Hoopydog

It's all good dont worry, I'm on British time anyways so it works out fine.
 
G - Xavier Booberry
 
@BOOM

On a serious note, I’d love to see this go to the Children’s Cancer Foundation. Cancer has affected many of all ages, and does not discriminate. However, it is especially devastating this happens to children so young, and that they have to spend their lives or even part of it in the hospital, and in pain. Anything to help research for future effective treatments, and even cures for cancers I will always support.

I personally care a lot about insulin for life. They provide a lot for individuals and families who can't afford the drug they need to survive.

1. I mean I hope so, he's been amazing for us this season and it would cement him as a Moscow legend if he did.
2. Papa is the main standout for me. Mainly because this sig that go created for him is unreal.
3. Maybe outside shout but I think thad would be such a good commisoner but I can't explain why.
4. I'd go with mint choc chip because it's a staple ice cream flavour but it's more complex than vanilla.
5. Absolutly, if he hasn't I'll be shocked.
6. I want Bek to do an STZ Press Conference edition.

1. I mean I hope so, he's been amazing for us this season and it would cement him as a Moscow legend if he did.
2. Papa is the main standout for me. Mainly because this sig that go created for him is unreal.
3. Maybe outside shout but I think thad would be such a good commisoner but I can't explain why.
4. I'd go with mint choc chip because it's a staple ice cream flavour but it's more complex than vanilla.
5. Absolutly, if he hasn't I'll be shocked.
6. I want Bek to do an STZ Press Conference edition.

I’ve always been very fortunate to have had great GMs on the teams I have played for throughout my time in the VHL but what was it about them that made them great.
 
When I first got into the league and I was signed and drafted to the Las Vegas Aces, Spartan was the GM of the team. He helped make the discord locker room feel like a nice place to just hang out, chill and talk utter rubbish which helps you settle in when you’re a new user because let’s face it, talking to new people is terrifying. He made it less about winning (Although that was the ultimate goal) and more about having fun, trying to get the users more involved with the league in the hopes that they stick around and that for me is the most important quality you can have in a VHLM GM. I also think being able to help new user with their queries and questions is another great quality to have whether that’s with Trivia answers and being able to point them in the right direction or helping them with their builds if they are having issues and don’t know what route to go down with them. I have been lucky to have had VHLM GMs and AGMs who done these things amazingly which made my time in the M awesome.
 
I do think there are different qualities need when you are looking for a VHL GM. When you are in the VHL, you aren’t dealing with players who are only gonna be on your team for a year and then they are gone. You need to a build a team that you see lasting and having a shot at winning or at least have a plan on how to build the team into a cup winner. We have seen some great examples of this recently with Nykonax building a team that won 3 cups in a row and with both the Seattle Bears and the Moscow Menace in the last season or 2. Bana manged to build an outstanding team to win the S83 cup and also making the right moves and drafting the right player to keep the team fresh and ready to make more pushes for the cup in the years to come. With Spartan at Moscow, he took over and built a team that made it to the finals so many times and was always a front runner to win the cup but unfortunately never did. When that team was coming to its natural end, he made the trades and drafted a new core of players to build the next team around when they old core eventually moves on. Maintaining a healthy locker room is still important and the more vibrant the better but it become less about keeping users in the league and more about finding the best strategy to win, even if that means giving some less ice-time.
 
So that’s what I think is important when it comes to being a GM in this league and there isn’t a GM or AGM that I’ve had that doesn’t have these qualities
 
524 Words

Introduction
 
The 85th VHL regular season is officially under way and it marks the beginning of Fraser Wallace’s career with the Moscow Menace. So far for Moscow, the season has been anything but plain sailing. Despite dominating their opening 6 games of the season, they find themselves 2nd bottom of the European conference with only 4 points out of a possible 12. It is still very early days and the fact that they are playing good hockey does give them some good optimism for their chances at a cup this year.
 
As for Wallace he has had a great start to life in the VHL as he has scored 7 points from the opening 6 games of the season. He has been playing on the 2nd line with The Seabasstard and Kyosti Karjalainen and its safe to say that he is managing to hold his own on that line. One improvement that he might need to make to his game is to his defensive abilities as he currently has a +/- of -2 but then again, that will change and balance out over the course of the season. He will be looking to keep up this level of offensive performance and try his best to emulate his scoring from the VHLE last season. If he can, who knows what can happen.
 
