Gustav

Saskatoon Wild Scouting Center, Saskatchewan – Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Shane Mars. Kari Jurri.
 
Long ago, the four nations lived toge – uh, wrong intro. My bad.
 
These three prospects are ostensibly the most talented and highly-sought after players in a draft that is nearly (if not already) 90 players deep.  As expected, they (among maybe a half-dozen other prospects) have received plenty of airtime and speculation: we’re used to hearing the pro comparisons and possible career trajectories, fans clamoring for lower-ranked teams to ‘tank’ their season to get the next most valuable prospect, and so on.
 
To put this in perspective – the last several dispersal drafts have had between forty and seventy draftees; aside from last season’s dispersal (67 players) the next most comparable was a 51-man dispersal ten seasons ago, in Season 56’s draft. When compared with Entry drafts, it’s still potentially the largest field of selectable players in recent history.
 
The lowest TPE pick from S65’s entry draft was Billy Kimber, the thirty-first (although not the last) overall pick of the draft, who had 32 TPE with the season’s live draft rankings; there are 87 players this season with at least that many points waiting for their chance at the pros. Overall, the Season 65 draft had 38 drafted players – this season’s pool would have half of its players go entirely undrafted if the same were to happen this season.
 
Make no mistake – recruiters have been putting in their work and it’s been paying off. But because this season’s draft pool is so apparently deep, players with the potential to make it as World Juniors, World Cup players, or first-round fantasy picks may go without being mentioned until draft time.
 
“We’ve got enough first-round quality wings alone to make up most Entry drafts by themselves,” one anonymous scout commented at a Week 2 VHLM game, “Mars and Jurri are the obvious, but Aaltonen, Volosenkov, Freeman, Sigurdsson, Jagr, Meyers…”
 
“That would have been your average first round in most previous entry drafts. This year? Those are just the top eight prospects between two positions.”
 
General Managers and AGMs make it their job to look into each year’s eligible player list – so let’s take the dive for ourselves and try to find a few hidden gems, why don't we?
 
Inclusion Criteria
(1) S66 Draft Class; currently included in @Tagger‘s most recent Scouting Center rankings.
(2) As of the Week 2 VHLSC rankings, currently ranked below rank 20 (based strictly on TPE, likely to be drafted in Round 3 or later of the current draft)
(3) Early bird gets the worm – draftees with large TPE claims this week will be more highly considered. Last three weeks’ TPE gain will be the main inclusion criterion.
(NOTE – some of these TPEs may be reported several hours before article posting, and may not match current TPEs)
 

 
D Jerry Garcia – Houston Bulls
Current Projection – Mid-Late 3rd Round (23/88)
TPE – 144 (+56 after 3/3)
Garcia is a hybrid of the old-school defensive defenseman with a new-school prototypical skillset. He’s one of the more skilled defenders on a VHLM roster, with the ability to make it to loose pucks and stop many forwards in their tracks. In recent weeks, he’s been hitting the gym and working on his playmaking skills, but he’s still certainly most effective on his team’s half of the ice. The defenseman’s agent (@GustavMattias) has experience in a number of arenas – the most recent being a stint as Team Asia’s World Juniors GM. He’s been cited as an “incredible force for good” in the locker room by his own GM, and one of the prominent voices interfacing with the media for his minor league squad.
 
Perhaps most importantly, Garcia has been putting in plenty of work on the ice and in the gym; many scouts have noted diversification in the defender’s skills in the last couple of weeks alone. His plethora of proficiencies leave him most likely to continue along the defensive defenseman or enforcer route – but we’d be remiss to count out the possibility of development into a two-way defenseman. Regardless, Garcia’s rapid and recent improvement is a sign that GMs in the majors ought to take note of – he’d be a steal in the fourth round and wouldn’t be out of the question for the early third.
 
Scout’s Notes
“He’s well-rounded and is a threat on both sides of the ice because of his passing ability. Something of a black hole for errant passes and chasing the puck down after a big hit.”
“[Jerry] has a penchant for making big hits and blocking big shots. He’s probably your goalie’s best friend.”
“He played guitar for the Grateful Dead and has an ice cream flavor named after him, I mean come on.”
“If I’m a team in need of multiple positions, I’m looking to steal Garcia in the late third, or pick him for value as early as the second.”
 

