Ace

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Erik Andersson with his Danish Juniors Club Ottawa has another Andersson, and no, they’re not brothers. The Danish two-way winger joins his Swedish counterpart on the Lynx. Erik Andersson is a 6’0 194lb winger from Copenhagen, Denmark. He is best-known for his elite mobility up and down the ice, and can quickly retrieve the puck in the defensive zone and start the breakout in transition the other way. Ottawa management had the following to say: “Erik Andersson will supplement our PK and our checking line to try to neuter the opposing star players. We hope he will quickly get acclimated here in Ottawa and be able to contribute immediately. We will have to see how quickly he gets up to speed when he gets into town and has a few practices with the guys.” One thing is for sure, a strong team in the Ottawa Lynx may have just become stronger. Only time will tell from the nation’s capital.

1. Oh, you know, I'm new to the club, but we've got to get pucks in deep, get it behind their d-men, and force turnovers. The boys know what to do, we've been doing it since pee-wees. 2. Well, I'd like to say that me coming to the club can help propel the club up back where they were at. We'll have to see. I like what I've seen so far since joining the club. 3. I was focused on my previous league and I haven't had a chance to really take a look around the league. My teammates seem to talk about this McKegerator guy, so I will have to defer to their inspirations. 4. I'm focused on my own league right now. Sorry. 5. My favorite VHL experience has been the signing process. My agent walked me through the portal and I was quickly able to find a home. 6. Now that I'm here? Ottawa.

So, this afternoon I received an email from the Victory Hockey League. I had participated in this community a long time ago. My last attempt at creating a player here came 30 months ago, in August 2019. I did one update cycle and I think I never came back to the site. When I got the email, it struck an interest for me as I am the Recruitment Head over in the SHL. I’ve been trying to do something similar to this email blast that I received, and when the VHL Recruitment team talked me through how they did it, and expressed a willingness to even talk to me, someone who is a SHL-first guy, a long-time “rival” league, it made me intrigued in giving the community another chance. If this one-time heated rival could share some information that they have to help me out with nothing in return, I would be happy to return and give it another go. I did recall how incredibly different the VHL Portal was, and I think it was probably in its infancy the last time I gave it a go. When I created my player, I was greeted with very smooth performing site that gave me an opportunity to inquire with teams about signing as a Free-Agent. This was new to me, and the first team I inquired with, the Ottawa Lynx, accepted my signing. I confess I did not do much research, but I have had some great chats with my teammates already. One suggestion I would make is have a more detailed and streamlined rookie guide that is included when a player is approved, because I have had to harass my poor Ottawa teammates with an avalanche of questions as I try to get my feet underneath me here in this community. I was told that I could do Trivia tasks, which sounded easy enough. I navigated to the Trivia area and I was greeted with questions that were very difficult to answer. One question was Longest Active Playoff Streak, and I couldn’t do that with the Portal because it only went back to S83, and the correct answer was further back than that. The next question asked who was the last user to have two players to win a Continental Cup, and I was like a deer in headlights on that question. If a user wants to max-earn, they should probably be armed with the equipment to answer these questions early in their VHL tenure, and I definitely wasn’t. Now, less about my experience so far, and more about the future. My player Erik Andersson is a Danish right winger. He projects to be a forward will be a savvy two-way winger who is relied upon in the defensive zone, and a competent player at making a play in the offensive zone. I expect Andersson to be a mainstay on the PK and core member of whatever team he’s a part of. For now, he wants to help the Ottawa Lynx be the best club they can be.

Player Information Username: Ace Player Name: Erik Andersson Recruited From: Other (Email) Age: 18 Position: RW Height: 72 in. Weight: 194 lbs. Birthplace: Denmark Player Page @VHLM GM

+4

1) Will you be wanting to get drafted by Yukon in S68,or is there any other team you want to be drafted to? I don't believe I'll be playing with the Rush next season unfortunately. 2) How many goals and assists did you have in season 67? Not enough. 3) What VHL team do you want to be drafted to? or where have you already been drafted to inS67? Prague would be super cool. 4) Do you play in any other hockey simulation league? SHL baby. 5) Name the 3 Most Original Named Players in the VHLM or VHL? A Red Guy, Condor Adrienne, Lance Flowers 6) Is there a certain GM in the league you want to play for this next season? All of them. But I'd like to work with D_A again.

