sterling

Limbo

The VHL's approaching its 20th season, and has been around for three and a half years. That, in itself, is amazing. What I find more intriguing is the fact that many of the most active members today were not around back when the league began. That, in part, is why I've decided to write up the 20 for 20 series - I want people to know of the league's humble beginning. There were some awesome, interesting, and sometimes even unnerving moments in VHL history, and I hope to bring you 20 good ones that you will enjoy. I figure it only makes sense to start with the creation of the VHL, and how the league we know and love came to be.

As some members may know, the VHL is not an orphan league - it has ancestors that date back even further than 2007. A similar league existed before the VHL, that was run by familiar names - Scotty Campbell, David Knight, etc.

"It was originally founded by a member named Champion, who was later forced to resign due to inactivity." - David Knight

The ESHL - the Extreme Simulation Hockey League, is the league I'm referring to. I joined this league long after Champion left, and he was barely an afterthought by this time. However, it appears that the ESHL was very close to closing down.

"While he considered closing it, I stepped forward to take over the reigns of the league. Under the guidance of myself and thepoint17, the ESHL began to thrive with an influx of new members. Not long thereafter,  a new commissioner joined the ranks - Scotty Campbell. Scotty took the job of main simmer, and the simulation was done on Playstation." - David Knight


Back in the day, this was our world

As we can see, the playstation simulation - while effective in the short-term, eventually became impractical as time went on. Around this time, during the ESHL's sixth season, is when Kevin Brooks and I showed up. I found my way over from a link that was posted on another hockey forum, and I imagine Brooks did the same. Either way, it didn't matter as the league was already on the downturn. However, his short time in the ESHL was enough to get Kevin Brooks focused on creating a new, more easily-sustainable league than the ESHL when the league closed down halfway through our rookie years.

"I wasn't a part of the decision to close the league. I was far from in power there and was as surprised as everyone else to see it close. From there, Brett Noiles and I took the idea and applied it to a "Custom General Manager" themed site which took off to minimal fanfare. We closed it shortly after and Quik and I began work on the original Victory Hockey League." - Kevin Brooks

The ESHL was no more - all that was left of it was memories. The period between the ESHL's closing and the VHL's opening is the period I call "Limbo", which explains the title of the article. Personally, I had just been introduced to the idea of player sim leagues, and was still very much intrigued by its ways. Just before the ESHL forum went offline, I saw a member named pombo_22 asking for help in creating a new, similar league. I sent him a message, and he agreed to let me help out as his assistant administrator. Pombo_22 is still among us in the VHL, but goes by "Beketov" now, or Robert Sharpe.

"I don't think I was ever trying to reincarnate the ESHL - that would be impossible. I was simply trying to bring in new elements that would work as a replacement for it. It failed, I suppose, because of poor management skills. I was young and didn't have the time to concentrate on the leagues or the management logic to run them correctly." - Robert Sharpe

Sharpe says "leagues", because he was in charge of a few leagues during the "Limbo" period - all of which were unsuccessful, to my dismay. Others, like David Knight, stayed away from hockey leagues during this time, instead choosing to join other leagues that focused on other sports.

"I was in the MSFL (football) and EPL (baseball) and remained there. In between the ESHL and the VHL was another league created by scotty which did not last long." - David Knight


The Oshawa Generals - one of the teams in the defunct OHSL

The league Knight is referring to is the OHSL. Like Knight, I too learned that another league had opened up, and was run by the same guys who were running the ESHL. Naturally, I joined as soon as possible. However, we ran into a very similar problem, and I don't think we even simulated a single game before this league also closed down. At this point, I really thought it was over, and that I had missed the boat on player sim leagues. Luckily, some of us hadn't given up just yet.

"I joined the OHSL with a different username. I played for a little bit, but the league just wasn't the same and I proposed to Scotty that he join me at a new VHL. It would be something that we would put mass amounts of dedication into, himself much more than I did, and we saw the results nearly instantly." - Kevin Brooks

The closing of the OHSL was tough, but it opened the door for the VHL to finally come about. Being run by guys like Kevin Brooks, Scotty Campbell, Brett Noiles, and Matt Pogge, the league certainly had promise. The key was figuring out how to simulate games efficiently, which is where the program "STHS" came in.

"The idea to implement STHS was Noiles'. He had come across it and we found it to be more than suitable. It would normally take an hour to sim a single game in previous leagues, but with STHS, it could now take us a matter of seconds. Statistics were automatically kept track for us, and there seemed to be fair scores when we ran tests of the engine in the demo. The decision to purchase came weeks after opening the league, which left us on shaky ground to begin with, but proved to be worth the wait." - Kevin Brooks


Kevin Brooks at the opening of the VHL

Naturally, when people got word of the league's opening, they came in masses. We had been scattered out across the internet, but many of us came back. Some of us joined the VHL from scratch, without having been a part of any previous leagues. Either way, the member base was overflowing. I didn't join too long after the league's opening, yet I was the 79th person to sign up.

"I was in one of Robbie's leagues when I heard about it. He was simming and, therefore, cheating to win so I didn't want to stick around much longer. I had enjoyed being in the ESHL and OSHL so I figured the VHL, under the same management, would be just as good. Signed up as member #25 and the rest is history." - Robert Sharpe

The rest is history indeed. 3 and a half years later, and look at us now. This is only the beginning of my 20-part series, but I can already tell you all how proud I am at our ability to survive. Believe me, there were times when things got difficult. There were times when even an optimist such as myself would wonder 'Is this the end?'. At no point in time was this more true than when Scotty Campbell, our beloved yet often picked on leader, stepped down as commissioner and simmer. However, we had some great members step up, and we've continued to grow since then. Thankfully, we've been able to defy the odds and exceed the expectations of us all - even our founding father.

"I never expected the VHL to continue as long as it has. I was expecting it to die in about eight months, knowing full well at the time that this was the average life for a single league. As it grew, however, more people were becoming attached to the idea of not having to start over. Friendships grew and the workers emerged. Guys like djscooter and Kendrick really pitched in when we needed it and showed other members how they could help. Grading became an active role and doing a job held substantial reward. People encouraged each other to better the league in their own regard and a community began to emerge." - Kevin Brooks


The VHL attracts members and players from all around the world

A community did emerge, and while we've lost some truly great people to boredom, loss of interest, or busy schedules, we've also met some equally great people. If everyone had stuck around, we can only imagine what the league would be like today, but we must accept (and be thankful for) what we have. It's been a long time, and a lot of us have grown up with the VHL in our lives. I hope that this does not change for a long time.

"We've been here for a long time, and I must say that it's been absolutely incredible to watch. Scotty isn't here anymore and - I'll be honest - I'm starting to fade out too, but the spirit that was fostered here in the early days still remains and is still the uniting force that's keeping this community open." - Kevin Brooks

Many of us, myself included, have devoted a lot of time and effort towards keeping this league enjoyable for everyone. Personally, I don't regret it one bit. I do not regret the growth I've undergone during my time here, nor do I regret the friendships I've made. We VHLers are a special brand of folk, and while we don't always get along, we can certainly agree that we all love the great game of hockey. We love it so much that we will sit around and create our own league, with our own players and teams. We can win championships, set records, and create history without leaving the comfort of our bedrooms. On the internet, the VHL is my "home", and I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

The V, 'nuff said.

End of Part 1
Special thanks to David Knight, Kevin Brooks, and Robert Sharpe  

Evolution

This series is slowly but surely coming to an end and though it has taken a bit longer than expected, it has been fun to look at what has happened in the VHL over the past ten seasons and how it will all impact the future. A lot of the focus has been on individual teams, players, trends, or events, but the fact that the league has kept going and in good health is because of the overall product consistently improving and remaining a point of interest for its members. There were times when it seemed the league would die, mainly due to inactivity and then a large amount of drama in the mid S10s but the VHL proved the thesis 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' and evolved even more rapidly since. During the past decade and a bit the league has opened its horizons while consolidating what it already had and currently it may well be in its healthiest state ever.

