RandomHero

Agreed, this is a tough time for a new member to join, and I think he is eager because he checks back every day.

I managed to stay engaged because I joined at a time where things were happening to my player and I had stuff to go on because I was on a team.

He could write a media spot about his player background, or even get started on a rookie profile or biography. Those things have more to do with just your player and their history other than what goes on in the league.

I also see why he may have trouble finding stuff to write about. While people can write about going off and saving giraffes or taking their trousers off at the VHL HQ, I like to write realistic articles and that made it tough to do when my player wasn't scoring and was only getting 8 minutes a night on my VHLM team. It's just the way I'm wired i suppose.

Also when dealing with recreates it can be tough to maintain motivation knowing that there is going to be people in my draft class, who I will forever be comnpared too, who have 200+ TPE than me. Maybe we could have something for first-gens like us to work towards (First-gen exclusive awards?). I managed to find motivation by wanting to simply become the best first-gen in my class because it will be tough to past the recreates. I do understand why they get that extra TPE, They have put their time in the league while I'm a noob.

I sense his frustration but it was handled poorly. I do hope he stays around because he seems to be a sim league enthusiast and once he gets more comfortable here and gets used to the way it's run, may become a valuable member.

That is all I suppose.

Also good luck with your team in RL Coach.

this is how I feel as a sens fan this year

Getting excited for the draft tomorrow, should be a good draft and hopefully can be one of the better ones ever.

Also excited for when the prospects all-star game gets simmed

Good luck to everyone!

Also I can't wait to see what I can do with some first line minutes.

Good read and offered insight into the draft and the draftees.

I can't wait for the draft and while the recreates will probably dominate the VHL rookie race, Hopefully Linholm can help make his own mark on the league once he's drafted.

Jakob Linholm

Bern Royals Currently

VHLM dispersal draft eligible tho so that may change

Thanks boom!

And good luck to all the other draftees this year!

Yeah I realized that it's tougher to schedule the draft because of scheduling issues. I'm in a group project for college and it's tough to just get 4 people together.

I just get why there's frustration with not knowing when the draft is.

As a first-gen who's eligible this draft I agree that I was also wondering when the drafts would be because it's kind of First-gen limbo for us right now. I just didn't really voice anything because I didn't want to come across as a "Whining newbie"

Now that we have some dates set it's making the experience more exciting knowing I'll soon know which team I will start on.

Always nice to have a fellow swede join the league.

I can't wait

Jakob Linholm has spent this offseason back in Stockholm, far away from the VHL. Even though he is not currently playing, the VHL remains to be the only thing that is in his mind. With the VHL entry draft coming up shortly, Linholm's focus has remained on what could be one of the biggest moments of his hockey career.

"Of course I'm excited for the draft, what kid wouldn't be? I'm going to find out which team I will be starting my career with. Hopefully I can help out whichever team I land on and can help bring that city a championship."

The VHL draft isn't the only draft that is one his mind, however. He is eligible for the VHLM dispersal draft as well since he joined the Bern Royals as a waiver claim after he joined the league about a month into the season.

"While I am hoping to play in the VHL, I know that there's a chance they could send me down to the VHLM. Since I was a waiver pickup, I can be taken in the VHLM dispersal draft and I am hoping to land on a team where I will get the chance to play more minutes during the season. While it was fun to play on a team that had as much talent as Bern had, I didn't really get a chance to play as much as I would've liked. Hopefully I get a chance to really make the impact I know I can in the league"

I look forward to listening in and can't wait for the draft!

 

I apologize for not using the render you asked, sorry, fuck me right? 

Haha its fine, I'm not too picky:P

It looks great btw!

Awesome Job

I could use one for my guy if your offering.

Jakob Silfverberg is the look-alike

I'd like to be apart of the lottery

6-4-9

4-1 

Watchmen

Linholm

Bern Royals

Even though the season may be over for the prospects, their hark work is far from over. Once the season is over for a prospect, it then seems that there is more pressure on the prospect than when they were playing during the year. They have to prove that they can handle the pressure of the scouts watching their every move and analyzing every single part of their game. The journey of a top VHL prospect is a tough one and one prospects journey has led them back to where they first began.

After joining the Bern Royals in the middle of their season this year, Jakob Linholm's season came to an end with an European Conference finals lost to the powerhouse Bratislava Watchmen. Linholm has returned back to his hometown of Stockholm in order to continue to work-out and try and stay away from all the chaos that comes with the draft. He knows that he is going to have to return to North America in order to go to the VHL draft combine and the draft itself. Until then, however, he is taking advantage of his time off.

"It has been good to get back and catch up with my family and friends. I haven't been able to see them since I went to Bern to play with the Royals because the schedule was so demanding. It's good to kind of get back to a normal sleeping schedule as well."

Of course this break hasn't been all about visiting family and friends for Linholm. He is one of the top prospects this year in the draft and has to continue to go out and practice as much as he can. He has to continue to improve every day and his dad has been one of the people who have been pushing him ever since he was young.

