1 goal, 1 assist, and more importantly wins over Warsaw and Chicago. Nothing to complain about really. Would always love more points but I'll take wins over strong teams over points.
Also @Sharkstrong has been terrifying since joining Prague...
More like bringing the window up a bit - we didn't go for the guys with a season left, we went for the guys who have a few. We have a ton of prospects so we already had the supporting cast, just needed a few more higher end guys (Landry's been a bit lonely at the top for a while tbh). Now we give ourselves like 3 shots at it with the current crew, and potentially extended beyond that if we can draft in 78/79/80 to supplement the Gobeil/Bouchard/Roque/Myers/Sandstrom era in their primes as well.
@Jolline sorry you never got the chance to play for us, but they needed a prospect to make the deal work, and as Roque and Myers know each other in real life, you were the one that made the most sense. Ought to actually work out fairly well as we have a ton of prospects and you'd be on a crowded set of lines when you got up, whereas Malmo in their rebuild will be able to give you a ton of time and build around you a bit more.
@HearnNation67 I've already talked to you about this in the discord - honestly putting you into this deal was the hardest part of the whole thing. You've been a huge asset to Prague and will always be in the "Phamily" so to speak - it would take a goalie of Gyrfalcon's caliber to make me think about doing this, let's just put it that way.
Welcome @Sharkstrong and @tfong ! I'll get a bit more into that in the discord
GM Frostbeard recorded this using handheld Sony camera from early 2000's and drank about 3 bottles of VAT 69 whiskey beforehand.
"Our players, staff and everyone who supported Malmo Nighthawks - we did it! We made it to finals and lifted the Continental cup! I am extremely proud of the group we had this run and I truly believe that this is just the beginning to the great adventure we will take together! Our on-ice leadership group was honorable and great but with the retirement of Condor Adrienne we are looking to give that C to another member of our team. I wish everyone the best of times and lets go and defend that cup! "
After a team wide vote, there is going to be only 1 player officially becoming an Assistant Captain for Malmo Nighthawks - Arthur Dayne is going to wear A for all 72 games of the season!
Talking about captains, Malmo Nighthawks organization has decided that we couldn't crown one or the other of 2 players that received equal amount of votes and for that reason - for the first 36 games of the season - our Captain is going to be Chris Hylands and for the last 36 games of the regular season the captain is going to be Ray Sheilds!
Congratulations to @Infernal@Hylandsand @Zetterberg!
Also, there is going to be another announcement coming up on the first day of the season, probably after the first simulation so stay tuned!
@VHL GM As you all know by now lines can be uploaded on the portal.
The schedule is made and all your rosters should be set, however as always mistakes can happen. If any players don't belong on your team, you are missing any that do, or you are unable to set your lines for any reason (this last one shouldn't happen, I made sure all rosters are at least complete) then let me know as soon as possible and I'll get things corrected for you. Season starts Wednesday so we have all tomorrow to fix stuff up.
Great players dominate the regular season, but a true legend shines when everything is on the line in the playoffs. Tonight, we recognize the MVP of the S75 Playoffs with the Daisuke Kanou Trophy! Although coming up on the losing end, DC Dragons goaltender Stone Wolski @DollarAndADream was stellar in net, with a .929 save percentage and 10 wins. Grekkark Gyrfalcon @Sharkstrong was equally strong, putting up a .927 save percentage and 12 wins. Ray Sheilds @Zetterberg led the eventual champions with 28 points, including the Cup-clinching goal in Game Six, while Chris Hylands @Hylands scored 14 goals and 27 points to power Malmo's offense throughout the playoffs.
So, who's the big playoff hero this year? The Season 75 Daisuke Kanou Trophy winner, and Season 75 Playoff MVP is...
@Toast is back in the VHL, and it seems like we are getting the real deal this time around – not the charred discount version who made a cameo in the early 60's. In fact, it seems like Toast found his motivation back, as Phoenix Dawson currently looks like one of the better prospects available in the S76 VHL Entry Draft. And is there really a single better way to show you're back than by donating 40$ in the league's Holiday Donation Drive and winning an auction for a custom media spot by yours truly – among other things, notice my title and profile picture, which I will be showing off for the next month or so, let’s say the month countdown starts today.
Toast and I contacted each other after it was confirmed that he won the auction, and he gave me two choices for the media spot theme: some cheesy article about the best moments from the VHL holidays or something like this, or a comical article titled “Five things that have changed forever now that Toast is back”. Needless to say, the latter speaked to me on a deeper level and I ran away with it. It took a while to write because of holidays, work, seasonal depression and binge-playing NHL 21 – thanks again, holiday raffle – but I’m here now, ready to give it to you. So without further ado, here are the five things that have changed forever now that Toast is back in our community.
1. The community now has a healthier diet
The community already had a fairly healthy diet, don’t get me wrong but, according to the 2019 revision of Canada’s Food Guide, whole grain foods should make for around a quarter of a healthy diet. That means pasta, rice and – you guessed it – bread, should make up for around 25% of what we ingest on a daily basis. Now, I’m not suggesting we eat Toast, but I’m also not suggesting we do not eat him. Don’t read into it too much, but with @Ricer13 and Toast, we can say that the league is never going to lack whole grain foods.