Thirty seasons in five years, that was what this final episode was originally going to be called but as we now approach a mark of around thirty-five seasons in six years, that title seems to be quite outdated. Nevertheless, those numbers speak volumes for the VHL's longevity and consistency. There are not that many internet communities that have passed the five-year anniversary, especially if you consider the smaller size of the VHL. That is what makes the league unique but also it is an original concept in itself and in terms of its own life (32 “years” of it now), the VHL has a lot of history in terms of players, rivalries, events, completely individual to itself. For some, that history is important and something to look back on while engaging in history being made right now. Others have put the past behind them quickly and a great proportion of members barely know the details of what happened before their join date, but most importantly, they (we) all work to create an environment for something to look back in the future. If once upon a time 20 seasons seemed so far away and untouchable, now it appears to be inevitable that league will eventually hit 50 and continue going strong after. There has been a drastic change in mentality from the origins of the league and its doubtful that the founding members ever saw this far ahead into a bigger, brighter future.

"The league is very different, drastically so. The whole culture has changed since its beginnings, as one would expect when something is approaching its sixth anniversary. It was, at times, a grind to get through those first ten seasons or so. There was a lot of arguing, trolling, and immaturity around the boards. I think we all grew up just a little bit, which helped the community of the VHL. It is hard to put into words just how much the culture has evolved over time; it’s something you had to have experienced yourself." - David Knight

"When I started out the league was made up of a few guys that all knew each other or were from the same area. The amount of Ontario based members was huge and probably made up about 60% of the league. Now members range all across North America and even some in Europe/Australia. A lot of parity in terms of locations which is great for our community. The work needed for each of your players is now a lot harder, because of the bar that's been set by the "pioneers"." - Joey Kendrick

"When the VHL first started, it was just a sim league; now, this is an established forum that has explored all the outlets to retain and recruit members. The amount of positions created in the league is more than what we had back when it all began, as well as the organization and effort that people are willing to put in. The people that are in charge are different and reasonably so. The league started out with a set of Commissioners, and throughout time here, the opportunity to guide this league has been in the hands of several prominent members. In the beginning, the point tasks were simple; you did writing and you did graphics. Now, podcasts have become increasingly popular, and at one time or another, completing a wiki article about something league related was also explored. Over the past 5+ years the league has transformed dramatically in a variety of ways, but as well, in many instances the league has remained stalemate in some of it's procedures and ethics. To document all the vast differences from the beginning to now would be especially detailed and rather long. In keeping things brief, a few of the obvious differences were noted." - Brett Slobodzian


Commissioner Brett Slobodzian oversaw the transfer of the VHL to a more modern league

It's one thing to hear these things coming from some of the original members of the league, people that have been here for the whole process from the very inaugural draft. However, the league didn't mould into its current state within ten seasons of existence, in fact it went through some turbulent times in Seasons 13-17 (2010) and through perseverance it has adapted further to put those drama-filled days behind as well. That has largely been a success since most current members of the league don't know, remember, and/or reminisce on those dark days in the league's history. For the members that joined the VHL during that time (and their numbers were plentiful since that was the start of the generation of the Season 18 draft), seeing the league change drastically from then onwards has offered a different perception on how much the VHL has altered.

"The league seemed to be a lot more disciplined, a lot more conservative when I first joined.  Everything happened, everything worked, we moved on with the league.  I think because of the continuously rising member count we have become more creative.  More jobs to get points, more reasons to be active, more opportunities to have fun. We aren't just on the site to see how our player is doing.  The off-topic section has really boomed over the past few seasons, for instance.  A lot of members Skype with each other and do podcasts on a weekly basis.  The league as a whole, simply put, is more integrated now that ever before." - Bryan Svec

"The league is quite a bit different from when I first arrived.  Obviously there's been many fundamental changes over the years, such as Welfare, Player Store, certain rules, even the salary cap went up early on.  The community has also changed a great deal.  We've seen many great old members leave, we've seen many great new people join us, and some people have even done both.  As a community, the culture has changed greatly as well.  We put more of an emphasis on welcoming new members and making them feel like they belong than we did when I first arrived on scene.  There's also much less tolerance for hate and bitching among the people.  And of course we don't even live in the same place as we did when I first joined.  In sum, the VHL is different fundamentally, visually, and culturally.  Very different indeed." - Jardy Bunclewirth

Over the years, the leadership of the league has changed. Coincidentally, the darkest times in the league's history (which, it should be noted, were not complete chaos and bickering and may have been better than the original decade but in terms of members' outlook and how the league has moved on since, those seasons look quite terrible) fell on the “buffer period” when Brett Slobodzian and Sterling Labatte had taken over for a few seasons after the resignation of founder Scotty Campbell. The blame by no means falls on the two commissioners of the time for the league experiencing some downtime, quite on the contrary they did a lot to stop the VHL's demise and afterwards, with Slobodzian stepping down and Labatte moving to a smaller role in the league, a long period of stability ensued with David Knight presiding over the day-to-day operations and young (in VHL tenure) member Jardy Bunclewirth joining him in the front office.


David Knight: symbol of the league's new-found stability

There were critics of the regime for the past almost 15 seasons and 2+ years of real time, but the men in charge did their job diligently and made further progress in how the league operated. A key criticism was the 'blue team' sometimes being out of touch with what was going on in the league but the fact of the matter is that for essentially all of the 'David Knight era' there has been no need for an overly watchful eye over the league. The member base has matured in its own right and settles many disputes on its own, with nothing getting out of hand for long periods of time. Of course, there have been some continued arguments but for the most part, there has been no need for the commissioners to step in and affect the pure communication factor of the league.

"There are a lot of notable ways that the VHL has evolved over its time, but one of the more unheralded ones would be the growth of the members age-wise. When I first joined, and even before the VHL, Crosby1Fan, Shawn Howard or Steven Stamkos as we all know him now to be, was an 11-year old kid; now, he's approaching 18-years old. The maturity of a lot of the members have differed over time and with some it hasn't, but we've all witnessed a member or two that started out in junior high and are now graduated and attending University or some form of post secondary education." - Brett Slobodzian

"The league is continuously evolving, regardless of how far back in time you look. That is the wonderful thing about it. We have a whole new sea of fresh faces as the core of our member group now. I’m sure if you look another decade or so into the future, we’ll have other new faces leading the charge there. This is what makes it so much fun to be a part of this ever-changing community. You meet so many different kinds of people. The community is at the core of the VHL and is what drives the league forward." - David Knight

Rivalries are no longer something that chases members away but rather a welcomed source of activity. Even in their absence, activity appears to be at an all-time high and fresh blood has continued to enter the VHL. In the past few entry drafts, for the first time since Season 3 first-generation members were drafted first overall and some drafts expected to be weak classes have boomed thanks to the influx of newly-recruited or comeback members. The making of the league has not changed drastically, the same principles that brought it to life in Season 1 are still used today, but new ideas were brought in and what the league is today is a part of a large amount of members' visions rather than the idea and execution of a select few individuals.

The VHL moved sites during 2011 and has only grown since on its own, self-dependent platform. Many added features have made it more exciting to use and increased its professionalism and overall appearance. The VHL magazine has continued to run strong while remaining a strong job source (along with numerous other job opportunities). Now on the horizon is also the VHLM magazine (with an individual name, 'On the Rise', no less) and many other features which have simply made the VHL a better place and more engaging for its ever-growing member base. There is every reason to be optimistic about the league's future, even past the 30-season and 5.5-year mark.

"The VHL was once just a sim league, now people are investing in its success through the donation method. When the league moved from the Invisionfree forum to the now SMF forum, it received mixed reactions, but after being on this forum for the past while, there are some days where the site can be a headache, but for the most part, there's no way we can revert back. We've moved forward with this league, which is a strong sign of our evolution as a whole. The VHL's magazine, now approaching its 143rd edition, has been a grand addition to the league and even though the columnists have changed over time, its quality, promptness and those heading the project have remained the same." - Brett Slobodzian

"The league has become significantly more decentralized than how it was when I first joined.  That is really good for the league's longevity.  More people now than ever are taking responsibility and fulfilling it.  We can hold more people accountable to a smaller amount of work.  The days of holding someone hostage for not living on the site are long over.  I think we can credit a lot of this to the VHLM's growth, the fantasy zone and the additional new franchises." - Bryan Svec


The VHL has become a lot more friendly, if still a bit prickly at times

From abstract themes we move on to more physical changes brought in since the past decade over a bit, dubbed earlier as the 'David Knight era'. The VHL magazine is a holdover from Slobodzian's time is more to do with the Funk brothers' willingness to produce it than anything else. The site move was a large change but it didn't necessarily change the way the league operates, which some more subtle changed have done. There have been changes to awards and how awards are voted for (even a new one in the Dustin Funk Trophy brought in), there were changes to the carry-over percentages and starting TPE limits to avoid what was becoming a growing advantage for re-creates over first-gen members, with the latter also being helped with more TPE being made available through the three doubles weeks for any new member to start among other sources of points. The fantasy zone quietly came into existence and is now an enjoyable area for many VHL members, its importance seen when it went on a one-season hiatus fairly recently to the dismay of its regulars. More bonuses are being handed out, recently the welfare and pension facility was added to avoid some members over-working and losing interest due to the sometimes strenuous point tasks, and the player store was revamped to make it and contract money more relevant and to become another source of TPE.

