jack

S67 ALL-VHLM TEAMS 
 
 
 All-VHLM First Team - May Claim 2 Uncapped TPE 
 
F - Zeno Miniti (OTT) @Zeno
F - Thorny Undertow (OTT) @jack
F - Anthony Hawk (OTT) @ahawk2191
D - Kefka Palazzo (MIN) @diamond_ace
D -  Hugh Chan (MIN) @HughJas_
G -  A Red Guy (YUK)  @.sniffuM
 
 All-VHLM Second Team - May Claim 1 Uncapped TPE 
 
F - Dalton Wilcox (HOU) @Dalton Wilcox
F - Berocka Sundqvist (MIN) @berocka
F - Alex Pearson (PHI) @Jayrad28
D - Brandon LeBlanc (PHI) @Psanchez55
D - Pierre Persson (HFX) @Dominus89
G - Raymond Bernard (OTT)  @Mr_Hatter
 
Congrats to those named and best of luck moving forward in your careers.
@VHLM Commissioner

1. Perfect, Halifax gave me the best reintroduction to the league I could ask for, met a lot of old friends and made a lot of new ones. If I'm lucky I'll be back for S68.
 
2. It's always better to lose to the best than to watch the guys who beat you get tossed around in the next round, but a loss is still a loss and nothing can make that feel good per se.
 
3. Probably Thorny Underyew, sure OTT also had Miniti who had an outstanding seaon, but Underyew produced when it mattered and was present everywhere at all times.
 
4. With how late into the draft I'm likely to go, it's really difficult to say. I hope to be with one of the new expansion teams or a younger program that's just starting to regain it's footing, but at the end of the day you're being drafted to go pro. It's hard to complain about going anywhere.
 
5. I couldn't tell you, I'm way too uninvolved in the pro aspect at the moment to make that call.
 
6. Ye.

Editorial comment from Chief Editor of ECN John Frostbeard
 
Draft for us at ECN was truly something we anticipated this season very much and hopes to see quite a few names taken off the board and it was true, though it is quite interesting to see Top 5 picks and really think how much they will help their team succeed.
 
Before I go into those details and talk about Top 5, I want to quickly stumble upon another worth while topic - New York Americans. I can't put enough emphasis on the work that has been done by GM Esso, his work to acquire picks and be dominant this draft was not only beautiful to look at, but brilliant in itself. Ability to grab in the first round Lance Flowers, Frans Eller and Fredrik Elmebeck together with one of the best young goaltenders in person of A Red Guy is truly commendable. All together, this draft NY Americans selected 12 players to join roster. This not only gives his NY Americans the ability to compete in the long term, but it also provides trade assets as it should be clear that contracts for teams like NY will become an issue with growth they will see. 
 
In my eyes, top 3 of this draft was set and there should not have been any questions there. Condor Adrienne is a true generational talent and probably will be a star in VHL one day. He might look a lot better in his first 2 seasons than both sons of Riga - Lincoln Tate and Hunter Hearst Helmsley. That is clearly the right 1st Overall this year from Malmo Nighthawks. Lance Flowers heading to NY was something that everyone could have predicted as he was clearly the second best defenceman in this draft just behind Adrienne. Thorny Underyew going 3rd was predicted by many considering that Seattle doesn't have a really deep Centre position prospect pool and adding someone with the amount of talent we see is in Mr.Underyew will be critical for getting a chance to hoist the Continental cup. It was interesting to see that Vancouver traded up to be able to pick Jeff Downey at 4th Overall. J.Downey is a great and young defenceman that will become a force in VHL, now it will only be interesting to see how will Downey prove that trading up for him was the right choice by current cup champions. Probably the most shocking pick in top 10 was the fact that DC Dragons selected Luciano Valentino at the 5th Overall. Luciano is a good and truly a quality player, but the question here is will in a season or two he be in the same position or his value compared to other players taken behind him will have slipped?
 
All in all, a great and deep draft with many young and promising players. All we can really do is wish them all the best in their VHL career and hope they will achieve their goals and help their teams win!
 
Chief editior of ECN
John Frostbeard
 
 

HELLO EVERYONE AND WELCOME to the single best, most comprehensive, most secretly-kept (unless you're @Esso2264, who I trusted with the information) mock draft of the season, posted later than we would have liked because organization is easy until you actually have to do it.
 
So here's the scoop: a while back, @McWolf messaged me and a few others about the possibility of completing a mock draft collaboratively this season. I loved the idea--of course, I've written a mock of my own that I just love to talk about, and so have these guys. For the sake of transparency, this wasn't even my idea--I'm just making the post since McWolf is out of town today. I don't care about my fake Internet points, myself, but make sure that if you do like this article, you go out and give @FrostBeard, @McWolf, and @Renomitsu a like on something they've posted, to give all concerned here the credit they deserve.
 
What you're about to see is a representation of the hypothetical picks of the very soon-to-come draft. Each of us provided a separate ranking of the picks, and our rankings were compiled, with a list being made in order of the average of each of our rankings for the player concerned. If a pick doesn't make sense, it's because of the averages, and we apologize. But, we feel that this will at least give a good general sense of what's about to happen, and, who knows, it might even kill it (feel free, too, to check out our individual rankings, to see who's got the most psychic ability).
 
So, without not a great deal of additional ado...
 
 
 
1  Condor Adrienne | D | Philadelphia Reapers | 423 TPE | @OrbitingDeath
FrostBeard 1 | GustavMattias 1 | McWolf 1 | Renomitsu 1
 
Unsurprisingly, the consensus number one pick for the S68 VHL Entry Draft is Condor Adrienne, from the @Green player agency, one of the most decorated agency in the history of the league. The alien defenseman relies on deceiving speed, solid defensive awareness and great hand-eye coordination to help make his team competitive night in, night out. He has developped into a great presence, both offensively and defensively, for the Philadelphia Reapers. He is more than ready to make the jump straight to the VHL as a rookie in S68 and he'd settle well in a depth role if he lands on a deep team, ready for a playoffs run for a year or two before becoming a star himself. Defensemen are usually not seen as difference makers as much as forwards or goaltenders, but you still usually need one or two great ones in your roster if you want to be able to compete with the best teams. A forward might help the team more next season, but our experts agree Adrienne is simply too good to pass on and he'll easily be the better player down the line, when the Nighthawks are starting to compete for a Continental Cup. - McWolf
 
2  Lance Flowers | D | Yukon Rush | 365 TPE | @CowboyinAmerica
FrostBeard 2 | GustavMattias 2 | McWolf 2 | Renomitsu 2
 
With nearly 50 TPE between him and our consensus #3 and 60 TPE over the next best defender, @CowboyinAmerica's Lance Flowers felt like a lock for the New York Americans' first pick in this draft. An excellent defender and passer in his minor league season, Flowers was 6th in assists and 11th in points among defensemen; he also sported a +30 plus-minus. He lays out hits (191 last season), is capable of getting in front of the puck on defense, and sets his forwards up to succeed, following a prototypical, tried-and-true playmaker-style defensive build instead of the scoring paradigm we've seen emerge over the last several seasons. Though not a strength of his, he converted 14.75% of his shots on offense, good for second on his team among those with more than 10 points. And while the stats are nice, various media outlets have additionally pointed out his excellent fit in NYC, as well as the fact that he's pretty agreeable to joining a rebuilding team. Even with defenseman Keven Foreskin arranged to join the Americans, they can't field more than one complete defensive pairing - and that makes Flowers a no-brainer at this selection. -Renomitsu
 
3  Thorny Underyew | C | Ottawa Lynx | 268 TPE | @jack
FrostBeard 3 | GustavMattias 3 | McWolf 3 | Renomitsu 3
 
Underyew represents our first deviation from the TPE rankings, and while Jeff Downey certainly makes for a respectable choice here, given his position at #3 in the rankings and steady earning since returning to the league, Underyew gets the call with this pick as defense isn't currently a pressing need in Seattle--GM player Ambrose Stark and S67 first-rounder Hulk Hogan make up the top pairing, while fellow S67 Kevin Low sits on the second with Charles Puidgdemont, inactive but at 475 TPE. Instead, the team picks up a center who, once he passes Shane Mars in TPE, will earn a spot on the second line by the end of the season, and figures to be a major part of the team's rebuild. -Gustav
 
