MexicanCow123

1. We've been battling with Mexico City and Philadelphia for fourth all season. What do you think you it will take to overtake them for good?
We just need to stay positive and play our game. Keep our legs moving and good things will happen.

2. It's WJC this week! Who are you cheering for and why?
Canada because i made the team baby! We winning gold EZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
 
3. Who has made the biggest improvement this season? Can be anyone in the VHL or VHLM!
Jared has improved tremendously. He hasn't had a great season yet. But this year he is destroying. 
 
4. The trade deadline is next Monday. Are there any moves you would like to see for the team?
I think we are good on player. Everyone just needs to work hard to get max TPE a week. 
 
5. What's your pre-game ritual?
Make a nice juicy Rare steak right before the game.
 
6. Have you acquired any new skills during the isolation period?
Not really no. Ive been gaming a good amount getting a little better.
 

Welcome back to WJC Update for the Season 72 World Juniors Championship. This series is about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
 
Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment. 
VHL Weekly | VHLM Weekly | League History | S72 WJC Team Rankings
 

The round-robin is officially over, and our matchups are set for the medal round. All in all the standings are pretty comparable to our second update, only the final pair of teams has swapped spots. Team USA maintains their top spot after a brilliant string of performances. Next is Team Europe who narrowly edges out Team Canada. Finally, Team World has overtaken Team Asia for the fourth position thanks to their tenacity in the final string of matches, despite actually losing to Team Asia in their final game of the round-robin. Let’s dive into the individual team’s performances now. 
 
Team United States of America
 
Coming from their humble starts after the first day of play, the United States has continued its strong run of performances coming out of Day Two. The US started Day Three with a strong win against fellow contenders in Team Europe, outsourcing the Europeans by a score of 6-4. Lucas Brandt played a fantastic game, scoring two goals and assisting once, as the Americans mounted a push late, scoring three goals in the third period. Ending the round-robin on somewhat of a sour note, the Americans lost to Team Canada in an overtime thriller, despite outshooting the Canadians 57-34. They won’t be happy but considering they went through the entire round-robin only losing twice, both in overtime, and I’d say they are sitting pretty for the medal rounds. The Americans are a textbook case of balanced scoring; they have nine players with ten or more points; the next closest is Team Europe with only six. They have the most goals scored with 45 and the highest GD at +11. Jack Feriancek and Mickey Dickson combine to be a lethal front line, each with 15 points, while winger Gino DiGiannantonio has impressed as well, scoring 4 points in their final two matches to sit at third on their scoring charts. Their defence will have to improve, however, and goaltending remains inconsistent. John Poremba’s .886 SV% may not be enough, despite thus far being good for six wins, but at the end of the day, if they keep outsourcing the opponents, it doesn’t matter how many you concede. 
 
Team Europe
 
The Europeans will be somewhat disappointed with how their final day of round-robin hockey went but certainly ended with a morale booster. Playing three games saw them lose twice, against both the United States and Canada, and then win big against Team Asia. They were simply outgunned against the Americans,  but they let Team Canada slip past them in a disappointing 4-3 loss that saw them outshoot their opponents 48-39. In that game, Richard Penisson did well to score twice, but a lack of discipline saw them concede twice early on in the third period. Really, their biggest error was conceding a total of nine penalties, on which they were punished three times. Their final game, and indeed the final game of the round-robin overall, perhaps felt like a bit of a release. The Europeans took out their anger on poor Team Asia, winning the match 7-3. Gregg Stallion, who is tied with Penisson for most goals on the team with 6, found the back of the net twice. Zyrock12 had a particularly impressive four assists from the blue-line. The Europeans blue line, in general, has been a constant force, with all four of their defencemen scoring nine or more points. They will be a good team to look to coming into the medal round, with a very balanced profile across defence and offence. 
 
Team Canada
 
Barely behind Team Europe in the standings, Team Canada is looking strong going into the medal round. Sitting with a tournament-best 28 goals allowed, the tournament’s best goaltender Jacob Tonn has been on fire. His .924 SV% is the best amongst starters, and he is the only starter to have under a 4.00 GAA, sitting at 3.47. Canada’s issue isn’t scoring either, per se. Their star centre SS Hornet has the second-most points and is tied for the most goals with 8. However, he is the only Canadian in the top ten for points. They just need more from the rest of the team. Day Three started off with an unfortunate loss to Team World. After going down 3-2 in the first period, World always stayed one step ahead, ending the match with a final score of 4-5. However, their next two games proved their efficacy against the big boys this tournament, beating both Team USA and Team Europe, the two teams above them in the standings. Balanced scoring and a goaltender standing on his head saw them win 4-3 against the Europeans. Against the Americans, Tonn played another good game, but it was their power play that deserves the most credit, scoring three of their five goals. Joseph Gainer put away the game just 48 seconds into the overtime period as the Canadians upset their neighbours on the southern border. 
 
Team World
 
The biggest storyline from Day Three has to be Team World’s impressive performances to end the round-robin. Winning two of their three matches, losing only once in overtime, Team World put themselves on the map here. An incredible performance from defenceman DeFenz Mann against Canada saw them win the first one 5-4. Mann had a hat-trick in the first period, and further contributed with the sole assist on fellow blueliner Latrell Mitchell’s game-winning powerplay goal in the third period. Then they played Asia, and well, I’ll let the stats speak for themselves. 7-3 final scoreline, Gary Neal with a hattrick and two assists, Mann with one goal and four assists, Micah Adrienne with three assists. Speaking of Gary Neal, he is looking like a potential early favourite for tournament MVP. Leading the league in goals (tied with 8), assists (11), and points (19), his only knock may be that Team World could struggle to advance in the tournament. If he keeps playing like this though, I’m not sure they will struggle. Nothing is guaranteed, however; just one match later, they lost to Team Asia in a shootout. The first period was incredible, with seven goals scored between the two teams. Aleelee Kiak had a fantastic game, scoring two goals and assisting twice, but it wasn’t enough to seal a win for World. 
 
