leafsman

I had my dream vacation last season with my wife to unwind and get ready to move to new city in his home continent.   That trip was to Africa as I always wanted to go on safari.  I didn't know anything about Africa so I used an agency called rhino Africa which I would highly recommend.  You let them know what you want to see and give them a budget and they design a great vacation.  The journey began with a flight from Lisbon to Maputo Mozambique before catching a flight to Cape Town.  The city is very poor and while landing you could see that it's very much a developing country.  After a couple hours it was off to cape Town where the vacation begins.
 
Day 1.
We woke up after a crazy wind Storm where it sounded like the windows were gonna break at any moment.  Day one was a cape point tour.  The day was spent going to cape point which has beautiful views of the ocean and it's where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet.  The wind was still intense but it was beautiful. The next stop was to a place called Simon's Town to see a historic little town but the highlight is seeing the African penguins that live at a park in this small town.  Was great to see the little guys running around.  This was the last stop on the tour and it was back to the hotel for some rest and then dinner.
 
Day 2
We had planned to visit tabletop mountain but it was closed because the high winds still in the area.  We instead went down to explore the waterfront area where a nice lunch was consumed on the pier.  We then walked back to the hotel which is something you can only do during daylight in Cape town.  
 
Day 3
Today we went to the wine region of Cape town which is Stellenbosch.  We were driven to a couple different wineries where we got to do some wine tasting.  The wines were very delicious and we discovered some south African wines like a red in Pinotage and a white in Chenin Blanc.  I am not much of a white wine person but I enjoyed that one.  We had lunch at another winery where we sat on a patio high up in the hills with a great view of wine country.  The day ended being dropped off at our hotel.
 
Day 4
This was more of a relaxing day after some days of touring. Each hotel room had it's own little pool so we spent the day by relaxing by  the pool to get ready for the upcoming safari adventure
 
Day 5
Today is is an exciting one as we were off to the airport to fly to the game reserve.  The first leg of the journey was taking a flight to a small regional airport where we would board a tiny six seat plane that will take us to the safari lodge.  Its the first time in such a small plane and you can feel all the movements in it.  Our pilots told us that they are basically Uber of the skies as they go from air strip to airstrip picking up and dropping off passengers.  We were the third stop on the flight so we had many takeoffs and landings in the tiny plane.  Once we got to our airstrip we suddenly took off just before hitting the the ground as animal veered into the runway leaving our pilots pissed at the guy on the ground whose job it was to keep them away.  Once we finally landed we got on a safari vehicle that took us to the lodge where we checked into our lodge.  We had a couple hours until our first safari so we had lunch and relaxed.  At 430 we gethered in the lobby had a drink before setting of for Safari.  Going on safari is amazing and you never know what you will see.  We saw some elephants a rhino some warthogs that day.  At about sunset they park the range rover and we have a snack and a drink.  Once it gets dark it's back to the lodge for dinner.
 
Day 6
The day starts at about 4am as you wake up and get ready for the 430 safari departure.  The morning is the best chance to see things as it's cooler.  This morning we were able to see some lions on the hunt.  We were a decent amount away from the actual kill but we could see how they work together to take down the prey.  The guide said he can see them eating but it was hard for us to spot with the the binoculars.  Later on that same morning we were able to watch a leopard try to catch some prey.  It was just lying in wait and waiting for the prey to get closer so it could pounce on it. One got really close but then spotted the leopard and called out a warning.  The others still paid no attention thinking it was a false call but once another animal spotted the leopard they took off.  Those were the highlights of the morning and back to the lodge for lunch and to rest before the late afternoon safari.  The evening safari was another great one, we got to see some hyenas and their young babies.  Although the adults are ugly the babies are much better looking.  We also got to see lions having a drink at the pond after sundown.  The Lions are so used to the vehicles they don't feel threatened and come pretty close and was great to see them close up.  We then returned for a special dinner with our guide Harley and got to year some great stories.  Once dinner was over he escorted us back to our room as we always need someone to walk us to our room at night.

 
Day 7
Today is our final full day at the safari and it was another great one.  You might think it's all the same when going out to see the animals but the excitement is not knowing what you will find.  After our morning drive we had a safari on foot which ended with a breakfast in the bush.  We didn't see much while walking as the animals feel threatened by people outside the vehicles.  That said the guide has a rifle at the ready just in case .  In the afternoon drive, we got to see some cheetahs which are a very rare sight apparently.  Harley was so excited as it had been weeks since he last spotted some cheetahs.  We got to see a mother with her 2 Cubs just relaxing in the late day sun.  Our day ended with a barbecue dinner out in the bush where you can hear all the animals while eating.

 
Day 8
We were scheduled to depart for Zimbabwe in the afternoon but in the morning we got to have our final safari.  The highlight of the day was seeing some African wild dogs which are also a rare sight as there aren't too many of them left. Leaving the safari was kind of sad but we still had one more to go and we still had the Victoria falls devils pool to see. We arrived in Zimbabwe and had a late lunch at the hotel overlooking a nature reserve.  In the late afternoon we went on a river boat cruise which was great and the highlight was seeing a group of elephants in the river playing and crossing the river.  I didn't know that elephants enjoyed the water until seeing them in the river.

 
Day 9
Today we are going to devils pool at Victoria falls.  Victoria falls across the border from Zimbabwe in Zambia and is one of the largest waterfalls in th world.  At first I was a little hesitant about doing it but I was glad that we did it, after all if a hunch of seniors in the promotional video can do it, so can I. You start by walking over a bunch of rocks until you get the part of the falls called the devils pool.  The water was warm and calm and you approach the waiting area for your turn to go to the edge of the falls. We were the first pair to go and the guide brought us towards the edge and said to make sure you stay away from a certain point as it's very dangerous.  We then approach the falls and look down to amazing site.  It feels like you are at the edge of the world and when you look down you can see a double rainbow created by the falls.  As we are doing this one of the guides is taking pictures and filming us and they are like mountain goats in how they can navigate those slippery steep rocks.  When we got out of the water we walked to another point along the falls where you get both a great view of how large the falls are as well as seeing people at the spot where we just came from and it looks crazy.  We then made it back to Zimbabwe for lunch to spend the afternoon by the pool.  For dinner went to a buffet and drum show where they perform traditional dances and music while they eat.  There is an interactive part of the show where they teach you how to play a song and it showed me why I am a hockey player and not a musician.
 
Day 10
Today we departed for Botswana for our final safari of the Trip.  This safari was different from the south African safari as it was a more open grassland instead of the bushland in South African. Here we saw much larger groups of elephants and giraffes.  We also got to see a large group of baboons with a lot of youngsters in it.  It was fun to watch them play and get up to mischief.  We saw many of the same animals as in South Africa but was great to see them in a different type of landscape.
 
Day 11
The highlight of today was a river cruise.  We were on the boat with just one other couple so it was almost like a private tour.  Being on the water you can see a much of aquatic birds plus some crocodiles.  There was one point where a group of the Crocs was feasting on an elephant carcass. In Africa nothing goes to waste, some kind of animal will devour everything some bones.  It was fascinating to see how the Crocs eat by hitting and twisting off a piece.  As we were coasting down the river our engine malfunctioned so we were just drifting along the river for a while as the guide called for help.  Eventually help came and they got the engine to work again and we finished the trip.
 
Day 12
Today was the final day of the safari.  Today we got to see some lions resting and drinking by the river.  Unfortunately between this safari and the one in South Africa we were unable to see any fully grown males but just a couple     adolescents with partially grown manes.  The highlight of the day was after dinner while video chatting with family back home w group of elephants came to our pool for a drink.  We were in the middle of the call when we hear a loud noise and look outside and see a family of elephants having a drink.  There were both young and old elephants drinking making alot of noise.  It was crazy to look out the sliding door and seeing a giant elephants ass.  When we woke up the best morning we discover they drank the whole pool although it's a tiny one where basically enough room for two people to sit or stand in.
 

