SlapshotLegion

Thank you for the kind words! I am loving this graphic! I don't know if this was on purpose but I love it nonetheless, but the negative space between S and 7 looks like a fan raising his hands up!

STOCKTON - Left winger Ryuu Crimson thought he was done with the game of hockey. But lately, he's grown to miss the game. While he has nothing against retiring early in the VHL, he admits maybe he shouldn't have retired so early. "Life's gotten kind of boring ever since I retired. So, I'm going to go back in the game of hockey. Maybe not in the VHL though. It's funny. I said when I started my retirement that I would take this time to relax. And the first thing I do is try out for a hockey team." The former Reign and Dynamo winger had signed with the Stockton Heat in the American Hockey League. He isn't signed with the Flames though. "I won't sign with a National Hockey League team yet. I want to see if I still have my game and slowly build up to the big stage." Ryuu will play tomorrow against the San Diego Gulls. We'll see if this might be the first time people actually watch an AHL game.

SASKATOON - So far, Jacques Lafontaine has only lost once in his VHLM career in the 34 games he’s played. That game was against the Mexico City Kings, as the Wild lost 4-2. Though, a big reason he only has one loss is that he’s playing with a very strong and dominant Wild team in front of him. The young goaltender and the Wild have had a 31 game win streak and are looking to extend it against the San Diego Marlins. A big part of their success so far is the Wild’s stacked offense. Surprisingly, their two leading scorers are defensemen with the young, strangely familiar Edwin THE Encarnacion who has 64 points and is tied for fourth place in points as well as VHLM veteran Danny DeYeeto who has proven himself to be MVP material, as he leads the VHLM with 70 points (though he is tied with Justin Rushmore), as well as leading in plus/minus with a plus/minus of +61. Danny DeYeeto is also 7th in goals and 2nd in assists. He does, however, lead the league in penalty minutes and while that could be worked on, I think it’s safe to say that the defenseman is making it up with his offensive prowess. It’s not just those two who are doing well offensively for the Wild, everybody is pitching in as 7 players (including the two previously mentioned) have 50 or more points while 2 players are really close with points in the 40s. The Wild have an insane goal differential, proving not just their offensive power but also their defensive play. While there aren’t many Wild players who lead in Shots Blocked and Hits, the Wild have only allowed 55 goals. Jacques Lafontaine has had a good save percentage as well as an excellent goals against average but that could be attributed to the fact that he tends to only face around 10 shots a game due to the Wild’s dominating defense. The top 6 leaders in plus/minus are all Wild players with Danny DeYeeto, Edwin THE Encarnacion, Jesse Nyman, Killy Foilen, Mikko Lahtinen, and Dagmar Havlova being those six players. While he may be playing with an absolutely stacked team in front of him, Jacques Lafontaine has been solid. He may be (jokingly) known for falling asleep in net during games when shots against him are low but he has proven himself to be a solid goaltender for the Wild. He leads in wins with 33 wins, leads goalies who have played 5 or more games in save percentage with a save percentage of 0.906, 2nd place in goals against average with 1.68 (though, first place Mark Davis has only played one game, and is tied for second place in shutouts with 2. Maybe these numbers are also good because of how good and talented the players are but he has proven that he can hold his own. Though, he really needs to learn how to stop taking naps in the middle of a game. Seriously, take a nap beforehand or something. (Just joking.) As shown by these stats, Saskatoon’s dominance in almost all of the areas of the game has proven itself to be fruitful in this streak. When will the streak end? We’re not sure.

Gonna win the Benoit, just like his hero, Alexander Pepper!

First assist!

Player Card Template Name: Jacques Lafontaine Team: Saskatoon Wild Player Number: 82 Render Choice: Tyler Parsons or David Rittich Are you S70?: Yes Signature Template Name: Jacques Lafontaine Team: Saskatoon Wild Player Number: 82 Render Choice: Tyler Parsons or David Rittich Are you S70?: Yes

@Aye my name jeff gets the Hat Trick! ? And I am finally able to not blow it and I get a shutout!

1. Welcome to the league! What are your goals for this season? 2. What are your long-term goals for your career? 3. Skates before pants or pants before skates? 4. Any pre-game rituals? 5. What is your warm-up playlist, if you have one? 6. If you had to play any other sport, what sport would you play? 7. If you weren't a hockey player, what job would you most likely have? 8. 4 scoring titles or 1 cup? 9. If you had to play any other position, what position would you play? 10. Favourite VHL Player?