In Yahoo

The season is completed for the Yukon Rush, and Frans Eller has begun packing his belongings in preparation for the VHL Draft. He's already provided his initial thoughts on the North American VHL franchises, now it's time to dive in and take a look at the European squads. HC Davos Dynamo Davos finished 7th in the VHL and are located in the beautiful Swiss alps. I could definitely do worse than playing here. I'm slightly intrigued, as they have a somewhat young franchise. I could see myself starting and playing with Davos as early as next season. I wouldn't be completely against Davos as a destination, but I haven't had much in the way of communication with them as of yet. I kind of low key dig the whole football club thing they've got going on as well. Helsinki Titans Now, this is a crispy brand. Love the color scheme and uniforms, and it's right up the road from my home in Copenhagen in Finland. Well, not really RIGHT up the road, but it's still in the same general vicinity. I'd really enjoy playing for the Titans, and I think that my skillset would be welcomed as part of their next wave of players. They finished 3rd in the VHL standings as well. This is a strong squad. 100% all in on Helsinki. Malmo Nighthawks This is got a lot going on - it looks like an eSports franchise logo. It's located in Sweden, which is literally Denmark's neighbor, so I'd have to say that I'd be okay with repping the lime green, green and navy blue. It's not my #1 destination, but I'd be happy to play there. They finished 8th in the standings so I'd have a chance to be part of their return to glory. Moscow Menace It's only fitting that the Moscow based VHL franchise is run by a guy named Victor. I have a feeling if I spoke out publicly against him, I'd be sent to the gulag. Moscow finished 5th in the VHL standings are are another fresh brand. The logo is modern and really pops with some strong perspective. I'd be ok with shipping out to Communist Russia to lace em up for Victor and the Moscow gang. Riga Reign Frans Ellers - my Latvian name if I ended up in Riga. Is their logo a fox? I can't really tell. Anyways, Ace the user has some strong Latvian heritage and I'd be honored to play for the Reign. Riga finished 2nd in the standings last season so it'd give me a great opportunity to be with a contending franchise. I'd be all about that, for sure. There isn't really a European team that I dislike regarding their branding. That's a good thing - I'd mostly prefer to stay in Europe closer to my family than to ship back out to North America. That's the beautiful thing about a draft though, anything can happen. I can't wait to see how it all shakes out, and what jersey I'll be wearing for next season!

Helsinki Vancouver Vancouver 5-3 Vancouver Points: Beau Louth Goals: Rauno Palo Assists: Dan Wilinsky PIMs: Sidney Crosby Series winner: Shawn Glade

It is nearly draft time! What’s on the mind of these prospects? Well, let me tell you – it’s “Where the hell am I living and playing hockey for possibly the next 10 years?!” Let’s dive in and take a totally arbitrary evaluation of the North American VHL franchises (minus the new expansion location) and see how Frans Eller would view them as a destination. Calgary Wranglers Calgary is an awesome town. I’ve been there before. It has the beautiful mountains around it, and despite it being a decent sized city, it has that small town feel. Everyone is super friendly. The winters aren’t great, but they aren’t as bad as Winnipeg or Edmonton. The Wranglers are known as a top tier team as well, and they finished 3rd in the Regular Season with a record of 40-25-7. Seems like a pretty good landing spot, and Eller would be pleased to be a Wrangler. New York Americans NEWWW YORRRRKKKKKK, it’s what most Europeans think of when they think about the United States of America. A pristine, empirical skyline with the hustle and bustle of capitalist society. Infinite opportunity! Too bad they’re a basement dweller. They finished dead last, with a record of 20-45-7. This means that they most likely have a pick in a spot where Eller will be available, but with how bad they were, chances are they’ll be leaning in other directions by the time that their pick is due at the draft stage. Seattle Bears DA BEARSSSS. The Bears are another lower performing franchise, finishing 3rd from last with a record of 30-33-9. Without putting in an effort to actually analyze their roster, they seem like they are right on the cusp of contending with a young roster, or are an old franchise that are beginning their death rattle. The logo and team concept are vanilla, and I can’t say I’ve ever seen a bear that is quite that color red. Anyways, I’ve got history with Bana and while there’s been some bumps in the road, I wouldn’t mind playing for his squad. Toronto Legion They’ve got a fresh logo and branding, but I know nothing about this GM, and to be frank, Toronto sports fans blow donkey dick. They all think that they’re God’s gift to hockey, and yet, 99% of them are about as uneducated as Teddy who tries to bum a cig from you at Circle-K every time you get gas despite you telling him that you don’t smoke the last twenty times. I don’t know Devise, so no ill will there. They finished atop the league, with a staggering 53-12-7 record. Chances are I won’t end up with Toronto, so I am going to get the abrasive anti-Toronto thing going now. Fuck Toronto. Vancouver Wolves This is probably, of the North American franchises, where I’d like to end up the most. Vancouver, British Columbia is one of the most beautiful places on this earth, and every person I’ve met that is actually from BC is incredibly pleasant. The Wolves finished 2nd in the VHL regular season standings for the North American conference with a record of 40-24-8. This team is knocking on the door of a Cup. Eller would love to be there for it.

