dshervill

sirkants klamasteris

L Dakota Lamb @Domg5

I select SS Hornet & Spencer Elsby @Domg5 Your team is up

#1 Overall - Groovy Dood @Rayzor_7 is up next

Ola Vikingstad @NSG88

I meant Matty Socks, my apologies.

Matty Jones Timothy Brown

Alex Letang

1. Who do you think the Wild should draft in the first round? Jan, that guy is an absolute monster 2. Are you in any of the offseason events? (Pro-Am, World Juniors, etc.) Pro-Am and World Juniors, blessed to be in both 3. Which VHL club has the best logo, in your opinion? The Saksatoon Wild, clearly obvious choice to me. 4. Will you tune in to the VHL draft livestream? Unfortunately I have prior committments 5. What skills are you going to work on this offseason? All because I am being moved up to the VHL. 6. Have you been vaccinated yet? No as I am not high enough on the priority list in Canada

I am interested.

1. How has your offseason gone so far? - Good, made the move over to Prague 2. How are you preparing for the upcoming VHL/VHLM drafts, have teams been talking with you? - I'm not draft eligible as I've already been drafted. But I remember that my draft process was rather boring, only 2 teams reached out and it was clear that one team just sent a spam message to everyone and the other team actually took an interest in me. 3. Do you have any preference where you could be drafted? - Everyone from Saskatoon should come to Prague 4. What are you hoping to achieve next season? - Lead VHL rookies in Hits 5. What is your favourite exercise that gets you ready for the new season? - Just dance on the nintendo switch 6. Where would your ideal location be for an off-season holiday? - Anywhere that doesn't have a ton of snow.

Just like that, as quickly as this season has come and gone. Braxton Hunter's hopes of playing in the VHL playoffs with the Prague Phantoms were dashed when upon arrival in Prague Hunter tested positive for COVID-19. "I was in shock, I did my best to stay socially distant and not go to any get togethers or even be around my family before I left to come here." Hunter told us over the phone while isolating in a hotel in Prague. " From hearing back home it was one of the employees at the hotel I was self-isolating at before coming here. Super unfortunate and super frustrating that I can't even be with my teammates, I'm just all alone in a hotel room 5000 miles away from home. But hey, at least my view and the food is unreal here." What a way for Hunter's season to end, upon further investigation it was confirmed that one of the employees from the hotel in Saskatoon where Hunter was self-isolating before coming to Prague had an outbreak among the employees that was not told to any of the guests at the hotel or the general public. That business has since been fined and closed for a cleaning and sanitizing, we reached out to the business for a comment but our emails and phone calls were never returned. When asked about his experience in Prague so far, Hunter had this to say; "Honestly, the hospitality here is unreal. Some of my teammates have dropped off some things from the team for me already, they've delivered me some local cuisine. So far I'm really enjoying Prague, the staff at this hotel has been incredibly welcoming and have made my 'quarantine' enjoyable." As for the Phantoms, they were eliminated in the VHL playoffs and Hunter was unable to be cleared in time to play a single game. Since the offseason has started it looks as though Hunter is going to be staying in Prague for the forseeable future as he plans to spend his offseason with the Phantoms; "I'm already here, so why wouldn't I stay and start to get involved with the offseason program here? Just makes sense to me, I've already been stuck in this hotel room for a long time already. Once I'm cleared one of the first places I'm going is the facility to get everything figured out and start getting to work. I want to win a championship here." Some bold words from Hunter, shortly after our interview with the newest member of the Phantoms he was cleared to start offseason activities and was cleared of COVID-19 after 6 negative tests that spanned 2 weeks. The Phantoms already gave us word that Hunter was one of the first guys to report to the offseason program and has been consistently in the gym or in the medical facilities getting treatment. It is looking as though this offseason will be one of Hunter's best as an anonymous source from the organization told us: " Hunter always comes in with a smile on his face and says hi to everyone and tells them to have a great day, doesn't matter who they are. The security guard, the scouts, the coaching staff, heck even the janitors who clean the locker rooms and gym facilities. I wouldn't be surprised if Braxton could tell you their names and something about them. He is always the first guy to arrive here around 4:30am, he gets here before the coaches and the coaches have to kick him out to go back to his hotel. The guy lives here, he doesn't leave unless he's forced to." With that coming from our anonymous source from the team it is looking as Hunter has already made a good first impression with the Phantoms, what remains to be seen is how effective Hunter will be in his first VHL season and whether or not he can make an immediate impact in the big leagues. From the Prague Post, this is Ondrej Svoboda.

