Peace

So I was curious how former Legion players were performing after the fire sale in Toronto earlier this season. I was pleased in some cases, while being a little irritated that it appeared Toronto's curse followed others to their new teams and all I could do was shake my head. For some they went on to improving upon their performance after departing, unfortunately -- for others -- that simply wasn't the case and the perceived struggle continued, although that just reflects my opinion and nothing more.
 
How exactly did Dawson, McLaren, Klamasteris, Moreau, Kaberle and Harris do after leaving Ontario? 

Phoenix Dawson had a fairly consistent but I'd reckon underwhelming performance in Toronto. He recorded 11 goals with 11 helpers this season, equaling out to 22 points in the 24 games he suited up for the Legion. Unfortunately it appears his tenure with New York never yielded greater results, although Dawson did find his way back to the playmaking roots of his build. With 48 games with New York under his belt, Dawson registered 46 points -- of which 33 were assists -- and managed to increase his powerplay production with the Americans. 
 
Addison McLaren was added to Toronto to produce goals and help the team offensively, I'd argue he was accomplishing those goals nicely. Last season he played 33 games for Toronto, potting 13 goals for himself and falling just short of that point per game mark. This season he had the same number of goals (13) and achieved that mark in just 24 games, nearly ten less than his S78 end of season state line. His 20 points in 24 games were solid, but nowhere near what anyone was hoping as the team struggled again after a hot start. His offensive production slightly declined after being dealt to Davos, although I suppose his 7 points in 9 playoff games are 7 more than he ever got in Toronto... oh and he's in the playoffs, which is always a win in my books.
 
Sirkants Klamasteris joined the Legion as the eventual starter after Hextall retired, but he nor the team were able to elevate each other to the next level. I take the blame for that, my inability to field a roster that meshed well within the sim is my fault and my fault alone. 'Klam' struggled this season, his 9-10-3 record with a .911 save percentage wasn't noteworthy. After just 22 games he was traded to Calgary, where he improved to a 25-16-3 record with a respectable .927 save percentage and a sub 3.00 goals against average. Despite Calgary being defeated in the wildcard round by DC, Klamasteris moved to a team that at least made the post season.
 
Aurelien Moreau came to Toronto as a replacement to Kristof Welch, and at the time I thought it was a great trade. You see Welch at this moment has 855 TPE, meanwhile Moreau has 749. Sure, Welch has more but Moreau was younger and it fit the roster we had. Unfortunately young guys and high TPA players are... well for obvious reasons they fetch higher prices on the market, so when I decided to rebuild I knew I'd be saying goodbye to a still rookie defender practically on par with Welch's development when he was still in his rookie deal. Moreau didn't play long in Toronto, a mere 24 games to be precise, however Moscow felt giving away a guaranteed top six pick was worth the price to reap the rewards of a long-term defender. He scored 19 points with Toronto, but was a point per game with Moscow; clear improvement.
 
Scotty Kaberle was producing at a point per game chip with Toronto prior to a trade request after the Legion started stumbling for the third straight season. He had enough, requested a trade and I worked quickly in ensuring his desires were met. Despite the opinions out there, I am capable of learning from my mistakes regardless of how destructive they have been. Kaberle exploded with Malmo and the resurging Gunnar Odinsson; I'm thrilled both of them had wonderful regular season successes, I really do wish them both good luck in the post season. In his 50 games with Malmo, Kaberle recorded an impressive 62 points, meaning he earned 84 combined points for a career shattering high.
 
And finally we have Mikey Harris -- a retired forward traded to Riga after 24 games with Toronto -- who had provided depth to the Riga team before their 4-1 defeat in the post season. I acquired Harris from Calgary for relatively cheap, then moved him to Riga for a similar price. There's really not much going on here, he scored 17 points with Toronto and another 22 for Riga. By the time he joined Riga he was already retired, so his ice time wasn't as lucrative as what he got in Toronto. 
 
So generally it was status quo, with Kaberle being the outlier for any significant improvement. Moreau has a young team in Moscow, so I'm sure he'll start ripping the VHL apart when all the current defenders are too old to skate anymore without plastic walkers used to teach kids how to skate; Kaberle has a near career long contract and joined a wonderful team in Malmo, I guarantee you he'll tear it up next season too... but my guarantees aren't worth a dime so don't quote me; McLaren will be a big part of Davos next season, I'm sure Gustav will want to continue competing with his current roster; I'm unsure what happens to Dawson at this point since the NYA GM change; and I don't think Klamasteris is going to be Calgary's starter for the foreseeable future. 

Each one of these players -- minus Harris of course -- is in a position to do better than they could in Toronto. 

Please take it easy on Toronto in S80, we're a fragile team but on the down low... use us to stat pad, really.
 
Abuse us! 

We like the pain... apparently. 

Oh and yeah, uh, Toronto only has two players under contract right now. 

Interesting off season coming up.

This is not a joke.

This morning -- at roughly 2:32 AM Mountain -- Elmbeck's brother got in touch with me to announce some very unfortunate news: one of our members has passed away. Fredrik (Elmebeck's real name) passed away late Friday night, early Saturday morning. I get the honor of announcing this to the community he enjoyed -- a hockey community that brings people together -- and salute the memories and friends he made. Hockey is a sport that connects individuals, and those of us who got to know him a little will remember him.

