McLovin

Another week, another presser! This week ending 7/2/23! Answer all 6 for 2 capped TPE! 1) The season is in full swing, what are your thoughts on the VHLM as a whole as we move towards the midseason mark? 2) In addition to that, what are your thoughts with the Aces recent struggles to get wins strung together? 3) What's your motivational speech you'd give in the locker room to fire up the boys? 4) Who are you aiming to play for when you move onto the VHLE? 5) What are your plans for this week? 6) If you could road trip across the country, who would you bring with you and where would you go?

Live from Juan Ceson Arena, this is Radio Las Vegas, with your host, Marcus Svedberg! We've got some news for you, coming right up. The Aces have had a bit of difficulty in getting their feet underneath them as the S89 VHLM season fully swings into motion, and it's hard to gauge what's causing these issues. Some point to the top heavy nature of the team, and how there isn't much depth past the star players. Others have gotten more analytical in their assessments and blame individual skills not meshing together on the ice, with the favorite theory being that the team simply passes too much and shots are far and few between, especially quality ones. With this in mind, GM @Blazzer and AGM @McLovin have been hard at work in tweaking the lineups, shifting players and ice time allocation to mend the situation. Despite their efforts, the Aces find themselves at a lowly 7-10-1 record, sitting second to last in their conference. With this in mind, what's in store for the Aces? Many have suspected that the team may move pieces here soon, or at least nearing the trade deadline should the issues not be alleviated by then. A possible route the Aces take is the hard rebuild strategy, in which high skill players are dealt for draft capital and depth pieces to bolster them down the line. This is definitely the nuclear option in terms of solving the issues, but with the stagnant nature of the teams performance last few seasons, something has to change, right? Of course, this is all speculation. The team as is is remarkably strong in its high end skill, and minor tweaks and a few waiver claims would likely improve the situation. Is management willing to take that chance on the future, however, remains to be seen. You know, they say no news is good news. But I think my program would be awfully dull if that were the case. That news was brought to you by the Bratislava Watchmen. "The Watchmen, the best VHLE team." @dylanjj37 Here's Bing Crosby reminding us of those times when you absolutely have to kiss the person you love. "Something's Gotta Give," up next.

claiming 2/4

F - Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems F - Hulk Hogan 2 @Ahma

bro the aces woes rn are a curse at this point, i'm convinced this team is just hexed

F - Brendan Marner D - Biggie Cheese @Ahma

Live from Juan Ceson Arena, this is Radio Las Vegas, with your host, Marcus Svedberg! We got an interesting story here for you today, so stay tuned! A few days ago, Las Vegas announced that they were naming Maxim Anisimov as the successor of Juan Ceson @dylanjj37 as Captain of the Las Vegas Aces. Since then, we've had some fun stirrings occur in the locker room and front office of the Aces, as well as here in our own radio station! As mentioned in our last broadcast, Juan Ceson made his own developmental team and company, aimed at training the next generation of players and leaders in the VHLM. Despite this, Juan Ceson still attempted to ensure the contract signed between him, AGM Ben Hafkey and myself, host and owner of Radio Las Vegas, would still be enforced. The clause of the contract was that should Ceson remain in Las Vegas for the next two seasons, this radio station would be relocated to Las Vegas from Helsinki, and named Radio Juan. Obviously, as Ceson has since retired from the VHLM following the announcement that he'd no longer be eligible for competing, the contract was essentially void before it could even go into effect Now, however, Ceson has still created Radio Juan, is what appears to be a direct competitor to Radio Las Vegas! Additionally, Ceson has claimed that I work there, even saying that I've earned a 200% raise from my "volunteer salary of $0" With this news, Radio Las Vegas is happy to announce that we're not going anywhere, and that I personally will not sign any deals with Radio Juan so long as they continue to attempt to steal away our loyal and loving viewers of RLV! What will come of this, though, is yet to be seen, but I can speak for myself in saying that RLV will always be here for you, providing the most up to date and only partially biased news on your Las Vegas Aces! Promotional consideration for this news segment has been paid for by the Ultra-Luxe. The Ultra-Luxe. Live life in the lap of luxury. You know, sometimes the journey beats the destination. Especially if your spurs go Jingle Jangle Jingle, and you meet some nice gals on the way.

