1. I would probably go with "VHL mascots" as I think that'd be fun to discuss.
2. Raimo Tuominen would love to be a part of the Jurassic series. He'd enjoy seeing real life dinosaurs... until things go wrong.
3. I'm gonna have to go with @ROOKIE745, one of my favourite teammates and rivals. I hope to see his player in the big leagues soon, either on my team or as an opponent.
1. Speaking of VHL mascots, name a team and what mascot you'd give them (feel free to give the mascot a name!)
2. Name one of your favourite VHL memories to date.
3. On a scale of 1-10 how likely would your player miss an open net? (1 being not likely at all, 10 being Patrik Stefan)
WHEREVER THE WJC IS TAKING PLACE - Alongside the JST, the World Junior Championship is a chance for young VHLM players and potential VHL prospects to showcase their play. More importantly, however, it is a chance to represent their country or region and win it all for them. Among the VHL hopefuls, Raimo was hoping he would get the call that he would play in the tournament.
“I mean, some people might see it as a worthless tournament but I can speak for myself and my countrymen when I say we take every WJC, Hlinka-Gretzky, and other hockey tournament very seriously. To pull on a jersey and represent more than just a franchise is a huge honour. I hope that I will be selected to participate, although I know that is not a guarantee.”
Raimo Tuominen was practicing with the Brigade in anticipation for the JST playoffs when he got the call. The GM he was speaking to had congratulated him. However, Raimo was surprised as they continued to converse.
“I remember that I had said that I was super excited to join Team Western Europe for the competition. Then our GM corrected me and said I wasn’t playing for Team Western Europe. I then asked, ‘Team Nordic?’ because I remembered them having a team. He told me that we were Team Asia. I was confused but after he explained the rules allowing them to add some of us so that they could field a team, I understood. Regardless, I am nothing less than ecstatic to represent Asia.”
My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
(PART ONE OF TWO)
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally
1st Overall - YaBoi Oven, Helsinki Titans
@Doomsday
Who could argue with YaBoi Oven going first overall? Not only does this selection suit a need for the Titans as a frontline franchise defenseman, but any team in the VHL would be more than happy to have a defenseman prospect on Oven’s level in their pool. An expected first overall pick, in terms of position and overall I view this as a good first overall selection.
Who I would have selected - YaBoi Oven
2nd Overall - Walter Fitzroy Jr, Toronto Legion
@Moon
This isn’t exactly unexpected. Moon is the GM of Toronto and thus you get a franchise defenseman who is willing to stay long term, as long as Moon remains employed in Toronto. Fitzroy will be a good player, but I can’t am not a fan of GM’s making slight reaches to select their own players. Still, Fitzroy will be a good player in Toronto.
Who I would have selected - Axle Gunner
3rd Overall - Ryan Artyomov, Chicago Phoenix
@Enorama
I don’t think I can overstate how awesome this pick is for Chicago. With recent GM turnover, the new leader of operations in Chicago certainly smashed their first pick. Artyomov will be an excellent goalie in the VHL, and will be key in Chicago regaining contention and making a push for another cup. Artyomov is also probably the best selection in terms of suiting team needs so far as well. Just an awesome pick all around.
Who I would have selected - Ryan Artyomov
4th Overall - Axle Gunner, Moscow Menace
@Steve
A near 100 point scorer in the VHLM with the Philadelphia Reapers, Gunner is a borderline steal for me. I wouldn’t exactly call 4th overall a drop or decline however. Gunner is a center, and figures to play for Moscow sooner rather than later, where he will be a steady contributor in Moscow’s retool. Another excellent selection, but it’s hard to mess up a top 5 selection.
I may have been higher on Anisimov than others viewing the draft, but I see this pick as an absolute steal. While Anisimov may not be as valuable defensively as a Center or Defenseman, he was by far the best winger prospect in this class. I think Warsaw nailed this pick, and are setting themselves up with a surefire hardware candidate season in and out.
Who I would have selected - Maxim Anisimov
6th Overall - Raimo Tuominen, Calgary Wranglers
@SlapshotWrangler
While I like Raimo Tuominen as a prospect, and I agree he should have been a top 10 selection, top 5 is just a small reach for me. I don’t see him being the best positionally or overall at this point in terms of the draft. While I think Calgary is getting an excellent player, they could have almost certainly traded down a few selections and got the same player. I will be excited to see Tuominen in Calgary, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was just slightly overdrafted in my opinion.