Team Asia
 
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Despite ending Day One at the top of the standings, Team Asia now brings up the bottom and faces immediate elimination in the playoff game against Team World. Their Day Three performances left a lot to be desired for the most part, as they lost 7-3 on two separate occasions. Those games have been covered for the most part; the short end of it is Asia did not do too hot. Their game against Team World showed, however, that they aren’t out of the running yet. Jungkok remains their top scorer, with 12 points. His hattrick in that shootout victory against Team World was vital, including a game-tying goal with 4 minutes left to push the game into overtime.  However, with a lack of top talent, Team Asia is going to have to grind out results if they want to progress in this tournament. Bacon has been a consistent performer, with a .914 SV% over five games played, and may prove instrumental moving forward into the medal rounds. 
 
But for now, that will be all from us. Do you agree with our assessment? Tune in next time for your WJC Update, presented by @Hylands33! See you there!
 
Players Mentioned:  @twists, @Jackie4967, @Brewins15, @pennypenny, @CrlineDijohn14, @bluesfan55, @SweatyBeaver, @Zyrok, @MexicanCow123, @McWolf, @joeg, @Mike, @dasboot, @Poptart, @LittleRiDog, @Grant, @tfong, @Bacon

VSN Writer Mr_Hatter
 

And we go live to the WJC where Team Canada GM bigAL is addressing the media:
 
“Hey everyone, yeah yeah thanks for all the applause and the standing ovation. Don’t cheer for me, cheer for the players who got us here. 
 
And where is here, you might ask? Well here is the gawsh-dern MEDAL ROUND! Here is finishing one point behind Team Europe - a point that they stole from us in the shootout in the very first game! Here is a chance for gold.
 
We’ve got Team Europe up next. They’re a tough, tough team. We beat them yesterday with Tonn in net. We lost in the rinky-dink skills competition to Team Europe with Tonn in net, but that wasn’t his fault. I’m still so mad the refs didn’t give Squirrely Dan a redo after that fan blew an air horn right as he was about to shoot. 
 
Woody McPine is a great goalie. I see him lots with the Minnesota Storm, where he’s having just an unreal season leading the team to the top of the standings. He didn’t get a fair shake at this tournament either. That USA game was not a fair assessment of McPine’s skill - 4 PP goals against in a game says a lot more about our PK than it does McPine. It breaks my heart to see a competitor like that on the sidelines. But Jacob Tonn has seen almost 100 shots from the Europeans, and has kept us in the games long enough for our offence to do what Team Canada does best and score a metric boatload of goals.
 
Jacob Tonn has earned the right to finish his best-of-three series against Team Europe and start the 2v3 seed game tomorrow.
 
No other roster changes.”
 
And there you have it folks, Tonn is back in to see if he can best the Europeans in a 3 game WJC series. So far, he’s 1-0-1, but now we’re in the medal round and those shootout wins don’t count so much. Can he steal one last game from Team Europe?
 
We’ll turn the floor over to the reporters from the media scrum for further questions for bigAL.

Team Canada GM Press Update

By: bigAL | CAN GM


 
Below is a statement from our coach regrading the goalie controversy we have after two days:

“It’s been a doozie of a tourney for Canada again this year.

Right away, I know I have to address the starting goalie. You media folks up at the TSN and SportsNet and frickin SaskTel TV have been making it a big fricking deal, and so I’ll treat it as such.

Anyways, our tournament so far has shown the field that we are A TEAM. We’re here for a medal. Those jerks over at the TSN and the Sportsnet and the VSN wanna turn this into a two team tournament, but Day 3 presents us with a fantastic opportunity to force Team Canada into contention.

We get our rematches with Team Europe and Team USA in Day 3. Last time around, Jacob Tonn took an explosive Team Europe all the way to a shootout, while Woody McPine stood tall in a shootout of a game against Team USA. Both were tough, tough losses. Both our goalers are hungry for revenge, but only one player gets the crease on Day 3.

But whoever that is, they’re going to play behind a tighter defence. We can’t be hanging our goalies out to dry and ask them to stop 40, 50, 60 shots. I’m stirring up the D a bit by shifting Flaten up to the top pairing alongside Letang, and pairing Walker and Burrows. Flaten and Walker have been fantastic together, but it was time to make a change just for the sake of making a change.

Up front, SS Hornet is answering the call of duty in joining this modern warfare. He’s going to continue to anchor the first line, and fight alongside Timothy Brown and new linemate Squirelly Dan. That’s a kid who earned top line minutes.

Andrew Su has been and his second line have been critical to our 1-2 punch offence, but it’s time to switch up his wingers. JaredN slides back to Su’s right wing, and Michael Mac moves up to Su’s left.

And finally, what I think is the key to Team Canada success, the source of all our mojo, the third line of Joseph Gainer, Remy Moreau, and Joe Exotic. I’m really looking at this Joe Mo Joe line to step and be the key depth piece that pushes us over the top.

Alright, alright, I’ve kept you long enough. It’s breaking my heart to have to choose a starter. Both players are extraordinary tendies with bright futures ahead of them. Both have had incredible successes already in this tournament, and both have had games that could explain a demotion.

Both our goalies have shown the ability to win a game. Both our goalies win games differently. McPine has been stellar in tight games, games with less than 30 shots; whereas Tonn has been able to steal a game when our D take the night off completely.