Elmebeck and I shared a lot of stories during our time together in Saskatoon, and I will always be jealous of his nature life. I won't share personal stories, and I won't share the details of his death, but if you wish to contact his brother you can do so by clicking this tag: @Magnus Nilsson. Please do not spam Magnus, as both he and his family are mourning the loss of a family member. 
 

Rest In Peace, 
Elmebeck!
 
 

This is not a joke.

This morning -- at roughly 2:32 AM Mountain -- Elmbeck's brother got in touch with me to announce some very unfortunate news: one of our members has passed away. Fredrik (Elmebeck's real name) passed away late Friday night, early Saturday morning. I get the honor of announcing this to the community he enjoyed -- a hockey community that brings people together -- and salute the memories and friends he made. Hockey is a sport that connects individuals, and those of us who got to know him a little will remember him.

Elmebeck and I shared a lot of stories during our time together in Saskatoon, and I will always be jealous of his nature life. I won't share personal stories, and I won't share the details of his death, but if you wish to contact his brother you can do so by clicking this tag: @Magnus Nilsson. Please do not spam Magnus, as both he and his family are mourning the loss of a family member. 
 

Rest In Peace, 
Elmebeck!
 
 

This is not a joke.

This morning -- at roughly 2:32 AM Mountain -- Elmbeck's brother got in touch with me to announce some very unfortunate news: one of our members has passed away. Fredrik (Elmebeck's real name) passed away late Friday night, early Saturday morning. I get the honor of announcing this to the community he enjoyed -- a hockey community that brings people together -- and salute the memories and friends he made. Hockey is a sport that connects individuals, and those of us who got to know him a little will remember him.

Elmebeck and I shared a lot of stories during our time together in Saskatoon, and I will always be jealous of his nature life. I won't share personal stories, and I won't share the details of his death, but if you wish to contact his brother you can do so by clicking this tag: @Magnus Nilsson. Please do not spam Magnus, as both he and his family are mourning the loss of a family member. 
 

Rest In Peace, 
Elmebeck!
 
 

This is not a joke.

This morning -- at roughly 2:32 AM Mountain -- Elmbeck's brother got in touch with me to announce some very unfortunate news: one of our members has passed away. Fredrik (Elmebeck's real name) passed away late Friday night, early Saturday morning. I get the honor of announcing this to the community he enjoyed -- a hockey community that brings people together -- and salute the memories and friends he made. Hockey is a sport that connects individuals, and those of us who got to know him a little will remember him.

Elmebeck and I shared a lot of stories during our time together in Saskatoon, and I will always be jealous of his nature life. I won't share personal stories, and I won't share the details of his death, but if you wish to contact his brother you can do so by clicking this tag: @Magnus Nilsson. Please do not spam Magnus, as both he and his family are mourning the loss of a family member. 
 

Rest In Peace, 
Elmebeck!
 
 

This is not a joke.

This morning -- at roughly 2:32 AM Mountain -- Elmbeck's brother got in touch with me to announce some very unfortunate news: one of our members has passed away. Fredrik (Elmebeck's real name) passed away late Friday night, early Saturday morning. I get the honor of announcing this to the community he enjoyed -- a hockey community that brings people together -- and salute the memories and friends he made. Hockey is a sport that connects individuals, and those of us who got to know him a little will remember him.

Elmebeck and I shared a lot of stories during our time together in Saskatoon, and I will always be jealous of his nature life. I won't share personal stories, and I won't share the details of his death, but if you wish to contact his brother you can do so by clicking this tag: @Magnus Nilsson. Please do not spam Magnus, as both he and his family are mourning the loss of a family member. 
 

Rest In Peace, 
Elmebeck!
 
 

It better not. 
 
I'm watching you.

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- It's raining hats, hallelujah, it's raining hats; Lester Green [4] and Asher Reinhart [3] both enjoyed hattricks in Toronto's 7-6 overtime victory against the London United yesterday. Some thought both individuals would have been moved [traded] before the leagues' set transaction deadline, but the freezing hour arrived with both players remaining on the roster. For the dwindling number of fans at Ricoh Arena, well they can thank the heavens that both of them weren't traded, as they nearly single handedly delivered one of the more entertaining games played on home ice this season. 

Asher Reinhart would open the scoring early in the first period, however London would eventually carry a 2-1 lead going into the second frame with perceivably all the momentum. Intermissions can be a strange phenomenon in any organized sport, and perhaps some words of encouragement reached the souls of some Legion players while they were resting. Similar to his fellow Legionnaire, Mr. Green would score early in the second period to tie the game at 2 apiece, although that lead wouldn't last more than two minutes. 

London climbed ahead 3-2 nearly two minutes after Green scored his first goal of the contest. Toronto seemed deflated while they recovered, but when they did the rest of the second period belonged to Toronto and Toronto alone, there was nothing London could do to control the Legions' surge. Asher Reinhart would register his second goal of the game at 13:42, the fifth goal of the game within the final twenty seconds of any given minute, a pattern that dissipates in the final twenty minutes of hockey. 

3-3 going into the third, yet this game ended in a 7-6 overtime win for Toronto. 

Lester Green personally took Toronto, firmly placed the team upon his back after the third period puck had dropped, and began skating with a single purpose. His determination and sheer willpower radiated excitement throughout the building; staff, players and fans alike were captivated in the sudden display of offensive prowess, cheering and chanting his name every time the center received the puck. From the shoulders of momentum came two impressive goals, Lester Green had the hattrick he was searching for, helping a stale 3-3 tie turn into an honest 5-3 Toronto lead.