 
Day 13
The day was spend traveling to Johannesburg our final stop on the trip.  We got there late in the day and after the safaris we had a meal at the hotel and had an early night.
 
Day 14
This was our final day of the trip.  The day was spent going to the cradle of mankind which is a cave where many early human beings were discovered fully preserved in the tarpits in the area.  We want into a cave where some of these remains were discovered.  At one point deep in the cave they turned off the lights so you can experience what total darkness is like.  There no light down there and you could see your hand in front of your face.  The last stop on the tour was to the apartheid museum which was sad to see how brutal humans can be to one another.  After the museum it was off to the airport for the long flight back home to Europe.  It was the trip of a lifetime and will be in our memories forever.
 
 
Based on my real  life trip.  If you ever want to go on safari one day when this pandemic is over, look up Rhino Africa as they put together a trip of a lifetime for us.
 
2176 words. 4 week claim. 
 
2/14
2/21
2/28
3/7
 
 

"Charlie Stralheim with WKSN. Word around the league has been how your play has taken a step back from previous levels. Any comments on that?"
 
"Well you know I can start by putting in good effort on the blue line more and play a disciplined game. Focus on the simple stuff. A little frustrated but our team has a great group of guys here that keep us all competitive and focused. Just gotta get pucks deep, get pucks in the net, and win some hockey games."
 
To that end, Victor Grachev gave a nod and the reporter moved on. Most of the locker room attention was on the stars of Warsaw, Victor only saw a reporter or two every game. The life of a defensive defenseman. He had regressed in terms of points slowly in his 3rd VHL season, but it was mainly due to a rise in offensive power from his teammates @dlamb, @dasboot, and @leafsman. As Victor sat back down to undo his shin pads, activity in the locker room began to die down after most of the interviews were nearing completion. Silently, Victor put away his gear and slipped into his suit, walking out to the team bus waiting to take the team back to the hotel.
 
Once the rest of the team hopped onto the bus, Victor plugged in his headphones and tuned in to his music, watching the lights of Helsinki go by. Lost in a wave of audio therapy, Victor hardly noticed when the bus came to a stop in front of the hotel. He shuffled out with the rest of his team into the lobby and packed into the elevator leading up to the 4th floor. Once there, he turned left down the hall to room 423 with his roommate @jacobcarson877. The door opened and the two of them walked in.

"Tough loss tonight," Carson said. Victor said nothing as he took off his suit jacket. He silently stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.  "You good Grach?"
 
"I need a vacation," Victor said from within the bathroom. The toilet flushed, the sink ran, and the door opened. "You know? Just like a break or something. Take a step away from all this for just a little bit."
 
"Well, we have a game in Riga in 2 days, plus a practice tomorrow in Riga after our flight lands. Not sure how much time you'll get to spend doing a vacation of sorts," Carson stated.
 
"You know how many times I've practiced our breakouts? How many times I've worked on the PK and PP?" Victor said as he sat on his bed. "Over and over and over and over. I got it, I'm good." Nothing was said for a few minutes. Carson flipped on the tv to try and create some sort of noise in the room to block out the quiet. A couple more minutes passed; Carson glanced over at Victor to find him smiling.
 
"Dude why are you sitting over there with the goofiest grin on your face?" Carson exclaimed.
 
"Because I have an idea," Victor said. He glanced back at Carson.
 
"What are you going to do?" Carson seemed worried.
 
"The question isn't 'what are you going to do', the question is 'what aren't we going to do'." With that, Carson gulped.

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Nothing was amiss as the team boarded the jet to fly to Riga. Everyone was accounted for, including Victor and Carson. The plane lifted off and the flight attendants began to pass out drinks and snacks.

"Excuse me!" Victor held up a hand to the stewardess. She politely walked over while Carson shot a glance over at Victor. "You know, I've always wanted to see the cockpit of one of these jets. Would you happen to know if the Captain would be willing to have visitors?"
 
"I'll go check for you," the stewardess smiled and walked up to the front. Victor smiled at Carson only to be met with a concerned look. A few short moments later, the stewardess waved to Victor to come up. He stood and walked past his teammates with his backpack up to the cockpit.
 

 
"Who knew Victor Grachev liked planes!" The co-pilot exclaimed as the door behind Victor closed. The Captain turned and smiled at Victor before turning back to his instruments.

"What can I say, sure would love to own a small plane and fly in my spare time," Victor said, scanning the cockpit.
 
"Have you ever seen a cockpit this size before?" The Captain asked.

"No not at all," Victor said.
 
"Well maybe your familiar with few things, but for starters this baby requires a lot of prep to get things running. It has a goofy...." Victor tuned him out and continued his scan around the cockpit. He knew that if his plan was going to work he had only a short time to pull this off. Pretending to be really interested, he looked behind the co-pilot and saw exactly what he was looking for: The pilot's jacket. He had taken it off before flying today.
 
"Any questions?" The Captain asked.

Quickly, Victor responded. "Not with that part of the pre flight, but what about communicating with the air towers? There's protocols you guys follow right?"

"Sure there are!" The Captain beckoned to the co-pilot, pointing to a binder. As the co-pilot pulled out the binder and the Captain began to explain call signs and procedures for taxiing, Victor slowly opened his backpack and slid the jacket in. No one was the wiser.

"And that's if they are nice and decide to actually let you taxi out when you are supposed to," the Captain said with a laugh. Victor laughed with the two of them.
 
"Well this has been really great and I appreciate you taking the time to show me all of this!" Victor said with a smile heading to the door.

"Not a problem, thank you for your interest!" The Captain said. Victor opened the door and stepped through. Making his way back to his seat, his gaze met Carson's only to see the worry on his roommates face.

"Please tell me you had an epiphany as to how bad of an idea this is." Carson said pleadingly.
 
"No way, I got it!" Victor said, opening the backpack a little to reveal the pilot's jacket.
 
"Damn it Victor you are really going to screw us!"

"Relax! He's going to be in the same hotel as us, he's our pilot. It's not like he's going to go fly other planes while we are in Riga." Victor sat back triumphantly. Phase 1 of his "vacation" was complete.
 
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The plane landed in Riga without any trouble, and the team found itself checking into the new hotel merely hours before practice. Victor and Carson checked in and hopped into the elevator up. But once the elevator got up to their floor, the two of them briskly walked to their room. Once inside, Victor quickly threw off his shirt and began to button up a white dress shirt.

"Again, Victor, this is a terrible idea," Carson said.

"Maybe, maybe not if it works," Victor said slipping into the pilot's jacket.
 
"You're damn lucky it fits," Carson stated.
 
"Next step. Grab all of the toilet paper and put it in our bags." Victor mentioned as he quickly opened the cabinet doors below the sink and pulled out multiple rolls of toilet paper. Carson hesitated, but then slowly put a few rolls in his own bag. Victor then put on his winter jacket over the pilot's jacket.
 
Without a word, the two of them headed back to the lobby and boarded the team bus headed for Riga's stadium to practice. As the bus trudged along, Victor looked at Carson. Carson was staring straight ahead, almost grimacing. Victor smiled, then coughed. He coughed again, louder. Then LOUDER. Teammates began to turn heads. Victor leaned back in his chair and held his nose with his fingers.

"You alright Grachev?" @Renomitsu  said from their seat in front of Victor.

"No, god, I think I caught something," Victor said, then "sneezed" loudly.

"Jesus Victor, you good?" @.sniffuM questioned. "I can't have you getting anyone else sick."
 
"I hope not, I just have mucus piling out of my nose," Victor said still holding it with his finger.

"Take practice off and watch from the stands. I need you healthy and rested for tomorrow's game," .sniffuM said. He glanced at Carson, noticing how white his face was. "And what's with you Carson?"
 