 
4   Jeff Downey | D | Houston Bulls | 305 TPE | @JeffD
FrostBeard 4 | GustavMattias 4 | McWolf 5 | Renomitsu 4
 
A well-balanced defenceman that has proved himself as a quality player, a pick you can’t really go wrong with. Probably his biggest strength right now is that he has developed a physical aspect to his game that many other young defenceman don’t focus on. His VHLM season stats might not be looking so great, but considering that he spent most of the season with one of the worst VHLM teams in the league before the trade that sent him to Houston he should be looked upon with more of hopeful rather than doubtful look. In my personal opinion, Jeff Downey is having all the tools to be the best defenceman in the league and I strongly believe that he can accomplish that in Davos. Davos are having quite a stacked defensive core with players like Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen and Charlie Paddywagon but adding a young, defensively and offensively capable player that is showing promise as one of the most well balanced defencemen this draft should be truly a no-brainer pick. - FrostBeard
 
5  Teemu Lehtinen Jr. | LW | Houston Bulls | 292 TPE | @Sixersfan549
FrostBeard 5 | GustavMattias 5 | McWolf 4 | Renomitsu 5
 
Lehtinen Jr., a 21-year-old Fin, is a massively-built winger (6'4", 215 lbs.) with staying power, graceful puck control and skating, and a roaring shot  with pinpoint accuracy that arguably tops this class. He's a little more mobile than your average sniper and has good technique on the defensive ice; with S66 draftee Dimitri Volosenkov's progression slowing considerably, Lehtinen may see third-line minutes almost immediately as he takes on mentorship from older wingers like Randoms, Jorgon Weyed, and Dan Bailie. As Moscow's something of a contender, he may see many more minutes in the regular season than the playoffs - but he's excellent insurance and solid depth as he grows. His game will continue to diversify from his sniper/tranditional forward skill set, and it helps that he's backed by a well-reputed agent in @Sixersfan549. -Renomitsu
 
6  Sigard Gunnar | LW | Philadelphia Reapers | 256 TPE | @Big Mac
FrostBeard 7 | GustavMattias 6 | McWolf 6 | Renomitsu 6
 
So far, our draft has been fairly consensual, and Gunnar continues the trend at #6, going to New York. Though there are other players on the board with higher TPE (Eller with 270, Stanson at 287, etc.), Gunnar joined the league right before the VHLM draft this past season, and didn't have much time post-deadline  or in the preseason to catch up. His earning has been somewhat better than the others, and for this reason he's at #6 in our mock after New York trades up a spot in the first round. Is it the right choice? Only time will tell, but a high-quality, consistent earner isn't out of place anywhere, much less on a rebuilding team with nowhere to go but up. -Gustav
 
7  Frans Eller | C | Yukon Rush | 270 TPE | @Ace
FrostBeard 6 | GustavMattias 7 | McWolf 7 | Renomitsu 7
 
Our experts mock drafts had Frans Eller selected with the 7th overall pick, on average, meaning he would join the Calgary Wranglers as their first selection in this draft. @Ace's player is the 2nd ranked centerman in this class. The Wranglers are actually pretty deep down the middle, but if Eller agrees to play on the wing, the S67 Quarter-Finalists would get their hand on a versatile, defensively sound, shoot-first forward, which would definitely help the team with depth down on the wings. The Dane was dangerous every time he touched the puck this past season with the Rush and he's ready to bring that same level of sniping potential in the VHL starting next season. - McWolf
 
8  Wolf Stansson Jr. | D | Yukon Rush | 287 TPE | @Cornholio
FrostBeard 8 | GustavMattias 12 | McWolf 8 | Renomitsu 8
 
Remember how we said New York needs defensive depth? Even after drafting Flowers, they still need a player to fill out the second defensive pair unless Kyson Blake has a sudden resurgence. Stansson, one of relatively few players to hail from Iceland, fits the bill brilliantly. He's oriented a bit more around scoring and finesse in contrast to Flowers - while he doesn't lay out tons of hits (63 with Yukon last season), he managed more overall points (71) thanks to 19 goals - including 4 game-winners and 10 while on the power play. Admittedly, New York could certainly use a forward to start filling out their second line - hence why Gustav has center Frans Eller going at this pick instead of Stansson - but with plenty more forwards available and New York also getting #9 overall, we can interchange this second defenseman with their next pick. -Renomitsu
 
 
9  Owen Nolan | RW | Halifax 21st | 262 TPE | @studentized
FrostBeard 10 | GustavMattias 13 | McWolf 9 | Renomitsu 9
 
After being awarded defensemen Lance Flowers, Wolf Stansson Jr and left winger Sigard Gunnar with their first three selections of the first round, our panel see the New York Americans adding yet another forward with the 9th selection, @studentized's Owen Nolan. The Americans are at the very beginning of a long rebuild process, meaning they need everything. Owen Nolan is quickly developping into a sharpshooter with smooth dekes and, let's be honest, there's nothing wrong with adding another goal-scoring forward to hopefully future Cup contenders. - McWolf
 
10  Luciano Valentino | D | Halifax 21st | 248 TPE | @Kekzkrieg
FrostBeard 11 | GustavMattias 10 | McWolf 11 | Renomitsu 10
 
I've actually got a bit of a connection to Valentino--he's a defensive defenseman who hopes to model his build after Jerry Garcia. Apart from being flattered by this, I'm more than happy to write about his dedication to his build and well-thought-out (at least, in my opinion) goals for his player's future. Vancouver is a good fit for him, too--if selected by the Wolves, Valentino figures to slide into a bit of a depth role at first, and will be behind all four of Vancouver's defensemen. With that being said, though, look for him to serve as the eventual replacement for Konstantin Mulligan, as the defending champions look to keep their elite status in the future. -Gustav
 
11  Frederik Elmebeck | D | Houston Bulls | 252 TPE | @Elmebeck
FrostBeard 12 | GustavMattias 9 | McWolf 12 | Renomitsu 12
 
With our experts ranking Mr.Elmebeck at 11th position, we could be looking at an interesting choice that could be going even higher in the draft. Clearly, blue line prospects are not a rarity this draft, but taking a quality puck-moving defencemen for an expansion team might be the best possible move. It has to be said, that Mr.Elmebeck is a true offensive defenceman that can perform well in a two-way form as well. DC Dragons first pick in franchise history will be looked at and evaluated for a long time and there will be a lot of pressure on player who will be picked, that being said, Frederik Elmebeck is the person to draft as his leadership ability and locker room presence will push him to be fan favourite for all of his career. - FrostBeard
 
 
12  A Red Guy | G | Yukon Rush | 270 TPE | @.sniffuM
FrostBeard 17 | GustavMattias 8 | McWolf 14 | Renomitsu 11
 
Goalies are where mock-draft-by-consensus gets pretty tough. As you can see, none of us had Guy going 12th, although Frostbeard did have him selected by the Phantoms. Neither expansion team has anything resembling a franchise goalie (in fact, D.C. doesn't even have a goalie rostered right now), and for our purposes Prague gets the goalie chain started. @.sniffuM represents the top netminder in this draft - and with borderline-pro level hand speed, style control, and rebounding right out the gate, he'll be able to do the job for either one of D.C. or Prague. The draft will be essentially one big game of chicken - seeing who can draft the greatest number of other assets before starting a goalie chain reaction. Raymond Bernard is the pick who waits below Guy, and admittedly our pick here only has a slight edge. But with teams like Riga and Calgary hoping to draft players to sit behind their mid-career goalies, it's a bit risky for D.C. or Prague to wait until the first goalie is selected. While Fang Flashback is represented by a high-quality agent in uphillmoss, teams have to be concerned about Kyle Sabertooth's abrupt retirement. In this hypothetical, Prague gets their goalie first and sends D.C. into a panic. -Renomitsu
 
