DollarAndADream

1. Well, we went 6-4-2 in 12. I would have picked a little better than that at least. I never expect perfection right off the start. 2. I believe so. Saku is ready to roll. 3. Reinhart, Nasherov, Eagles 4. No. I missed the sign-up thread. I wish they tagged all members for that. 5. I did a magic trick on my 6 year old nephew a few weeks ago and made him think he was invisible and that I couldn't see him. His sisters were in on the joke too and pretended he wasn't there. He cried and we stopped. lmao. Good sport. 6. Nothing I can say on this public message board.

As all the teams around the world in the VHL and other leagues alike get ready to begin the season, Calgary Wranglers sophomore Saku Kotkakoivu is eager to get going. He didn't blow anyone away in his rookie season, but had a respectable 59 points in 72 games, while following that up with 8 points in 13 games in the playoffs. He has been training a lot in the off-season, like many others, and by now he is just ready to start playing some hockey. "I just want to get out there and put my skates on the ice, and face off against the other teams. I don't want to wait anymore. The off-season is my least favourite time of the year with the lack of games. I want to hear the fans roar, and score some goals while having some fun with my teammates out on the ice. Competition is my favourite thing, so training in the off-season at the facilities is something I won't miss. The rise and grind of practice, workouts, and games during the season is going to be great to start up again." - Saku Kotkakoivu

@Daniel Janser

1. Works for me. I have full trust in who our GM picks. 2. I didn't have time this time around, but I wish all the draftees good luck. 3. Just trying to get all my skills up to speed, to be honest. 4. Honestly I don't mind anyone in the VHL. 5. I always enjoy those moments sitting in the locker room in full equipment, waiting to go out there. 6. A boat, some fuel for the boat, and a boat captain. Lol

Timestamps are such a godsend, dude.

Congrats to the winners! I'm excited for next season and the ones that follow.

After a dreaded loss in Game 7 against the Vancouver Wolves in the Conference Finals, Saku Kotkakoivu vowed to get better in the off-season. While it's likely that nobody will complain about his output in his rookie season, he definitely wants to up his game when he becomes a sophomore. "I feel like I can be a lot better out there. Another goal or two from me in those Conference Finals, or even games in the regular season, and we could have won a bunch more. My game isn't up to speed as it should be." - Saku Kotkakoivu Kotkakoivu had 8 points in 13 games in the post-season, and only 3 of those were goals. Saku takes a lot of pride in his goal scoring, and thinks he can do even better next season. "I made a name for myself by scoring in other leagues, so I want to translate that to the VHL. It's obviously one of the best leagues in the world, so there are some adjustments that I can make to get where I want to be. This off-season, I've worked a lot on my skating as well. The speed of players in the VHL is off the charts, so I need to be able to keep up." - Saku Kotkakoivu

@WranglersSuck

1. We had a great series that came down to the 7th game. I don't think you can do much else when you're in Game 7. We got there, and ultimately lost. That's the sim sometimes. 2. I think we have just as much of a change as last season. 3. Nope! Personally, not my VHL player, I'll be snowboarding a lot. I don't work until Friday. 4. I think they are both capable. Those are great milestones to achieve and both players can get there. 5. Honestly, no. I'll accept anyone on to the team. 6. Nothing weird, to be honest. As far as "snacks" go, I eat a lot of chocolate almonds...

After being eliminated in a 7 game Conference Finals against the Vancouver Wolves, Saku Kotkakoivu and the Calgary Wranglers have a lot to think about. For Saku himself, despite putting up 8 points in 13 games including 3 goals, he was the worst point producer on the team. Sure, he's a rookie, but he gets some of the highest average minutes on the team, so he needs to be better. "I think there's much more that I can bring to the table. My production just isn't going to cut it, and obviously it didn't, considering we were eliminated from the playoffs. Vancouver is a strong team, but had I scored a goal or got another assist here or there, that 7th game never would have happened. We got dominated and I think I just need to be better." - Saku Kotkakoivu This rookie season into the VHL was a big stepping stone for Kotkakoivu, and he is very aware of that. It will be interesting to see what he brings to the table next season.