Some of these changes have created a so-called 'TPE inflation' where numbers earned even by the average league member is equal to or larger than many of the hardest workers during the VHL's first 20 seasons. Adapting to this, the financial system was revamped to accommodate for higher TPE amounts and to stop teams from building overly dominant rosters thanks to a lucky draft or rebuild/firesale. For some this remains an area of concern and there are still seasons where parity is lacking in the league, but the league has clearly evolved in that effect and made strides to make team management a more strategic task. The draft lottery was revamped to avoid tanking and overall, the league looks much more like a finished product, helped of course by a new site and professional self-designed logos. There are areas of concern but through paying attention to the members' suggestions and having a general environment of mutual respect among everyone, the VHL has been able to alter some parts of its day-to-day running to improve the league as a whole.

"I made a bunch of small rule changes, just to help with the day-to-day flow of the league. Like anything, you notice a problem and fix it – that’s an important job we as commissioners play. I’m sure most of the league wouldn’t be able to remember two or three of those types of rule changes, but it doesn’t matter. They are engrained in the lifeblood of the league. One of the big changes I believe that had a big impact on the league was a new approach of running the league. It was very turbulent times in the summer of 2010, just after I was appointed commissioner. A simple change in the philosophy of how to control everyone in the league was vital in ensuring the league kept on running. It was a challenge for me, but with support from Sterling and Brooks we were able to implement that. Also, the forum switch was a big change we saw. Once again, it was in the summer (this time 2011) and caused a lot of stress for everyone involved. We fought through it, and managed to start on a fresh board." - David Knight

"The VHL is more proactive with change than it's ever been.  The wants of the members have been better taken heed of, and the leadership of the VHL is always willing to look into changing for the best interests of the league.  As soon as Fuhrer Victor took over, there was like, a billion minor changes made immediately.  And we're always looking to make the right tweaks and changes to perfect this great league of ours.  Every new day is the best the league has ever been, and that is something that will continue moving forward." - Jardy Bunclewirth

"Overall, the VHL is a well-oiled machine. It has its negatives and areas which could be addressed (some mentioned here), but for the most part, everything is at a point where it works and is suitable for most of the members here. The one thing that has occurred over the last little while has been the incorporation of some of the members' ideas, which back in the day, would often be left by the way-side." - Brett Slobodzian


Terence Fong has received some much-deserved credit for greatly improving the VHLM

Of course, there have also been a couple of large changes. One was the VHLM make-over, detailed in episode 21 of this series where the minor, developmental league of the VHL underwent some drastic changes under long-time commissioner Terence Fong to become a more independent and exciting organization, as well as better at keeping the interest of new players. In the second half of the decade the situation in the VHLM grew a bit more stale and the euphoria from the modifications fell rapidly. Nevertheless, the VHLM is still a much improved part of the VHL today and with a recent re-organisation of the team forums, the addition of an independent fantasy zone, the upcoming addition of a VHLM magazine, and the gradual re-branding of the minor league's logos, it is clear that this key stage of any player's career is not being ignored.

"I feel like one of the biggest and most important changes the VHL has made was the overhaul to the VHLM.  Nowadays I feel like minor league GMs and players take for granted how much freedom they have with their VHLM experience that simply did not exist before.  There was a time that getting someone to GM a VHLM team was about as pleasant as pulling teeth.  It was hard to get people who wanted the job, and it was even harder finding people who were right for it.  Now you can argue that becoming a VHLM GM is the most important stepping stone in becoming a VHL GM.  As for the new players, there is a much better chance they have a positive entry experience to the VHL under the "new" VHLM system.  Everything is much more meaningful than it used to be.  Obviously the VHLM still isn't where we want it to be, but the changes Terence Fong made was a giant first step." - Jardy Bunclewirth

"The VHLM is no longer linked to VHL teams. It just makes it a lot easier to have jobs for different guys and not have to worry about the VHLM's players as much while they are down there, knowing they are looked after by a General Manager of their own. I think the league as a whole has gone through a makeover "cosmetically" and that has helped our brand. We aren't just a forum with text and html codes anymore, we are a VHL brand. The fact our logos are created by in community members and not stolen from other leagues is big." - Joey Kendrick

"The VHLM was an area that desperately needed attention. If you weren't in the VHLM, you don't have a reason to pay attention to it. Slowly, but surely, the VHLM has developed a good reputation and has undergone a few transformations, as all farm systems tend to do. When it all began, teams, if they weren't named, were called Farm Team 1 for instance. Now and under the leadership of tfong, Kendrick and Diamond_Ace to name a few, have put the VHLM on the proverbial VHL map, where it's equality has grown and flourished to the point now where we've expanded there as well, are starting to produce created logos to where the rules and foundations set in place make the VHLM a solid developmental league." - Brett Slobodzian


The VHL helped Quebec bring back professional hockey

Last, but definitely not least, is the big change, the real deal, and without a doubt a huge change in philosophy from almost 30 seasons of prior VHL hockey. Expansion was always the league's huge pipe dream but we stuck with eight teams for longer than any other sim league even existed before finally deciding to take the major leap with the addition of two new teams. During Season 30, expansion was the hottest topic of discussion and its execution and impact so far has not disappointed. The Quebec City Meute and Cologne Express have not blown anyone out of the water but have not been completely terrible either with Cologne in the middle of the pack for two seasons now and Quebec heading for a playoff spot by default in a weak North American Conference. The two GMs' players, Kameron Taylor and Alexander Valiq, have provided high-quality play as leaders of their teams while slowly building up teams that should continue to provide healthy competition and hopefully win their first Continental Cups in the fourth decade.

"Expansion was always spoken about, but was never put into action for the simple fact that the amount of members/players for each team wasn't viable from the start. Since our member database has increased exponentially since our efforts in the recruitment field have increased, we have finally been able to tap into that expansion realm that escaped this league. Speaking of our recruitment efforts, the league has done a great job in collecting funds from our member database to aid in the efforts to attract newer members." - Brett Slobodzian

"Naturally, I think down the road we’ll see that expansion will have made a huge change in the league, perhaps even being the most notable of all changes. In the seasons leading up to expansion, everyone perceived it just to be a pipe dream however we were excited when we were able to make it happen." - David Knight

Expansion, VHLM changes, minor amendments, a growing member base and incredibly healthy league have created a positive outlook in the VHL for the past 10+ seasons. We are not devoid of some bickering and some dislikes between various members, old and new, but the situation has improved so much that these shortcomings can be ignored. Additionally, without debates (and it can be said that arguments in the VHL have truly involved into debates) the league will lose a good chunk of its activity and if that doesn't happen there is no reason to not expect ten more seasons and ten more seasons after that, and so on. Of course, there is still room for improvement and that is something to look to to ensure the VHL remains ahead of its competition and up to date with what goes on in the world. We have definitely established that any single one of the league's key members is replaceable and a mass exodus appears more and more unlikely as time goes by but becoming stale is definitely not ideal. With that, the expectation should be on the VHL to remain proactive and continue to win over members and then listen to their opinions on what the ideal league future should hold.