 
13  Micha Sage | LW | Ottawa Lynx | 266 TPE | @AcousticKazoo
FrostBeard 9 | GustavMattias 14 | McWolf 13 | Renomitsu 14
 
Another pick, another New York Americans pick and the rebuilding franchise is adding yet another shoot-first winger. I said it before, there's nothing wrong with adding more forwards looking to score every time they get the puck. They say defense wins championship but, let's be honest, STHS works in its own way and it's been proven time and time again that teams need offensive support from everywhere in their lineup if they hope to compete for Continental Cups. That being said, adding @AcousticKazoo's dangler to Gunnar, Nolan and S67's Boris the Forest is a good way to make sure you'll score enough to win most nights in a couple of seasons. - McWolf
 
14  Kaspars Claude | LW | Minnesota Storm | 205 TPE | @Bruins10
FrostBeard 13 | GustavMattias 15 | McWolf 10 | Renomitsu 13
 
There's a bit of volatility with Claude here, largely dependent on reputation but dependent upon merit as well. Claude's agent, Bruins10, is a veteran of the league and renowned graphics guy. He's also a former GM--he was at one point at the helm of Helsinki (I think), and with experience comes the idea that both player and manager know what they're getting. In Claude's case, the Dragons here pick up a solid earner and a great forward prospect, who isn't hard to visualize as a future star. -Gustav
 
 
15  Ryo Yamazuki II | RW | Minnesota Storm | 200 TPE | @Donno100
FrostBeard 15 | GustavMattias 16 | McWolf 15 | Renomitsu 15
 
One of the reasons why Minnesota Storm performed so well this season was because of the scoring ability of Ryo Yamazuki II. Very disciplined and defensively capable forward with a wicked shot is something that any team in VHL could be looking at. Seattle Bears are already stacked when it comes to forward prospects, but adding another one to push their prospect pool over the top might be a choice to make. We ranked Ryo Yamazuki II in the 15th position, but there is always a chance to rise up in rankings considering how strong his upside is. – FrostBeard
 
16  Raymond Bernard | G | Ottawa Lynx | 265 TPE | @Mr_Hatter
FrostBeard 18 | GustavMattias 11 | McWolf 17 | Renomitsu 17
 
Alright, I'm getting tired of analyzing New York Americans picks. Plus, none of our experts actually have @Mr_Hatter's Raymond Bernard going to the Big Apple. Pretty much everyone agreed that the first teams that should draft goaltenders are the two expansion teams, as they're not carrying any potential future starting goaltenders on their roster. I personally had Bernard going to D.C. with the very next pick, after sending A Red Guy to Prague a couple of picks earlier. That being said, it could still make sense for the Americans to pursue a future starter at the moment and Bernard could very well be their man. Their only goaltender is rookie Thorvald Gunnarsson. He was drafted a season ago but only has 42 TPE over Bernard. Both are young and look like they'll develop into starters, but having both would give the team some security, if one of them eventually stops progressing. They could split the load this season and next, and then move forward with the man they'd consider their starter when they are ready to compete. - McWolf
 
 
 
17  Ricky Johnson | D | Philadelphia Reapers | 200 TPE | @Midnite
FrostBeard 14 | GustavMattias 18 | McWolf 16 | Renomitsu 16
 
While most of our panel have Johnson going to the Dragons, there's little question that Prague would also love to have a capped defender in @Midnite waiting in the wings to join them next season. Like our second-overall pick Lance Flowers, Johnson takes the playmaking/defending approach to the VHL - and with 55 points and a +23 plus-minus, he shows a fair amount of promise. He's shown strength and skating that make him one of the better physical prospects in the draft; as the lone active defensemen for the Phantoms (since Bolt Vanderhuge won't be returning any time soon), Johnson has his work cut out for him. Prague already has a starting point for their offense in Wilcox, Draven, Pearson, and BigShotty - enough for a starting line and some chance - and Johnson will probably be waiting for his pair partner later in this draft. -Renomitsu
 
 
18  Gert B Frobe | D | San Diego Marlins | 210 TPE | @NumberJ5
FrostBeard 16 | GustavMatthias 20 | McWolf 18 | Renomitsu 19
 
The D.C. Dragons, one of two new franchises joining the VHL in S68. As it's usually the case in these situations (don't look at the Golden Knights), the expansion teams rosters have blanks all over. The team got out of the expansion draft with 2 interesting forward prospects and a bunch of aging defensemen, so it makes sense for them to add defensive prospects. Frobe would suit well behind Malenko and Jerwa on the depth chart for this season, and then take over a spot on the top line from there. Anything would help the Dragons, but I do believe they need goaltenders and defensemen more than they need forwards, and @NumberJ5's player could be their man. - McWolf
 
 
19  Aamon Grim | D | Ottawa Lynx | 197 TPE | @aCrypticPancake
FrostBeard 19 | GustavMattias 21 | McWolf 21 | Renomitsu 20
 
That's right - I'm evaluating all three of Prague's inaugural draft picks - and it's Ricky Johnson's pair partner just two picks later. Acquired in a trade from Riga, this selection is the third in a series of defenseman picks. What makes Grim particularly promising is consistency and being a 'known quantity' - @aCrypticPancake has a good reputation in other professional leagues, particularly in the SBA, that makes him a likely long-term, devoted defender. His skill set is diverse - as he's capable of passing and scoring with roughly equal proficiency - and he's capable of changing possession of the puck. He's not the most intimidating defenseman, though you might be inclined to shy away at his 6'5" stature, and and has some difficulty staying on the puck in spite of his decent skating ability. But these areas for improvement are likely to improve with time; for now, he's a raw prospect with several different possible directions: a jack of all trades, and a master of none. His GM will have a large part in how he develops. -Renomitsu
 
 
20  Finnegan MacBurn | D | Ottawa Lynx | 174 TPE | @DizzyWithLogic
FrostBeard 20 | GustavMattias 23 | McWolf 19| Renomitsu 21
 
One of the most productive pass-first defencemen in S68 draft class in Finnegan MacBurn. Even though he is not showing much of his defensive game on the stat sheet, he is capable to hold his own and might be one of the most undervalued two-way defencemen in VHLM. Moscow is very stacked when it comes to the blue line depth but adding another player could be beneficial as you can never predict how much better players will get in VHL. Moscow might be looking at a replacement for Paolo Nano who has been an important veteran piece in the Locker Room for the past 2 seasons. – FrostBeard
 
21  Seabass Perrin | D | Yukon Rush | 200 TPE | @Sebster03 
FrostBeard 23 | GustavMattias 19 | McWolf 26 | Renomitsu 18
 
Back in the good old days of S65, the Reign spent their first-round pick (one of four, actually) on a defenseman named Aron Nielsen, whose agent, @solas, is a two-time Hall of Famer in this league. While a solid choice at the time, he's since gone inactive, leaving Riga with a bit of a hole in their future plans. While Nielsen will remain on the team for now, they look to move on with this pick, drafting Perrin and hoping he'll figure into their long-term plans. Perrin may be staying down in the minors for another season, at 200 TPE exactly, and this may even be optimal for Riga as this gives them the time they need to clear space on the roster. All in all, we had our differences in the ranking, but our average fell into a nice place. -Gustav
 
22  Ryan Busser | RW | San Diego Marlins | 186 TPE | @diacope
FrostBeard 25 | GustavMattias 22 | McWolf 20 | Renomitsu 22
 
Busser could end up going a good deal earlier than 22, if GMs take note of his as-of-late rise up the draft rankings. In the past week, he's displaced five different players, and as a relatively later addition to the league, he hasn't quite reached his peak in the rankings. Here, New York gets a steal in Busser, who's staying down this season but will easily factor into the team's rebuild when he makes the journey up to the big leagues. There was a bit of a red flag with his build--until recently his defense rating was a bit low, but he's recently bumped it up and looks to continue to improve for the foreseeable future. -Gustav
 
