FacebookFighter

Gloria Borger
VHL.com ~ Houston, TX
 
The VHL's season 66 draft is in sight for players and teams alike. For teams, its a chance to bolster their roster and build for future championships. For players, it's a lifelong dream finally achieved. I sat down with Owen May as he discussed his future in the VHL and what he expects moving forward. To many the VHL draft is everything. Nothing can compare to hearing your name called. However, May has little interest in the event.
 
"Right now, my sole focus is the Bulls. We're in a playoff race. They're some things that are bigger than my personal desires. Yeah I want to be drafted, I'm really excited to take my next steps but I have a duty to the team I'm currently on. "
 
That appears to be the mood within the Bulls locker room this season. No one wants to leave at the end of the day. Even the Scottish drunkard, and American pothead have been integral parts of the locker room chemistry. The team is upset when they lose and ecstatic when they win, most locker rooms are, but what sets these men apart is their dedication to the team. Very few type A personalities in the locker room makes it a enjoyable environment for a reporter. I asked May where he wants to go when his name is called this draft.
 
"My preference is Helsinki to play with my GM but if I could be on a team with any of the guys in the locker room, I'd be content."

Gloria Borger
VHL.com ~ Houston, TX
 
The VHL's season 66 draft is in sight for players and teams alike. For teams, its a chance to bolster their roster and build for future championships. For players, it's a lifelong dream finally achieved. I sat down with Owen May as he discussed his future in the VHL and what he expects moving forward. To many the VHL draft is everything. Nothing can compare to hearing your name called. However, May has little interest in the event.
 
"Right now, my sole focus is the Bulls. We're in a playoff race. They're some things that are bigger than my personal desires. Yeah I want to be drafted, I'm really excited to take my next steps but I have a duty to the team I'm currently on. "
 
That appears to be the mood within the Bulls locker room this season. No one wants to leave at the end of the day. Even the Scottish drunkard, and American pothead have been integral parts of the locker room chemistry. The team is upset when they lose and ecstatic when they win, most locker rooms are, but what sets these men apart is their dedication to the team. Very few type A personalities in the locker room makes it a enjoyable environment for a reporter. I asked May where he wants to go when his name is called this draft.
 
"My preference is Helsinki to play with my GM but if I could be on a team with any of the guys in the locker room, I'd be content."

Gloria Borger
VHL.com ~ Houston, TX
 
The VHL's season 66 draft is in sight for players and teams alike. For teams, its a chance to bolster their roster and build for future championships. For players, it's a lifelong dream finally achieved. I sat down with Owen May as he discussed his future in the VHL and what he expects moving forward. To many the VHL draft is everything. Nothing can compare to hearing your name called. However, May has little interest in the event.
 
"Right now, my sole focus is the Bulls. We're in a playoff race. They're some things that are bigger than my personal desires. Yeah I want to be drafted, I'm really excited to take my next steps but I have a duty to the team I'm currently on. "
 
That appears to be the mood within the Bulls locker room this season. No one wants to leave at the end of the day. Even the Scottish drunkard, and American pothead have been integral parts of the locker room chemistry. The team is upset when they lose and ecstatic when they win, most locker rooms are, but what sets these men apart is their dedication to the team. Very few type A personalities in the locker room makes it a enjoyable environment for a reporter. I asked May where he wants to go when his name is called this draft.
 
"My preference is Helsinki to play with my GM but if I could be on a team with any of the guys in the locker room, I'd be content."

The Houston Bulls are the new face of the VHLM. A group of new and upcoming stars in each position have propelled Houston to third in the standings. To anyone not a member of the Bulls there a surprise story. Now as the season gets into its final stretch the Bulls have been given the recognition they deserve.
 
The S66 Draft is now a discussion topic for teams as they prepare their rosters for the next season. The 2nd place Riga Reign and 6th place HC Davos Dynamo dominate the first round. While, the Vancouver Wolves have the most picks in the second round. So where will the Bulls land?
 
The mock draft predictions are based off @gregreg's mock draft. Note that this draft is made under the assumption the newly gifted franchise the  Malmo Nighthawks will be drafting 10th overall
 
1st Round:
 
Maximiliam Kirbsson- Vancouver Wolves (3rd Overall)
The first Bulls off the board is Maximiliam Kirbsson to the Vancouver Wolves.  The young Swede has been the driving force behind the Bulls offense and has a team leading 88 points. Very clear cut pick. Nothing extraordinary or unexpected. He'll be an elite player for many seasons
 
Kari Jurri- HC Davos Dynamo (4th Overall)
The second Bull will be the following pick in Kari Jurri to HC Davos. While it is unfortunate the top two Bulls will be unable to play together, they may form a fierce rivalry once their time comes in the VHL. Expect Jurri and Kirbsson to blossom in the league
 
Owen May- Malmo Nighthawks (10th Overall)
To conclude the first round the Malmo Nighthawks are predicted to select Owen May. While the goaltender has shown promise, he is not the top goaltender in any statistical category or TPE, expect May to fall to the third round. Park will most likely be the first goaltender off the board. Perhaps May will form a goalie tandem with his now general manager Alexander Pepper at Helsinki.
 