Another quarter of the diet should be protein foods. The VHL has been blessed with a couple of them already, @MexicanCow123, @dlamb and @chikn being the first two that come to my mind. We are not that wealthy in terms of plant-based proteins like tofu or beans, which the Food Guide really pushes as the superior proteins, but it’s still a fine step in the right direction. We truly are a carnivorous bunch. With guys like McWolf, @Viperxhawks19 or @Sharkstrong roaming, I wouldn't expect any less.
Finally, the Food Guide suggests that the last half of the diet should consist of fruits and vegetables. Sadly, there were a couple of members with delicious fruits or vegetables names (@Banana2311, @PotatoKing among others) but none of them are active anymore. The closest we got to a fruit or vegetable-themed username at the moment is @Biggreen10 – who I always imagined was the Jolly Green Giant’s cousin or something. I might be missing someone obvious, though.
It looks like milk, cheese and other dairy products were dropped from the guide in this revised version. Looks like dairy isn’t considered as essential now as it was a couple years back. Sorry @Ledge_and_Dairy, it looks like we don’t need you anymore.
2. The league is now rich with bread crumbs
One other thing that changed forever now that Toast is back is the fact that our bread crumb stock will never get low again. They got dangerously low in the Bread Crumb Crisis of the late 50’s, when Toast sadly went on a year-long hiatus. But our inventory is now almost full, with the man of the hour being officially back and active.
So why are bread crumbs so important, you ask? Well, they have many uses.
- Firstly, they can be used to leave trails behind us so we make sure we don’t get lost, like the title characters did in the not-so-fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. Rumours are that this is exactly how Toast found its way back to the VHL. He woke up one day, noticed a bread crumb trail starting in his toaster and followed it back to the Player Creation page on the portal. If you ever feel like taking a break from the sim leagues, make sure to grab a handful of bread crumbs, and you’ll be sure to find your way back to us whenever you feel like it.
- Secondly, bread crumbs appear to be one of the most obscure cryptocurrencies. It’s not worth much at the moment, but it’s never a bad idea to start digging some from infinite sources like Toast in case it turns to gold.
- Lastly, but perhaps more importantly, it keeps our head pigeons satiated. For humans, bread crumbs could barely be considered a snack. There is no way anyone in this community ever satisfied their hunger by nibbling on bread crumbs. But for a common pigeon, they make a perfect meal. And it’s important to keep pigeons satisfied. I might be about to expose a fact that they would have preferred to keep secret, but most of the members on the Board of Governors – among other veterans – are in fact pigeons and most tragedies that happened in the history of the VHL can be traced back to them and their love for bread crumbs:
- The S58 contraction? Selfish pigeons wanted more crumbs for themselves and cut off two teams worth of pigeons to feed.
- Past simmers forgetting to sim games? Hungry pigeons going on strike until they are fed appropriately.
- The boubabiban? Deathly starved elite pigeon went on a rampaging streak and said things he may or may not regret. Like the proverb says: “You’re not you when you’re hungry, - Snickers”. This one is a bit different however, because elite pigeons feed on both bread crumbs and sim league success, but we might have been able to avoid the ban if he was satiated.
Looking at this, it’s easy to see how important bread crumbs are and how vital Toast is to the VHL, as a never-ending source of this invaluable resource. I’m going to go as far as say that Toast single-handedly pushes us over both the EFL and the SBA as the best sim league out there.
3. Bread puns are back in fashion
And this brings us to my favourite point. The one I had the most fun writing, also probably the one that’s going to be the most confusing. I don’t wanna pumpernickel my own tires, but I’m excited for you all – and especially for our star of the day – to bread this.
By now we know that Toast is a breadwinner. He had too much dough in his wallet and decided to refill North American Food Banks full of bread. He truly isn't loafing around. But what else do we know about the man? We know he found the league to be a bit stale about two years ago, and that's a shame because he was a member everyone knew they could crust would bake amazing players. He has seen butter days, that's for sure. But it barley matters anymore, because this short hiatus seems to have helped him find his motivation back and Toast is bready to take the league by storm like he did in the past.
And what about his players? He had a loaf of them.. He had some serious ones in the past. Damon Wolfe, Steven Smyl among others. His most recent efforts looked more like Burnt Toast – no bun intended – than his first couple of players, though it's starting to look like his current player is the real dough. In fact, Phoenix Dawson seems like he could be a future star. Toast has gotten back to his old ways and grained a lot of TPE to apply to his S76 draftee. GMs butter not baguette about him during the draft, else he could be a member of the London United starting next season.
Keep up the good work, Toast. Wheat loaf to see Dawson toast opponents for a full eight-season career. It's cereal to think that you have been around the VHL for so long. I really knead to say thank you for having been a part of our community for so long. You’re possibly one of the reasons it is still going strong – oven if you dipped for about a year. It happens to the best of us.