We’ve got medalists today. We know Team Europe and Team USA are high event, high skill hockey players. We gotta be ready for a long slog to the end of round robin.

The guy who’ll stop the pucks in those three games on Day 3:

Jacob Tonn

WOAH! Explosive news here from the coach. Tonn will start the last leg of the round robin. He’s going to stand tall against the best teams in the tournament tomorrow, and I have complete faith in this young goaler.

See you all here next time!


 
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Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review!. These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
 
Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment. 
 
 
So far we have two teams still perfect after the first day of games, with Team Asia taking the number one spot thanks to their regular/overtime wins, closely followed by Team Europe whose two shootout victories are enough to take the second position. The United States comes next, having won one and lost one in overtime, while Team Canada is all over the place, going 1-1-1 through their three games.  Rounding out the standings is Team World, whose performance leaves a little to be desired, as they have lost three times, once in overtime. All in all, the standings are neck and neck, with three teams tied on points heading into Day 2 of games. Let’s take a look at all the action from our first day of games, right here on your WJC Daily Update!
 
Team Asia
 
Despite not having a single skater in the top ten for points (you have to go all the way down to Jungkok at number 12, though he is tied for tenth with four, all goals, in fact, more on that later), Team Asia is off to a great start this WJC. Both their games have been nailbiters, with their first victory coming in a 4-3 victory against the Canadians. Despite being outshot 45-24, Team Asia held strong, with a particularly impressive third-period display of defensive grit. Bacon’s 42 saves may not have earned a star, but he certainly showed what it means to put the team on his back in this one. Our first star of the game went to a well-deserving Kazimir Komarov, whose two goals (including the game-winner) were vital in securing the victory for the Asians. Going back to Jungkok however, take a look at his performance in Game 5 against the United States. Take a good hard look at the stat’s line. Yes, you are reading that right; four goals in just the one game from the Korean. Speaking of putting the team on his back, this was almost single-handed; but not quite. Arthur Dayne assisted three times, and the aforementioned Komarov was the one to put the icing on the cake four minutes into the overtime period. It’s been a good showing from Team Asia so far; let’s see if they can keep it up!
 
Team Europe
 
The Europeans have started off the tournament with two wins, but it could have just as soon been two losses. Finding themselves in two back-to-back shootouts, if their luck was just a little worse you could potentially have seen them much farther down in the standings. Regardless, lady luck smiled on them indeed, and they walked away with both the wins. Similar to Team Asia, their only skater near the top-ten in points is Valtteri Vaakanainen, who is coincidentally also tied for tenth with four points. Does this mean balanced scoring, or do our top teams have some hidden issues they need to sort out? Their first game against Team Canada was neck and neck, with four separate equalizers being scored. Gabriel Gutzweiler’s brace was key in keeping the Europeans in the game, while Chris Hylands was the man to score the winning shot in the shootout. The second game was a little different. Despite trailing early on in the first to Team World, they quickly came back with three unanswered goals, absolutely blitzing them. Despite eventually conceding the equalizer, they did enough to take it to the shootout where their goalie Zamboni Driver came up big, stopping one and psyching out the second shot to end it after just four shots. 
 
Team United States of America
 
The United States has been an interesting team thus far; they certainly know how to put on a show. Jack Feriancek and Mickey Dickson are both electrifying players, whose five points apiece land them solidly in the top 10 for points. Each had three in their first game against Team World that seemed to be trying to answer the question “how many different periods of domination can we have?” Despite a strong start in the first period, the United States conceded four in a row in the second, before then scoring another four in a row to take the victory a thrilling 7 goals to 5. Robin Winter came up big, kicking off the comeback with a shorthanded goal twelve and a half minutes into the second period, before scoring the equalizer just a minute and a half later. Game two was a heartbreaking overtime loss to Team Asia, but showed great signs of promise, as the Americans were never really out of reach of victory; it just didn’t go their way. Lucas Brandt and Jack Feriancek each had a goal and assist to their name, but despite their best efforts were unable to take the victory. 
 
Team Canada
 
Despite sitting fourth in the standings, Team Canada has been on fire to start the WJC. They have four players inside the top ten four points, including three of the top four centres in the tournament: SS Hornet,  JaredN, and Andrew Su. Alex Letang is the lynchpin defenceman holding the group together and is tied for most points from a defenceman, while Timothy Brown is holding strong. The Canadians have the top three slots for +/-, a factor helped out by their third game against Team World that saw them win by a blowout score of 6-1; five goals scored in the first period. Andrew Su’s four-point game was particularly impressive, though it was goaltender Jacob Tonn’s 49 save performance that deserves significant praise, considering he wasn’t even named one of the stars.  Their first two games were very tight, and although it didn’t quite go their way, losing in a shootout to Team Europe and losing by just a single goal to Team Asia isn’t the worst way Day One could have gone. Looking ahead, Canada needs to stay the course; they have the firepower and they have the grit to take this tournament for themselves. 
 
 
Team World
 
While Team Canada’s fourth-place position might be a little disingenuous considering their +3 goal differential, Team World’s -8 is just about right for their performances thus far; but even with that being said, I wouldn’t count them out just yet. Yes, they lost big to Canada, but they only fell to the United States by 2 goals, and only lost to Team Europe in a shootout. What Team World needs is more consistency. Their goaltender, Hex Valentine, has been about as hot and cold as you can get. His games against Team USA and Team Canada left a lot to be desired, conceding a total of 13 goals across 71 shots, but a strong 40 save performance against the Europeans showcased what he can do. With all that being said, how can Team World dig themselves out of this? They are in an interesting position: they have one of the greatest disparities in talent between their lines of any team. Left-winger Gary Neal leads the tournament in points with eight, on two goals and six assists, and is shooting at an impressive 16.67% rate. Considering Aleelee Kiak’s and Latrell Mitchell’s strong performances as well (with Mitchell’s three goals ranking best amongst defencemen), you would think they would be a stronger competitor. But with a lack of depth scoring, they have struggled. We will see if they can turn this around.
 