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
7th Overall - Catia Goncalves, Riga Reign
@cLoWn
While I have some question marks regarding Goncalves, I do think she will be a good player for the Reign. Similar to Tuominen, I saw Goncalves as a top 12-15 prospect, with 7th being just slightly early for my taste. Regardless I do think the Reign are getting a capable player and a solid prospect to build a young core up with.
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
8th Overall - Jarmo Ruutu, Moscow Menace
@jRuutu
The Menace had an amazing draft. While Gunner may be the best prospect overall selected to Moscow, in terms of pure value I think Ruutu has a case for one of the best in the first round in general. I had Ruutu as a top 5 selection, so while seeing him fall to Moscow was a surprise, it is a welcome one! Spartan is once again assembling a young capable core for the Menace’s retool.
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
9th Overall - Jebidiah Big Ol Doinks in Amish, Malmo Nighthawks
@hylands
I think picking up Jebidiah/Hylands is a sneaky hood move for the Nighthawks in their quest for a bounceback to competitive hockey. I think at this point in the draft most of the top end talent had seeped out in terms of the quality selected in the top 5, but Jebidiah is an excellent defensive prospect. I can’t decide if this was a draft fall or the perfect spot for Hylands to end up at.
10th Overall - Martin Kemp, Riga Reign
@leafsman
Another reach for the Reign. I would have been fine with a Kemp selection at 10, but doubling down on first round wingers when two amazing centers were available is very questionable for me. As previously stated for Goncalves, Kemp will be a good player, it’s just all about fit and the scheme in Riga for me.
1
Helsinki Titans
YaBoi Oven @Doomsday
D
TPE:
381
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
10
31
41
-16
166
92
163
122
S89 Playoffs
10
4
3
7
-9
44
10
14
19
This is a big draft for the Helsinki Titans, as they have committed to being good, fast. Sam has taken over the reins as GM after a successful stint in the VHLM with Mexico City. She has made a first overall selection before, taking Svatopluk Puk for the Halifax 21st back in S83. But nothing can compare to the pressure here, hoping to solidify the future of a franchise who has felt nothing but turmoil the last decade. With a forward group secured for the coming seasons, and a top goaltender in Fuukka Rask already patrolling the paint, the choice is clear, to select the top TPE player in the draft, from an agency with a rich history of great players, joining Helsinki will be… YaBoi Oven! Oven brings VHL-ready defensive awareness, and will quickly be growing their skating and offensive game with a set of very talented forwards.
2
Toronto Legion
Walter Fitzroy Jr @Moon
D
TPE:
306
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
14
39
53
11
167
88
148
166
S89 Playoffs
5
0
1
1
1
5
8
10
16
Toronto is another team that has spent much of the last few seasons at the bottom of the standings, and is growing impatient. Making a blockbuster deal with Moscow, the forward group seems ready to compete. Joel Castle joins a long line of terrific Toronto goaltenders, so once again the focus goes to defense, as the Legion look for a player that can compliment Bobby Bob on the back end. There are many great defenders in the draft, but one has a particularly strong connection with Toronto, and has been seen in the board room several times along with their GM, discussing trades, signings and roster construction. The young protégé has already been a great help to the franchise, and should now get the opportunity to do so on the ice. The Legion pick up Walter Fitzroy Jr, who has been gaining momentum in the draft rankings leading into the lottery, and Toronto will be thrilled to see him fall into their lap.
3
Chicago Phoenix
Maxim Anisimov @McLovin
RW
TPE:
311
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
39
48
87
-3
355
30
123
47
S89 Playoffs
5
1
2
3
-1
30
4
7
1
With a new GM at the wheel, the Phoenix will have to rise from the ashes of their once great dynasty. After seasons of stretching the competitive window, there is nothing left in the tank. Except for this pick, which will be used to start the franchise over again, and with nothing to lose, this is the perfect opportunity to choose what the franchise will look like for the next decade or so. Cole will need to look for someone who is gaining momentum, who will have lots of optimism, despite being the first piece of essentially a nothing team. There is a tough road ahead, but fans don’t have a doubt about their rumoured selection. Maxim Anisimov has recently been working with the management team in Las Vegas, and has shown exceptional dedication to the VHL, and to creating a great player for a long time. Anisimov may marinade a little bit in the VHLE while Cole works to create a suitable roster for such an exception youngster, or he may get a shot early and start getting some VHL experience under his belt.
