Gustav

I have to say, I much preferred how it used to be presented here, with everything as a subforum accessible with one click from the home page. I don't care about VHL.com articles being a main thing versus everything else being in the PT section (though that's a valid point, I've never had an issue with it, personally), but I've had a few interesting times on the SBA forum where it took me way too long to find where I'm supposed to claim welfare. Despite the fact that there was a "point tasks" section, I spent a lot of time looking for the word "welfare" specifically. Maybe it's just that I've been here finding everything from the home page the whole time, but putting everything in a subforum that requires another click to get to just doesn't work with my brain for some reason. I'd understand not wanting to flood the home page with a bunch of new stuff, so why not keep the "career PTs" section as is and bring everything back out like it used to be? I don't want to sound like I'm complaining about stuff, but I do have a somewhat negative opinion about the new arrangement of things.

Best advice--ask whatever questions you've got. You're in my Discord and we'd all love to see you do well here and develop quickly!

To clarify: this is out of context. As is everything else in here, so I don't know why I'm worried.

This past week, rosters for the World Juniors were unveiled, and I was delighted to see that Hounds players and alumni are present on every roster. Since this is a .com article that will be way longer than a .com article, I won't get too wordy with my intro, so let's get on with it. Team Canada (GM: @MexicanCow123) Nate Telker (@Telkster)--Telker signed with the Hounds last season as one of three final signings we made just a day or two before the trade deadline. While he wasn't impressive on the stat sheet with the Hounds (just 6 assists and no goals in 32 games), his build has greatly solidified since then, and with his passing rating of 75, good defensive attributes, and the fact that he's managed over a point per game this season, figures to be a star for Canada. He'll be quite valuable build-wise if utilized correctly. Brock Louth (@Beaviss)--While on paper, Louth was the second-overall draft choice, he was really the first player off the board, as his draft stock took a hit as a result of a meme trade between the Hounds and Mexico City. Like any other player Beaviss has created, Louth looks like a future star and a future franchise player for Vancouver (and as the GM player, he'd better be). Between Telker and Louth, Canada seems to have lucked out big-time in terms of builds, as Louth brings a defense rating of 80, as well as a scoring rating of 75 and a solid build otherwise, to the table. Look for Louth to be a huge factor in Canada's offensive gameplan and a dominant force on the power play. Team USA (GM: @Berocka) Aamon Grim (@aCrypticPancake)--Grim, a part of the original Hounds squad (and, in fact, a former teammate of his current GM, and my current AGM, Berocka), is an SBA guy by trade, but that hasn't stopped him from creating a solid hockey player as well. Starting out with the Hounds, he played 12 games at the end of S66 and was there for our (short) playoff run against Ottawa, putting up marginal but respectable numbers, rookie status considered. Since then, he's become quite the formidable VHLM player, and with defense at 80, scoring at 75, and puck handling at 76, he's a monster on both ends of the ice, with the ability to shut down plays as well as make them. He'll likely be at or near the top of the lineup, and there he should be, as here we see a legitimate competitor for Louth. Finnegan MacBurn (@DizzyWithLogic)--MacBurn is one of the newest Hounds, having made his way in the league after being stolen 62nd overall in the dispersal draft by Ottawa last season. I gave up two draft picks, one being a first-rounder, to get him, and I couldn't be happier with the choice--right away, he's fit into the lineup very well, and presents a legitimate two-way threat with defense and passing both at 80. He'll be a wonderful linemate for Grim, being a pure passer, and with their combined defensive abilities, Team USA's penalty kill figures to be dominant. Jaxon Walker (@hewasajazzman)--Walker joined the Hounds last season (you know, the season we sucked), as a fifth-round draft choice, and I ended up shipping him off later in the season at the deadline for a second-round pick. While, with the Hounds, Walker's numbers weren't great--with Mississauga and Minnesota combined, he only put up 30 points--he's since developed into a defensive coach's dream, with some of the best defensive attributes of any VHLM forward. With defense and puck handling at 75, skating at 70, and strength at 65, he'll be near-impossible to knock off the puck, and his offensive attributes aren't too shabby either--he's over a point per game this season with the Storm. Team Europe (GM: @Elmebeck) Balentine Kidd (@TukTukTheGreat)--I'll never figure out how Kidd, an almost-capped, active center, fell to the end of the first round, but I'll