ABOVE - Hans Gruber, seen here definitely not scheming.
 
C Hans Gruber – Saskatoon Wild
Current Projection – Late 3rd, early 4th round (29/88)
TPE – 125 (+46 after 3/3)
This promising young forward from Germany was traded from Philadelphia in exchange for picks just last Saturday (3/16) with teammates DWin Championship, Cody Parkey, and Brian Strong. Wild GM @Peace made the massive exchange of picks – including what may be over half of the team’s S67 dispersal selections – for a chance to win now.
 
Some suggest Gruber’s something of a grinder or playmaker – and this early in his career, he could probably opt to go either way. It’s hard to pick out one specific strength for the winger, who has shown glimpses of excellence in defense and puck handling in addition to the positional mainstays of passing and scoring. In 34 games in the minors, he’s accumulated 6 goals in 68 shots, and a total of 24 points. He’s presently second on the depth chart – which means he’s quite likely to run into other more-developed forwards and defensemen whenever he’s on the ice. Though his performance does not yet top the league, the Wild GM can rest easy: the young German scored an overtime-winning goal just earlier today in one of his first games with the team.
 
Scout’s Notes
“Sure, I see why he could be easy to sleep on. Plus-minus isn’t too flashy – but take a look at his last couple of games and tell me he can’t at least hold his own with the best.”
“That screamer to clinch today’s game against the Reapers should at least catch your eye.”
“Didn’t this guy steal like $640,000,000 or something?”
 

ABOVE - Clayton Park playing goalie for the Vienna Thunder, Midget AAA team (per biography)
 
G Clayton Park – Yukon Rush
Accolades – 1x WJC Team World (S65)
Current Projection – Early 4th round (32/88)
TPE – 119 (+68 after 3/3)
Buried underneath the (well-deserved) hype for Kandee Cain (@SlashACM) and Owen May (@FacebookFighter) is Austrian netminder Clayton Park, a top-four prospect for this season’s draft. Taken 49th overall (7th round) in the S65 Dispersal Draft, Clayton has stepped up his game considerably and may merit consideration for a pick as high as the early third round depending on how the rest of this season plays out.
 
He sits only behind the newly-reinforced Juan Jaundice in shots against but has managed an 86.6% save percentage in spite of the volume of shots against him, good for third in the minors behind the aforementioned Cain (89.2%) and S65 New York draftee Chase (90.0%). He’s currently in the bottom half of the table for goals allowed (3.39) – but many scouts believe that’s simply a function of the number of shots he’s had to defend this season. Park takes on the style of a classic butterfly goalie; though slightly undersized at 5’ 10” and just 150 lbs. (68 kg), Park has shown solid reaction time, positioning, and rebound control.
 
And don’t worry, even when he’s not playing hockey he finds a way to keep in the cold: he has a long history of downhill skiing in his free time.
 
Scout’s Notes
“Second-best butterfly goalie behind Cain… probably won’t see a ton of ice time in the pros next season but has potential through the roof.”
“Excellent support system, a lengthy history on the ice; if he sticks around he could be pretty good.”
“Clayton Park, eh? You talkin’ ‘boot the one in Halifax?
 

 
RW Mat Tocco – Philadelphia Reapers
Current Projection – Early 6th Round (43/88)
TPE – 98 (+68 since 3/3)
We’re fourteen games (sort of) into the young career of Czech/Italian forward Mat Tocco, and in spite of limited ice time (19.7 mpg, 67th in the minors) he’s racked up a nice plus-minus of +9 with 9 points – not too shabby for a brand-new entry. He has elements of the prototypical sniper-style forward, but with a nice added bonus of being able to skate around slower defenders. As with many of the prospects on the board thus far, Tocco is very moldable – but his strengths right now are mobility and scoring.
 
