johnnyhockey42

2) The Wild narrowly missed making the playoffs this season, with results being decided by the very last day of games. What happened? It seemed like a classic case of puck luck. If we played the way we did the second half of the season in the first half, I think the Wild would be in a much different spot. 3a) (If you're drafted by the Wild already) Who's one player not currently on your team you'd like to see drafted by Saskatoon? Andrei Mikhailov looks like a promising prospect, he'd be a great addition to the team. 4) Which one of our forwards is most likely to have success in the majors? What about our defensemen? Nethila is going to do great things, he'll have no troubles as a forward in the VHL. Shackleford is an awesome D-man too, I'm looking forward to see him continue his career past the VHLM. 6) Suppose you're a GM of Malmo or one of the new VHLM teams. Who do you plan to build your team around? Any thoughts about who to take from current VHL/VHLM teams? I think when you're a team starting out, the important thing is to know that there aren't any expectations for you to win. I would use that to my advantage and gain that 'underdog' kind of momentum and build my team around players who are young and hungry. 7) Since moving to Saskatoon, what have you done to make your house/apartment feel like home? I got myself a good setup for my record player. I like to lay back and listen to some tunes when I'm not at the rink. 9) We found a Hello Kitty keychain on the locker room floor. Who does it belong to, and how can you tell? That's gotta be Peace's. He is a stern manager, but I always knew he had a soft side to him (haha!).

+4

so so so cool!!! thank you @Bushito

1. In the latter half of the season now and, while Halifax and Minnesota are quite a few points ahead, there is just 4 points separating 3rd and 7th, which of those five teams (Aces, Bulls, Lynx, Rush, Wild) do you think will finish highest at the end of the season? The Wild have been consistently improving, I think we will have a very strong finish to the season. 2. Since the last set of questions were asked, the World Juniors Rosters have been selected. What do you think about your nationalities chances at winning the tournament? I think the USA has a strong chance, it should be an interesting tournament though. Lots of close matchups. 3b. (If you didn't make your World Juniors roster) Were you surprised not to make it onto your team's roster or was it expected? As a player, I have plenty of room for improvement. This will just motivate me to improve for the possibility to get selected for next season. 4. Hunter Hearst Helmsley is currently leading the league in points and goals, do you think there's anyone who can stop him from leading in either come the end of the season? HHH is in a league of his own, that kid is going to be a stud. 5. Give a shout-out to one member of your team who has helped you out and why (maybe a member's player has helped your player perform well in the sim, a member who helped you with PT's, etc.) Hans Gruber and I are a match made in heaven sometimes, he's a great passer and if I score a goal, it's probably from a pass by Hans. 6. Recommend either a video game or a movie for other members to play/watch and why you'd recommend it. To have some fun off the ice while still keeping up my playmaking abilities, I play a lot of Rocket League.

USA

Let's be real. The Saskatoon Wild have not had an ideal start to the season in the VHLM. Players on the Wild have mentioned their frustration with their recent performances, as they feel like they have a decent squad to have a shot at a playoff run. With a 12-8-3 record at this point in the season, it was looking bleak in Saskatoon. John Perdue, left-winger for the Wild, had more to say on the subject: "Since the start of the season we've been looking to boost up our defense and goaltending, our offense is doing just fine." A simple statement by the player speaks volumes about the team. Perdue sees the production by his team in black and white, and the defensive aspects of the Wild's hockey game have needed serious improvement. When the players were just about ready to throw in the towel and work on their golf swing, Saskatoon's GM @Peace broke the silence with what many are calling "THE Blockbuster trade of the season." Last Saturday, The Wild were able to close a trade with Philadelphia for up-and-coming forwards Brian Strong and Hans Gruber and defensemen Cody Parkey and DWin Championship in exchange for higher-round draft picks. With a mutual relationship between both teams, the Wild were happy to help Philadelphia during their expansion/rebuilding phase, and Philadelphia was able to part ways with their assets in order to acquire necessary picks for the S66 Draft. Perdue admired his GM's decision according to his statement at his press conference: "[Peace is] concise, patient, and forward-thinking. They have big plans for years to come... Saskatoon will be huge in a couple years, just wait and see." Adding this acquisition along with the recent pick-up of Edgar Tannahill, Saskatoon will be nearly unstoppable.

Good that Dave realizes he's not in High School anymore. He can't rely on his natural talent anymore now that everyone has natural talent, so I wish him the best of luck in the VHLM/VHL!

Glad to see Mat isn't letting his size get the best of him! Awesome that he's an emotionally driven player, love the honesty throughout the profile!

Cool background, awesome reading about the blessing/curse of your parents being wealthy businessmen/designers. Hockey came at a good time for Sami, you should mention how that has given him alot of passion for the sport! Otherwise, good job!