"He's got the shits. Like really bad. Look in his bag," Victor said. @diamond_ace , being the closest to Carson's bag, unzipped it. "Jesus it's just all toilet paper from the hotel!" A few groans from the bus emanated around the two players in question.
 
"That also stays up in the stands near a bathroom. Jesus...." .sniffuM said. Victor could only grin internally to hide his true plan. Phase 2 of his "vacation" was working.
 

 
Once the bus pulled up to the arena, all of the Warsaw Predators gave Victor and Carson a WIDE berth. The two of them heading in and into an elevator up to the nose bleeds. Once there, they took their bags and emptied all of the toiler paper. Victor took off his winter jacket as well as his beanie and opened the jacket on a seat in section 315. Stacking toilet paper in the jacket, he zipped it up, put his beanie on the top roll, and placed a pair of sunglasses around the roll. Comical, but from this high no one could tell the difference from the ice. Carson finished setting up his own toilet paper man, and the two of them slipped out of the section and headed to an elevator near the back of the arena.
 
The first hick-up occurred. Once outside of the arena, the two of them stood by the street alone.

"Victor, do we have any sort of...oh I can't remember what they call them, they are only used by the elite.....ah, yes....CAR??" Carson exclaimed.

"Uhhh....no. But, I could call a cab..." Victor trailed off as he pulled out his phone. To his surprise, a cab came in only a few short minutes. The two of them climbed in.

"Funny to find a pilot out here by the arena!" The man said. "Where to?"

"The airport," Victor said sheepishly.

"Of course!" The man laughed and began to drive away from the arena. That's when Carson looked down and saw a Warsaw Predators logo on the cab driver's coffee mug. And a Warsaw Predators steering wheel cover. And a Warsaw Predators review mirror ornament. And two Warsaw Predators floor mats under their feet in the back seat. Victor felt an elbow in his side from Carson, only to have Carson point down to the floor. Victor's face went white when he saw all of the Predators stuff.
 
"You guys excited for the game tomorrow?" The cab driver said.

"Uh, yeah. Big fans." Victor said. The cab driver glanced at them through the review mirror and looked back at the road. Then glanced at them again.

"You know, has anyone told you that you look exactly like Victor Grachev? Like, EXACTLY like him?" Shit.
 
"Actually he's my...twin. Brother. Yep, not many people know that," Victor stumbled through his excuse.
 
"Well that's something, I never knew!" The cab driver said.

"Yeah we try to keep it a secret, I hate the uh... publicity, you know? I like the quiet life," Victor said.
 
"Hey I'll keep your secret, no worries here. But it's great to meet you. Closest I'll get to meeting someone from the Preds," the driver said. Both Victor and Carson clenched their teeth. Thank goodness the airport came into view. The two of them paid in cash and walked VERY quickly into the airport.
 
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The two players headed through the airport over to security. Of course, the next hick-up occurred when Carson spoke up.
 
"Victor, how are we supposed to get through security with no boarding passes for today?"
 
Victor was silent. This was going to be a very short trip to the airport. He hadn't even thought about this part! How the hell were they going to get through to-

"Excuse me! Gentlemen!" A women in an airline uniform waved to Victor and Carson. "Pilot's come through this way." Victor's mouth dropped, as did Carson's. Without a word they walked over to where the lady was pulling aside a connector to let them through. "Pilot security is up through here. You must not fly through Riga much."

"No ma'am, first time," Victor said. "Thank you." They walked quickly up through to the separate security station, now sweating incredibly. The pathway led straight to a man sitting at a desk.
 
"Hey guys, where you flying to?" He said with his hand stretched out towards Victor and Carson. The two players froze. The man quizzically looked at them, expecting some sort of ID or anything. A few uncomfortable seconds passed. Carson then suddenly spoke up.
 
"Look. I got a bad case of the shits. I soiled my uniform and my bag, which had both of our IDs in it. I'm wearing another man's clothes, trying to get back to Helsinki and earn what little money I can to make it through the day. You either let me through or so help me this floor will look like a mud slide of grand proportions. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
 
The man gulped, quickly waving the players through. "Jesus, get them through he has got to GO!!" They quickly pulled out their phones and walked through the checkpoint. Cleared almost immediately, the two of them practically ran towards the back of the airport. Victor could hardly keep from laughing.
 
Once out of sight, Victor burst into tears. Wheezing, Victor could hardly stand up straight. Carson finally gave a smile, and began to laugh himself. The two of them strode laughing up to a desk next to two glass doors leading to the private lounge for Victor's pilot jacket airline. "Good morning sirs," a women said, beginning to stretch out her hand for their IDs. Victor and Carson kept walking, laughing hysterically, as the doors opened and let them through. The woman was frozen, not sure what to make of the two of them. For whatever reason, she decided this was already too much for a Monday and went back to her work.
 

 
Inside was a beautiful lounge with a bar and private food selection. Soft music played through the air. The two players sat in chairs facing the windows. A server approached them quickly. "Drinks gentlemen?" He asked.

"Oh why not, my plane doesn't leave until tomorrow," Victor said. The server brought the two men champagne, to which a toast was given between Victor and Carson.
 
"Damn it Victor, this may have worked," Carson said.

"Life moves pretty fast Carson. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it," Victor said sipping on his champagne. The two of them drank merrily and ate an assortment of food the entire morning, watching the planes take off and simply enjoying the relaxation.
 
Until Victor's phone rang. It was .sniffuM. He answered in his best sick voice. "Hello?"

"Grachev! Where are you! Practice is over and you're not in the stands!" SHIT SHIT SHIT.
 
"I....um....Carson and I went back to the hotel, he um......flooded a toilet and we just wanted to go back and....clean up."

"Jesus Christ stop don't tell me any more. The team is heading back to go over some game film. If you're cleaned up, you need to be there."

"Understand, we will be there." Victor hung up. "Carson, time to go."
 
"Yep, figured as much." The two of them stood up and headed for the door.

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"Did our toilet paper men fall over?? I don't understand..." Victor thought aimlessly as the two of them exited the airport. Carson headed over and flagged a cab, to which one promptly drove forward for them. They entered.

"What happened to your plane?" The cab driver said. More specifically, the same cab driver from before said.
 
"Uhhh we forgot something at the hotel," Victor said.

"IDs. Can't get anywhere without them," Carson said.
 
"Geez that's unfortunate, I'll be quick!" The driver said and sped off. A few short moments of silence entailed as the driver sped through traffic. "You know, I looked up Victor Grachev on wikipedia. It never said he had a brother and all..." the cab driver tailed off.
 
"We do a really good job of keeping him-ME. Out of the spotlight," Victor nearly slipped. The cab driver shrugged.

"Well still, if you really are, can I give you something for him to sign? I'm a huge fan of the Predators," the driver handed back a picture of him and what looked like his daughter. "My daughter plays hockey, she's a big fan too."
 
Victor smiled. "I think I can get him to sign this, I'll have him meet you after the game to give it to you." The cab driver broke out in the biggest grin.
 
Soon the cab pulled up to the front of the hotel. Except the team bus was still unloading the Predators from practice.
 
"Here you go fellas! Need me to stick around to take you back?"

"No we're good," Carson said quickly.
 
"Yeah it might take us awhile to find our IDs, I'd hate to keep you held up," Victor said.

"Nonsense! I can wait!" The cab driver said. Victor grimaced. He opened his wallet and pulled out way more cash than what was needed for the ride.
 
"Look, take this. I'm telling you we may be a long while, and I don't want to keep you. Why not go get yourself some lunch?"
 
The driver's eyes opened wide. "...OK I'll go get lunch, wow, thank you!" The two players stepped out of the car, holding their jackets in front of their faces slightly as the last of the Warsaw Predators stepped off of the bus. They followed behind them from a distance.
 