2nd Round:
 
Jerry Garcia- Riga Reign (18th Overall)
In the second round Jerry Garcia is predicted to be selected by Riga. The steady defensive defenseman has controlled the Bulls blueline well. He'll be a good addition to a successful Riga team. However, there is concern of his weed addiction. Will he be able to smoke a bowl and still bring the pain on the ice? As of now, Yes.
 
Ludvig Sederstrom- Vancouver Wolves (19th Overall)
Right behind him, going to Vancouver is Ludvig Sederstrom.
After going through the routine and spending the majority of his time watching CS:GO, Ludvig has begun to show promise and could be a late draft steal. If he continues to improve he could be a solid top 9 guy. 
 
4th Round:
 
Samuel Sparrow- Seattle Bears (39th Overall)
In the 4th round, Samuel Sparrow may head to the leading Seattle Bears. The offensive defenseman leads the Bulls in points this season. It'll be interesting to see if his game translates to the big stage 
 
Rhys Chism- Malmo Nighthawks (40th Overall)
Following Sparrow is Rhys Chism to the Malmo Knighthawks. Chism, a late bloomer for the Bulls has put in solid minutes for the Red and White, and will be a welcomed addition to a new franchise.
 
5th Round:
 
Beau Buefordsson- Calgary Wranglers (42ndOverall)
The final Bull off the board is Beau Buefordsson to the Calgary Wranglers.
 
Potential to be a draft steal after being a late addition to the Bulls squad. A good locker room presence that will need time to grow. A safe late draft pick
 

Someone tag Owen May and tell him good job!  

@FacebookFighter from our benevolent overlord

I swear our article writing has somehow made our team beat Halifax in the sims.
There can be no other explanation for how our season is going.

As a fairly new member of the site I have done my best to stay out of complex conversations because well, I don't know the ropes. However, something that caught my attention was the process involving the GM selection process at the WJC. Lots of ideas have popped into my head and I would like to ask the general population what they would like to do. This article is meant to spur conversation into making changes to how we run this site and future development of communication to the new generations.
 
I've been on this site for a couple of months and it almost feels like a caste system. I know my GM and my team. I feel like an untouchable, the people who have been here longer seemed annoyed with anything said by players who have less experience. I didn't even know about the WJC GM selection until days later when I checked my discord. Something that big should be informed to the masses. I'm glad one of my teammates was selected but I would have also appreciated a chance to throw my hat in the ring (despite the lack of experience).
 
So I'd like to address some ideas:
 
 
 
The Implementation of Committees:
In real life, every country has a committee that selects the country's GM and then the GM picks the Coach. While I would like the idea of implementing a coaching system, that's a topic for another day. So my overall proposal is that every team is granted a committee as opposed to one committee selecting all GM's. These committees will be three people who have played out at least three full seasons in the VHL. It will be a job that is a capped 2 TPE towards their players. To select these committees, I believe there should be an election. A separate topic can be created where a neutral party can hold a press conference for candidates to campaign (would count as Press Conference for the week). Then a Google Doc poll can be created, just like the ones @Josh. has been making for the VHLM Predictions (10/10). Everyone will be tagged in this thread and will be rewarded 1 Uncapped TPE for participation in the election. Candidates can run for multiple countries but can not be hired for more than one. Every Four WJC the Committees can be voted upon once again unless ran unopposed.
 
GM Selection:
Once committees have been set up they are then free to select a GM. Here's where things get extra spicey. So for the WJC I propose it to be a complete amateur showcase. That means all GM's being people who have not completed more than one season in the VHL and have zero managerial experience except possibly being an AGM. I think this brings some more fun to the competition rather than having seasoned vets who understand the simming principles. The World Cup these restrictions would be lifted but I would also like to see the use of committees at the Pro level. To entice people to take the GM role seriously I propose the job pay 6 Capped TPE. If the committee decides to move on from the current GM he can be bought out at a price of 3 capped TPE. If the entire committee believes that the GM was negligent in his role, the player must forfeit their next week's TPE. I believe the introduction of a high risk- high reward system would put more of competitiveness into the competition.
 
No Dual Citizenship:
I believe players should not have the ability to switch nations until their removal from WJC eligibility. And they must make a one-time selection once they're introduced to the WC. Basically, in simplest terms, I declared as Swiss even though I was born in the U.S. I can not switch my nationality representation until I have been entered into the pro world cup. I believe this prevents stacking and cliques trying to stay together. Have some fun, losing is part of the experience. Forsberg faced Sakic many of times. I like my teammates and my GM but there's some fun to be had going against them as well.
 