But for now, that will be all from us. Do you agree with our assessment? Tune in next time for your WJC Update! See you there!
 
 
Players Mentioned: @tfong, @Bacon, @Gooningitup, @Infernal, @Jubo07, @DaftRaincloud, @Hylands33, @Tape-to-Tape, @Jackie4967, @Brewins15, @Sonnet, @twists, @McWolf, @jared, @Da_Berr, @Spartan, @a_Ferk, @MexicanCow123, @DrHexDex, @LittleRiDog, @Grant, @dasboot
 
  
VSN Writer Mr_Hatter

GAME TWO-TWENTY-TWO
 
Unsatisfied with his personal production, Pietro had been grinding hard over the last few weeks. Making sure to go all-in at practice and push himself to the limits, Pietro was hoping things would start to turn around for him. A few games of being left off the scoresheet had put a sour taste in his mouth which, judging by the 2+ Hits-Per-Game he had been averaging, he had begun to take out on his opponents. But Pietro wanted a more well-rounded game on the ice and took to the passing and shooting drills with his linemates, Brewitt @JBrew42 and the new 2nd Line LW Michael Mac @LastOneUp. The Hounds are a well rounded squad and it is all about the team but the 2nd Line is hungry behind the 1st Line's Production.
 
Monday, 6/8/2020, the arena is packed and the Hounds face-off with the Halifax 21st. It's sure to be a good battle. Angellini is feeling good tonight and looking to capitalize on the recent hard work. Play begins and the Hounds are disheveled, leading to letting in an early goal. Halifax up 1-0 only 2:34 into the game. The Hounds needed to tighten up. The battle continues, a stalemate is forming in the middling minutes of Period 1. Then, at 9:22 into the period, Big 6'8" D-Man @Kisslinger finds Mac @LastOneUp down low, who feeds it to Angellini in front of the net. GOAL! Pietro is overjoyed and the 2nd Liners bask in the Light of the Lamp. 1-1 Tied Up. 
 
Again, a stalemate develops between the Hounds and the 21st. With Goaltender Tonn @MexicanCow123 doing what he does best, the Hounds are free to push the puck hard and try to get the forecheck moving. Just then, newly acquired D-Man Teriyaki Chicken @Hpep steals the puck in the defensive zone and stretch passes it up the left-hand boards, IT'S A BREAKAWAY! Mac @LastOneUp is skating top speed but is trailed by two Halifax defenders. Mac looks over and Angellini is screaming down Center Ice, seemingly uncovered. Mac dishes a sexy saucer over the defenders stick, freezes the goaltender, GOAL! 2-1 Hounds! Second Line Magic tonight, boys!
 
The rest of the Game was a Goaltender Battle between Tonn @MexicanCow123 and Hex Valentine @DrHexDex of the 21st. With the Hounds pushing hard and firing 44 total shots, Valentine put up one hell of an effort to give his guys a shot. But, just the same, Tonn @MexicanCow123 matched Valentine's performance, letting nothing by him for 2 solid periods.
 
Hounds win!
 
3-Stars:
1 - Pietro Angellini (MIS)
2 - Michael Mac (MIS)
3 - Jacob Tonn (MIS)
 
Pietro's hard work had paid off. Only better nights are sure to come!
 
 
 

@Matt_O Its time for you to update this.

I just want to put my name out there and say I'm interested. I likely won't get it but I want my name to be out there as a guy who might be into management. I am actively looking through the Discord from 11:00 am - 3:00 am est. I don't really have any moderation experience, but that is why I want to apply. To grow as a person and learn. I just wanted to put my name out there! Thanks!

As someone who is still in school i 100% agree. I see bullying way to much at least in my school, and no one wants to step in.

Fantastic article IR. Its great that you are willing to share your experiences during this time. ❤️

A lot of people have spoken up about these topics, many times over the years, and today they still lead to a constant debate. As such, I would like to speak on these topics and speak my mind because I feel like a lot has gone on here in the past that has either been overlooked, taken in poor terms, lead to members leaving and such, and so I would just love to explain my personal experiences with both these topics, as despite being a white male, I've sadly had to experience both. 
 
On January 27th 2010, my best friend in the whole world came out as gay. I've known this kid since I was 4 years old, and I was the first person he told. I was very accepting of the matter, as its none of my business to what he does, and I was proud of him for taking that leap. He hadn't told his parents yet, who are very strict Christians may I add. He also hadn't told anyone else at school or told anyone else really at all, so he was still very much 'in the closet'. Keep in mind, we were like 16-17 here, and bullying was unfortunately as big if not worse back then for anything deemed out of the social 'norm'. So come our final year in high school, he finally outted himself, and the bullying was surreal. I got suspended in school for beating up a kid who beat up my friend, I shoved them in a locker and locked it, but I was mad that my friend was being bullied for his choices, it sickened me. I got the worst call of my life 8 days after my birthday, July 19th, 2012, we had just graduated literally a month ago... and I get the awful news that my friend couldn't handle it anymore...and hung himself in his closet. He left a note, you could literally see the tear marks left as he was writing this damn thing, and I still have it to this day because its the last thing I have of his, as well as some pictures. To this day, I regret that I could not protect him more, and pride month, pride in general, I always support, not just for him, but all of the people in the world just like him facing the same horrible reality. 
 