 
"Boys!"

Victor and Carson froze. The voice came from the team bus. The driver was standing in front of it near the luggage compartments. He slowly opened it, revealing the remains of the toilet paper men. Victor and Carson looked down and then back at the driver. The driver only held a finger up to his lips and tossed Victor and Carson's winter jacket and beanies back to them. Stunned, the two players turned and headed back to the hotel, still keeping their distance from the team. As they entered, they passed a loudly speaking .sniffuM.

"I have no idea where they are, they aren't in their room. Did we check all of the bathrooms?? How many are there in this building??" Victor and Carson quickly walked passed him hiding their faces still to the back of the lobby. Around the corner, there was a small lost and found. Victor approached it and quickly took off the pilot's jacket, placing it down on top of the other clothing items. The two players then quickly headed back to the elevator where, thankfully, there was no one else.

"We need to get to either a bathroom or someone else's room immediately. The team is looking for us," Victor said, hitting the floor 3 button. "Who is staying on floor 3?"
 
"Uhhhhhh I think @Hooperorama is with @Crstats23," Carson said.

"Perfect." Victor stated and put his beanie back on. The elevator doors opened to the 3rd floor, and the two of them rounded the corner. Then ran right back in. @AW13 was headed straight towards them down the hall. Victor hit the close doors button repeatedly until the doors slid shut, merely seconds before Lexi walked up to it. The two players could here her hit the elevator call button on the other side. The doors began to slide open. Victor pressed the close doors button extremely quickly, forcing the doors to shut. Lexi tried again, Victor closed them again. Frustrated, Lexi let out a groan and headed for the stairs. Waiting a few seconds, Victor opened the elevator doors. No one was around.

"God damn it...." Carson muttered, and the two of them headed towards room 305. Victor knocked quickly. One look at Carson told Carson exactly what needed to happen. Krishna opened the door. "Hey we've-" Carson strode past him. "TOILET," Victor followed behind. "Do you have toilet paper?? How much??? We blew through two bathrooms already, this hotel does NOT give enough TP!" Carson slammed the bathroom door behind him.
 
"Shit guys, is he ok?" Krishna asked. Flatulence - of course fake to Carson and Victor's knowledge - echoed in the bathroom for a good few seconds. "No that didn't sound ok," Krishna answered his own question.
 
"I'll call .sniffuM and let him know where we are," Victor said. While on the phone, Carson spun nearly a full roll of toilet paper into the toilet and flushed it, using the plunger to both sound like an absolute load was dropped and clear the toilet paper from the toilet. He washed his hands, and emerged from the bathroom to the sickened face of Krishna.
 
"I think....I think I'm good," Carson said as Victor hung up the phone.
 
"I'll say, that was a lot of shit we went through," Victor said with a slight smile.
 
And with that, Victor and Carson rejoined the team to watch game film. Interestingly enough, not a single person sat within 10 feet of Carson and Victor after the events that transpired. Victor smiled. That was just the "vacation" he needed to get back into the swing of things.
 
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Word count: 3,675 words.
 
Using for PT weeks: Feb 8-14, Feb 15-21, Feb 22-28, Mar 1-7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Victor Grachev stepped out of the bathroom in his room dressed in a t-shirt and a robe, having taken a shower after a long day of game film and preparing for the game against Riga tomorrow. Cautiously, he looked out towards you as you sat reading this exciting story.

 
"You're still here?"
 
...

"It's over."
 
...
 
"Go home."
 
...
 
"Go!"

 

Old habits die hard I see 

Uhtred had a dream return to Seattle with a firs star performance with 2 goals and an assist against his former team including the game winning goal.  Although Uhtred left on good terms it still must feel great to have that type of performance against his former teammates.  It sure took Uhtred awhile to get going but he eventually caught fire in the third period scoring the three points in a span of  2 minutes and 17 seconds after going pointless in the first 2 frames.  Uhtred scored the eventual game winning goal at 7:34 of the final frame as he deflected a Muffbeav shot after being crushed by former linemate Timothy Brown moments before.  Uhtred second goal of the night came just a minute later as he buried a beautify saucer pass from Latrell Mitchel into the top corner. Uhtreds third and final point of the night was the reverse of the previous goal.  Uhtred assisted Latrell Mitchell  powerplay goal where who picked up his own shot that missed the net but luckily bounced right back to him and he put it in the back of the net,  The goal gave the predators a 6-3 lead which would be the final goal of the night.

Uhtred is excited to be playing in Warsaw but he would have been happy to be a Bear for his whole career. With the Bears in a retooling mode they decided to trade away Uhtred and in doing so give him a shot at his third cup. Uhtred had a dream debut for the Predators scoring a hat trick to go along with an assist in an 8-2 Thrashing of the Prague Phantoms. “ I loved my time as a Bear and would love to have stayed there my whole career but I understand that the Bears need to do whats best for the team. I am so happy to be playing here in Warsaw, its great to be back home in Europe after spending my whole VHL career in North America. We have a great group of guys here and I think we have a great chance at winning the cup this season” 
 
 Uhtred is looking to bounce back after having a significant drop in production last season. Last season, Uhtred had 7 less goals and 8 less assists than the prior season. At the tail end of last season Uhtred was flirting with a career point per game but was unable to reach that elusive mark. With the 4 point outburst in game one of the season Uhtred is now sitting at exactly a point per game in his career of 361 games.  
 

1. Now that the offseason has finally ended, which team(s) do you most look forward to playing against?
Seattle Beats, always look forward to playing and beating your former team.
 
2. What are your goals for this season?
To hit 100 points like a couple seasons ago, want to have a career point per game and my third cup.
 
3. Having started 4-0-0 for a second consecutive season, what has been the main factor behind our strong start?
Our offense has been firing and we have even scored some on the PK.  Uhtred has his first shorties of his career
 
4. What was your favorite sports story of 2020?
The Bills winning the division.  Its always been tough to be a Bills fan but its great to finally win some playoff games.  Hope they can bet Mahommes this weekend.
 
7. Chocolate or other sweets?
I'll go with chocolate and favourite is kit kat or coffeee crisp which I dont think is sold in the US.
 
8. What is your favorite kind of bread?
I love a good focaccia 
 

S76 WARSAW PREDATORS TEAM CAPTAINS
 
Last season saw Warsaw rise to the level of the VHL’s top teams, finishing with a team-record 89 points and a franchise-first playoff berth. With this in mind, we would be remiss to make any changes to the three young leaders that took charge in our rise in S75.
 
 
As such please join me in congratulating the player who will wear the C patch for a second straight season, and make it three straight with a captaincy role in general:
 
 
C - Dakota Lamb
 
@dlamb
 
Dakota Lamb set a very strong example in his inaugural season bearing the captain’s patch, and the team thrived with his leadership all the way to the second seed in the European Conference playoffs. We’re incredibly excited to have him back where he belongs, and I look forward to seeing him lead us in our transition from playoff contender to cup contender!
 
 
And next up, returning for her third consecutive year as an alternate captain, we have:
 
 
A - Aloe Dear
 
 @Renomitsu
 
Aloe Dear has continued to provide a steady hand for Warsaw and played a big part in our jump in performance last season. Now entering her third season playing on Warsaw’s first line, she will continue to make a big impact on our squad as an alternate captain!
 
 
Lastly, also returning to the alternate captain role, in this case for their second consecutive season, we have:
 
 
A - Victor Grachev
 
 @KaleebtheMighty
 
Also joining the team in our first draft in Season 73, Grachev has continued to be an exemplary leader both on and off the ice. We’re very excited to have been able to lock up Grachev long term, and we look forward to seeing how he performs in his second season as an alternate captain for us!
 
 
Congrats to our three captains, I know you’ll do a great job leading us through this season!
 