So yeah, everyone together, let’s give a big round of applause to Toast. It’s the yeast we can do.
4. The Church of Toast was founded and is looking for faithful
So earlier this week, one of London’s prospect, Nathan Perry (@tinafrombobsburgers) slid in my DMs and asked me if I “had a minute to talk about our lord and saviour Toast.” I didn’t understand at first what this was about, but I heard him out, and it eventually all made sense. Toast effectively founded the Church of Toast and he is looking for his faithful to spread the good word about him. You might think that I’m one of them, but I was actually independently paid to write this article, it has nothing to do with this sect and/or religion.
I’m going to be 100% honest, I don’t know if this point is a positive point, but Toast asked me to write about five things that changed forever. Creating a religion and forcing VHLers to coexist with the religion’s faithful definitely changes the landscape of the sim league, but I don’t think I’m ready to devote my life to this so-called prophet. But I’m not judging, I’m only relating the facts. Plus, this might be the kind of thing that interests my readers. For starters, if you got to point 4 out of 5 of an article dedicated to Toast, you clearly have a little something for the guy. You’re probably only a step or two away from joining the Church of Toast.
5. The VHL is on the rise again
The league never wanted to admit it, but Toast is one of the most important members of our community and I'm about to prove it. In fact, the activity from this single member is actually what dictates the general health of the league. When we look at expansions and contractions for example, we definitely see a pattern that is too perfect to be coincidental.
- The VHL started its inaugural season with 8 teams and kept these same 8 teams – excluding relocations – for over 3 decades.
- Toast created his first player, Damon Wolfe and entered the S28 VHL Entry Draft.
- Only 3 seasons later, the league expanded for the first time in its history, adding the Cologne Express and the Quebec City Meute to their roster.
- Toast stayed consistently active for most of the next 2 decades, but went inactive starting around S54.
- Only 4 seasons later, the league contracted for the only time in its history, with the Cologne Express and the Stockholm Vikings playing their final games in S57.
- Toast came back around ten seasons later, with his failed experiment Burnt Toast entering the S63 Entry Draft. He has been active on and off since then.
- His current activity coincides with the current expansion era we are in. In fact, starting in S65 with the Moscow Menace joining as the 9th franchise and culminating with four teams joining the league's ranks in S73, the league went from 8 to 16 teams in an eight-season span.
Again, this can't all be coincidences. I'd bet some good money that if Toast leaves again for an extended period of time, we are going to enter another dark period. So please, for the sake of the league and every member currently surviving harsh pandemic restrictions thanks to the community, never go inactive again my man.
We did it Malmo! From hard going in the regular season and battling it hard in the playoffs we did it. Your hard work payed off and I have to say that my role here was truly minor. You are the people that deserve this! From our retiring HoF player Condor Adrienne @OrbitingDeathto guys who have done so much for the franchise - @Hylands and @Zetterberg, @BigTittySmitty and @tfong, @Snussu and @Sharkstrong! Our newest guys in @Molholt (For allowing me to keep you steady as our backup if we ever needed you) @Infernaland @Cxsquared - you couldn't be replaced in this playoff run, you showed what we can do as a team. You are the CONTINENTAL CUP CHAMPIONS!
I am so proud of you all!
Also, I would truly like to thanks DC Dragons for these amazing series, you showed a true passion for the game and made us worry about every single game. Your team is lead by an amazing GM I had pleasure playing for and I have to say, one of the best people to deal with. @Enoramayou have a wonderful team in DC!
Not the ending I was hoping for, but I am proud of everyone on the dragons this past season, we defied expectations and almost won the entire thing, huge props to @FrostBeard and the entire Malmo organization, you guys battled hard and ultimately deserved this win.
I am sure we will come back stronger than ever #GODRAFONS
Congratulations to Dmax and the Philadelphia Reapers for winning the S75 Founders cup.
With the season now officially over we have a few announcements to make!
I want to personally thank @InstantRockstar for being a VHLM GM for 10 seasons and being San Diego's first (and only) GM. He was always dedicated to his team and always stuck up for his players. He will be missed as a GM.
So to announce the new San Diego Marlins General Manager
I also wanted to thank @ColeMrtz for the time he’s spent being the GM of the Mississauga Hounds and respect his decision to move on from the team. With that being said please welcome
as the new GM of the Mississauga Hounds
One minor announcement to the rules in the VHLM. Starting season 76 the requirements for juniors has changed. Juniors will be enabled when 3/4ths of the league has a max roster size of 9-6-1.
@STZ is someone I always will attribute for me being what I am in this league. My introduction to this league through the S33 Bratislava Watchmen shaped what a team atmosphere and engagement should be like, and I don't know how hooked I would have gotten elsewhere. You don't get enough credit for all the wonderful things you have done for this community, and I hope I am doing you proud with my efforts to continue the job you started.
Between being the first suck... GM to draft me, working on the VHL Mag and more, @Advantage has put up with my shenanigans for quite some time. The league isn't the same when you aren't around, and you're as much a part of the VHL to me as the sims themselves.