Well, the VHL Finals are all said and done, and most of us now know that the Vancouver Wolves took home the championship...again. Congratulations to them. In order for the Wolves to get to the finals though, they played against a strong Calgary Wranglers team who had them on the brink a couple of times. Let's take a look a Calgary's final 2 games of the playoffs, after holding a 3-2 series lead. Vancouver Wolves vs. Calgary Wranglers 4-3 OT VAN The 1st Period in this game started off hot, with the Wranglers striking first. At 3:54, Pekko Viitanen scored on the PP to bring it to a 1-0 game. Under 2 minutes later, the Calgary Wranglers struck again, with Nathan Perry giving them the 2-0 lead early. It was 2 early goals for Calgary, but then Vancouver poured it on. Late in the period, Aloe Dear scored at 18:43, then Jivere Zolnek tied the game at 19:31. Vancouver outshot Calgary a whopping 23-9 in the period, and all of a sudden it was a 2-2 game. The Vancouver Wolves didn't let up in the 2nd Period, with 26-3 shots, but goaltender Sirkants Klamasteris shut the damn door for Calgary, and they went into the 3rd Period with the same score, 2-2. In the 3rd Period, it was more even, but Vancouver scored on the PP only 16 seconds in, on a tally by Jivere Zolnek. Then, all the way until under 5 minutes left in the period, Rolf Fizzlebeef Jr tied it up 3-3, and this game headed to OT. In overtime, Vancouver poured it on once again, and then Calgary took a penalty which sent the Wolves to the PP. Corey Kitson would score, and Vancouver would force a Game 7. Shots were 79-28 in Vancouer's favour. Their players are obviously on PEDs. Calgary's goalie Klamasteris tried his best, only letting in 4 goals on 79 shots. Calgary Wranglers vs. Vancouver Wolves 7-1 VAN This Game 7 was one to forget for the Wranglers. Do or die, and they...died. The 1st Period was very even back and forth, but in the final 10 minutes of the period, Jerome Reinhart scored twice to give Vancouver a 2-0 lead heading into the 2nd. In the 2nd, Nils Tallinder brought the game within 1 goal for Calgary early on, but Vancouver didn't let up. Tyler Reinhart would score at 7:51, restoring the 2 goal lead at 3-1. Aloe Dear scored at 9:23, then Calgary took a penalty late and Henry Tucker scored to give the Wolves a 5-1 lead heading into the final period. Vancouver didn't stop. Jivere Zolnek and Corey Kitson both scored PP markers, and Vancouver would take the series in 7 games with a 7-1 victory. Vancouver would take that momentum into the finals and beat Moscow in 6 games. What does the future hold for Calgary? I would say more playoff runs, because they will push even harder next season.

I never answered the last 7-12 so I'll do that now. 7) Probably to have STHS let my player score more. 8 ) Sometimes the league has up years of points. There's a lot of talent in the league these days, and more than a few GMs have found their soft spot in succeeding in STHS. 9) Draft players to eventually replace our veterans, whatever positions those may be. 10) Definitely heard of it. I usually try to get involved in most things. 11) Honestly? Video games with buddies over party chat. 12) The cliche thing of getting in better shape. Also not taking things for granted. No regrets.

Whatever, Frank.

Luckily I don't want to claim TPE for this.

This is just a quick announcement that after some thoughts and consulting of updaters, the rules regarding the 1 TPE reviews have been altered a little bit. Previously, the rule has been "They should consist of at least 1 Constructive Paragraph". Many took this as something very simple, with 1-2 sentences of easy writing that could be pasted to any PT. Reviews for graphics like, "Nice work! I like the colours." and things of that nature. That's obviously not the purpose of reviewing, and should go into more detail than that for both writing and graphics. Reviews should be giving good feedback and offering advice if they have it too, especially for graphics. For the majority, reviewing has been fine, but this is just a little alteration to clear up what's being asked. I've recently edited the pinned topics in those PT sections to say as follows, "They should consist of at least 1 Constructive Paragraph with 3-4 sentences and 75 words minimum." Hopefully this combats the smaller, quick reviews of 10 words that people try to claim. If you have any questions, you can DM me or ask in here.

