Kirby

Player Name: Maximilian Kirbsson
VHL/VHLM Team: Houston Bulls
Cash you have: 1.5M
Purchase Name: First Generation Doubles
Cost of Purchase: 1.5M
Cash Left: 0

After many weeks of speculation and countless amounts of Mock Drafts, the VHL Draft has come and gone and we finally have something to look forward to again, as the many drafted rookies look to cement their legacies in VHL folklore.
 
A name that has been forgotten of late is that of former Houston Bulls, and now New York Americans Center Maximilian Kirbsson. An absolute star of the show in the VHLM last year, it’s surprising to see him fall so damn low. We managed to find Kirbsson roaming the streets of Manhattan, for a quik catch up:
 
KIRBSSON: “It feels good to know I have a new home now. Come on, I couldn’t be in a better place. Frankly, I p*ssed around for a while after the season was done. It maybe affected me more than others when we bailed out of the play offs a bit prematurely. There’s no denying though, with my focus back, I’m a top 2 player coming out of this draft.
 
It’s now down to me to prove everyone wrong again. It makes me laugh man, the short memories of people. Just watch. Watch and wait. My time will come in New York.
 
Coach @Spade18 is a very credible dude and I’m excited to work under his tutelage. I believe I can contribute greatly for New York this season and beyond and I’m just excited to get to work man. Beyond excited.
 
Right now though, it’s back to home searching. Anyone know someone looking to rent a neat penthouse? If you do, give me a shout. Peace out”.

S66 ALL-VHLM TEAMS 
 All-VHLM First Team - May Claim 2 Uncapped TPE 
 
F - Hunter Hearst Helmsley @Beaviss
F - Shane Mars @Spade18
F - Maximilian Kirbsson @Kirby
D - Denver Wolfe @InstantRockstar
D - Codrick Past @Kylrad
G - Wendy Kandee Cain @SlashACM
 
 All-VHLM Second Team - May Claim 1 Uncapped TPE 
 
F - Orion Slade @BluObieZ
F - Shawnomir Jagr @TheLastOlympian07
F - Julius Freeman @rjfryman
D - Basaraba Moose @Toasty
D - Aron Nielsen @solas
G - Chase  @Chase Klein
 
@VHLM Commissioner
@Commissioner
@VHLM GM

Houston putting the Storm on notice ???

Great job Houston with the upset. Maximilian Kirbsson leading the underdog to the victory.

@Kirby with a fantastic WJC debut!

Still Wet Behind the Ears - S66's Best 'First-Gens'
 
Saskatoon, SK - Being the new kid on the block is never easy. Your new 'friends' don't quite understand you, and you've got a few precious days to adapt to a whole new environment. Some of the league's best prospects this season are in fact its newest members, thanks to the league's @Recruitment Crew . There were, in fact, so many that we couldn't even fit half of those above 100 TPE into this article. Since our last few articles were about finding 'value' and 'reach' picks in this year's deep draft class, we need to pay our dues and look at the best with this one.
 
Without further ado - Reddit, SBA, EFL, other VHL members - show us your recruiting skills. This is the cream of the crop - new agent edition.
 

 
C Maximilian Kirbsson @Kirby
Houston Bulls | 6’0” | 195 lbs.
S65 WJC (Team Europe Selection)
TPE: 225 (+28 from week ending 3/17-week ending 3/31)
 
The prospect on this list with the most raw talent, Maximilian Kirbsson is a Swedish center who got his start in the VHL/M with an agent who is most notable for managing gunslinging LSU QB Jake Luck and Syracuse Orange scorer JK Kirby. It’s easy to see, based on this breakthrough agent’s player activity, that he’s Kirbsson is quite likely to stick around for the long haul; the 18-year-old has even overtaken fellow Bull Kari Jurri in draft stock – which is hard enough to do provided there are only a select couple ahead of him now. He’s secured a $750,000 endorsement from Ferda Apparel alongside buddy Kari Jurri (covered below). 
 
In addition to being a breakout draftee, he’s a bit of a sweetheart, citing an adorable interaction with a new fan just a couple of weeks ago. The attention is well-deserved, as Kirbsson led the VHLM in points at the time. It’s hard to argue with stats and results – as the Houston squad presently sits third in the league with 68 points. Admittedly he’s not much of a hidden gem, as he was taken in the first round of the S65 VHLM Draft, but he’ll make any general manager who picks him in the first round rest easy.
 
Projection: Top 4
 
 
 
LW Julius Freeman @rjfryman
Halifax 21st | 6’3” | 210 lbs.
S65 WJC (Team World Selection)
TPE: 233 (+47)
 
Our first American on the list, Julius Freeman has had just a few articles about his soaring draft stock; we won’t belabor the point here. Agent @rjfryman appears to be something of a newcomer to player management, but it hasn’t shown to be a detriment as of yet: Freeman is expected to be a clear-cut first round draft pick, and Halifax likely securing the top playoff seed is even more promising for this left winger. While his +/- (+25) and points per game (76) are impressive to begin with, Freeman’s also accrued 7 game-winning goals over the stretch, so he clearly has the intangibles to go with his high-quality offensive abilities.
 
Projection: Top 6
 
 

 
RW Mikko Aaltonen (@GRZ)
Las Vegas Aces | 6’3” | 200 lbs.
S65 WJC (Team Europe Selection)
TPE: 223 (+42)
 
Aaltonen – whom you may have heard speak just earlier this week shouting out a few 'sleeper' picks in this year’s draft – is the shiny new toy and offensive standout for the high-rolling Aces. Formerly of the Philadelphia Reapers, this young Finnish forward has a stat line that is a result of his time on both the Reapers and Aces. He’s comfortably on pace for over one point a game (58 GP, 70 P) but sports a less-than-ideal -18 while on the ice. Recent success with the Aces has shored this +/- up a bit, and the Aces’ placement at 4th in the league puts them just a handful of points above the Rush and Lynx.
 
Mikko is a traditional two-way forward, with a skill set that mirrors many other top forwards in the draft; he leans a bit more towards raw scorer but has shown flashes of excellence on defense this season that should have GMs chomping at the bit to draft him. If his own confidence is anything to go by, Aaltonen has a place in the league for seasons to come.
 
Agent @GRZ has @hejta to thank for his introduction to the league, though the latter seems to have removed himself from agent duties in recent weeks.
 
Projection: Top 6
 
 

Above: Owen May, not-so-shamelessly taken from his agent's signature
 
G Owen May @FacebookFighter
Houston Bulls | 6’2” | 180 lbs.
S65 WJC (Team Europe Selection)
TPE: 191 (+44)
 
In my Hidden Gems review of the S66 draft, we passed over Owen May in favor of coverage of Rush goalie Clayton Park – but now May gets additional spotlight. Interestingly, Owen May has been projected in multiple mock drafts to overtake standout Wendy Kandee Cain, a reversal of most talking heads’ opinions on the matter from a few weeks prior. To push the point further – he’s actually been projected as early as the 5th overall pick to the Malmö Nighthawks for the S66 Entry Draft. Like defense, the goalie cohort in this draft is quite thin – and with agent @FacebookFighter brand new to the scene, May’s high draft stock is something to be admired.
 