"We've always taught our kids that if you work hard and put in the practice then people are going to notice you. We always say that they may not have the god-given talent that some of the other kids may have but if you keep practicing you will eventually be as good as them, if not greater"

If there was one person who knew about where hard work could get you it was his dad, Henrik. His father had spent a few seasons in the NHL before a very public dispute between him and the then NHL commissioner over how European players were treated in the NHL back then. Henrik left the NHL and has always supported his sons decision to go to the VHL instead of the NHL.

With the VHL season nearly over, and champions about to be crowned, the focus is about to shift from what is happening on the ice to off the ice. The season 37 draft is shaping up to be one of the stronger ones in recent memories and it is going to take hard work and commitment in order to be one of the top picks this year. Luckily for Linholm, it's those traits that have often set his family and himself apart from the rest of the pack.

With the Bratislava Watchmen beating the Bern Royals in the VHLM playoffs, it is time for the Royals to clean out there lockers and get ready for whatever the world may have in store for them. For a few of the players with the Royals, their focus is now shifting to the VHL entry draft. Linholm is one of the Bern players who are eligible to be drafted in the upcoming draft.

"I'm just looking forward to finally finding out where I am going to be starting my VHL career. There has been interest shown from a few teams and I've got a fairly good idea of where I am going to be taken in the draft. While nothing is set in stone and many things can change so it's tough to say exactly where but I've got a good idea."

He also had some input as to how he compared himself to some of the others in the draft.

"Well we all know about the big 3 prospects and those are clearly the top of the class, but I've always felt that I am one of the top players in the draft this year and if you were to ask me I'd say that I was the best prospect outside of the big 3. The other guys are talented as hell too, but I feel that I have the most to offer a team."

With the first round of the VHLM playoffs done, one word can be used to describe the results: Expected. Both of the favourites managed to hold off the lesser teams without much trouble. Each of the series ended 4-1 and now the Yukon Rush and Bern Royals are now focusing on their next opponents. Each of these teams are now the underdogs, with one of these series being fairly equal while the other series will be David Vs. Goliath match-up.

North American Conference

Minot Gladiators (1) Vs. Yukon Rush (2)

The Yukon Rush were able to hold off the Saskatoon Wild from pulling off the upset in the opening round, winning it 4-1, and now look to pull off their own upset against the North American Conference champion Minot Gladiators. The Gladiators finished off the season with 46 wins and 96 points, which was 13 points more than the second place Rush. With a +52 goal differential during the season, the Gladiators also hold the advantage there and seem to be like the better team on paper. This series should provide a lot of sparks and this series could easily go 7 games if the Rush come out and play great hockey.

Main Storylines

The thing to watch in this series is if the Yukon Rush can carry over the momentum from handling the Saskatoon Wild in the opening series. If the Rush can get off to a quick start and get the Gladiators on their heels, don't be surprised if the Yukon Rush win this series and move on the face the winner of the European Conference match-up.

Player to Watch

Frédérik Ernst - He got 8 points in 5 games for the Rush in the opening round and will be needing him to continue scoring at this pace in order to beat the Minot Gladiators and move on to the championship series.

European Conference

Bratislava Watchmen (1) Vs. Bern Royals (2)

This series looks to be a lock for the Bratislava Watchmen. They have been a well-oiled machine ll year and have been the favorites to win it all this season. The Bern Royals were able to hold off the Iron Eagles and have punched their ticket into a series that most experts are not giving a chance. The Watchmen only lost 6 games this season and led the league in goal differential with a staggering +193. The Royals are going to need to put forward a great showing this series to even stay in it. Oh and here's an interesting fact: The Watchmen did not lose more than 2 games during a 7 game stretch all season.

Main Story Lines

Can the Bern Royals figure out a way to beat the Watchmen and make sure that they can never get anything going. The Watchmen have just been in a different league all season and will be looking to bring home a title this season. It seems that the Watchmen will be the heavy favorites during the remainder of the playoffs and it's their championship to lose.

Player to Watch

The entire Royals Team - If they are going to beat the Watchmen, it is going to take a whole team effort and everyone on the team will have to be playing their best to even have a shot in this series. If your looking for an underdog story in the playoffs, this is the team that will have to embrace that role and just disrupt the Watchmen.

Jakob Linholm

Bern Royals

With the playoffs in full swing, everyones attention has been on the exciting hockey that is currently taking place. While Swedish winger Jakob Linholm is in the middle of his own playoff run, he has noticed that there seems to be more and more attention on him and his game as the VHL draft gets closer.

He has been regarded as one of the top first-gen players this year and while his stats are underwhelming, possibly because he has been playing third line minutes on a team that is stacked with talent, he has shown the work ethic and motivation  that helped make him one of the top Swedish Junior players this past season.

Linholm was unavailable for comment due to the fact the coach has the team working extra hard in order to get them ready for the Watchmen in the European Conference finals. There are sure to be many scouts watching Linholm, as well as teammates Blaine Olynick and Ron World Peace, to try and figure out which player should be the first to go once the Big 3 prospects have been picked.

4-3 Royals