 
23 * Fang Flashback | G | Philadelphia Reapers | 179 TPE | @uphillmoss
FrostBeard 21 | GustavMattias 24 | McWolf NR | Renomitsu 24
 
As said with a few of our other selections, goalies are always tricky in a mock-draft-by-consensus (note the asterisk). Technically this pick belongs to Seattle - but our panel had him going to Riga or Vancouver. At this point, there's relatively little that Vancouver actually needs - but with Kingfisher retiring soon, Pouta and Chyrnoble as fodder in exchange for a S68 1st rounder, and Flashback staying down in the minors after claiming his achievement tracker, he can be some nice insurance or a great trade piece should either of D.C.'s or Prague's goalie draftees not work out. On the other hand, if he goes to Riga as predicted by Frostbeard, he could end up a long-term project/reliable backup as Kriketers begins to age. There's marginal uncertainty about Flashback because of @uphillmoss's sudden retirement of Sabertooth, but since he's involved with VSN and a relatively vocal member of the community, we're giving him the benefit of the doubt. -Renomitsu
 
 
24  Willie Dredge | RW | Yukon Rush | 224 TPE | @sjs88speed
FrostBeard 24 | GustavMattias 26 | McWolf 22 | Renomitsu 23
 
Vancouver is a team that already has one of the most well built prospect pools adding a player that could be considered a true “glass cannon” should be a bet they take. Willie Dredge is a player with an unchallenged ability to shoot the push. He has the necessary skill to be a true Power-play specialist for any team in VHL considering his ability to move the puck and skate on the same level as many VHL players already. The only question is will his defensive game game grow or we will be using the term “glass cannon” for the rest of his career? - FrostBeard
 
 
25  Mac Hooper | RW | Minnesota Storm | 165 TPE | @MacH
FrostBeard 26 | GustavMattias 29 | McWolf 23 | Renomitsu 25
 
In most of our drafts to this point, D.C. has their goalie and a couple of defenders. The next natural step would be to give Aaltonen and Gles some young forwards to mentor - and Mac Hooper will be one of them, in time. He's very raw - and likely will spend time in the minors next season - and has a relatively diverse skill set. He fits broadly into the category of winger, with passable scoring, defending, and passing, with the ability to get to loose pucks and quality skating speed. His ice time with the Storm was limited, and Hooper came up effectively as an unknown quantity, as @MacH isn't a particularly well-known agency (yet).  -Renomitsu
 
26  Jaxon Walker | RW | Minnesota Storm | 161 TPE | @hewasajazzman
FrostBeard 22 | GustavMattias 31 | McWolf 24 | Renomitsu 30
After using their three first selection to address their most urgent needs (goaltending and defense), the Prague Phantoms could use their latter picks to add forward projects. @hewasajazzman's player, Jaxon Walker, is a great defensive forward with a knack for shooting the puck, who could developp into a solid 2nd liner if he continues to grow at his current rate. I originally had him going to Vancouver with the 24th selection, but at this point in the draft, players are not ready to make the jump straight to the VHL and everyone comes with an added level of risk. Walker would fit well in Vancouver, but he'd also fit well in Prague's depth chart. - McWolf
 
27  Jeff Tates | RW | Saskatoon Wild | 184 TPE | @PotatoKing
FrostBeard 28 | GustavMattias 27 | McWolf 27 | Renomitsu 27
 
New York picks up another steal with this pick, and in retrospect Tates could be going a good deal higher than 27, if you ask me. This past week, he's surpassed four players in the rankings, and he's looking like a player any GM would be happy to hit after the first round. As of late, Tates has been a scout's dream, but the question that must be asked is--is this too much of a scout's dream to escape the attention of, well, most other scouts? PotatoKing has been reasonably active around the league--he's popped into my press conference thread lately--and has likely drawn the attention of anyone who's cared enough to pay it. So, for now, Tates at 27, but don't be surprised if he's up the actual board a bit more than that. -Gustav
 
28  Chad Gilbert | C | San Diego Marlins | 192 TPE | @Fire_In_Babylon
FrostBeard 27 | GustavMattias 28 | McWolf 30 | Renomitsu 26
 
Gilbert has a higher TPE than those around him, for sure, but drops down the board due to a bit of a lower earn rate in recent weeks. Davos is here more than happy to pick him up, though--he fits well into the future plans of the team at center, established last season with the selection of Dan Gles and subsequently erased this season with the disappearance of Gles in expansion. While Gilbert will likely take a season to see himself rise to the ranks of the men (and women) in purple, look for that time to be spent on preparation and development, for a better entrance. -Gustav
 
29  Liam Rooney | RW | Mississauga Hounds | 149 TPE | @elrune1988
FrostBeard 29 | GustavMattias 32| McWolf 25 | Renomitsu 28
 
Liam Rooney is an interesting pass-first centre with a well developed defensive ability at a very young age. Considering that  Seattle Bears are not very stacked right now on future Centres, adding a young and promising player could be a way to go for a team that at the 3rd Overall pick could be looking at picking up Thorny Underyew. It is never clear if players who are not yet even close to VHL Ready will make it and be successful but you have to gamble and hope that players like Liam Rooney are committed and are the future of VHL. – FrostBeard
 
30  Balentine Kidd | C | Mississauga Hounds | 145 TPE | @TukTukTheGreat
FrostBeard 30 | GustavMattias 30 | McWolf 29 | Renomitsu 29
 
Oh, look, I get to write about one of my players. I signed Kidd the day before the trade deadline, and he's earned at an impressive rate since, making his 145 TPE at the moment more than meets the eye. He's been actively involved in the site and in our locker room since the start, and if you ask me he's just as much a steal as anyone else you'll encounter in this mock. Though Davos picked up Gilbert earlier in the round, picking up Kidd is not necessarily harmful in terms of satisfying the team's needs--with both Kidd and Gilbert staying down in the minors for another season, Davos can take that time to evaluate their progress and decide which center they'd like to keep in the future. -Gustav
 
 
31 * Samuel Ross | G |  | 223 TPE | @Brrbisbrr
FrostBeard 35 | GustavMattias 17 | McWolf 35 | Renomitsu 35
 
Ross is another pick that depends greatly on how the rest of the draft plays out. Gustav has Ross going to Prague relatively early - not surprising, provided his recent excellent growth - while the rest of the panel gives New York a chance to claim @Brrbisbrr's client. What may buoy Ross up in the draft as early as #17 may be his locker room presence and activity in league discussions; he's often seen in the league Discord, a quality that some GMs may look on very favorably as it's a good predictor of activity in the pros. By this point, D.C. very likely has a goalie already (so you can largely ignore the little logo above) - but New York can get a solid backup and some insurance on the off-chance Gunnarsson doesn't develop as fast as they'd like. -Renomitsu
 
 
32  Jerry Wang | RW | Halifax 21st | 137 TPE | @ColeMrtz21
FrostBeard 31 | GustavMatthias 34 | McWolf 28 | Renomitsu 31
 
A true hybrid forward with a tremendous skating ability and good shot is clearly good enough for a 32nd pick in the entry draft. Moscow adding a player like this could be another bet similar to already mentioned Vancouver who could be taking a player with a very low defensive rating. In the case of Jerry Wang, he is clearly a person to grow in your system and help him develop with players that are known for their defensive talent like Randoms and Jet Jaguar. – FrostBeard
 
 
33  Jacob Perry | RW | Mississauga Hounds | 164 TPE | @Liberty_Cabbage 
FrostBeard 32 | GustavMattias 33 | McWolf 31 | Renomitsu 32
 
While raw, Jacob Perry does have a relatively defined play style as shown in his time with the Hounds - he's a prototypical offensive defenseman with a penchant for scoring and reasonable supplemental defensive attributes. He can lay out hits, skates reasonably, and can get the puck to his teammates - but ultimately what makes @Liberty_Cabbage's client so compelling is his ability to sneak shots in from nearly mid-rink. While he's likely to spend another season in the minors - having made his first update the week of July 14th - he has shown ~10 TPE/week earning during the season. By most metrics, that'd make him something of a steal at this stage of the draft, his lower starting point notwithstanding. With triple-digit hits and shots blocked, 8 power play goals on limited ice time in the VHL is a nice mark to hit. Depending on his GM, he may want to be a bit more judicious in his hits (122 PIMs, 186 hits last season) - but some may just want to steer into the curve. In this case, New York gets another promising winger who will have time to grow as their S66/S67 players swing into their prime. -Renomitsu
 