Like a few others on this list, May has the opportunity to play in the S65 World Juniors, which begin shortly; the Swiss netminder sits behind JB Rift, and will likely see a few games’ worth of time on the ice over the course of the tournament.
 
Projection: 1st Round
 
 
RW Arnor Sigurdsson @bluesfan55
Yukon Rush | 6’4” | 205 lbs.
S65 WJC (Team Europe Selection)
TPE: 202 (+43)
 
Sigurdsson is a two-sport forward from Iceland, with experience here in hockey and formerly as a physical centre-forward for Valùr Reykjavik’s youth football team. Though Iceland is hardly a VHL staple, this draftee has shown close to point-per-game production (57 GP, 54 P) on a struggling Yukon Rush team. He has repeatedly shown a game resembling the prototypical power forward, with the build of a defenseman and some skills to match (67 CK, 70 ST, 66 PH) on top of excellent scoring potential.
 
The Rush have a potent offensive attack in general – and Sigurdsson has had to share the limelight with Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Anthony Matthews, and John Frostbeard (whom we’ll discuss a bit later). With a rare skillset it’s rather difficult to predict where GMs will take the young forward; he’s certainly among rare company with an unusual defensive skillset. Will this increase his draft stock, or will GMs be a bit more conservative? My guess is, in spite of his (possible first-round) talent, some GMs may shy away a bit as they try to figure out exactly how a player like Sigurdsson works in the VHL.
 
But if Sigurdsson slips into the second round as we suspect he may, he’d be one hell of a steal. There’s nothing better for a GM than a talented player with a chip on their shoulder.
 
Projection: Late 1st/Early 2nd Round
 
 
LW Kari Jurri @hockeyis66
Houston Bulls | 6’3” | 210 lbs.
S65 WJC (Team Europe Selection)
TPE: 209 (+14)
 
Next on our list is Kirbsson’s teammate and Ferda Apparel winger Kari Jurri. Like Kirbsson, Jurri has a multi-sport agent – and he represents two-way Syracuse F Championship Defense. Though initially an Oslo signee, this young Dutch forward was also drafted by the Bulls just two picks after Kirbsson; frankly, the two forwards have been one of the most lethal combinations in the VHLM today. Jurri presently sits at 83 points on the season (36 G, 47 A) that slots him at about 1.5 P/gm and a respectable +25 while on the ice. Agent @hockeyis66 seems to have a penchant for two-way players, as he’s capable of defending, passing, scoring, and skillfully skating around opposing defenders.
 
Provided his success so far, Jurri’s agent seems to have a winning formula. In spite of his prior clumsiness on the ice (in fact once being described as a freight train, the winger shows plenty of promise for the VHL. His draft stock is quite high – the vast majority of mock drafts have him going in the first round – but he likely does not carry the same clout as his fellow Bulls forward. At the very least, he hasn’t been as much of a media darling and is in fact relatively reserved with the press.
 
Projection: Late 1st Round
 

 
LW/C Bert Meyers @RunnerBert11
Minnesota Storm | 6’1” | 175 lbs.
S65 WJC (Team Asia Selection)
TPE: 197 (+50)
 
The first on this list to be below the 200 TPE cap, Meyers embodies the phrase ‘jack of all trades, master of none.’ Capable of scoring, passing, winning a faceoff, blocking and handling pucks, and defending, there’s very little Bert can’t do. Even his points are split nearly evenly (19 G, 21 A) while playing for a Minnesota Storm team that has made every move possible to win a VHLM title this season. It’s worth noting that Meyers is certainly on the light side of the player base – at 175 lbs., some GMs may have concerns about his ability to stay on the puck if pressured by some of the league’s heavier defenders. A native Wisconsinite, Irish twin, and S65 VHLM draftee, he’s one of the more experienced prospects and has 58 games under his belt – and he’ll be utilizing that experience as he makes the transition from LW => per a recent press release.
 
Agent @RunnerBert11 has taken on a number of responsibilities after seemingly coming to the VHL out of nowhere: among them is Assistant GM-ship for the Saskatoon Wild, and Bert is certain to benefit from his agent’s understanding of the game. Meyers’s agent’s actions may in fact boost the winger’s draft stock itself, as taking on any type of GM role signals a long-term investment in the league.
 
Projection: Late 1st Round
 
D Charlie Paddywagon @DMaximus
Las Vegas Aces | 6’4” | 208 lbs.
S65 WJC (Team USA Selection)
TPE: 186 (+44)
 
I've actually already written about breakout defenseman Charlie Paddywagon, but sometimes one shout-out isn’t enough. His agent @DMaximus, like the last few entries on this list, seemingly appeared out of nowhere – but that hasn’t stopped the Irishman from being labeled with star potential over the last few weeks.  He’s attracted enough attention with his fashion sense to be interviewed and featured by Style Magazine, and is in fact the third of our draftees listed here to receive a Ferda Apparel endorsement. And if other brands were hoping to feature Paddywagon in the near future, that’s too bad – he’s locked in to his Ferda endorsement for the next three seasons.
 
Advertising aside, Charlie’s defense has improved to VHL starter-comparable levels (90 DF, 70 ST); while his offensive repertoire still needs some work, it would see as though this 47th-overall S65 VHLM pick is set to prove the league a newbie defenseman can still make it big.
 
Projection: Early 2nd Round
 
 
D Jerry Garcia @GustavMattias
Houston Bulls | 6’1” | 194 lbs.
S65 WJC (Team USA Selection)
TPE: 182 (+48)
 
Like fellow defenseman Charlie Paddywagon, I’ve already written about Jerry Garcia – but he’s appeared in BOTH of my previous long-form articles. He’s recently declared his affinity for Helsinki, Seattle, and recently-announced expansion team Malmö as his preferred destinations. As one of the top few defensemen in this draft and as part of a seemingly star-studded Houston roster, GMs are sure to be listening.
 
Let’s not beat a dead horse – Garcia knows what he’s doing, I just secretly wanted to ping @GustavMattias again.
 
Projection: Early 2nd Round
 
 

 
RW Nethilia Dissanayake @nethi99
Saskatoon Wild | 6’8” | 197 lbs.
TPE: 164 (+32)
 
The lone Asian player on this list, the exceedingly-tall and lanky Nethila Dissanayake hails from Colombo, Sri Lanka. He’s the last of our ‘agents-from-nowhere’ to appear here, and for good reason – he’s one of the better forwards on a rising (but recently-struggling) Saskatoon team, and the lone Wild player to appear on this list. Perhaps most significantly, he’s the first-ever Sri Lankan to play for the VHLM.
 
He has a lengthy history with hockey, winning 3 cups with the Alabama State Hornets during his college days and had a burgeoning career with the Prince Albert Raiders in the CHL. Overall, Dissanayake has been one of the more productive members of the Wild, securing 69 (nice) points (28 G, 41 A) in just 58 games. He was the 32nd overall selection in last season’s Dispersal Draft, and appears to be on-pace to improve that stock tremendously for the Entry Draft.
 
Projection: Late 2nd Round
 
[>2,100 words; will claim as needed through June]

Just for the sake of simplicity, we will be going in reverse order from standings and giving the new expansion franchise 1st overall because why the hell not. Give them the best possible way to start their franchise with the 1st overall pick. I know that would ruffle some feathers but it be like that sometimes.
 
