SlapshotWrangler

1. Feels good to see we were able make it click through the ups and downs. I love to see that despite roster changes and some initial rockiness, we were able to find our groove and pull it together. 2. I believe so and I believe we need to. This is a great chance for us to push forward with an excellent group of players. 3. As of now, one win. I want to see two wins if possible but claiming that WC spot is most important. 4. Depends on the team and how they got to Wild Card. For our squad, I think we fought and earned a chance to get a Wild Card position rather than just ending up there by chance. 5. My team (Flames) were eliminated so I'm gunning for the Winnipeg Jets. I want Sean Monahan to win a cup. 6. BRING BACK THE ROVER POSITION! Now the "rover" position has less meaning as all skaters enter the offensive zone but I think it'd be cool to just have a role where they can really do whatever they want and get creative. I could imagine a defensive style rover or even just having a really crafty offensive styled rover.

CALGARY - The season is nearing a close and Wranglers center Raimo Tuominen is far from satisfied with his regular season. However, one thing that he was able to get off his back was finally cracking the 20 goal milestone in his third season of the VHL. That was a major concern for Raimo whose offensive numbers have been weak to start his career. With only 8 goals his first season and 17 in his second, he has been far from being the center he feels he should be. “I mean, I was drafted at such a high position and I’m supposed to be a big piece of this team moving forward. Unless the mentality of the higher ups changes, that seems like the plan going forward.” Raimo said after his second season. “I need to at the very least be a solid 20 goal scorer by the end of the regular season. Of course, my focus is always on the championship but I need to progress in the regular season before I even think about the playoffs.” He finally hit the 20 goal plateau earlier this season. He even got his first career hat trick. When he finally hit the 20 goal mark, he simply smiled. “Good to see I was able to actually pull it off. As much of a relief it is, I can’t afford to relax now.” The forward ended up hitting the 30 goal mark a few games ago. “Great. I’m glad I hit the mark. Now time to score goals when it matters the most.”

Rome's C1 is a punk. Also, glad to see Raimo somehow held up his own.

CALGARY - I have no insider knowledge or info about the league. This is purely from my own imagination. Would it not be amazing if we had an Edmonton VHL team? The battle of Alberta is something I have had the privilege of experiencing in real life and I think it would be a wonderful thing if we could bring that fiery passion to the VHL. Think about it, I cannot name a true rivalry between any two VHL teams. We need something as generational, as iconic, as brilliantly confrontational as the Battle of Alberta in the NHL. So, why not give Edmonton a team? The Oilers, as much as I hate to say it as a Flames fan, have a die-hard fan base that loves hockey. If Calgary can have the Hitmen, Flames, Wranglers, and Wranglers (AHL) in one city, why not give Edmonton a shot to support a VHL team? Imagine the dramatics, the flair, the storylines, imagine it all! Give Edmonton a VHL team. I say this not out of the kindness of my heart but out of a desire to have a true black and blue rivalry that brings people to their feet and causes the entire VHL to be shaken by the sheer magnitude of it.

1) I haven't watched any full games but I've seen highlights and my goodness am I glad Women's Hockey is back in the spotlight. It's really fun to watch and cool to see how competitive and skilled the hockey is. I enjoyed the CWHL when the Inferno were in town so I'm happy to see we finally have a competitive women's league again. 2) Helsinki.... what a haul they got for Fuukka Rask and also getting a first from Moscow. Obv not saying that they won the Rask trade, it is well known how smart of a GM Bana is so I trust he really trusts in the return. But good on Helsinki for building for the future. 3) It has fewer holes but one just happen to be bigger now. Though I will definitely throw that question around to my buddies to see how fast we can get a debate going. 1. What would you say is the biggest VHL rivalry between two teams? If you don't believe there is one, which two teams do you think will most likely form a rivalry? 2. What flex does your player use for their stick and why do they use that specific flex? 3. Your player decides to prank a teammate. Which teammate are you pranking and how will you prank them?

CALGARY - It has definitely not been the most favorable season for the Calgary Wranglers. Currently sitting at fourth last (as of writing this), Calgary is on the outside looking in, hoping to make a big push toward the playoffs. Frustration was definitely in the air after losing two straight and nothing seems to be bouncing the right way. The score may be close and on some occasions very lopsided against them. Regardless, it leads to 0 points added to the standings and a very sour Raimo Tuominen. “It really sucks. This year we got new pieces and worked hard to make this season our bounce back season just for it to fall flat. Hope is definitely not lost; I mean, we have half of the season. But it definitely isn’t the start we wanted.” Raimo is especially disappointed at the lack of consistency that he has had, which was something he made a point of improving at the beginning of the season. “I am still very streaky and I am trying everything I can to fix that. It just isn’t working and it’s on me to find a way to build that consistency.”

