Will

Tommy Shelby
Age: 22
Position: C
Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 190lbs

 

Born in Birmingham, Halifax 21st centreman Tommy Shelby's life did not follow the 'typical' path of a VHLM player. In fact, he only started playing a few short years ago when he was 18. Prior to that, he had a difficult childhood and led a rather tumultuous life that is worthy of a novel or a TV series. 

 

With his father passing away at a young age, Shelby's family consisted of his mother, two brothers, and a close aunt. The family was not well off, and although his mother worked various part time jobs, they always seemed to be just scraping by. As the boys got older, the family's plight led them to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and they spent their days trying to make some extra money anyway that they could. In the beginning it was normal kid stuff like selling lemonade on the streets but over time their business practices got a little more sketchy and they began to run various hustles like stealing and reselling goods and loansharking small amounts to other kids. Their drive paid off and in addition to making a name for themselves in the local community, the money they were bringing in was making a big difference in their homelife and had lifted the family out of poverty. On account of this, their mother fully embraced her sons growing business. 

 

As these things go, their lines of business continued to expand and the amount of risk they were willing to take on continued to increase. By the time Tommy was 16, the brothers were running gambling rings and engaged in the drug trade. And through a connection with a local liquor store, they were purchasing massive quantities of alcohol an reselling it at massive markups to their underage peers. The trio had long stopped attending school at this point and were generally consumed with conducting their business and bringing in cash. Although they didn't have much time for sport, the boys would, on occasion, pull the net out of the garage and play some street hockey. When they were kids this always their go to sport when the sun was shining and although they played less as they got older, they never completely abandoned it and tended to retreat back to it when they were having a tough time with the business. 

 

Unfortunately for the brothers, the success andd profit that they had come to enjoy didn't last very long. The fact is, this isn't 1920 and these types of things don't stay secret for long in the age of cameras everywhere. In the face of insurmountable evidence against them, all 3 brothers reached plea agreements with prosecutors. The agreements called for siezure of all proceeds of their crimes, a short stint in juvenie detention and lengthy community service. 

 

In detention, the brothers once again retreated to their old past time and Tommy started a street hockey league in the yard. The league was a huge success and the winning team (which was the Shelby team) even had a match against a team of guards. When Tommy was released, he was just shy of his 18th birthday and he knew that he had a choice to make. He could revert to his old habits, make some good money for awhile but he knew that eventually he would be caught and this time he wouldn't be considered a kid. Or he could find a legal way to have the life he wanted. 

 

As part of his community service, Shelby began volunteering at the local rink and it was here that he noticed an advertisement for tryouts for a local U18 team. Despite most of hockey experience being on the street with a ball, Shelby didn't hesitate to sign up and began devoting his time to hockey. He convinced the rink manager to let him use the ice overnight and would spend hours and hours practicing. Tryout day came and, perhaps partly due to his training and partly due to low turnout, he made the team. He was no superstar when he started that season but he continued to work at it relentlessly and he would later credit his coaches and teammates from that obscure team as teaching to him to be the player he is today. 

 

By the end of the season, Tommy was the best player on the ice, every game. One of Shelby's coaches was so impressed with his progress that he set up a tryout for Shelby with a professional team the following season. It came as no surprise to the coach when Shelby made it. And it was shortly after this that Shelby's new coach introuced him to a personal friend of his - former VHL player, commissioner, and agent Don Draper. Draper had been retired and this meeting was simply meant to be an opporunity for Shelby to get some career advice. By the end of the meeting, Shelby had convinced Draper to be his agent and get him on the fast track to the VHLM. 

 

And now, partway through his first VHLM season, Shelby has his sights set on the VHL Entry Draft. 

38 minutes ago, Beketov said:

we will be launching a further investigation and audit of all our costs and funds to be sure that no one else has done anything of the sort in the past.

 

sheeeeeiiiiiit......

On 3/21/2024 at 1:45 PM, Fire Tortorella said:

@Will @Josh Would it be possible to show an "updated attributes log" under Player Management showing your previous updates? Even something like the past 5 updates would be beneficial showing where the TPE was applied and how much.