The Decrease in TPE Limit:
As a VHLM player, my TPE sits at about 145. Not good overall, but decent, considering the amount of time I've been on this site. I've maxed out every week except my first week because I claimed Welfare not understanding the system. However, I will be facing players that are near 350 TPE. Which is completely ridiculous. I believe it should be brought down to 275TPE at least. This will create a more equal playing field for players. A lot of players who are new but have been getting their full weekly TPE are being left out while people on their 3rd or 4th character are hopped up onto the first line. Let other people have some fun. If you're trying to entice new people to stick around, putting them on the back burner doesn't exactly make a great business model.
 
 
 
Final Thoughts:
These are not the end all to end all. Its to open discussion on how to improve the experience on this website. Some of my thoughts may already be happening too and if they are I'm sorry. Also, I wouldn't mind these principles being implemented into the VHL as well. I like the idea of a GM being fired. Rather than the same people hold power, open the door for others who want to have a chance at managing a VHL team. Have the current GM's or just the long-standing ones be moved up into an owner role where you run operations for a designated amount of seasons unless you "sell the team" to somebody else.  Also, have we ever thought about moving the sim system to NHL? Give some visual representation? I understand the difficulty and time consumption as we would need a complete overhaul of the rating system.  So for another time then
 
Thank you for your time this has been my TED Talk.
 
WC: 1004 Claiming as Media Spot Week ending 3/24 and 3/31

As a fairly new member of the site I have done my best to stay out of complex conversations because well, I don't know the ropes. However, something that caught my attention was the process involving the GM selection process at the WJC. Lots of ideas have popped into my head and I would like to ask the general population what they would like to do. This article is meant to spur conversation into making changes to how we run this site and future development of communication to the new generations.
 
I've been on this site for a couple of months and it almost feels like a caste system. I know my GM and my team. I feel like an untouchable, the people who have been here longer seemed annoyed with anything said by players who have less experience. I didn't even know about the WJC GM selection until days later when I checked my discord. Something that big should be informed to the masses. I'm glad one of my teammates was selected but I would have also appreciated a chance to throw my hat in the ring (despite the lack of experience).
 
So I'd like to address some ideas:
 
 
 
The Implementation of Committees:
In real life, every country has a committee that selects the country's GM and then the GM picks the Coach. While I would like the idea of implementing a coaching system, that's a topic for another day. So my overall proposal is that every team is granted a committee as opposed to one committee selecting all GM's. These committees will be three people who have played out at least three full seasons in the VHL. It will be a job that is a capped 2 TPE towards their players. To select these committees, I believe there should be an election. A separate topic can be created where a neutral party can hold a press conference for candidates to campaign (would count as Press Conference for the week). Then a Google Doc poll can be created, just like the ones @Josh. has been making for the VHLM Predictions (10/10). Everyone will be tagged in this thread and will be rewarded 1 Uncapped TPE for participation in the election. Candidates can run for multiple countries but can not be hired for more than one. Every Four WJC the Committees can be voted upon once again unless ran unopposed.
 
GM Selection:
Once committees have been set up they are then free to select a GM. Here's where things get extra spicey. So for the WJC I propose it to be a complete amateur showcase. That means all GM's being people who have not completed more than one season in the VHL and have zero managerial experience except possibly being an AGM. I think this brings some more fun to the competition rather than having seasoned vets who understand the simming principles. The World Cup these restrictions would be lifted but I would also like to see the use of committees at the Pro level. To entice people to take the GM role seriously I propose the job pay 6 Capped TPE. If the committee decides to move on from the current GM he can be bought out at a price of 3 capped TPE. If the entire committee believes that the GM was negligent in his role, the player must forfeit their next week's TPE. I believe the introduction of a high risk- high reward system would put more of competitiveness into the competition.
 
No Dual Citizenship:
I believe players should not have the ability to switch nations until their removal from WJC eligibility. And they must make a one-time selection once they're introduced to the WC. Basically, in simplest terms, I declared as Swiss even though I was born in the U.S. I can not switch my nationality representation until I have been entered into the pro world cup. I believe this prevents stacking and cliques trying to stay together. Have some fun, losing is part of the experience. Forsberg faced Sakic many of times. I like my teammates and my GM but there's some fun to be had going against them as well.
 
The Decrease in TPE Limit:
As a VHLM player, my TPE sits at about 145. Not good overall, but decent, considering the amount of time I've been on this site. I've maxed out every week except my first week because I claimed Welfare not understanding the system. However, I will be facing players that are near 350 TPE. Which is completely ridiculous. I believe it should be brought down to 275TPE at least. This will create a more equal playing field for players. A lot of players who are new but have been getting their full weekly TPE are being left out while people on their 3rd or 4th character are hopped up onto the first line. Let other people have some fun. If you're trying to entice new people to stick around, putting them on the back burner doesn't exactly make a great business model.
 