1 - Malmo Redhawks - C Hunter Hearst Helmsley - 324 TPE

Triple H has been the consensus 1st overall pick since this draft has been announced and he has held his spot as number 1 all season long. I think Malmo would be very happy to pick Triple H as he has led the VHLM in scoring pretty much all season and has 49 goals and 57 assists for 106 points. He is the only VHLM player so far with over 100 points. The 49 year old will be the oldest 1st overall pick in any sport draft ever. This will be a nice building block for the Redhawks as in my mind, he will be the first player on this team as the first building block.
 
2 - Moscow Menace - Left Wing Shane Mars - 275 TPE

Triple H has been the 1st overall pick all year long? Well Mars has been the projected 2nd overall pick all year long. The USA product was drafted by the Minnesota Storm 3rd overall and he has not disappointed. Shane has scored 42 goals and assisted on 43 goals for 85 points this season and looks to break the 100 point mark by the end of the year. I expect Mars to come in a fit in well with Mark Gebauer and Kyson Blake who currently lead the Menace in points with 70 and 64 respectively before a drop off to 42 and then below 20 for the rest of the team. The Menace are a two man team but expect Mars to make it a threesome in the near future.
 
3 - Calgary Wranglers - Center Maximilian Kirbsson - 215 TPE

The Houston Bulls 6th overall pick will jump to 3rd overall in this mock draft because the Wranglers need centers and low and behold they get what they need. Kirbsson has been leading the Bulls all season and has scored 40 goals and assisted on 48 goals for 88 points. Kirbsson would go to the Wranglers and instantly become one of their top offensive players as of right now, the team is lead by defenseman Lando Baxter and Elasmobranch Fish in scoring. Expect this to be your top 3 of the draft because I honestly don't see how it can be any different.
 
4 - Vancouver Wolves - Right Wing Mikko Aaltonen - 223 TPE

Mikko Aaltonen will be the 4th overall pick jumping ahead of Kari Jurri. You may ask why the Wranglers take Kirbsson over Aaltonen despite the more TPE? Well Wranglers needs C over wingers and that works well for the Wolves who need wingers more than C. Aaltonen was drafted 15th overall by the Aces and he has been great this season. Mikko has scored 32 goals and assisted on 32 goals for 64 points. Expect Aaltonen to join Beau Louth and Jake Davis to form a pretty sick 1st line.
 
5 - HC Davos Dynamo - Left Wing Julius Freeman - 223 TPE

Julius Freeman is a huge climber in the draft and we should expect him to break the top 5 of the draft. Freeman is having a good season with the Halifax 21st with 28 goals and 45 assists for 75 points. The 6'3, 230 pounder should expect to fit in well with Elias Dalhberg and Rylan Peace to form a sick looking top line in the near future. Freeman, I can't recall if he was drafted at all in the VHLM Dispersal Draft but either way, he will be going high in this upcoming VHL Entry Draft.
 
6 - New York Americans - Left Wing Dimitri Volosenkov - 207 TPE

Volosenkov was drafted 17th overall by the Halifax 21st and has quietly had a nice season. Dimitri has scored 31 goals and assised on 35 goals for 66 points. The Americans have a need for wingers and Dimitri certainly fits the bill as he is not to big but not to small at 6' and 190. There might be some concerns about Dimitri but the potential is certainly there and I expect the Americans to take the chance on him. Leph Twinger and Dan Wilinsky lead the team and they have some young centers coming in so expect NYA to take another winger and hopefully have him break through.
 
7 - Helsinki Titans - Right Wing Shawnomir Jagr - 185 TPE

Shawnomir Jagr is kind of a reach here with other players on the board with more TPE, however I expect Quik to look past this and think about the long game. I was tempted to put Jet Jaguar here because I am pretty sure Jasper Canmore is retiring but the Titans have a few young centers that can step up and take his place. Vesto Slipher has also retired today so expect Jagr to immediately make the jump and take over his spot in the lineup. Jagr has been having a pretty good season with the Wild scoring 41 goals and assisting on 38 goals for 79 points. I am pleased with the selection personally as I have never played for Quik nor have I played for Helsinki as an active player.
 
8 - Toronto Legion - Center Jet Jaguar - 190 TPE

The Legion are in a need of high end center and will be happy to take my man gorlab in this spot. Toronto should be very happy to get a player at 8th overall to fill their needs and keep them in contention of a playoff spot. Jet signed with the Halifax 21st and has been steady in his production scoring 20 goals and assisting on 25 goals for 45 points. I expect Jet to come in and take his spot on the team out of camp. 
 
9 - Riga Reign - Left Wing - Kari Jurri - 209 TPE

Why would Jurri drop so far to 9th when he has the 4th most TPE? Well over the past 2/3 weeks, he has not been practicing. However, I can see GM hedgy take a chance on Jurri due to knowing the player agent from another league. If anyone can get him to come back to activity, I expect hedgy to do it. Jurri would be such a great pick up at 9th overall and I think Riga would be more than happy to pick him up here. Jurri has scored 36 goals and assisted on 45 goals for 81 points.
 
10 - Seattle Bears - Defenseman Aron Nielsen - 178 TPE

Why would the Bears take Nielsen here ahead of other playes who have more TPE? Well because the Bears only have 3 defenseman on the roster and I expect them to fill out team needs over BPA. While that might not be the best strat, GM Bananadick is a good GM and I expect him to help team needs. It may be risky but with the team as good a this one, you can afford to take risks and Nielsen in the best defenseman in the draft so go for it.
 
1292 words using for 2 weeks

Greetings, I've decided to do something interesting to venture out of the whole "mock-drafting" that's happening now, I believe most of the picks would be the same, so lets dive into something more fun and less serious - looking at which player Nationalities are the most common and which aren't so common, also taking a look at each Nationalities highest TPE rated player.
(All info I'll be taking from the latest  @Tagger's "Live S66 VHL Draft Rankings")

So lets start by looking at the most common Nationality in S66's draft.......

  - Currently 33 players in the upcoming Draft
Don't think this would come as a shocker to anyone, USA is beating everyone in the list and by a lot, having 14 more players than the 2nd place, USA has got some impressive representatives in this upcoming draft. One of which is a guy who if you've followed the draft rankings since day 1, you've probably heard his name about 50 times, without further introduction......

                                                                                                                                                        Hunter Hearst Helmsley
                                                                                                                                                       C | 6' 3" | 250 lb. | Age: 49 |  
                                        TPE: 324 @Beaviss
                                           
                  Yeah, not that much left to say that hasn't been already said about this legend, surely he ends up as a national treasure of USA.
 
 
  - Currently 19 players in the upcoming Draft
Coming in hot in 2nd place is Canada, having less player than USA, however still an easy 2nd place, these two were the only in contention for 1st/2nd place, from now on it's a massive drop in player numbers, so who's the leading Canadian heading into the S66 Draft you ask..... I bring you the one and only - 
                                                                                                                      Rhye Tyr
                                                                                                                                                        D | 5' 10" | 205 lb. | Age: 19 |  
                                                 TPE: 159 @Plate
                                            
                        This good Canadian kid is having himself a decent season, being just over a point per game, Rhye is the highest rated Canadian in this draft.
 