@FrostBeard took a big chance on a dude that had been gone for years to write for VSN, and man, did that ever take off. Our passion for it constantly elevated the bar higher and higher, and even today it is still what it is because of you. Also, I owed you a tag that's not an everyone tag. 😂
@BladeMaiden serves as proof to me that you can't judge someone based on a reputation. By giving her the chance to be, I gained a truly loving and caring friend, maybe the most passionately positive person I've ever met. Never judge a book by it's cover... you could lose out on a treasure like Blade.
@McWolf, @a_Ferk, @Boragina, @Gooningitup, @Sharkstrong, @Shaka, @TTtheT, @jhatty8, @Lefty_S, @Emi, @wcats, @Advantage, @twists... the Season 72 Saskatoon Wild. One of the most fun, energetic, and enjoyable teams I've ever had the privilege to be a part of. Everything just seemed destined to work out with this squad, and fate dictated this team would win it all. Seasons like this put into perspective why we all take part in leagues like the VHL, and while I may not be lucky enough to ever have a team like this again, damned if I won't try. Thanks for such a memorable season.
@Beaviss, @fromtheinside, and @bigAL were all also super helpful and supportive of me in my struggles with anxiety, and when it looked like I might be on the verge of burning out, I made it back with their help. Thanks, guys. I can't say enough to truly show my appreciation for how much you lifted me up when I was down.
@GustavMattias, back from Day One of my return you've been super friendly, supportive, and just all-out a wonderful human being that I'm very fortunate to enjoy the company of. Between you getting me into and playing the ToS games you host, doing your very best to bring my beloved Davos back from being a laughingstock, and constantly challenging people to try or experience new things, you're good people, and I really want you to know that.
Not putting this in a full fledged announcement because it's optional but still something I wanted to point out. In an attempt to be more inclusive to non-cisgendered members we have added a custom profile field for pronouns which you can find by editing your profile. It will appear under your profile photo next to all your posts so that it's nice and clear to everyone what pronouns they should be using with you. We have also changed the "gender" profile section to be more inclusive in regards to non-binary and gender fluid individuals.
I know this is a minor thing for most but it can mean a lot to those that aren't CIS so we're glad to be able to do it easily for them. As I've said, you aren't forced to use it so if you choose to please take it seriously. If you choose not to then you can completely ignore this and carry on with your day.
I contemplated writing this article and how I wanted to write it for a few weeks now. I’ve literally erased so many pieces from time to time, but I decided that the better side of me needs to flourish and not the negative/downside of me. That being said, this article is going to be long, it’s going to be very in-depth, and most importantly, it’s going to be about my gratitude for… a lot of people. So I suppose you guys can grab your popcorn, grab your tissues, and let’s just have a bit of fun!
So, to truly open this up, some backstory. Little me, baby Rockstar joined back in 2008, September 28th to be exact, so 12 years ago now. Back then I was an asshole, no other way to sugarcoat that one, I was very young, about 13 years old back then and very new to the sim league experience. I was a brat; I expected a lot and I probably got off on one of the worst starts I ever could. I made more enemies than I ever wanted to, and I had no excuses for how I was acting, I was just a douchey teenager. Fast forward a few years, still a brat, but my life kinda went in a spiral. A lot of people never really knew about my irl life going on because a) no one really asked and b) I was very closed off and not really talkative about a lot of things. I got into some fairly heavy drugs because my friends thought they were cool and of course as a naïve, rebellious teenager, I also wanted to be cool. It did a lot of harm to me mentally, physically and so on, and because of everything that transpired, I was even worse here. Some users probably noticed around S30-something or S40-something I disappeared from the league completely, like all gone, no traces, nothing. This is because of a few reasons. The first was that I lost my fiancé, not the one I am now married to, but one I was with that some people knew about. It was one of the most defeating times of my life, and I got really intense into some bad things, my life spiraled even more. Eventually I checked into rehab and made a huge stint there where I got clean, I got sober, and have been sober from all of my nightmare drugs, etc for a little while now. When I returned, I didn’t know how people would perceive me, a lot of people still held grudges, a lot of people still hated me, or still hate me, but thankfully some people were willing to let bygones be bygones and start anew.
The big question on everyone’s mind now is, why does all this matter? Well, because I’m still not perfect and I’ll be the first one to admit it. Have I been a saint or an angel since my return? Absolutely not. Have I gotten into hot water and opened my mouth too many times? Absolutely. Unfortunately, my mind is fucked up, there is no nice way to sugar coat it, I’ve been a lot better as of late, and have been much better than I usually was, but I still have my moments, and I accept that I’m not perfect by any sense of the word. What I want people to hopefully take from this, is that I do not mean any harm when I do what I do, and I never hold grudges, and I never want to be perceived poorly, though I know I am to some already, and for that I am very disappointed but I will live and move on from it.