 
 
Final Thoughts:
These are not the end all to end all. Its to open discussion on how to improve the experience on this website. Some of my thoughts may already be happening too and if they are I'm sorry. Also, I wouldn't mind these principles being implemented into the VHL as well. I like the idea of a GM being fired. Rather than the same people hold power, open the door for others who want to have a chance at managing a VHL team. Have the current GM's or just the long-standing ones be moved up into an owner role where you run operations for a designated amount of seasons unless you "sell the team" to somebody else.  Also, have we ever thought about moving the sim system to NHL? Give some visual representation? I understand the difficulty and time consumption as we would need a complete overhaul of the rating system.  So for another time then
 
Thank you for your time this has been my TED Talk.
 
WC: 1004 Claiming as Media Spot Week ending 3/24 and 3/31

Hello!
 
A lot of great ideas posted here about WJC process.
 
Well, just to give you some other perspective - in certain situations, Dual Citizenship is necessary - for example if we have a strong duo of goaltenders in USA and Canada and there are some that couldn't make those teams, can move to play for teams that are less likely to have a goaltender - like Asia, for example, can be in a situation when there is an only 30 TPE goaltender and same for other teams.. If the Dual-Citizenship wouldn't exist, those teams would be doomed.
 
When it comes down to TPE - it is pretty easy to get to 275 in one season of VHLM and the first part of the season  VHL... I have seen guys already get to 150 now and that would mean they could only participate in one WJC. That could kill some of the teams as a population in certain teams can be great in one season and bad in another - with 350 it at least gives a chance for other teams to be competitive with less amount of actives.
 
When it comes down to GM select - well - I was involved in a process this year, so I don't think I want to be much open about it. But I believe over complication of these things wouldn't be necessary, just more headaches for league organisers. 
 
FrostBeard ^^

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. 

In the VHL you will be 220 TPE going against players with 500-1,000 TPE. I’m out “walking” my dog. Skimmed it - some interesting thoughts for sure - but I don’t see the TPE levels changing that much at all  its to include everyone and to maybe represent more than once if you’re lucky enough. 
 
The purpose of the WJC is to give new members AND all lower TPE level players at chance at representing a country as the WC happens less and sometimes requires much higher TPE. 
 
Ill read when I get home but I always love members suggesting how to make things better. That’s what this whole entire site is about - everyone enjoying their time  

As a fairly new member of the site I have done my best to stay out of complex conversations because well, I don't know the ropes. However, something that caught my attention was the process involving the GM selection process at the WJC. Lots of ideas have popped into my head and I would like to ask the general population what they would like to do. This article is meant to spur conversation into making changes to how we run this site and future development of communication to the new generations.
 
I've been on this site for a couple of months and it almost feels like a caste system. I know my GM and my team. I feel like an untouchable, the people who have been here longer seemed annoyed with anything said by players who have less experience. I didn't even know about the WJC GM selection until days later when I checked my discord. Something that big should be informed to the masses. I'm glad one of my teammates was selected but I would have also appreciated a chance to throw my hat in the ring (despite the lack of experience).
 
So I'd like to address some ideas:
 
 
 
The Implementation of Committees:
In real life, every country has a committee that selects the country's GM and then the GM picks the Coach. While I would like the idea of implementing a coaching system, that's a topic for another day. So my overall proposal is that every team is granted a committee as opposed to one committee selecting all GM's. These committees will be three people who have played out at least three full seasons in the VHL. It will be a job that is a capped 2 TPE towards their players. To select these committees, I believe there should be an election. A separate topic can be created where a neutral party can hold a press conference for candidates to campaign (would count as Press Conference for the week). Then a Google Doc poll can be created, just like the ones @Josh. has been making for the VHLM Predictions (10/10). Everyone will be tagged in this thread and will be rewarded 1 Uncapped TPE for participation in the election. Candidates can run for multiple countries but can not be hired for more than one. Every Four WJC the Committees can be voted upon once again unless ran unopposed.
 
GM Selection:
Once committees have been set up they are then free to select a GM. Here's where things get extra spicey. So for the WJC I propose it to be a complete amateur showcase. That means all GM's being people who have not completed more than one season in the VHL and have zero managerial experience except possibly being an AGM. I think this brings some more fun to the competition rather than having seasoned vets who understand the simming principles. The World Cup these restrictions would be lifted but I would also like to see the use of committees at the Pro level. To entice people to take the GM role seriously I propose the job pay 6 Capped TPE. If the committee decides to move on from the current GM he can be bought out at a price of 3 capped TPE. If the entire committee believes that the GM was negligent in his role, the player must forfeit their next week's TPE. I believe the introduction of a high risk- high reward system would put more of competitiveness into the competition.
 