3. Aleksandr Aleksandrow. He is a pretty solid goalie. Though, I don't think that there are that much goalies in this draft class. 4. Get the big four to 70+ then get the secondary stats to 50+. 5. Edwin THE Encarnacion. Absolute monster. He's a really good player.

Ignore this. Accidentally answered PC questions from 2018 lol

Is it just us or is Jacques very weird when it comes to his "fashion" choices? We are all familiar with his all-white helmet that is now covered in black tick marks that seem to be from some markers, and we're all familiar with the fact he has the weirdest goalie number of all time (82) but the question is why the heck is he using different coloured pads? I mean it would be fine if it looked good but right now, he is using arguably the ugliest pad combination in the history of pads. His left pad is red and white while his right pad is green and yellow. "People always bug me about that. Well, during the championship series back in the Ligue de-whatever it's called-I never really remembered what it was called-I lost my regular green and white pads right before a game. So we went digging around the arena and we found this red and white left pad as well as the green and yellow pad. It sucked but it was my only choice. We ended up winning that game with a shutout and I used the pads for the rest of the series. Then we won the series." We were going to post a picture but we didn't want to burn your eyes.

SASKATOON - Jacques Lafontaine has enjoyed his time in Saskatoon. "Saskatoon is a great city. The fans are great, the people are great, everything is great. I'm enjoying being here so far and I'm glad that I am able to play a part in this great city." The young goaltender has had a good start here, leading the Victory Hockey League Minors with wins, with 19. The nearest goalies (since there is a three-way tie for second), are 7 wins back. He has also only had 1 loss. "I owe a lot to my teammates. They are great every game and are a big defensive presence. Sure, I make saves but they are always dominant and always show up. I'm lucky I am able to play with great players." While a stacked Saskatoon Wild roster is playing in front of him, it's no doubt that Lafontaine is a solid goaltender. Alongside leading with wins, he is tied in the league for first when it comes to the best Goals Against Average (though, the other first place goaltender has only played 3 games compared to Jacques' 20,) with a GAA of 2.0. Jacques is also among the top 3 for Save Percentage, with a solid percentage of 0.889. The Wild have also had a 17-game win streak and are first place in the standings. It's no doubt that the Wild are definitely a strong team. "We have a lot of guys who play so well. I would name them all but it's basically our whole roster. These guys go out night after night and score. They're doing their job so I do mine." He has done his job for sure. Despite the fact that he is one of the few Season 70 goalies this year while the rest of the goalies in the league are Season 69 goalies or even older, he has proven himself to be one of the best in the Minors. "Yeah, I'll admit it, I'm doing really well," Jacques said in a post-game interview. "But it's still the regular season. I have to keep getting better and playing hard. We aren't even at the playoffs yet. So for now, all I can do is keep improving." Jacques is getting better at skating but one of the most notable parts of his play is his Reaction Time. Sure, his reaction time might not bail him out all of the time but it is really good. His hand speed is also a big factor in his game. The goaltender has been working on Rebound Control. "I find that whenever a goal is scored, it is either off a faceoff or a rebound. That's why I've been working on my skating and rebound control a lot. It might not be terrible but it is a way I can get even better." No matter what he feels like he has to improve, it's no doubt that he was proven himself to be a strong goalie so far in the beginning of his VHL(M) career. We'll see if he and the Wild players can keep it up. Maybe they'll make it all the way and win the championship. Only time will tell.

I pitied them and let them get a free goal. That's totally it.

1. What stick brand do you use? 2. Why did you choose to be a Left Winger? 3. What is your jersey number and why? 4. How would you describe your style of play? 5. Would you rather have a VHLM Championship or VHLM Point Scoring Title? 6. What is your typical pre-game meal? 7. If you have any, what are your pre-game rituals? 8. What is your biggest pet peeve in the locker room? 9. If you had to play another position, what would you play? 10. If you had to play another sport, what sport would you play?

