Bonzaijoe

Lines looking Great @Bonzaijoe, I hope you have fun being a GM. It is always nice to see a new enthusiastic site member get their chance to shine!

I want to thank @BladeMaiden and @Sonnet and the rest of those who help make the WJC happen for giving me this opportunity to GM Team USA in this competition!
 
Without any more delay, though, here is my announced roster for the S64 WJC:
 

 
@CurtisG93 @DaftRaincloud @eaglesfan036 @Jose Gonzalez @TMI @Brolaski @ShawnGlade @Ty343 @BluObieZ @ADV @Eparker24 @Philliefan @Fire Hakstol @pierogituxedo @ColeMrtz21
 
I'm really looking forward to the tournament! I think we have a great group of players and some solid up-and-coming talent on this team that could really put in some work! 'Murica!

No prior GM experience but I wouldn’t mind trying if you need someone!

No prior GM experience but I wouldn’t mind trying if you need someone!

in b4 sexy RP

We sat down once again with Vegas Aces Goalie Joe Nixon, fresh out the VHLM draft coming from Pittsburgh to do our weekly segment in which we've been dubbing "The Youngster's View"!
 
This week's edition (like last week's) is a special edition, featured on VSN rather than VHL.com! Venture over to VHL.com to read the rest of our saga with Joe Nixon if you enjoy what you've read here today!
 
This week, as Nixon has now started 5 games in his early VHLM career, we sat down to ask him a few questions about his first two wins, as well as how he feels about his performance in all 5 games, including the 2 other losses which he also suffered.
 
"The wins feel great and the losses feel bad," Nixon simply stated, "it's as easy as that. I felt really good in those two wins, maybe they were closer than I wanted, maybe I could've stopped way more shots, but at the end of the day  we got the win which is what I really wanted." So far this season, Nixon is at the bottom of the VHLM with only a .841 save percentage, although his GAA sits middle-of-the-road at 2.80, which probably says more about his defense's ability to stop players before they shoot rather than Nixon's ability so far this season. "I feel confident that I'm bettering my game and I can go out there and be better with the more time I get on the ice throughout the season," Nixon said, "I'm blessed that I've got the amount of game time that I have, but simply I haven't really been putting up the numbers that I want. That will change in the future and I guarantee that to my coach and team."
 
I wanted to see how Nixon felt about how his defense has helped him and what the difference is in the game between his college career and VHLM game time. Nixon said the skill difference is the obvious difference, noting "My defense is better, their offense is better, I have to be at the top of my game and I need to stay sharp because the ones that actually get to me, unless my defense screws up, are the really good shots that are saves that I need to make." When I asked about any other differences, Nixon quickly noted "and the locker room. It's a huge difference between some college guys that are on a small stage and not really known and now I'm here in the room with professional players. We're getting paid to be here and live our dream. You can tell that these guys wanna go out and put on a show for those fans and they wanna put up the numbers to give us the best chance of winning. Not saying my college guys didn't want the wins, but it was just more laid back when it was less of a job and more of a game that all of us love more than anything. Also not trying to say my locker room now is too uptight or too hostile. We have fun. There's just.... a difference. It's hard to explain."
 
Lastly, I asked Joe what he thinks he did right in his two wins. Joe answered with "I stopped the easy ones, and kept them to as few goals as possible. I know that's a cliche answer and not really what you're probably looking for but that's as simple as my job is. I thought my positioning in those two games were solid and I've allowed myself to get to the puck and stop it well. The wins feel great, I'm glad to know I could help my team, and I'm looking forward to stealing some more for my team in the future. Right now our guys are playing extremely well out there and our record shows it for sure."
 
Thanks to Joe Nixon for sitting down with us again this week! We look forward to talking to him again soon, on next week's edition of "The Youngster's View"!

Now that we are at the 24 game mark, the standings are starting to shape out and the teams have already made some big moves preparing for what are going to be some very very competitive playoffs. Let’s analyze every team.
 