Yet this story wouldn't have been that interesting if London had folded there, it would have been just another hattrick in an awkwardly offensive season for the VHL, and while Toronto would celebrate the achievement they had become expected throughout the league. London would fight back and eventually tie the game 5-5 with around six minutes left in the third period, one of their roster players even reached a milestone by scoring his fortieth goal on the season to tie the game... which was also his third of the evening. 

Half a second later Lester Green had his forth goal of the evening, gave Toronto a 6-5 lead and enjoyed spoiling London's celebration. The United would eventually tie the game, but there are two victories Toronto can take from this hockey game. 

Six seconds before the overtime buzzer Asher Reinhart potted his third goal of the contest, earning himself a hattrick on a play generated from the blueline; Toronto won the hockey game 7-6, an entertaining back and forth affair between two teams that will miss the postseason, and won the hattrick count as well. London had one player with a hattrick, Toronto had two players with a hattrick, but the real winner was the Ricoh Arena's merchandise. Asher Reinhart would go onto scoring another hattrick in a 6-2 Toronto victory over the HC Davos Dynamo, which included his fortieth goal of the season. 
 
It's raining hats...

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- It's raining hats, hallelujah, it's raining hats; Lester Green [4] and Asher Reinhart [3] both enjoyed hattricks in Toronto's 7-6 overtime victory against the London United yesterday. Some thought both individuals would have been moved [traded] before the leagues' set transaction deadline, but the freezing hour arrived with both players remaining on the roster. For the dwindling number of fans at Ricoh Arena, well they can thank the heavens that both of them weren't traded, as they nearly single handedly delivered one of the more entertaining games played on home ice this season. 

Asher Reinhart would open the scoring early in the first period, however London would eventually carry a 2-1 lead going into the second frame with perceivably all the momentum. Intermissions can be a strange phenomenon in any organized sport, and perhaps some words of encouragement reached the souls of some Legion players while they were resting. Similar to his fellow Legionnaire, Mr. Green would score early in the second period to tie the game at 2 apiece, although that lead wouldn't last more than two minutes. 

London climbed ahead 3-2 nearly two minutes after Green scored his first goal of the contest. Toronto seemed deflated while they recovered, but when they did the rest of the second period belonged to Toronto and Toronto alone, there was nothing London could do to control the Legions' surge. Asher Reinhart would register his second goal of the game at 13:42, the fifth goal of the game within the final twenty seconds of any given minute, a pattern that dissipates in the final twenty minutes of hockey. 

3-3 going into the third, yet this game ended in a 7-6 overtime win for Toronto. 

Lester Green personally took Toronto, firmly placed the team upon his back after the third period puck had dropped, and began skating with a single purpose. His determination and sheer willpower radiated excitement throughout the building; staff, players and fans alike were captivated in the sudden display of offensive prowess, cheering and chanting his name every time the center received the puck. From the shoulders of momentum came two impressive goals, Lester Green had the hattrick he was searching for, helping a stale 3-3 tie turn into an honest 5-3 Toronto lead.

Yet this story wouldn't have been that interesting if London had folded there, it would have been just another hattrick in an awkwardly offensive season for the VHL, and while Toronto would celebrate the achievement they had become expected throughout the league. London would fight back and eventually tie the game 5-5 with around six minutes left in the third period, one of their roster players even reached a milestone by scoring his fortieth goal on the season to tie the game... which was also his third of the evening. 

Half a second later Lester Green had his forth goal of the evening, gave Toronto a 6-5 lead and enjoyed spoiling London's celebration. The United would eventually tie the game, but there are two victories Toronto can take from this hockey game. 

Six seconds before the overtime buzzer Asher Reinhart potted his third goal of the contest, earning himself a hattrick on a play generated from the blueline; Toronto won the hockey game 7-6, an entertaining back and forth affair between two teams that will miss the postseason, and won the hattrick count as well. London had one player with a hattrick, Toronto had two players with a hattrick, but the real winner was the Ricoh Arena's merchandise. Asher Reinhart would go onto scoring another hattrick in a 6-2 Toronto victory over the HC Davos Dynamo, which included his fortieth goal of the season. 
 
It's raining hats...

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- It's raining hats, hallelujah, it's raining hats; Lester Green [4] and Asher Reinhart [3] both enjoyed hattricks in Toronto's 7-6 overtime victory against the London United yesterday. Some thought both individuals would have been moved [traded] before the leagues' set transaction deadline, but the freezing hour arrived with both players remaining on the roster. For the dwindling number of fans at Ricoh Arena, well they can thank the heavens that both of them weren't traded, as they nearly single handedly delivered one of the more entertaining games played on home ice this season. 

Asher Reinhart would open the scoring early in the first period, however London would eventually carry a 2-1 lead going into the second frame with perceivably all the momentum. Intermissions can be a strange phenomenon in any organized sport, and perhaps some words of encouragement reached the souls of some Legion players while they were resting. Similar to his fellow Legionnaire, Mr. Green would score early in the second period to tie the game at 2 apiece, although that lead wouldn't last more than two minutes. 

London climbed ahead 3-2 nearly two minutes after Green scored his first goal of the contest. Toronto seemed deflated while they recovered, but when they did the rest of the second period belonged to Toronto and Toronto alone, there was nothing London could do to control the Legions' surge. Asher Reinhart would register his second goal of the game at 13:42, the fifth goal of the game within the final twenty seconds of any given minute, a pattern that dissipates in the final twenty minutes of hockey. 