 

5 hours ago, Victor said:

That makes two of us

 

that makes 3 of us. Actually I had already finished, my high school had a system where if you chose the right classes you could have all the credits you need to graduate after first semester of your final year. So I was just fucking off until university the next year… ah simpler times 

 

I would have just joined VHL in early March…opps I missed my 10 year anniversary 

Yeah I think as @Spartan  said this is kind of already baked into FA although could look at adding a last update column to the list in FA. I think that would be better than including it on the main list here. I wouldn't be opposed to an Inactive flag on the main list though (similar to the 1st gen flag). 

Indeed, this has been accessible to staff since Portal updating began 

 

Suppose it makes sense to be visible in player management. 

7 hours ago, MubbleFubbles said:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mubble-fubbles/episodes/MubbleFubbles-Radio-Ep--18---Davos-Best-and-Worst-Pick-of-the-80s-and-Return-Of-The-Portal-GOAT-e2h4d80

 

Do you like Davos?

 

Do you like @Will?

 

Do you like inexplicably heavy Saturday traffic?

 

Then you may like this podcast!

 

Trivia link not a bad idea, we could probably afford 1 or 2 more in that space. There's no hidden ones other than the 2 you mentioned (except create a player which shows up but hides the others). I just came across that old post by chance but if you've made other suggestions while I've been...away... send them my way and I'll see what I can do 

 

10/10 for the traffic commentary, it was just as good as trying to get the ice off your car  

On 3/17/2024 at 11:19 AM, Victor said:

Appreciate you continuing to make the Renaissance Cup ones but @Josh still hasn't blessed us with a section on the portal for them lol

 

Good to go

8 hours ago, Beketov said:

@Will?

 

Still have a template for these? 

 

1) I've never paid too much attention to my shoes. I'd go with Blundestone I guess, I have two pairs that I pretty much wear day-to-day for 8 or 9 months of the year. 

2) Japanese Cherry Blossom is probably the only tree that has really made me think "wow, that's a nice tree" 

3) Carbo load some spaghetti and meat sauce 

 

I only need 1 TPE so re-using questions:

On 3/16/2024 at 6:23 PM, Joel Main said:

) Whats your favorite shoe brand?

 

2) whats your favorite type of tree?

 

3) whats your pre-game meal?

6 hours ago, Beketov said:

@Will?

Yeah sure I’ll take care of that

Yeah this is something I’ve meant to look at a long time ago. I think you just mean the player page here but on the player management side, this is a bit more ambitious but I’ve always pictured like a weekly ‘checklist’ that shows what capped you’ve done and your options to get the rest. 

Good suggestion I'll look at adding that. 

8 hours ago, Ahma said:

I remember years ago back in the S50's or S60's it was incorrectly called Team Scandinavia. I then talked to, pretty sure it was then commissioner, @Will among other higher ups to change the name to Team Nordic. Unfortunately, after some time it was, for some god forsaken reason, changed back to Scandinavia, and remains as to this day despite me privately complaining about in the past.

 

 

I stand with Ahma! Back to team Nordic! 

3 minutes ago, Fire Tortorella said:

.) What's your biggest surprise in the VHL(E)(M) this season?

2.) What is your unpopular opinion that's actually unpopular?

3.) What's the least fun way to earn TPE?

 

1. Of course, the introduction of Tommy fokin' Shelby 

2. I came here looking for easy questions bro... my unpopular opinion, particularly relevant here, is that I just don't find sports all that interesting to watch or follow. Honestly haven't watched a NHL game in a couple years. Going to a game in person is obviously a different story but I'm definitely not paying for a sportsnet subscription anytime soon. 

3. I guess partly it comes down to personal taste like I think graphics is definitely not fun but overall I feel like reviewing is kind of bottom of the barrel activity. 