 Las Vegas Aces 
Without a doubt the best and the hottest team right now. With a 18-4-2 record they are sitting at the 1st seed comfortably.
They have recently acquired Curtis Gary from Saskatoon in an exchange of picks and that solidifies them as the deepest team in the league. Their first line of forwards amasses an astounding total of 574 TPE, with Gary, Bailie and Nathan. But, more impressively although it seems hard to do, is their second line, amassing 400 TPE, while the average 2nd line of the other top4 teams is about 300 TPE.
If we could highlight a weak spot, would be their defense, although the league is lacking quality defenseman.
Overall, LVA is going to be the team to beat this playoffs and looks like the clear contender
 
 Oslo Storm 
The team that was supposed to be the top1 coming into this draft, now sitting at the 3rd seed after a rough start to the season. They were struggling hard against the top teams winning only 1 game out of their first 10 games against the other top3 teams. However they have won their last 2 against Halifax and Ottawa.
The Storm’s top line falls behind to only the Aces top line, but statistically Carles, Diljodh and Sven are performing better. They also have the best D pairing in the league, with Jones and Philliefan.
That looks very good, why do they struggle so much against top teams then? They are lacking depth. Schaefer, a guy who has only 30 TPE, is playing 20 minutes a game and has scored only 3 points so far. Their goalie situation is also somewhat compromised, having the worst goalie out of the 4 top teams.
With that said, Oslo Storm is going to be the team to look out for, as they start to catch some form, they could also make a move to acquire some depth and be a very serious contender.
 
 Ottawa Lynx 
A team that a lot of people was sleeping coming into this season and that not many people were expecting them to be on top, but they have managed to pull together a really promising team. However, they have been struggling a little bit in their last few games and are now sitting in the 4th seed with a 12-8-4 record.
On paper they have a team that is almost on par with the Storm’s team, but they are lacking a star center, although Gritty has been developing at a good rate and could eventually become that star C the Lynx are lacking. Their depth situation is better than the Storm’s, and they have the best Dman prospect for the S65 draft, Smitty, who is playing phenomenally. Their goalie situation is very solid too, having the best goalie in the league, JB Rift.
The Lynx may be sitting at the 4th seed at the moment, but by the end they should probably be top3 at least and will be a very real threat for the upcoming playoffs.
 
Halifax 21st
When you take a look at their roster, they should be the worst team out of the top4, however, there they are, sitting currently at the 2nd seed with a really solid 14-5-5 record, netting them a 5 point advantage over the Storm.
With John Madden as their star player and Nathan MacKinnon, a really solid VHLM veteran, they are a team that could make some damage in the playoffs. They have recently acquired Anton Edvin, one of the top performers of the season and someone who will be staying for next year.
The 21st, while they might not be a clear contender, are a team to fear and could be a very dangerous first round match-up. They should, however, try to look into solidifying their Dman situation, as their 2nd pairing lacks a little bit.
 
 
Now that we’ve taken a look into the top4 teams, we are going to talk a little bit about the bottom feeders, the Wild and the Rush who were both in the finals last year
 
 Saskatoon Wild 
With their recent moves sending away Gary and Edvin, it has become really obvious that Saskatoon is selling and marking this season as done. They have acquired some draft picks that could put them at a contender position next year and I’m sure they are happy with their season.
This season was never supposed to be a good one for the Wild as they had used some assets to acquire players last year, which seeing as they won the Founder’s Cup, was a really good decision. Left in their roster is Burnt Toast, a Dman who hasn’t developed much but is racking up points, and the upcoming goalie prospect Justin Cole, who has been putting in work lately.
 
 Yukon Rush 
The worst team in the league. Nobody expected Yukon to be good this year and they aren’t pulling any surprises either. However, they have some players who could be flipped for assets to contend next year.
BB Nat, the VHLM veteran, is a 76 TPE Dman who puts up decent numbers every year, and in a league lacking Defenseman, could be a valuable asset.
In the wing position, they have Jessy and Athanasios, good players who would be really great in a 2nd line role, but teams are somewhat stacked at that position.
 
 
Final analysis
Overall, we have a very clear top 4 who will most likely the teams that we will see in the semifinals. Left to decide is if some team will be able to compete against LVA, the best team in the league right now. The 21st, Storm and Lynx will all have to compete to make some last-minute roster moves to put their team at the Vegas level if they want a shot at the Founder’s Cup.