Uhtred is excited to be playing in Warsaw but he would have been happy to be a Bear for his whole career. With the Bears in a retooling mode they decided to trade away Uhtred and in doing so give him a shot at his third cup. Uhtred had a dream debut for the Predators scoring a hat trick to go along with an assist in an 8-2 Thrashing of the Prague Phantoms. “ I loved my time as a Bear and would love to have stayed there my whole career but I understand that the Bears need to do whats best for the team. I am so happy to be playing here in Warsaw, its great to be back home in Europe after spending my whole VHL career in North America. We have a great group of guys here and I think we have a great chance at winning the cup this season” 
 
 Uhtred is looking to bounce back after having a significant drop in production last season. Last season, Uhtred had 7 less goals and 8 less assists than the prior season. At the tail end of last season Uhtred was flirting with a career point per game but was unable to reach that elusive mark. With the 4 point outburst in game one of the season Uhtred is now sitting at exactly a point per game in his career of 361 games.  
 

Let's start with a nice honest preamble – it sucks to compete against a dynasty in the VHL. I've been on both ends of the divide in my time in the league but from S68 to S73 there was one clear dominant team and that wasn't mine. Like many others, appreciation for the 'Class of '67' Seattle Bears came fairly late for me which is the case with any dynasty – you hate playing against them and then you look back and think, damn, they were pretty good weren't they. That said, I've never hated the Bears, I've always been perplexed by them more than anything. I remember in S70, with the Bears coming off back-to-back championships but Moscow being the odds-on favourites for the Continental Cup, I was really hoping they would get knocked out by someone in the North American Conference because there was just something about this recent Seattle team which meant you didn't want to face them in a best-of-seven playoff series. Fortunately, the underdog team from Calgary obliged and knocked the Bears out, allowing the Menace to win the cup – one of two the Bears didn't win in an incredible 6-season span.
 
Given my and many others' confusion about Seattle's success and the fact the dynasty in its old shape has clearly ended, what better way to address than to dedicate a whole article to looking at the various aspects of the recent version of the Seattle Bears? It also helps of course that this was requested as part of the Christmas charity auction but I will probably be revisiting the Bears in a future dynasty comparison regardless – spoiler alert: they'll be pretty high up. But this is not about where they rank and it's certainly not about me; let's move onto the main event! And where else to start than the S67 draft...
 
 THE CORE
From a historian perspective, the way the Bears' core formed has always fascinated me. I love it when a VHL GM builds a recognisable core that you can use as the starting point of any analysis. It doesn't necessarily have to come from one draft but that helps and in this case it very clearly did.
 
When GM Blake Campbell broke up the S65 Victory Cup winners, a regular season juggernaut featuring 3 future Hall of Famers in Matt Thompson, Sebastian Ironside, and Maxim Kovalchuk which contrived to consistently get knocked out in the first round, he embarked on the fourth rebuild of his illustrious GM career. Campbell had built two strong regular season teams (S52-S53 and S64-S65 Victory Cup winners) who couldn't quite rise to the occasion in the playoffs and one team led by Gabriel McAllister which very much did rise to the occasion in an undedog championship in S59. What he lacked was truly memorable team which would leave a lasting impression on the VHL public but this was also the first time he really had the assets for a good old school VHL firesale. The sales that off-season for themselves:
 
To Calgary, Davos, and New York
Maxim Kovalchuk, Sebastian Ironside, Veran Dragomir, Vyacheslav Smirnov, Piotr Jerwa, and the free agent rights of Matt Thompson (he would sign in Helsinki)
 
To Seattle
S66 CGY 1st (Shane Mars)
S67 SEA 1st (Rayz Funk)
S67 NYA 1st (Hulk Hogan)
S67 CGY 1st (Acyd Burn)
S67 DAV 2nd (Henrik Zoiderberg)
S67 CGY 2nd (Berocka Sundqvist)
S67 HSK 2nd (Kefka Palazzo)
 
Even if you don't recognise the names listed above, here's everything you need to know about how the trades went: Calgary, Davos, and New York won a combined 2 playoff series in the next 3 seasons (Seattle won the cup in the 3rd) and all of their GMs at the time were later fired.
 
A draft day deal also secured Campbell the pick used on Scott Greene. With 7 picks in the top 20 in S67, he only drafted one bust (11th overall Boone Jenton) but made up by picking up the underrated Kevin Low in the 4th round. With GM player Ambrose Stark joining Seattle directly under the old GM player rules, the famous S67 core was born:
 
Burn – Greene – Zoiderberg
Sundqvist
 
Hogan – Stark
Low
 
Funk
 
In S69, Low was essentially swapped directly for Guy LeGrande. Stark would end up moving up front and Sundqvist to defence, positions in which they became more famous. Greene, Stark, and Funk would spent 7 seasons in Seattle, retiring or leaving after their fourth cup in S73. Hogan and Sundqvist would make it all the way through to S74, with Hogan spending all 8 seasons with Seattle and making the S75 HOF ballot alongside Funk. While Funk is the most famous member of the core for his playoff heroics and VHL record 4 playoff MVP trophies, Stark, Hogan, and Sundqvist won individual trophies and along with Greene gained recognition in the regular season too with several All-VHL Team appearances. That would come in the 70s and latter halves of the S67s' careers though – team success came first...
 
 SEASON 68 – THE FORTUNATE ONE 
Although the potential of the class of 67 was not up for debate, no one, probably not even Seattle management, expected things to click so quickly. GM Campbell went back to the Calgary well between S67 and S68 and managed to steal back Kovalchuk and the extremely promising John Frostbeard for veteran Joel Ylonen – who the Bears would then also get back on the cheap when they realised the opportunity to strike in the weak North American Conference. That opportunity arose in part because of the Wranglers' flip-flopping between retool and contention, as well Vancouver and Toronto, the S67 Continental and Victory Cup winners respectively, losing several key pieces and declining in S68. The Bears comfortably won the conference with 91 points, a total which would have only seen them scrape 4th place in Europe.
 
Every dynasty needs a bit of luck to become one and winning a cup ahead of schedule usually helps – the Toronto threepeat did it, as did the Helsinki back-to-back champions who preceded it, and many of the teams from Davos' glory days. Although only one Bear (Acyd Burn) scored more than 72 points in S68, no one held the team back and they had a steady hand in Funk to guide them in net. With the added experience of Kovalchuk, Ylonen, and two-time cup winner Shawn Glade (acquired on the cheap from Davos who appeared to be in competition with Calgary for who could assist Seattle the most), there were no gaping holes in the squad and also lots of depth, as well as an easy path to the finals.
 
Disaster almost struck early on in the playoffs as a Toronto team of journeymen and inactives took 2 of the first 4 games of their first-round series. The Bears adapted and wouldn't lose another game all playoffs. And while no one stood out from the skaters – 10 players got between 10 and 18 points in the postseason – sophomore Funk turned up the style. He conceded only 2 goals on 84 shots in a comprehensive sweep of the Wranglers in the conference finals and then more than held his own against Matt Thompson and the Malmo Nighthawks, a fellow surprise package in the finals. With 10 wins in a row, Funk claimed his first Kanou Trophy and Seattle the first of many cups.
 
 SEASON 69 – CONSOLIDATING POWER 
Debate raged on in the league as to whether the Bears were the real deal or a one hit wonder, but after their playoff dominance in S68 no one doubted two things – Funk was here to stay and Seattle was at the very least in the cup contender conversation. In the off-season some fat was trimmed while the S67 core developed, Shawn Glade retired and Calgary provided the replacement yet again in veteran Leph Twinger. The real eye-catching acquisition was star forward Dan Wilinsky however, a forward in his prime and a mainstay in the Scott Boulet Trophy conversation for several seasons – a bit of stardust that wasn't there in the young and hungry team of S68.
 