We managed to grab a chat with Fraser to get his thoughts on how he is adapting to the VHL and to get his thought on his performance level last season.
 
Interview
 
Reporter – “Good afternoon, Fraser, thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy scheduled to talk to us. How are you doing?”
 
Wallace – “Yeah, I’m doing good thanks mate. It’s great to be back and I’m just looking forward to playing more and more hockey”
 
Reporter – “How has it been adjusting to life in Moscow and how much different is it to living in Bratislava?”
 
Wallace – “It’s different for sure. You know for the obvious reason that you are living in a new country, new city but also when I moved to Bratislava, lots of the team was also new so there were quite a few of us who all got used to the city together. Compare that to now, you are joining an established roster where lots of the guys already know each other and you’re the new kid. That being said the rest of the team have been incredibly nice to me so far and have helped me out with whatever I need.”
 
Reporter – “Last season, you had a fantastic year in Bratislava, putting up 89 points and scoring 41 goals. How well do you feel you played last season and do you think you could potentially match those numbers this season?”
 
Wallace – “I felt like I played pretty well last year. It took me a few games to get going for sure but once I got into that sorta rhythm, I was definitely playing some good hockey for sure. I was disappointed with how the playoffs went last year, I know Istanbul were a great team and they went on to lift the cup but when you get so close, it stings when you fall short. As for this season, I’m trying not to get too bogged down in the numbers. I’m just looking to play the best hockey I can and develop as much as I can, the points will come for both me and the team that way.”
 
Reporter – “Just one last question before we jump to some questions from your fans. How did you prepare for the upcoming season? Did you stick to your usual routine or did you try something new to give you and edge this year?”
 
Wallace – “I had a chat with Spartan our GM and he pitched the idea of me switching to playing on the wing for the season as the team already has 2 top centers and I was one hundred percent onboard. So I’ve been taking the time that I would’ve been using to work on my face-offs and tried to improve my puck handling ability and my skating. In terms of the off-ice stuff, I’ve been trying to relax and learn to stay calm as much as possible. In this league if you panic and make mistakes, the players in this league will punish you so if I can limit the number of mistakes I make, the better I can be.”
 
Reporter – “We asked some of our fans on Instagram I they had any question they wanted us to ask you and boy did we get some replies. Cameron asked ‘What’s been your favourite moment of your career so far?’”
 
Wallace – “My favourite moment or game is probably our most recent game against Helsinki. I scored a goal and got 2 assists. I was also named 1st star of the game and getting to do I quick lap of honour, especially after a win is always a great moment”
 
Reporter – “That will definitely a moment to remember. Daniel asked ‘If you had to choose between a game winning goal or game winning block, which one would you rather have?’”
 
Wallace – “People always say this is a tough question but I don’t think it is. Either way you win the game and that’s really all that matters. I’d probably go with the game winning block. I think that it shows the ultimate desire to win, to put our body on line for your team takes a very high level of bravery.”
 
Reporter – “Euan has asked ‘Would you ever want to come back to Scotland and play for the Glasgow Clan again?’”
 
Wallace – “Hahahaha I was waiting for this question to come up. With the Clan being my childhood team, they will always have a special place in my heart but as for right now, my focus is with Moscow and only with Moscow.”
 
Reporter – “We have time for one more question. Let’s go with Emily’s question, she asked ‘Do you think you will win the cup this year?’”
 
Wallace – “I think we have as good a shot as anyone of lifting the cup this year. All we have to do is make the playoffs and once you are there then it’s anyone’s game. The team that wants it the most will win.”
 
Reporter – “Thank you very much for speaking to us Fraser and we wish you the very best of luck for the new season.”
 
1074 words

1. I'm not top worried, I think it's just a bit of bad luck and we'll rebound soon.
2. I feel like my biggest steal was getting Brendan Marner with my 4th pick (so it was like 20th pick of my draft). He's had a great start to the year.
3. The Vancouver Wolves have done some great business getting both Pearce and Miklavz, they look dangerous.
4. I'm loving it honeslty. Currently over a PPG and in the hunt for top rookie. Hopefully I can keep it up and get my hands on that trophy.
5. Name: Steelace, Type: Steel/Fighting, Move: Iron Cannon (100% chance of scoring)
6. It's always been Computing Science and its what I'm still studying at uni.