take him. He's already broken the point-per-game mark for the rest of the season, even if he mysteriously disappears in the back alleys of Halifax one night and doesn't play another game. While helped out by Jerry Wang (see below), there's no doubt in my mind that Kidd would be a premier player anywhere, WJC included--his strengths include 75s for scoring and defense, making him a force to be reckoned with in either zone. Team Asia (GM: @Greg_Di) Jerry Wang (@ColeMrtz)--Wang has been the unfortunate one to trail Kidd in points by just a few all season long, and for this he gets far less credit than he deserves. He's also exceeded point-per-game status for the season already, and his capped build is nothing to shake a stick at--his 80s for scoring and skating have propelled him to almost goal-per-game status so far, and if he can score game-winners like he does with the Hounds (9 of them so far), Asia will be propelled to an upset or two. Keven Foreskin (@Esso2264)--Now, Foreskin never played a game for the Hounds, as I yeeted traded him for a couple draft picks before last season started. He was our second-round choice, though, and part of the team, if only for a bit. Foreskin is one of the tournament's top defensemen, and you can't get much better--at 337 TPE, he's just under the cap, and his 85 defense and 80 passing and puck handling are there as hard evidence of Esso's good build work. So, even if Asia is forced to play defensively (and, with their strong team, they shouldn't be), they'll be very strong in that regard as well. Jacob Perry (@Liberty_Cabbage)--Perry was an early waiver signing last season and managed to stay with the team the whole way, even surviving the mass exodus of almost every active player on the team. With 32 points and a -41 in his first season, Perry wasn't much to look at on the offensive side of the puck, but managed to take the Hounds' single-season hits record and is working on a strong season in Philadelphia. He recently capped, too, and a defense rating of 80 will make him a tough matchup and a deadly combination with Foreskin, Palazzo, and company on the penalty kill. Lukas Schweitzer (@GlowyGoat)--Though Schweitzer, recently retired, never got anywhere earning-wise or points-wise, I can't say enough about @GlowyGoat as a wonderful, crazy-loyal person and a great locker room guy. Schweitzer was my goalie until just recently, but due to retirement I cut him for the sake of roster space. Though he's only at 60-some TPE, he's got a solid base build, and can always step in to clean up if starter Clayton Park isn't doing well. Team World (GM: @Motzaburger) Khalabib Stiopic (@SweetMike666)--Stiopic is a bit of an infamous name in Mississauga. After I drafted him with the last pick in the 7th round in S66, he earned 2 TPE and then went inactive until the trade deadline, when I threw him in as a "meaningless" addition to a trade for a higher-TPE defenseman. Since then, he's taken off, and currently sits at 200 TPA in Houston, under the member who initially recruited him in Frostbeard. While his stat line isn't the most impressive, his build is formidable, and with 80 defense and 77 scoring, he'll help World greatly on both ends of the ice. Block Buster (@Banana2311)--Buster was yet another waiver signing made last season, and did surprisingly well considering the circumstances--Buster's save percentage with the Hounds is only 5 points back of rising VHL star Rayz Funk, and the Hounds were much worse as a team in S67 than in S66. While Buster is the second netminder on World's roster, this placement is only on paper, as #1 goalie Virgil Ligriv sits at 200 TPA, a mark which Buster should match in good time. There's certainly a case to be made for giving Buster some starts, too--all of the Yukon goalie's primary attributes are over 70, and with upgrades to skating and agility, there's nothing stopping Buster from blocking quite a few.

For the week ending 10/13: 1. Today alone, the Hounds made FOUR waiver signings, including our very own league commissioner @Beketov as our second center. Does this put us up in the league's top tier? Why or why not? 2. Which of our new signings will have the largest impact: Lahtinen, Kachur, Aleksandrov, or Olsen? Why? 3. If you've been here a while, explain the Hounds experience in 10 words or less. If you haven't, what would you like to know about the Hounds experience? 4. Mikko Lahtinen needs a place to stay while he's looking for an apartment in Mississauga. Whose house should he stay at, and whose do you recommend he doesn't? 5. Will your stat line be better or worse for the rest of the season? Why? If you're new, predict your stat line for the rest of the season. 6. What's your favorite NHL team and how do you think they'll do this season? @ColeMrtz21 @Cxsquared @Patrik Tallinder @GlowyGoat @Tigris @Krice13 @TukTukTheGreat @Radcow @Ckbruinfan @DizzyWithLogic @Beketov @aleks @Reverb

@Tagger I wish I could make an offer for you, for THE Tagger, but unfortunately I don't need another defenseman. So good luck, and I look forward to seeing what the latest Edwin can do!