After a bit of scare with the Seattle Bears bringing the series to 3-2, the Calgary Wranglers beat Seattle in 6 games, and move on to face the Vancouver Wolves in the Semi-Finals. The Wranglers and Bears have quite a storied history, and that is another series in the books for the two teams. Calgary Wranglers forward Gustislav Nasherov surges ahead with 8 goals in 8 games in the playoffs so far, carrying a lot of that offensive load. Erlantz Jokinen leads the squad with 14 points in 8 games, while Nasherov and Nils Tallinder both have 13 points. One player to focus on is rookie Saku Kotkakoivu, who has 5 points in 8 games, including 2 goals. He could definitely be better in the playoffs so far, but he hasn't been that player yet. Not that he has needed to, however. Jokinen and Nasherov are happy to score as many times as they need to in order to win games. "I think I could be bringing a lot more to the table so far. I know I'm a rookie, but other rookies around the league are playing a lot better than I have. I put a lot of pressure on myself, and now it's the playoffs. Now is the time to perform. " - Saku

After going up 3-0 in the 1st Round, the Calgary Wranglers had a tough task in front of them. It's always hard getting that final win to move on to the next round, no matter how strong you played before it. Going up 3-0 or 3-1 is one thing, but finishing off a team that's fighting for their lives is another beast. Here's a look at Games 5 and 6 against the Seattle Bears. The Bears are always a team that are hard to beat, and have quite a storied history in the VHL of coming back in a series and also against the Calgary Wranglers. Calgary Wranglers vs. Seattle Bears In Game 5 of the series, the Wranglers were up 3-1 and knew the Bears would come flying out of the gates. In the 1st Period, Seattle did just what they were asked, and scored quickly. Five minutes into the game, Venus Thightrap scored her 3rd of the playoffs to put the Bears up 1-0. Just under 2 minutes later at 6:43, Justin Lose scored his 3rd to put the Seattle Bears up 2-0 early. Late in the period, Calgary got into penalty trouble when Phil The Rock Johnson took a holding call, sending Seattle to the PP to try and put a dagger in Calgary's heart. At 18:46, Justin Lose scored his 2nd of the game and put the Seattle Bears up 3-0 heading into the 2nd. The Calgary Wranglers had their work cut out for them. 3:08 into the 2nd, Nils Tallinder scored for Calgary and cut their deficit down to 2 goals. 3-1 Seattle. Calgary would outshoot Seattle 13-9 in the period, but it would end 3-1 heading into the 3rd. In the 3rd Period, there was a lot of back and forth play, but at 13:09, Sven Eightnine took a penalty and gave Calgary a chance to come back in this game. Rolf Fizzlebeef Jr scored on the PP, but it wasn't enough as Em Em Flex shut the door the rest of the way. The Seattle Bears would win this game 3-2 and force a Game 6. Seattle Bears vs. Calgary Wranglers In Game 6, the Wranglers were trying to avoid this going to Game 7 at all costs. Seattle had some momentum winning the last game, so Calgary had their work cut out for them. Early in the game, Seattle's Nixon Caldwell took a penalty and gave the Wranglers an early PP. Lucifer Olivier Leveque scored to bring this game to 1-0 CGY. It would be a heavy offensive period, with Calgary outshooting Seattle 19-11, but the period would end 1-0. In the 2nd, things would change and the floodgates would open a bit for the goalies. At 8:51, Seattle would find a way past Klamasteris and score 2 quick goals in under 2 minutes. Justin Lose and Luke Thornton scored putting Seattle up 2-1. Then with under 5 minutes to go in the 2nd Period, the Wranglers turned it on. Erlantz Jokinen scored at 17:18 to tie this up 2-2, then a minute later, Venus Thightrap's tripping call sent Calgary to the PP to try to go ahead. Rolf Fizzlebeef Jr scored a PP marker, and with under 30 seconds left, Saku Kotkakoivu scored as well, and all of a sudden this game was wide open with Calgary holding a 4-2 lead heading into the 3rd. In the 3rd Period, Phil The Rock Johnson scored a little over 5 minutes into it, and just like that, Calgary held a 5-2 lead. Seattle had a lot here to try and battle back from, but 2 goals was all they could muster in this game. Calgary would win 5-2 and win the series. Sirkants Klamasteris saved 36 of 38 in Game 6.

1. Feeling great. I believe we have what it takes to keep it up and advance another round. 2. Just be consistent. They're a strong team, so we have to stay on our feet and keep up the speed. 3. Probably Klamasteris. You really need goaltending in the playoffs. 4. Obviously we'd rather the fans be there, but it's the playoffs. We're playing hard no matter what. 5. I need to believe in my playmaking more. 6. Hard work pays off.