No Dual Citizenship:
I believe players should not have the ability to switch nations until their removal from WJC eligibility. And they must make a one-time selection once they're introduced to the WC. Basically, in simplest terms, I declared as Swiss even though I was born in the U.S. I can not switch my nationality representation until I have been entered into the pro world cup. I believe this prevents stacking and cliques trying to stay together. Have some fun, losing is part of the experience. Forsberg faced Sakic many of times. I like my teammates and my GM but there's some fun to be had going against them as well.
 
The Decrease in TPE Limit:
As a VHLM player, my TPE sits at about 145. Not good overall, but decent, considering the amount of time I've been on this site. I've maxed out every week except my first week because I claimed Welfare not understanding the system. However, I will be facing players that are near 350 TPE. Which is completely ridiculous. I believe it should be brought down to 275TPE at least. This will create a more equal playing field for players. A lot of players who are new but have been getting their full weekly TPE are being left out while people on their 3rd or 4th character are hopped up onto the first line. Let other people have some fun. If you're trying to entice new people to stick around, putting them on the back burner doesn't exactly make a great business model.
 
 
 
Final Thoughts:
These are not the end all to end all. Its to open discussion on how to improve the experience on this website. Some of my thoughts may already be happening too and if they are I'm sorry. Also, I wouldn't mind these principles being implemented into the VHL as well. I like the idea of a GM being fired. Rather than the same people hold power, open the door for others who want to have a chance at managing a VHL team. Have the current GM's or just the long-standing ones be moved up into an owner role where you run operations for a designated amount of seasons unless you "sell the team" to somebody else.  Also, have we ever thought about moving the sim system to NHL? Give some visual representation? I understand the difficulty and time consumption as we would need a complete overhaul of the rating system.  So for another time then
 
Thank you for your time this has been my TED Talk.
 
WC: 1004 Claiming as Media Spot Week ending 3/24 and 3/31

As a fairly new member of the site I have done my best to stay out of complex conversations because well, I don't know the ropes. However, something that caught my attention was the process involving the GM selection process at the WJC. Lots of ideas have popped into my head and I would like to ask the general population what they would like to do. This article is meant to spur conversation into making changes to how we run this site and future development of communication to the new generations.
 
I've been on this site for a couple of months and it almost feels like a caste system. I know my GM and my team. I feel like an untouchable, the people who have been here longer seemed annoyed with anything said by players who have less experience. I didn't even know about the WJC GM selection until days later when I checked my discord. Something that big should be informed to the masses. I'm glad one of my teammates was selected but I would have also appreciated a chance to throw my hat in the ring (despite the lack of experience).
 
So I'd like to address some ideas:
 
 
 
The Implementation of Committees:
In real life, every country has a committee that selects the country's GM and then the GM picks the Coach. While I would like the idea of implementing a coaching system, that's a topic for another day. So my overall proposal is that every team is granted a committee as opposed to one committee selecting all GM's. These committees will be three people who have played out at least three full seasons in the VHL. It will be a job that is a capped 2 TPE towards their players. To select these committees, I believe there should be an election. A separate topic can be created where a neutral party can hold a press conference for candidates to campaign (would count as Press Conference for the week). Then a Google Doc poll can be created, just like the ones @Josh. has been making for the VHLM Predictions (10/10). Everyone will be tagged in this thread and will be rewarded 1 Uncapped TPE for participation in the election. Candidates can run for multiple countries but can not be hired for more than one. Every Four WJC the Committees can be voted upon once again unless ran unopposed.
 
GM Selection:
Once committees have been set up they are then free to select a GM. Here's where things get extra spicey. So for the WJC I propose it to be a complete amateur showcase. That means all GM's being people who have not completed more than one season in the VHL and have zero managerial experience except possibly being an AGM. I think this brings some more fun to the competition rather than having seasoned vets who understand the simming principles. The World Cup these restrictions would be lifted but I would also like to see the use of committees at the Pro level. To entice people to take the GM role seriously I propose the job pay 6 Capped TPE. If the committee decides to move on from the current GM he can be bought out at a price of 3 capped TPE. If the entire committee believes that the GM was negligent in his role, the player must forfeit their next week's TPE. I believe the introduction of a high risk- high reward system would put more of competitiveness into the competition.
 
No Dual Citizenship:
I believe players should not have the ability to switch nations until their removal from WJC eligibility. And they must make a one-time selection once they're introduced to the WC. Basically, in simplest terms, I declared as Swiss even though I was born in the U.S. I can not switch my nationality representation until I have been entered into the pro world cup. I believe this prevents stacking and cliques trying to stay together. Have some fun, losing is part of the experience. Forsberg faced Sakic many of times. I like my teammates and my GM but there's some fun to be had going against them as well.
 