The S89 VHLM season is officially underway! Players are looking to prove their worth to VHL and E teams, managers are looking to win glory in the Founder's Cup Final, and I'm back with my freezing cold takes! Today we'll be covering S89 projections for the currently rostered players in the Las Vegas Aces organization! We'll be covering stat projections for the season, as well as post S89 and even further predications for each player on the team at the moment! Without further ado, let's get into the nitty gritty. Jeremia Barbaslov Starting us off, we have winger Jeremia Barbaslov @Je Barbaslov, who is currently the highest TPE earning player signed with Las Vegas. Drafted 12th overall by Las Vegas in the S88 VHLM draft, Barbaslov is a dynamic two-way forward who throws shots on goal like no tomorrow, but can also lay the body on unsuspecting opponents. With an impressive 86 points in 72 contests with the Aces last season, as well as 333 shots on goal, Barbaslov is a lethal offensive threat that puts pressure on the defense and rebounds available to teammates. Having played 6 games this season, he's already amassed 27 shots, with a complementary 21 hits to go along with it. With 5 points in those 6 games as well, his offensive prowess will be a defining cornerstone to Las Vegas' forward core for the season, and it will be imperative to get him going. Having been drafted 25th overall in the VHLE, and 30th overall in the VHL, Barbaslov has the potential to be a steal for Vasteras and Toronto, as they both own his rights in their respective leagues. An average earner, you can expect to see Barbaslov moving onto the E after this season, in which he's projected to continue his strong two-way game in a forward core that will definitely benefit from his presence. As his role in Toronto is much further out in the future, it's hard to say what their needs are going to be by the time he makes it to the pros, but expect him to be a fierce competitor for a roster spot in a system that has many, many winger options available to them. Jeffrey Blake Jeffrey Blake @ElementStyx9 has already had such a storied career in his short time in the VHL. He played his first two seasons in the VHL with the Miami Marauders and Philadelphia Reapers, where he lead the Reapers to the Founder's Cup Finals in S88. After he won the Cup in Philly, he was traded to the Aces in the S88 draft, to fill a gapping hole the Aces had in net, which has held them back in competition for a while now. Around this time, he also was selected by his future AGM in McLovin to represent Europe in the WJC. He was selected off loan from Canada as Karl Herzlich @LastGoon007, coincidentally his own tendy tandem duo in Philly, was the only available European goalie. Splitting time with Herzlich in the round robin, Blake was chosen to be the starter in the WJC Medal Rounds, where he absolutely carried Team Europe to gold. To say that big things are expected of him in Las Vegas would be an understatement. He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, and thus far has proven he's the man for the job for the Aces. With his accolades accounted for alone, Blake has got a strong case for becoming a full fledged starter for Bratislava or D.C, to which his VHLE and VHL rights belong respectively. He's moving onto the E next season, where he will likely take over the backup position for the time being. Despite the earnings difference between him and the current starter for Bratislava, a case can be made that he should be given starter reigns, or at least a large portion of starts in the S90 VHLE season for them. Looking ahead to his VHL career, he's got his work cut out for him, but should the situation of D.C's goaltending prospects not change, you can see Blake taking the backup role here in a few seasons, with a potential to become the full fledged starter around S93-95 give or take. The future is certainly bright for the Brick Wall of Sin City. ShaunYoungca ShaunYoungca @shaun1979 is next on our list, and he's a very interesting case. He's played next to his entire career with the Aces, with a brief stint in Houston before quickly returning to the fold of Las Vegas. In the three seasons he's played thus far, he's proven to be a capable two-way center, with a strong balance across the board in his game. Very similar stats to Barabslov this season, in which he's amassed 27 hits and 25 shots to compliment his 5 points in 6 games, he's a player Las Vegas is also going to need to lean on should they want to return to the Founder's Cup Final. Despite not being a big point earner, he's a player which can be trusted in a top 6 role, as well as the special teams to add a much needed gritty presence to the forward core. His projection into the future is also very similar to Barbaslov, with his rights additionally being in Toronto, as well as VHLE rights belonging to the Cologne Express. Youngca will be moving onto the VHLE next season as well, where I can safely predict that he'll be a hard hitting top 9 role player, filling in gaps in the special teams and keeping the other teams head on a swivel with his heavy body checking, and strong leadership on and off the ice. Again, while VHL predictions are difficult to gauge this early in a players career, expect to see a similar style with Toronto in which he might not be the biggest point getter, but a much needed scheme player to assist those top guns in being a physical presence and specialist in the PK. Walter Fitzroy Jr The top pick of the Aces in the S88 VHL Draft, Walter Fitzroy Jr @Moon has an incredibly strong projection across the board. A two-way threat, Fitzroy Jr is going to be an absolutely lethal player in any role he finds himself in. PK, PP, 5v5, it doesn't matter. He will shut you down, and take advantage of your blunders by being a remarkably strong offensive presence. In the 6 games he's play so far this season, he's procured 6 points, including 5 assists, 11 hits and 12 shots blocked. As the only other defenseman on the Aces, the pressure on his shoulders is immense, but he has not disappointed in his stint with Las Vegas. He's projected to continue his point-per-game pace into the post season, where he will again be heavily leaned on to propel the Aces far into the postseason. As he has not been drafted to the E or VHL itself, nothing can be said about what he'd add to a specific team, but