Though he’s recently had to move to the States, Tocco comes from humble origins. Born of an Italian immigrant and a butcher’s daughter, he’s proven throughout his life that hard work is just part of the process for him; his rapid improvement on the ice over the last few weeks certainly corroborates that. He faces an uphill battle, with nearly twenty wingers above him on most draft boards. If his past is any indicator, however, he’s ready for the test.
 
Scout’s Notes
 “Pretty raw, but the scoring potential is there. We can always use another high-quality sniper in the league; the sky’s the limit for him.”
“Built like a brick sh*thouse for a guy his height. Not surprising to see the number of hits he’s laid out so far.”
“Glad to see all of his hard work pay off. Seems like he’s in for the long haul.”
“I’d like to see a GM reach a little for him. Might not be out of the question to see him late third, early fourth round by the time all’s said and done. Guys that improve as fast as him go on to either have damn good careers or flame out.”
 
Other unlinked references in this article: @Sonnet, @TheFlash, @leafssteen, @Matmenzinger
 
[if possible, I'd like to use this for three weeks' worth of media spots (weeks ending 3/24, 3/31, and 4/7); currently sitting just under 1,700 words.]

A point about this:
This year, I, as GM of Team Asia, am being allowed to replace my inactive players with other players who have not been selected by other teams. First of all, I'd like to thank @BladeMaiden for what I consider an outstanding move. These players, who are active members of the VHL community, will appreciate their placement on a WJC roster (even if Team Asia, this season, seems to have been everyone's favorite laughingstock) quite a bit more than someone who created their player, logged off the site for good a week later, and hasn't been back since. Not only is this the case, but this system allows Team Asia (and, should it continue to be implemented, teams of the future with a highly inactive draft pool) to make up for some of the arguably unfair advantage given other teams, who are able to select an entire team of active, and, relative to the rest of the WJC, top-tier players, making them easy favorites. 
Obviously, the system of having players from certain countries be drafted by their countries should not be abolished--then we'd have the meaning of "World" taken right out of "World Junior Championships." Imagine playing for "Team GustavMattias," when most people on this site probably don't even know who I am. Nah, man, give me Team Asia any day. And I'm not necessarily advocating for change, either, since what I'm talking about is currently in place. All I'd like to see is a system wherein any team with one or more "inactive" players (I'll leave the definition of "inactive" up to the people running the tournament) is free to replace those players with active members who have not been chosen by any World Junior team, after, of course, Team World has selected their own roster. If there is more than one team with an inactive player, then maybe there could be a sort of draft at that point, with both teams that need players alternating picks from the leftover pool.
To add to this, I'd like to point out that this eliminates the need for "dual citizenship," as players being named to a roster are named to fill holes in the roster--for one, nobody has to change their nationality to make a junior team, and for another point, this makes the selection process less political. I actually asked a teammate of mine if he would like to change his nationality for my team (spoiler alert: he didn't) and this didn't really feel right. For those who know the GM on a close and personal level, this may work out every once in a while (which, I might argue, gives a few pro GMs an advantage as they've been around much longer than us new guys), but for those who don't, this option may not be as available as it seems.
As to @FacebookFighter's point of not knowing where the GM application thread is, I can say I wholeheartedly agree with this. I found the thread, but consider myself very lucky to have done so. I can absolutely see how other members might not have found it. In the future, I'd like to ask that all members be tagged--yes, I know this makes some people mad at being notified, but I feel that the people who would appreciate this are far greater in number than the people who would be against it. 
Nice article, and many good points. 

Review: I loved how you wrote this to feel like a newspaper article! I feel it was a creative way to review the game and you nailed it! This game featured a good match up and ether team could have won it IMO. My favorite part of the article is
 
"When asked how the Bulls plan to use their strong following and momentum in the games to come, Garcia proclaimed, "Let's get that cup!"
 
Based on Houston's strong play thus far, this doesn't look like a far-off dream." 
 
That was a great way to end the article. Loved it, well done!