I wanted to do a quick review of my fantasy draft and give a little insight into why I picked each my player and my strategy overall. I was 5th in my draft order but my group had a lot of skips so I was probably able to get some player that might’ve gotten picked before it was my turn. None the less, this is the team that will hopefully lead me to glory.
 
1st Pick – Anze Miklavz
 
I took Miklavz with my first picked. I usually like to take a forward with my first picked and with Nico Pearce being off the board. I thought taking his high scoring team mate was a good choice.
 
2nd Pick – Vinny Detroit
 
With this pick there were still a lot of the top defensemen available but the top forwards were disappearing fast so I decided to snag Detroit and bank on there being good D-Men later
 
3rd Pick – Hulk Hogan 2
 
It was time for me to take a D-Man and with the obvious ones gone, I went with Hogan. Top D-Man on a top team. Seemed like a no brainer to me.
 
4th Pick – Brendan Marner
 
This was a tough one. The picks were going back up the order and half of the guys above me in the order had picked all their D so I knew I could take a forward. I took Marner last year and I’ve got him again.
 
5th Pick – Erlantz Jokinen
 
Not much to say about this one. Good D-Man on a decent team. I’ll have that thank you.
 
6th Pick – Xavier Booberry
 
Took the best goalie available, not much else to say

1. Honestly I'd take a VHL championship with this Moscow team. I've never won a championship and that's my main goal.
2. I'd go the Phantom Menace, I think that we are a dark horse for the championship and people might not realise it until we are there. I also love a good star wars pun
3. I think it's doors when you take into account things like wardrobes cupboards etc...
4. I think both Davos and Warsaw could give us some problems if we don't take top spot in the conference and end up playing them both in the playoffs.
5. Most is how well my player has been performing especially going over 1 PPG last season in the M. The least is probably how versatile my build has been, the sorta can playing anywhere in any situation.
6. I'd rather have the handcuffs because I sleep with my hands sorta close together anyway.

1. Honestly I'd take a VHL championship with this Moscow team. I've never won a championship and that's my main goal.
2. I'd go the Phantom Menace, I think that we are a dark horse for the championship and people might not realise it until we are there. I also love a good star wars pun
3. I think it's doors when you take into account things like wardrobes cupboards etc...
4. I think both Davos and Warsaw could give us some problems if we don't take top spot in the conference and end up playing them both in the playoffs.
5. Most is how well my player has been performing especially going over 1 PPG last season in the M. The least is probably how versatile my build has been, the sorta can playing anywhere in any situation.
6. I'd rather have the handcuffs because I sleep with my hands sorta close together anyway.

1. I had the WJC with team Europe last week which went OK. Not quite the heroics of last season but 3rd place is good.
2. I think the next Moscow team is coming together well and once all of the prospects move up and hit their peak in the VHL, we will be a force to be reckoned with.
3. I haven't been able to keep up with all the moves but my old AGM in Bratislava leandro got a GM job and I think he will do super well.
4. I think the team is looking good to take a good shot at the playoffs. If everyone can work hard this season then we could lift the cup at the end of it.
5. The Riga games for sure, my last player was on Riga for pretty much his whole career so it will be weird but fun to play against them.
6. I always seen to do well in VHFL (usually 1st or 2nd in my group) so yeah easy TPE.
 

Nice job on this media spot! You have done a great job with this draft review and I like the amount of detail that you have included about each player. The review is laid out really well which makes it easy and fun to read. I've not been able to keep up with the recent drafts but now I feel like I know everything I need to about the upcoming rookie class. Next time, you could change the colour of the team names to that team's colour. Overall, cracking job! 9.5/10

Nice job on this media spot! You have done a great job with this draft review and I like the amount of detail that you have included about each player. The review is laid out really well which makes it easy and fun to read. I've not been able to keep up with the recent drafts but now I feel like I know everything I need to about the upcoming rookie class. Next time, you could change the colour of the team names to that team's colour. Overall, cracking job! 9.5/10

Introduction
This season, former 1st round draft pick Fraser Wallace was a mission to prove that he has what it takes to make the jump to the VHL. There were a few doubts over his ability to put up points during his VHLM season with the San Diego Marlins. This season, he joined the reigning VHLE champions Bratislava Watchmen, under the guide of GM Frostbeard. Wallace was a big part of the Watchmen this year as they drafted 6th overall in the S84 VHLE draft which place a large amount of pressure on his shoulders. Did he handle the pressure? Let’s take a look…
 