he's an incredibly strong earner who will likely go in a similar spot to his 4th overall selection in last seasons draft. His two-way game is very valuable to any team that picks him up, and should be a top priority for teams in the upcoming draft to pickup should they need a stud of a defenseman who will only get better every season he plays. Maxim Anisimov Maxim Anisimov @McLovin is an interesting case. Despite being a strong earner, he's actually struggled a bit in the opening games of S89. In the 6 games he's played, he's only brought home 3 points, including just one assist. Despite being labeled as a playmaker, he needs to find his game should he want to be taken high in the upcoming VHLE and VHL drafts. Should this happen though, he will be a much needed offensive threat for the Aces to round out the top dogs already listed. He hasn't played in international competition like most of the people already mentioned, but should he pick up the production, he's projected to be welcome help to Team Europe in future WJC and WC tournaments. Being a rapidly growing player, he presents himself as a double edged sword. Yes, he will continue to grow at a significantly above average rate, but if he continues to struggle against similarly skilled players, his draft stock is expected to plummet, potentially out of first round selections despite being a top 5 projected pick in the two upcoming drafts he's eligible for. Again, should he tweak his game a bit, he could be a dark horse candidate for a steal for whatever team glances his way and picks him up. He's thrived in being underestimated however, with a strong performance in the rest JST run he had with the Steel. Keep your eye open on this one Jeid Rohnson At first glance, you wouldn't think too much of Jeid Rohnson @TopTiddee2. Drafted 32nd overall in the recent draft, he was picked up to fill out the second line center position while ShaunYoungca held the reigns as top center. That's changed however, as Jeid has exploded in production this season, with 8 points already in 6 contests. With a heavy lean on his offensive game, despite not being one of the higher skilled players, he's proven that skill isn't always everything, and that pure drive is enough to propel a player into the limelight and raise his draft stock. As a pretty strong earner, his skills will only improve as well, and he's projected to continue his production this season barring his line doesn't shift around too much as Las Vegas is hovering at a .500 record. Looking forward, like Anisimov, he hasn't been drafted to a higher leagues team yet, but I can definitely see him becoming a player that teams overlook initially, but regret doing so later down the line as they notice how remarkable of a player Jeid truly is. Should he maintain his offensive production, he'll be a near shoo-in for Aces MVP this season, competing with the likes of Blake and Barbaslov who have nearly 100 more TPE than him. In the E and VHL, expect it to be a similar situation. He's going to be a good player for a long time, and should be another priority of teams looking to make a really safe pick in acquiring a depth player who will only improve. Barry McOckiner Despite his funny name, Barry McOckiner @LanerDUST is no joke. An almost identical situation to Jeid Rohnson, he's been a surprisingly good player for Las Vegas this season. Drafted 37th overall last year, he wasn't expected to be an impact player till next season. He's proven those doubters wrong however. In the 6 contests he's been in so far, he's already put up 7 points, including 4 goals on 22 shots. For a depth piece on the Aces, this is simply incredible production. As he is still relatively new to the M, he's likely going to spend another season with the franchise, in which he's expected to only amplify his already strong skillset. Similarly to Jeid Rohnson, picking him up in the draft should be a priority for teams in leagues above the M. A depth piece with an offensive upside is always valuable to teams, and he should not be overshadowed by teams favoring pure skill over actual production. As mentioned before, he'll likely remain with the Aces for S90, but past that, see him being a strong addition to any team who picks him up, and wants a player who will only improve over time. Keep this guy on your radar as well, because he's going to be a fun player to watch over his career. Jaja Dingdong Jr Rounding out our evaluations, we have Jaja Dingdong Jr @Jaja Dingdong. Similarly to Barry McOckiner, he's expected to play for the Aces for at least another season past our current one. He's been a much needed depth piece to the Aces this year, being the blueline partner to Walter Fitzroy Jr. In his time with the Aces thus far, he's scored a respectable two points in six games. A relatively decent earner as well, should he maintain his game, he'll be a player the Aces lean heavier and heavier on as time moves forward. Potentially, even, being the Aces number one guy on the blueline for the S90 regular and postseason play. Like Rohnson and McOckiner, teams should keep an eye out on this guy. Despite being a comparatively low skill-wise player, he's proven to be a necessary cog to the greater Aces machine. As mentioned before as well, he will likely be on the team for a while, in which he will be relied on for his strong defensive and special teams play. In the pros, expect him to be the same thing. A player you can lean on when it matters, and that he'll get the job done with his drive alone. Luckily for him as well, he's only going to get better, so he's going to be a very fun player to observe over the span of his long career! That'll do it for our evaluation of the Aces roster for S89! Obviously as we made it further down the list, it became harder to determine exactly what is going to happen with some players, but this is a strong team with a tenacity to prove doubters wrong, and be the underdog that nobody expects to get the job done. This is going be a fun season for the Aces, and I, myself, cannot wait to see what these guys do over the span of their careers. It's a fun time to be a fan of us right now, so jump on the bandwagon if you haven't already. You'll want to say you've been a lifelong fan when we win every Founder's Cup moving forward from here ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2,328 words, claiming for the next month