 

1. You can go anywhere in the world, where are you and you're player spending the off-season?

2. What's the funnest way to earn TPE? 

3. Whose your VHL hero? 

Review: Great recap of the final series and interesting idea on the off-season free week. I think it's a valid idea, I don't necessarily think that it would help retention or keep someone from losing interest but I think you raise a good idea of it getting harder to find things to write about and just giving everyone a little break in the off-season.  And nice shoutout to @Tetricide, best of luck with the new position. Overall good quality thought provoking article. 4/5.

Review: Little late on the review but thanks for putting this together, this is a great guide for new and returning members - you're 100% right that there are more TPE opportunities than ever and quite a bit is new or changed so very helpful to have it all in one place. Good use of pictures to help support the guide. Obviously this is mainly for new members so maybe this was by design but the only TPE I can think of that isn't mentioned here is job pay. 10/10

2 hours ago, Gustav said:

I can see this being hellish to figure out a balance for. It’s an interesting idea, but you’d have to be really methodical about running your tests in a way that’s reflective of the ways that players would actually update and how that would conceivably work in the sims. And even then, what’s a “successful” outcome in terms of the starts that a backup would get? It’s probably better to just require that teams follow that successful outcome in the first place. 
 

I also have no idea how endurance and fatigue work—does it change over the course of a season or just reset at the start of each game? The latter wouldn’t exactly work in the way this is intended. 

I haven’t looked at STHS in a long time but IIRC- there is in-game fatigue which affects player attribute, basically a fatigued players attributes are reduced based on some formula. Then there’s a post-game fatigue formula that determines how fatigued that player will start the next game. 
 

I don’t think we’ve ever tested it that much probably just because it has never really been our desire to ‘punish’ players for having lots of ice time. Also don’t quote on me on this but I feel like you can’t activate fatigue without also activating injuries. 

On 1/14/2024 at 12:28 PM, Banackock said:

7. What current M player do you feel a sense of rivalry with?

 

8. If you had to be stuck on an island with 4 other M players, which would you pick and why?

 

9. Pick a M team. What would their mascot be? Look like? What would it’s name be?

 

10. Is there anything you’d like to say to the amazing new members of the league?

 

11. What’s been a surprise to you when it comes to the VHL or your experience in it? 
 

12. Are there any members you look up to and why?

 

13. How has your 2024 new year gone so far?

 

14. Anything fun and exciting coming up in life for you?

 

15. Your player was abducted by aliens. They probe you and steal important data from your hockey brain. What do the aliens learn about human life on planet earth because of your player? 
 

 

 

8. Annie Oakes, Freja Hope, Harry Potter, and Phil Taylor. This one was easily...we're all used to being stuck on an island. 

9. Halifax - Personally I think it should be a donair costume like the one the government auctioned off... for your viewing pleasure: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/donair-costume-winner-alberta-1.6936780. Let's call him Donny Donair! 

10. Welcome to the VHL! It can easily seem overwhelming to a new member but it's a quick learning curve and there's lots of people willing to help so don't be afraid to ask questions. 

11. I don't think this question was intended for me but whatever - the biggest surprise to me overall honestly is just the VHL's longevity and how many members with such long tenures remain here today. I never would have imagined the VHL would still be thriving back when I joined in I think 2015 which almost still feels new compared to some others. Pretty wild. 

12. I have a lot of respect for everyone that has made significant contributions to the VHL over the years but particularly those like yourself that have done it with such consistency and unwavering dedication for so long, some of the tenures are pretty impressive and I think that's been a great asset to the league. 

13. My 2024 has been pretty good, although aside from entering the VHLM, not all that different from 2023. But it's early and I think it will shape up to be a good year, hoping to get some good vacations in and steadily renovating my place. 

Tommy Shelby, recent entrant to the VHLM, has his eye on the upcoming VHLM Dispersal Draft as he continues his training. Shelby, who announced his entrance to the league just prior to the end of the regular season, did not get picked up by a team and will instead continue training through the summer. 