The Bears still didn't quite catch fire in the regular season, finishing second in North America behind the offensive powerhouse in Vancouver. This time only Wilinsky exceeded the point-per-game mark, although scoring was rapidly going down in the league and Funk registered what would prove to be the best regular season of his career. The team's depth was also terrifying – Zoiderberg and LeGrande, the 7th forward and 5th defenceman on the depth chart, would walk into the top line of just about any rival in the league. Affordable rookie contracts and hyper-active young players had resulted in a team brimming with talent which could roll over opponents in a way that arguably still hasn't been recreated in the VHL.
 
Despite this, there was no 10-game winning streak in these playoffs. New York took Seattle to Game 7 which was won by a Wilinsky goal in overtime, while Vancouver and Riga each required 6 games to dispatch. The youth stepped up as Frostbeard led the team with 19 points, followed closely by Greene on 17, while Funk took some time to find his S68 form, ultimately putting together his weakest Kanou win with a .924 save percentage. He did deliver when it mattered though, stopping 94% of the shots fired at him by the high-flying Reign in the finals, considered by many to be the cup favourites, and outdueling Kallis Kriketers who up to then had put together one of the greatest goaltending seasons in living memory. After getting ahead in Game 5, the Bears ran out to a 4-0 lead by the end of the first period of Game 6 and hang on to a 4-3 win – the repeat was complete.
 
 SEASON 71 – RETOOLING ON THE FLY 
S70 was largely a forgettable season for the Bears, as the salary cap started to make an impact and GM Campbell had to part ways with some beloved veterans like Ylonen, Wilinsky, and Frostbeard. Although the S67 core was now firmly the stars of the team, things didn't quite click and Seattle only scraped into the playoffs by 1 point over New York. Vintage Funk came to play and upset the Wolves with a .939 save percentage in the first round but the magic wore off and the Wranglers ended the very impressive playoff run in the conference finals.
 
Fans were bracing themselves for more of the same as the cap crunch continued to hit – for the first time, two S67 draftees in Burn and Zoiderberg had to be sacrificed. The return was good as the Bears acquired the picks used to draft Odin Omdahl, Ola Vikingstad, and Randy Marsh among others, but it seemed like the team was a work in progress. Instead, they had rediscovered the successful old balance between young and old and had arguably their best regular season yet, finishing just 2 points off the Victory Cup winners in Vancouver. Stark led the league in points, Hogan in assists, while Greene made the All-VHL First Team now recognised as one of the premier centers in the league. Sensing an opportunity to strike, the Bears made a trade for veteran forward Aleksander Rodriguez on the cheap – the S71 version of Glade or Wilinsky.
 
The Rodriguez acquisition would prove inspired as he led the league with 10 playoff goals, his 18 points tied with Stark and Greene. The balanced line-up proved crucial against the young D.C. Dragons in round 1, rookie Vikingstad grabbing a late winner in a tight Game 7. Then Funk proved to be the scourge of Vancouver for a third straight season, saving his best for last as he conceded just 5 goals in 5 dominant games. Then came the defending champions from Moscow and another 5-game victory, again close but again comprehensive. Rodriguez fittingly was the first star in Game 5 while Vikingstad scored 2 goals including the cup winner – a testament to the wheeling and dealing of GM Campbell which in turn earned him his first top GM award of the dynasty.
 
 SEASON 73 – THE LAST HURRAH 
After S71 it was more about organic growth for the Bears as they looked to close out the era with a bang. Five members remained from the S67 core – Greene and Stark up front, Sundqvist and Hogan as a dominant defensive duo, and the evergreen Funk in goal. The retool bore fruits however, with forwards Uhtred and Vikingstad, defenceman Omdahl, and even rookie goalie Jordan Tonn being more than capable deputies for the fan favourites. As a result, the Bears dynasty delivered perhaps their best season of them all.
 
With 103 points tying Seattle for the league lead (winning the Victory Cup on goal difference), this was the first time the Bears were clear favourites at the end of the regular season, with Greene cracking 105 points and Hogan and Sundqvist putting up matching 93-point seasons for career years each. They again faced a tough fight from the Dragons, requiring a classic performance from Funk but still going to double overtime in Game 6, eventually won by the younger Aleelee Kiak assisted by rookie Timothy Brown.
 
Then came possibly the series which will be remembered most in this Bears run. The dominant sweeps in S68 and the annual humiliations of Vancouver set the scene, but from S70 onwards Seattle's rivalry with a rebuilt Calgary was a defining feature of the generation. The Wranglers made the finals in the Bears' place in S70 and S72 but came away with nothing, so were hoping to make it third time lucky first by knocking out their hated rivals. Calgary ran out to a 3-1 lead in the conference finals on the back of heroic goaltending by Jacques Lafontaine and two double OT victories. A lesser team would have accepted their fate but the Bears rallied, starting with a triple overtime winner by Randy Marsh as they faced elimination in Game 5. Kiak came up clutch again in Game 6 overtime before Sundqvist and Stark completed the comeback in a 5-3 win in Game 7, sending the Wranglers packing. Lafontaine (.949) and Funk (.943) put up a goaltending battle for the ages and the Bears added another feather in their cap – an iconic playoff series victory.
 
From then on, a fourth cup in six seasons seemed predestined. Seattle's last opponent was Helsinki, who showcased their attacking prowess by putting 5 and then an uncharacteristic 7 goals past Seattle in Games 1 and 3, chasing Funk in the latter, but once the Bears figured them out they won 3 games in a row to seal the cup in six. That would be the end of the dynasty as we knew it – Stark retiring, Greene and Funk moving on in the off-season, while Hogan and Sundqvist would retire at the end of S74. The playoff run is still ongoing, now up to eight consecutive seasons as of S75, and some of the younger cup winners remain with the Bears (Uhtred, Brown, Marsh, Omdahl, and Tonn), but the historic run of playoff success seems to be a closed chapter. What a chapter it was however.
 
Thank you for your generous donation and hope this meets your expectations @DoktorFunk and the rest of the S67 core - @Banackock @Rayzor_7 @TXC @Berocka @Acydburn  @HenrikZoiderberg @Smarch @Steve - and everyone else I mentioned who played a role in the cup wins - @ShawnGlade @DollarAndADream  @FrostBeard @Esso2264 @oilmandan @zepheter @Dil @leafsman @a_Ferk @MexicanCow123 @Grant

Thanks @Banackock for the donation but I still wanted to make a donation.  In the spirit of giving if anyone wants to use this for the donation let me know and will edit this post.
 
 
claiming 2 uncapped tpe
full free week
raffle tickets
 

Uhtred is now creeping up on a career point per game pace.  As of today's uhtred has 338 points in 340 games which puts him just 2 points shy of a point per game.  Uhtred can reach that mark if he has a couple few multii point games in the near future.    With 67 points in 52 games uhtred has been scoring 1.29 points per game.  If uhtred maintains that scoring pace he should expect to see his career points per game hit 1 in about 8 games.  That said he could do it in the next two games by scoring 4 points.  With such a strong forward group in Seattle this season uhtred point totals are off his career best a season ago.  Uhtred scored 101 points last season but he's on pace for 92 points this season.  With about three quarters of the season already in the books uhtred will need to ramp up his production in the last quarter to match his career high.  If uhtred manages to do so he will definitely be at a career point per game.   Uhtred will need to keep scoring at a high rate to give himself a buffer for the inevitable decline in the last season or two .
 

Thanks @Banackock for the donation but I still wanted to make a donation.  In the spirit of giving if anyone wants to use this for the donation let me know and will edit this post.
 
 
claiming 2 uncapped tpe
full free week
raffle tickets
 

Thanks @Banackock for the donation but I still wanted to make a donation.  In the spirit of giving if anyone wants to use this for the donation let me know and will edit this post.
 
 
claiming 2 uncapped tpe
full free week
raffle tickets
 

Transaction ID: 20458763224710041
 
- Free Week
- 2 uncapped
- Ticket entry stuff
 
Also, Im donating on behalf of @leafsman Just had a little one and am grateful for you being on the Bears and being such a good member.  
 