Regular Season
Wallace had an outstanding regular season as he took the league by storm. In a full 72 game season, he scored 41 goals and bagged 48 assists for a total of 89 points. That is a 38-point increase compared to his last season which is a monstrous increase and this point total definitely proved that Wallace has what it takes. He was 2nd in league scoring and also lead his team in point scoring. He was a feature on both the powerplay and penalty kill for the Watchmen this season as he near enough played and equal number of minutes on both special units. On the powerplay he managed to score 11 goals (team high) and 12 assists for a total of 23 points. He also managed to score a shorthanded goal. He was also fairly dominant in the face-off circle as well posting a win percentage of 54.62% which ranks him 4th amongst leading face-off takers (out of those with more than 500 face-offs taken). This was definitely a statement season for Wallace, managing to perform at this level throughout the regular season will give him a huge boost in confidence as well as helping him stand out amongst the peers and help him make a name for himself in the league. If he can up the level of performance in the VHL then he could rise to the top and help lead his new team to glory.
 
Playoff
The Bratislava Watchmen entered the playoffs looking to repeat their success of the previous season but they were going to have to beat the Istanbul Red Wolves which whom they had battling with all season long for that top spot in the overall standings. It was a tight series that went 6 games and ended with the Red Wolves beating the Watchmen and ensuring a repeat wasn’t going to happen. Wallace had a good playoff run scoring 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points in the 6-game series. It’s maybe not as dominant as he would’ve like and not as explosive as you sometimes have to be in order to make it through the playoffs. Either way, I think this will give him more valuable playoff experience and he will being moving onto the Moscow Menace next season and we know that all of those players have playoff experience so they could be a real threat.
 
Overall Review
This season was a huge success for Fraser Wallace. Scoring at over a point per game pace for the season shows that this unique style of game that he has developed is working and if he can fine tune that and maybe add a few additional elements then he could be a force on the VHL over the coming seasons. He is in a very stacked rookie crop but he could he be a dark horse in the race for top rookie next season? We’ll need to wait and see.
 
595 words

Squids McKenzie’s
Draft Recap
Season 85 || VHL
 
Squids McKenzie here with Victory Sports Network.
 
And well, everyone. It finally happened! After loads of speculation from the fans and some crunch time scouting by the teams, the picks are in. There were a few buzzer-beater trades to shuffle the draft order. Today, we’re going to recap the first round of the VHL Entry Draft, along with one of the more surprising later picks. Finally, we’ll cap it all off with a discussion on the dearly beloved “Mr. Irrelevant”.
 
What do you think? What’s your favorite pick of the draft? Who’s a superstar and who’s a sleeper? Sound off in the comments!
 
* * * * *
 
Pick 1 - Vancouver Wolves
Henry Eagles (RW, Poland) 
E/ Bratislava Watchmen, M/ Houston Bulls
 
The case could be made that Eagles going first overall is a bit of a surprise. Looking strictly at the numbers last season with Bratislava, 25 points (11g, 14a) over 72 regular-season games played may not exactly jump off the page. If you jump back to season 83 with Houston, the numbers absolutely leap off the page — 17 goals, 14 assists over 16 games played. Those points totals are impressive. Eagles has a proven track record of doing the work and being an active member of the team, tying for third in total TPE in the draft. Eagles does have a precedent for production, even if it tailed off in season 84, and exhibited the intangibles that managers love. With a 200-foot game at age 19, it’s no surprise why the rebuilding Wolves went after him.
 
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Pick 2 - Prague Phantoms
John Jameson (C, Ireland)
M/ Philadelphia Reapers [San Diego Marlins]
 
The projected number one overall. With a chunk of Prague’s offensive corps staring down retirement, the draft room has to be elated that Jameson “slid” to them. This is a big “stats department” pick. The numbers are undeniable, with Jameson averaging over a point per game. The plus-minus, with the point total, may be an area of concern but could be bolstered by team performance as well. The league highly values scoring and Jameson has shown the drive to make great strides — just ask the European league that he will not be touching.
 
