shots blocked in S69 playoffs and 5th in the same category in S70 playoffs with significantly fewer games played than players on the top of the list. We can only predict that his game will improve and this season he will unleash his ability to be one of the truly better defenseman in the league. My take is that he will be a Top 10 defenceman easily, just how high in the Top 10 is a mystery.
- Frostbeard


 
22. John Frostbeard, RW
 
A generational talent, John Frostbeard has been remarkably consistent in his four seasons in the VHL. Starting his career in Yukon, John had a successful VHLM career as a point-per-game or better player through two seasons. Even with the Rush, it was clear that he was going to be a powerful two-way forward. The only time this wasn’t true was in his season with the Philadelphia Reapers, where he was called into a more scoring-first mindset. Frostbeard was drafted by the Calgary Wranglers before being dished to Seattle, a decision Calgary undoubtedly regrets at this point. Once he arrived in Seattle, John returned to his true calling as one of the foremost 200-ft forwards in the league. After winning two cups with the Seattle Bears, Frostbeard left to join the fledgling D.C. Dragons in their third season in the VHL. Now having played for half of the North American Conference, it is exciting to watch whether or not he will be able to elevate the Dragons to take a conference title and maybe even a shot at the cup in the near future. Last season, Frostbeard played a much more physical game with a career-high 165 hits and 58 penalty minutes in the regular season. Meanwhile, his shooting percentage dropped significantly as he was tasked with much more of D.C.’s offensive responsibilities. I expect him to balance these aspects of his game in the coming season, which will turn him into a dominant force in the league.
- Erik Summers


 
21. Raymond Bernard, G
 
In his third season in the VHL, Raymond Bernard enjoyed a breakout season, setting career highs in games played, wins, save percentage, goals allowed average, shutouts, saves and minutes played. Getting his start with the Season 67 Ottawa Lynx that won both the Prime Minister's and Founder's Cups, Bernard was drafted 11th overall the next season by the Moscow Menace. He saw limited time as a rookie, appearing in 25 games, compiling a 16-8-1 record with a .896 record and a 3.1 GAA. Bernard became the starter in Season 69 (nice), appearing in 45 games, improving his save percentage over .900 and his GAA down to 2.81 on his way to winning 22 games. A trade by Moscow at the trade deadline for HC Davos Dynamo goaltender Finn Davison, however, effectively put Bernard's season on hold. Season 70, however, belonged to Raymond Bernard. Playing in 64 games, he was now the unquestioned starter after Davison was moved following the previous season. The Menace cut through all who opposed them, winning the Victory Cup. Bernard, however, had saved his best for last. In 15 playoff games, Bernard won 12, with a 9.37 save percentage and a 1.83 save percentage, with two shutouts as Moscow won the Continental Cup. For his outstanding play in the postseason, Bernard was awarded the Daisuke Kanou Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. Entering the prime of his career, this could simply be the beginning of Bernard's dominance, as the Moscow Menace look to continue their reign of terror on the VHL. 
- Doomsday
 
Some excellent players are already on this list, and we're just getting started. Did VSN get it right? Is somebody already too low? Too high? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. Our next installment will be featuring some big offensive talents, so you won't want to miss it!
 
Players Mentioned: @GustavMattias, @Beketov, @Acydburn, @TacticalHammer, @Zeno, @Doomsday, @Esso2264, @Berocka, @FrostBeard, @Mr_Hatter, @Poptart

Hello and welcome to the Season 70 VHL Hall of Fame induction! We have 2 Players and a Builder induction for you today/tonight.
 
First up, on the player front.
 
---
 
LW - Oyorra Arroyo, S60-S67 
RS: 576 GP, 333 G, 361 A, 694 P, +256, 137 PIM, 211 HIT, 215 SB, 57 GW
PO: 77 GP, 42 G, 36 A, 78 P, +18, 13 PIM, 21 HIT, 41 SB, 10 GW

S64 Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals)
S65 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable)
S65 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding)
S65 Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points)
S65 Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals)
2x All-VHL First Team (S64, S65)
Three Continental Cups (S62, S64, S65)
 
 
An understated forward for most of his career, Arroyo was a first-gen in what was a barren period for that type of player. Drafted by a budding powerhouse in Calgary, Arroyo was overshadowed by some other Hall of Fame ballot mainstays (and some inductees) like Norris Stopko, Mats Johnsson, Keaton Louth, and Jasper Canmore. However, he played a key role in their 3 straight cup final appearances and Continental Cup win in S62.
 