Awesome to read about a goalie's background, they're always so different. Thank you for including your stats since you have so much experience in the sport, I would've liked to read more about the connection between downhill skiing and your goalie skills though. Other than that, great!

I like that David is a team-oriented player. What makes him good is that he knows when to be flashy with the puck and when not to be. Also, I really enjoyed learning about his introduction of moving to New York. That can make or break a player's motivation, I'm glad David saw it as a learning experience and stuck with the sport! Awesome that he signed to the VHLM on his 18th birthday, too.

1. We are at about the third season mark. What teams are most likely going to face off in the next Founder's Cup final? Halifax are crushing it, I could see Ottawa playing them and pulling off an upset though. 2. What is one trade you'd like your trade to do at this moment? Since the start of the season we've been looking to boost up our defense and goaltending, our offense is doing just fine. I'd want a stud defenseman. 3. The 3rd World Junior Championship Commissioner was just hired (congrats Frostbeard), meaning the S65 WJC is about to start. Do you think you have what it takes to represent your nation? I definitely think I have what it takes. While my production has dropped off a little, I have shown that I can commit my time and be a team player. 4. Who are your early favourites to win some awards in the VHLM? MVP, best two-way forward, best defenseman, best goalie? I feel like it's all up in the air at the moment, I don't want to name drop anyone as I'm pretty superstitious. 5. What's one song that you listen to before stepping on the ice, that will inevitably pump you up and get you ready for action? Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine is going to get me more hyped than any other track would! 6. Describe your VHLM team's General Manager and/or Assistant to the General Manager in 3 words. Concise, patient, and forward-thinking. They have big plans for years to come, and they understand that we aren't built to win now. Saskatoon will be huge in a couple years, just wait and see.

Riga Helsinki Toronto Seattle

D - Joseph McWolf

John Perdue - Saskatoon Wild - Kasperi Kapanen

If you have read John Perdue's biography, you would know that his second passion other than hockey is playing music, mainly the drums. As a self taught musician, he has put in endless hours of practice and preparation into music and has since been able to form multiple bands where, during offseasons, John is able to travel around North America and perform his music to sold out clubs and bars. What you may not know about John, however, is that he uses his skills in music and rhythm while he's playing hockey. You may think, "uh yeah, everyone has listened to music during warmups or exercises, that's nothing new." However, John can attest that no one has used music the way that he does while he's playing on the ice. Before each game, John pops in his earbuds and gets ready to skate along to his special playlist of songs he wrote and recorded specifically for his time on the ice. Each song has specific beats and rhythms and sounds that correspond to how John should play in certain scenarios on the ice. For instance, when he is performing in the penalty kill, John puts on a slower song with swelling string orchestral sounds to correspond to his smooth backwards skating and checking in the defensive zone. Inversely, his powerplay music is fast paced, where he can match the beat to his strides and be able to beat the defender into the offensive zone and get a breakaway chance. If anyone tries to stand in John's way during his first season in the VHLM, well, pun intended... That'll be music to his ears.

I think everyone has that problem of "not exactly knowing what their 'calling' is," even professional hockey players. That was a great job adding that to John's story as it really humanized the character for me and helped me relate to him with what I went through at a similar age. I hope there won't be too much of a language barrier for John in the VHL, that must be tough coming all the way from Latvia! That's awesome John is joining the league after such a devastating car accident, good for him man. The strength in the face of adversity is an amazing character trait for John to have and I can't wait to see what he does in this league.

I think it's great that you added some romance to the mix of Julius' road to the VHL. The fact that he learned hockey from his love interest just goes to show how much emotion he has invested in the sport of hockey! It seemed like a long time coming for him to eventually learn the sport so it was good to see the dream finally come true for him. I especially liked mentioning his unpredictable home life with his family constantly moving for work, that must have been tough but that will help with the tolls of travel as a hockey player. Amber seems like a great girl and an even better coach, I love that relationship between her and Julius!

I'm sorry to hear about Denver's childhood. That truly seemed like such a tough situation, but I'm glad he was able to persevere and overcome the hardships! I find it interesting that Wolfe went straight from a youtube sensation to a VHL'er, that is truly a unique origin story and I think that sets him apart from everyone else. Great job with that! I hope he enjoys the winning culture of Vegas, if there's anyone that deserves it, its Denver for sure!

I loved reading about Kari's passion of speed skating and soccer and combining them to play hockey. It was great reading about his modest beginnings in the sport as well, there was a lot of creativity put into his development and I enjoyed that aspect. With all of Jurri's travel experience I think he will be able to adjust really well to the toll that games take in the VHL. I was excited to see Kari get drafted in the first round by Houston, it looks like there was a great deal of thought and care put into the decision to be drafted by them so Kari should be proud! Best of luck in the VHL, thank you for the great read.

F - Edwin Preencarnacion @TacticalHammer