I am interested.

Not much to criticize about this article. Incredibly well written about an amazing topic and team. I really enjoyed the content, the only thing I would change is making the quotes "italicized" to break up the chunks of texts and make the quotes stand out more, using the same newspaper and referencing multiple players on the roster added a ton of depth that you don't see in many articles. To me it was a near perfect article! Review: 9.9/10 (because there's always room for improvement)

1. Where do you think you'll play next season? If you're getting drafted in the VHL, have any preference for what team selects you? - Prague, unless they trade me 2. Although we didn't make playoffs, what's one good thing that happened to you this season? - The new additions to the roster, made it easy for me to be a captain. 3. Since we're done, are there any other teams you're rooting for? - Not really, more concerned with going up to the VHL 4. Who do you think will win the Founder's Cup this season? (VHLM) - Houston, they're a powerhouse 5. Do you pay much attention to the offseason tournaments? World Juniors, etc. - Not unless I'm playing in them 6. Have you ever visited Saskatoon/Saskatchewan? If so, why? - I have not, but I know people from there.

Just like that, the Saskatoon Wild's season is over, unfortunately our Saskatoon Wild did not make the VHLM playoffs after not being able to clinch a playoff spot. Overall this season showed how a poor start can drastically change the outcome of the season. But this season, after the final regular season game, Braxton Hunter got the call. He will be heading up to the VHL's Prague Phantoms for the end of their regular season and their playoff run. While in attempt to catch up with Hunter before he left for Prague, sitting outside the locker room we were able to hear Braxton Hunter's last speech as the Saskatoon Wild's Captain. " Beginning this season, there were only a few of us here. Heck we didn't even have a goalie, knowing that this was going to be an uphill season I was proud to be the captain, proud to be a member of the Saskatoon Wild. Over the course of the season, making crucial trades to pickup a goalie as well as all of the amazing pickups off of the waiver wire. We improved, we came together, we created a kick ass locker room experience that is unmatched in VHLM. We didn't finish the season the way we wanted to, but this season in Saskatoon will set up the Wild for success for seasons to come. With our locker room and our ability to come together in a short period of time, anyone should be proud to come to Saskatoon and be a member of this amazing franchise. We have amazing leadership in the front office and I know without a doubt we consistently have the best locker room in the M. Just because our season ended in a way we didn't want doesn't make it a failure. I see our season as a huge success, the growth from everyone here has been amazing to see. I believe that each and every one of you will become a major factor on the VHLM and VHL teams that you will get drafted to. Even if you don't end up back in Saskatoon, the season that we shared together will still stay in my mind and I hope that you remember it fondly as well. Now, I'm getting called up tonight and will be leaving for Prague in a few days. But I'll still be here to help, you all have my number, and I know that I'll still check in to see how the new era of the Saskybois will improve and move our tradition forward in seasons to come. So don't disappoint! Saskatoon and the people in here deserve a winner. From failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high. I will miss each and every one of you, it was the biggest privilege and best blessing in my life to serve as your captain this year." The entire locker room went silent, as we awaited who would be one of the first one out of the locker room. To our surprise it was Declan Wolf, one of the Wolf brothers on this year's Saskatoon Wild team, we decided to ask Declan for his input on Hunter and the impact he has made on the team: " I'm sad that we didn't make the playoffs and that Braxton is going to be leaving the team suddenly, but that's how it goes, were in the minors after all. Anyway, I wished him all the best in the pros with Prague and I'm sure he'll succeed and mesh with them. I'd love to some day be back on the same team as Braxton. Overall I really don't think we could've had a better captain." After the players cleared out the locker room we caught up with the management of the Saskatoon Wild and they had the following to say about Hunter: " It's something I'm thrilled to see happen, to be honest. Braxton was fantastic for us all season and this was something he has been working really hard for. With the Wild falling short of the playoffs this season, it's a very classy gesture by Jason Glasser to bring him up for the playoff run. All of us here in Saskatoon are excited to see his season continue, and we will be behind him all the way! Overall looking at Braxton Hunter's career with the Saskatoon Wild was rather long, spending two and a half seasons in the M. What is good to see is the progression in his game, as indicated with the stats below. With this past season being far and beyond his best as captain of the Saskatoon Wild. Overall Hunter finishes his career averaging over 1 point per game and over 3 hits per game, which is a clear indication of his development as a physical power forward who looks to get his teammates involved in the game, we here at The Star Phoenix hope that Hunter's play will be able to translate into the VHL with Prague, but it is a completely different game in the VHL. In this past season Hunter was #4 in points, #10 -Goals, #3 assists, #4 hits, #5 SHG, not too bad for the captain this season. As for Hunter's future with Prague, we were unable to get a comment from the current GM of the Prague Phantoms, but we are very excited to see what Hunter can do in the playoffs. With the first round matchup being the Prague Phantoms vs the Riga Reign, both teams were interested in Hunter during the VHL draft, but it was Prague who selected Hunter. Their season series so far has been back and forth with Riga eking out with a 4-2 record: Overall it looks like Hunter will be placed on the 3rd or 4th line playing with the likes of Robert Bouchard and John Brewitt who have both had respectable seasons with Prague, but what remains to be seen is if Hunter will be able to translate his VHLM success with the Saskatoon Wild into success with the Prague Phantoms. With the VHL playoffs coming up soon it will certainly be a trial by fire for Hunter as he will surely be looked upon with a magnifying glass from both Prague players, coaches and front office as well as the coaches and players of the Riga Reign. We here at The Star Phoenix want to thank Braxton for all of his hard work and volunteer work in the community of Saskatoon over the past 3 seasons, the amount of time openly spent with us and was willing to provide interviews and share his time with us before and after games is something that we will not forget. Thank you Braxton. From the Star Phoenix and our last article about Braxton Hunter as he makes his way to Prague, this is Marek Joseph.