The latest and most professional VHL logo yet seems like a fitting last image for this series

"Despite my praise of Fong's work earlier, the VHLM is still pretty shitty.  Right now it seems as though it sort of peaked around the same time the big changes were made, while Jason Glasser was still Ottawa's GM and guys like Daniel Braxton and Mitch Higgins were still noobs.  There was a great deal of activity in the minor league then, and it has dropped significantly since.  I feel like the onus is on the veteran members to stay engaged in the VHLM to make the new guys feel more comfortable discussing and getting excited about their time in the minor leagues.  I wish is that the VHLM will one day no longer be seen as a hindrance, but just the first of many fun, exciting steps in a player's VHL journey." - Jardy Bunclewirth

"I think there are just small areas such as keeping our draftees active. I hate seeing guys register, create a player, do one practice facility and then never return. I'd love to see them engaged and given an outlook to progress better. I also think we should use social media better (like Facebook or Twitter) to grab the attention of people. I myself have sent out around 50 messages on Facebook to people from groups associated with hockey regarding our league. A couple have poked their head in thus far and it can only increase!" - Joey Kendrick

"There are always going to be improvements to be made, we’re not perfect by a long stretch. Issues exist that have always been prevalent such as lack of parity between top and bottom teams, making player money matter, attracting fresh faces to our community, a more sophisticated cash flow system for teams, etc. The list can go on and on. Sometimes, though, you have to take a step back and realize that the VHL is entirely unique and it is hard to emulate real-life hockey leagues. I think once you understand the nuances of the VHL and just how unique it is, only then can you temper your expectations. Some things are just not feasible within the confines of our league, unfortunately, but that does not necessarily mean we cannot at least try." - David Knight

"It's difficult to pin-point set examples because they usually occur on a instance by instance basis, but lately, the voting system has been somewhat flawed in that the popularity vote seems to weigh heavily over actual facts/stats to back up one's argument. It all boils down to who the members seem to like more. As the VHL has grown both member and team-wise, the salary cap could use some looking at. A team can build through the draft, but before the players and teams are good enough, the teams find themselves having to blow things up because of the bracket increases, something of which could also be looked at as we evolve. Currently, VHL players are earning more and more TPE as opposed to before. Brackets are more easily obtainable and are being done more quickly. A more favourable bracket system would allow teams to remain competitive and would avoid the annual 5th season blow-up." - Brett Slobodzian

That concludes this 30 in 30 series. It was more of a 10 in 10 or 7 in 10 and 3 in 30 but regardless, it has been well worth it. The task was originally spread between three people, only one article was done by someone other than me and hopefully next time someone new steps up like there were replacements for Zero, the creator of the original 20 in 20 series. Now, these ten articles shall be stored in the Hall of Fame available for anyone to read and hopefully they were worthy of the readers' time. Around ten more seasons and two more years are now in the VHL history books while new chapters are being written now, by you. Who will be the next great player, team, event, or rivalry? That is for the next ten or twenty seasons to decide and at the pace this league is going, there should definitely be someone at that side of the future to recap everything that happens in between.

End of Part 30
Special thanks to David Knight, Brett Slobodzian, Jardy Bunclewirth, Joey Kendrick, Bryan Svec, and again everyone else who gave quotes during this series  

The Shortbus

A lot of people have been waiting for this one, but the wait is finally over. The Shortbus was the nickname for the New York Americans team that existed between Season 7 and Season 9 inclusively. The name was coined by radio DJ Laker12 on his now defunct “Ode to Aramark” podcast. The short bus is generally a smaller school bus that is used to drive kids with mental or physical disabilities to school. When the Americans got a group of players together that were not very well-liked around the league, and were led by one of the most controversial figures the league has ever seen, it was only a matter of time before people reacted to it. Time to go inside the Shortbus and see how things really were in New York back then.

***DISCLAIMER***
I interviewed Robbie Zimmers for this article – you should know what to expect. For the documentary purposes of this series, I’ve decided to leave it uncensored. Proceed at your own risk.

At the beginning of Season 5, the Hamilton Canucks were riding high as they were coming off their first ever playoffs birth in Season 4, and were looking forward to more of the same. Shortly into that season, however, they realized that they were in for another long season. The fans, originally filled with hope and excitement, soon reverted to the typical, careless nature that the Canucks players were used to. It was at about the midway mark of Season 5 that current General Manager, Jesus Christ, stepped down from his position, getting ready to retire from the league. He was eventually placed on waivers, and was involved in what many people referred to as one of the least classy moves in VHL history.

To digress for a moment, Christ was put on waivers so that he could go attempt to help the Stockholm Rams win a first Continental Cup, but he was claimed by the last place, regulation winless Toronto Legion – a useless move for a franchise whose season was already lost. Christ’s career ended in disappointment. Meanwhile, nobody was left to take the now vacant GM job. There certainly were some qualified candidates. David Knight, who is currently the GM of the Toronto Legion, was a man who many thought was next in line for the job of Canucks GM. That wouldn’t happen, though, and instead, the notorious Robbie Zimmers was brought into office.

”Jesus Christ, who was the GM at the time, was stepping down. He asked around the team to see who wanted the job, but no one really wanted it. I said I would do it, thinking I would only do it for 1-2 seasons before I got bored. Well, as we all know, that didn't happen.” – Robbie Zimmers

In Season 6, the Hamilton Canucks endured perhaps the worst season in VHL history with a disgraceful record of 5-66-1, for a total of 11 points on the season. The fans reacted negatively to this utterly poor performance, and simply stopped showing up to home games altogether. There were games where the attendance was below 1,000 people, and most of them were fans of the other team who were looking to watch a blowout. Zimmers, a man who lived in the spotlight, took this as an insult and decided that Hamilton’s unsuccessful VHL tenure was over, and that it was time for the team to move. Setting his sights on the biggest stage of them all, he moved the franchise to New York, and the New York Americans were born. To this day, Zimmers has no regrets about moving the franchise, and has some harsh words for Steeltown.


The Canucks became the Americans after Season 6

”I moved the team because Hamilton sucks. It’s a shit hole city and I thought: ‘why not move the team to one of the biggest markets out there?’ “ – Robbie Zimmers

In Season 7, Zimmers started to bring together these players of questionable backgrounds and began to build his legacy as a general manager in the VHL. I could go through all 3 of the peak Shortbus years 1 by 1, but I figure that you, the reader, do not need me to do that as you can easily check that out for yourself. Instead, I will outline some of the central figures of this team and why they received the hate that they received in their time.

I feel like I need to begin with the Dubnikov brothers. Andrei, the older brother, only spent 1 season on the Shortbus, but consistently received criticism from people around the league for being immature and starting feuds where there was no need to do so. He was also known for not being a very good performer during practice, and was consistently criticized for showing little improvement over the seasons. Also, he tried to start many independent leagues in direct competition with the VHL, all of which have failed. To this day, he continues to make new leagues, but instead of competing with the VHL, he now wishes simply to co-exist with it. It was easy to dislike Andrei, as he made himself an easy target for criticism and satire, and didn’t seem to learn from it.

Dragged into this mess was brother Pavel, who was a Shortbus team member throughout its 3 peak years. Unfortunately, Pavel was never able to find his game during that period, and was then called out not only for being a Dubnikov, but for also being an unimpressive player on the ice. What really soured Pavel to the rest of the VHL? He was an old school, Russian nationalist, believing in Communism and proclaiming it to be a good solution to the problems we see in Capitalist countries today. Naturally, this was met with a lot of heat as well because it was an uncommon viewpoint, especially coming from someone so young, who was not around to see the days of true Communism back in his home country of Russia.

”It was a long time ago, and I don't remember a lot of the heat we got, but I do know that if one of us did something wrong, or immature, then we were both going to take the heat for it. It was unfair, but that was how it was and we didn't exactly do anything to change it. – Pavel Dubnikov

Despite the critics, the younger Dubnikov remained loyal to the team throughout its years of struggle and strife. Where others only saw stupidity, uselessness, and futility, Pavel Dubnikov saw shelter, understanding, and empathy. Imagine being a player coming all the way over to New York City from Russia, barely knowing any English, not knowing anyone but his own brother. Naturally, being criticized right off the bat for your views is something that can be a bit intimidating. Because of this, Pavel remained in New York where there were others like him, who had come under fire. With them, he felt like he belonged.