It was after the Calgary firesale that he secured his place in the Hall of Fame, by taking a leadership opportunity in Toronto and using it to become the best forward in the league, at the same time as leading a middle-of-the-pack Legion team to a surprising back-to-back championship. Arroyo then had a quieter end to his career but finished with very respectable regular season and playoff career totals for a worthy induction for @omgitshim.
 
---
 
D/C - Maxim Kovalchuk, S62-S69 
RS (D): 432GP, 146G, 357A, 503P, +183, 790PIM, 1,094HIT, 746SB, 15GW
RS (C): 144GP, 50G, 56A, 106P, +31, 41PIM, 111HIT, 28SB, 7GW
RS (TOTAL): 576GP, 196G, 413A, 609P, +214, 831PIM, 1,205HIT, 774SB, 22GW
PO (D): 34GP, 11G, 30A, 41P, +2, 63PIM, 82HIT, 87SB, 3GW
PO (C): 33GP, 12G, 15A, 27P, +12, 6PIM, 16HIT, 6SB, 3GW
PO (TOTAL): 67GP, 23G, 45A, 68P, +14, 69PIM, 98HIT, 93SB, 6GW
 
S62 Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenceman)
S64 Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenceman)
S65 Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists)
S65 Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenceman)
S65 Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenceman)
2x All-VHL First Team (S62, S65)
2x All-VHL Second Team (S64, S66)
Two Continental Cups (S68, S69)
 
 
We see a lot of defencemen moving to forward and vice versa in the modern VHL so it's fitting we have got our first modern position switch HOFer for them to look up to. Generally, to get into the Hall of Fame with a split career, you need to really excel at one of the positions. Fortunately for Kovalchuk, he did exactly that, being one of the dominant defencemen of the league throughout his first 5 seasons in the league, winning every trophy available to that position as the quarterback of the high-octane early 60s Seattle.
 
Given how few HOF defencemen we see these days, it was a disappointment for many including myself to see Kovalchuk switch to forward when he returned to the Bears with a few seasons to go in his career. Still, his output on defence was enough to push through as a first ballot inductee. Certainly coming back to captain his original team to a cup (and then win another one) helped elevate his slower end to his career. All in all, at last GM sacrifices did not derail a standout career for @Banackock.
 
---
 
Player vote results:
Oyorra Arroyo - 8/12
Maxim Kovalchuk - 6/12
-----------------------------------------
Tyson Kohler - 4/12
Sebastian Ironside - 2/12
Jakab Holik - 1/12
Astrid Moon, Keaton Louth, Jasper Canmore, Jake Davis, Rauno Palo - 0/12
 
 
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Now onto the Builder. So it's a double induction for Bana! He can rub people the wrong way sometimes, including myself, but there's no denying that this is a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and has done huge amounts in his main roles for Seattle and for the VHLM, but also for the VHL at large through sheer activity and enthusiasm. He's the longest-serving VHL GM currently, and the longest ever in the role for the same franchise, as well clocking up the miles as VHLM Commissioner in what has often been a volatile role. I'm not going to lie, I voted against him being inducted just yet, but mainly because I like inducting people after their main body of work is behind them - with Bana I feel he still has more to give.
 
Either way, a worthy inductions. Congratulations again @Banackock

Suggestion: Give 1 Experience Point to VHLM Players for a season played.

Awarded to the player deemed to be the top rookie in the VHL, the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy commemorates the crème de la crème of the up and coming VHL stars. 
 
This award is always hard to give out, as it is so difficult for young players to adapt to the fast-paced, challenging nature of the VHL, and there are always so many great options to choose from.
 
Another vote with two players receiving votes, one of them won this award by a landslide! 
 