The final siren sounded to wrap up the 5 game series between the Yukon Rush and the Halifax 21st. What kind of name is the 21st anyway? Oh well, we lost to that joke of a name. Yukon came into the series as the heavy favorite defensively and somehow it seems like that calculated defensive strategy was tossed into a blender as the Rush tried to counter punch harder than their opposition. “I don’t know why it went down like this. It’s not our style, it’s not our game plan. It’s almost like someone or something decided, ‘no, the Rush play boring hockey, we can’t reward that win postseason success”. “I bet someone up the chain of command had a large dollar amount resting on the 21st as underdogs and pulled some strings to get our coaching staff to change up our style. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

How do you predict the series going against Halifax? I thought it would go a hell of a lot better than it did. What players from each team do you think will have the biggest rivalry in the series? Me vs. their goaltender. A Red Guy vs Gunnarsson, who has the better performance? I had my money on A Red Guy, but Vegas collected on that bet. Prediction for the winners of first round and why? Philadelphia and Yukon, I am 50% correct. Who is your prediction for MVP of the playoffs? Big Pharmaceuticals. Any takeaways from the season before we hit the playoffs? Thanks for drafting me, @Josh. Being with the Rush was a pleasure.

Wow, nothing special. I’m offended.

Malmo 3-1

Calgary Riga Moscow  Helsinki 

How have you dealt with the pressure to keep up this recent strong run of results? I'm just having a good time, baby. Which unit on the team do you think would be the reason the team wins the cup, and why? The Red Guy because we'll only go as far as our goaltending and superb defense can take us. Who has stepped up as a real leader in the locker room down the stretch for Yukon? Erik Draven! If you could add any player currently on another VHLM roster to the Rush, who would it be and why? Adrienne, he's a great friend of mine. @Green How important is the team's impending 4-game stretch against Philadelphia and Ottawa to our playoff momentum? Incredibly important. These are the top tier teams. If we want to be considered a contender, we have to perform well here. Which team would you want to face in the Cup Finals the most and why? Philadelphia. I want to beat @BladeMaiden.

Danish center Frans Eller was recently caught in the media talking about how he supports bringing a team to Copenhagen, Denmark, but questions the wisdom of the expansion right now. "When we have so many guys that are benders and have no interest in improving their game, why are we looking to add more teams to the VHL? Why not just raise the ceiling on the VHLM to fill these rosters more so there's not this amount of inactivity with the development league. Surely the Head Office can recognize that the most important time for new players entering the VHL is during their initial VHLM season. Improve that process! A first impression is critical to long term success." He shrugged. "I guess there's a reason they're the commissioners and why I am not. I just hope we get the Danish team I so desperately want. It'd be natural rivals with all of the other European clubs."

One of the most appealing things about the VHL to European players like Frans Eller is the presence the league has in the European market. So many top tier sports leagues find themselves as North American-centric, and European fans are either forced to watch and follow on delay, or in incredibly inconvenient hours of the day. The VHL saw this void in the sports market, and filled it with intelligence and expertise. Frans Eller has been quite vocal of his support of this strategy, but he'd like to go one step further - expansion in his home town, Copenhagen, Denmark. Time for some raiding and pillaging! The Pagans uniforms will predominately be red and white, echoing the crisp colors from the Danish flag. The plan is to slowly build up to contention, and depending on expansion rules, pick up on players that would have value around the league and then sell them to the highest bidder for additional futures assets. This strategy has a higher chance at long term success, but it won't be without of its growing pains. Fans cannot latch themselves onto the new franchise and expect success right off the bat, they have to become invested in the grassroots approach of the management of the front office. Get a prospect that you like, latch onto them, and watch them develop in the VHLM until they're ready to make the jump to Copenhagen and make their impact known in the VHL. Now, how would the expansion work? Would each franchise have the opportunity to protect five forwards, three defensemen and a goalie? Or just seven players? There's a bunch of different options that the Head Office could consider, and each of them offers a unique set of circumstances and opportunities for the incoming expansion franchises. One of the other top tier hockey leagues, the Simulation Hockey League, opted for these rules for their most recent expansion for their 46th season. Teams must submit a protected list of 7 F, 3 D, 1 G or 8 S, 1 G. All players drafted in the last two seasons (S44/S45) are automatically protected. These protection slots cannot be traded. If a team elects to expose an FA and that player is drafted by an expansion team, that player will be unable to return to the team that exposed them for one season. The expansion team will hold RFA rights to that player for one season. If the rights to this player are traded by the expansion team, they lose their temporary RFA status. Each team will lose two players to the expansion draft. GMs, Co-GMs, and players with NMCs/NTCs must be protected unless they are willing to waive. Those two franchises have been relatively successful after this process only three seasons in. There was, however, legitimate backlash on how easy it was for them to contend. The New Orleans franchise made the Challenge Cup Finals in their first season. I wouldn't advise the VHL to put a franchise in a position to contend that quickly, as it can leave a bad taste in the mouths of GMs that have been working very hard at climbing back out of the basement. No matter what happens, Eller has his firm support behind the Copenhagen Pagans making a triumphant arrival to the VHL.