 
34  Tony Bolonee | D | Yukon Rush | 161 TPE | @Tbeez99
FrostBeard 36 | GustavMattias 35 | McWolf 33 | Renomitsu 33
 
This draft class is really a special draft class. There are way more top end defensemen when compared with forwards, but teams are usually not looking forward to have more than one star defenseman. That means that some great defensive prospects are probably going to be sleeped on while lesser forwards are selected before them. It's the case for @Tbeez99's Tony Bolonee, whose 161 TPE is borderline ridiculous for a late 3rd round pick. He's already on the right track to become a massive steal, just needs to keep on developping throughout his career. - McWolf
 
 
35  Killy Foilen | RW | Minnesota Storm | 137 TPE | @Aye my name jeff
FrostBeard 33 | GustavMattias 37 | McWolf 32 | Renomitsu 36
 
In Killy Foilen, New York rolls the dice on @Aye my name jeff's agency, who has a strong reputation for being outspoken and excellent activity in the Simulation Basketball Association. The Aussie winger made his debut with the start of Season 67, just like Jacob Perry, but Foilen goes down the less-traveled path of playmaking, finesse-style forward with flexibility enough to play center (65 FO). With a couple of former centers having gone inactive, Foilen provides a safe option at multiple forward positions and perhaps an occasional welfare claim. But because he's a ways under the minors TPE cap at the moment, New York can leave him on a smaller contract with the option to re-up him should his weekly earnings return. With a whopping tenth pick in this draft, the Americans have somewhat slim pickings; at this stage, it's low risk with a chance for reward if they can lure Foilen back into the fold. -Renomitsu
 
 
36  Bud Knight | RW | Philadelphia Reapers | 163 TPE | @Dilly Dilly
FrostBeard 34 | GustavMatthias 36 | McWolf 34 | Renomitsu 34
 
Late third round is always a bit of a tough situation to be in. The aptly-named Knight and agent @Dilly Dilly has had pretty spotty activity as of recent, while prospects like Alyksander Hunter (not mentioned in this mock) are more active but have a but just happen to fall in a defense top-heavy draft. It's difficult to predict how, exactly, Knight will compare, but this pick will inevitably have some time to sit in the minors while Vancouver evaluates if he'll stick around. -Renomitsu
 
 
37  Jason Connors | LW | San Diego Marlins | 117 TPE | @Klrpizza
FrostBeard 38 | GustavMattias - | McWolf 36 | Renomitsu –
 
Jason Connors is surely an odd draft pick to choose considering his very limited growth this season, but because he has been consistent and had a very physical first season we could be looking at a player who in a season or two might be a very valuable power forward for DC Dragons. His biggest strength probably is his ability to work wonders on the defensive end, but for that to be effective in VHL Jason should work on his skating ability and puck handling. - FrostBeard
 
 
38  Alyksandr Hunter | D | San Diego Marlins | 171 TPE | @Jaku
FrostBeard 37 | GustavMattias 38 | McWolf 37 | Renomitsu 38
 
One last pick for this mock draft and, once again, we see a defenseman going to an expansion team to give them some sort of depth. I originally had D.C. grabbing @Jaku's Alyksander Hunter with the 37th selection, but he could very well end up with Prague at pick #38. Both teams will need to get a good number of defensemen and hope that at least one of them grows into a nice future piece for them. - McWolf
 
 
 
HM Andrej Petrovic | D | Yukon Rush | 166 TPE | @Tyler
FrostBeard 37 | GustavMattias NR | McWolf 38 | Renomitsu 37
 
Andrej Petrovic is currently a solid VHLM defenseman, but the impressive number of defensemen available in this year's draft and the slow development of the blueliner from @Tyler's player agency makes him drop out of the first three rounds of the S68 VHL Entry Draft. - McWolf
 
HM Bruce Grimaldi | G | San Diego Mariners | 176 TPE | @Psyduck77
FrostBeard NR | GustavMattias 25 | McWolf NR | Renomitsu NR
 
Every season, members doing mock drafts stumble on the same issue: How many goalies will be drafted and where are they going? The victim this season is @Psyduck77's Bruce Grimaldi, whose 17 TPE should see him go easily in the first three rounds, but the fact that there are three goaltenders above him in the draft board and that there are really only 3 or 4 teams that might need a goaltender in the near future make it so he falls off our collaborative mock. - McWolf
 
 
 
Word counts:
FrostBeard: 1,082
Gustav: 1,770
McWolf: 1,421
Renomitsu: 2,077
Total: 6,350

You've seen Malmo, you've seem New York, now get ready for everything that's wrong with:
SEATTLE BEARS
 
     The Veterans:
//Seattle doesn't have a single player older than S65, making them one of the youngest teams in the league, if not THE youngest.
     The Inactives:
     S67 - Boone Jenton - 307 TPA - D
//Despite the freshness of the program, Seattle has a lot of well developed rookies. Jenton sits at the bottom of the teams depth chart across ALL positions, making his loss somewhat insignificant to the franchise.
     S65 - Carles Puigdemont - 475 TPA - D
//Although Puigdemont is the eldest member of the Seattle squad, he held an important position as the team's highest TPE defenceman. His role is a big one to fill, and with S68 being the last season before depreciation hits him he won't be able to hold that role well for much longer.
     S66 - Shane Mars - 381 TPA - LW
//The TPA doesn't necessarily show it, but Mars has been an impact player for the Bears every season he's played for them. Putting up 154 points in 144 games, Mars leaves a gaping hole in Seattle's offense, however he also hasn't really slowed down and still has time before depreciation kicks in, so his role on the team hasn't exactly been eliminated yet.
     S66 - Valeri Morozov - 312 TPA - LW
//Unlike Mars, Morozov has little impact on the ice and his TPA sits near the bottom of Seattle's depth. His role is easily filled and as a player he can be seen as almost disposable.
 
     With the lowest inac/vet count by far, Seattle is only down 4 players from their roster. However the Bears are short staffed as is, meaning they have an active roster of:
S67 - Acyd Burn - 464 TPA - LW
S67 - Ambrose Stark - 409 TPA - D
S67 - Berocka Sundqvist - 200 TPA (177 Banked) - LW
S67 - Henrik Zoiderberg - 425 TPA - LW
S67 - Hulk Hogan - 471 TPA - D
S66 - John Frostbeard - 505 TPA - RW
S67 - Kevin Low - 399 TPA - D
S67 - Scott Greene - 445 TPA - C
S67 - Rayz Funk - 585 TPA - G
     
     So Seattle is effectively playing with 3 LWs, 1 RW, 1 C, 3 D, and a goalie. With this active roster the Bear's hierarchy of needs comes out to:
1. CENTERS
When you have not only 1 active center but 1 center total that's a problem. However just because this tops the list as far as needs goes doesn't mean stretching for a center would be the best option here, as the team is generally well rounded positionally outside of this one spot.
2. DEFENSE
With your current best defenseman about to give out and only 3 remaining active, it would make the most sense to fill out the spot that's about to open up.
3. GOALIES
You don't have 2 goalies on roster, which is the only reason this ranks higher than wingers.
4. WINGERS
You have 4, they're all solid, one is your best skater. Clearly the concern doesn't lie here.
 
     So this is where the problem lies. With NY Eller made the most sense as they needed a center DESPERATELY and they needed on with FO. Seattle needs another center, yes, but with how young the team is the roster is volatile, players could easily fall inac. So even though the stretch to Underyew is much smaller than the stretch to Eller was, Seattle may just be best off taking the best player on the board. So in a split decision I'll leave this up to draft time, at third overall Seattle will take:
LANCE FLOWERS/THORNY UNDERYEW
 
     I really can't make the call here, Seattle is in a tough position as far as who they should take, but really they can't lose with either player. If Seattle's roster stays active they're brewing a powerhouse team that will be challenging for the Founder's Cup by S70 at the latest. Whoever they pick up in the first round will be a perfect fit in this young program.
 