Our runner up this season is the amazing and truly talented Chad Magnum! @Corco
 
Congratulations to this year’s Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy winner, brilliant showing from such a promising young talent, Mr.Erik Summers!
Congratulations @Erik Summers!
 
 
Next up: The David Knight Trophy for Top General Manager…

Salutations VHL,
 
The seasonal tradition of my thrown together BUST or LICK list is back for it's 3rd edition (i think). I haven't run the numbers from previous lists, but based on absolutely no real info/statistics, I am confident that my player assessment is some of the very best in sim hockey. I estimate that I am sitting at an unprecedented 90%+ accuracy rate in determining a VHL prospect's future performance via my patented BUST/LICK designation.
 
S71 brought us a draft class stacked with a few influential recreates and a couple of young, starry-eyed first gen players. Again, based on absolutely no real info/statistics, I will give the VHL my professional opinion on which S71 draftees will pan out and become solid-to-superstar tier players (LICKS) and which S71 draftees who will fail to elevate their game to the highest levels of sim hockey (BUSTS). Please do not take these designations too seriously, as this article is just for fun and not a true reflection on the human being behind each sim player, despite my jaw-dropping accuracy in predicting sim league futures.
 
Without further ado, I present the S71 BUST or LICK report. Players will be listed in their S71 draft order.  
 
 
 つ ◕_◕ ༽つ BUST OR LICK - S71 VHL ENTRY DRAFT ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ
 
 
1. Kyl Oferson - Right off the hop, a player name like this, honouring two absolute sim league legends, is almost grounds for an auto-lick. The first overall pick in both S69 and S70 received LICK designations, and Kyl Oferson is no different. Despite his previous player being a pretty clear BUST, he has built a decent sim reputation and is very active in the VHL. I have faith that Kyl Oferson will go on to have a great career. Keeping with tradition, the 1st overall pick of the draft has achieved LICK designation.
 
2.  Roque Davis - Traditionally, Davos has not fared well with unearthing LICKS in the last few seasons. However, with the second overall selection of long-time VHLer, blue teamer, and vhl portal extraordinaire, Josh, Davos has broken their curse of draft busts and selected a LICK. With legendary sim commish DRAPER being almost inactive, Josh has taken on the public-face of VHL Portal upkeep and maintenance, which should keep him active for at least the career of Davis, resulting in a tasty lick. IMO Jake Davis was a serviceable player, and I think Roque can meet or exceed that career performance.  
 
3.  Ola Vikingstad - I hesitated before making a decision on pick 3. Dil is one of the most active/annoying members of the league, but I think he has solidified his position and gained respect among the VHL community with his contribution of the VHL app and whatever else he does. He totalled up the VHFL final standings one season, which is an honourable endeavour IMHO. What really sealed his fate for me was the late-career performance of his previous player, showing the VHL that he can build a player, and perform at the highest level. Absolutely horrible name, but the top 3 of S71 have all achieved LICK status. Good pick from SEA here, resisting the urge to take a first gen.
 
4.  Stone Wolski - Probably the hardest call of the entire draft class for me. DaaD is a seasoned sim-leaguer, bordering on sim league legend in my eyes, and despite holding down the VHL Grader Head position, his overall activity in discord/forum has trailed off from his glory days. I believe his last player was a failure, but he does have legendary VHLer builds on his resume. With a rich history, I'd normally throw him LICK status without thinking twice, but I had to think twice here....... Stone Wolski, to me, may not reach superstar HoF status, but should be a nice LICK for the DC Dragons org. Again, kudos for them resisting the urge to take a first gen. 
 
5.  Thomas Landry II - Now, the name Thomas Landry does ring bells in the hallowed halls of VHL history. However, Doomsday has had a very long period of inactivity between his previously successful player, and TL II, and the VHL has evolved significantly since the days of Landry. If he has players between Thomas Landry and Thomas Landry II, I don't know/remember them, so they can't have been that good. I have noticed he's been fairly active on forums/discord, but inactivity is a strange beast that can emerge at any moment. This is a tough decision, but for the sake of entertainment, and the fact I can't consider him a true 're-create' due to the length of time between players, Thomas Landry II will be S71's first BUST.
 