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Pick 3 - Calgary Wranglers
Phil Strasmore (D, England)
M/ Houston Bulls [San Diego Marlins, Mississauga Hounds]
 
Calgary traded up for the third pick, even after already trading up to pick 5 prior to the draft. Projected to select Strasmore, Calgary sealed that Strasmore was theirs. Like the NFL, in the VHL, there is a tendency to draft for need. Strasmore fills a definite need of rounding out the team’s top four Defenders. Collecting a point per game during his VHLM tenure and posting a positive plus-minus over 42 games with Houston, Strasmore tends more toward an offensive defender. At 6’2 and 215 lbs, Strasmore is not afraid to use his size to his advantage as a defender, as evidenced by his 85 hits over 42 games with the Bulls. Unsure if trading up was necessary, though.
 
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Pick 4 - New York Americans
Daniel Weaver (LW, Australia)
M/ Houston Bulls [Miami Marauders]
 
An offensive dream. Weaver is a by-the-book sniper and should immediately slot into the top 6, if not top 3. While there may not be much to the defensive game and backchecking, Weaver is a textbook example of the old joke “the best defense is a good offense.” The best jokes have a kernel of truth to them. During season 84, Weaver put up 35 goals and 45 assists and proved especially lethal in the playoffs for the Bulls, putting up 9 points in 7 games. Weaver is the highest TPE earner in the draft, showing bags of potential. New York just gained some remarkable firepower.
 
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Pick 5 - London United
Astro Singh (LW, Canada)
M/ Saskatoon Wild
 
A bit of a surprise pick here. London had their pick of the litter when it came to available goalies and opted not to select a potential franchise goalie in Matthew Murdock. Instead, United went with Singh, a left winger from the Saskatoon Wild. Singh was a prolific goal scorer with the Wild, putting up 72 points (38g, 34a) over 72 regular season games. Singh also plays a 200-foot game and understands how to play with defense in mind. Playing for a lower-tier team in the minors, Singh had a pretty notable appearance in the playoffs — 3 goals and 5 assists over 6 appearances. Singh is an unselfish player, knowing when to make the extra pass and knowing when to finish. Should stay the course with his development and make an impact for United come season 86.
 
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Pick 6 - Malmo Nighthawks
Tater Tottingham (D, Canada)
M/ Mexico City Kings [Halifax 21st]
 
@N0HBDY had Singh going to Malmo, which would have been a great pick for the Nighthawks, as they are still looking for the franchise face they had during Condor Adrienne’s tenure. Tater Tottingham will be making Sweden their home with a probable slide into the defensive middle pairing after another season of development. Tottingham has a penchant for playmaking, with 62 assists for Mexico City last season, in addition to finishing opportunities himself with 27 goals. There is a hope Tottingham continues to develop deking and stick handling; there is a chance for Malmo to have also secured a potential defensive standout, as well.
 
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Pick 7 - Moscow Menace
Matthew Murdock (G, USA)
E/ Istanbul Red Wolves, M/ Houston Bulls
 
Matt Murdock is the first goalie off the board, as anticipated, but Moscow traded up in the draft to secure their services. Murdock was between the pipes for Istanbul’s championship run this last season, posting a playoffs save percentage of .927% with a number of 2.7 goals against. In the regular season, Murdock posted a .927% again and a GAA of 2.39. In the VHLM with Houston, they posted similar numbers. Murdock should slot in automatically as a great VHL back-up and has shown earning consistency. As Papa Emeritus inches closer to eventual retirement, the potential of Murdock starting should bear out that Moscow’s netminding does not miss a beat.
 
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Pick 8 - Riga Reign
Henry Tucker, Jr. (G, Cocos)
M/ Mexico City Kings [Halifax 21st]
 
Considerations have to be made by Riga as Tobias Reinhardt’s retirement looms. Henry Tucker, Jr. is the big goaltender from Cocos Islands. Playing 48 games last season as Mexico City’s goalie tandem, HTJ saved .906% of shots against (971 saves). It is possible Tucker, Jr. sees some time with Riga this upcoming season, but the Reign is in no rush to pull him up. There is a curiousity as to how HTJ handles a larger workload throughout a probable full VHLE season. This is a great building block for Riga moving forward.
 