3-3 going into the third, yet this game ended in a 7-6 overtime win for Toronto. 

Lester Green personally took Toronto, firmly placed the team upon his back after the third period puck had dropped, and began skating with a single purpose. His determination and sheer willpower radiated excitement throughout the building; staff, players and fans alike were captivated in the sudden display of offensive prowess, cheering and chanting his name every time the center received the puck. From the shoulders of momentum came two impressive goals, Lester Green had the hattrick he was searching for, helping a stale 3-3 tie turn into an honest 5-3 Toronto lead.

Yet this story wouldn't have been that interesting if London had folded there, it would have been just another hattrick in an awkwardly offensive season for the VHL, and while Toronto would celebrate the achievement they had become expected throughout the league. London would fight back and eventually tie the game 5-5 with around six minutes left in the third period, one of their roster players even reached a milestone by scoring his fortieth goal on the season to tie the game... which was also his third of the evening. 

Half a second later Lester Green had his forth goal of the evening, gave Toronto a 6-5 lead and enjoyed spoiling London's celebration. The United would eventually tie the game, but there are two victories Toronto can take from this hockey game. 

Six seconds before the overtime buzzer Asher Reinhart potted his third goal of the contest, earning himself a hattrick on a play generated from the blueline; Toronto won the hockey game 7-6, an entertaining back and forth affair between two teams that will miss the postseason, and won the hattrick count as well. London had one player with a hattrick, Toronto had two players with a hattrick, but the real winner was the Ricoh Arena's merchandise. Asher Reinhart would go onto scoring another hattrick in a 6-2 Toronto victory over the HC Davos Dynamo, which included his fortieth goal of the season. 
 
It's raining hats...

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- It's raining hats, hallelujah, it's raining hats; Lester Green [4] and Asher Reinhart [3] both enjoyed hattricks in Toronto's 7-6 overtime victory against the London United yesterday. Some thought both individuals would have been moved [traded] before the leagues' set transaction deadline, but the freezing hour arrived with both players remaining on the roster. For the dwindling number of fans at Ricoh Arena, well they can thank the heavens that both of them weren't traded, as they nearly single handedly delivered one of the more entertaining games played on home ice this season. 

Asher Reinhart would open the scoring early in the first period, however London would eventually carry a 2-1 lead going into the second frame with perceivably all the momentum. Intermissions can be a strange phenomenon in any organized sport, and perhaps some words of encouragement reached the souls of some Legion players while they were resting. Similar to his fellow Legionnaire, Mr. Green would score early in the second period to tie the game at 2 apiece, although that lead wouldn't last more than two minutes. 

London climbed ahead 3-2 nearly two minutes after Green scored his first goal of the contest. Toronto seemed deflated while they recovered, but when they did the rest of the second period belonged to Toronto and Toronto alone, there was nothing London could do to control the Legions' surge. Asher Reinhart would register his second goal of the game at 13:42, the fifth goal of the game within the final twenty seconds of any given minute, a pattern that dissipates in the final twenty minutes of hockey. 

3-3 going into the third, yet this game ended in a 7-6 overtime win for Toronto. 

Lester Green personally took Toronto, firmly placed the team upon his back after the third period puck had dropped, and began skating with a single purpose. His determination and sheer willpower radiated excitement throughout the building; staff, players and fans alike were captivated in the sudden display of offensive prowess, cheering and chanting his name every time the center received the puck. From the shoulders of momentum came two impressive goals, Lester Green had the hattrick he was searching for, helping a stale 3-3 tie turn into an honest 5-3 Toronto lead.

Yet this story wouldn't have been that interesting if London had folded there, it would have been just another hattrick in an awkwardly offensive season for the VHL, and while Toronto would celebrate the achievement they had become expected throughout the league. London would fight back and eventually tie the game 5-5 with around six minutes left in the third period, one of their roster players even reached a milestone by scoring his fortieth goal on the season to tie the game... which was also his third of the evening. 

Half a second later Lester Green had his forth goal of the evening, gave Toronto a 6-5 lead and enjoyed spoiling London's celebration. The United would eventually tie the game, but there are two victories Toronto can take from this hockey game. 

Six seconds before the overtime buzzer Asher Reinhart potted his third goal of the contest, earning himself a hattrick on a play generated from the blueline; Toronto won the hockey game 7-6, an entertaining back and forth affair between two teams that will miss the postseason, and won the hattrick count as well. London had one player with a hattrick, Toronto had two players with a hattrick, but the real winner was the Ricoh Arena's merchandise. Asher Reinhart would go onto scoring another hattrick in a 6-2 Toronto victory over the HC Davos Dynamo, which included his fortieth goal of the season. 
 
It's raining hats...

I thought we had a good roster to start the season, and we did, that's why I made the moves I did to acquire the people I acquired. Toronto started off hot -- just like S78 -- and tumbled through the middle, and eventually I just got tired of having decent rosters [especially our S78 roster] just to play inadequately. It truly felt like the sim engine just had decided 'Fuck Toronto' suddenly, no other team in the league had worse RNG/'Sim Luck' than TOR in 77, 78 and the early stages of this season. I'd argue it as a fact!

I thought we had a good roster to start the season, and we did, that's why I made the moves I did to acquire the people I acquired. Toronto started off hot -- just like S78 -- and tumbled through the middle, and eventually I just got tired of having decent rosters [especially our S78 roster] just to play inadequately. It truly felt like the sim engine just had decided 'Fuck Toronto' suddenly, no other team in the league had worse RNG/'Sim Luck' than TOR in 77, 78 and the early stages of this season. I'd argue it as a fact!