4
D.C. Dragons
Ryan Artyomov @Enorama
G
TPE:
Season
GP
W
L
OTL
SV%
GAA
SO
GA
SA
S89 Regular Season
64
21
30
12
0.904
2.59
3
166
1721
S89 Playoffs
10
5
5
0
0.91
2.52
0
27
299
DC finally saw the cup a few seasons ago, but the time for a new era of Dragons hockey is upon us. With the last of the old guard retiring, it is time to replace the pieces that once gave them a championship. Bubbles Utonium is a hard player to replace, but Frostbeard has a plan and a system that he hopes to implement to bring the team back to full-time contention. Ryan Artyomov is part of the agency of the last DC GM, who brought the Cup to DC just a few seasons ago. The franchise was build from the ground up by him, and with a new player in the draft, it just seems like the right choice. A natural successor for Utonium, and bringing the founding father one step closer to the White House. With an elite defense in the making, Artyomov should have nom trouble adjusting to the VHL, and should get some sheltered opportunities as soon as this season.
5
Warsaw Predators
Axle Gunner @Steve
C
TPE:
324
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
42
57
99
37
359
82
122
36
S89 Playoffs
15
7
7
14
6
57
6
35
7
The Warsaw Predators are entering a full-scale rebuild, and they're starting from square one. It's time for them to simply get the best player available with the fifth overall pick, and they are ecstatic to see the top forward by TPE available in Axle Gunner. Scoring 42 goals and a total of 99 points with the Philadelphia Reapers last season, Gunner's biggest strength is actually his strength. He bullied his way through the VHLM, and he should be able to contunue to do so in the VHLE and the VHL. He is very balanced, capable of great play anywhere on the ice, and is an ideal foundation for the next generation of the Warsaw Predators. The only question is whether or not they can build a core around Gunner quickly enough to capitalize on drafting him here.
6
Malmo Nighthawks
Raimo Tuominen @SlapshotBear
RW
TPE:
290
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
27
33
60
24
290
40
124
17
S89 Playoffs
5
1
1
2
1
19
8
9
0
The Malmo Nighthawks fell short of the playoffs in Season 89, but that isn't stopping them from running it back. They have an overall strong roster, but it is starting to get up there in age, making Finnish sniper Raimo Tuominen a quality grab at sixth overall. The winger potted 27 goals last season for the Houston Bulls, and has one of, if not the best shots of the entire Season 90 draft class. Tuominen will need to keep working on his skating to maximize his offensive talents, and his defending is suspect as well. Malmo, however, can afford to allow him to develop in the E this season, and add him to their roster for Season 91. If he continues to develop, Raimo Tuominen could be a future Kevin Brooks Trophy winner, due to his offensive potential and the quality teammates he'll have in Malmo.
7
Riga Reign
Xiver Zilla @jhatty8
C
TPE:
308
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
38
42
80
28
336
22
114
29
S89 Playoffs
5
2
1
3
-1
28
6
16
1
The Pride of Malta might be getting selected a little later than he deserves, but Xiver Zilla is ending up in a great position with the Riga Reign as a result. They reached the playoffs last season, and bring back a roster loaded with talent in Season 90, but they have some holes, especially at forward. Riga does have forwards who could be ready to make the jump up to the VHL, and while Zilla could very much benefit from a season in the E to polish his game, he could make a case for himself to play for Riga right away with a strong camp. He scored 80 points with Houston last season, including 38 goals, but as mentioned, I believe he'll need some time before he can replicate those numbers in the bigs. Riga will no doubt be thrilled to draft Xiver Zilla if he falls to seventh overall, regardless of when he ultimately reaches the VHL.