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Pick 9 - Malmo Nighthawks
Reid Johnson (D, USA)
M/ Vegas Aces
 
Malmo is in desperate need of Defenders. Johnson is a max-earning Defender from Las Vegas. He will still need to develop for a season, but Malmo needs to build from the back and are not in a position to rush any development. Johnson should slot in come season 86 as a top-pairing defender, especially with the rate at which he acquires TPE. Over 72 games, Johnson has shown solid offensive vision —especially for a defender — by racking up 52 assists, and displayed great discipline by accumulating less than .5 PIM per game.
 
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Pick 10 - London United
Jesse Teno (G, USA)
M/ Saskatoon Wild
 
Here we go! London gets their goaltender of the future as Cole Pearce departs. Teno is a first-gen player and put up a .904% save percentage with the lower-tier Saskatoon Wild. A victim of some rough play in front of them, Teno has every opportunity to develop into the franchise goaltender London has been desperate for. Though, it will be another season before Teno has the chance to crack the roster for United. High risk, high reward!

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Pick 11 - Prague Phantoms
Alfred Champagne (RW, France)
M/ Philadelphia Reapers [San Diego Marlins]
 
A consistent-earning right wing who really came into their own in 43 games with Philadelphia, accumulating a whopping 63 points over those appearances. Champagne was a playmaker (43 assists) for the Reapers and while Prague will ship him out to the VHLE, he looks very likely to bolster his finishing ability. Champagne will make a great right-hand to number two overall pick, C John Jameson. Prague seem to be on track to a proper build. 
 
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Pick 12 - Helsinki Titans
Lloyd Braun (D, USA)
M/ Houston Bulls [San Diego Marlins]
 
Braun has shown outstanding work ethic over season 84. Titans GM Rayzor_7 identified that and did not risk Braun falling any lower. Braun plays as a two-way defender, generating chances in the offensive zone (14g, 40a in the VHLM) and is a physical presence in his own half. Should continue well-rounded development and land in the Titans’ top 4 come season 86.
 
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Pick 13 - New York Americans
Babay Shrimp (RW, Canada)
M/ Philadelphia Reapers [San Diego Marlins]
 
Interesting pick from New York, as currently Shrimp appears to be on track for second or third-line development. Has a defensive streak to their game and will look to refine some scoring ability. Has shown an eye for finding the open path, but will continue to develop before joining the Americans.
 
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Pick 14 - Toronto Legion
Isamu Knievel (D, Japan)
M/ Houston Bulls
 
A more defensive-minded pick with potential to be the defensive complement in a top 4 pairing. Sting Chameleon is likely to depart Toronto by the time Knieval cracks the lineup for the Legion. Knieval takes advantage of some offensive chances but it would be beneficial to see the offensive vision increase. At the least, they would like the numbers to look similar at the next step up — 10g, 35a.
 
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Pick 15 - L.A. Stars
Sunglasses Joyo (C, England)
M/ Halifax 21st
 
Most boards expected the Stars to build out from rookie sensation Art Vandelay in the net, putting a two-way defender in front of them. Instead, they opted to continue to stock the forwards pool with Sunglasses Joyo. Joyo has become a more consistent TPE earner and put up a total of 81 points in 63 appearances for the Halifax 21st. L.A. is hoping they struck gold and Joyo continues to bloom into a top six center.
 
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Pick 16 - Calgary Wranglers
Larry Abass, Jr. (LW, Canada)
M/ Vegas Aces
 
Calgary is in need of Defensive prospects, so opting for a winger in the first is a bit of a headscratcher with some notable D prospects remaining. What Calgary is getting with Larry Abass, Jr. is a player that accumulated over a point per game with Las Vegas and had a pretty remarkable +/- of 70. Calgary is hoping that Abass’ continues the momentum of his playoff performance, 7 goals and 13 assists over 15 games in Vegas’ championship run with a plus-minus of 13. While a headscratcher now, could very well end up a steal for the Wranglers.
 
+ + + + +

Surprise Faller
Pick 29 - Toronto Legion
Jeremy Swayman (G, USA)
M/ Mexico City Kings
 
After a great showing with Mexico City, most had Swayman as a mid-to-late first-rounder, as opposed to going late in the second round. In 25 games with the Kings, Swayman posted 21 wins and 3 losses with a fourth loss coming in overtime and a GAA under 2. The biggest concern is just gametime up to this point, as Swayman has demonstrated a penchant for being a solid TPE earner. This is a steal for Toronto as Squids thinks Swayman has the chance to become America’s next Dusty Wilson.
 