So how does this tie into BLM? Well, I've always been the kind of guy to just want to be friends with people,  Idon't care your gender, your race, your anything, if you're cool, if we share the same likes and interests, its very likely we'll become friends because I just am that type of person. My friend, who was from a broken black family, was also a very, very close friend of mine, for years, we met in grade school and never lost touch. One day, he was with his other group of friends, and as they told me due to their recollection, someone or a group of people started opening fire on their group. Keep in mind, they were barely adults, this was around college time. More information came out about this, it was a very "white" dominated group that shot into that group. I lost my best friend because of the color of his skin...all because someone felt they were better than them. It came out that it was 100% a hate crime towards his race, and they didn't even know who he was. He was just in the 'wrong place, at the wrong time'. 
 
So why am I posting this? Well, because I have experienced both ends of it. I've lost a lot of friends along the way to this bullshit we call a society and the 'norms' of society. I am a white, straight man, but that doesn't mean I don't see what kind of shit is going on in the world. To anyone, who falls into the categories that are always attacked on a daily basis, please know I stand with you, I support you, I am with you all the way. And if you need an ear, a shoulder, someone to talk to, I will talk to you. I will NOT give up on you. 

Thanks Bana! You are one of the reason I am the way I am today so thank you! ❤️

Also, good work @MexicanCow123 @Alex Bridges. You guys have done very well. Continue the excellent work! Good stuff boys!! 

Thanks Bana! You are one of the reason I am the way I am today so thank you! ❤️

What it has been like for me as a female in the vhl..
 
(Note this is just how it has been for me. Other females could very well feel differently.)
 
I found this league off a YouTube video of someone talking about it (I don’t remember who) and thought it would be interesting to try out for myself. I was very much so prepared to be one of the few girls in the league as most things like this are male dominated most of the time. At first I was quite hesitant on here and didn’t really tell anyone my gender because I was frankly afraid of how people would react. In the past I would be treated weirdly because I am not a man and it scared me that it would happen again. I didn’t want to be treated differently. I wanted to be viewed as just another person playing a game to pass time and meet new people.
 
As I got more comfortable in my first locker room (Yukon rush) I felt comfortable enough to tell the people in there.I finally told them I was in fact a female and explained to them why I didn’t say earlier and told them that I really do not want to be treated differently because of my gender because I was here for the same reason they were. That locker room to this day is still one of my favorites because they were so genuinely accepting and didn’t really care. It gave me the confidence to be more open of who I really am. They didn’t change how they acted (honestly they got weirder) instead they continued to be who they were beforehand. I was not treated differently and they really didn’t make me feel any different then one of them. So thank you to everyone in that locker room but special shoutout to: Ricer, Cow, Alex, Dylan, and LPOS for being genuinely great people.
 
As I got moved around I didn’t tell most of my other locker rooms because it didn’t feel right. I did tell one other one and they reacted the same way Yukon did. However, with a couple of the other locker rooms I’m in I’m not going to lie I haven’t because of the fact of being scared of reaction. There’s a part of me that feels like I already don’t fit in, in some locker rooms and me saying I am a girl would just make it more awkward. I already feel as though I’m so different from them just in a personality way that now adding that gender difference would only make it worse. Although this could very well just be me overthinking things to an extreme.
 
Generally for me being a female in the vhl has been a very welcoming experience. I haven’t really had negative feedback from the people I have told (which is everyone now) but more just the fear of negative feedback coming. Thank you to any and everyone who didn’t change how they acted when they found it because it makes me a whole lot more comfortable knowing that they aren’t going to change because of my gender and that I’m not holding back their personality because of that.

 
So I would like to say to anyone who reads this: please please please if you find out a user is the opposite gender please don’t treat them differently. We are all on here for the exact same reason and them being a different gender shouldn’t change how you act. I can’t speak for all females on the platform but to me I want you to act the exact same way. We are humans too.
 
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Share your thoughts, your issues, whatever you feel you need to express, not just now and regarding the current incident, but going forward. This is not a "demands" thing - we will not implement every single thing mentioned in here, and for that matter, dark green team is never really the final arbiter of a lot of bigger stuff anyway - but it's never a bad idea to allow you guys the ability to make yourselves heard. 

NOTE: This will be moderated for the same type of things we don't want in discord - no insults, no calling people "gay" or "retarded" or the like, none of that sort of thing. If you're not sure, err on the side of caution. 
 
@VHLM GM

I was going to wait until later to release a statement. I didn’t wake up this morning or go to bed last night thinking this would happen. I never ever had plans of stepping away. I feel like this is just a poor, poor misunderstanding where my wording was blown up and examined and taken out of context.. I don’t even know.. walking in circles.. especially seeing as my words came from the source itself.. 
 
I have given two years to the role as VHLM commissioner and as I mentioned, I never intended to step away ever.. and didn’t last night or this morning when I woke up.. I have missed family events, family suppers during Easter and Thanksgiving, Ive had situations where my grandfather passed away.. my girlfriend found out she has a tumor in May and very well could have cancer.. and my world is flipped upside down. The sadness I’ve had. The dreams I’ve had to which I wake up in the middle of the night with wet eyes crying.. and I was still here for the league, it’s members, the VHLM and my family who was the VHLM  and it’s GM’s. I’ve never left. My activity has never lessened. I was always here at the moment of a ping, a mention, a message.. the moment my alarm rang at 0600 I was on and was here until the moment I put my phone down to go to bed.. 
 