Confirmed. -sterling

Wow amazing news Bana

Hello, VHL. Usually with my VHL.com articles I spend my time doing a quick little blab about random things throughout the league or something silly to get people talking.. HOWEVER.. this week we’re going to go the personal route and let the members in on some things going on in Bana’s life. As I’ve always tried to tell people, the world is different and at times difficult but there’s a lot of positivity left in it and things will only get better. Now, let’s dip into things... because they’re pretty damn big! Let’s start with the biggest???
 
1. As a lot know, my girlfriend was diagnosed with a tumor in May, and did a biopsy in June and July (the first one they fucked up the sample). In august we learned she had diffuse large b-cell lymphoma which is an aggressive form of cancer of the blood etc. It was also a good sized tumor.. Pretty scary, difficult times... especially because she can’t get sick and we’re finding our way each day through a pandemic full of anti-mask wearers and angry people lol.. she lost her hair and chemo took a pretty strong hit to her... there was some very rough days for her especially as it went on (and me too, but she’s the one who has it).. but this is not about those bad days, sleepless/sick nights etc.. 
 
HOWEVER, oct 31 was their final planned chemo cycle (#4) and then we waited until December 9th for a PET scan etc to see how things are... and based off their findings... 
 
SHES 100% clear.. just needs to check up every 3 months as it could come back etc.. woo hoo! 


 
2. I’ve quit smoking. Both things. Nah, not crack. Mariguana in September and I quit smoking cigarettes 31 days ago some time today.. I’ve done it once before with Champex (a pill everyday that makes smoking garbage) but this time was cold turkey and I haven’t struggled near as bad as last time.. I’m using money as my main thing but of course health too. Still grumpy days and moments and a few triggers and such for good cravings but I’ve battled through it all so far. 
 
 
3. It’s fitting that this is #3 because there’s 3 of them.. but we have 3 Xmas trees up this year. We normally have two. One in the living room area, one in our bedroom... but this year we expanded to the guest bed room.. just in time for more albertan Covid restrictions haha...
 
Keep doing good things VHL. Stay strong, stay smart and stay safe out there.. remember - it’s not just you going through it all. We’re all on this planet doing what we can to live the lives we want. 🤘🏻

1. What are your thoughts on Vancouver winning the VHL? index
Happy for them, If we dont win then i dont really care who wins, what team is a bear supposed to hate?
 
2. What are your thoughts on Miami winning the VHLM? index
Happy that Rice got the cup.  If Uhtreds alumni San Deigo cant win than having a Rice win is the next best option
 
3. What are your thoughts on Seattle adding Kyl Oferson ( @Nykonax) player page
Hes a great acquisition and will help us win another cup.  He was also a great teammate in the minors with the marlins so its great to play with him 
 
4. What do you think about Odin Omdahl becoming Captain?
Hes the perfect choice.  He has been a great Bear over the years and is our leader back on the blue line
 
5. Do you miss Hulk Hogan? What do you think he's doing in retirement? @TXC
Yes, he was a beast on the blue line and did everything to help us win.  How can you not missing playing with legends like him and Breocka
 
6. Do you miss Berocka Sundqvist? What do you think he's doing in retirement?
Yes he was great back there and an even better teammate.  He is probably enjoying retirement on a beach in Australia
 
 

its been over 12 hours so @KnightRiley pick when you can
 
@omgitshim youre up

1.  McWolf
F-Mikko Lahtinen
F-Thomas Landry II
F-SS Hornet
D-General Zod
D
G-Jaxx Hextall
 
2. Ricer13
F- Edwin TheEncarnacion
F- RJ Jubis
F
D - Jeff Downey
D - Latrell Mitchell
G - Jacob Tonn
 
3. KnightRiley
F- ondrej ohradka
F- Gary Tarantino 
F- Pengu
D- Riley Knight Gee 
D- cinnamon block
G
 
4. omgitshim
F - Benny Graves
F - Jim Bob 
F - Ola Vikingstad
D - Condor Adrienne
D - Griff Manzer 
G - Ajay Krishna
 
5.  Rayzor_7
F - Chad Magnum
F - Ray Shields
F - Chris Hylands
D - Jacob Perry
D - Erik Killinger
G - Grekkark Gyrfalcon
 
6. leafsman (Group Manager)
F-Kris Rice
F-Timothy Brown
F-Groovy Dood
D- Roque Davis
D-Hugh Jass
G-Raymond Bernard

F-Kris Rice
D- Roque Davis
 
@Rayzor_7

1.  McWolf
F-Mikko Lahtinen
F-Thomas Landry II
F-SS Hornet
D-General Zod
D
G-Jaxx Hextall
 
2. Ricer13
F- Edwin TheEncarnacion
F- RJ Jubis
F
D - Jeff Downey
D - Latrell Mitchell
G - Jacob Tonn
 
3. KnightRiley
F- ondrej ohradka
F- Gary Tarantino 
F- Pengu
D- Riley Knight Gee 
D- cinnamon block
G
 
4. omgitshim
F - Benny Graves
F - Jim Bob 
F - Ola Vikingstad
D - Condor Adrienne
D - Griff Manzer 
G - Ajay Krishna
 
5.  Rayzor_7
F - Chad Magnum
F - Ray Shields
F - Chris Hylands
D - Jacob Perry
D - Erik Killinger
G - Grekkark Gyrfalcon
 
6. leafsman (Group Manager)
F-Kris Rice
F-Timothy Brown
F-Groovy Dood
D- Roque Davis
D-Hugh Jass
G-Raymond Bernard

S74 World Cup Award's
I wanted to thank @Josh for simming as well as all the GM's @Spartan@Banackock@Toast@Spence King@Peace and @Jubo07
 
Medal Winners
 
Nordic

 
Canada

 
USA

 
World Cup Top Players by Position
F - Uhtred @leafsman
D - Jeff Downey @JeffD
G - Jimmy Spyro @DarkSpyro
 
Tournament MVP
Zamboni Driver @Tape-to-Tape
 
While Zamboni (NORD) didn't boast a very strong Round Robin, he did however show up in the Medal rounds for Team Nordic. Posting a .943 SV% and letting in only 1.65 GAA he was a huge piece to the pie in order for Nordic to get a historic gold medal.
 
Congratulations to all the medaled teams and to everyone else who participated in this tournament. The World Cup is a tournament that I hold very dear to my heart and remember my first World Cup as an incredible experience among my peers. This is one of the the best jobs I've ever had in this league and I hope to see you all at the next one.