660 Words

ye

Kick ass, thank you!

@CowboyinAmerica

Review: I'm interested to see Fredrik's future! Quite the background he has. Good call on the interview style, it fit very well for the bio. There were a couple minor grammar things but it wasn't distracting. Keep up the good work!

@CowboyinAmerica

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DIDN'T KNOW AT WHICH STAGE TO ROUND:
Just do it whenever is most beneficial for your stats.
If you have 6.7 and 7.7, rounding separately will come to 15, rounding together will come to 14. Take the 15.
If you have 6.4 and 7.4, rounding separately will come to 13, rounding together will come to 14. Take the 14.
 
 
Keven Foreskin @Esso2264 20
Owen Nolan @studentized 13
Samuel Ross @Brrbisbrr 15
Bruce Grimaldi @Psyduck77 20
Seabass Perrin @Sebster03 15 (rounding separately gets you an extra point)
Kaspars Claude @Bruins10 13
Finnegan MacBurn @DizzyWithLogic 20
Raymond Bernard @Mr_Hatter 20
Thorvald Gunnarsson @Saelven88 20
Chad Gilbert @Fire_In_Babylon 13
Nate Telker @Telkster 13
Jeff Downey @JeffD 14
Alyksander Hunter @Jaku 15
Thorny Underyew @jack 20
Luciano Valentino @Kekzkrieg 17
Dalton Wilcox @Dalton Wilcox 19
Willie Dredge @sjs88speed 13
Ryan Busser @diacope 13
Berocka Sundqvist @berocka 20
Erik Draven @Jbeezy76 15
Hugh Chan @HughJas_ 20
Kefka Palazzo @diamond_ace 20
Tony Bolonee @Tbeez99 13
Pierre Persson @Dominus89 20
Fredrik Elmebeck @Elmebeck 15
Balentine Kidd @TukTukTheGreat 13
Jesse Nyman @Jesse Nyman 13 (you only claim your two best stats, but it didn't matter - basically just letting you know for next season)
Condor Adrienne @Green 20
Charles Drumm @frescoelmo 15
Dylan Doyle @zepheter 20
Guy LeGrande @Steve you played in the bigs you don't get this
Zeno Miniti @Zeno 20
Mike Van Stronk @Beerfridge 13
Micha Sage @AcousticKazoo 20
Gert B Frobe @NumberJ5 15
David Wallace @Juddy 13
Alex Pearson @Jayrad28 20
Teemu Lehtinen Jr @Sixersfan549 17 (not because the 16.27 round up, it doesn't, but because you can round each stat individually if it works out 1 higher - in this case it does)
Lance Flowers @CowboyinAmerica 19
Brandon LeBlanc @Psanchez55 20 (only use two stats, but it got to 20 anyway)
Kenji Hachimura @Dtayl 17
Jacob Perry @Liberty_Cabbage 15 (you got the benefit in the opposite direction of Perrin and Lehtinen, you get an extra point by rounding the combined total)
Koda Adok @trevmi 15
Edu Stava @Edustava 14
Wolf Stansson Jr @Cornholio 20
Jeff Tates @PotatoKing 13
Sean McGee @Strooper99 20
A Red Guy @.sniffuM 20
Micheal Rasmussen @Connor mcdavid 18 (I gave you a little bit of the benefit of the doubt - your best two stats were points (76/10=7.6, which rounds to 8 ) and plus minus (which you did not include in your post, and therefore I didn't have to give you it, but 42/6=7) and 8+7=15, +3=18.)
Ricky Johnson @Midnite 16
Brendan Plunkett @MetalToday 20
Fang Flashback @uphillmoss 20
Roadkill Steve @stevo 13

Hiroshi Okada is a Founders' Cup champion and yet, people only talk about the likes of Thorny Underyew, Anthony Amberback, Michael Rasmussen, Zeno Miniti and Anthony Hawk. Who cares if they had over a point per game during the playoffs? Isn't participating just as important? Can we just take a moment to marvel at Okada's stats during the playoffs?
 
1 assist: Great playmakers are often overlooked. Players like Okada with more assists than goals should be applauded.
+9: So much better than Hunter Wagner. That dude may have 15 points but can he even play defensively? I don't think so.
6 penalty minutes: Such discipline, much control, wow.
1 shot blocked: Players willing to sacrifice their body for the sake of their team are rare in professional hockey. Hiroshi Okada can really do it all.
0.09 points/20 minutes: That's perhaps the statistic that's the most impressive of them all. How do you manage to get over 14 minutes on the ice per game and only have one point in 15 games? I don't know. You need to be a hockey guru such as Hiroshi Okada to have the answer to that question.

A small newbie attempt at going through how the first round of the draft will go. I hope I got the order correct and didn't forget anyone important.



The big gap in my knowledge is whether Malmö will take Condor Adrienne and arbitrate a trade with one of the expansion teams, or if everyone will pass on him and let expansion team #1 to grab him. I'm gonna say that grabbing him and working out some trade is the correct way to go, but maybe there is some gentlemen's agreement going on between the GM's. Again I am not privy to this or whatever trades that are going on, what kind of friendships that may upset the order a bit.

Malmö - Condor Adrienne (with a trade with either of the expansion teams unless he's fine with Malmö)

New York - Seem to be one of the teams that need a goalie. Unless they have some trades going with active goalies, perhaps they are looking towards A Red Guy, otherwise either Lance Flowers or Jeff Downey would make sense with the shortage of D at Americans. I have a real life enfatuation with New York, it's a magnificent city, and it would be cool if they chose me, but I think it may more sense to draft higher and pick someone that already has proven himself to be reliable for more than one season (to put this in some sort of context I expect to have a draft ranking of 15-17).

Seattle - Hard to tell what Banackcock needs. I think he's fine with the D, so perhaps Thorny Underyew. But either Flowers or Downey may still be available.

Davos - Davos looks to have some cap problems and three S62 players that will soon be gone in RW Jake Davis, D Konstantin Mulligan and LW Ryuu Crimson. It may make sense to perhaps pick Teemu Lehtinen Jr.

Riga - They're primed to do very well next season I feel, a really active player, perhaps a D? So I am going to go for Wolf Stansson Jr to start learning from Joseph McWolf.

Moscow - This is a great team in the building I feel, I think maybe a C in Sebastian Ironside (this is obviously wrong), just to prepare for C Podrick Cast's career end (this may still be true).

Calgary - Calgary again is kind of like Davos, a really strong team but quickly aging. You have two S61 in D Robert Malenko and C Sebastian Ironside. The silver lining is that just like Davos they won't have that many players exposed in the expansion draft with only eleven players in their roster. I'm going to go with Frans Eller for them unless Moscow took him, in that case Sigurd Gunnar.

Expansion team #1 - Not sure which one this will be, they may have traded for Condor Adrienne already, or that is still an open pick depending on how the other GM's decide to approach this. They may have D Luciano Valentino at this spot. Don't draft for position, draft the best player available.

Expansion team #2 - Basically the same as above, could pick Valentino if he's still available, or Micha Sage or Owen Nolan. Both of the expansion team will need a goalie too though, but since almost no one else does I think they can wait to pick say Raymond Bernard or Samuel Ross for the second or third round (if they have not already traded for a goalie behind the scenes).

Toronto - In the rankings I guess Keven Foreskin would be the obvious choice, but with GM-ship, etc, I think maybe Ryo Yamasaki II would make more sense. I really have no idea how the tradition here works, if Keven will go to New York or is open game for other GMs.

Helsinki - Super strong team this past season, still young. I am not sure where their biggest weakness is or how much cap space is left, but someone higher up may still be available, or perhaps LW Kaspars Claude or RW Willie Dredge.