I consider Isak Sjostrom my biggest rival. He is a really good goalie and has been impressive so far. 1. No. While he was good and solid, I feel like that honor would go to Palo, Davis, or Borwinn over him. 2. Well, none really had a pitch for me. Saskatoon hadn't even contacted me yet here I am. I am enjoying Saskatoon though, so I'm happy.

So one interesting bit about Jacques is that this season, he's decided to wear a peculiar goalie mask. No, he is not pulling a Dominik Hasek and only using a cage. This year, he has started off wearing a mask that is simply all white. No paints, no cool designs, no nothing. Just blank space all around. You might think that this is some weird habit of his but last season with Gatineau he wore a mask with a design. "I'm not doing this because I hate goalie mask design. Goalie mask designing and making is an art form. To me, it's just a weird way of saying that this is a clean slate, an opportunity to remake myself. I'm not going to wear this without a design for the whole season, eventually I will get it painted. But for the start of my VHLM journey, I'll be wearing a blank mask," he said to clear up any confusion. While unorthodox and weird, it is still a cool idea. So if you were confused about why he wears blank masks while watching Wild games, now you know.

SASKATOON - The wait. When we interviewed him during the start of the off-season, Jacques Lafontaine said the wait for the draft was the worst. Finally, the wait was over. The dispersal draft came along and he was excited. "I can't wait. I don't care what team I go to. As long as I can play for them, I'll go with them. This is a big step in my hockey career and I am excited to see which team drafts me, if I'm drafted at all." Luckily for the young goaltender, he didn't have to wait as long during the draft as the young goaltender was drafted by the Saskatoon Wild in the dispersal draft a couple of days ago. The goaltender was chosen at 3rd overall. "I am grateful they considered me worthy enough to be 3rd overall. I'll make sure to work hard to help us win," he said after he was drafted. Jacques was projected to be the team's starting (and only) goaltender. Now that the Victory Hockey League Minors season has started, we can see that that has stayed the same. With the start of the regular season, he has had the chance to prove himself to the Saskatoon team. He has kept his promise so far, with a record of 5 wins and 1 loss. While his Goals Against Average and Goal Percentage were kind of iffy, he's doing well for the Wild. But that hasn't stopped him from wanting to get better. "I'm letting in weak goals and that will eventually cause us to lose. I need to work on my skating and rebound control if I want to get better." The young goaltender had a good first few games, winning both. In his first appearance, Saskatoon won 5-3 against the Mississauga Hounds. When we asked him how he felt playing in his first VHLM game, he responded, "It felt good. Being on the Victory Hockey League ice is really fun." That response was different from when he interviewed him before the game, when he said he was nervous. "I'm so nervous," the goalie had stated before the game. "I mean, this isn't the big leagues but this is a big step. I can't screw this up." But as proven by the score, there was no reason to worry. Then in his second appearance, the Wild made a comeback in a crazy game to win 7-6 against the San Diego Marlins. The win streak didn't last long though, as the Mexico City Kings came in winning 4-2. Thankfully, the team won against the Yukon Rush as the Wild beat them 5-3. "I am happy we're winning but I can't seem to go a game without letting in more than 3 goals. I need to make more saves for the future. Our players are doing well offensively and defensively, it's just on me to be better than I already am." Despite this, the Wild seem to be happy with his performance. Was he being too hard on himself? That's for you to decide because the next two games came along and he won both of them 5-1.

Helsinki 4-1

Moscow Menace Vancouver Wolves Helsinki Titans Malmo Nighthawks

1. I'm not exactly sure. Would have been a bit safer to draft him at least in the mid 10s because for a player of his caliber, that's a steal. Sure, he might leave but 30oa is too low. 2. Definitely. They have done a good job of drafting good solid players. The trades are also solid. So far, there have been no problems in this aspect of management. 3. I mean, I am Lafontaine...I guess it was wise considering that the Wild needed a goalie but I'm surprised I was 3oa. 4. It's a good locker room. Everybody's pretty chill and it's nice. 5. Cup all the way! We have a stacked offense and defense. It all comes to my goaltending. Don't worry. I'm in it to win it. 6. Edwin THE Encarnacion. He is an offensive powerhouse. Or at least, that's what I predict he will be based on the performances of Edwin Encarnacion and the other "Encarnacions". I have a theory that they are either the same person or just clones.

I actually used to be on the VSN team and this was basically a series I came up with. Thanks for your kind words!