1.  McWolf
F-Mikko Lahtinen
F-Thomas Landry II
F-SS Hornet
D-General Zod
D
G-Jaxx Hextall
 
2. Ricer13
F- Edwin TheEncarnacion
F- RJ Jubis
F
D - Jeff Downey
D - Latrell Mitchell
G - Jacob Tonn
 
3. KnightRiley
F- ondrej ohradka
F- Gary Tarantino 
F- Pengu
D- Riley Knight Gee 
D- cinnamon block
G
 
4. omgitshim
F - Benny Graves
F - Jim Bob 
F - Ola Vikingstad
D - Condor Adrienne
D - Griff Manzer 
G - Ajay Krishna
 
5.  Rayzor_7
F - Chad Magnum
F - Ray Shields
F - Chris Hylands
D - Jacob Perry
D - Erik Killinger
G - Grekkark Gyrfalcon
 
6. leafsman (Group Manager)
F-Kris Rice
F-Timothy Brown
F-Groovy Dood
D- Roque Davis
D-Hugh Jass
G-Raymond Bernard

Good evening,
 
I wrote this a while ago and the forum decided the PM I was using decided to randomly close and lose everything that I typed. This caused me to angrily revolt into the Bears LR, take a sip of my vodka fresca, finish my vodka fresca, and the eventually make a soda stream cola and rum. Following that, I played a few matches of Apex (let's play together?) with my brother and a buddy and now I'm a few more drinks deep before supper and you find me here. As everyone's who is connected with the league knows, the Seattle Bears have history dawning back to the moment the league gained it's light. The Bears have had some of the best players call their organization home and have numerous individual and team awards to decorate their hallways for years to come. Unless you've lived under a rock like Spartan, you'd know that the Bears recently have created one of the best dynasties in the modern, most competitive age of the VHL. During this period, we've won 4 out of 7 Continental cups and have collected many individuals awards while also gaining history on many, many notable Bears careers. Throughout my time as Bears GM, It's been my drive and hope that anyone who joins the team does so in pursuit of skill, overall success and absolute loyalty to the team. I don't mean to sound like a dick, but it's pretty obvious, we want you if you want us. If you don't want to be here for whatever reason (and we respect that), then do that. We dont want you.  Give us a chance and the Bears are the team that I say and people who join have learned this. Don't listen to me, listen to them. Now, since S67, the team has been full of wonderful dynastic history and players. We've made league history and amazing friendships along the way. The GM does a major portion of the work, but these people built into the system and we've come together and created the history that we've made. Without them, like any other team, we wouldn't have the success we've had. Their loyalty, skill and personalities came together to create a chemistry that outputted success for the Bears organizations. 
 
We're excited to name these teams to the rafters. To be celebrated for the rest of time. For as long as the VHL and Seattle Bears are a thing, these players will be remembered as some of the best players to throw a Bears jersey over their shoulders and maybe if they're not close to the best, these guys are 3-4x Continental Cup champions. If you shit talk them, all I have to say is "lol". 
 

Berocka Sundqvist
Player Page
Berocka was a member of the Bears that joined a season later than the rest but last a season longer than most. When he initially joined the team, it took a bit to earn his weight and he struggled right off the hop. Despite kicking and crying like most would (and forcing a trade), he stuck to the rhythm and to the team and it would lead to one of the more successful, dominant careers. Call it what you will, but he was a consistent player that was loyal to the bone. He was a major factor in all of Seattle's wins and one of our most vocal players in the locker room. While everyone else was out causing trouble for the sake of activity, rivalry and fun, Berocka was on the inside being the voice of reason. He may say otherwise, but he's as soft as a banana that has sat in the light and warmth too long. 
 
Thank you, Aussie man @Berocka, for everything that you did for the team. Your absence is already felt and I will miss you being part of the major day to day team things. Fortunately, he remains SC.
 
STATS:

HULK HOGAN
Player Page
 
One of the more polarizing members that you either love, hate or enjoy his entertainment. For Seattle, he was number 1 and number 3. At the start of it all, he was an absolute massive steal. The fact that we were able to draft him 5th overall still blows our minds to this day. A player who earns an incredible amount of TPE, is very active and stays with an organization for the entire career is rare to come by. If you want to put the cherry on top, he added a few awards and pitched in on many continental cups and accomplished more than a majority of players will ever dream of, let alone actually accomplish. The guy loves Adam Sandler a little too much, but it's that same passion that made him extremely successful in the VHL and with the Seattle Bears. Hogan was one of the most loyal members I've ever had in a locker room and was a very smart teammate and member to have on-board. He holds numerous records with the Bears like all-time assists and 2nd all-time for shots blocked. HULK AMANIA will always be alive in Seattle. 
 
Thank you, BROGAN @TXC (why did you change your username dumb ass?), for everything that you did for the team. Your absence is already felt and I will miss you being part of the major day to day team things. HOPEFULLY, you come back and quit being a bitch. Make some more pork chops and take over the league. 
STATS:

Well, well, well, if it wasn't the 35th instalment of the VHL World Cup upon us. I am a sucker for international tournaments in all sports and I feel the World Cup here is very underappreciated, especially in recent seasons. So in an attempt to add some energy to this season's tournament I thought I'd do a little World Cup preview.
 
It wouldn't be one of my Media Spots without a reference to some of my infamous spreadsheets. There's not many lying around for the World Cup and the spreadsheet connoisseurs among you are probably already familiar with them. But let's look at some headline figures.
 
The bragging rights

The medal standings going into this tournament remains as tight as ever. The World Cup has been dominated by three teams historically – the US, Canada, and the amalgamation known as Northern Europe, Sweden, Scandinavia, and most recently Team Nordic. The latter team holds a tournament record 4 straight gold medals from the 20s (I touched on that legendary team in an older World Cup piece) but fell on hard times recently, going a miserable 5 tournaments without a medal – a record for the “Big Three”. However, after pulling back with two hard-fought silvers in S70 and S72, a new question now arises....
 
Can Canada break their duck?
Despite a lot of natural advantages, the Canadians barely have the all-time lead in gold medals, and are in danger of letting that slip away too. They are now without a medal in three World Cup editions and another tournament without a top 3 finish would set a team-worst mark of 4 tournaments without finishing on the podium. Team Canada is bringing another star-studded lineup to this season's event, with the likes of Lincoln Tate, Hulk Hogan, Rayz Funk, and Brock Louth set to play their last official matches, but after 3 seasons of disappointment, the pressure is building.
 
What about the other guys?
So the reason there's only 3 main nations (or groups of nations) despite the World Cup always have 6 teams is because no one else really got a long enough run going. Switzerland was back in the olden days, then UK became the hip destination of choice, while Germany sometimes existed on its own, while for most of recent history all 3 countries have fluctuated between Western and just Europe. Russia had a brief productive spell (although their second gold medal was heavily aided by Ukrainians – classic), before giving way to Team World which has probably been the recent fourth force (or third even given Scandinavia's struggles).
 
But let us not forget about the Mercenaries, usually the easy win in the tournament but defending champions from S72, after the rag-tag group won their first ever gold medal. “Defending” is a loose term of course – the nature of the team means there are no returning members, having retired or been “promoted” to their proper national team. But it will be fascinating to see this installment try to match the achievements of their predecessors.
 
The Triple Gold Club
Finally, let's get to the big individual reward from the World Cup. No one cares how many points you put up and even the medal winners are forgotten, but with a bit of luck you can land a place in the coveted Triple Gold Club, reserved for winners of each of the Founder's Cup, Continental Cup, and a World Cup gold medal. It's a notoriously difficult list to crack, I only got in with my seventh player, and here's who's currently in a good position to:
 
Andrew Su, fresh off a Continental Cup win with Vancouver, has also made the Team Canada roster in a hugely important tournament for them. Shawn Glade III and Emi Rune also have both the VHLM and VHL components but have yet to get the call to the World Cup. @Da_Berr
 
Su's Canadian teammate Timothy Brown may be a rival with Seattle in the VHL, where he won the cup as a rookie, but here they are now fighting for a common goal – as a team and as individuals. @a_Ferk
 
Brown's Seattle teammate Uhtred has two Continental Cup rings to his name, but the British winger may struggle to add a gold to his collection for now, given Western Europe's goaltending struggles. However, with some significant skating talent and an extremely hard-hitting duo of Chad Magnum and Phil Marleau up front, who knows what the Europeans can achieve. @leafsman
 
Veteran Nate Telker, VHL champion as a sophomore with Moscow in S70, finally makes his World Cup debut with the Mercenaries and a chance to make a bit more history for what would be quite a Cinderella story of a career. @Telkster
 
And finally Raymond Bernard, one of the finest goaltenders of his generation, was the star of that Moscow playoff run and took over as USA's main man from Alexander Pepper shortly after but the Americans have struggled to piece together a good run since then. Bernard may be inspired to carry them to the top in his final tournament, but on paper they will pose a threat regardless. @Mr_Hatter