A point about this:
This year, I, as GM of Team Asia, am being allowed to replace my inactive players with other players who have not been selected by other teams. First of all, I'd like to thank @BladeMaiden for what I consider an outstanding move. These players, who are active members of the VHL community, will appreciate their placement on a WJC roster (even if Team Asia, this season, seems to have been everyone's favorite laughingstock) quite a bit more than someone who created their player, logged off the site for good a week later, and hasn't been back since. Not only is this the case, but this system allows Team Asia (and, should it continue to be implemented, teams of the future with a highly inactive draft pool) to make up for some of the arguably unfair advantage given other teams, who are able to select an entire team of active, and, relative to the rest of the WJC, top-tier players, making them easy favorites. 
Obviously, the system of having players from certain countries be drafted by their countries should not be abolished--then we'd have the meaning of "World" taken right out of "World Junior Championships." Imagine playing for "Team GustavMattias," when most people on this site probably don't even know who I am. Nah, man, give me Team Asia any day. And I'm not necessarily advocating for change, either, since what I'm talking about is currently in place. All I'd like to see is a system wherein any team with one or more "inactive" players (I'll leave the definition of "inactive" up to the people running the tournament) is free to replace those players with active members who have not been chosen by any World Junior team, after, of course, Team World has selected their own roster. If there is more than one team with an inactive player, then maybe there could be a sort of draft at that point, with both teams that need players alternating picks from the leftover pool.
To add to this, I'd like to point out that this eliminates the need for "dual citizenship," as players being named to a roster are named to fill holes in the roster--for one, nobody has to change their nationality to make a junior team, and for another point, this makes the selection process less political. I actually asked a teammate of mine if he would like to change his nationality for my team (spoiler alert: he didn't) and this didn't really feel right. For those who know the GM on a close and personal level, this may work out every once in a while (which, I might argue, gives a few pro GMs an advantage as they've been around much longer than us new guys), but for those who don't, this option may not be as available as it seems.
As to @FacebookFighter's point of not knowing where the GM application thread is, I can say I wholeheartedly agree with this. I found the thread, but consider myself very lucky to have done so. I can absolutely see how other members might not have found it. In the future, I'd like to ask that all members be tagged--yes, I know this makes some people mad at being notified, but I feel that the people who would appreciate this are far greater in number than the people who would be against it. 
Nice article, and many good points. 

Potential WJC Season 65 Team USA
 
Line 1:
Left Wing: Kyson Blake Center: Gritty Right Wing: Matthew Materazo
Now, this is a really great first line you have Kyson Blake who is a pure sniper who is also a great all-around skater.
Gritty is a wonderfully powerful puck handler who can handle the puck gracefully and get deep into the zone, He can also shoot well enough to hold his own.
Matthew Materazo is the playmaker who lets this line shine with his unselfish play and ability to let his line-mates do what they do best.
 
Line 2:
Left Wing: Jose Gonzalez Center: Hunter Hearst Helmsley Right Wing: Katie Warren
Jose is a great addition to the second line. He is a player who is a good mixture of a player who has a good shot as well as the ability to pass very well.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley is a great center who is currently still in the VHLM and is already able to score at will and keep his opponent one edge with his ability to outskate and puck handle any defense. 
Katie Warren rounds out this line with the unselfish play-making ability that lets the line-mates do great things and balance each other out.
 
Line 3:
Left Wing: Shane Mars Center: Orion Slade Right Wing: Josh Harris
Shane Mars is another VHLMer who is currently tearing it up right now in the VHLM and can do great work on the WCJ team. With his scoring and general skating ability, it will be a pleasure to see him on the team.
Orion Slade is a center who is a great all-around offensive player. He can shoot, pass, skate and handle the puck with ease. Look for him to make good use of the third line.
Josh Harris is a great sniper who will help this line-mates by always being in the right place to get a good shoot off so that his line can capitalize on any situation given to him. 
Line 4:
Left Wing: Matteo Center: Teagan Glover Right Wing: Rocky LaGarza
Matteo is perfect for a fourth line that can be physical and push the other team around. I would not be surprised if he starts a few games just to check and fight the other team and get them off their game.
Teagan Glover is an absolute legend in Halifax right now doing work and getting his team-mates opportunities to great things. Teagan is a well-rounded player who deserves a spot on this team and will only get better as time goes on.
Rocky LaGarza is a strong offensive player who will balance out the rest of the line in his true offensive nature. Where Matteo might check someone out of the play Teagan will bring up the puck and Rocky will be where he needs to be to make a play.
 