8
Calgary Wranglers
Catia Goncalves @cLoWn
RW
TPE:
282
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
39
45
84
10
411
45
125
62
S89 Playoffs
6
0
3
3
-3
22
6
4
7
It's a new era for the Calgary Wranglers, with the legendary Daniel Janser retired and both Leandro Goncalves and Vincent Laroche-Gagnier on new teams. The youth movement has begun, and Kris Ricer would love nothing more than to bring another Goncalves to the Wranglers with this pick. The Calgary faithful would be delighted alone with the fact that they just added a talented prospect that nearly scored 40 goals last season, but Catia Goncalves' relation to her fan favorite big brother makes this an absolute slam dunk of a selection. I think she'll need to wait until Season 91 to make her big league debut, but if her performance in the M is any indication, Goncalves is going to be a big problem for opposing blue liners in the future with her talent.
9
Moscow Menace
King Kisslinger @Kisslinger
C
TPE:
261
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
30
47
77
12
287
39
139
18
S89 Playoffs
10
1
5
6
4
32
2
11
4
The roster the Moscow Menace is sporting today is unrecognizable for anyone who followed them at all this past season. As soon as trading opened back up, General Manager Euron Leonidas opened the floodgates, initiating a complete rebuild for one of the most competitive teams of the last decade. All-Stars Clueless Wallob, Ronan Lavelle, Tomas Sogaard and Deron Nesbitt were all packaged to various teams around the VHL, meaning the Menace now has a clean slate in terms of what their needs are, heading into next season. For this reason, we see them going with one of the best players available at this point of the draft, King Kisslinger. The Mexico City King is an all-around strong center. He's probably not the best at any aspect of the game out of all of his fellow prospects, but there's also no clear weakness in his game.
10
Riga Reign
Jarmo Ruutu @jRuutu
C
TPE:
270
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
15
33
48
1
192
61
168
11
S89 Playoffs
10
4
3
7
2
39
12
24
3
The Riga Reign double down on centers by selecting Jarmo Ruutu with the 10th overall pick of this draft, only 3 picks after calling Xiver Zilla's number. Just like Zilla, Ruutu is an all-around great forward with little to no weakness, but apart from his knack for winning important faceoffs, there really isn't any one aspect from his game that separates him from the rest of the draft class. He defends well, possesses a decent shot and often finds the right pass to make progress in the offensive zone, he just doesn't perform any of these actions exceptionally. If we look at it from a different perspective, however, the Finnish forward already plays well for his age, he develops at a great pace, and there isn't any signs of a red flag in his playing style. The Reign get a great player that they will get to mold into what they are going to need the most in the next couple of seasons.
11
Seattle Bears
Severus Targaryen @Banackock
C
TPE:
288
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
35
48
83
33
304
56
106
16
S89 Playoffs
5
1
1
2
-2
14
0
8
1
The 8th best ranked player according to the VHL Central Scouting, Severus Targaryen, falls to the Seattle Bears thanks to close ties between Targaryen's agent and the team's front office. The Bears would probably be ecstatic if the situation developed this way, as it would mean they get to add one of the most promising offensive prospects of this class to their literally empty prospect pool. The Houston Bulls alumnus has taken both the roles of playmaker and sniper throughout the season, leading the team with 83 points. Among all prospects eligible for this VHL Draft, only Axle Gunner and Catia Goncalves have scored more points this past season. The Greenland native looks like he had all the tools to become a late first-round steal, and some teams could very well end up regretting that they passed up on such a natural offensive threat.
12
Moscow Menace
Martin Kemp @leafsman
LW
TPE:
264
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
34
33
67
32
294
58
189
3
S89 Playoffs
5
2
1
3
-2
19
10
13
0
The Moscow Menace add another solid forward prospect in Martin Kemp after blowing their whole roster wide open following a disappointing first round exit in the playoffs. The product of the Houston Bulls possibly has the best wrist shot in all of this draft class, evidenced by his 34 goals scored in his first complete VHLM season. He has also displayed on multiple occasions just how confident he is in his ability to carry the puck into the offensive zone and stick handle his way to a dangerous position. However, if he wants to be able to showoff his strengths on the biggest stage, he is going to need to work on his skating. His sub-par speed will make it hard for him to distance himself from defenders. He has at least another season before making the leap, so we are confident his pace will look a lot better when he does join the Menace.