3 Uncapped TPE goes to @Ahma
 

 
3 Uncapped TPE goes to @Bonzaijoe
 

Only a little! This offseason I felt really good about the way our team was performing and really clicking, so I felt that our team could perform well during the season. The amount of success we've had though is really cool and I'm absolutely loving the way we're flowing as a team
 
 
Absolutely! There's been a couple great free agent signings like the Denver Wolfe move that have really added a lot to the locker room and this team as a whole. Jubo has been really welcoming and has been picking up the right people to help put in as much effort as possible night in and night out
 
 
Pretty solid! I've only had 3 starts, 2 of which I'm happy about. You have those off games though. It's all good at the end of the day though, I hope to make more impact in the future.
 
 
My dream is to be a total shutdown goalie in this league who can come onto that ice every night I can and do what I can to give my team the best chance possible to win. I've been working hard at my TPE and I won't stop now!
 
 
None, actually! This is my first and only one, and I am loving it

Only a little! This offseason I felt really good about the way our team was performing and really clicking, so I felt that our team could perform well during the season. The amount of success we've had though is really cool and I'm absolutely loving the way we're flowing as a team
 
 
Absolutely! There's been a couple great free agent signings like the Denver Wolfe move that have really added a lot to the locker room and this team as a whole. Jubo has been really welcoming and has been picking up the right people to help put in as much effort as possible night in and night out
 
 
Pretty solid! I've only had 3 starts, 2 of which I'm happy about. You have those off games though. It's all good at the end of the day though, I hope to make more impact in the future.
 
 
My dream is to be a total shutdown goalie in this league who can come onto that ice every night I can and do what I can to give my team the best chance possible to win. I've been working hard at my TPE and I won't stop now!
 
 
None, actually! This is my first and only one, and I am loving it

Toronto Legion 4-2
 
3 Uncapped TPE
@omgitshim
@TMI
@Bonzaijoe
@hedgehog337
@nicolas01

60 New York Americans @ Toronto Legion
61 Quebec City Meute @ Riga Reign
62 Helsinki Titans @ Seattle Bears
63 HC Davos Dynamo @ Calgary Wranglers 
 
2 Uncapped TPE
@Bonzaijoe

1. Ma never told me Dick is a nickname for Richard. Apparently my 'dad', who was a real Dick, left for a pack of cigarettes one day and never came back. I guess she named me Dick to spite my father. Ma wasn't always the brightest bulb in the pack. I guess she wasn't thinking when I popped out and she named me Dick. 
2. Medical condition? Of course. I'm an animal. Stay away, put me in a cage. I CAN'T BE CONTAINED!
3. Two goal game, should've been three. Dad will never find his son if I never get out of the VHLM.
4. I'm feeling great about how this season is going so far. I'm a great team and I couldn't be happier. Locker room is buzzing after every win and it feels like one big family. Atmosphere has definitely contributed to our team's early success. We're going to the cup and I'll be the first to drink a 40 out of it. Ice cold Colt-45. 
5. I hope Toronto takes it home and the city petitions to remove the Leafs and replace them with the VHL Toronto Legion. Would be a riot.

GG

Congrats @Bonzaijoe on his first win

SUMMARY

GM Jubo07 of the Las Vegas aces has called Denver Wolfe "The last piece of the puzzle." in regards to the Irish youngster signing a contract with the Aces recently. Wolfe, who has already been placed on the second defensive pairing, said that he's "happy to be here" and that recently, to improve his game immediately after signing, he's been doing "quick earning" to better himself as a player as quick as he can, since he's joining the season slightly after the first games have been played. Las Vegas is excited with the Wolfe signing and the locker room seems to be clicking with him instantly. Wolfe should be a great fit for this team, who needed one last strong defenseman to fill out a roster that was almost complete to begin with. The Aces are playing well so far this season, and having Wolfe in that already strong lineup is a recipe for a great team who can put in some damage on other VHLM teams as this season continues. Vegas has been improving with great force, too, as the top two earners this week on the "most improved weekly" list in the VHL are Wolfe and Aces backup goaltender Joe Nixon. With the strong showing from these players and the rest of Vegas, the team is looking to only get better as the season rolls on!