Two short weeks ago, I covered trades made over the off-season, including one by the Toronto Legion, who were gearing up for a run at the Continental Cup behind General Manager Rylan Peace @Peace. At first, it certainly seemed to be working well. The Legion were near the top of the conference, in spite of the fact that seemingly most of the VHL is making a run this year. Yet, it appears that instead of breaking out of the funk Toronto has suffered through this decade, Peace decided once again to pull the plug early in the season, trading their way back to the bottom of the North American Conference. What happened? Why is Toronto rebuilding again, just after making a push to contend this off-season? Perhaps by reviewing the transactions, we can find the reason for Trading Toronto. 
 
But first, let's take a long at the quality content being produced here at VSN! The newest addition to the VHL family, Victory Hockey League Europe, is almost here! Join @Bobo as he sits down with the new commissioners and general managers of the VHLE for an interview you won't want to miss! @Alex_J32 is back with an updated power rankings tracker for the VHLM, and he recaps the award races in both the VHL and VHLM in what was a very busy week for him! Lastly, if you missed the Season 79 Off-Season Trade Reviews, which are mentioned throughout this article, you have some required reading to do!
 
A Sit-Down With the New VHLE GMs and Commissioners | S79 VHLM Power Rankings Tracker | VHL and VHLM Mid-Season Awards Race | Season 79 Off-Season Trade Reviews
 
August 3rd, 2021 marked the day in real time that the Toronto Legion made the first step towards their rapid re-entry into rebuilding, as their first trade flipping the current roster was announced:
 
 Toronto Legion Receive:
 
S81 MAL 2nd
S80 MAL 2nd
S81 MAL 1st
 
 Malmo Nighthawks Receive: 
 
Scotty Kaberle
 
 
Drafted by Toronto with the 11th overall pick in the Season 75 VHL Entry Draft, Scotty Kaberle @fromtheinside has been a dependable presence for the Legion over his career, now in his final season before regression. If Rylan Peace decided that contention just wasn't going to happen, moving Kaberle in his prime makes a ton of sense. He's meant a lot to this team, but wouldn't fit into the timeframe of a rebuild at this point. For the Malmo Nighthawks, who have gone from sneaking into the playoffs to running away with the European Conference, it's a big acquisition. Kaberle immediately became the top defenseman on the roster, and he's signed for the rest of his career, giving Malmo tremendous security. If Kaberle can return to his previous activity, this is a trade that Christopher James @hylands will never regret making. Toronto, on the other hand, begins the overhaul by adding Malmo's S80 2nd, along with their first and second in S81. All three of those picks should yield quality prospects, or at the very least, provide valuable capital on more trades. Exactly where you want to start on a rebuild. 
 
The next day, August 4th, saw Toronto completely commit to the rebuild, making four trades to cement their new direction. The first move saw the Legion move one of their newest acquisitions over the off-season:
 
 Toronto Legion Receive:
 
S80 MOS 1st
S81 MOS 2nd
 
 Moscow Menace Receive:
 
Aurelien Moreau
 
 
Toronto paid quite a substantial sum to the Helsinki Titans in a trade this off-season that brought in Aurelien Moreau @Frank and Vick Fairchild @GreenGato, the biggest part being Toronto's S81 1st round pick. That's hardly a desirable position for a now-rebuilding team to have, as it now seems very likely that pick will be a lottery selection, albeit for someone else. However, in a surprising development, Peace is able to acquire picks from another team, the Moscow Menace, who are a young team themselves. With the European Conference being as tight as it is, Euron Leonidas @Spartan decided to roll the dice and trade his S80 1st and S81 2nd for Moreau, giving his defensive core a massive boost. Moscow is currently eleven points out of a playoff spot, and very possibly could lose out on a lottery pick, but it's no issue to Leonidas, who feels he's added the last piece to his roster in Moreau. All this Menace team needs now is time for some of their younger players, such as goaltender Papa Emeritus @Beketov, to develop. Toronto gains a potential lotto pick for the upcoming draft, and another useful 2nd round pick in S81, but they're just getting started:
 
 
 Calgary Wranglers Receive:
(looks like the new logo needs a forum emoji)
 
Sirkants Klamasteris
 
 Toronto Legion Receive:
 
ClapbombsRUs
S80 CGY 2nd
S81 CGY 2nd
 
 
Franchise netminder Sirkants Klamasteris @hedgehog337 is on the move to the Calgary Wranglers, as they acquire a goalie capable of keeping them in the playoff hunt. In his last season before regression, Klamasteris doesn't fit into Toronto's new plans, and they're able to grab some draft capital in the process. Two second round picks isn't a bad price to pay for an aging goaltender for Kris Rice @Ricer13, and Peace is able to get a goaltender in ClapbombsRUs @ClapbombsRus to bravely suit up for the tough season ahead of them. Calgary has Alex Parise @Joker_TM down on the farm, which sets them up nicely for when it's time for Klamasteris to hang em up. Toronto now only has ClapbombsRUs as the only netminder in their system, and with a deep crop of goaltenders in the Season 80 VHL Entry Draft, Peace will certainly make a play for one of them now. With three S80 first round picks, Toronto has the capital to do so, but they're not done yet:
 
 
 HC Davos Dynamo Receive:
 