Saku Kotkakoivu's first season in the VHL is finally done, and while he didn't blow anyone away, he put up good numbers. Saku scored 29 goals and put up 59 points in 72 games. He had a +15 with 82 hits, 26 shot blocks, and 4 powerplay goals. He has a long way to go before reaching any kind of elite status, but he is ready to work for it. "I didn't know what to expect jumping up to the VHL from the VHLE. I won a championship with the Vasteras Iron Eagles in the VHLE, so that was a fun time. It definitely humbled me once I jumped to the big leagues, and was facing off against some of the best players in the world. I have a lot of work to do to get to where I want to be." - Saku Kotkakoivu The Calgary Wranglers reached 3rd in the North American Conference, and will face off against the Seattle Bears. That should be a tough matchup. Saku Kotkakoivu will get his first taste of the VHL playoffs in his rookie season. "It's definitely going to be a step up in competition once the playoffs start. This is where careers are made, and dreams are made come true. I believe in myself and my teammates that we are capable of winning it all. You cannot look ahead of Seattle though. - Saku Kotkakoivu

1) Awesome! Spent time with the fam jam. The kids loved their presents, and even did some skating on a lake yesterday and the day before. 2) I think so. Nothing beats momentum. Gotta keep it up in the playoffs. 3) Any time matching up against the Bears is a tough one, but we have what it takes. 4) I think Saku could have done a lot better. It's all good though. Got a whole career ahead. 5) It's my first season with the team so everyone did awesome. I had zero expectations. Haha. 6) The Wranglers is where I started my VHL career, years ago with Travis Boychuk. I was here with Sebastian Ironside and Leph Twinger too. It's familiar territory.

I don't win these things. I don't think this proves that I'm good, it just proves my group was bad! STEP IT UP!

Well, Season 81 has come and gone, and the playoffs are soon to get underway. The Calgary Wranglers had some ups and downs during the season, but ultimately end with a 42-20-10 record, which is good for 3rd in their conference. Let's take a look at their last couple of games to end the season. Chicago Phoenix vs. Calgary Wranglers In this game, Calgary was of course the favourite, with Chicago being at the bottom of the league. In the 1st Period, Tom Eagles takes an early high sticking penalty, and sends Chicago straight to the powerplay. Jackson Philliefan put in work and scored a PP marker, giving Chicago the early 1-0 lead. The Wranglers would storm back though, as Pekko Viitanen scored at 12:20 with his 23rd of the season, tying this game at 1-1. Then only a couple minutes later at 14:57, Gustislav Nasherov scored his 49th of the season, giving Calgary a 2-1 lead heading into the 2nd. In the 2nd, the Calgary trend would continue, but it was less eventful. Nathan Perry scored his 36th at the 6:11 mark, which brought this game to 3-1, and that would hold until the 3rd. The 3rd period is where things opened up a bit more. Early at 5:58, Gustislav Nasherov scored his milestone 50th goal of the season, and followed that up with his 51st at 15:53. This game would end by a score of 5-1. Sirkants Klamasteris' 25 of 26 saves and Nasherov's hat trick would be the stories in this one. Calgary Wranglers vs. London United This was another game where the Calgary Wranglers were the heavy favourite. The 1st Period was an eventful one, where London's Shane Lazeski started it off with his 37th goal of the season, to give London the 1-0 lead. At 7:51, Saku Kotkakoivu's 29th tied it up at 1. 26 seconds later, Sportsboy57 scored to make this 2-1 United. At 10:48, Gustislav Nasherov scored and tied it up, but Shane Lazeski scored under 2 minutes later to give the London United a 3-2 lead heading into the 2nd. With 15 shots each, neither goalie had a great outing. In the 2nd Period, Calgary turned it around when Nils Tallinder scored 43 seconds in, tying this game 3-3. With under 10 minutes left in the period, Gustislav Nasherov scored to make this 4-3 for the Wranglers. They held that lead into the 3rd Period. Despite the 20-15 shots in favour of Calgary, the 3rd Period was scoreless, and Calgary held that 4-3 lead to a victory. Sirkants Klamasteris saved 38 of 41, while London's Tater Tot saved 50 of 54. As far as my own player goes, Saku Kotkakoivu had a decent season. 29 goals and 59 points in 72. Decent for a rookie, but nothing spectacular. I hope to keep improving on that. "I think we have what it takes to go far in the playoffs. Once you hit the post-season, it's anyone's game. It doesn't matter how you got here anymore. It's time to put in work." - Saku

yes

yea!