Vancouver - Maybe cover for their star center in Rauno Paulo and try to get a C in Chad Gilbert?

Edit: Spelling, clarifications.

@Green @.sniffuM @CowboyinAmerica @JeffD @jack @Josh @Pandar @SlapshotDragon @Sixersfan549 @Cornholio @McWolf @pennypenny @DollarAndADream @Ace @Victor @Big Mac @Kekzkrieg @AcousticKazoo @studentized @Mr_Hatter @Brrbisbrr @Donno100 @Bruins10 @sjs88speed @jRuutu @Fire_In_Babylon @Beaviss @hedgehog337 @Quik @Bushito @Victor @Devise @ShawnGlade @Advantage @Esso2264 @Banackock @diamond_ace @Enorama
 

0.0 - Introduction
 
To begin, I'm not calling myself the god of sigs, but I do think I have improved a lot since my return to the VHL earlier this year. Hopefully this thread can help out some people struggling to consistently create nice sigs.
 
Here we go.
 
 
1.0 - Composition
 
The difference between a good sig and a fantastic sig often lies in its composition. That is, its layout of the elements, and its flow. There are a few key things to note in this category, and these things are easy to do.
 
1.1 - Rule of Thirds
 
The rule of thirds states that interesting elements and focal points should be on the intersecting points of a 3x3 grid.
 
In the following sig, the render's face and logo are on an intersecting point, as well as the text.
 

 
The main thing to note here is that you shouldn't put stuff in the dead centre.
 
1.2 - Depth
 
Depth in a sig is what makes it seem complete. To create depth, you will usually need a combination of stocks and effects. 
 

 
In this sig, the foreground is the render and the some surrounding area. The background is a bit of the left and the rest of the right. The depth comes from the "bokeh" effect, or simple stated, the blur. An easy way to create depth is to make a layer on top of everything else when you're done, and Gaussian Blur it between 1px and 2px. Erase (or mask) the parts that you want to be in focus, mainly your render and the text.
 
 
2.0 - Stocks
 
Stocks, put simply, are photographs or digital images of anything that you put in your sig to make it look cool.
 
This is one of my sigs without the render or text.
 

 
Some of the stocks in there are splatters, c4ds, or lighting effects (Click those links to find thousands of examples.)
 
Other stocks include landscapes, patterns or just cool pictures.
 
Many often get messed up with the sort of blend modes they're supposed to use for a stock. Best advice here is to experiment, but the most common blend modes are Soft Light, Overlay, Screen/Lighten, Multiply/Darken and occasionally Color Burn/Color Dodge. 
 
A good trick for when a stock is too intense is to play with its Levels instead of its Opacity. Hit Ctrl+L (Cmd+L) when you are on that layer and adjust the middle slider until it looks good. And never be afraid to erase ugly parts!
 
 
3.0 - Text
 
Text is often the biggest issue for sig makers. Many simply don't put in enough effort, and many don't know what effort to put in.
 
One simple thing to do is give it a background.
 

 
This will give the text some substance, and make it easier to read.
 
Don't be scared of hiding some of the text with the render. As long as it is still readable, it can work.
 

 
Never be afraid to spice up the text with some flare. Add a bunch of periods or 'x's. Maybe even some small gibberish that is just for aesthetics.
 

 
Final tip for text: always try multiple versions. Do three totally different attempts of text on each sig you do, with different fonts, spacing, effects, colouring etc. This is the number one way to improve your text.
 
 
4.0 - Assorted Techniques
 
4.1 - Displacement Maps
 
Duplicate your render. Go Filter > Distort > Displace. Hit OK or choose some different numbers. Locate an old .psd of yours. This will distort the render into some cool looking formations.
 

 
It might look weird here, but if you put it behind your render, it can give a nice effect.
 
4.2 - Gradient Maps
 
Seems pretty obvious for experienced sigmakers but it took me a long time to realise Gradient Map didn't mean use the Gradient tool. Hit the Black and White circle at the bottom of the layers panel and choose Gradient Map or go Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map. A Gradient Map will map colours to your sig based on the light. 
 

 
The render on the right has a purple to orange Gradient Map on it set to Soft Light. Mess around with different colours and blend modes to find some interesting effects.
 
4.3 - Shapes & Lines
 
Using polygons and lines is one of my favourite techniques. Draw the shape with the polygonal lasso tool or use the Shape Tool.
 

 
The triangles in this sig were made using the shape tool and various colours.
 
 
4.4 - Color Dodge Dots
 
Create a new layer and set it to Color Dodge. Choose a soft brush (circular) and set it anywhere from 15px - 100px. Turn on size jitter if you're feeling funky. Choose a color that is on the darker half of the spectrum (halfway down inside the colour picker window). Now just click a few times in spots that need some brightening up.
 
This. 
 

 
To this. 
 

 
(Also did some blurring to this one).
 
4.5 - Clipping Masks
 
Clipping masks are using in many different ways. You can use them to isolate an adjustment layer to just on layer, blend in splatter effects, create nice backgrounds or make nice text. Here are a few examples.
 
A clipping mask, in its basic form, has the colour of one layer aligned to the shape of another. The colour layer is on top of the shape.
 

 
In this example, the circle layer is beneath the army pattern layer. To create this, you make the circle layer directly underneath the army pattern layer. Then, right click on the army pattern layer and select 'Create Clipping Mask'.
 
In this example, the text has a clipping mask of the render.
 

 
 
While in this example, the splatters at the bottom-right and bottom-middle have clipping masks applied to them. The goal of this effect is to have it blend better with the rest of the sig.
 

 
 
Finally, in this sig the large circle is a clipping mask from the left side of the sig.
 

 
 
5.0 - Final Touches to Sigs
 
There are a few things that I do to nearly every sig I make. These are almost universal to sigs, and should improve many sigs.
 
Starting point:
 

 
5.1 - Hue Layer
 
Make a new Gradient Map. Make the first colour whatever colour suits your sig, and your second colour black or white (doesn't matter). 
 

 
5.2 - Exposure Layer
 
Make a new Exposure layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Exposure). My settings are: Exposure: 0, Offset: +0.0164, Gamma Correction: 0.89.
 

 
This makes the dark less overpowering.
 
5.3 - B/W Layer
 
Sometimes some coloured parts of a sig should grab less attention. An easy way to fix this is making that part black and white. Make a new layer and set it to Color. Brush in black anywhere that is drawing too much attention from it's color.
 

 
5.4 - High Pass
 
Make a new layer. Select all (Ctrl + A/Cmd + A) then hit Ctrl + Shift + C/Cmd + Shift + C to copy the entire sig. Then, paste it on the new layer (Ctrl + V/Cmd + V). Then go Filter > Other > High Pass and set it anywhere from 10px to 100px. Set this on Soft Light or Overlay and mess around with its Opacity.
 

 
5.5 - Blur
 
Finally, to create some depth, I again go through the steps of copying the whole sig and pasting it (another way to do this is making a new layer and going Image > Apply Image). Then I go Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set it between 1px and 2px. Erase the render and text and other details that should remain sharp.
 

 
 
6.0 - Conclusion
 
Hopefully this helps some people in their sig making. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reply. I will likely add to this later as well.

575 words, claiming for September 1st
 
#6

Saturday, August 31st: 
 
Just as it started, so it has come to an end. My season in the VHLM has come and gone, and at the end of it all, we are the champions!!!!!! Queue the music, Queen, confetti, champagne, the whole nine yards. The run has been nothing short of spectacular, and all I can say is that it has been an absolute pleasure. The Ottawa franchise is one of if not the most historic left in the league, and I am so proud that we were able to add to that legacy. Bringing the Founder’s Cup back to the Lynx was like a dream come true. Granted, I’ve only been attached to the franchise rather briefly, since the draft, but in time I’ve really come to respect and feel at home with the team. I can’t say enough how good the organization has been to me. 
 