Defensive Pair 1:
Left Defense: Dallas Jones Right Defense: Eric Parker
Dallas Jones is a strong defensive player who will be the cornerstone of this USA team. He plays the tough defensive game that makes the other team pay to get near the goalie. Don't sleep on Dallas on the power play either he has a wicked slapshot that can and will go in.
Whereas Dallas was the tough defender Eric Parker is the defender who is more all over the place in his ability and play style. Eric is a great position player who has great hockey IQ and that allows him to play whatever style the team needs at any given moment.
 
Defensive Pair 2:
Left Defense: Fylo Gibbles Right Defense: Charlie Paddywagon
Fylo Gibbles is a great defensive defenseman who will keep opposing forwards away from his goalie. He also has a nice shot if given the space. Fylo is a great skater one of the best on his teams.
Charlie Paddywagon is a strong defender who worries more about defense and stopping people than he does about getting points. He is a great skater but his defensive play is one of the best. Maybe one of the best on this team USA roster. 
Defensive Pair 3:
Left Defense: Jerry Garcia Right Defense: Rusty Shackleford
Jerry Garcia is a younger skater who is known for his breakout ability. He is great at making sure he makes the right pass or keep the puck himself until he and his team is out of danger and out of his own zone.
Rusty Shackleford is a wonderful foil to Jerry. Rusty will check someone out of the play so that Jerry can push the puck out of their zone. Given more time these two could be higher on the depth chart but for now, they could be great additions to the team.
Starting Goalie:
Joe Nixon
Joe Nixon may not be a starter in the VHL yet be he is learning under one of the best goalies in the league right now Tristan Iseult. With that kind of learning and his practicing he has been doing, I am excited to see what he can do with the starting role.
Backup Goalie:
Cole Mertz
Is a strong back up on his current team of HC Davos Dynamo and he will be a strong backup for team USA. 
 
Couple players who are on the outside looking in:
Justin Cole - G
Justin Cole is a great young goalie who even if not on this USA team this year will be a great goalie for years to come.
David Harrison - C
David Harrison us a great center who starts a play off right by getting the faceoffs when they count. He is developing into a good all-around offensive player who if he continues to grow could make a good addition to this team.
Julius Freeman - LW
Julius Freeman is a wonderful playmaker who is really new to the league and is on his first season but already near the top of players who can play in the WJC in season 65. If he grows and some people slack off you might see him steal a winger position maybe.
 
 
AK47 - RW
I'm actually not sure if AK47 is able to play since he is on the WJC Eligibility list but he is also retired. If he can play he would be the second line RW but if he is retired then he is retired.
 
1,055 words - Will use for 2 weeks - March 18th- 24th and March 25th-31st
 

Hey Everyone!!
 
It is that time of  of the season again! Time to take out all your countries gear and get ready to cheer for your team as the gun for the GOLD. This year to spice things up we are going with a theme of Beat the Pros. @Bushito and @ShawnGlade will be our resident VHL GM Pros who will be looking to shut down their competition! We offer a warm welcome to: @uphillmoss (who took the form of a saber tooth tiger and took the VHLM by storm),  @GustavMattias (a Fiery guy with a Huston Bulls affiliation. He also came highly recommended by His GM  @Sonnet. He will be taking on His GM's player's WJC team of Asia and I can Imagine that Pepper will be tuning in to see how Asia does.) and last but not least we have @TsarPeter (who seems determined to take this tournament by storm. It is Rumored that He took this job with hopes of running an expansion team one day).
 
So lets Get the ball rolling with some predictions who do you think will take it all this year? Will it be a Pro or one of our Hungry new GMs?

Oh hey I'm here too! I hope we don't play Asia so I don't have to root against my own player.

HOUSTON--As we all know, Texas is a very Republican state. 
 