 
 - Currently 6 players in the upcoming Draft
A surprising drop to me, I expected there to be more than 2 Nationalities that dominate the list, but here we are, Sweden has dominant roots in the history of hockey, but who's leading the Swedes in the draft......?
                                                                                                                Maximilian Kirbsson
                                                                                                                                                        C | 6' 0" | 195 lb. | Age: 18 |  
                                                    TPE: 217 @Kirby
                                                        
      This Swedish powerhouse is absolutely killing it in Houston right now, well over a point per game, this player is looking to go high in the draft and make an instant impact in the VHL.


 
 - Currently 4 players in the upcoming Draft
A not so big of a drop, still the numbers we are in right now are really small, however this is the 4th biggest Nationality among rest of the draftees, lets take a look who is leading the Germans........ - 
 
                                                                                                                         Hans Gruber
                                                                                                                                                               C | 6' 2" | 205 lb. | Age: 18    
                                                       TPE: 155 @TheFlash
                                                     
    A playmaking Center turned Left Winger, Gruber was among the pieces traded by the Philadelphia Reapers, having found himself a stable home in Saskatoon, this guy has been killing it.



 
                                                                                                                                                                     Conclusion & Fun facts
I expected couple of Nationalities to dominate the list, however I did not expect such drastic drops, would be fun seeing more diversity in the coming years of this league.

- The highest player on the list who is the only one from his country is Kari Jurri(@hockeyis66, The Netherlands), currently listed #4.
- There are a total of 29 different Nationalities in the upcoming S66 Draft.
- Both #1 and #2 ranked players, who sit comfortably in their positions are both from USA, Hunter Hearst Helmsley & Shane Mars respectively.
- Most popular position within the ranks of USA is Defense, having 10 representatives.

- 570 words, claiming this (07/04 - 14/04) 6 + 6 for theme week.
 

Welcome to the second installment of the S66 Mock Draft series. As you can probably tell, this draft is loaded with great offensive talent. On the other hand, there aren't many defensive standouts. It'll be something to watchout for as the season moves on how teams like Davos will fill their blueline needs.
 
 
Mock Draft
 
 1. Hunter Hearst Helmsley +0
C | 6' 3" | 250 lb. | Age: 49 |  | 
TPE: 284 @Beaviss
 

 
Triple H has had a phenomenal season so far. This WWE legend is on pace for 149 points while playing on a middle of the pack team.  He has shown time and again why he is the sure pick for 1st overall. He has been earning TPE at an insane rate and I can guarantee he will end up in the hall of fame. A player of his caliber is something teams would love to have.
 
 2. Shane Mars +0
LW | 6' 5" | 225 lb. | Age: 18 |  | 
TPE: 261 @Spade18
 

 
 
Shane has picked it up stat wise recently and has shown he deserves to be regarded as one of the top players in the draft. This 6'5" 225lb monster has been playing great both offensively and defensively all season and would be an excellent addition to Davos's forward core. I expect Shane to be one of the top players in the VHL for years to come.
 
 3. Kari Jurri +1
LW | 6' 3" | 210 lb. | Age: 18 |  |  
TPE: 209 @hockeyis66
 

 
Kari is a big kid with a natural goal scoring capability. This kid can rip the puck and I can only expect him to improve it. Calgary could use Kari Jurri to play behind Brady Stropko Jr. who they picked up in the previous draft. This could be a solid left wing duo and could provide some much-needed depth to the Calgary forward core.
 
(From New York) 4. Maximilian Kirbsson -1
C | 6' 0" | 195 lb. | Age: 18 |  |  
TPE: 205  @Kirby
 

 
Kirbsson has been putting up great numbers this year. On pace for just under 100 points, this kid has shown he has the ability to do great things. He could join Riga's growing forward core and make an instant difference. Riga has been doing well lately and the addition of Maximilian could be excellent for their core.
 
 5. Rhye Tyr +0
D | 5' 10" | 205 lb. | Age: 19 |  |  
TPE: 159 @Plate
 

 
Davos has an excellent forward core but is lacking a little in defense. The addition of Rhye could be a step in the right direction for them. Although this draft class has very few good defensemen, Davos is going to need to snatch up some of them if they wish to be a competitive team again any time soon. Tyr is ranked highly due to a lack of defenceman in this draft.
 
 6. Dimitri Volosenkov +0
LW | 6' 0" | 190 lb. | Age: 21 |  |  
TPE: 197 @SirRupertBarnes
 

 
Vancouver has dropped off since the last mock draft. Although they are in need of defenceman, there aren't many defencemen that deserve to go this high in the draft. Dimitri Volosenkov could be a solid addition to their core. He has his TPE spread out throughout his stats and is well rounded. He is almost at the VHLM TPE cap so you can expect him to make an impact in the bigs right away.
 
 7. Mikko Aaltonen +0
RW | 6' 3" | 200 lb. | Age: 17 |  | 
TPE: 192 @GRZ
 

 
Mikko has recently moved to Vegas where he has made an instant difference. Although not as deep as last year, Vegas has still been pretty good. Mikko has come in and added depth to that core and can hopefully help them get far in the playoffs and possibly repeat. Mikko is a natural goal scorer and is almost at the VHLM TPE cap; you can expect him to only get better as the season goes on.
 
(From Toronto) 8. Julius Freeman NEW
LW | 6' 3" | 210 lb. | Age: 17 |  | 
TPE: 179 @rjfryman
 

 
Julius Freeman has made his first appearance on the mock draft. Sliding into #8, Julius could be a great addition alongside Mikko Altonen to Riga's already great forward core. This added depth could help them ascend to the top of the league standings. Julius can help with that as he has shown great talent both offensively and defensively. 
 
 
(From Seattle) 9. Aron Nielsen +0
D | 6' 0" | 205 lb. | Age: 19 |  |  
TPE: 158 @solas
 

 
Someone you wouldn't normally expect to go in the first round, Aron is valued higher than most player's do to the fact he is a defenceman. As I have said before, this draft is extremely weak defensively but stacked offensively. A player like this would normally go 2nd to 3rd round, but since Davos is in need of defenceman, I could see him being picked up in the 1st round.
 
 
Let me know what you disagree or agree with below. It'll be fun to see how these players continue to develop and how these rankings change over time.  Also, make sure you tune into my "Halfway There" article next week where I will recap the season so far.

Great game and win by Houston. Maximilian Kirbsson lead the way with 2 goals and an assist to make it a good game. 

Forwards
 
Wlodzimierz Zajaczkowski    @nicolas01
Kari Jurri   @hockeyis66
Maximilian Kirbsson    @Kirby
Mikko Aaltonen    @GRZ
Arnor Sigurdsson    @bluesfan55
Shawnomir Jagr   @TheLastOlympian07
Jet Jaguar   @gorlab
Anton Edvin   @caltroit_red_flames
Hans Gruber  @TheFlash
Defensemen
 
Elasmobranch Fish    @Sharkstrong
Denver Wolfe    @Goonie
Richard Hejtsel    @hejta
Codrick Past    @Kylrad
Andreas Sundell    @VisualDarkness
DWin Championship   @Award97
 
Goaltenders
 
JB Rift    @Devise
Owen May    @FacebookFighter

See my post below

Welcome to the first mock draft of the S66 season. This draft is very deep offensively with 2 excellent player's destined to be some of the top TPE earners of all time. I am excited about this class of draftees and sure hope you are too. I have changed up the format a little from last season and hope you enjoy the article. Without further ado, let's get into the mock draft...
 