I feel frustrated. I feel very heartbroken. I feel disappointed in the leadership and myself. I feel small. Similar to my Hall of Fame speech I got.. I was so excited to be recognized. I was so proud to reach that level. What I got was a very short, rambled paragraph on how I improved the league and am an asshole to some. I felt so incredibly small. I felt worthless. That I try so hard for everyone here to make this league as amazing as it is, as it’s become and as it will grow into.. and felt like it didn’t matter. I don’t know, VHL. Super sad day. I was booted without even being able to say good bye to people I spent all day talking with, helping.. they weren’t just GM’s.. they were my support.. closest thing to online pals and family I’ll ever have.. I am incredibly grateful for them.. 
 
With that being said,  @VHLM GM , assistants and managers that I’ve had in the past.. I can’t name you all but every single one of you.. Thank you for the amazing 2 years. Yes, sometimes we disagreed. Yes, the M section was a UFC ring sometimes.. sometimes, you know, it even ended on bad terms a little bit and it was unfortunate because in the grand scheme.. I still have a spot for those people. We had many amazing times.. I’m sorry. I don’t even know how to properly thank you guys for being my family for all the hours, days and bad, happy and good times. I just want you all to know that I love you all as members and as people and it saddens me and breaks my heart. I’m really, really going to miss you guys and miss working/talking with you all each and every hour of the day.. I don’t know.. sorry this statement sucks..
 
VHL, VHLM.. thank you for the support. It’s because of you amazing people, all you different people, that have come together to make this place such an .. addiction. Such a strong hobby. Such a strong part of our lives.. it’s you guys that I always wanted to do right by. I put in the work and hours with the intentions to improve you and your experiences here. I’m not perfect. I’m so deeply sorry for the mistakes I’ve made and to anyone who have crossed swords.. 
 
I can’t thank you all enough I just don’t know how to express it and am struggling to find words to say..  I wish you all the best and all the love in the world. Keep making this place a better place than it was yesterday. Remember, mistakes happen. We won’t always agree and we’re such a large group of many differences but we all are here because we love this shit. 
 
You can still expect me behind DA BEARZ..  see you out there. Take care.. 

Can we donate even if we have done our $20 already?

Welcome to this week's edition of the VHL Mock Draft! This week, we will be looking at the projected top five overall picks and evaluating them.
 
PROJECTED PICKS:
 
1ST OVERALL: Marshall James Frost (LW out of Mississauga) @FrostBeard
 
STRENGTHS:
 
SCORING ABILITY: Frost is known for his lethal wrist shot and one timer and he is known for picking the corners when he shoots.
 
SKATING: Frost is an incredible skater who has a high top speed, accelerates quickly and has great balance and coordination while airbourne.
 
SIZE: Standing at 6 feet 5 inches and weighing in at 240 pounds, Frost is a presence when he is on the ice and he isn't afraid to use his body to get the puck.
 
WEAKNESSES:
 
DISCIPLINE: Frost a lot of times will take unprovoked penalties. In 22 games with the Hounds this year, he has recorded 28 Penalty Minutes. It's not like this issue is not fixable.
 
FACEOFFS: This isn't important to a winger as much as it is to a Center, but Frost is weak in the faceoff circle. He should work on his faceoffs just in case he has to play Center in relief of injuries or a trade.
 
2ND OVERALL: Tyler Walker (D out of Saskatoon) @Advantage
 
STRENGTHS:
 
SKATING: Walker is a great skater and as a defensemen in the VHL you have to be. He can skate fast and use his agility to get away from opposing forwards.
 
DEFENSE: Walker is a great lockdown defender. He has one of the highest +/- ratings in the VHLM this season with a +19. He can effectively stop the play at the blue line and never gives up an easy zone entry.
 
SHOOTING: Walker has a hard, heavy slapshot but he can also shoot top shelf with an equally terrifying wrister. He would be a perfect fit on a VHL power play because of his creativity with the puck in all 3 zones.
 
WEAKNESSES:
 
HITTING: Walker is not very good at hitting. He can sometimes lose battles for the puck in the corner due to this but with the right coach at the VHL level this issue can easily be fixed.
 
SIZE: Walker stands at 6 foot 2 inches and weighs 197 pounds. Not too small but it makes it a bit harder to block shots the smaller you are.
 
3RD OVERALL: Jacob Tonn (G out of Mississauga) @MexicanCow123
 
STRENGTHS:
 
REBOUND CONTROL: Tonn is great at steering rebounds to the corner and being able to negate rebounds during odd man rushes
 
GLOVE: Tonn has a great glove and rarely gives up a goal up high. His glove is in perfect position for the shot the attacker is trying to take.
 
WEAKNESSES:
 
SKATING: Tonn isn't a great skater when coming out to play the puck. A good coach would be able to work these habits out but if not fixed, it could lead to some dangerous situations when he plays the puck.
 
SIZE: Tonn is very small for a VHL prospect standing only 5 foot 5 inches tall and weighing in at only 140 pounds make it hard on him as he has to move more in the net.
 
4TH OVERALL: Micah Adrienne (D out of Las Vegas) @Poptart
 
STRENGTHS:
 
LOCKDOWN ABILITY: Adrienne is a pure shutdown defender. He can play on any pair and is good at not letting the opponents enter the zone or pass the puck out of the corner on the power play.
 
SIZE: Adrienne stands at 6 foot 6 inches and weighs 250 pounds which is great for a defensemen who loves to block shots. Don't be fooled though, he can still skate fast and effectively.
 
PUCK HANDLING: Adrienne is a great puck moving defensemen as well. He can move the puck effectively from any area of the ice whether it be his own zone during a breakout or at the opposing blue line on the power play.
 
Weaknesses:
 
PASSING: Adrienne is not a very good passer. He often turns the puck over trying to pass it through the neutral zone. This can be worked out the VHL level but a coach should not turn this into a bad habit.
 
DISCIPLINE: Adrienne sometimes takes unnecessary penalties such as hooks and trips trying to get the puck away from the opponent.
 