”I didn't know many people, in the game or out of it so I felt I had to stick with the few people who showed any respect towards me. I didn't get along with everyone, but I felt they respected me and I was part of a team. Maybe I was wrong, but I felt that they were the only people in the entire league who would respect me. – Pavel Dubnikov


The Dubnikov brothers

Another big name in the Shortbus era was Fabian Brunnstrom. Brunnstrom was originally drafted by Hamilton, but was traded to Avangard much to his displeasure. The Swede was very vocal about not wanting to join the Havoc, but eventually pulled through and won a Continental Cup with the team in Season 7. After that, however, he went back to New York, the franchise that drafted him, for Seasons 8 and 9 of the Shortbus era. It was the aforementioned temper tantrum that really made Brunnstrom look bad in the eyes of the VHL public, and once you do something like that, you don’t live it down for a long time, and people find even more reasons to hate you. Brunnstrom, however, was a consistently strong player, and is even a member of the VHL’s exclusive Triple Crown club (Founder’s Cup, Continental Cup, World Cup Gold Medal). In retrospect, he’s definitely had a successful career, but did that earn him people’s respect? Since that incident, it seems everything he’s done had earned him some heat from his biggest critics, and he’s been unable to escape it. Even with the hate, he still chose to willingly return to New York in the middle of the Shortbus era.

” Brandon Best, the Co-GM of the Americans at the time, had very good plans for what he wanted to do with the team and after a lot of discussions with him, I felt we could build a championship-caliber team in New York. Unfortunately, Robbie Zimmers had a say in what happened as well, and that made things more difficult to do. In the end, we were just a middling team, trading away our draft picks and being stuck behind two better teams in our conference. – Fabian Brunnstrom

Sergei Trepanov only spent most of one season with the team during this period, but he was one of the main figures of the Shortbus when it first began. I don’t remember too much about what Trepanov was like in terms of off-ice personality, but he was fat and Jewish, which made him an easy target for any VHLer looking for someone to pick on, myself included. On the ice, however, he was very good and managed to put up a 117-point seasons as a member of the Americans. Also only spending one season – season 7 - with the team was Alex Kachur, who is really only known for making a “death threat” towards Lennowitcz Schalkwinzz (who, coincidentally, also played for New York for a small portion of season 7). Other than that, there is not much to note about Alex Kachur, other than the fact that people probably thought he fit the Shortbus mold very well because of that one incident.

Edward Eldred was a journeyman player who started out as a member of the early dynasty Calgary Wranglers. It is rumored that he was one of the players who got into a confrontation with Brett Slobodzian and caused, in addition to Slobodzian’s injury, the legend’s premature retirement. Eldred carried that stigma for a while, often receiving hate for ruining the beloved Slobodzian’s career, and was also thought to be a good fit in New York’s Shortbus team, where he stayed for 2 seasons. A final player we’ll look at is Cole Hagstrom. Hagstrom was disliked not so much because of what he did while he was in the VHL, but more because of what he did before he came to the VHL. There was one rumor where he was said to have been behind the collapse of one of Sandro Desaulniers’ (Fabian Brunnstrom’s agent) leagues, and also claimed to have taken heroin at one point in his life. This, naturally, got some of the VHL’s wittier members to come out and poke fun at him for it.


Cole Hagstrom

Still, amidst these characters, there were some good guys who were in New York during the Shortbus era that may have gotten lumped in with the group simply by association. The aforementioned Schalkwinzz, Shawn Crowley, Ilya Kliment, Kevin Francis, and Markus Lidstrom were among those who spent some time for the Shortbus Americans during those rough years. However, two names stand above the rest as being truly persevering. The New York Americans drafted Kyle McLeod in season 7 when top draft choices Layken Heidt and Torsten Schwartz both went on record to say they would not play for New York. McLeod quietly went about his business for the 3 Shortbus seasons in New York as he developed into one of the game’s premier defensemen without anybody noticing. McLeod would eventually go on to win a Continental Cup with the Riga Reign.

”If anyone was unfairly lumped into that group, it was Brandon Best. He's a great guy, he knew what we needed to do to build that team, and as soon as ownership got rid of Zimmers, he turned the franchise around into one of the best in the league for the last 10 seasons. – Fabian Brunnstrom

Indeed, if there was one big loser during the Shortbus area, it was Brandon Best. Best acted more as a consultant to Robbie Zimmers during that era, and was consistently one of New York’s best players throughout his tenure with the team. Despite that, not only were his accomplishments ignored, but he was also lumped into the Shortbus category by outsiders to the team, and written off as being just like the rest of them. Surely Best had said some things that were less than acceptable, but probably none more than your average league member. It was simply because of his status as a “Shortbus member” that caused his slip-ups to be worse. In the end, Best would get the last laugh, as he’d eventually help the Americans to a Continental Cup in Season 14, though not as a player. His client, Brandon Azevedo, was there to win the Cup as a player, but Best’s hard work was not to be disregarded.

Still, it all comes back to Robbie Zimmers. Rumors swirled around the league grapevine about whether this gathering of the peanut gallery was intentional or not. Everyone had his own theory. Many thought that “it was Robbie”, and therefore it was absolutely intentional. Others thought that “it was Robbie”, and therefore he was bound to be a terrible general manager. Either way, the team was put together as such and performed as it did, receiving critical remarks along the way.

”I think at the start, he was just doing what he thought was best. However, as time went on and he realized how horrible his moves were, he decided to have some fun with it. I have to blame the league here as they didn't step in quickly enough to stop his stupidity, but alas, it would have been impossible to argue that he was doing the moves to intentionally hurt his team.” – Pavel Dubnikov


Robbie Zimmers at one his legendary parties

Essentially, Robbie’s reputation around the league made it impossible for people to determine whether Robbie was truly trying to turn this team into one of the worst organizations that any sports league has ever seen, or whether he was simply an idiot who had no idea how to manage a team and was given a role he was unsuitable for. Robbie, however, seems to have a pretty good idea of how things went down.

”I did it on purpose. Just by being around the league, everyone knew who the "undesirables" were, so I went around asking about those players. When I assembled them, I thought we had a good team, not a great one, but a good one. I didn't care if the team contended for a playoffs spot or not. I just sat back and let my core group of guys do and say what they wanted.” – Robbie Zimmers

Where a lot of people seem to go wrong is when they say that the Shortbus was a terrible team. This wasn’t overly true. They never made the playoffs, but they never even finished last in their own conference. From season 7 to season 9, they finished 3rd in the conference. Surely they were not a great team, but they were not a horrible team either. A lot of people associate the Shortbus not just with bad personalities, but with bad players also. The players on that team, while often annoying, were rather talented, and had as much pride in themselves as anyone else did. It was only natural to assume that they wouldn’t play the loser role if they didn’t have to.

”I would like to think that it was the worst team ever because I built that team to suck. I really didn't give a shit. Hell, I would make trades just for the fuck of it. I would trade 1st round picks like they were candy. I was trying to see how much the league could take before they stepped in and said "ok Robbie, you’re fired", but that didn't happen. I was allowed to do whatever I wanted with that team. In the end, my boredom with the job caught up with my passion for fucking around. I announced I was going to step down, and handed the team over to Brandon. The only reason why I stepped down was because, at that point, I was completely bored of the job and I didn’t even have the passion to even make dumb trades on purpose.” – Robbie Zimmers

With the way Robbie handled his team, it wouldn’t surprise me if the players on that team lost their motivation to perform. They were pawns used by Robbie to gain even more notoriety. However, at the same time, I would be just as unsurprised if this only served to motivate them more. According the Fabian Brunnstrom, the locker room, which one would expect to be hectic and filled with stupidity, was actually rather calm and nice.

”You'd think that with all the faces in there that weren't well-received by the general public, it would be a mess. However, the locker room wasn't that bad. There were one or two guys that came along that people would get into fights with, but it was really never an issue in the locker room. Most of us got along quite well in there. It was frustrating to be stuck in hockey limbo, so to speak. To be honest, I think the media created the Shortbus, and they ran with it and blew it up. There were some maturity issues on that team and we decided we'd run with it as well, and it just blew up for us.” – Fabian Brunnstrom


Grimm Jonsson

Though Robbie Zimmers will say that the Shortbus era ended when he stepped down, and he’s not wrong, I believe it truly ended with the arrival of Grimm Jonsson. Grimm Jonsson, managed by Sterling Labatte, was one of the most respected people in the league, and for him to go there was a major statement made by the Icelandic youngster – that statement was that changes needed to be made to save this flailing franchise from being ruined beyond the point of repair.