6. Jim Bob - This is a great pick from Helsinki here, and possibly the pick of the draft. JRuutu is a perfect sim league grey-man. Nothing fancy, but does his work and builds great players. Not a fan of his new player's name, as I think it's by far the worst in the draft class, but I am a big fan of this VHL Euro and his ability to find sim league success. I am very confident that Helsinki has nabbed a LICK with this pick in the second half of round 1. 
 
7. Hugh Jass - I hate the player name but I vaguely remember his username, maybe I knew him on SBA? Tough to say.... I just did 2 minutes of research, and found out I know him from being in the same draft class as Jet Jaguar (S66). Has last player busted pretty horribly, and I haven't really seen him active, or spoken to him, at all in the past ~4 seasons, so Hugh Jass has to head over to the BUST pile. Hope Jass outshines Gruber, but even if he does, he has a long way to go to be considered a lick.
 
8.  Joe Proto - Now, the first notable new-gen player of the draft. To me, although I have a very heavy bias towards re-create, I think VAN lucked out with this, as Proto caught my eye (pause) in terms of someone capable of building a sim player/brand that can last and become influential. IMO Joe Proto was picked about 3-4 picks too low, so Beaviss got a steal here. I am rarely wrong, but I guess it's possible this could be a wrong call, but Joe Proto, for me, is a first-gen LICK. Congratulations. 
 
9.  Uhtred - If I hadn't been drafted to MOS and played with leafsman for a couple of seasons, this would be a straight-off bust, but I think leafsman is another sim league "greyman" who comes on, does his work, gains a decent amount of tpe, and becomes a serviceable roster player. I personally don't see anybody else later in the first round that I can say will for sure do better than leafsman, so although normally this would be a BUST, I like his attitude and what he brought to Moscow, so I think SEA might have a small diamond-in-the-rough, late in the 1st round. With all that being said, this is still borderline for me, but a LICK designation has been deployed. 
 
10. Pengu - Despite seeing him active on the discord, and the fact he can make a graphic, not everybody can be a lick ffs. I've already given out too many licks. I do know "Pingu" is an early 90's children's claymation show, which tells me that Pengu might be in late high school / graduated. This is a crucial point for sim league inactivity, so I begrudgingly will be giving him a BUST status, but I hope he does well and becomes a lick.  
 
11. Erik Killinger - I believe this is a GM forced pick? Peace is kind of a weird guy but I'm confident in his ability to remain active, especially if he's the TOR GM now. His track record of activity and his last player is good enough for me to break Erik Killinger off with a LICK status (pause). Will Peace prove to be a bust or lick of a GM is the better question here.... but I only analyze sim PLAYERS, not sim GMs.
 
12.   Zyrok12 - His VHL username is 'Zyrok' yet his player is named 'Zyrok12'. There is something fundamentally wrong here. This player may have very well been created by a data crawling bot or something. If you're a real human being, I'm sorry, but Zyrok12 (and what looks like the entirity of Round 2 of the S71 entry draft) will not elevate to LICK status, and fall to the depths of BUST hell. 
 
 
 
 
That's it folks! I feel like the S71 draft was pretty straight forward, and sorting the LICKS from the BUSTS was uneventful and not really shocking at all. Apologies for the lack of entertainment. To make up for this, I've provided some analytics from the history of BUST OR LICK, to compare classes.
 
 
S69 = 4 LICKs (picks #1, #2, #4, #9) and 8 BUSTs (#3, #5, #6, #7, #8, #10, #11, #12)
 
S70 = 6 LICKs (picks #1, #2, #3, #4, #7, #9) and 6 BUSTs (#5, #6, #8, #10, #11, #12)
 
S71 = 8 LICKs (picks #1, #2, #3, #4, #6, #8, #9, #11) and 4 BUSTs (#5, #7, #10, #12)
 

Observations:
Picks #1, 2, 4, and surprisingly pick #9 have always been LICKs.
 
Picks #5, 10, and 12 have always been BUSTs.
 
S71 is looking like the most promising draft class we've had since S69. It's the first time pick 6, 8, and 11 have been LICKs and also has the most LICKS ever in a draft class.
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks for reading and good luck to all the draftees in their VHL careers!