Calgary Wranglers My favourite NA team of all time, the Calgary Wranglers. I have many fond memories with Jacques Lafontaine and hope to make a lot more with Raimo Tuominen. The Wranglers have always been a personal favourite of mine. I loved the old logo and I love the new one. Our colour scheme is tried and true; nothing hits just as much as red, white and black. Red is a mainstay for any pro Calgary team. White and black just look great complimenting the aggressive red. So we’re keeping the team colours! Okay, onto the rebrand part. One of my gripes with the Wranglers name is that it is so cool. It is such a cool name. Wrangler is just such a cool team name AND it is a homage to the Calgary Wranglers that used to play in the WHL. It is such a fantastic concept. So much so… the Calgary Flames AHL Affiliate decided to take the name in 2022-23 when moving to Calgary from Stockton. Yes, the two Wranglers are very distinct in team colours logo and all that. But man, it is so weird being a Calgary Flames fan and having to double-check which Wranglers team I am conversing about. Like I catch myself talking about the AHL team to my friends and being like “Am I speaking about a fictional VHL team?”. Now that my rationale for changing the historic Wranglers name has been explaining… may I present you, the VHL’s very own… Calgary Cowboys! That’s right, we are taking a trip back in time. The Wranglers played in the Corral in the WHL. I still have my banner from the Corral series when the Hitmen played there for a few games. The other two teams that played in the Corral (aside from the NHL Flames) were the Centennials, who preceded the Wranglers as Calgary’s major junior team. But the name Centennials doesn't make sense to anyone outside of Canada. Only reason they were named that was because Canada turned 100 in their inaugural season. We need something more Calgary-related. So… Cowboys! The Cowboys logo goes hard and a VHL makeover could definitely create an electric Cowboys logo for all to enjoy. The Cowboys were the WHA team that played in the Corral before Calgary got their NHL team. I think this would be a perfect idea for people in Calgary to break out the cowboy hats and cheer their favourite VHL team on. Imagine what a hat trick will look like! In fact, a rebrand would be perfect for the new arena being built in Calgary. Imagine the Calgary Wranglers now named the Calgary Cowboys coming out in style, cowboy boots and hats in the crowd, and a fresh new design to mark a new era of Calgary hockey. It is perfect. And like the Wranglers name the VHL team currently hosts, it pays homage to the history of hockey in the city. I will not be mad if the Calgary Wranglers remain as the Calgary Wranglers. In fact, I’ll be super happy if that’s the case. But if they ever have to rebrand… Calgary Cowboys would be the best option.

1. The Wranglers have decided to all host a dinner on top of the Saddledome roof. It was quite the experience. Oh, and naturally, Lafontaine was there too. 2. Definitely would be have to be the Calgary Food Bank. Food is such an important thing for people to have and I think it would definitely be a worthy cause. 3. Randy Bobandy, Josh Turner's Your Man, and he absolutely kills it somehow. Who could've known? He's got killer pipes. 4. Raimo decided to help the City of Calgary demolish Marlborough Mall. 5. Would definitely have to be an octopus, having 8 arms seems to be really cool. Plus I'd be one of those ones that could camoflauge. Being able to camoflauge seems awesome. 6. I was working on a computer science assignment from 2-7. On a Sunday. That's post-sec life I guess.

This is one of my more brutal graphics that I've kept locked up in my Google Drive (for good reason) for the past year and a half. Now your eyes get to witness its glory. Enjoy.

CALGARY - Raimo Tuominen has never been one to fight much. Especially not in the VHL. As one of the younger players (who is entering his middle seasons in the VHL), he has learned to keep his head down and work hard. Dropping the gloves is only done when necessary. And it proved to be necessary against the Wolves. Larry Abass Jr and Raimo Tuominen ended up having a tilt in a game where the Wranglers faced off against the Wolves. The veteran and the young kid had a very spirited brawl and fought to essentially a draw before Raimo got an unsportsmanlike penalty and then got ejected. After the game, Raimo had a few comments. “We just had to fight and we both dropped the gloves. Felt a bit intimidating fighting against an established vet like Larry. No hard feelings. I just hope that we don’t end up starting it up again.” Well, that won’t be an issue for Raimo as it turns out, the Wranglers would trade for Larry soon after. Like really soon after. You could count the days on one hand. Raimo would be meeting the winger in the locker room. “Our general manager announced after practice that he had made a trade. We figured out who we were getting back and I laughed so hard. I thought he was kidding. Nope. Jens Lekman and Larry Abass Jr himself.” Raimo Tuominen recalls with a slight grin. “Best part was when I saw him at practice when he finally got to Calgary and he ended up being one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met. To think just days before that we were swinging at each other and now he’s one of my biggest mentors alongside Randy. Go figure.”

Yeah, found it interesting that your mask has a fake human face side to disorient that. The amount of times Raimo has tried to take a shot on you but then lose all sense of what's happening once he saw that there seemed to be no red panda face behind the mask is uncountable. (In all reality, I should've accounted for this possibility.)

1. My least favourite food would probably have to be raisins. Don't know why, I just never really liked them. 2. I was inspired to join this league from a youtube video (forgot who the youtuber was lol) and I was intrigued by the idea of creating players and being involved in a sim league. 3. It would definitely have to be hip hop. I'm not too knowledgeable about the genre but I just know it gets me feeling pumped. 1. What superstitions does your player have and when did they start? 2. If you had to compare your player to any NHL player (present or past), who would you compare them to? 3. Now, a question not related to your player; what is your personal morning routine?