Week Ending 6/25 Presser for start of season Aces! Answer all 6 for 2 capped TPE! 1) The S89 VHLM season has started! How happy are you with your players performance thus far? 2) On the topic of performance, how do you feel about the Aces in the first six games of the season? 3) What can management do to improve the team to give the Aces a better chance at making the playoffs and finals again? 4) Who's surprised you the most this season in terms of production or otherwise? 5) How are you feeling about the locker room and chemistry between the players? All good or anything to be improved? 6) What's the best movie ever made and why does it hold the top spot in your eyes?

Marcus Svedberg upon Juan Ceson announcing his raise: "I had no idea I was even employed by Radio Juan as I am owner and host of Radio Las Vegas for the Las Vegas Aces organization. I, however, will not turn down free money!"

D - Jake Thunder G - Clueless Wallob @Ahma

Appreciate the little shoutout for Ukraine Wayne in the LVA segment! Cheers bro!

@Blazzer you are no longer allowed to call me a boomer

I absolutely ADORE this. More of this please! Hahaha

I'd go as far as to say this is just a league wide problem with managers. Granted, I've never held an actual GM job outside the WJC, only having been an AGM in the VHL and M, but I still feel like I understand probably better than most that prospects are widely ignored when it comes to interviews and it hurts user retention something horrible. The problem doesn't end there though, and I brought this up a bit in the GM chat, but I feel it's more appropriate at length here. The only way to make sure players stick around and are willing to play for teams/leagues is to give them a reason to be. Getting to actually know players, building a locker room chemistry and getting them excited to see their players in action are excellent ways to retain people and make them hyped to be here. Even little things like having a live streamed draft where you do bits in it, like live player interviews or analysis like we did with the M draft. Little things like that go a long way in making people stay interested in the league and make 'em want to play for you. When I first started back in 2019, when my first player was drafted to the Reapers, the GM at the time @BladeMaiden hyped my player tf up, as she did with her whole team. Because of that, we had a TON of active players, and with the chemistry off the charts, it encouraged us to stay active in a community we found fun, which translated to us winning a Founders Cup. It's a tried and true method, and it hurts my heart to see that aspect of the league slowly dying out. I've been doing my best to revive that mentality with the Aces, but one team doing it in a community with 3 leagues and 30 teams overall isn't gonna fix the problem. It needs to be a collective effort from the managers in all leagues to put in that little bit of extra work to make sure people want to actually represent your team. I love this community, the people here are fuckin amazing. While I don't completely agree with the E slander, I do agree with the fact that a lot of the woes of the league, and parts of the community as a whole can be self inflicted by managers who choose to do the bare minimum. Whether that be for job pay or just a lack of drive to get to that point, it doesn't really matter. You signed on for the work, if you can't put in that effort to make your team fun to play for, I'll go as far as to say you shouldn't have the job. All of this, of course, is just my opinion, but I felt it was necessary to get out as I feel very passionately about it.