To say Denver Wolfe had a normal childhood is quite the understatement. Wolfe unfortunately was born into a household that was not super well off, in fact his parents while they had decent jobs just didn't have much to even get themselves by however their dream of having a child overtook their mindset of actually being able to support the child. Despite the harsh upbringings, Wolfe always made the best of every situation and always did so with a smile on his face, at least for the first few years of his life. While he grew up, his parents did everything they could to make him the happiest boy in the world, they spent money on him like they were millionaires and got him all the latest and greatest money could possibly by, it was great, however he was living a life of lies and as he would soon find out, the family wasn't as well off as his parents had lead him to believe. 
 
At the young age of six, his life would completely change. All of the toys he thought he could afford slowly began to vanish, his parents were unfortunately having to pawn them any chance they got in order to make ends meat, and his clothes that he thought he looked so good in and got compliments in? Same thing. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that his parents were not rich or even close to having money, but rather quite poor, and his schooling reflected on this. Wolfe would get bullied and it would be to the point that he would go home crying because of the simple fact that the kids would see him in rags and handmedowns and just terrible worn clothing and he was completely different at this point, and people noticed this. This bullying of sorts took place for most of his young life, and it wasn't until he was about to start high school that things changed. 
 
It all started with a fight at the age of twelve, at this point Wolfe was a bit bigger than the other kids and despite still not living a lavish life, he had grown quite the temper with kids because of all the bullying and the lying from his parents and so one day, he went off the deep end. The kids were out for lunch time at the school and of course Wolfe was being bullied, this pretty much was his breaking point as they were all kind of pushing him around, having their own laugh and at his expense, making him feel like crap. Because of this, Wolfe snapped and grabbed one of the kids, the one he had assumed was the "ring leader" and beat the crap out of him, needless to say his size advantage won him the fight that day, but also had him suspended for a weeks time, something almost unheard of down in Ireland, but the beating was so severe, it was warranted. And because of this fight, the next chapter of his life changed everything. 
 


 
Wolfe's parents pulled him out of school to begin secondary and because of this, the parents faced an uphill battle. Thankfully at this point in his still young life, Wolfe's father had finally gotten a job that could help support the family much more financially, but they could tell their son still needed a lot of TLC and when they noticed he was sitting on the computer pretty much all day and all night before and after his homeschooling, watching hockey videos and tutorials, they knew exactly how they'd peak his interest and how to get him to use his mind for something good, instead of something bad. So the dad slaved for about a months time, every single day he'd come home from work, put on his headlight and begin to build the ultimate hockey rink for his son. This rink was not anything huge, it was big enough to allow him to skate for a decent amount of time, it had a hockey net on either end and Wolfe could do whatever he pleased in order to get himself trained. 
 
For the next three years during his secondary years in school, Wolfe practiced long and hard, his father even got involved, something that they'd never done before is bond over a common interest but his father began to help him. Whatever Denver needed, his father provided, whether it was a speedometer, chairs, dummy posts to act like real life players, his stick, pucks and so much more, the two went out all the time to get it from their local sports store, who had to custom order this stuff in, as Ireland wasn't the "ideal" area for hockey culture. While Wolfe practiced his hockey, he began to get good, really good, even having some friends over from the neighborhood teaching them how to skate, how to handle a puck, maneuver, and so on. He was now using his amazing achievements and understanding of the game to help others, at such a young age, his "leadership" tendencies were already flourishing. 
 
What really helped Denver is that in his final year of secondary at the age of 17, he posted a video to YouTube, one of the most popular social media platforms for showcasing any type of fun or weird video for all of the world to see. It was a homemade video, made by his father who added effects, slides, pointers and so much more to really showcase his son off. Now while it was a homemade video and literally no one had ever heard of this kid, one scout did in fact take a liking to the video, his attitude, determination and skills he was showcasing in the video with no professional experience really proved to this scout that Wolfe had what it takes to become a superstar in the game. With all of that in mind, they flew Wolfe out to America just a week after the video posted to run a combine for anyone who may have had aspirations to join a hockey league, and by putting up some of the best numbers out of a youngster in recent years, it was a no brainer to offer him a spot...in the VHL/VHLM. 
 