13
New York Americans
Bruise Banner @ctots
C
TPE:
266
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
25
23
48
-23
237
58
128
18
S89 Playoffs
10
1
8
9
-8
27
7
21
3
At this point in the VHL draft, the Americans could go a few different ways. They could use the help on defense, they could use a goalie, and they will need a future replacement for Napoleon Dynamite. With the 13th pick, I think the Americans grab a fantastic prospect to help center the future of the New York Americans alongside Jesper Davis. Bruise Banner had a strong VHLM season with a stellar 25 goal season and has shown they are more than capable of maintaining a strong presence in the face-off circle. Along with providing the team with a good two way presence with hits and shots blocked, Banner will be a valuable selection for New York as a future 2nd line center. While arguements could be made that the team might go in a different direction here, I don't believe the New York Americans will be disappointed by selecting Banner.
14
Prague Phantoms
Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish @hylands
D
TPE:
241
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
17
39
56
24
172
54
135
105
S89 Playoffs
5
0
2
2
-2
9
6
5
7
Prague is entering a unique period where they are competing and yet looking to tool up for their future. They have many strong forwards and a solid prospect pool along with strong goaltending. However, their defense will need a new presence to continue competing, and what better way to solidify the future of their defensive core with a pick like Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish. They put up a very solid 56 points with Houston in the VHLM and ammased 135 hits along with 105 shots blocked. They proved themselves to be a force on the blue line and will only look to improve with time. Even though the playoffs weren't successful for Jebediah and Houston, Prague should consider themselves lucky to have him fall right into their lap with the 14th overall selection. I would be very surprised if Prague did not select Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish here at 14.
15
Warsaw Predators
WWWW... @rory
G
TPE:
266
Season
GP
W
L
OTL
SV%
GAA
SO
GA
SA
S89 Regular Season
2
0
0
0
0.867
4.09
0
4
30
S89 Playoffs
1
0
0
0
0.933
1.85
0
1
15
Warsaw will need to look to the future here. After selecting Axle Gunner at 5th overall, the team will need to alter their focus on other areas that need improvement on their roster. They will look to take advantage of a promising goaltender at 15th overall. WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW (and that will be the only time I type that name out) only played 2 games in the regular season posting less than amazing stats, but showed promise in the playoffs when he played for Houston. While he will need more time to develop, Warsaw will take advantage of the positional need and the prospect at hand to solidify their goaltending future. A goaltender with this type of potential only comes around once or twice in a draft, and it will be here that Warsaw elects to grab that type of goalie.
16
Helsinki Titans
Alexandre Crosby @hockeyis66
LW
TPE:
238
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
38
20
21
41
2
129
14
40
9
S89 Playoffs
6
4
6
10
-3
40
6
11
8
With the 16th pick in this draft, Helsinki will be grabbing the best prospect available after picking their future franchise defender at 1st overall. Helsinki is already in a prime spot to compete and has the added benefit of selecting multiple times in the first round. While this may be the last pick in the first round, it is in no way a detriment to the prospect selected here. Alexandre Crosby is a valuable piece to any franchise and put up an impressive 41 points in 38 games played with Miami. Even in the playoffs, they maintained their strong production without showing signs of slowing down. If their improvements continue along their already great pace, this could be a wonderful pick for the team's forward group. The future is bright for Helsinki, and that light will shine even brighter when Alexandre Crosby steps up to the stage and puts on a Titans jersey in the S90 VHL Draft.