 

Shelby is rumored to be training aggressively under a yet unnamed coach provided by his agency. Although late to join the draft class, it is clear that Shelby and his agency are looking to get the 22 year-old centreman's name out there and impress GMs to the extent possible in the limited time that they have. Rumor has it that Shelby is particularly keen on getting the attention of Halifax 21st GM @ShawnGlade. It's possible that Shelby views Halifax as the optimal geographical location for him with daily flights between Halifax and London that would allow him to easily travel home to attend to his business interests. 

 

While there is still time for Shelby to make an impact before the draft, there is also lots of time for him to shoot himself in the foot. 

You're still sporting the builder sig I made! I think shortly after I made that, I decided that GFX just wasn't for me. 

 

1) That sig was uploaded to Imgur on January 15, 2016. Does that make you feel as old as it does me? 

2) What do you think the most positive change in the VHL has been in recent times (say the last couple years)? 

3) What about the least-positive change? 

4) Name the #1 past user that you wish would come back. 

5) What's your most memorable VHL moment? 

6) What VHLM team should I want to be drafted to? 

10 hours ago, Ahma said:

DRAPER!

 

AHMA!!!! 

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - 

 

Heads were turned in the hockey world yesterday as an old agency rumored to be defunct made the surprise announcement that they were taking on a new player. The Will Agency (WA), an old agency that represented previously a couple of high profile players before hitching their wagon to a series of relative failures, announced yesterday that they would be representing up-and-comer Tommy Shelby of Birmingham. 

 

In a statement to press, WA spokesperson Robert Roberts had this to say:

 

"We're pleased to make a return to the VHL landscape. On account of our disgust with the poor performance of our most recent client, we needed to take some time to regroup as an organization. We made the not so difficult decision to fire all of our scouts and spent the ensuing months investing heavily in AI and data analytics. Today we are confident that we are  the most cutting-edge and sophisticated agency in the market with 100% of our decisions being made by AI. We hope to make an impactful return to the league and our AI is confident that Tommy Shelby is the man to do it." 

 

While it remains to be seen what kind of an impact the 22 year-old Tommy Shelby will have, the performance of  WA's more recent clients casts significant doubt on the agencies judgement. Let's have a look at WA's previous clients. 

 

[The Original] Don Draper (S38) - A chronic underachiever that never won a cup and whose only real accomplishment was a couple of Top Leader awards, Don Draper was a stalwart force on the Helsinki blue line for a few competitive seasons. 

 

Aleksi Koponen (S45) - Aleksi Koponen was a tough 2-way forward who, unlike Draper, did manage to pick up some hardware. Koponen helped lead Helsink to back-to-back cups is Seasons 45 and 46. Later in his career, he led the league in points with Calgary in Season 51.

 

John Locke (S53) - Known for not spending much time training, John Locke somewhat ironically became WA's greatest success and racked up an impressive awards cabinet. In the VHLM he led the league in Goals, Assists and Points in a single season. He earned Top Rookie upon his entry to the VHL and went on to win 4 Continental Cups with Riga and Helsinki. He led the league in goals twice and took home an MVP and a playoff MVP. 

 

Ho Lee Fook (S54) - Ho Lee Fook had a long career, won a cup and put up some decent numbers....in the VHLM. He just never quite made it to the big leagues. 

 

Will Clarke (S69) - A low impact player, Clarke managed to ride the coat tails of better players to win 3 Continental Cups with 3 different teams but spent most of his time on the bench and contributed little.  

 

Commodus (S81)  - A total failure, Commodus played a season of VHLM in Yukon. During his time in the North, Commodus developed an irrational hatred of ice and determined he could never step foot in a rink again. 

 

In time, we'll find out if Tommy Shelby will be a John Locke or a Commodus. 

 

Player Information

Username: Will

Player Name: Tommy Shelby

Recruited From: Returning

Age: 22

Position: C

Height: 72 in.

Weight: 180 lbs.

Birthplace: United Kingdom

Player Page

@VHLM GM

On 10/17/2023 at 5:15 AM, Victor said:

Not getting involved in the shadowy world of simmer politics.

 

Becoming weak in your old age are you Vic?