Now, without further ado, before I give a frick ton of shoutouts, my overview of my 10 official seasons as GM, after a long hiatus. It’s not a pretty career, it’s not filled with tons of awards of cups, which I am also disappointed in myself for, but it’s been filled with tons of blessings, good times, amazing members and a community that I am forever grateful for. Let’s get it!
[B]SEASON ONE – S66[/b]
[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]: 40-28-4 (84 points, 7th in the league)
[b]PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE[/b]: Quarter-Finals
[b]KEY CONTRIBUTORS (TOP 3)[/b]: Lincoln Tate (88 pts), Rhys Chism (85 pts), Edgar Tannahill (80 pts)
In our first ever season, the new expansion team was able to make the playoffs with a roster that was primarily built with waivers, some drafting, and some expansion draft picks. At this time, there was no set expectation, it was a brand-new team, something new to me that hadn’t been done in a few years, and I was just getting back into the swing of things. I had A LOT of amazing members to give credit to here, despite only showing the top 3 performers of each season, this team was stacked and full of amazing personalities.
[b]SEASON TWO – S67[/b]
[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]: 26-38-8 (60 points, 7th in the league)
[b]PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE[/b]: Quarter-Finals
[b]KEY CONTRIBUTORS (TOP 3)[/b]: Milan Griffin (77 pts), Ryan Busser (64 pts) Alyksander Hunter (53 points)
Another playoff birth gives us back-to-back playoff attempts now, this one in terms of production was a little worse, despite still being 7th in the league, we finished significantly worse off with our record and as such, got eliminated early on, the same position we would be eliminated the season prior. It was a good run, with again a lot of amazing users and personalities, just did not get as deep as we would’ve hoped.
[b]SEASON THREE – S68[/b]
[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]: 38-31-3 (79 points, 7th in the league)
[b]PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE[/b]: Quarter-Finals
[b]KEY CONTRIBUTORS (TOP 3)[/b]: Roadkill Steve (128 pts), Chad Gilbert (127 pts), Will Clarke (97 pts)
Anyone knowing a scary trend? No? Well, 3 seasons in a row now we finished 7th in the league, with 3 different point totals and varying records. We also always only make it to the quarter finals, tickle me cursed at this point. This was in my opinion one of the deepest rosters I had to this point, its only 3 short seasons but in saying that, some of the deepest rosters I had built to date and the point production from a lot of the guys on the team was super high. This was my biggest ‘disappointment’ feeling to this time, as I felt I had built an outstanding roster but just couldn’t finish.
[b]SEASON FOUR – 69 (nice)[/b]
[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]: UKNOWN (index is corrupted)
[b]PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE[/b]: Quarter-Finals
[b]KEY CONTRIBUTORS (TOP 3)[/b]: UNKNOWN (index is corrupted)
So, I can’t speak much on a season I can’t really look back to. Clearly what I can tell based on the forum is that we made it into the playoffs, we again got eliminated in the quarter finals, and again, a likely disappointing season. The only takeaway here, is that we never didn’t compete…we were always a competitive team despite being an expansion team, we could’ve taken the low road and rebuilt for years and years but we never did, so I felt good that I was making it to the playoffs but for me personally, I was not satisfied with the results, always losing in the same spot…
[b]SEASON FIVE – S70[/b]
[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]: 58-10-4 (120 points, 2nd in the league)
[b]PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE[/b]: Semi-Finals
[b]KEY CONTRIBUTORS (TOP 3)[/b]: Roque Davis (154 pts), Kyl Oferson (153 pts), Roadkill Steve (151 pts)
When I say I was sick to my stomach with this season, I mean it. This has to be the absolutely biggest slap in the face season, and STHS just literally knocked me down a few pegs here. After having our BEST season ever, our 5th consecutively competing, this should’ve been on our year. Minnesota was at the time, supposed to be our biggest hurdle, they were the top team in the league, and proved it when they won the cup, however it would be Ottawa to dismantle our dreams of winning it all. Kudos to Ottawa for a crazy series, but this one easily still hurts the most. We had an excellent core, amazing depth, this now became my ‘strongest’ team, and the performance shows.
[b]SEASON SIX – 71[/b]
[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]: 42-28-4 (86 points, 6th in the league)
[b]PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE[/b]: Semi-Finals
[b]KEY CONTRIBUTORS (TOP 3)[/b]: Alex Bridges (135 pts), Nikita Kulikovich (126 pts), Ike Bennett (102 pts)
Heartbreak pt.2, sounds like an album cover but it’s just my life story as a GM. 6 seasons in a row that we have not missed the playoffs now, every single season was competitive and a grind right until the very end, this one was no different. Ottawa was the top dog this year, and we actually managed to beat Minnesota in a crazy series that we were the underdog in. We had a chance to finally beat the Lynx who crushed our dreams the season prior, but we did not get our revenge. Instead, they would go on to win a much-deserved cup, their season was strong through and through, and we would be left with another hole in my heart.