”It was piss poor when I got there, to be honest. We had very few players and voices in the locker room. I wasn't even welcomed to the team with so much as a personal message. I wasn't offered a contract for days, and it wasn't a good start. Moreover, the reputation of the franchise was enough to make a fella want to quit before he even started. I tried to bring a more welcoming atmosphere in from there on out. – Grimm Jonsson

It was a difficult task, but Jonsson, along with Brandon Best, would help orchestrate an amazing comeback for the franchise. Eventually, a non-name goalie named Vase Trikamaki was drafted to the team and would eventually become the general manager there after the Jonsson/Best era ended. It was due to these guys that New York was able to recover from the Shortbus days and ended up finally winning a Continental Cup – they were the last franchise to do so.

”It seems that at some point in the VHL's history, the league was divided into the "cool" guys and the guys considered annoying by these "cool" guys. Robbie Zimmers collected all of those "annoying guys" into one team and chaos ensued. It definitely hurt New York's reputation for seasons to come, even when they won the Continental Cup. It was really sad how a few stupid decisions and personalities ruined a franchise. – Vase Trikamaki

I don’t intend to make Zimmers out to be some evil villain, despite the fact that he seems to enjoy that role very much. Zimmers could have been a solid GM if he really tried to do what was best for the team. Unfortunately, he found the option of “messing around” the be more appealing, and it cost some players a lot of opportunities at success. In my opinion, Robbie Zimmers is likely the worst VHL GM of all time, and I’m not alone in thinking that.

”I would love to say that I was the best GM ever, because even though I didn't really care about the team and winning, I stuck around and my antics made the league fun. All joking aside, though, if I'm not the worst GM in VHL history, then I would be upset.” – Robbie Zimmers

In retrospect, it’s difficult to determine whether or not the franchise was truly worthy of its Shortbus moniker. I’m inclined to say it was, because many of the personalities involved with the team at that time were rather close to what they were accused of being. However, everyone sees people differently. We aren’t all the same, and because some guys acted differently than the norm, we felt we had the right to lump them together and essentially refer to them as mentally disabled. It was fun to make fun of them, but it was at the expense of these players, and I give a ton of credit to the agents who have stuck around despite the criticism. Personally, I’m not sure I could say the same if I were in that same position, but thankfully, I never was.

End of part 10
Special thanks to Pavel Dubnikov, Fabian Brunnstrom, Grimm Jonsson, Vase Trikamaki, and Robbie Zimmers  

$38.58 CAD @sterling for March/April please

Where'd you fuck off to for so long?
 
And how's life? Still in Saskatoon?

@sterling $126.07 CAD for logo purchase please.

@sterling another $20 for this month's hosting plz, I'm probably gonna try to switch to annual payments for hosting before next month..monthly is annoying and there's a discount for annual so might as well. 

You ain't nobody until you've been accused of riggin'

You sponsoring Mexican farmers now?

@sterling
 

 
2 year renewal of the vhlforum.com domain and IPSFOCUS is the renewal for the forum theme = $47.39 CAD, if you could  
 
Edit: Actually might as well get them all in now:
 

IPB license renewal = $51.65 CAD 
 
Grand total: $99.04 CAD 
 

Better watch your back now friend.

Better watch your back now friend.

You ain't nobody until you've been accused of riggin'

You ain't nobody until you've been accused of riggin'

You ain't nobody until you've been accused of riggin'

You ain't nobody until you've been accused of riggin'

@sterling $20 for forum hosting plzz

I guess if I have to share company with anyone, @Victoris a good choice.

I guess if I have to share company with anyone, @Victoris a good choice.

@sterling$45.49 CAD to joshdasilva92@gmail.com for Jan and Feb. Down below $20 a month going forward  
 
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17lA7Ntl9dU2MMfkQLfp320uH5GSJQJi3?usp=sharing

May @Motzaburger shine as brightly as these trophies. 
 
Hello and welcome to another edition 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. 
 
But before we get started, let's take a look at the VSN content that's out this week! @Hex Universeexplores whether or not the VHLM needs more teams in Under 250, while @diamond_ace  gets you caught up on the previous week of the VHL! The playoffs are almost here, which means it's time for another edition of Future Watch! In case you missed it, check out @WentzKneeFan036's commissioned article, which turned out to be the labor of love that is 75 - What Got Us Here, an extensive look into the minds of the VHL's members about what makes the league so special that it is still going strong after 75 seasons. Lastly, check out a solo effort from @Berocka, in which he takes a look at the tenures of the general managers of the league!
 
Under 250 | Around the VHL | S76 Future Watch | 75 - What Got Us Here | Berocka Rambling About GMs
 
A vast majority of VHL members can tell you what the Scott Boulet Trophy is: the award given to the top two-way forward in the VHL every season. With a relative lack of defensive statistics available through Simon T's Hockey Simulator, a considerable amount of weight is put on hits, a viewpoint that makes the Scott Boulet Trophy a coveted award for the power forwards of the league. However, how many of those same members could tell you what the VHLM equivalent of the Scott Boulet Trophy is? Yes, there absolutely is one, and in the event that the title of this article somehow didn't give it away for you, it's the Matt Bentz Trophy. 
 
Up until Season 42, this award was known as the Yzerman Trophy, with Bentz himself winning the award in Season 8 with the now-defunct Minot Gladiators. His 113 points remained the highest for a Yzerman Trophy winner (tied after another Minot player, Tyler Donati, equaled that in Season 10) until Zach Parise shattered it with 170 in the inaugural season of the Kolari Wolves. The current record for the most points by a Yzerman/Bentz Trophy winner is held by Evgeni Fyodorov of the Ottawa Ice Dogs, who scored an absurd 272 points in Season 21, the same season Matt Bentz was inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame, along with 157 hits and 79 shots blocked. Fyodorov also scored a frankly unbelievable 186 goals that season, a record for a Yzerman/Bentz winner that has gone uncontested ever since. Only one other player, yet another Minot Gladiator alum in Brady Stropko, scored over 100 goals while winning the award, and he reached 116.
 

The Matt Bentz Trophy, awarded annually to the top two-way forward in the VHLM.
 
So, Matt Bentz certainly has his share of history behind the award that now bears his name, but he hardly seems like the player that comes to mind when you talk about the criteria of the award, much like Scott Boulet and the VHL counterpart to the award. So, you're probably wondering, since I've subtly steered your mind in that direction, why is this trophy named for Matt Bentz? Firstly, thanks for your cooperation. Secondly, it turns out that the impact that Bentz had on the VHLM goes so much further than an award winning season in the VHLM back in Season 8. He went on to eventually become a VHLM Commissioner, and is credited with being one of the members to help pioneer the role to what it is today. For that, the Yzerman Trophy, an award Bentz had won, was renamed to the Matt Bentz Trophy in recognition of the accomplishments of both Matt the player and the user. 
 
In Season 8, the Calgary Wranglers were in the midst of their dynasty run in the VHL's first decade. With the legendary Sterling Labatte leading the way, the Wranglers were at the peak of their run post-Slobodizian and Boulet. As a result, their prospect pool was relatively dry, but with the eleventh overall pick, Calgary added a promising young winger named Matt Bentz. Playing with the Minot Gladiators, Bentz immediately flashed his potential and gave VHL GMs plenty of regret for passing over him, scoring 76 goals, winning the Hull (now renamed the Alexander Chershenko) Trophy as the VHLM goals leader, along with the Yzerman Trophy, the award given to the top two-way forward in the VHLM, which today bears his name. However, despite his individual excellence, Minot missed the playoffs, and cap restrictions prevented him from joining Calgary for their playoff run, which resulted in Bentz watching the Wranglers win the Continental Cup from the sidelines. 
 
Bentz, however, joined Calgary in Season Nine for the title defense, filling in on the second line. He wasted absolutely no time in establishing himself, immediately translating his VHLM success to the big leagues. Scoring 29 goals and 56 assists, Bentz also finished with an impressive +28, proving right from the beginning of his pro career that he was a responsible two-way player. It did not go unnoticed, as Bentz was the winner of the Bossy Trophy (now the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy) as the top rookie of the VHL, and Calgary surged to a Victory Cup. However, a stunning sweep at the hands of the Toronto Legion, who went on to win the Continental Cup, put an abrupt end to the Wranglers' season, and ultimately, their dynasty. A very different team took the ice in Calgary in Season 10, and they were a shell of their former selves. Although Devon Marlow-Marta remained, the Wranglers' blue line was decimated, and it showed with Bentz's -55. Even though he scored 81 points, Calgary just couldn't keep the puck out of their net, and they went from the top of the league all the way down to the bottom. General Manager Scott Boulet resigned, and it would be Bentz himself who stepped up to begin the climb back to the top. 
 