 
The VHL and the VHLM are the two biggest leagues around, one major and the other minor, a lot of talent is produced in these leagues and when Wolfe posted such high numbers, the scouts could not pass up on bringing him into the league. They mentioned to him that there were a few teams in the VHLM that would likely reach out, and asked if he had an agent, which he replied no, he was just a young kid with a dream, and so the league appointed him one, an agent by the name of Goonie. Goonie had very little player management feats but did thrive as a GM for many years and also has helped players excel while playing in his organizations, so they felt he would be a good fit for the kid moving forward, and boy were they right. The two shared similar personalities, had somewhat similar backgrounds and upbringings and they just clicked, Goonie was happy to take Denver under his wing, and it didn't take long to get things rolling. 
 
Offers poured in instantly, as soon as Goonie brought his clients name forward as officially available, people wanted him. He was torn on his decision, things were going to be good to him either way, whoever he chose, there was opportunities for him regardless and so Goonie and Denver had to make some choices, and quickly if he wanted to appear on a team as soon as possible. This lead Denver to decide on Las Vegas, not just because of the opportunities but also because of the atmosphere and just everything he had heard, he felt his energy and his personality would fit right into the Sin City environment. And so it began, after signing a contract that Wolfe would now officially be apart of the Las Vegas Aces, his name signed on the dotted line, his debut coming up soon. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Really nice come back

Denver Wolfe has signed a 1 year contract with Las Vegas

We sat down once again with Vegas Aces Goalie Joe Nixon, fresh out the VHLM draft coming from Pittsburgh to do our weekly segment in which we've been dubbing "The Youngster's View"!
 
This week's edition is a special edition, featured on VSN rather than VHL.com! Venture over to VHL.com to read the rest of our saga with Joe Nixon if you enjoy what you've read here today!
 
Today, we sat down with Joe after he came back into the locker room following his first 60 minutes on VHLM ice against Halifax in which the Aces took a 3-1 loss. We asked Joe how it went, and he said quite simply "Eh. Not what I was hoping for." When I asked for some more detail, he said "I wanted to be able to come out there and steal a win for the boys. It was looking great in that first 40 minutes but the third period hit, we broke our stride a little. It was tense after no scoring in the first 40 but once they scored that first one, I was done for." We asked Joe how he could improve his game and be ready for the next one, which he answered with, "Just practice, really. I need to stay sharp, focused, and play a full 60 minutes next time I'm out there. I can't collapse and let in 3 in the third period, I can't allow that many in. If I stay on top of my game I have full faith in my ability to stop that puck and take home some wins for this team."
 
Feeling for Joe, we brought up how the rest of his team performed. We told Joe that one goal isn't much to work with and he shouldn't put it on just himself, as the game is a team effort. His response was "1 is enough to win a game. 1-0 works, I know that. It's not my place to talk about how the rest of my team performed, I just need to go out there and be my best to help these guys out. If I can take a game and give that other team 0 points, I will. The guys in front of me are putting in their work, I'm putting in mine. It's my job to keep that other team to as few goals as possible, regardless of how many goals my own team gets. I'll just have to come in hot and ready for the next game. No days off."
 
Lastly, we asked how it felt to get his first start. Nixon said, "It was great! I'll keep talking all night about my performance but it's really special to be able to go out there and play for my team, regardless of the outcome. I'm so happy that my GM and Coach have the confidence in me as a player to put me in that net, and I'm so unbelievably blessed to be able to come out here and play the game I love as a job. It truly is a dream come true. I can't wait to be able to represent my team as the season rolls on."
 
Thanks to Joe Nixon for sitting down with us again this week! We look forward to talking to him again soon, on next week's edition of "The Youngster's View"!

Wut

VSN With The Release Of A Brand New Pop! Figure
 
Katie Warren @ShawnGlade is the First VHLM Player to be immortalized in plastic. I heard Ottawa is looking pretty good at the minute @diamond_ace
and no one shows off that Ottawa uniform like Katie does

I think the delay was an issue with scheduling and travel around the holiday time, but I totally understand why it was necessary. It's a crazy time of the year and now that we have the games up and going, we should have a smooth rest of the season. 
 