The Decrease in TPE Limit:
As a VHLM player, my TPE sits at about 145. Not good overall, but decent, considering the amount of time I've been on this site. I've maxed out every week except my first week because I claimed Welfare not understanding the system. However, I will be facing players that are near 350 TPE. Which is completely ridiculous. I believe it should be brought down to 275TPE at least. This will create a more equal playing field for players. A lot of players who are new but have been getting their full weekly TPE are being left out while people on their 3rd or 4th character are hopped up onto the first line. Let other people have some fun. If you're trying to entice new people to stick around, putting them on the back burner doesn't exactly make a great business model.
 
 
 
Final Thoughts:
These are not the end all to end all. Its to open discussion on how to improve the experience on this website. Some of my thoughts may already be happening too and if they are I'm sorry. Also, I wouldn't mind these principles being implemented into the VHL as well. I like the idea of a GM being fired. Rather than the same people hold power, open the door for others who want to have a chance at managing a VHL team. Have the current GM's or just the long-standing ones be moved up into an owner role where you run operations for a designated amount of seasons unless you "sell the team" to somebody else.  Also, have we ever thought about moving the sim system to NHL? Give some visual representation? I understand the difficulty and time consumption as we would need a complete overhaul of the rating system.  So for another time then
 
Thank you for your time this has been my TED Talk.
 
WC: 1004 Claiming as Media Spot Week ending 3/24 and 3/31

As a fairly new member of the site I have done my best to stay out of complex conversations because well, I don't know the ropes. However, something that caught my attention was the process involving the GM selection process at the WJC. Lots of ideas have popped into my head and I would like to ask the general population what they would like to do. This article is meant to spur conversation into making changes to how we run this site and future development of communication to the new generations.
 
I've been on this site for a couple of months and it almost feels like a caste system. I know my GM and my team. I feel like an untouchable, the people who have been here longer seemed annoyed with anything said by players who have less experience. I didn't even know about the WJC GM selection until days later when I checked my discord. Something that big should be informed to the masses. I'm glad one of my teammates was selected but I would have also appreciated a chance to throw my hat in the ring (despite the lack of experience).
 
So I'd like to address some ideas:
 
 
 
The Implementation of Committees:
In real life, every country has a committee that selects the country's GM and then the GM picks the Coach. While I would like the idea of implementing a coaching system, that's a topic for another day. So my overall proposal is that every team is granted a committee as opposed to one committee selecting all GM's. These committees will be three people who have played out at least three full seasons in the VHL. It will be a job that is a capped 2 TPE towards their players. To select these committees, I believe there should be an election. A separate topic can be created where a neutral party can hold a press conference for candidates to campaign (would count as Press Conference for the week). Then a Google Doc poll can be created, just like the ones @Josh. has been making for the VHLM Predictions (10/10). Everyone will be tagged in this thread and will be rewarded 1 Uncapped TPE for participation in the election. Candidates can run for multiple countries but can not be hired for more than one. Every Four WJC the Committees can be voted upon once again unless ran unopposed.
 
GM Selection:
Once committees have been set up they are then free to select a GM. Here's where things get extra spicey. So for the WJC I propose it to be a complete amateur showcase. That means all GM's being people who have not completed more than one season in the VHL and have zero managerial experience except possibly being an AGM. I think this brings some more fun to the competition rather than having seasoned vets who understand the simming principles. The World Cup these restrictions would be lifted but I would also like to see the use of committees at the Pro level. To entice people to take the GM role seriously I propose the job pay 6 Capped TPE. If the committee decides to move on from the current GM he can be bought out at a price of 3 capped TPE. If the entire committee believes that the GM was negligent in his role, the player must forfeit their next week's TPE. I believe the introduction of a high risk- high reward system would put more of competitiveness into the competition.
 
No Dual Citizenship:
I believe players should not have the ability to switch nations until their removal from WJC eligibility. And they must make a one-time selection once they're introduced to the WC. Basically, in simplest terms, I declared as Swiss even though I was born in the U.S. I can not switch my nationality representation until I have been entered into the pro world cup. I believe this prevents stacking and cliques trying to stay together. Have some fun, losing is part of the experience. Forsberg faced Sakic many of times. I like my teammates and my GM but there's some fun to be had going against them as well.
 
The Decrease in TPE Limit:
As a VHLM player, my TPE sits at about 145. Not good overall, but decent, considering the amount of time I've been on this site. I've maxed out every week except my first week because I claimed Welfare not understanding the system. However, I will be facing players that are near 350 TPE. Which is completely ridiculous. I believe it should be brought down to 275TPE at least. This will create a more equal playing field for players. A lot of players who are new but have been getting their full weekly TPE are being left out while people on their 3rd or 4th character are hopped up onto the first line. Let other people have some fun. If you're trying to entice new people to stick around, putting them on the back burner doesn't exactly make a great business model.
 