VAN 4-1

291 Calgary Wranglers 292 Toronto Legion 293 Malmo Nighthawks 294 Helsinki Titans

Frans Eller has been quite vocal in the media lately, promising all that he will return home and hang up his skates at the conclusion of this season. Does this mean he's done in the VHLM? What about the VHL Draft? What is next for the Danish centerman? "I will be returning to Copenhagen to assist my mother in the opening of a new store. Our cobbler storefront has done exceptionally well and we expect the positive momentum as we continue to grow our business at home." Does this mean he's done playing hockey? Don't count on it. "God no, I am not done chasing my VHL goals. Only helping out my mom, like all good sons should." Perhaps we were misunderstanding the quote initially, but signs are positive that Eller will return to Training Camp next season as he pushes to reach the next level, the VHL. Time will tell if his skills will translate or not.

There's been a lot of scrutiny regarding the facilities that the Yukon Rush players utilize every season. When comparing their facilities to other franchise's in the VHLM, the Rush are woefully unqualified and under supplied. Instead of a full gym, the Rush expect their players to train by carrying large bags of concrete bricks from one side of their sales office to the other. Hot tubs? No way, try "jump in the fucking lake outside of the rink, we'll give you a blanket and a blow dryer after, that should make your body rebound after intense workouts". Yukon's training facilities. Rush center Frans Eller was caught on mic on Tuesday - "I don't know why they just don't spend the money on it. I had a better training experience when I was playing soccer when I was 7. It's pathetic. All it takes is what, $500,000 or so to build what we need if we want to truly compare to other teams? I don't know how we're keeping pace in this league with what we've got. Imagine if we had the same infrastructure as a Philadelphia? We'd be blowing their doors off." Some would say that this is a "tough love" type of training. Not everything needs to be catering or to spoil the players, but it's no secret that players that are happy and having fun produce a lot more than upset, negative players. When asked for comment, the Yukon Rush front office had the following statement - "The Yukon Rush franchise has always met the VHLM's rigorous training facilities requirements and we're proud to be among the league leaders in the standings thus far this season. There's no reason for anyone to consider our facilities any less adequate than other franchises, and any other claims are unfounded and inaccurate. The Rush will have no further comment on this topic at this time." It's clear that this accusation has struck a nerve of the Yukon front office - we sent an undercover reporter to gain more intel on the true condition of these training facilities. The results of their investigation were shocking. Daily meals were indeed provided, but instead of a well balanced meal that a high level athlete requires, McDonalds "McDoubles" were provided at room temperature with bottled "Bug Juice" products from the local convenience store. The players were not provided the consultation of a nutritionist, and were told to rely on what their "Lite Edition Calorie Counter App" that the GM staff installed on each of their smartphones had advised them for peak nutrition. They also had no strength and conditioning coach, only a 83 year old Vietnam Veteran who keeps claiming that he got strong by eating kimchi and running barefoot eight miles a day. It's not clear if that will directly translate to on ice endurance yet. When asked about these findings, the Yukon Rush franchise did not respond. One thing is for sure, things aren't quite up to snuff in Yukon, and the players are getting to the point of letting the whole world know.

Gold - Canada Silver - Europe Bronze - Asia MVP - Ambrose Stark

1) With the trade deadline on Monday, what type of moves do you think the team requires to compete? I believe we could use a bit more scoring punch down the wings, or potentially another playmaker. 2) Which team do you predict to win the WJC and why? Team Europe because I’m on it. 3) Have you performed up to your expectations so far this season? I’ve done about as well as I expected to. 4) Who would you say the MVP of the team has been for the first half of the season? Mr. Flowers. What a leader. 5) What has been your favorite game so far this season? I thoroughly enjoyed the back to back wins against the Reapers. 6) What is your favorite pass time other than hockey? I go to the local dive bars and sing karaoke. I’m a big fan of Guns N Roses.