...which makes it a perfect perennial landing spot for right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro, who visited Houston's Toyota Center Friday night for one of his often-controversial, trademark speeches. It was filled with all the usual: the LIBTARD FEMINIST being RIPPED TO SHREDS and the LEFTIST PROFESSOR LEFT SPEECHLESS by Shapiro's LOGIC and FACTS. Though political matters occupied much of the discussion here, Shapiro took some time to address a question on his opinion on the VHLM, which has, as of this season, moved into Houston through expansion and gained a particularly strong following in a remarkably short time. 
 
"Now you know what I like about hockey? All these white guys beating each other up. All this white-on-white violence really helps destroy the myth of white male privilege," said Shapiro, to thunderous cheers from his predominantly conservative audience. "And it's great that our two new teams are American. It's great that we're taking back hockey as the all-American sport that it is. I mean, who needs Canada for anything anyway? ...Justin Trudeau? More like Justin Tru-don't." 
 
And it didn't stop there. Shapiro proceeded to rip into the city of Halifax, and their first-place team, the 21st, who have been the source of ridicule from many a Houston supporter with numerous preseason (and in-season) stories and comments from multiple Houston players regarding potentially illicit practices on the part of the team. "When I think of Halifax," said Shapiro, "you know what I picture? Nobody's walking around with a gun. Illegal aliens everywhere. No bald eagles dropping American flags on liberals. Just socialists with taxpayer-funded healthcare and no economy. I went to Halifax last week and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was living there. That's right, Houston: she's Canadian and ready to take over." 
 
When asked what, in particular, he disliked about the city of Halifax, Shapiro had a ready answer. "You know what I don't trust about Halifax? It's so far east. It's way out in the Atlantic Ocean, way out close to Europe. And you know what you find in Europe? Libtards and socialism. Imagine the peso becoming the official currency for all of North America. Imagine the USA being responsible for all the Mexicans. We wouldn't have President Trump to build us the wall because we'd have so much liberal influence over our country's wonderful leadership. That's what the European Union is, just a bunch of liberals letting Greece go down the drain. Halifax is so close to Europe that you could stand in Ireland and scream across the ocean and they'd hear you in Halifax. That's why I don't trust that city. If you go to Ireland you'll find a flock of liberals on all the beaches screaming across the water. That's what they're doing. They're using their liberal influence on Canada through Halifax. That's why I'm not a fan of the 21st. When I went to Halifax last week, I could just hear screaming libtards in the air and it took all my all-American patriotism to fight it off. But here I am, Houston, destroying those libtards, and here I will stay." 
 
Shapiro stood there in the Toyota Center for the next four and a half hours, destroying libtards whether the questions he received asked for it or not. 
 
 
*Possibly an obligatory disclaimer: the above does not reflect any political opinion of mine in any way, nor is it intended to promote any sort of political belief or ideology. I could be far-right, far-left, or anywhere in between, and what's important at the end of the day is that the VHL is a place where anyone who loves their hockey can come together and talk about it and have themselves a bit of fun, regardless of political belief or background. Please do not take this as any sort of endorsement for either side. 

Oh hey I'm here too! I hope we don't play Asia so I don't have to root against my own player.

Oh hey I'm here too! I hope we don't play Asia so I don't have to root against my own player.

I made the team!

I confirm the allegations.  I need help

HOUSTON--As we all know, Texas is a very Republican state. 
 
...which makes it a perfect perennial landing spot for right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro, who visited Houston's Toyota Center Friday night for one of his often-controversial, trademark speeches. It was filled with all the usual: the LIBTARD FEMINIST being RIPPED TO SHREDS and the LEFTIST PROFESSOR LEFT SPEECHLESS by Shapiro's LOGIC and FACTS. Though political matters occupied much of the discussion here, Shapiro took some time to address a question on his opinion on the VHLM, which has, as of this season, moved into Houston through expansion and gained a particularly strong following in a remarkably short time. 
 