Mock Draft
 
 1. Hunter Hearst Helmsley
C | 6' 3" | 250 lb. | Age: 49 |  | 
TPE: 256 @Beaviss

 
Triple H has had quite the year already. This WWE legend and future HOFer has 2.2PPG so far and is on pace for 159 points this season. Whoever gets the first overall selection is sure to select this phenom. His ability to earn TPE is absurd and you can expect him to be one of the if not the highest TPE player of all time.
 
 2. Shane Mars 
LW | 6' 5" | 225 lb. | Age: 18 |  | 
TPE: 233 @Spade18

 
Shane hasn't been producing at the same rate as the last season, however, the S64 Playoff MVP has been a good player for Minnesota already though and has been a presence defensively. The top 2 players from this draft class played on the same VHLM team last season and sometimes the same line. From teammates to rivals, we are going to have to see who prevails and becomes the first selection of the S66 VHL draft.
 
(From Helsinki) 3. Maximilian Kirbsson
C | 6' 0" | 195 lb. | Age: 18 |  |  
TPE: 181  @Kirby

 
Davos has been playing a lot better than the dumpster fire they were last year. They have had some centreman problems recently and have had wingers try and convert into centers, but I think Kirbsson could be the piece they need to become one of the top teams in the league. They have a deep pool of young player's and a couple more could turn the tide for them. I could see Kirbsson helping Davos turn from a middle of the pack team to one of the top teams in the league.
 
(From New York) 4. Kari Jurri
LW | 6' 3" | 210 lb. | Age: 18 |  |  
TPE: 182 @hockeyis66

 
Riga is coming off of an excellent performance last year. They are a top team already with a ton of young players. Add some more depth to that already stacked team and it becomes scary. Kari is a great young well-rounded player. He can put up a lot of points and is also defensively responsible. A player like this added to a team like Riga is a sight to see.
 
 5. Rhye Tyr
D | 5' 10" | 205 lb. | Age: 19 |  |  
TPE: 151 @Plate

 
Rhye Tyr is a standout defenceman in a draft class with a few good defensemen. Playing on a strong Halifax team, Rhye has put up decent numbers so far. I expect him to become even better in the near future and hopefully even in the big leagues. Adding him to Davos would help them out a bunch. They could use a defenceman or two and Rhye would be an excellent fit.
 
(From Toronto) 6. Dimitri Volosenkov
LW | 6' 0" | 190 lb. | Age: 21 |  |  
TPE: 171 @SirRupertBarnes

 
Dimitri is a solid player who would make a great fit in Riga. Dimitri is playing on a solid Halifax team as their top winger. You can only expect him to improve from here as he still has 30 tpe left in his VHLM TPE cap. Riga already has a lot of great players in every position so he can expect some competition if he makes his way onto the Riga roster.
 
7. Mikko Aaltonen
RW | 6' 3" | 200 lb. | Age: 17 |  |  
TPE: 164 @GRZ

 
One of the best players on the new team of the Philadelphia Reapers, Mikko has shown he has shown he has what it takes. Philadelphia is sitting at the bottom of the standings and Mikko Aaltonen has still played well, as he is just under a point per game on a struggling team and still has 36 TPE till he hits the cap. I would say this player has a bright future ahead of him.
 
(From Seattle) 8. Shawnomir Jagr
RW | 6' 3" | 230 lb. | Age: 18 |  | 
TPE: 141 @TheLastOlympian07

 
Shawnomir Jagr is a great player although only 141 tpe. With 59 tpe left until he hits his cap, he already is putting up amazing numbers. I can only expect him to shoot up in the rankings. Davos has a solid crew of great young player's and Shawnomir Jagr would be an excellent addition to that group. I personally think Davos will be a monster of a team in the next couple of seasons and we should all keep an eye out for this team.
 
9. Aron Nielsen
D | 6' 0" | 205 lb. | Age: 19 |  |  
TPE: 134 @solas

 
Vancouver have been surprisingly good in their first season after expansion. Adding a great young player like Aron Nielsen would be great for them. They currently have 2 defenders and need more if they wish to maintain this. This draft isn't very deep with blueliners but Aron is a great player. He has a lot of room to build into but is still doing well. He is putting up great numbers and is very good defensively and I could see him fitting in well with the Vancouver Wolves.
 
 
This season is still young so you can expect a lot of changes to my mock draft throughout the season. Reply down below on what you would change and what you agree with. Let me know if I should change the format or anything else. 

Fun fact, I used to live in a town about 15 minutes from Vasteras!

Review: I have been looking at a lot of teams to try and get information to see good lines and teams and I have to say the line of you Kari and Viktor is a great line that is also super great at getting points. I think by the end of the season this could one of the best lines in the vhlm. Good way to see your teammates but also realize that your teammates benefit from you just as much as you them.

We are now 6 games into the first season for the Houston Bulls and if you told them they would be in a tie for 3rd place right now with a 3-2-1 record and 7 points, I think mostly everyone would be happy but the Bulls would not be shocked at all.  Now granted all 6 games have been against the same team, but lets take a look at how Houston has done so far:
Game 1 – The home opener and just over a minute into the game, Laughton scored the first ever regular season goal on the power play to send the crowd into a frenzy.  However, the lead would be short lived though as the Rush tied it two minutes later.  The Bulls got a power play goal again in the first as Sparrow found the back of the net and a 2-1 lead.  The second period did not go well for the Bulls as the Rush scored 4 and the Bulls only one off of the stick of Gibbles and the home team was down 5 to 3 going into the third.  However, Gibbles got his second of the game and a power play goal to cut the lead to one and rookie Jurri scored his first with just under 8 minutes left to send the game into overtime.  However, the home crowd went home sad as HHH scored the game winner and a Rush 6-5 win.  May stopped 22 out of 28 in the loss.

**celebrating the first goal in Houston Bull history
 
Game 2 – The Bulls took the road for the first time and Kirbsson scored his first career goal in the first for a 1-0 Bulls lead.  However, the second period would give the Bulls trouble again as the Rush scored 3 goals and the Bulls got goals from Sparrow and MacElroy as the game was tied at 3-3 going into the third period.  Just 58 seconds into the third, Jurri scored his second career goal and it would be the game winner as the Bulls got their first ever win by the score of 4-3.  May stopped 27 of 30 shots and all 4 he faced in the third to pick up his first win.
Game 3 – The third game between the two teams was much different than the first two – this one was low scoring and low shots as it was more of a defensive battle.  The only goal of the game was scored about halfway through the third period as the Bulls’ Kozlov netted his first of the season and May stopped all 20 shots he faced for the Bulls first ever home win and first ever shutout by the score of 1-0.