 
 
Final Thoughts:
These are not the end all to end all. Its to open discussion on how to improve the experience on this website. Some of my thoughts may already be happening too and if they are I'm sorry. Also, I wouldn't mind these principles being implemented into the VHL as well. I like the idea of a GM being fired. Rather than the same people hold power, open the door for others who want to have a chance at managing a VHL team. Have the current GM's or just the long-standing ones be moved up into an owner role where you run operations for a designated amount of seasons unless you "sell the team" to somebody else.  Also, have we ever thought about moving the sim system to NHL? Give some visual representation? I understand the difficulty and time consumption as we would need a complete overhaul of the rating system.  So for another time then
 
Thank you for your time this has been my TED Talk.
 
WC: 1004 Claiming as Media Spot Week ending 3/24 and 3/31

Review- I like what you're doing here. Well written. I would suggest adding a picture of one of them not all 5 (Would be too much imo).  Also a little salty no Bulls are on this list but I understand why

VHL.COM- Houston, Texas
By Gloria Borger II
 
We've all had that nightmare. We have an important job and the alarm clock doesn't go off, or we forget our pants. Earlier this week, starting Houston Bulls goaltender, Owen May had his nightmare become reality. On his way to the game against the Yukon Rush, Owen May's car got a flat tire and spun out. May was luckily uninjured but was left without transportation May was forced to call for a taxi. However, May's phone was broken from being thrown around in the car. Sitting alone on the highway, May checked his watch...two hours before game time. May begun to panic and started attempting to wave down passing cars. Unfortunately no one would stop. 
 
While the Houston Bulls have attracted moderate attention in the rink, the players are relatively unknown. By no means are they superstars in the city that houses such superstars as Jose Altuve and DeAndre Hopkins. However, a pedestrian came to May's aide. Houston superfan Sergio Ramirez, stopped to help May out. May gave Ramirez tickets to the next two home stands and signed gear. May was seen the next day doing punishment sprints. That didn't stop May from being grateful
 
 

VHL.COM- Houston, Texas
By Gloria Borger II
 
We've all had that nightmare. We have an important job and the alarm clock doesn't go off, or we forget our pants. Earlier this week, starting Houston Bulls goaltender, Owen May had his nightmare become reality. On his way to the game against the Yukon Rush, Owen May's car got a flat tire and spun out. May was luckily uninjured but was left without transportation May was forced to call for a taxi. However, May's phone was broken from being thrown around in the car. Sitting alone on the highway, May checked his watch...two hours before game time. May begun to panic and started attempting to wave down passing cars. Unfortunately no one would stop. 
 
While the Houston Bulls have attracted moderate attention in the rink, the players are relatively unknown. By no means are they superstars in the city that houses such superstars as Jose Altuve and DeAndre Hopkins. However, a pedestrian came to May's aide. Houston superfan Sergio Ramirez, stopped to help May out. May gave Ramirez tickets to the next two home stands and signed gear. May was seen the next day doing punishment sprints. That didn't stop May from being grateful
 
 

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

Lol nice save.

 Also a defuncyt franchise as of a few seasons ago:

 
 

Who said anything about Russia. Pshhhhhhhhhhh Not me. Would never do that......never

Owen May was born in 1996 in Buffalo NY. His parents were both second generation immigrants. His father's family form Switzerland and his mother from Germany. He credits his love for hockey to his parents who would constantly take him to hockey games when he was young. Unfortunately, his family was too poor to afford hockey equipment and hockey leagues.At a young age he was more fond of soccer than other sports and found early success in the U.S. He started as a striker but his exceptional hand-eye lead to his club coach moving him to goalkeeper.
 
In 2005, a former player from the Swiss international team, who was currently working for the Rochester Rhinos, scouted the young goalkeeper. He was quickly signed by the Junior Club of the Rochester Rhinos and spent the year travelling and improving his game.  At the end of the season the same man who had scouted him for the Rhinos gave his name to a Swiss side, FC Basel.
 
In 2006, he was offered a contract for the FC Basil Youth club. May moved across seas to follow his dreams. At the age of 10, May struggled to adjust to his new life and after one year he was being threatened to move back to the United States. May however confided in another player from Italy. Anthony Montleone and May found a new side of life together as they quickly earned spots on the first team as a Centerback/Goalkeepeer Combo. After their first full year together, Montleone was appointed Captain and May Assistant Captain. 2 years would pass under the appointed captains, Basel would find success winning the league both years. However, at  the end of the season Montleone was sold to an Italian side. With his Captain and best friend gone, May once again struggled in net. He lost his job and was once again on the chopping block. In what would be his final game, May was run into by an opponent as he was sliding. The harsh collision left the young starlet with a broken femur. With May's injury and regression the club allowed his contract to run out and left the young man unemployed.
 