During a mandated "break" by the VHLM, the Saskatoon Wild decided that they were going to allow their players to travel and go see their families or take time away from the game of Hockey. Once again, the Captain of the Saskatoon Wild Braxton Hunter has not disappointed in the description of his travels as we were able to catch up with him after the "break". It was reported that Hunter took a flight to Prague to visit former teammates from the Saskatoon Wild last year, but meet up with former teammate Silas LeFriend and future teammate Thomas Landry II from the Prague Phantoms to go on a trip to Thailand. What happened there only Hunter can describe in an interview that may be considered one for the ages. In Hunter's words; "Man that trip was freaking wild, it was good to be with other Sasky boys. Get to meet the staff and head office of Prague again, plus to meet an absolute legend like Landry is certainly an honour. His Dad has told me so much about him and his game while being in Saskatoon that it's like I almost knew him already. That wasn't even the best part, those guys got me really good in Thailand. We went to a place called 'walking street', where LeFriend and Landry swindled me into going to a party with these thai girls, and I remember something about a monkey. But I think y'all can connect the dots after that." When asking former Saskatoon Wild and current Prague Phantoms player Silas LeFriend for a comment he stated; " Oh we got him goooooood, you should've seen the look on his face. Absolutely priceless!" As he proceeded to laugh so loudly on the phone that we couldn't make out anything he said after that. We can make some assumptions that cannot be printed in this medium. After the trip to Thailand, Hunter went into more detail about his trip to Prague and why exactly he wanted to go there; "I have been told that after this season in the VHLM that I will be joining Prague in the big leagues next year. With that knowledge I wanted to go and visit my future teammates, catch up with some old ones, get to know the city and see the facilities. To make sure that I can start with my best foot forward when I arrive in Prague. I've been told nothing but great things about the players there and this is the organization that gave me a shot and wants me to develop into something, so for me to not take this time to get a step ahead would've been foolish." So it looked like Braxton had himself a "Wild" time in Thailand and a eye opening trip to Prague, but what remains to be seen is whether or not this trip will lead to an increase in performance for Hunter and the Saskatoon Wild, they currently sit 6 points back of a playoff spot. But just like Saskatoon likes to do, they've made amazing waiver wire pickups as of these last few weeks have looked to have paid immediate dividends. With Hunter at the helm as the captain of this "Wild" squad we hope that the Wild can make a playoff push and make some noise this postseason. From the Star Pheonix, this is Marek Joseph

claiming for second week due to word count.