Live from Juan Ceson Arena in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada, this is Radio Las Vegas! I'm your host, Marcus Svedberg. Before we dive into the news today, I'm sure you noticed something different since our last broadcast! We've successfully negotiated the relocation of our news network to Las Vegas, Nevada! This coming as a deal was struck between management of the Las Vegas Aces, and ownership of Helsinki News Radio LLC to relocate the station to provide you with updates and news regarding the wonderful Las Vegas Aces franchise! Now, with all that legal mumbo jumbo out of the way, let's dive into our news article! News from the top dogs in the VHLM comes as a new challenge for the Aces to overcome in their offseason plans this year. VHLM Commissioner @Spartan announced on Saturday that a new rule was being implemented in the league, as now a hardcap of 4 seasons has been set in number of seasons a player can spend with a franchise in the M. For most teams, this wouldn't be that big of a deal, but for the Aces, it poses a new challenge for management. With Captain Juan Ceson @dylanjj37 having served well over this new 4 season cap with the Aces, his player rights in the VHLM are now voided and he was forced to move onto the VHLE. With news of this change, Ceson immediately retired from VHL hockey, and announced the creation of his own team and player academy, saying quote "Spartan banned Juan Ceson from his league because Juan took all his money in a casino game." With Juan Ceson gone, the Captains jersey patch now has no player to call its own, and with the near complete overhaul of the Las Vegas Aces roster this off-season, players are going to have to step up and show they can lead the Aces into the postseason and Cup competition once more. The news has been brought to you by the Vikki and Vance Casino. Vikki and Vance, be our partner in crime. Got some Dean Martin coming up, talking about the greatest feeling in the world, love. "Ain't That A Kick in the Head." Sure is, Dino. It sure is.

Week Ending 6/18 Presser for the boys! Answer all 6 for 2 capped TPE! 1) The draft has concluded! How do you feel the Aces did in the draft? 2) Staying on the topic of the draft, if you were selected/traded during the draft, how do you feel about joining the Aces in their quest for glory in S89? 3) Team Europe has won gold in the WJC! What do you think about the elite goaltending we saw from Jeffrey Blake coming to play for Las Vegas this season? 4) Juan Ceson, after a recent rule change, is no longer allowed to play in the VHLM. How does his loss on the blueline effect the team? 5) What are your plans with your career moving forward? VHLE All-Star? VHL Super-Star? Career Ace even? 6) Our goal this season is obviously winning the Cup. With this off-season we've had, how do you feel our chances are at this goal?

week 3/3

I'M SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS! EUROPA NUMERO UNO

RIP ACES LEGEND JUAN CESON. THE MONOPOLY HAS FALLEN, VEGAS IS FREE!

@Viper robbing us blind

New presser for the boys wassup 1) We're 3 games into the round robin, what are your thoughts so far on team performance? 2) With that in mind, how are you feeling about your players performance individually? 3) We're currently 2-1 in the RR, what do you feel it will take to get Europe above teams like the USA and Canada? 4) How has the tournament and feel of representing your continent felt to you so far? Does it give you a sense of national or continental pride? 5) Very very early to say for certain, but who's your MVP of Team Europe thus far? 6) If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be and what would you do?

NEW AGM, NEW PRESSER BOYS 1) We're approaching the VHLM Draft. What are you most looking forward to come the draft? 2) The Aces have hired a new AGM, what do you think of the hire? 3) Have you been following the WJC or JST? If so, what are your thoughts thus far? 4) Following up on that, if you were to play in the WJC or JST for the first time (or again for players already involved,) what would you want to achieve in either of them? 5) Juan Ceson is simply the best. What do you love most about our beloved captain? 6) If you could be anything you ever wanted, what would it be? Hockey player? Astronaut? Juan Ceson?

The Las Vegas Aces have ended their AGM hunt after a few short days with their recent hiring of Helsinki Titans Alumni Ben Hafkey, AKA McLovin. This comes after their previous AGM, Viper, was hired to a full time VHLM General Manager position. McLovin has a storied history with managing in the VHL and associate leagues and tournaments. Starting in S69, he was hired as Team USA's General Manager for the World Junior Championship, in which he went on to build a team capable of winning bronze. After talks with his mentor, Jubo, he decided to return to Team USA in the post season of S70 to once again chase that illustrious dream of winning gold. He achieved this goal, and was immediately brought on to Helsinki's management to assist Jubo in bringing the Continental Cup back to Finland. Despite now being a player AND an assistant manager for the same team, he helped in bringing the Titans back to the finals, where they were unfortunately defeated in their quest. After his retirement the following weeks from AGM and the VHL, he went unheard from in the VHL community for over 15 seasons. He returned to the scene at the end of S88, and applied to once again manage a WJC team. As of writing this, he is still GM of Team Europe in their own quest for glory. McLovin is an analytical mind through and through. He looks for advanced statistics in players, not just point production or +/-'s as defining features of players. He seeks out team composition, and aims to have a team with chemistry that stretches all lines and pairings. Going into the S89 VHLM Draft, he's poised to maintain this effort by being much more involved in his Assistant General Manager position. This is to be achieved by scouting, interviewing, creating draft boards and much more. As Las Vegas is in a transitional period, his work is cut out for him, as is the teams as a whole. Whether this hire proves fruitful for Blazzer and the Aces organization as a whole remains to be seen, but the future looks bright for Sin City. For Helsinki News Radio, I'm Marcus Svedberg, signing off.