[b]SEASON SEVEN – S72[/b]
[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]: 10-60-2 (22 points, 11th in the league)
[b]PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE[/b]: DNQ
[b]KEY CONTRIBUTORS (TOP 3)[/b]: Han Jae Kuk (34 pts), Roadkill Steve (30 pts), John Shally (30 pts)
After six seasons of competing, burning assets and throwing everything I could into the team, the lack of assets and waiver signings finally caught up with us here. For the first time in our existence, we did not make the playoffs and had our teams worst season record now in history. This was still an enjoyable season thankfully because I had some excellent guys in the LR, but I know it was beyond hard for them to deal with, and it was even hard for me to deal with. I always want to give my guys and girls 110%, and get them the best success we can, and I just was not able to deliver that this season, disappointing on my end for sure.
[b]SEASON EIGHT – S73[/b]
[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]: 51-19-2 (104 points, 5th in the league)
[b]PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE[/b]: Semi-Finals
[b]KEY CONTRIBUTORS (TOP 3)[/b]: Pietro Angellini (125 pts), John Merrick (109 pts), Lucifer Olivier Leveque (101 pts)
San Diego doesn’t sleep long, let me tell you. With just one season of ‘failure’ under my belt, I was able to thankfully recoup enough assets and some great players to go on another big run. I was also quite thankful that I had recreated at this time and my player played a big part in this run with all of my carryover TPE and such, it really provided a much-needed boost for the core. Unfortunately, we were stopped once again in the semi’s, so close to that pivotal and honestly long desired championship, but it never happened. We’ve been close now so many times, but again it’s the connections I made with this team that I find special. I made a lot of amazing friends, met a lot of amazing people and they blessed me with an amazing season, I am forever grateful.
For the second time in now 9 seasons, we had a losing season. If this season taught me anything, it’s to cherish every single moment. We did lose, and there is no excuse for that, but there was a lot of friendships and bonds made. This season was special to me for that very reason, and I chalk it up as a one-off, well I guess a two-off for our career statistics. But not too shabby for 9 seasons in the books if you ask me…
[b]SEASON TEN (CURRENT) – S75[/b]
[b]REGULAR SEASON[/b]: 7-6-0 (14 points, 7th in the league)
[b]PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE[/b]: TBD
[b]KEY CONTRIBUTORS (TOP 3)[/b]: Cowboy Prout (16 pts), Scotty Kaberle (16 pts), Red Lite (16 pts)
This is the current season and honestly, this league became super competitive and it shows. Despite having an insanely deep roster thanks to one of the best recruitments drives we’ve had in recent history, we’re just barely above .500% but our locker room is kicking and screaming every single day. There is so many players that make me proud to be a GM here and let me know that they are with me, willing to work with me, and most importantly, are in it for the long haul. I know I have a good group of guys here this year, and we’re not laying down without a fight.
So, would I chalk up my GMing experience as a good one, or a bad one? Would I call myself a success story, or a failure? Well, it depends what criteria you would use to determine such a feat. If we define success based on cups, then I’ve failed, and I admit it’s been haunting me for seasons now. I’ve been determined, I’ve been active, I’ve been engaged, I’ve been driving myself mental, but alas, no cups have come to San Diego. If we look at playoff berths however, can we call San Diego successful? Maybe, maybe not. We’ve been to the playoffs more than we haven’t, but again those berths have not amounted to a cup, we’ve also got a winning record in the regular season, mainly because of all those playoff berths.
On the flip side of it all, however, if we talk about locker room activity, member retainment, connections being made, players just being here because of San Diego, then I would call myself pretty successful. When I look around the league and see so many usernames still around, whether it be pre-existing members who stuck it out or new members on their second players (yes, I’m old, old enough that my young players are now 2nd gen players, ie Phil & Tate & Danger, etc). I don’t label my GM success on any one thing, I don’t label my GM failure on any one thing. At the end of the day, I feel blessed that season after season, players are honored to call me their GM, I feel blessed that I am constantly surrounded by people who want to be around me, who feel joy being a part of the team, who have memories from 6-7 seasons ago that they are still fond of, and most importantly, I feel blessed that I can always know, my environment in San Diego has been, and will always be, a safe, special, fun, exciting and judgement free space.
Now that the team stuff is out of the way, a very lengthy thank you to many, many people. Since my return, I have met a lot of people, I have reconnected with others, and most importantly, I’ve gained true friends. This list could be a mile and a half long, even with the enemies I may speak to as well, or the people who may not like me, I feel like it’s time to put some closure on a lot of bullshit, and lay it all to rest. Without further ado, my wall of thank you/happy texts!
@BladeMaiden - We had a lot of fights, a lot. We butt heads more than likely a lot of people around here, but before we began bickering and before all the crap went down, you were the very first person to introduce me to the league again, and vouch for me when being considered for my GM job. You didn't know me, you didn't need to know me, but were welcoming and honoring, we finally put bygones in the past, and really hashed it out over a very lengthy conversation just a few short months ago, and it feels good to know the person who was there for me since day one, is back on the good side, and I am not on their bad side, so thank you for that.