Overall a solid article! I think that talking about what your player wants to improve upon also keeps you accountable for how the player should play and how to spend TPE. One thing I would do is to italicize the quotations from your player to have them stand out instead of blending in with the rest of the article. But overall it's good content! Grade: 7.5/10

With all that has gone on in Saskatoon this season, the poor start in net to start the season, with the tumultuous offseason that captain Braxton Hunter has had, with the new acquisitions and waiver pickups, the Saskatoon Wild are clinging onto a playoff spot in the VHLM. After 30 games into the VHLM season the Saskatoon Wild are 11-18-3 and currently have 23 points which puts them fourth in the conference, after the 30 game start to the regular season. We caught up with Wild Captain Braxton Hunter for an interview to get his thoughts on the season so far and what he believes can lead to future success for the Wild. Marek Joseph - " Hey Braxton, so the Wild's season started off a little bit on the cold side. How do you feel the team has rebounded so far?" Braxton Hunter - " Thanks for having me, the team has some struggles in net the first few games where we had to have our emergency backup play. But honestly, we've added some new faces and they're amazing guys. They're adding a new style to our game, they have a lot to work on I mean we all do. It's weird being the 'old guy' on the team now and having that leadership role, to answer your question I feel like the team with our new additions we've made so far have had a huge impact in turning our season around." MJ - " Speaking of these new additions, who do you feel has had an impact on the team that the average fan doesn't see?" BH - " Honestly, it's not just one guy. They all add something different to the team and I think that's what makes them great. Tanky is an absolute unit out there, he throws the body more than I do and adds more of a physical presence out there, then Nics (Nico di Angelo) has been a huge factor on the dot and has been putting up good points. Monty (Duncan Montana) has been getting on the stat sheet as well, adding a necessary scoring option in our lineup. It isn't just one guy that I can name, there's even a few more guys that I could mention but then we would be here for at least an hour." Hunter started laughing after that answer, you could really tell that he's trying to make a connection and grow the culture in Saskatoon this year. MJ - " You currently sit top 10 in points, goals, hits, powerplay goals, short-handed goals and shots. What do you think has been the biggest contributor to your season this year? BH - " It's not about me, it's about the team. I'd rather have zero points and zero stats and be undefeated. But if I had to give an answer, I'd say it's the commitment from the front office to help me in the offseason. They helped me stay on my offseason program and gave me a ton of support when I needed it the most." MJ - " You mentioned your offseason, how was your mindset during that time? What happened?" BH - " Next question." MJ - " Alright, so there have been rumours thrown around that you may be traded come the trade deadline or you might be called up to Prague. How do you feel about these rumours? BH - " I think they're just that, rumours. If I'm dealt then it's what's best for the team, I've talked with the front office about it already and if I'm dealt it will be what's best for the team. I love being in Saskatoon and love the group that we have in this locker room, but if I can help a team win a championship and Saskatoon can get back some good pieces for me then so be it, that's the business of Hockey. If I get called up to Prague that just means I get to reunite with a bunch of Wild alumni and play in the VHL. I've heard nothing but great things about Prague, if they feel like I'm ready then I'll respect that decision." MJ - " Since you've already talked to management, is there a team that they've mentioned that has given them a call about you?" BH - " That's not for me to say, as far as I know nobody's called the front office about me, what I know is that no matter what team I'm on I want to make the most of it, I want to have a great connection with the guys in the locker room and be part of a championship contending team. As of right now, my commitment is to the city of Saskatoon, the fans and the team, as far as I know I am a player for the Wild and will be until I'm told otherwise." MJ - " You mentioned Prague, is there anything specific that makes you think that you're going to be called up soon?" BH - " No, it's just that playing in the VHL is what I'm working towards. That should be every players' goal, whether or not they get there remains to be seen but I know that I want to get to the VHL and win championships. MJ - " With saying that, do you truly believe that Saskatoon is in a position to contend right now for a VHLM cup." BH - " Honestly, it depends on how much improvement we see overall on the roster. Are we number one in the league right now? Not even close... Can we get to a point where we can contend with some of the top tier talent in the league? I genuinely think so, but it all depends on how hard they work on improving. MJ - " So the fans want to know, what does Braxton do on an off day? Go out with teammates? Play any video games? Any sort of hobbies?" BH - " Honestly, I do a few things on an off day. Number one is that I always wake up early and go for a run, it clears my head and gets me ready for the day. The rest of the day I usually just hangout on my computer unless we do something together as a team. One time we all went to a bowling alley and played a few games as a team. But on a typical day you can find me playing chess online trying to get better, I'm not very good at the moment, but I've found a few guys on YouTube that I watch and I think it's paying off? I also play some league of legends until I get too tilted, which is probably after 3-5 games haha. If I'm super sore on an off day, we have an amazing training facility that are always ready for us if we need to get any treatment." MJ - " Nice, good to know that you're not just a hockey robot that sits in the charger on an off day haha, last question for you here Braxton. Is there anything you'd like to say to the fans of Saskatoon and others who will hear this interview on YouTube and Facebook?" BH - " Nice plug haha, also definitely not a robot, I wouldn't be as sore after games if I was a robot, but back to your question of course I do. To the fans of Saskatoon, you deserve better and we are trying to win more games in our home barn for y'all, your support and cheers mean the world to us and we are proud every game that we have the opportunity to put on the jersey for you guys. No matter what happens this season, just know that y'all are the best fans in the league." MJ - " Well that's all the time we have Braxton. Best of luck with the rest of the season, hopefully we can have another interview with you guys making the playoffs!" BH - " Thanks for the interview Marek, always a pleasure. See you at the next game." Overall a positive outlook from Hunter, when asking the Saskatoon front office what they had to say about the team after 30 games into the season, here is what they had to say; " A lot of people didn't expect much from this team this year, but nobody told the boys that. The cards have often been stacked against them, but between their hard work and new prospects choosing to start their VHL career here with us, they're really doing a fantastic job. It doesn't always result in wins, but this team just doesn't quit, and they scrap until the end of every game. I'm incredibly proud of them, and our home crowd being behind them only helps it even more." It remains to be seen if the Wild can make a push to contend in the VHLM. It also remains to be seen whether the Wild will keep this roster together or will they trade off their main assets in hopes to rebuild. The new additions to the team have certainly made an impact early, but the season will ultimately rest on how the leadership group of Braxton Hunter, Griff Mackenzie and Tanky can lead this team towards the playoffs and make a playoff run. With their next stretch of games, the Wild will be able to prove whether or not they belong as a contender on the ice or will sneak into the playoffs and have to face one of the VHL juggernauts in a classic "David vs Goliath" matchup. As always make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also find us on YouTube and Tik Tok where we cover everything Saskatoon and everything "Wild" with the Saskatoon Wild. From the Star Phoenix, this is Marek Joseph.