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Mr. Irrelevant
Pick 64 - Warsaw Predators 
Andrew Tate (D, Romania)
M/ Vegas Aces
 
Everyone’s most beloved pick. The league needs defenders. Romanian Defender Andrew Tate last played in season 83, registering 4 points across 18 appearances. Averaging a hit per game and a +/- of 5, Tate’s game seems to strike a balance between offensive and defensive ability. Whether that ability translates to the world’s highest level is to be determined. There is just too small a sample size. Tate is 42 years of age, making it easy to root for them as they pursue their dream of playing at the international level.
 
* * * * *
2,031 words — using for TPE for weeks of Aug 29-Sept 4, Sept 5-Sept 11, Sept 12-Sept 18, and Sept 19-25
Edits: typos and clarity
Edits 2: Date adjustments for clarity

I'm actually quite surprised how many hits there are when you search for "Viva Las Vengeance" in the gif search. Panic! must have spent quite a bit of time making gifs for their album release as part of their marketing ploy. Or perhaps their fans just really like making Brendon gifs, both are very possible. But yeah I'm going to write this MS while listening through their new album.
 
For the first time in five seasons, Moscow didn't make the finals. Tough pill to swallow but it has a nice motivational factor. Losing in the finals is a dull motivator once you've done it four times in a row. At least now the goal is to get back to the finals and to claim the European Conference championship once again. The past couple teams have really tossed expectations out of the window and reached plateaus which I never quite envisioned the prior off-season, but I was always very excited to ride and wave and celebrate the small successes throughout each season. Users experiencing not only career highs, but sim-league history bests. Multiple players on the team hit point production, goal marks, career records that they've never reached even on their other players since joining the league. It's really nice see the enthusiasm and excitement people have when they're on the team, and that sort of helps the downs of losing - to know people just genuinely enjoyed the time spent together and watching their player and team perform well.
 
Looking forward though, there's still a lot of potential for the team. S84 1st round picks Fraser Wallace @Hoopydog and AK92 wit da Hoodie @hedgehog337 are joining the team to provide a welcome influx of young talent. Sergey Preobrazhensky @Bulduray_1 genuinely looks like one of the best centers in the league, and appears ready to take over the 1C role in Moscow. Most of the remaining roster will return, but there will still be some decisions to be made as stars Papa Emeritus @Beketov and Henri le Massif @Garsh are pending UFA's along with Jason Argos @Insypher who exceeded expectations as a rookie. As always, the offseason will cause me headaches and leave me scrambling in a mess of trades and roster moves. As I finish writing this, a couple hours later, Papa has been signed. Regardless, it is still enjoyable and one of my favorite parts of the season as a GM.
 
Lastly, the World Cup is starting up soon! I've been pretty uninvolved up until this point due to vacation, but I am still excited for Nico to play in the tournament for the first time, and to see the highest level of play in the VHL. Keep an eye out for roster posts going up over the next 24 hours!
 

1. It was a very good series, both teams battle hard and unfortunately we lost it in the end.
2. I'm super proud of this group of players. We showed throughout the season that we could've went all the way but it wasn't to be.
3. I think the Red Wolves will win the cup but I think the series will be quite close.
4. MOSCOW! MOSCOW! MOSCOW!
5. My irl life has been quite hectic towards the end of the season so I'm hoping just to relax and work on earning some TPE.
6. It was an honour being the teams Captain for the year, I wish you all the best for the future and hopefully I'll get to play on the same team as you guys again.

@Hoopydog
 
Forgot to post this 2 hours ago. This is for week ending July 31st.

1. I'm gonna try and earn as much TPE as possible this week and then maybe do a shot for every like 3 TPE i earn. Seems like a fitting way to celebrate.
2. I would go for something like "A day in the life of..." so people could do a media spot from the perspective of their player going about their normal day.
3. I would highly encourage everyone to try and do theme week. I find it quite fun to do but also its a nice chunk of free TPE.
4. Lots of drinking and partying. I'm going into my last of university come September so its sorta my last chance to have some fun before the semester from hell.
5. I'd have to go with Harry Hagel. Over a point per game as a defensemen is just outrageous.
6. I can't remember who said it but it goes something like "Not believing in yourself is a slap in the face to those that do". I don't know but it makes me believe in myself so much.