A legendary figure on and off the ice, Matt Bentz was an instrumental figure for the VHL 
 
Season 11 saw Bentz develop in the scoring threat that he had been in Minot, as he scored 48 goals, nearly 20 more than his previous NHL-best. Becoming the key threat for Calgary on the ice, his work in the front office also resulted in the Wranglers sneaking back into the playoffs, although the Seattle Bears quickly eliminated them with a sweep. The rebuild continued in Season 12, and although Calgary was quickly becoming a better team, it wasn't enough to return to the playoffs. For Bentz, however, Season 12 was when he cemented himself as an elite player in the VHL. Scoring 61 goals, and assisting on 60 more, he set a career-high with 121 points, even finishing +2 on a team that missed the playoffs. His 61 goals led the league, resulting in his winning the Joe Malone Memorial Trophy (now the Kevin Brooks Trophy), and he was narrowly edged out for the Scotty Campbell Trophy and Brett Slobodzian Trophy by HC Davos Dynamo forward Zach Arce. 
 
However, Bentz faced a difficult decision over the off-season. On the ice, he was entering his prime, but no longer fit into the timeline of his team's rebuild. However, he could not trade himself away while he remained an active player. Bentz ultimately had no choice but to cut his career short by announcing an early retirement, which would allow him to be traded away. While it diminished the return Calgary would receive, it allowed him to keep the rebuild on track, and allowed him to join Zach Arce in Davos. On a team already featuring Benoit Devereux, Tomas Jenskovic, and Da'Brickshaw O'Neal, the Dynamo were primed for a big season, and so was Bentz. He repeated as the Joe Malone Memorial Trophy winner with 58 goals, scoring 123 points with a staggering +71 rating. After a career plagued with playoff failure, Bentz scored 14 points in 14 games as the HC Davos Dynamo went on to win the Continental Cup, sending him out as a VHL champion. 
 
Matt Bentz's work wasn't finished, as Calgary's rebuild continued. Five seasons after Bentz's playing days as a player ended, the Calgary Wranglers, bolstered by players such as Lars Berger, Jardy Bunclewirth, Mikka Virkkunen, Matt's new player created upon Bentz's retirement, Alexander Sauve, and Hiro Renomitsu, were once again Continental Cup champions. A season later, they did it again,  repeating as Continental Cup champions yet again, with Bentz winning the Sam Pollock Memorial Trophy (now the David Knight Trophy) as the best general manager in the VHL. Once again, Matt Bentz stepped away on top of the VHL, stepping down as Calgary's general manager. Finally, in Season 21, eight seasons after his retirement, Matt Bentz was finally inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame, along with Toronto defenseman David Henman. 
 

@Zetterberg produced this beautiful tribute to one of the early VHL's post pivotal figures.
 
A man of a selfless nature, yet one who wasn't afraid to step up and get the job done himself if needed. Between being a Hall of Fame player, he also served as the general manager that got the Calgary Wranglers back from the brink. He also served as a commissioner of the VHLM from Season 8 to Season 14, and along with Scotty Campbell, was instrumental to bringing important changes to the VHLM, helping develop it into the league we know and love today. It's a fitting tribute to the legacy of the work of Matt Bentz for the award given to the top two-way forward in the VHLM to be named in his honor. It's easy to overlook his contributions, but he did so much for the VHL in so many ways, resulting in Matt Bentz being inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame again in Season 38 as a builder, and the legacy that Matt Bentz imparted upon the VHL is one worth being remembered and honored. 
 
Player Mentions: @Matt, @Bushito, Rybak_49, @sterling, Devon, Islanders4Life39, @Cowboy, @scotty, @Victor, @JardyB10, Sauve89, @Renomitsu , @Knight

@sterling$15 for hosting plz 

He came back as Gudnason/punkhippie in the mid-50s. Was GM of Cologne for a little bit.  Hasn’t returned since then as far as I know, which seems like it’s probably better for his sake.

Graphical guru and VHLM goaltender deliverer @Zetterberg crafted this beauty of an image.
 
July 18th, 2007. It seems like just an ordinary date, like any other in time, and perhaps it is. But for the members of the Victory Hockey League, it is the league's birthday, the day in which it officially opened its doors to the public. In a time in which sim leagues were plentiful in numbers, but short on lifespan, all the VHL has done is not only survive until the present day, but thrive. With sixteen VHL franchises, along with twelve in the VHLM, the league is bigger than ever before, with new members joining on a practically daily basis. Wrapping up our 75th season, over thirteen calendar years after VHL legends Scotty Campbell, Brett Slobodzian, and Maxim Desny first took the virtual ice, the VHL continues to produce both legendary players and unforgettable members. In commemoration of this achievement, along with a very gracious donation by @WentzKneeFan036, I've embarked on a journey to find out from longtime members of the league just what it is that keeps the VHL going, and makes it so endearing to so many. 
 
Right off the bat, one major factor for the VHL's continued success is the constant innovations made over the years. Back in 2007, many leagues made at the time were using video games as the sim engine, kind of like how the VHL All-Star Game is done using the EA NHL games currently. Except here, lines and strategies, along with player creations, updates, and edits were mainly done by a single person, with games run in real time, more often than not with results of plays and screenshots posted in a thread followed by dozens of people. I'm not going to lie, it was awesome, and incredibly engaging. But, as someone who did this for a football league, it was a lot of work, and it quickly led to burnout. Many leagues, as a result, faded away quickly. 
 
"I’m not sure a lot of people realize just how much of a trailblazer the VHL has been for its longevity," says longtime member @CowboyinAmerica. "Sim leagues had existed before the VHL started up in 2007, but they were notoriously volatile and subject to the whims of its founders/commissioners. The idea of a league going even 10 seasons would have been considered a success, 20 seasons positively ludicrous. And if you had told people at the Season 1 Draft that this thing would still be going 75 seasons later, they’d probably laugh in your face. But somehow it has, and I think that’s something to be commended."
 

At one time, your sim hockey dreams played out with the aid of graphics like this.
 
The first such innovation was the use of the text-based Simon T Hockey Simulator, as opposed to a more visual engine. With an index providing things like statistics, schedules, and player attributes in an easily accessible manner to the members that a video game simply couldn’t, it was a revolutionary change in sim leagues. However, that's not to say that STHS was unable to provide the same excitement that a more visual engine could. 
 
"I always enjoy being able to compete against others and my own expectations," continued @CowboyinAmerica. "But being able to chase what others have done for 75 seasons now really sets the VHL apart."
 
"What I enjoy most about the VHL is monitoring my player's stats and our team's success," added @flyersfan1453. "For some players, individual success was more important, and for others (most of them) team success is more important. Going for one over the other with different players keeps things fresh."
 
"When I first joined the VHL, I was very invested in tracking my own player's performance and would check every game thread to see how my team did," @WentzKneeFan036 reminisced. "Then I became a GM and at one point my favorite thing was pretty much having knowledge of every player in the VHL."
 
"I’m a huge hockey fan and always dreamed of making the NHL," @Banackock, a longtime member and General Manager with the Seattle Bears, added. "It’s cool to be part of a league with a lot of history where you can have players ranked, etc. My biggest passion in these leagues dates back to the start of the SHL and its GMing. It’s probably what’s helped me stick around these leagues."
 
Although STHS couldn't replicate watching streamed games or screenshots in game threads, it more than delivered in sparking competitive drives into the members of the VHL. However, some old hallmarks of the old leagues still existed, such as manual updating on the forums, members needing to wait until their point tasks were graded before they could be claimed, and updates only being processed once a week. However, as the members themselves can attest, the innovations didn't stop in 2007.
 
"Constant improvement has been an underrated aspect of this league's history," adds the VHL's Grand Poobah, @GustavMattias. "Internet culture has shifted more towards instant gratification and communicating solely through a forum is something that would be considered hugely outdated in this day and age. Things like the portal and (though some may not want to admit it) Discord have kept us with the times, while league policies such as an improved updating system, elimination of TPE-based grading, and a cap of 12 being reachable for all have made the league much more accessible for a newer member."
 