"Now you know what I like about hockey? All these white guys beating each other up. All this white-on-white violence really helps destroy the myth of white male privilege," said Shapiro, to thunderous cheers from his predominantly conservative audience. "And it's great that our two new teams are American. It's great that we're taking back hockey as the all-American sport that it is. I mean, who needs Canada for anything anyway? ...Justin Trudeau? More like Justin Tru-don't." 
 
And it didn't stop there. Shapiro proceeded to rip into the city of Halifax, and their first-place team, the 21st, who have been the source of ridicule from many a Houston supporter with numerous preseason (and in-season) stories and comments from multiple Houston players regarding potentially illicit practices on the part of the team. "When I think of Halifax," said Shapiro, "you know what I picture? Nobody's walking around with a gun. Illegal aliens everywhere. No bald eagles dropping American flags on liberals. Just socialists with taxpayer-funded healthcare and no economy. I went to Halifax last week and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was living there. That's right, Houston: she's Canadian and ready to take over." 
 
When asked what, in particular, he disliked about the city of Halifax, Shapiro had a ready answer. "You know what I don't trust about Halifax? It's so far east. It's way out in the Atlantic Ocean, way out close to Europe. And you know what you find in Europe? Libtards and socialism. Imagine the peso becoming the official currency for all of North America. Imagine the USA being responsible for all the Mexicans. We wouldn't have President Trump to build us the wall because we'd have so much liberal influence over our country's wonderful leadership. That's what the European Union is, just a bunch of liberals letting Greece go down the drain. Halifax is so close to Europe that you could stand in Ireland and scream across the ocean and they'd hear you in Halifax. That's why I don't trust that city. If you go to Ireland you'll find a flock of liberals on all the beaches screaming across the water. That's what they're doing. They're using their liberal influence on Canada through Halifax. That's why I'm not a fan of the 21st. When I went to Halifax last week, I could just hear screaming libtards in the air and it took all my all-American patriotism to fight it off. But here I am, Houston, destroying those libtards, and here I will stay." 
 
Shapiro stood there in the Toyota Center for the next four and a half hours, destroying libtards whether the questions he received asked for it or not. 
 
 
*Possibly an obligatory disclaimer: the above does not reflect any political opinion of mine in any way, nor is it intended to promote any sort of political belief or ideology. I could be far-right, far-left, or anywhere in between, and what's important at the end of the day is that the VHL is a place where anyone who loves their hockey can come together and talk about it and have themselves a bit of fun, regardless of political belief or background. Please do not take this as any sort of endorsement for either side. 

https://vhlforum.com/topic/59714-halifax-players-burn-houston-defenseman-beau-buefordsson-in-effigy-during-pregame-warmups/

"Anyway, here's Wonderwall," said Halifax GM Anthony Rogers, pulling an acoustic guitar out from under his desk. 
 
The press let him get halfway through the first verse before politely informing him that the press conference was, in fact, not over, and that it would be nice, so very nice, if he could give the time to answer a few more questions about his team, the Halifax 21st, currently (and suspiciously) atop the VHLM standings behind some admittedly (though, again, suspiciously) stellar play from a few star players and the team as a whole. The conference got under way again, and ran smoothly until Rogers was asked for his opinion on the VHLM's two expansion franchises: the Houston Bulls and Philadelphia Reapers. At the mention of these names, Rogers showed no reaction whatsoever and asked the reporter to repeat himself. When he did, Rogers' response was a simple "I don't know what you're talking about." 
 
The 21st's response, or rather lack thereof, to negative anecdotes from Houston's players could certainly be explained by the situation at hand, as Rogers seemed to have no idea that the Bulls (or the Reapers) even existed in the first place, even after having played both. 
 
"So that's where Kozlov went," said Rogers, looking over Houston's roster and noticing Viktor Kozlov, a physical forward previously owned by the 21st and the lone player to be selected in this season's VHLM Expansion Draft. "Garcia, too. When the last round in this draft came up we looked for him, but he just wasn't there. I thought he just quit or something." 
 
Various Halifax players could not be reached for further comments or reactions.
 
(@McWolf I did it)

"Anyway, here's Wonderwall," said Halifax GM Anthony Rogers, pulling an acoustic guitar out from under his desk. 
 