@GlowyGoat I swear if you sign with the Hounds heads will roll. (Consider this an offer btw)

@aleks boi Quote and say "boi" to accept

Hi Gustav!

Hi @ShawnGlade and good to see you recreate! You know the "welcome to the league, quote and accept" business already so I'll get to the facts: -If you sign with the Hounds, you'll be on the second pairing with maximum ice time and placement on the power play and penalty kill. -We're a team competing for playoff success and hope to make a splash with some waiver signings, and I've got my eye on defense as a need of ours. You'd be the signing we need to round out our lines. I'd love to sign you, but if you choose to sign elsewhere, good luck regardless. -Gustav

Hi there @Reverb (or @Kachur, or whatever you'd like), and welcome (back) to the league! I'm GustavMattias, GM of the VHLM's Mississauga Hounds, and I'm here to offer you a spot on our roster. The Hounds are, at the moment, looking for playoff success, and I hope we'll be able to have you along for the ride as we'd love some forward depth and you, as a returning former active who knows what's up, seem to be quite the chance for us to capitalize on the opportunities available to us. If you join the Hounds, you'll likely be on our second line, with time on the power play and penalty kill. If this sounds good to you, feel free to quote and accept my offer. No matter who you choose to sign with, good luck! -Gustav

Hello @Beketov! Great to see you've made a player at the position we need more than anything else. I obviously can't go through all the "welcome to the league" stuff with you, so on to the facts, I suppose: -Should you sign with the Hounds, you would be our sixth active forward, and you happen to play the one position that we desperately need (we've been waiting all season for a new, active centre, and though we've signed a couple, neither has given us activity). So, you've got the chance to play a major role on a team which is aiming for success and has some of the tools necessary to achieve it. Our roster is more than it appears, too--we've got a few players who I've promised roster spots when they create today, so we'll be a good deal more reinforced than we are at the moment. -With this, I can promise you all the ice time you could ask for, with time on both the power play and penalty kill. -If the status of our locker room is any sort of a selling point for you, ours is one of the best in the league. Feel free to ping Bana or d_a to confirm this if you'd like (or even give me a ping if you'd like an invite). Should you sign with the Hounds, I promise to do all I possibly can to help you run up the goals and maybe even get you a cup before your first official VHLM season even starts! So, no matter who you choose to sign with, I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to seeing what your player can do. -Gustav

@Patrik Tallinder with the hat trick!

So clean it's nasty. I'm jealous.

Thanks for being a Hound for a season @GlowyGoat! Looking forward to seeing what you can do as a recreate.

Claiming week 2 of 3

"Have you ever done drugs?" "No." "Why not?"

"I'm somewhat triangular maybe." "Hm..." Scribbles furiously

The madlad actually did it. #OverthrowGustav is now public. I blame Halifax.

If you read the full play by play of a game (like I did a couple times when I was new), there are a TON of giveaways and takeaways. You're doing it right, for sure. Also stop writing better articles than mine dammit

Rips bong "Dude, so, like, what does your spirit bring to the collective being of the people in our city?" "Well, uh..." "Don't think so hard, man."

Quik is a fake Bek

Quite impressive to think that Cast will be Victor's 5th player in a row to reach the HoF.

Imagine how nonexistent @Quik's life must have been a while back that he would have thought to himself, "Hey, I remember that fake hockey forum that I spent all my time making fake pictures for fake people on seven years ago." And then, imagine how much more nonexistent it must have been for him to think, "Yeah, you know what, I want to do that again." And then, imagine the level of not having a life he must have been at to become one of the guys in charge of everything. I thought I had no life, but you don't see me whipping out my iPod Touch to play Angry Birds.