@Banackock - You, along with D_A gave me a bit of purpose back here, I can't thank you enough for having faith in me to come back and take another GM position after years away and a lot of bad experiences in the past. Not only did you kind of help me when I needed it, but you became a great friend, and someone I trusted with a lot. We didn't talk super often, but often enough that we could shoot the shit and it didn't just feel like you were the 'boss' of the league, I really respect you, and appreciate what you did for me to give me the job, and now taking me in, in Seattle. I look forward to a lengthy run with you.
@diamond_ace - Where there is one commissioner, there is two. You and I go way back, to the point that you actually helped me learn the ropes of GMing way back when, when the Lynx were known as the Ice Dogs and the GMing was very fresh for possibly the both of us. You were the one that really got me hooked on the league, and helped me find my footing for all my reigns as GM. I know you played a big part as well in getting me back into a GM spot, and I'm forever grateful for the second chance, I hope I've been deserving ever since.
@Beaviss - Vancouver is a place I called home since I was drafted there, and you were the very big reason that I enjoyed it as much as I did. You were an engaging GM who really kept things light in the LR and really kept people there because they WANTED to be there. You have been nothing but accepting of me, and have been there whenever I needed ya, for little or big things, so thank you very much for having an open door policy and thank you for such an amazing experience in Vancouver, the experience will be unmatched.
@Josh - Yeah, you hate being pinged, suck it! You took me in as an AGM before I got the opportunity to become a GM of my own, and in all seriousness I feel like that experience in Yukon is what truly lead me to wanting to be a GM. Without having experienced that time in Yukon I do not think I would be half the GM I am today, I do not think I would be half the person I am in these leagues, so I really respect what you did there and achieved, and I appreciate the guidance.
@MexicanCow123 - My first ever AGM, it's sad to say how long ago it actually was. Having you in San Diego made the time fly, and it was super enjoyable. You've made some hiccups along the way as GM, but I feel encouraged to see where you've come in such a short period of time. You brought a lot of positivity, fun and experience to the locker room every single season you were with me, and we bonded a lot, I'm very proud of you, and keep doing an amazing job ❤️
@Viperxhawks19 - My other AGM buddy, I was very depressed when you decided to leave in all honesty, no BS. After having lost Mex, and then I lost Alex due to school, you stepping down really sucked. You were so helpful and just there whenever you were needed, or even if you just felt like being around, you were a great presence for the team, and very active and engaging with the locker room and the players. They appreciated you, and so did I.
@Alex Bridges - You are, and will always be a little shit for leaving me, but I'll forgive you eventually All jokes aside, it was unfortunate to lose you as soon as we did, but it didn't go without its good times. You helped the team along as much as you could and proved you were willing and able to be a great AGM. You had everything in the making to be successful if school wasn't putting so much weight on you, I think we would've continued to be a great team.
@IamMOOSE - How can I leave out my current AGM? You bring back flashbacks of Mex if I am honest, when it comes to how involved you love to be and how active you are, and how engaged you are in the locker room. You're that bright light that the team was missing without a consistent AGM and you've done a lot of good for the team. Your scouting helped us build one hell of a team this year, and you nailed it. I am very blessed and proud to call you my partner in crime.
@Sonnet - You're gone now (unless you came back when I wasn't paying attention) and I can't say we had the greatest relationship. To say I pissed you off is an understatement, but hopefully you can forgive me for it, I swear it was not against you personally, I'm just a stubborn ass person with a thick skull and too much time on my hands lol. That being said, my time as GM is not complete without having you as commissioner for a short period of time, and you did some good in the M, that wouldn't have been done without you in power, so thank you for being a part of the journey.
@Rayzor_7 - When it comes to friendships, I'd say I found a pretty good one in you. We don't talk 24/7, its not really that kind of friendship, but we both talk when we need to, get along really well, and now you're on the team with your player so that's really fun. You are always around if I need to vent or just get something out in the air, and I feel like I do that for you too, so there is that as well. I do want to thank you for your friendship, it's an amazing one, wouldn't trade it for the world.
@Ricer13 - I didn't really know you too much until you got hired to be GM, we hadn't talked that much up until that point, but I feel like we both think scarily alike, and its kind of brought that bond on at the GMing level that I've thoroughly enjoyed having. You are an excellent GM and a very great LR guy, you really know how to keep guys engaged and active and I respect the hell out of that. Keep being an excellent GM, you've done great things already and the sky is the limit!
@Spartan - Another GM I've grown mad respect for, over the seasons now. You are constantly a fighter, a warrior and someone pushing and striving for greatness. There isn't a season that you want to fail (really, do we ever want to?) and you are always ensuring to the best of your ability that failure is not an option. Las Vegas has had some inconsistencies with GM's over the time now but I am glad they finally settled with you, one hell of a GM.
@Doomsday - I had the pleasure of having you on my team as a player, one of, if not THE best Marlins two-way forward I have ever had the pleasure of having on my team, and if not one of the best in the minor leagues as well. You turned into an amazing user, and now an amazing GM. You clearly work your ass off, and it shows a lot, you should be and I am sure very proud of your accomplishments as GM in your short tenure, keep up the excellent work, I am very proud and happy to see you succeed here.