My idea for theme week is to do an interview with my player Fraser Wallace and ask him about his VHL idols and dreams from when he was 15 years old (I’m counting 1 season as a year for this) Hope you guys enjoy.
 
Interviewer – “Hello there Fraser, thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to speak with us and happy VHL birthday!”
 
Wallace – “No problem, man, I quite like doing these interviews with you and happy birthday to VHL!”
 
Interviewer – “So I thought what we could do is talk what 15-year-old Fraser Wallace thought the VHL, his hopes and dreams of playing in the VHL and stuff like that. Does that sound good to you?”
 
Wallace – “Yeah that sounds good to me. Ask away!”
 
Interviewer – “Let’s start with your favourite team at that age. Everyone has a team they support as a child but you don’t always get to play for that team so who was the team you supported growing up?”
 
Wallace – “I was actually a Moscow fan growing up. You were probably expecting me to say Riga since Artair McCloud played there and he’s also Scottish but there was just something about Moscow that I just enjoyed watching.”
 
Interviewer – “And what was it about Moscow that drew you to them?”
 
Wallace – “I think that they’ve had some unreal players on their team over the years. The likes of Lahtinen, Davis, Letang were on the team when I was younger and they were outstanding to watch and unplayable at times. When the time came for the next generation of Moscow guys like Duncan Idaho and Paul Atreides were the dynamic duo of the league for me and 2 players I definitely admired.”
 
Interviewer – “So who was your favourite player, if you had one or did you have a few players that you liked?”
 
Wallace – “I think Mikko Lahtinen was probably my favourite player, especially when he was at Moscow. He was just a total freak of nature and he could do things that other players couldn’t. Aside from him I did admire Artair McCloud, being where I’m from you know there is a large hockey community and it can be quite hard to make it big somewhere but he showed me that it was possible and definitely lit a fire under me and I wanted to follow his footsteps.”
 
Interviewer – “Last thing, I wanted to talk about S79 which was the season when you would have been 15. What are your thoughts and memories from that season?”
 
Wallace – “It was a disappointing one for sure. Moscow didn’t make the playoffs but the team was still in its rebuilding stage and you saw the following 3 seasons that they improved dramatically. I think Malmo won the playoffs that year and I remember them having a stellar regular season. I don’t remember them having any huge, major stars but rather being a good, solid team that played for each other and played together.”
 
Interviewer – “Well thank you Fraser again for taking the time out to speak with us, good luck with the rest of the VHLE season and I’ll talk to you again soon”
 
Wallace – “Thank you very much mate, take care.”

Mmmmmmm free TPE

We are just a 3rd of the way through the current VHLE season and both the Bratislava Watchmen and Fraser Wallace are having a good season so far. Bratislava currently sit top of the VHLE table on 32 points, 1 point above their closest rivals the Istanbul Red Wolves. This is after the Watchmen had a little bit of a rough start as the team were still trying to figure out line combinations etc… But now that the team have clicked, they dismantling teams and are looking like a real contender for the cup.
 
A big contributor to the team’s recent success was 1st round draft pick Fraser Wallace whose fortunes have seemed to turn around along with the team’s. After a rough start with only 1 point in his first 6 games with the team, he has improved his performances tremendously as he currently sits on 26 points in just 22 games, which has him in 8th place on the top scorers list.
 
Neither Bratislava or Wallace will want to rest on their laurels as they will look to push on to try and secure themselves top seed and permanent home ice advantage for the playoffs.

Nice job on this media spot! I like the way that you used make the heading for each team that own teams colour, this really helps break up and brighten up the piece. You give a nice amount of depth for the description of each team (especially as its a power ranking and you don't usually get a whole lot with those) so that for people like me (who don't have a lot of time to keep up with them) can get a good feel for how all the teams are doing. Overall, great job! 9.5/10

1. I think we are still finding purpose feet a bit but we have improved massively and I think we still have some room to grow.
2. I'm happy with the way it's going. I had a bad start but now I feel like I'm performing like a top player and helping the team the way I want to.
3. Being from Scotland, I am a master of the weather. Just be prepared for anything. Take a jacket even if it's sunny or check the weather before you leave.
4. I'm a F1 fan and I'm liking Lando Norris at the moment, she's been driving well and got a decent result at the Brittish GP.
5. I haven't yet, I will be going out and about soon but I wanted to get my performance level up before I did.
6. I swear I'll go explore the city soon I promise.