**one of May's 20 saves in the shutout
 
Game 4 – This game was lower in shot totals than the other ones, but still had 8 goals scored as the Rush got their revenge on the Bulls by the score of 5-3.  Jurri would score first for the Bulls by the Rush answered with two goals of their own in the first period.  The teams exchanged goals in the second period as Kirbsson scored for the Bulls, but the Rush would take a 5-2 lead with two quik power play goals in the third period and Jurri would close out the scoring in the third with his second of the game to make the final score 5-3.  May stopped 19 out of the 24 shots he faced.
Game 5 – Another high scoring affair that came down to the last minute of the game to determine the winner.  The Bulls took a 2-0 lead in the first period behind goals from Kirbsson and Griffin, but HHH would score the first two goals of the second period to tie the game for the Rush.  Jurri would get a late second period goal and the Bulls would have a 3-2 lead heading into the third.  A total of 6 goals were scored in the third period – the Rush scored the first two to take a 4-3 lead with 8 minutes left , but Jurri gave the Bulls the lead back with two goals in 16 seconds to complete the first ever hat trick in Bulls history.  However, the Rush would tie the game with a little more than 3 minutes left and then win the game 6 to 5 with just 50 seconds remaining as Sigurdsson got the game winner.  May stopped 22 out of 28 shots in the loss. 
Game 6 – The first 5 games between the two teams have either been one or two goal games.  This game was not as the Bulls scored two goals each period and held the Rush to only one goal in a 6 to 1 win.  Kozlov and MacElroy scored in the first period, Kirbsson and Jurri scored in the second and MacElroy and Jurri each scored their second of the game in the third period.  May stopped 22 out of 23 shots as his record after the first six games is now 3-2-1.

**rookies Kirbsson and Jurri celebrating a goal together

Content: 3/3
Good story but I have a question, what's the EFL?
 
Grammar 2/2
I didn't pick up many mistakes. Also shout out to Macbeth
 
Appearance 1/1
Looks great
 
Total 6/6

I would've loved to play on the Wild with you this season!  Ah well, good luck on the Bulls!
 
Way to get creative with your Kirbsson's story.  I especially liked the background of his modest life in Sweden.
Your story was easy to follow, all of your content was engaging, and the humble beginnings will make for a great origin story when you eventually make it to the VHL!
 
Two thumbs up??

This year, the VHLM saw the arrival of two new expansion teams, both with the singular aim, as is common in any VHLM team, to shock the league with a championship win in their first year. These teams, the Houston Bulls and...well...to be perfectly honest I don't remember the other team. This article isn't about them, and if it were maybe I would have the motivation to check on that. Rather, it's about how the Bulls are perfectly set to take the league by storm and strongly establish themselves as the league's best. Prepare for liftoff.
 
1. A strong draft. The Bulls came out way ahead in this season's VHLM draft, managing to pick up four (yes, four) players currently over 100 TPE, with one already at the 200-TPE VHLM max. In the later rounds, the team found great value as well, managing to pick up a new member who proved to be active (OK, fine, I'm talking about myself here), as well as snagging Callum McElroy (@GlowyGoat), a veteran forward who has brought invaluable wisdom and experience to the team. 
 
2. They absolutely nailed it in free agency. After the draft, the Bulls completed a second defensive pairing with the signing of Beau Buefordsson (@Radcow), a well-placed offensive complement to 36th overall pick Jerry Garcia. As well as this, the team rounded out their third complete scoring line with the signing of the Sederstrom brothers, Ludvig (@aleks) and Joakim (@Samee), who are currently paired with McElroy. All are active members and have already contributed immeasurably to the team's locker room. 
 
3. They have exhibited dominance both offensively and defensively. Take a look at today's preseason matchup with the Philadelphia Reapers. The final score was 4-3, Bulls, but that made the game seem much closer than it ended up being. The Bulls recorded a whopping 67 shots on goal, while Philadelphia only managed 14. The Bulls managed to record over 4 times as many shots on goal as the Reapers, which is a great testament to their ability to play as a team, through all 60 minutes of a game.
 
4. They're deeper than Carl Sagan's thoughts. As has been mentioned above, the Bulls have incredible depth at every position. While some other teams in the VHLM are lacking in depth, the Bulls have it all. Every line is active, and Houston has the ability to rotate any of nine forwards and four defensemen onto the ice at any time, creating deadly combinations and always being able to have a dominant presence on the ice. 
 
5. They actually like each other. It's impossible to perform effectively as a team when the players, whether in the virtual world or in real life, can't stand each other. Anyone reading should wish they could drop in on the Bulls' locker room chats. They're funny, supportive, and indicative of a true team atmosphere. 
 
6. They're better than Halifax. Enough said. 
 
7. Great management. There is nothing to be gained on this team by sucking up to the GM, but everyone does it anyway, myself included. Why? @Sonnet has been incredibly helpful with answering (quite literally) anything that we ask, usually within a minute or so of posting. The way he's built this team so far shows that he is a hopeful player's dream. Hats off to the best GM ever Sonnet I know you won't sneak in a few extra TPE for this but it was worth a shot 
 
8-10. I don't know, I got to 500 words and couldn't think of anything else to say. I hope you all enjoy being steamrolled by the Houston Bulls this season.

It’s common knowledge now that the Houston Bulls have officially arrived on the VHLM scene. Coach @Sonnet has made his picks, got his players, chose his emblem, kits, and even chose their entrance song. Some critics are saying that expectations should be “realistic” for the latest expansion team. Others, such as new fans, are extremely optimistic about the teams chances this year and beyond.
 
Today we will be breaking down the players in the team that are predominantly Center’s, and how they may be used going forward. Coach Sonnet has already gone on record to state that he wants his players to be flexible when it comes to positions, so this article may be accurate or completely off the mark. I guess we’ll have to wait until game one to know for sure!
 
Victor Kozlov @Kuch9
 
What more can be said about this guy than he is an absolute beast on the ice. Primarily an enforcer, don’t sleep on Kozlov as a playmaker. Also one of the captains of the team, his valuable experience will be important for this young, inexperienced expansion side.
 
He is without doubt the top ranked Center in the team and his team mates will be looking to lean on him hard, especially early in the season. Though he may not end up leading the side in scoring come the end of the season, one thing is for sure, Kozlov is the big name player of this team. He is the the guy right now and until the rest of his team mates catch up to his level he will remain the guy.
 
Maximilian Kirbsson @Kirby
 
The young Swede has done lots of talking to the media prior to the season, and he’s going to be a big focus for the Bulls this upcoming season. Also one of the three captains, Coach Sonnet already seems to be putting a lot of faith in the playmaker.
 
Primarily a playmaker, he has great puck handling skills and has stated this off season that his scoring and defense is now pretty much up their with the rest of his game. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets the chance to line up with Kozlov (perhaps on the wing with Kozlov bashing through the middle). If not then we will likely see Kirbsson head up the fire power in the second line behind Kozlov.
 
Rhys Chism @Jake Levine
 
Signed following the draft, Chism is an interesting prospect. He’s quite green, but he’s shown some real hunger so far and his progress already is pleasing on the eye.
 
There isn’t too much film of him yet but we are hearing from the Bulls camp that Chism has one heck of a shot on him. That leads us to believe he is primarily a scorer but undoubtedly the biggest X Factor he has in his favour is that he is very much an unknown entity. Opponents won’t have much of an idea to gameplan against him.
 
Definitely one to watch!
 
Ludvig Sederstrom @aleks
 
Did somebody say... brothers? In the same team? Wow, kudos Coach Sonnet, that’s awesome!
 
Sederstrom, similar to Chism, doesn’t have to much film to go off of yet but he too has had some big comments coming out of the camp in regards to his ability.
 