Luckily, May's parents had saved his money earned from the club and aided their son in earning his Swiss Citizenship. Content with the new life he had been given May had chose to stay in Switzerland in secret hope of earning another contract. In an interview with a local soccer insider May was very optimistic of his return to pro soccer.
 
"I believe in my abilities. I've proven that I can contend in the harsh environment. I think a bone break will be easier to comeback from than an ACL tear. I've taken this time to learn the language and [I Am] becoming more comfortable with the Swiss lifestyle. My hope is to be back on the pitch come next year."
 
During his recovery period May returned to school deep in the Alps and as well to the hockey arena.
 
His highschool, HIF Engadine, was a hockey power house. In the past 10 years the school had won 3 national titles and had made the title game 5 times. During his recovery period May frequented the schools ice rink and watched many of his classmates play. May quickly became absorbed in the squad becoming a student announcer.
 
After he fully recovered May decided to join his highschool's hockey team. Without a back up the school was strong armed into letting May join the squad. He would spend one year on the bench learning from the team's goalie coach, Henrik Dolgberg. Dolgberg found May an interesting prospect despite only appearing in 4 games. May credits his pro career to Dolgberg. In a recent interview, May was quoted praising his former coach
 
" To be honest, I was frustrated that I hadn't heard anything from soccer clubs. I was ready to move back the States, and joined the hockey team on a whim. Thanks to Coach, I gained some confidence and we spent all year improving my game. I had this new dream thanks to this man and a pair of his old pads and skates."
 
His senior year, May spent all off-season training. Where May lacked in game IQ and technique he made up with his good hand-eye and reflexes. He caught the eyes of the Swiss national team posting a .945 save percentage and helping his team to the first round of the country playoffs. During his time he met his future wife and Swiss national team swimmer, Courtney Cloutier. The high school sweethearts met at a charity event and as both have previously stated, were in love ever since. The two plan on welcoming their first born in November.
 
Despite being rated highly, May's injury history resulted in him receiving no offers to join the Swiss Hockey league the following season. May once again had to pack his bags, this time moving to the Czech Republic. May signed a 1 year contract with HC Pardubice. There he was taken under the wing of former great Dominik Hašek. He was quickly touted to be the next "Dominator". Under the former great May began to gain better technique and learned the game. His first season saw him make 34 appearances as the team's backup posting a .923 save percentage. HC Pardubice made the playoffs and found themselves in trouble. Their starting goaltender suffered a concussion as a result of collision. May would appear in just Game 7 of the first round. Pardubice would lose the game to the eventual champions 1-0 in 2OT with May making 34 saves in relief. An modest start to his pro career resulted in May resigning with Pardubice for one more year. May was given the starting job where he recorded a .940 save percentage on his way to earning the award for best goaltender in the league.
 
When asked about his protege Hašek had this to say.
" He reminds me of myself quite a bit. There will be no books written about his stellar technique but he keeps the puck out of the net. As a goalie that's all you need to do."
 
After two seasons with the Czech side, at the age of 21 the Swiss league came calling. With great appreciation, May signed a 2 year deal with SC Bern. 
 
As May returned to Switzerland, he proposed to his now wife, and was ready to tackle a new dream. With SC Bern, May recorded a .935 save percentage in 59 appearances. Bern would make it to the second round of the playoffs before getting bounced by the RSC Lions. May's playoff save percentage of .927 earned him a spot on the Switzerland World Junior's roster. May made no appearances for his side. During the summer May returned to the Czech Republic to work with Dominik Hašek. 
 
He currently is poised to be drafted in S66 Draft this Sunday. He has chosen to keep his Swiss Citizenship in hopes to make it to the world cup sooner to showcase his abilities. However, May hasn't ruled out the possibility of returning to the United States.
 
"I'm really grateful for the Swiss people and the opportunities that they have given me. I obviously, love my birth country and wish to play for them but I feel that I have a duty to repay the European people"

+2

Vhl.com ~ Buffalo, NY
By: Gloria Borger II
 
To those who know him, being selected in the VHL draft will be no surprise. The projected 3rd round pick has turned heads in Western Europe.  A career .932 SV% isn't exactly mind blowing, however if you've known that he started playing hockey seven years ago, you'd have a different tune. Some draft analyists have scoffed at the idea of him becoming a 3rd round pick, while some have been speculating that he may rise and be drafted in the second round. May will sit in front of his TV at his parents house, watching VHL Network, with confidence this Sunday as he awaits for his name to be called.
 
Friends and family have been quick to support May, saying that he "might be one of the best". May's modesty prevents him from agreeing with them and believes he'll have to work twice as hard to even be a back up at the VHL level.
 
"My only hope is that I leave a mark on the league. I don't want this to be all for nothing."
 
The majority of Buffalo holds their collective breath today, hoping that one of their own will be good enough for the VHL.
 
 

Your having a great start @FacebookFighter 
 
Keep it up and you could be going high this draft!