 
I agree, the battle of the GMs not only has upper management at a battle with each other, but it trickles all the way down to us as players, trying to prove the other team and their management wrong in every game with each other. It's starting to get fierce and fun, and I look forward to every chance we get to prove our team to the others.
 
 
I think that, as a reporter here asking me these questions, your job may be a little more open ended and doesn't require the same amount of experience and ice-level knowledge as detailed answers of the questions. It's still a little weird though, I'd agree. The TPE system is a little odd in regards to asking questions, but it's understandable.
 
 
Kriketers is a frickin' wall out there in front of his net. He's definitely one of my favorite players on the ice in the VHL and I hope to train as well as him.
 
 
Recruiting events through reddit! I was scrolling through /r/coyotes and took a peek at the post that was there and it sounded extra interesting to me, and I immediately signed up!

Game one of the VHL’s 64th season happened the other night when the Meute of Quebec city went into the house of the Seattle Bears and gave the Seattle team a rough night. Quebec went on to win the game 5-1 despite only recording four shots in the opening period of the game.
 
The first period was a defensive showdown, with Quebec City only recording 4 shots on goal, and Seattle only tossing 8 in the way of the goalie. Some might say the defense came up big, but some might say the offense was slow. Despite there only being 12 shots on goal in the period, the shot attempt counter sat at a combined 23 between the two teams after the first 20 minutes had come to an end. The only goal from the period landed in the Bears net when Veran Dragomir of the Meute missed the net twice in a row within 4 seconds, with the rebound off the boards landing right on the stick of Marvin Harding for the Meute’s mid-period tally to break the opening tie. The period featured a ton of missed shots and a surprisingly small amount of blocks despite the low shot on goal conversion happening throughout the time frame.
 
The second period was when the forwards for each side started realizing where they were supposed to be shooting the puck, as a total of 23 Shots hit the net on a listed 55 shot attempts. The conversion percentage is still low, but the volume of shots being sent in the general direction of the net was exponentially higher. The 55 shot attempts, 23 shots, and 3 goals in the period made an exciting one, but the Bears never really got their groove in this game, while they went down 3-1 as the 2nd frame of the game was coming to a close. This period had actually eclipsed the first period in shots and attempts before the halfway point even hit. This period was filled with high paced action, and a very close, competitive game between two very competent looking hockey teams. Seattle actually notched the first goal of the second period early, to tie the game at 1 before the tie was broken at the 9:45 mark of the period by Quebec City’s Samuel Gate.
 
The third and final frame of the game needed to be a big one from Seattle. They came out of the locker room staring a 3-1 deficit in the eye and were determined to attempt to tie it up in a big fashion and pull a W out of somewhere only they knew. This attempt was stopped short by the Meute, however, as the offense was considerably powerful for Quebec City, who recorded 20 shots on goal in the period, leaving Seattle with a measly 8 in their big 20 minute attempt to tie it up. The barrage of shots coming toward Seattle goaltender Roger Sterling was too hot to handle at times. Sterling let two goals in during the third period. B. Louth and Gate’s goals put Seattle away for real for the rest of the game as they coasted to a solid 5-1 victory over the Bears in the season opener.
 
The three stars of the game were well deserved, those of which being Quebec City’s Samuel Gate, who finished the night with 2 goals and no assists, his first goal being awarded as the game winner. The second star of the game may have even been more deserved than Gate’s first star, as Veran Dragomir helped his teammates a ton, notching a team-high point total of four assists during the 60 minute contest. Dragomir played extremely well on the ice tonight, and the recognition he gets as second star is more than deserved and possibly a little underrating how powerful his performance was throughout the game. The third star was also a member of the Meute, as Marvin Harding launched one puck into the net and grabbed an apple on another play, assisting on Gate’s 2nd goal, and Quebec City’s 5th goal of the game.
 
All in all, this game was a solid start to the season and it showed me, as an analyst, that this Meute team is not here to mess around, and some of those guys have some hot sticks that can seriously put some pucks in that net! These two teams will meet again in game 7 of the season, which is the next time both of these teams will be playing hockey as well. They’ll both be on even rest and will have the same amount of film on each other. Will the next game be another big game from the Meute? Or can the bears get the rebound they need from this loss to take their revenge? Find out soon, as the opening night rematch is coming up!