2ND ROUND
17
Helsinki Titans
Tommy Sleeves @dasboot
D
TPE:
212
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
10
35
45
-13
122
100
178
136
S89 Playoffs
10
1
4
5
-7
12
24
38
18
18
New York Americans
Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage @Grape
D
TPE:
219
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
13
38
51
-27
157
75
149
139
S89 Playoffs
5
1
0
1
-2
12
10
11
6
19
Riga Reign
Conference Prince-de-Galles @UnkemptCL4PTP
D
TPE:
227
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
20
58
78
0
212
74
150
177
S89 Playoffs
10
2
8
10
-2
29
16
19
18
20
D.C. Dragons
Afonya Romanov @DontCallMeCarson
RW
TPE:
219
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
60
11
28
39
8
135
49
96
6
S89 Playoffs
15
4
7
11
6
48
2
24
1
21
Moscow Menace
Simons Worst Nightmare @zepheter
D
TPE:
209
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
11
59
70
31
188
70
155
121
S89 Playoffs
5
0
4
4
0
12
6
9
8
22
Seattle Bears
Jeid Rohnson @TopTiddee2
C
TPE:
187
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
24
40
64
-23
300
28
118
52
S89 Playoffs
5
0
2
2
-2
16
2
8
3
23
Helsinki Titans
Didier Verhault @FTK
D
TPE:
200
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
24
1
8
9
2
21
32
63
34
S89 Playoffs
10
0
3
3
-5
15
12
29
13
24
Prague Phantoms
Eric White Jr. @Mysterious_Fish
LW
TPE:
187
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
64
11
21
32
25
102
16
86
11
S89 Playoffs
15
2
4
6
4
25
0
24
4
25
D.C. Dragons
Eno Velvson @Nykonax
C
TPE:
185
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
22
46
68
29
328
48
102
22
S89 Playoffs
15
7
4
11
6
67
4
19
2
26
Calgary Wranglers
Sebastien Thunder @Matt thunder
LW
TPE:
177
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
45
11
16
27
-16
117
19
69
16
S89 Playoffs
6
2
0
2
-5
18
2
6
2
27
Riga Reign
Jorji Costova @Hybrid1486
LW
TPE:
176
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
39
39
78
-6
378
30
110
37
S89 Playoffs
5
0
0
0
0
3
2
2
0
28
Malmo Nighthawks
Joseph Dubois @Dubois
D
TPE:
180
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
64
114
33
47
26
121
62
126
74
S89 Playoffs
15
3
4
7
4
37
16
23
19
29
Seattle Bears
Oden Bell @WhiskyJack
C
TPE:
148
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
56
29
30
59
-1
239
48
92
35
S89 Playoffs
6
1
2
3
-8
27
2
12
2
30
Prague Phantoms
Liam Oinas @ojje
LW
TPE:
139
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
45
15
37
52
-4
157
30
63
19
S89 Playoffs
6
2
0
2
-8
14
0
5
3
31
Warsaw Predators
Barry McOckiner @LanerDUST
RW
TPE:
127
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
20
32
52
-32
216
44
151
32
32
Warsaw Predators
Aurora Skylight @Bedirhan
C
TPE:
205
Season
GP
G
A
P
(+/-)
SHT
PIM
HITS
SB
S89 Regular Season
72
29
44
73
0
318
46
124
23
S89 Playoffs
5
2
1
3
-1
16
0
6
1
The Rush franchise has seem to have found a new home in the JST; however, I made this as a farewell to the Rush from the VHLE. Will they be in a league again? I do hope so.
While Asia has not gotten off to the start we'd hoped, the team has fought extremely hard given the WJC regime leaders @Zetterberg @samx harsh system against Team Asia. Despite this, we fight hard to remain one of the strongest hockey teams in the world and will always represent Asia proudly. As management for Asia, we are happy to lead and hope to give the players involved with Asia the best experience possible. With that being said, @kirbithan has done an incredible amount of work behind the scenes to make up some trading cards for Team Asia. I was doing some up in Paint myself, but let's just say I'm really glad to of gotten the PM from Kirbi letting me know they had already started ahead of when I thought they'd be. Kirbi exceeded expectations but that's why I reached out to them!! Thank you so much for coming and being part of Team Asia 🙏
89 TEAM ASIA ROSTER
FORWARDS
Savaisk Tzear @comrade cat
[A] Toby Kadachi @ROOKIE745
Raimo Tuominen @SlapshotBear
Shubham Anand @Will3
Afonya Romanov @DontCallMeCarson
Maxim Anisimov @McLovin
Tullemore Dew @Spade18
Jarmo Ruutu @jRuutu
🤡 Catia Goncalves @cLoWn
DEFENSE
[A] Rin Kagamine @Rin
Joe Block @jblock3
Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage @Grape
Callum Gary Yannick Janser @Daniel Janser
GOALIES
Ryan Artyomov @Enorama
[C] WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW @rory
CONGRATS to those players who have been selected to play for Team Asia. You are a group made up of players from Asian nations and other parts of the world, who were eligible to be selected once every other team was complete. While we may not be as strong as some on paper, we're going to make up for it everywhere else during this World Junior Championship tournament. It's Season 90! 10 away from 100... This draft class is huge! Let's make this tournament and off-season and fun one.. and introduce Team Asia to the rest of the World Juniors.