Acyd and Hulk, they really were there for us in the locker room. Any questions we had, concerns we wanted to raise, we could go to them and they would help. I think that attitude really trickled down into the players dispositions. I’m sure everyone swears by their locker room as the best locker room, and to be honest, I’m not going to try and pretend with that whole “oh but ours actually is,” because let’s be real, that is some bullshit. All I will say is our locker room was all that I was hoping for and more. All I can say is that I hope wherever I end up in after the VHL draft has the same kind of feeling to it. I know that might be hard to replicate (and even harder to continue winning silverware into my first season in the VHL), but one can hope! Speaking of, the draft is coming up, and I am beyond excited. 
 
I have no idea where I will end up in the draft. All I know is that with two expansion teams, anything can happen. Of course, it doesn’t seem too likely at this moment that many of the current 10 teams will need to draft a starter right away. Maybe one of them. And while I’m not completely disregarding the idea of trying to work my way up to a starting position, I really would like to try and compete as the first choice in net within a year. Maybe that’s a bit of a stretch to hope for, but what else should I do? I don’t know, but I can’t help but shoot for the top right off the bat. 
 
Of course, there is always the possibility that the expansion teams work out a deal of some kind with one of the current teams. Perhaps they agree to take one of the young goalies in the expansion draft in exchange for some picks in the future, and then the current team in turn takes me in the draft. In that case, maybe I could be on a contender, and competing soon. Or maybe that won’t happen and I’ll be taken by an expansion team. That would be exciting indeed, maybe even preferable! Don’t get me wrong, I understand it might be a long road ahead, but I have no doubt that we could build a real competitor within the context of my career. And hey, even if we can’t, at least it will be fun starting off a franchise on the right foot. 
 

With S67 now all wrapped up, we can add another data point for cross-season stat comparisons. For this week, I thought I'd look at the TPA earned by players over time.
 
A couple of limitations up front (as a result of my data set):
I'm only looking at TPA, not TPE. TPE that is banked is omitted from this, so in general TPE earning is probably a bit higher than what I report. Whether this banking of TPE is increasing or decreasing, I could not track. This is most notable for players making the jump from the VHLM to the VHL, because of the 200 TPA cap in the VHLM forces everyone to bank after that milestone is reached. Because this makes a noticeable impact, I will split out the results into three sections: VHL growth, VHLM growth, and growth in both leagues. Depreciation exists (and is annoying to measure) so for some players TPA growth does not fully represent TPA earnings. I was about to get accurate and calculate what stats were depreciated based on player age, but then I remembered there are store purchases to counter it, so it wouldn't have been accurate. Ultimately in order to capture this I would need to collect better data sets and track player data at various points throughout season instead of just end of season TPA. Possible to do in the future.  There are two main explanations for why TPA might be increasing (decreasing) over time. 
a) players are more (or less) active and everyone is doing more (or less) work on point tasks, etc.
b) opportunities for TPE earning are becoming more (or less) available
The general feeling I've picked up from the forums is that TPE inflation (i.e more point b) is a thing, but I don't really see a way to measure this aside from looking back through old forum pages to compare. My own personal feelings on the matter say that giving out easier TPE might even be (dare I say it) good for the league. My rationale being that as the league grows, relatively fewer members will claim the "top" amount of TPE possible, and more often than not claim a below average amount from what the average was last season. This is just diminishing returns on recruitment. Obviously  there will be exceptions to this and you will recruit new members that buy in right away and build fast, but for the most part the more committed users will already be here/some other sim league they prefer. More/easier TPE earning opportunities would be a way to counter that and maintain a consistent amount of player growth that we're used to. Those are all just thoughts, however so now let's actually look at the data.  
I looked at end of season (regular season, not playoffs) TPA across players in the VHL and VHLM. Changes in TPA are attributed to the last season i.e S67 data is the change from end of season 66 to end of season 67 and would account for all growth in the following playoffs, the offseason, and the next regular season. It shouldn't really matter where we cut off as long as we're consistent, so I just went with what my dataset had.
 
The boxplots below chart the changes in TPA across season. I have charted the mean TPA change as the red dot and the median is the bold horizontal black line. I looked at three different data sets; VHL growth (players who went from the VHL to the VHL), VHLM growth (players who went from having no data or being in the VHLM to the VHLM), and "all" growth (from nothing, VHLM, or VHL to VHLM or VHL). This "all" growth is the only one to capture the players coming out of the VHLM and into the VHL, so it includes a bunch of higher TPA growth data points due to limitation number 1 (/the 200 TPA cap in the VHLM).
All Growth
 

 
VHL Growth

 
VHLM Growth

 
There are some commonalities in all three data sets, most noticeably that S65 seems to be the most "inflated" TPA growth season of the ones looked at. I was not a member of the forums at the time so not sure really why that would be the case, but I would imagine that either some favourable TPA hand-out existed or that it was just an abnormally successful recruitment season. If we look only at the bottom lines of the boxplots (the 25th percentiles) of the "all" growth chart, we can see that S67 was the first season since S64 where that value was 0 TPA. This means roughly 25% of players who played games in the VHL/VHLM were completely inactive or just suffered from some major depreciation they couldn't recover from. This isn't overly worrying in my mind, especially since the median/average values are staying relatively on pace with the S66 ones, but it does potentially hint at some recruitment diminishing returns. Another explanation could just be that GMs had an increased likelihood to play inactive players this season. Definitely could be tracked over a longer period of time to reach better conclusions.
 
In case anyone is wondering, I can share who some of the biggest outliers were.
 The biggest VHL-to-VHL TPA growth season was for Matt Thompson in S63 with a gain of 255 TPA (from 490 to 745) The biggest season growth altogether was for Hunter Hearst Helmsley in S66 (200 TPA in VHLM to 531 TPA in VHL) There have been 14 players in the VHLM who made it to the max 200 TPA growth all within their first season, most recently being two S68 draft eligible players in Luciano Valentino and Jeff Downey The honour of biggest loser goes to Aleksei Federov in S60 (890 in S59 to 637 in S60, a drop of 253 TPA). Surprisingly his stats were better following depreciation The best S67 VHL growth player was Tyler Barabash Jr with a TPA growth of 248.   
That's about all I wanted to do with this data at this point, but am always open to suggestions to do more if anyone has any. I'm also happily getting married tomorrow and honeymooning soon after that, so this will probably be my last post of this level of quality for the next month. (please still draft me GMs ?)
 
Thanks for reading!
 
 
 
1045 words, so will be claiming for next 2 weeks.
 

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN -- Saskatoon Wild GM Rylan Peace released a short video today some would call 'blog style' after the Ottawa Lynx completed their sweep of the Minnesota Storm at the conclusion of game four. The Wild GM congratulated the relatively new Lynx GM on a job well done and their first championship in the VHLM. Peace also briefly applauded the Storm's efforts throughout the playoffs, especially defeating a powerful Philadelphia team, but the majority of his press release was addressed to John  Perdue and Anthony Amberback. 

Amberback played a critical role to Ottawa's post-season success with twenty six points. The strong defender is second in team scoring, landing just under Underyew - who's immensely impressive 34 points likely wins him the playoff MVP award - while achieving the highest points per twenty minutes among any defender in the playoffs. Of course Ottawa's offensive nature made it possible for such a strong performance. 

Perdue, unfortunately, was benched for the entirety of the playoffs as the rules that govern VHLM GMs dictate inactive members are played below active and engaged members and their players. He averaged just over three minutes a game during the regular season, where the left winger managed to pot eleven points in seventy one games before sitting the final regular season game. Perdue was once a reliable scorer for Saskatoon, so his disappearance into inactivity is truly disappointing. 

The Lynx defeated the Aces in the first round in five games, moved on to defeat Halifax in six before sweeping Minnesota in four. 

Minnesota on the other hand swept aside the Bulls in four, and impressively dispatched the Reapers in five before being unfortunately swept under the rug by the Lynx. 

It was a good and surprising playoffs this go around. 



 

Look at those ? 

huge shutout @Mr_Hatter

Right back at you buddy, big double  @jack

huge shutout @Mr_Hatter

SUMMARY

Good start to the series, hope we can continue this form. 

Massive game from our captain!

great game, especially @Mr_Hatter