5TH OVERALL: Viktor Mjers (D out of Halifax) @InstantRockstar
 
STRENGTHS:
 
SKATING: Mjers is a great skater and is able to slice and dice his way through the neutral zone when he steps up with the puck.
 
SHOOTING: Mjers has a hard, fast slapshot which is deadly accurate and can be used at even strength and on the power play.
 
PUCK HANDLING: Mjers is great at handling the puck all over the ice and is able to use his quick skating to either steal the puck or pin the puck in the corner.
 
WEAKNESSES:
 
SIZE: Mjers stands 6 foot 1 inches and weighs in at 188 pounds. His frame makes it a bit more difficult for him to win puck battles in the corner or to block shots.
 
CHECKING: Mjers isn't very good at hitting and often when he attempts to step up in the neutral zone to prevent a zone entry, it will lead to an odd man rush. His hitting can be improved upon once he reaches the VHL level.
 
 
 
 
 
 

1) A strong set of sims has pushed us into 5th in the league and 2nd in both our conference and division, sitting only behind the Minnesota Storm. How do these results motivate you for the rest of the season?
 
Huge games, boys. I am hyped and looking to max TPE every week to help the squad.
 
2) Where do you think our biggest strengths lie as a team?
 
First line and in net.
 
3) To the same token, what are our biggest weaknesses?
 
We have had a bit of a rough go on goals-against. Need to tighten up defensively.
 
4) When you first created, what did you value more? Ice time or team success?
 
I just wanted to be part of a team and try to chip in where I could.
 
5) Who has had the biggest breakout season for second/third season players?
 
JaredN @jared has been raking lately.
 
6) If we had a Hound fight club (IF we did...), who would be the scariest to go up against?
 
I feel like Tonn @MexicanCow123 would pull some streetfight moves.

Good Afternoon, All,
 
As a proud member of the VHLM's Mississauga Hounds I felt it pertinent to take a look into a middling team's propensity for greatness.
 
Now, this may be an unpopular and even outlandish opinion, but I believe the Mississauga Hounds are set-up to be a Darkhorse to contend for the S72 Founder's Cup. Before I go on, I do see the monumental task ahead of the Hounds, with Minnesota, Vegas, Saskatoon, and Mexico City sitting ahead of them in the standings an ALL looking like strong candidates in their own right for deep runs in the playoffs. But, stay with me here. With (2) two players already with over 40 points on the season, Mississauga has some firepower deployed on the top line. Led by JaredN @jared and Michael Mac @LastOneUp, with 45 and 41 points respectively, the top line of the Hounds is firing on all cylinders, only further solidified by RW Marshall James Frostbeard @FrostBeard, with an impressive 29 points already himself. That puts the top line of the Hounds with 115 points combined, demanding a deeper look into the Hounds current 5th Place standing in the VHLM. Chipping in on the second line are Gainer @joeg, Angellini @okifenoki, and Brewitt @JBrew42 combining for another 41 points themselves and a beastly 130 hits, cementing themselves as a physical change of pace line coming on the ice to spell the top dogs. The Hounds are shaping up to be an entertaining underdog for S72.
 
But wait...
 
Behind the magic of the points, the ferocity of the hits, appears Jacob Tonn @MexicanCow123 standing on his head in between the pipes. With 14 wins and a 0.904 SV% Tonn has himself in the Top 3 of the best Tenders in the VHLM. The Hounds backstop only furthers the magic of the upper middle ranked Hounds. 
 
With a strong push, the Hounds can set themselves up for a Cinderella Story Run towards the Founder's Cup. They'll have to best some pretty solid squads in Minnesota, Vegas, Saskatoon, and Mexico City but they have a shot. And sometimes that is all it takes!

Hello, and welcome to the first edition of a new season of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 
This season we welcome a new writer to our coverage, @diamond_ace! We are very excited to have him on the team, expanding VHLM coverage further. We will be trading off articles, so that’s all for now, but stay tuned for his content coming down the pipeline!
 
Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more!
 
 | The Talent Behind the Trophies |  S72 Mock Draft | S72 Top 25 | 
 
The Review 
 
With a new season of hockey comes some new, sweeping changes to the structure of the VHLM. It’s been crowded enough the past few seasons, and so our benevolent overlords have seen fit to give us an expansion team! Welcome to the Miami Marauders, the newest addition to the VHLM family. The Marauders are led by fearless leader/GM Kris Rice @Ricer13, who is backed up by his assistant, @bigAL. Welcome boys!
 
 

 
Now into the standings, starting with the Eastern Conference. The Marauders aren’t exactly up to a great start, and sit at the bottom of their conference with 8 points (though not the worst in the league; more on that later). Next up is the Halifax 21st with 15 points, who are trailing playoff position by five points, partly by virtue of their conference’s strength. 
 
Entering the playoff spots in the East we actually have a three-way tie for second place. The Philadelphia Reapers, Ottawa Lynx, and Mississauga Hounds all have 20 points apiece, sitting on 10 wins, 6 losses, and 0 overtime losses. The Reapers take 4th position due to one of their victories coming in a shootout (Game 73 against Halifax), while the Hounds just edge out the Lynx on goal differential to secure the second position. 
 
Leading the Eastern Conference is the Minnesota Storm, whose 26 points is tied for top overall in the league. The Storm have a dominant goal differential of +42 in only 16 games; in part thanks to some really absurd victories (to the tune of 12-0 and 11-0). 
 