Also, as you may have noted, please take a second moment to congratulate our 3-4 team Captains. In the sim, Rory will be represented by Tommy Sleeves!
CAPTAIN
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW @rory
ASSISTANT
Rin Kagamine @Rin
ASSISTANT
Toby Kadachi @ROOKIE745
If you haven't done so yet but wish to be part of the fun and activity, come join the World Juniors Discord!
https://discord.gg/VZXrVcEH
WHEREVER THE JST IS HOSTED - The Junior Showcase Tournament is a chance for VHL hopefuls to display what they have to offer to VHL teams. Raimo Tuominen had the honour of being chosen for Team Brigade. He has had slow production, which is a shame considering that he was probably expected to do more in the tournament. However, he is still playing his hardest and making small adjustments to his game as he goes along.
“I mean, I want to get better. Yeah, I’m here to showcase what I’ve got, which has proven to be very little so far,” he admitted with a sigh, “but I’m taking this opportunity playing against players my age to find my style. I’ve been trying to experiment with things. Stuff like changing the flex of my stick. I used to use a 75 flex but I feel like that it is getting too whippy for me now. I am trying out between 85 and 90. So far, I’m going towards 90; the stiffness has proven to be super helpful with my defensive play and helps with my puck control.”
Raimo Tuominen has also been working on his shot. It was advertised as one of his strong points, however, it seems to have been lacking this season and especially in this tournament. As of writing this, Raimo only has 2 goals in the entire tournament. Considering that before he joined the VHLM, scoring was considered one of his strengths, Raimo wants to return to his scoring ways.
“I’m getting shots off. I’m just not potting them. I probably had one of the worst shooting percentages in the VHLM. I need to be accurate with my shot as well as smart with my selection. I can’t get away with outspeeding and just blasting it here. I mean, I couldn’t do that all the time in Finland either but it seems to be even more true here.”
HOUSTON - A very frustrated Raimo Tuominen left the ice after the Bulls were eliminated in the first round. After a very solid regular season for the young winger, he and the rest of the team were hungry for more in the playoffs. Sadly, Ottawa would end up eliminating, which proved to be immensely disappointing for a team that mostly impressed in this campaign.
“I could have done way better.” Raimo answered when asked his initial thoughts. “I played my hardest but it wasn’t good enough. A goal and an assist in 5 games is a joke and I wasn’t exactly productive on the physical side of the game. This team was a great team and I wanted to win it with them.”
With the Junior Showcase Tournament currently happening and a busy offseason yet to come, Raimo had to recover quickly from the frustration he felt. While he is focusing on making the VHLE next, it is still a painful loss for him.
“All I can do now is move on and get ready but man, that was not the way I expected it to go. It’s hockey though, expectations are basically made to be broken in this sport. I’m still going to draw lessons from this though. My first season outside of Europe had some positives and negatives. Now I have to fight hard to return to Europe.”
1. I felt that it was a really fun season. The locker room was amazing and we were doing pretty well. Unfortunately, the fickle god known as Simon T did not bless us this playoff campaign. I'm going to continue developing Raimo as a two-way player; I just feel that he was too inconsistent for my liking.
2. I would have guessed around 200 but we surpassed it by quite a bit. Our offense was amazing. I do hope that I get to play alongside some teammates. The VHL is a small world so I'm not too worried.
3. Out of nowhere, Simon T just insisted on hating on us.
4. I think that it should be treated like any other award. Usually, awards are reflective of a person's ability and if the person has a ring, it shows their contribution to the success of their team. However, it should not be something that a player HAS to have.
5. I don't like to pick favourites but definitely Rookie745. This dude has been a great rival and teammate, so either way I know we'll have fun.
6. Thank you for the reunion AJ and thank you for being with us Triller. I think the team you guys built was excellent. It was an honour having such a fun season with you two. I do hope we get to be teammates in the future.
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SlapshotWrangler got a reaction from ROOKIE745 in Answer 3, Ask 3
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