"At a sim level, the portal automation is such a giant relief for so many members who had to manually update everyone, manually post game threads, and all sort of work that stops members from burning out quickly," continued @WentzKneeFan036, a veteran of the VHL for many years. 
 

On an unrelated note, @gorlab's work is so profilic that it shows up on Google search results.
 
"Sim leagues have changed a lot in the last 13 seasons, the VHL included," adds Day One member @Beketov. "We’ve done our best to try and stay ahead of these changes so that we can be better off for it. Stuff like auto-6 on PT’s, the portal, etc are things we brought to the community as a whole (so far as I’m aware) and they have made multiple leagues better. You gotta evolve with the times to last this long and I think we have."
 
But, for league historian @Victor, among many others, one change stands above the rest: the Portal.
 
"The portal is the biggest change for changing the way the die-hard users interact with the league," @Victor stated, "but also making it more accessible to the more chilled members. It's one of many revolutions in the VHL's long and storied history."
 
The introduction of the VHL Portal was a true game changer. No longer did updaters need to manually scour through player threads and point tasks to approve them, all it took was the press of a button. Better yet, the TPE now went directly to the player, who could immediately apply the TPE, which now no longer needed to be manually done with the file. Trades, signings, and cuts could now be done with the portal as well, with training camp and practice facility points now claimable with the press of a button to boot. The ease of access granted by the portal was instrumental to the continued success of the VHL, but what does it take to last over 13 years and 75 seasons?
 
"The dedication of (the VHL's) core members," answered @tfong succinctly. "At one time the VHL had only a handful of members left."
 
"The members are what has helped the league survive," elaborated @sterling, an original member from 2007. "I was in charge of some of our most unsteady times and I’m very surprised how the league has evolved. The members are what make the league."
 

VHL community hockey? We'll see what the future has in store.
 
It's hardly a surprise to hear that, as without strong and consistent support from members, nothing can last forever. But, as @diamond_ace explains, what started as a hockey sim league has grown to be so much more. 
 
"Honestly, it's gotten less and less about the hockey anymore, and more about the personal relationships between the people in the league," he revealed. "There are a lot of people here I consider friends, and a few I'm even close enough to that I'll be inviting them to my wedding - you don't develop those sorts of relationships just anywhere."
 
"This is one of very few places in my life where I feel comfortable expressing my true feelings and personality, and one of very few where I feel that I will not be judged for being who I am," added @GustavMattias. "Of course, we're only talking about words on a computer screen, but my time in this league and the people I've met here have had a giant positive effect on my own mental health, and I can say entirely honestly that I have zero regrets about joining."
 
Along with the league itself, the community itself has grown as well. Digging into older posts of times' past will reveal a much different, brasher place. Many things, from many members, that simply wouldn't fly today. As @tfong attested, "Old VHL was more abrasive and insensitive." Today, however, that's not the case. 
 
"The fact that we could raise close to $4000 for charity speaks to where the league has come," says @sterling about the growth of the community. 
 
"At a community level, I don't think these donation and charity auction drives would have been so successful, say, 7 years ago," elaborates @WentzKneeFan036 on the community's growth. "I think it's an awesome thing to see now."
 
"The community comes together to find a way," explains @Banackock. "I think the best one is realizing it’s the internet, not to look into things too much and just be kind to one another. A lot of people put incredible work into this place in so many different ways."
 

Perhaps the best new tradition in the VHL is the annual VHL Charity Drive, which has been a rousing success thus far.
 
Growth in the community has also led to perhaps the secret to the lasting success of the VHL, as @Victor so masterfully explains:
 
"Longevity of the VHL is definitely the people though, not the sim. The simmers, the admins, the countless mods, GMs, updaters who put in so many hours into the league and making it better for everyone else, not just themselves, but also just everyone buying into the idea and giving their time and energy, however little or much, to this hobby. We wouldn't be here with 3-4 loyal guys, we need the 100+ and even more now to keep going."
 
"Hard work is the honest answer," replied @CowboyinAmerica when asked about the league's lasting power. "It’s worthwhile to take a step back occasionally and take a look at just how much goes into making things run as smoothly as possible. And especially given that it’s often a labor of love without getting much in return, I’m always thankful for the people who are willing to put in the time to make this place special."
 
In short, the VHL hasn't just built a successful sim league, it has also built a true community. It began as just another sim league, but it has grown to be so much more. 
 
"I think there’s a real sense of community here," adds @sterling. "I’ve seen the league change a lot through the years. Members come and go, but the basic premise of the league and the solid leadership is what makes the community. You’ve got reliable sims and good members doing their jobs to keep the ship afloat."
 
As it turns out, it's hardly a unique viewpoint around the VHL.
 
"The VHL has always been about community first for me, that hasn’t changed in 13 years," @Beketov continued. "Yeah the games are fun to look at and stuff, but ultimately they are meaningless numbers on a page. As cheesy as it sounds, I’ve made more friendships on this site than I have Hall of Fame players, and I enjoy the former far more."
 
"In a cliche," @Victor summarized, "I enjoy the people and the interactions, and that's why I keep coming back in."
 

The Victory Hockey League: 75 seasons strong, and more to come!
 
To dwell on Victor's statement… coming back. It's a common theme here in the VHL, in a variety of ways. Members coming back from hiatuses to rejoin the league. The league itself surviving the dark ages of the 50's and coming back to reach perhaps it's highest point ever. Recreating another player to come back for another career. We live in a world filled with change, the VHL itself not immune to that. Members have aged, moved on with their lives. Some return, some do not. Others have grown to become pillars of our community. But for more than one member that I interviewed, the VHL was a source of stability for them in this ever-changing world which we live in.
 
"The VHL has been a constant in my life through high school, college, and now adulting in the real word," stated the monetary funder of this article, @WentzKneeFan036.  "While I don't spend quite as much time on it as I used to, I would definitely consider it a significant personal loss if it were to just poof and vanish for some reason. That and also Gustav's Town of Salem games have been sooo much fun!"
 
Editor's Note: He's not wrong, Gustav does a phenomenal job with these games and they're a lot of fun, as long as you don't trust a word Eagles says. Consider joining the next one if you haven't played yet!
 
"It’s hard to put into words really," added @Beketov, bringing us back on topic. "The VHL has been the most stable thing in my life for 13 years, as weird as that is. I joined Day 1 as a teenager going into grade 11. Since then, I graduated high school, went to and graduated from university, moved back home, got a job, moved out of my parents place, got married, moved out of province, bought a house, and had a kid. That’s a lot of change but the one constant has been the VHL. It’s activity hasn’t necessarily been this high the entire time, though I did my best to keep mine up, but it’s always been present. The league brings a lot of people from a lot of walks of life together based on this one silly little hobby of ours and I’ve absolutely loved bringing it back from the brink to its highest point yet. I’m not saying being blue is easy, it’s often not, but helping this thing I have loved, that has always been there for me, grow into the best version of itself has been phenomenal."
 
Wrapping up, while there are many things that have made it possible for the VHL to reach 75 seasons, the biggest constant that keeps it going can be summarized in one word: community. The VHL grew to be more than just a sim league, it became a community of people across the world with a common love for hockey and bettering each other. Between growing contributions to charitable organizations and movements, increased acceptance of diversification and assisting with increasing knowledge of and helping improve mental health, this has come far beyond just ranting and raving over Simon T's Hockey Simulator, and before we all know it, we're going to be celebrating the 100th season of the Victory Hockey League. 
 
A special thank you goes out to @tfong , @CowboyinAmerica, @Victor, @Beketov, @flyersfan1453, @Banackock,  @diamond_ace , @WentzKneeFan036, @GustavMattias, and @sterling for their time and patience with completing this article, and their knowledge of what makes the VHL so special. Another thank you goes out to @Zetterberg, who made the gorgeous banner for this article. @WentzKneeFan036 gets another thank you for his donation and idda that led to the creation of this article. Lastly, a big thank you goes out to you, the reader. You're a valued member of our community, and you are a part of the biggest reason why the VHL is such a special place and will continue to be.

@sterling ^