As you probably know, every single player has a jersey number. A jersey number can be part of your identity. Everybody knows that Bobby Orr wore number 4 and that Sidney Crosby wears 87. The Great One’s number was 99, and now nobody can wear it as they retired it across the National Hockey League in honour of him. For goalies, everybody knows that Patrick Roy wore 33 and it’s debatable whether Martin Brodeur was the best NHLer to ever wear the number 30. Goalies tend to use 1 and 30. Some other popular numbers are any of the “tens” numbers, any of the thirties, and 41. So it’s quite unusual that Jacques Lafontaine wore the number 82 for most of his career. “People tell me how weird it is for a goalie to wear such a number,” he remarked, laughing. When asked about why he wears 82, he replied, “Well, it’s because I wore it as a player. Even though I sucked with it, I still liked it and thought it would be cool if I used 82, so yeah, that’s all.” While the reason is not as crazy as we expected, it will still be confusing to see a goaltender wear 82 this season.

While he might not be Hall of Fame potential and despite the fact that he wasn’t too big of a star back in the day, we decided to interview Ryuu Crimson, former VHLer. The left-winger lives in Riga, where he formerly played for the Victory Hockey League’s Riga Reign. (He also played in Switzerland, suiting up for the HC Davos Dynamo.) We decided to go over to the capital of Latvia to go catch up with the freshly-retired Ryuu. So after a long flight from Saskatoon to Riga, we got some information on where Ryuu lives and got a taxi to bring us there. (Of course, we didn’t tell the driver that we were going to Ryuu Crimson’s house, as he would have positively freaked out. The guy literally had a Riga Reign jersey on.) When we arrived, we waited for the driver to leave. As soon as he left, we rang Ryuu’s doorbell. After a few minutes of waiting, the door opened, revealing Ryuu Crimson wearing some orange and black pajamas with Riga Reign logos all over them. He explained that he woke up a while ago and let us in his house. It was a modest house, having 2 floors and a basement, though it wasn’t like a mansion or anything. Ryuu toured us around his house and showed us some of his stuff. We saw that he had a bobblehead of himself as well as a mix of Reign and Davos memorabilia. He had a lot of sticks in his garage and his basement was turned into a mini hockey rink, using ice tiles to make the little rink. After showing us his home, we decided to get started on following him through his life. He went to a coffee shop at 7’oclock. We got some coffee and he bought us some breakfast, making a comment about how he missed Tim Horton’s coffee. Then we followed him as he went to a gym to work out at 8:30. We spent an hour there before he went to an ice rink. It turns out the love of the game never left him as he became a hockey instructor at that rink. Sort of like a coach but only in the sense of helping players practice. He worked there for a couple of hours, going from 9:45-11:45. When he was done, he went to a rec hockey game at 12:00, where he scored 3 goals. He told us that he disguised himself as a player named Yuu Rimson. While it may have not been the most imaginative disguise, it worked, even though it won’t as soon as the people of Riga read this (sorry Ryuu). Even though he wasn’t a superstar, a lot of people know him from when he and Riga won the cup. In that same season, he became the first rookie to win Playoff MVP. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself so that media people would leave him alone. Though, every so often, he signs a young fan’s stick, cap, or jersey. After the game, he was doing just that as he walked around the city, saying that he takes walks to just relax. Some people recognized him and he was happy to make some fans’ days. He came back and took a quick nap. Then, since he doesn’t really have any full-time jobs or responsibilities, we just relaxed the whole day, playing some video games and doing other things. We then decided to interview him. We asked him what part of his career he was most proud of. “Well, there are a lot of parts that I’m proud of, but without a doubt, winning the Continental Cup in S63. Winning the championship is a true testament to you and your team’s hard work. Being the playoff MVP was also cool, but I’m prouder of the championship.” We then, as usual, asked the opposite. “Any part you regret?” “Probably not being able to be consistent. That sucked. I was depended on a lot but I couldn’t seem to score consistently.” When we asked him if he had tips for young players, he said, “Make sure you NEVER sign for a full eight seasons. I mean, no offense to the two teams I played with, but always make sure you have a way out if you don’t like your team.” Eventually, we fell asleep. The next morning, like we usually do, we left. Ryuu wished us the best of luck on our travels.