@ColeMrtz - Still mad about the Yukon loss, but nevertheless it can't be held over your head forever (or can it? lol). I am really happy you got chosen to pickup Mississauga tbh, you're a great user and you have a good head on your shoulders. I think with some time the Hounds will be as great as they were in the hands of our boy Gus, one of the best GMs in history. You have some shoes to fill, but so far so good, keep up the good work with the team.
@Hylands - Honestly, we haven't talked all that much outside of the VHLM GM chat, however I do have to say I think they made an excellent call with hiring you as GM. While we've never had too many run-ins together, you make a fine choice for GM and I'm sure you'll have a lengthy career at the helm, just don't smuggle too much of your own product over the border, okay? Need to keep you on this side of the line, not the other...ha.
@DoktorFunk - Another GM I haven't had a ton of personal interactions with, most of which come in the VHLM GM chat as well, but nevertheless I can see the good you're doing in Ottawa and that is not hard to find. You are without a doubt an excellent GM, you do what needs to get done, I hear a lot of your players rave about you over the time, and winning a cup is no feat to laugh at. Keep doing you, and keep making Ottawa great!
@Dil - You are, and will forever be a little shit, and you know it lol. You like to push buttons, but at the same time, you're a very smart kid. I think you're gonna go far, but I think you have some lessons to learn and some things that could be done differently, but its not my place to tell you how to GM haha. Either way, I envy your drive and I envy your abilities, I think you're gonna go places and really hit it big when Halifax comes to fruition, its just a matter of time for you to find that success.
@DMaximus - A similar boat to some of the other GM's, our talks are mostly transactional, or in the GM chat, there isn't a lot of personal talks but that's absolutely okay. I feel like we've got a mutual respect for one another (maybe we don't and I'm just in my own little world lol) and we work well together when needed. Philly is lucky to have you at the helm, and I wish you, and Philly nothing but success and a good time!
@a_Ferk - I think you're the only AGM I associate with outside of the GM chat lol, so you make the list! I respect the hell out of you and I was super impressed when Doom hired you. You've done an excellent job by his side and really helped put Saskatoon on the map as a threat. There is no doubts in my mind that one day you will be a GM in your own right, you have all of the characteristics to be one, and you're gonna make it big.
@Tate - You single handedly go down as one of my favorite members I've ever had the pleasure of having on my team. You had such a successful career and I am honored to have been a part of it. You somehow landed on the team twice which makes it even more amazing, and you are a great user. I really have nothing but good things to say about you, and I can hope that you continue to be apart of the adventure one way or another.
@DangerGolding - Another guy I've known for a while in multiple league, I also have had the pleasure of watching you with two players and having both of them on my team. You are also another member that I've gotten a long with very well and have had some good chats with. You're a dedicated user who really enjoys himself and helps others enjoy the league in return. Never, ever change, you were and still are a great experience in the league and on the Marlins.
@Phil - 1/2 of the Knight bros (where tf is your brother man, been too long!) and a favorite of mine. When I seen you were available this draft as the picks continued to pour in, I was astonished, but also very happy. It was a no brainer to bring you back to the team after Marleau found success on the team your first time around. You bring a good vibe to the team and its always a blast having you in the LR, talk more though, we need that Phil energy!!
@Cowboy - How do I write up a speech thingy and not include you? Such a short tenured player but yet have made such an impact. If there is a freaking gold star award for most active, engaged and willingness to learn, it goes to you. You have impressed me immensely, you are so attentive and your need for education on things is above and beyond. You surely keep me busy, and I love it haha. You've been a very welcomed edition to the team, and we're very proud to have you leading the pack!
@fromtheinside - Another welcomed short tenured member who has made a huge impact early on, even nabbing himself an AGM job because of the impact you've made. You are just like Cowboy, a quick learner, someone who WANTS to learn, someone who WANTS to be a part of the league and someone who just enjoys the hell out of being here. Just like Cowboy, you were a no brainer to bring onto the team, your presence in the LR alone has been worth it, and your production and time has made it even more worth it. You will make one hell of a GM one day.
There is a billion people I am sure I could write-up here, some I know I am missing but my mind is going numb trying to find every single person that I can possibly think of to thank for the experience I've had here. There is however one more person that I want to mention,
@Tape-to-Tape - Thank you for putting up with me and honestly, making me open my eyes. While I still have no clue if you're an alias, or if I know you from elsewhere personally, you really made me shed some light on who I am, reflect on myself and change for the better. I appreciate you being honest, and the way I handled your situation was horrible, a very low point for my GMing career, but I am actually glad it happened, because I now know it'll never happen again, because you took the time to put me in my place and show me how I was doing things the wrong way. If you still hate me, all the power to you, I'd hate me too, but hopefully you can learn to forgive and forget, I hold no hard feelings either way.
And yeah, that's me in a nutshell. Thanks for reading ❤️
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