S81 TOR 4th
Addison McLaren
 
 Toronto Legion Receive:
 
Jakub Brozik
S81 DAV 1st
S81 DAV 3rd
 
 
Jerry Garcia @GustavMattias and the HC Davos Dynamo are on their way to reaching the playoffs for the first time since Season 73, and their first series victory since Season 66. To help their odds, they've taken advantage of the situation with Toronto and added Addison McLaren @tcookie, a dangerous scoring threat the Legion acquired through a trade with the Riga Reign last season. His work ethic appears to have majorly dropped off, and he's signed through Season 80, but for a team that needed players to compliment Taro Tsujimoto, McLaren definitely fits the bill, especially if he can return to form. For Peace and the Legion, they now have two S81 first round picks, and they also added a prospect to keep an eye on in Jakub Brozik @Viper, who could certainly become a big part of Toronto's rebuild if he continues to develop down on the farm. The Legion do have one last trade to cover, however:
 
 
 New York Americans Receive:
 
Phoenix Dawson
S81 DAV 3rd
 
 Toronto Legion Receive: 
 
Aldwin Craig
S80 WAR 2nd
S81 NYA 2nd
 
After being acquired in a trade with the Seattle Bears in Season 77, Phoenix Dawson @Toast appeared to be breaking out in Season 79 for the Toronto Legion, playing by far the best hockey of his career as Toronto looked to be on track to reach the playoffs. Instead, he'll be looking to help the New York Americans regain their former glory after being traded for the second time in his career. The play-making forward seemed to have found the scoring touch, with 11 goals in 24 games with Toronto, but has scored just four with New York, although he has assisted on 19 goals for the Americans at the time of print. Toronto gets two more second round picks, Warsaw's for the upcoming Season 80 VHL Entry Draft, and New York's for Season 81. They also added Aldwin Craig @Eldredman, whose development has been inconsistent, but could still factor into Toronto's future plans. He has scored more than double the points he did in New York in four less games, but he still has a long way to go before Craig can be considered a reliable option for Toronto. With General Manager Esso Drunkmann @Esso2264 stepping down following the season, the direction of the Americans is very much unknown, and ultimately so is Dawson's future in New York. He is signed through Season 81, so if the incoming general manager wants to retain him, it's a viable option. 
 
With the trade deadline looming, Toronto could have even more trades on the horizon. Lester Green @Smarch is the most glaring option as a S74 player and could be an attractive rental option for a contending team. However, Green has a no-trade clause, and ultimately holds all the cards with where, or if, he will be traded. Asher Reinhart @rjfryman is the most valuable player Toronto has to trade, and despite only being a third year player, I wouldn't be surprised to see Reinhart moved. He'd command a high return, and he's only signed through Season 80. It's hardly a guarantee that Reinhart would decide to re-sign with the team that gave up on a Cup chase built around him to enter another rebuild, and the Legion can basically decide to cut their losses and truly commit to the rebuild by moving a franchise player for even more picks. Vick Fairchild, who was acquired from Helsinki in the same trade that brought in Aurelien Moreau, is another quality rental option. He's signed only through Season 79, and Fairchild would be a quality depth forward for a playoff run. I get the feeling Rylan Peace will have a busy off-season in spite of all the previous trades made so far. 
 
Regardless of your feelings on whether or not it should have been done, it's happened. The Toronto Legion are rebuilding again, but how well did they do with setting up their next team? First, let's take a look at what they moved:
 
Scotty Kaberle
Aurelien Moreau
Sirkants Klamasteris
Addison McLaren
Phoenix Dawson
S81 DAV 3rd
S81 TOR 4th
 
 
Four quality players for sure, but would they have brought a Continental Cup to Toronto? It seems as if Rylan Peace thought that while they may have been able to compete, they didn't have what it took to beat the top teams consistently enough to realistically challenge for the Continental Cup. That's not to say that these are not players who can compete with a contender and one day be a VHL champion, but it would not have come assembled together as they were in Toronto. So, in order to potentially build a contender, they were shipped out to bring in the following pieces:
 
Jakub Brozik
Aldwin Craig
ClapbombsRUs
S80 MOS 1st
S80 CGY 2nd
S80 WAR 2nd
S80 MAL 2nd
S81 DAV 1st
S81 MAL 1st
S81 CGY 2nd
S81 NYA 2nd
S81 MOS 2nd
S81 DAV 3rd
S81 MAL 2nd
 
With these trades, Rylan Peace has given himself an absolute wealth of draft picks for the next two seasons. In the upcoming Season 80 VHL Entry Draft, for instance, Toronto now has three first round picks, two of which would be lottery picks if the season ended today. On top of that, however, the Legion also possess seven second round picks, meaning if they decide to stand pat with the capital they have, ten of the first 32 players selected in the Season 80 Draft will be going to Toronto. They have even more on top of that, holding two first round picks in the Season 81 VHL Entry Draft, along with another five second round picks and one third rounder. With wise drafting, the Toronto Legion will be absolutely loaded with young talent in short order, although the cap crunch that comes with building a team in this manner will be no easy task for Peace to manage. Additionally, Jakub Brozik, Aldwin Craig, and ClapbombsRUs have the opportunity now to work their way into Toronto's long-term plans, and potentially become leaders on what could potentially be a powerful cup contender... if they can manage to stay together.
 