He seems to be the more well rounded prospect than Chism so far, but apparently he is not yet as strong of a scorer.
 
A character on and off the ice, it’s going to be really fun seeing him and his brother mix it up in the VHLM this season, and man I don’t know about you guys but I’m itching for that Sederstrom partnership line to be a real thing!
 
 

It’s common knowledge now that the Houston Bulls have officially arrived on the VHLM scene. Coach @Sonnet has made his picks, got his players, chose his emblem, kits, and even chose their entrance song. Some critics are saying that expectations should be “realistic” for the latest expansion team. Others, such as new fans, are extremely optimistic about the teams chances this year and beyond.
 
Today we will be breaking down the players in the team that are predominantly Center’s, and how they may be used going forward. Coach Sonnet has already gone on record to state that he wants his players to be flexible when it comes to positions, so this article may be accurate or completely off the mark. I guess we’ll have to wait until game one to know for sure!
 
Victor Kozlov @Kuch9
 
What more can be said about this guy than he is an absolute beast on the ice. Primarily an enforcer, don’t sleep on Kozlov as a playmaker. Also one of the captains of the team, his valuable experience will be important for this young, inexperienced expansion side.
 
He is without doubt the top ranked Center in the team and his team mates will be looking to lean on him hard, especially early in the season. Though he may not end up leading the side in scoring come the end of the season, one thing is for sure, Kozlov is the big name player of this team. He is the the guy right now and until the rest of his team mates catch up to his level he will remain the guy.
 
Maximilian Kirbsson @Kirby
 
The young Swede has done lots of talking to the media prior to the season, and he’s going to be a big focus for the Bulls this upcoming season. Also one of the three captains, Coach Sonnet already seems to be putting a lot of faith in the playmaker.
 
Primarily a playmaker, he has great puck handling skills and has stated this off season that his scoring and defense is now pretty much up their with the rest of his game. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets the chance to line up with Kozlov (perhaps on the wing with Kozlov bashing through the middle). If not then we will likely see Kirbsson head up the fire power in the second line behind Kozlov.
 
Rhys Chism @Jake Levine
 
Signed following the draft, Chism is an interesting prospect. He’s quite green, but he’s shown some real hunger so far and his progress already is pleasing on the eye.
 
There isn’t too much film of him yet but we are hearing from the Bulls camp that Chism has one heck of a shot on him. That leads us to believe he is primarily a scorer but undoubtedly the biggest X Factor he has in his favour is that he is very much an unknown entity. Opponents won’t have much of an idea to gameplan against him.
 
Definitely one to watch!
 
Ludvig Sederstrom @aleks
 
Did somebody say... brothers? In the same team? Wow, kudos Coach Sonnet, that’s awesome!
 
Sederstrom, similar to Chism, doesn’t have to much film to go off of yet but he too has had some big comments coming out of the camp in regards to his ability.
 
He seems to be the more well rounded prospect than Chism so far, but apparently he is not yet as strong of a scorer.
 
A character on and off the ice, it’s going to be really fun seeing him and his brother mix it up in the VHLM this season, and man I don’t know about you guys but I’m itching for that Sederstrom partnership line to be a real thing!
 
 

It’s common knowledge now that the Houston Bulls have officially arrived on the VHLM scene. Coach @Sonnet has made his picks, got his players, chose his emblem, kits, and even chose their entrance song. Some critics are saying that expectations should be “realistic” for the latest expansion team. Others, such as new fans, are extremely optimistic about the teams chances this year and beyond.
 
Today we will be breaking down the players in the team that are predominantly Center’s, and how they may be used going forward. Coach Sonnet has already gone on record to state that he wants his players to be flexible when it comes to positions, so this article may be accurate or completely off the mark. I guess we’ll have to wait until game one to know for sure!
 
Victor Kozlov @Kuch9
 
What more can be said about this guy than he is an absolute beast on the ice. Primarily an enforcer, don’t sleep on Kozlov as a playmaker. Also one of the captains of the team, his valuable experience will be important for this young, inexperienced expansion side.
 
He is without doubt the top ranked Center in the team and his team mates will be looking to lean on him hard, especially early in the season. Though he may not end up leading the side in scoring come the end of the season, one thing is for sure, Kozlov is the big name player of this team. He is the the guy right now and until the rest of his team mates catch up to his level he will remain the guy.
 
Maximilian Kirbsson @Kirby
 
The young Swede has done lots of talking to the media prior to the season, and he’s going to be a big focus for the Bulls this upcoming season. Also one of the three captains, Coach Sonnet already seems to be putting a lot of faith in the playmaker.
 
Primarily a playmaker, he has great puck handling skills and has stated this off season that his scoring and defense is now pretty much up their with the rest of his game. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets the chance to line up with Kozlov (perhaps on the wing with Kozlov bashing through the middle). If not then we will likely see Kirbsson head up the fire power in the second line behind Kozlov.
 
Rhys Chism @Jake Levine
 
Signed following the draft, Chism is an interesting prospect. He’s quite green, but he’s shown some real hunger so far and his progress already is pleasing on the eye.
 
There isn’t too much film of him yet but we are hearing from the Bulls camp that Chism has one heck of a shot on him. That leads us to believe he is primarily a scorer but undoubtedly the biggest X Factor he has in his favour is that he is very much an unknown entity. Opponents won’t have much of an idea to gameplan against him.
 
Definitely one to watch!
 
Ludvig Sederstrom @aleks
 
Did somebody say... brothers? In the same team? Wow, kudos Coach Sonnet, that’s awesome!
 
Sederstrom, similar to Chism, doesn’t have to much film to go off of yet but he too has had some big comments coming out of the camp in regards to his ability.
 
He seems to be the more well rounded prospect than Chism so far, but apparently he is not yet as strong of a scorer.
 
A character on and off the ice, it’s going to be really fun seeing him and his brother mix it up in the VHLM this season, and man I don’t know about you guys but I’m itching for that Sederstrom partnership line to be a real thing!
 
 

EARLY YEARS
Kari Jurri was born in Groningen, Netherlands as the middle child of three children – one older sister and one younger brother.  His father was a professor at the local university, while his mother was home and raised the kids while doing other things around the house like chores.  Being the middle child and the oldest boy, he was often asked to do the bulk of work around the house, which instilled in him a strong work ethic.  As it goes with middle children sometimes, he often found himself “forgotten” about and having extra time on his hands, which led him into becoming interested in sports.
The Netherlands is known for soccer along with other sports like field hockey and volleyball.  They do have basketball and baseball teams as well, but Jurri fell in love with the speed of the ice at an early age.  He try out speed skating, but during the warm times of the year, Jurri would play soccer and then once he learned about hockey which combined the skills of soccer and skating, he would focus strictly on hockey.
Jurri was not the tallest or shortest kid in his class, but he just had something else that they did not from a young age and that was the burst of speed.  He could just out skate as well as out think other kids to the puck.  His work ethic at a young age of skating, passing, stickhandling and shooting would aid him later in life. Once his chores and school work were complete, Jurri would grab a stick and just skate around with a puck and stick handle around obstacles, pass the puck off of walls on the house and just shoot, shoot, shoot into a make shift net that his father made him from PVC pipes and some netting. 