A few ideas 1) "Dynasty week" - Where the community votes and speaks on who they believe were the best Dynasties in the VHL. Then at the end of the week it is ranked. Votes could be 1TPE and then people who write articles and such could get the uncapped 6 TPE 2) "Historic Trades" - Getting inspiration from past VHL and VHLM trades, can write about impactful trades for specific organizations or the league in general. 3) "Historic Draft Classes" - What year of the VHL draft was the best? Why? What drafts had the biggest impact on the league? Were there any drafts/classes who had the most amount of trades? What drafts had the best "late bloomers"? Hopefully this helps

Questions for Week of 1/25 - 1/31/21 1. After acquiring goaltender Andrew Bowman, Saskatoon has battled to a 6-11-1 record, on the cusp of playoff positioning. What has bringing Bowman in done for the team? - It's allowed us to have stability in the net, just need to have a solid team in front of him. 2. With the massive turnover from the Season 75 roster to Season 76, which new pickup for the Wild do you think the VHLM should watch out for? - Tanky, the man is a beast. 3. After scoring 61 points in Season 75, team captain Braxton Hunter already has 33 points in just 18 games this season. How important is he to Saskatoon's chances this season? - I'll let my teammates answer this one, I'm just here to set a good example and show how great it is to be a sasky boy. 4. It's brutally cold in Saskatchewan this time of year, how do you guys manage to stay warm off the ice? - Working out, easiest thing to stay warm. 5. The Houston Bulls were the concensus favorite to win the Founder's Cup this season, but the Minnesota Storm are quickly turning into a major contender themselves. Do you see another team joining the fight for the top spot in the standings? - No, Houston is on a whole other level. They just need 1-2 more pieces to cement themselves as the favourites. 6. What's something that you feel could really improve the VHLM experience? - Being in Saskatoon, the experience has been second to none. The front office has done an amazing job supporting us and putting us in a position to improve.

Welcome to the VHL and great first media spot!

Review: The format of this article is well done, displaying who is talking and how exactly this situation played out made a more complicated situation easier to understand. The only thing I would change format wise is having the text shifted to the left and not centered on the screen. overall: 9/10

Claiming for second week.