When I first saw that Peace was blowing up another talented Toronto roster, I was skeptical at first. Seeing the moves to compete, then just suddenly give up and rebuild again... it didn't seem right. But after analyzing all the moves, all the pieces and decisions made to flip their current roster, it's become much clearer, and there is definitely a method to the madness. Peace apparently had no delusions about whether or not this team would be able to achieve the ultimate goal of winning the Continental Cup, and instead of creating a deeper hole to try to make it happen in vain, he flipped the roster and created a future that is shining ever so brightly in Toronto. Simply put, over the next two off-seasons, the Legion are going to become utterly loaded with top young talents, and will be able to develop into a powerful contender. But at this point, the only question left is, can Rylan Peace keep this next chapter in Toronto history together long enough for all this work to be worth it?
 

Toronto acquired Odinsson knowing he wanted to switch to forward. I often wonder how things could have gone for Toronto had we actually played like the second highest TPA team in both forward and defense categories instead of missing the playoffs altogether. It'll always be a stain on my opinion of STHS. 

Toronto acquired Odinsson knowing he wanted to switch to forward. I often wonder how things could have gone for Toronto had we actually played like the second highest TPA team in both forward and defense categories instead of missing the playoffs altogether. It'll always be a stain on my opinion of STHS. 

A+ way to earn 2 TPE

This here required capped article is just a friendly reminder -- reminding the commissioner team something they need to remember -- that they've forgotten to add the correct players to Riga and Toronto on the portal page. It is my duty to request that they remedy this here minor problem and to kindly remind @Beketov, @bigAL and @Quik with this here 590 task in hopes that it'll jog their memory before they've forgotten and need to be shown to remembrance, which would lead to me reminding them that I've already reminded them in the past with this here friendly reminder asking them to remember what they might have forgotten. 
 
Or it could be they're waiting to do it later [waiting until after the trade deadline to process it, although that wouldn't make a ton of sense because Riga could look at their draft picks and forget that some of them aren't actually owned by the Reign anymore]. 
 
Remember.

Awards used to be something I looked forward to, they were something I once had a burning passion for but that flame has long went out. I'd argue it was snuffed out, actually, and I guarantee I ruined it myself during my time as a member of the VHL Award Committee. Haven't heard of that before? It was a role here prior to it being demolished and the responsibilities returned to BoG hands some time ago. The experience I had within the committee truly tainted how excited I used to get, and the realization I felt when I realized some awards boiled down to a popularity contest more than they really should have... destroyed my passion for anything related to awards.
 
Gorlab used to complain about the awards frequently, and now that I've been around probably far too long I've started to grow a likeminded opinion about them, although perhaps not as flamboyant as his views were and certainly not parallel with his vision of winners.

The graphics are really nice, but they've never truly excited me enough to read the thread; the descriptions of the winners are neat, but they feel copy and pasted despite being untrue; the thread itself has been chaos lately, rather than an organized and neatly delivered event for the league; and inescapably everyone bitching (including me) further sours the experience. Everything around the VHL award show has me ultimately feeling 'meh' about even the slightest mention of them, and now I have to cover it for theme week. 

Well now I'm about halfway to the destination. Five hundred words about the awards seems daunting, but I suppose I've already written half an article about how I feel about them. There is no concrete solution, there is no way the people who create the awards or present them can fix how I feel about it, but I am capable of expressing excitement when one of my roster players wins an award. Now I'll admit that there were a few close calls, a few times where I thought a member of Toronto would win -- biased opinion or not -- and was disappointed when they didn't. It was those times I hope for their sake it wasn't a popularity contest, but without transparent award discussions there will never be closure to that particular concern. 

Chad Magnum winning the Boulet in S73 was amazing, followed by John Merrick taking home another prestigious award before leaving Toronto. When those two won awards, I was happy and excited for them, but I recall just browsing the actual ceremony and looking for any Toronto tags. Beyond that the thread was ignored, left to collect dust I'd blow away when I needed. I recall going back and rereading award ceremonies when I was the GM of Saskatoon just to build ideas for media spots around my roster players, but as GM of Toronto through the mid season seventies I just look at the awards tab on the portal and that suits my needs fine enough as is. It doesn't help that no Legion player has won an award since Merrick, apparently (although I swore we had a most improved since then) so maybe all it'll take for me to build interest again is getting some Legion individuals some hardware. 

Well that's it! I'm pretty sure I'm over the limit now. 

 

@ClapbombsRus

Saskatoon, SK -- Kyle Peace has quietly expressed his feelings about Saskatoon's modest countdown start to season seventy nine; he's overjoyed that every player on the roster contributed to Saskatoon's collective seven points in some regard, impressed at Montana's early dominance and disappointing with his own individual performance. The young SSK winger simply feels like he's not reaching the level of performance that should be expected from a first round pick, especially considering the roots and foundation that pick had growing up.

"I've trained my whole life for this, yet I feel snake bitten and uncomfortable on the ice. I didn't have those feelings in Miami, but I can't seem to shake them here in Saskatoon." Peace stated; he leads the Saskatoon Wild with forty eight shots on goal but has struggled to register goals. His 4.17% shooting percentage is depressingly low for a volume shooter who averaged an exact ten percent with Miami. "I think the pressure might have something to do with it, my father was a legend in the community for quite some time. He scored ninety one points with the Wild and helped them bring home the championship back in sixty three, I wanted to accel above those accomplishments... well I guess just do more than he was able to do."
 
Peace expected triple digit points, fifty goals and a celebration in downtown Saskatoon. 

Reality has kicked back hard. 