Just who did those victories come against? The two teams bringing up the rear of the Western Conference, the Houston Bulls and the San Diego Marlins. These teams have each won just a single game to go along with their 15 losses, and boast a combined goal differential of -160; meaning roughly a -5 differential per game across the two teams. Luckily for last season’s runner ups, the Yukon Rush, should be thankful, as if things keep going the same way their playoff position should be more or less guaranteed. The Rush currently sit at 13 points, having had middling to poor results so far. 
 
Entering the third position we begin to look at competitors again, starting with the Mexico City Kings. The King’s have the second-best goal differential in the league and have looked dangerous thus far, boasting the fewest goals allowed across their 16 games. In second place in the West is the Saskatoon Wild. The Wild have dropped a few games in overtime, including one early in the season against the West’s leaders, the Las Vegas Aces. These late-game performances so far mark the separation between the two, as the Aces have won all three of their overtime games in a shootout, while the Wild have lost both of their shootouts. With only two points separating these two teams, it is clear the margins could hardly be tighter. 
 
This rounds out our review of the standings. Let’s take a look at our ELO charts to see if they paint a clearer picture of the first week of the season:
 


The first thing that jumps out from the ELO charts is the plummet of the aforementioned Houston Bulls and San Diego Marlins, which should come as no surprise given their performances thus far. Going up the chart we see the Yukon Rush having a lot of movement; they kicked off the season strong but fell quickly thereafter. Miami has been a slow ride down, but manage to stay ahead of the Rush for now despite their worse record. 
 
One of the most interesting facts on our chart thus far is the position of the Hounds. Despite being second in the Eastern Conference, they have an ELO barely above average. This can mostly be explained by the difference in conferences, as they would only be fourth in the West, and they are also only in second in the East by virtue of that three-way tie. 
 
Taking a look at the Las Vegas Aces also showcases something peculiar. Although the Aces are first in the West and are tied for the top record in the league, they are next in ELO; meaning they are seventh right now, lower than the Halifax 21st, a team that isn’t even in a playoff spot right now. This tells us two things: one, the power dynamic in the West is almost certainly not settled yet, and two, the Eastern Conference is proving more and more to be a tough mix of teams. 
 
The top two teams by ELO are the Philadelphia Reapers and the Minnesota Storm, with the Reapers just edging out the Storm for that top spot. The Reapers started off strong, but have plateaued recently, while the Storm are currently riding a seven-game winning streak. In general, though, there appear to be a lot of competitive teams this season. The Reapers and Storm in the East are closely trailed by the Saskatoon Wild and the Mexico City Kings in the West; here’s to hoping a Founder’s Cup showdown between equally competitive teams will come to fruition. 

The Highlights
 
Miami’s Big Break
 
First things first; let’s look at the Marauders. Usually, we won’t cover individual games in too much depth, instead focusing on the bigger picture, but hey, the first game of an expansion team deserves something. And boy was that first game something else. Game 4 on the season, between newly minted Miami Marauders and the perennial contenders of the Minnesota Storm. The Marauders were travelling to Minnesota in this match, but it did little to deter them. The franchise’s first goal was scored by their top-line centre and first star of the game, Andre Lebastard, with the assist from Kosmo Kramerev. Congrats you two! 
 
Despite scoring first, the Storm hit back and hit hard with three unanswered goals to close out the first period, outshooting Miami 21-3. The second period was more of the same on the shot totals, but somehow, Miami evened up the score with two more finding the back of the net. Heading into the third period, I don’t think anyone could predict what was going to happen. 
 
Thirty seconds into the period, the Marauders took the lead off a goal from Bobbie Cheechoo. Not to be outdone, the Storm evened it up, but they wouldn’t score again. The game-winning goal came from Kosmo Kramerev, whose powerplay snipe sealed the franchise's first franchise win in their first-ever game. A nervy third period played out, but with only a minute or so left, Miami sealed the deal with an empty-net goal. Particularly impressive was the performance of Miami’s goaltender, the one and only Bacon, whose 46 saves on 50 shots was the backstop that weathered the Minnesotans storm of offence, leading them to victory. 
 
A Season for the Goalies
 
So far this season we have seen some impressive offensive performances (mostly thanks to a few team’s particularly unimpressive defences). Take a look at Game 72 in which the Minnesota Storm beat the Houston Bulls 12-0. This tied the league records for most goals by one team in one game (12), most assists by one team in one game (24), and most game points in one game (36). Interestingly enough, the Bulls nearly beat their own record for shots blocked in this game with 30; that’s because they got 31 earlier in the season against the Saskatoon Wild in Game 19 that saw them outshot 93-6. 
 
Despite such one-sided displays, it is in fact the defensive qualities that are most impressive this season. The goalies, in particular, have started off hot, with three starters over .900 SV%, and another two right on the border with .899.  Granted, it is still early, but compare this to the end of last season, where only three players had an SV% over .895, and the top goalie ended at just .900. That is a pretty impressive difference, sample-size notwithstanding.  Thus far Grekkark Gyrfalcon has the highest SV% through his 12 games at .910, followed by Mexico City’s Zamboni Driver with .906 over 16 games played; both goalies are currently tied on GAA with 1.81. Last season, no one had below a 2.61. 
 
Who knows if this trend will continue, but let’s enjoy it while it lasts. It’s not too often that we are treated to such impressive goaltending displays, regardless of opponent quality. 
 
That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!
 
GMs:  @Proto, @ColeMrtz, @DoktorFunk, @Dil, @Rayzor_7, @Motzaburger,
@MexicanCow123, @McWolf, @DMaximus, @iRockstar, @Sonnet, @Ricer13
 
Players Mentioned: @Andre LeBastard, @Mongoose87, @Sharkie, @Bacon, @Sharkstrong, @Tape-to-Tape
 
 
 
VSN Writer Mr_Hatter
 

I apologize for shawn. He’s a bit of a poop