The press let him get halfway through the first verse before politely informing him that the press conference was, in fact, not over, and that it would be nice, so very nice, if he could give the time to answer a few more questions about his team, the Halifax 21st, currently (and suspiciously) atop the VHLM standings behind some admittedly (though, again, suspiciously) stellar play from a few star players and the team as a whole. The conference got under way again, and ran smoothly until Rogers was asked for his opinion on the VHLM's two expansion franchises: the Houston Bulls and Philadelphia Reapers. At the mention of these names, Rogers showed no reaction whatsoever and asked the reporter to repeat himself. When he did, Rogers' response was a simple "I don't know what you're talking about." 
 
The 21st's response, or rather lack thereof, to negative anecdotes from Houston's players could certainly be explained by the situation at hand, as Rogers seemed to have no idea that the Bulls (or the Reapers) even existed in the first place, even after having played both. 
 
"So that's where Kozlov went," said Rogers, looking over Houston's roster and noticing Viktor Kozlov, a physical forward previously owned by the 21st and the lone player to be selected in this season's VHLM Expansion Draft. "Garcia, too. When the last round in this draft came up we looked for him, but he just wasn't there. I thought he just quit or something." 
 
Various Halifax players could not be reached for further comments or reactions.
 
(@McWolf I did it)

I like homies.
 
I actually really like some of these new guys who are applying. Good to see and good for everyone/thing. 

Prior to the recent first meeting between Houston and Halifax, many fans of both teams found themselves patiently expecting a hard fought, tough contest, and that’s exactly what they received. The Bulls eventually triumphed over the 21st 4-3, with Bulls defenseman Jerry Garcia notching his second goal of the season seven minutes into the third period to win the game. Bulls forward Callum MacElroy, appeared on the scoresheet as well, as the primary assist of that game winning goal. The RW and alternate captain has been somewhat vocal about his disdain for Halifax as both a city and a team, and was quoted prior to the game as saying “Aam gonnae it thaur tae kick their asses.” Following the game, he was reported to be “Huir uv a excited.” While reporters have as of yet been unable to discern exactly what that means, it’s almost certainly a good thing. There’s quite some time until Halifax and Houston meet again, but MacElroy’s excitement doesn’t seem to have waned, and watching the rivalry unfold will be an entertaining narrative throughout the VHLM season.

Halifax paid millions of dollars to get this picture deleted from the internet. Share this as much as possible!!!!
https://vhlforum.com/topic/59042-houston-defenseman-beau-buefordsson-reportedly-detained-at-halifax-airport-for-looking-too-nordic-per-authorities/

Three Houston players in the top 10, including #1 and #2! Founders Cup here we come.

@McWolf confirm

The Houston Bulls and Halifax 21st finally met on Saturday, after a good deal of hype as many Houston players came forward to document their unpleasant experiences with not only the 21st but the city of Halifax in general. Any viewer of this game would have expected a hard, physical, competitive matchup, with both sides doing all they could to put the other in their place. 
 
But all expectations fell short of what ultimately happened during the pregame warmup in Halifax that night.
 
Five minutes in, the lights in the arena shut off, and thick clouds of incense descended from the Halifax general managers' private box. Somebody down on the ice struck a match, and a scarecrow wearing Beau Buefordsson's #42 Houston Jersey was burned at the stake while Halifax players skated around it. By some Houston players' accounts, they were singing the Halo theme song. "I know the Halo theme song has gotten to be a bit of a joke lately on the Internet," said Buefordsson, who had to be disguised to get through security at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, "But it was scary. I took it as a bit of a threat; I didn't know whether this was normal Halifax behavior or if they were trying to send some sort of message or what." 
 
For the record, it didn't work--Halifax lost 4-3 on a third-period goal by Buefordsson's linemate, defenseman Jerry Garcia, who Halifax famously considered in the draft but let slip into the 5th round, where he was ultimately picked up by Houston.

Halifax players, coaches, and management collectively avoided the topic during postgame interviews.

Philly more like stupid town

You know it.
 
...Good game though

See just about anything written by any Houston player