In his first game with Saskatoon -- a fairly convincing victory over Minnesota (6-3) -- Peace collected two assists on goals from Duncan Montana, who managed to register a hat trick in the opening twenty minutes. Despite the two point performance from Peace, none of his eleven shots found twine but certainly created rebounds that Montana used to build an impressive five point evening. Kyle obviously went back to the locker room happy that they won their first game of the season, his performance never in question as the team celebrated their opening win on home ice.

Fast forward a plane trip and defeat to Yukon later that evening. Despite a 4-2 setback at the end of the first day of events, Peace had fired a total of twenty shots on goal and failed to register a single victory over either Minnesota or Yukon's netminders. A flurry of shots without a goal is frustrating, twenty shots without a goal is downright aggravating. The seed had been planted and continued to sprout well into the remaining four games we'll cover shortly. 

Peace would score his first goal against the Las Vegas Ace's, putting the puck behind LVA's Protagonist after firing a combined seven shots at the barraged goaltender, ultimately enjoying a two point performance in a dominating 7-2 victory for the Saskatoon Wild. Duncan Montana led the way with six points, followed by Dekster Jankowski's four points and Heavens' fifteen minutes for abusing an official 7:29 into the third period. It was a wonderful game to watch, but Saskatoon had Mexico to deal with next. 

Mexico established a growing pattern for Kyle, who went pointless in Saskatoon's contest against Mexico. The Wild destroyed the Kings on the shot clock, but the Kings' goaltending guided them to a 4-3 victory over the Canadian team, who had now gone 1-1-0 in their first two days of competition. Similar to previous games, Peace led the Wild in shot attempts and registered nine shots on goal, all defeated by Mexico's Greiss who saved forty of forty three shots and certainly earned the first star selection he never received. 

Day three. San Diego is visiting the prairie city of Saskatoon, falling to the Wild by the end of the morning. Despite a 5-3 victory for the club -- something he is always excited to share with his teammates -- another eight shots on goal never crept past the taunting red line; it's a fine line, that damned red goal line. Kyle finished the morning with a whopping zero points to show for the victory, although acknowledged Montana's continuing performance as he registered his second hat trick in just five games. 
 
Game six had Mexico visiting Saskatoon before flying home with a 5-4 shootout victory. It was the Kings second win over the Canadian franchise in just three games, although this contest was certainly a more entertaining back and forth between the two. The Wild 'improved' to 3-2-1 on the season, meanwhile Mexico climbed further towards an impressive 5-1-0 on the season; however, for Kyle Peace, this could be either the turning point of his early season frustrations or the growth of aggravation as the season continues. Unlike previous games Peace wasn't a volume shooter, he and Jankowski fed Montana throughout the game in an attempt to build off a then 4-3 lead before Mexico tied the game. Peace did wind up scoring the go ahead goal (3-2) in the second period after Jankowski won the faceoff, and perhaps the key to unlocking the tension is behind the play that developed. 

Jankowski won the faceoff against Deke Rike in the Wild's defensive zone, made a quick pass to Peace who skated through the neutral zone and into Kings territory. The play was building, Montana streaming down the right side and Jankowski had started to set up at center ice. The trio moved forward, the Kings' two defenders back skating to maintain defensive pressure. There was no passing lane, there was no drop pass to lingering Wild defenders to further develop the play. No, the play was dead. King forwards backchecking, defenders covering the passing lane, there was only one option. 

Shot. 

Goal. 

Something so simple has seemed so complicated for the winger forty eight shots into the season. Peace would be robbed by Kings' goaltender Greiss in the shootout, breaking his stick in frustration as he returned to the bench.

"I've got to be better," Peace added to his interview; you could see the thousand yard stare overcoming the Wild forward. "I've got to be the forward they drafted me to be." 

"That's on me. A few more of those forty-whatever shots go in and maybe we're 4-1-1, or better. It's my responsibility to score goals for this amazing franchise, and I'm simply not doing it."  

 

So I just want to know... are we really accusing Beketov in rigging the sims on a sim engine he can't truthfully rig for an individual player in the first place? As far as I understand... any setting Beketov would use to make sure his player was successful would also apply to everyone else because there is only global settings in the version of the engine we use. 
 
Am I understanding this correctly in that Gorlab is saying that Bek is sitting there on his PC re-simming each game, outputting the results into a folder and then checking the folder for favorable results before uploading them to the server? Do you who think there is fuckery afoot really think Beketov is going to sit there and wait until he gets the results he wants for just Lathinen or Moscow?
 
I don't think you understand how much work that would really be, I don't even understand how much work that would really be, and how much time it would take just to guarantee his player got a criteria in the x or y category of his choosing. No, I don't think Beketov is cheating or rigging the sims. 


With that out of the way... I 100% support transparent sims. Go live on YouTube/Twitch, hit the sim button, export them to a folder and then upload them to the server. It seems pretty simple and only adds a few extra steps (as covered by Sonnet earlier), reinforces the integrity people are talking about and solves the 'you're rigging' argument before it becomes another argument. 

Just my $0.02 though.  

That's okay, Juice would probably be a better GM anyway. 

That's okay, Juice would probably be a better GM anyway. 

@GustavMattias I appreciate the quick talks! 

@tcookie I hope you find success with Davos, they're doing really well this season and I apologize for bringing you onto a team that is going through some STHS misfortunes. I wish you the best of luck and hopefully a deep playoff run; I appreciate the time and effort you put into being a Toronto Legion!