MIDDLE YOUTH YEARS
Since he grew up on the northern coast of the Netherlands, Jurri was able to play hockey in Germany since the Netherlands did not have an organized structure.  Jurri would often spend the weekends in Germany playing in tournaments but it benefited him greatly since he was able to play against good competition.  After the first couple of tournaments, it was clear that he was much more skilled than players his own age – his skating was smooth and faster, his stick handling was superior, his on ice vision and passing were precise and his shot was just blistering.  Not only could he pick the top corners over the goalie’s glove and blocker, he had so many breakaway moves that would leave the goalies not knowing which way he was going. 
Over his early teen years, Jurri would start to grow a couple of inches per year and one of the big things his German coaches had him do was to hit the weight room cause he was not overly bulky at all.  He could skate and stick handle around defenders but if hit, he would lose the puck and his momentum easily.  He would also train, train and train some more.  He would be doing a lot of skating work as well as taking many shots both wrist and slap.  He was learning to use his big body to shield the puck from defenders as well as changing the angle on his shots to confuse the goalie.
Jurri was going to tournaments now all over Europe – like Sweden, Finland and Norway – to play against kids that were 2 or 3 years older than he was.  Jurri could definitely hold his own against them and was opening the eyes of many scouts across Europe.  Jurri was also a much-disciplined player and did not take many penalties or lose his cool at all.  Although he was very competitive, at the end of the day, he was a leader among his teams and would often be named assistant or team captain due to his calm and easygoing nature.

LATER YOUTH YEARS
With Jurri now in his mid-teens and being 6’2 and about 185 pounds, he was definitely not hard to miss on the ice or off it.  Jurri would now be traveling all over the world to tournaments in Russia, Canada and the United States especially since he had dual citizenship with Germany so that he could play.  His fluid style of play caught the eye of many people and he was playing in 18U tournaments against players older but not necessarily more skilled. 
He was away from home a lot and missed his family, but was getting schooling on the road while still keeping his eye on the bigger prize and that was one day making the VHL.  He was balancing life and hockey pretty well while still being a teen and cherished his time with his family when he got it.  The summers were pretty busy still training even though it was warm out, he was still skating, working out and doing different stick handling and shooting drills.  He would run to work on his stamina, lots of different workouts to strengthen his core, stretching and yoga to keep his muscles loose and some rowing to keep his shoulders and chest strong.

By the time he was 17, Jurri was now 6’3 and about 200 pounds.  As he grew and put muscle on, he did not lose any speed and was like a freight train going up and down the ice.  He had to learn to play smart hockey in that he couldn’t stay on for extended shifts and he couldn’t try to do too much on the ice himself which would cause turnovers, etc.  He was getting a hard look from scouts in the VHL’s minor league system the VHLM. 
Then the call came – “There is an opening in Oslo for about the final 10 games of the season and then you will enter their VHLM draft after the season is over.”  Jurri jumped on the opportunity and was able to play in 11 games, scoring 3 goals and assisting on 2 others for a total of 5 points.  He was also able to get a taste of playoff hockey as Oslo made it to the semi-finals. 
Jurri made the trip to Philadelphia, PA for the VHLM dispersal draft.  He was fully expected to be taken somewhere in the second round, but with last pick of the first round and 8th overall, Jurri heard his named called by the management team of the expansion Houston Bulls.  The next step of his journey toward the VHL starts here and for the next couple of seasons, its going to be a wild ride in Houston with this goal scoring stud. 

It’s common knowledge now that the Houston Bulls have officially arrived on the VHLM scene. Coach @Sonnet has made his picks, got his players, chose his emblem, kits, and even chose their entrance song. Some critics are saying that expectations should be “realistic” for the latest expansion team. Others, such as new fans, are extremely optimistic about the teams chances this year and beyond.
 
Today we will be breaking down the players in the team that are predominantly Center’s, and how they may be used going forward. Coach Sonnet has already gone on record to state that he wants his players to be flexible when it comes to positions, so this article may be accurate or completely off the mark. I guess we’ll have to wait until game one to know for sure!
 
Victor Kozlov @Kuch9
 
What more can be said about this guy than he is an absolute beast on the ice. Primarily an enforcer, don’t sleep on Kozlov as a playmaker. Also one of the captains of the team, his valuable experience will be important for this young, inexperienced expansion side.
 
He is without doubt the top ranked Center in the team and his team mates will be looking to lean on him hard, especially early in the season. Though he may not end up leading the side in scoring come the end of the season, one thing is for sure, Kozlov is the big name player of this team. He is the the guy right now and until the rest of his team mates catch up to his level he will remain the guy.
 
Maximilian Kirbsson @Kirby
 
The young Swede has done lots of talking to the media prior to the season, and he’s going to be a big focus for the Bulls this upcoming season. Also one of the three captains, Coach Sonnet already seems to be putting a lot of faith in the playmaker.
 
Primarily a playmaker, he has great puck handling skills and has stated this off season that his scoring and defense is now pretty much up their with the rest of his game. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets the chance to line up with Kozlov (perhaps on the wing with Kozlov bashing through the middle). If not then we will likely see Kirbsson head up the fire power in the second line behind Kozlov.
 
Rhys Chism @Jake Levine
 
Signed following the draft, Chism is an interesting prospect. He’s quite green, but he’s shown some real hunger so far and his progress already is pleasing on the eye.
 
There isn’t too much film of him yet but we are hearing from the Bulls camp that Chism has one heck of a shot on him. That leads us to believe he is primarily a scorer but undoubtedly the biggest X Factor he has in his favour is that he is very much an unknown entity. Opponents won’t have much of an idea to gameplan against him.
 
Definitely one to watch!
 
Ludvig Sederstrom @aleks
 
Did somebody say... brothers? In the same team? Wow, kudos Coach Sonnet, that’s awesome!
 
Sederstrom, similar to Chism, doesn’t have to much film to go off of yet but he too has had some big comments coming out of the camp in regards to his ability.
 
He seems to be the more well rounded prospect than Chism so far, but apparently he is not yet as strong of a scorer.
 
A character on and off the ice, it’s going to be really fun seeing him and his brother mix it up in the VHLM this season, and man I don’t know about you guys but I’m itching for that Sederstrom partnership line to be a real thing!
 
 

Last night we learned the fate of the VHLM faithful and former Saskatoon Wild (I mean, if you can even say that) center, and resident Swede, Maximilian Kirbsson joins us today to discuss being the first ever draft pick for the Houston Bulls and what this means for him going for!
 
Interviewer: Maximilian, first of all congratulations man! Your officially a Houston Bulls player. How does it feel?
 
KIRBSSON: It feels amazing. Honestly, words can’t explain my emotions right now. Shout out to Coach @Sonnet for believing in me from day one, even if I didn’t get any game time this season. It feels amazing to be a part of a brand new organisation and man, it feels awesome to switch up the weather forecast for a while. I’ve spent 18 years of my life living in cold countries so to switch to somewhere where the sun shines just feels amazing.
 
Interviewer: So tell us Maximilian, what will you be bringing to Houston?
 
KIRBSSON: You mean what, other than my amazing good looks?
 
* Kirbsson chuckles as speaking*
 
I’m here to lead a good hockey team. We won’t roll over for anyone and we will come out firing from the get go, believe me.