McLovin

Claiming week 2/3

This is Marcus Svedberg with Helsinki News Radio, live from Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland! We got a wonderful segment for you today as we are interviewing General Manager @Blazzer and Assistant GM @Viper of the Las Vegas Aces! Today, we'll be asking questions about them both personally and VHLM related! So sit back, and enjoy the interviews! We started by asking AGM Viper a few questions regarding his future with the Aces and his plans with the team moving forward. MS (Marcus Svedberg, interviewer): "First things first, thank you for accepting this interview! I only have a few questions cause I know you're a busy man right now! On that note, let's get started! What are your long term goals when it comes to management? More specifically, do you have aspirations to become a GM, whether it be of the Aces or another team?" V (Viper, AGM of LVA): "Yeah no problem, thanks for reaching out! My long-term goal is definitely to get a GM job, I’ve been building up experience for a while now so I think I am qualified to handle a team, but I also have no issues with staying as the AGM in Vegas for a while, it’s great here. GM treats me well and got great players." MS: "That's wonderful news! So with all the jobs that have been announced open today, do you find yourself possibly applying to them soon or do you want to at least see this next season through with GM Blazzer before making such a monumental career decision?" V: "I always talk with Blaz before applying for jobs, even things like WJC and JST. Technically I don’t have to but it just seems natural to get permission before applying. If I get hired she can’t fire anymore, though." MS: "Hahaha, I love it! Only got two more questions here so we'll burn through 'em. Moving on to Aces specific questions, this last season obviously didn't go as well as I can imagine management had hoped. What do you think, personally at least, should be done to bolster the team and get them back to contender status?" V: "Well, we made some deals this season that definitely help us this season, trading good players for slightly worse players may not seem great but that slightly worse player will be here this season whereas the better player has moved up. We also have been doing our research on the best prospects to draft so we definitely are excited and prepared for draft day." MS: "Sounds very promising indeed! Finally, and this one is addressed to the fans of Las Vegas directly, what would you like to say to the fans of the Aces, whether it be something like hyping them up or give them hope, whatever you feel like really, moving into next season?" V: "Stay with us, be patient, and we will give you results. Rome wasn’t built in a day, either." MS: "A wonderful answer to end this interview on! I think I speak for all the fans when I say we're looking forward to seeing the future of the Aces! Thank you for time!" V: "Thanks for having me man" After ending the interview with AGM Viper, we spoke to GM Blazzer regarding her thoughts on the team and management as a whole. MS: "I'd like to start this interview by first saying thank you to you and Viper for allowing me to speak with you guys! I have just a few questions so we'll make the interview quick! Starting off, I'd like to ask your opinion on the Aces and what you think it will take to get them back to the Founder's Cup?" B (Blazzer, GM of LVA): "Thank you for interviewing us. The Aces as an organisation has always been great. It has a long legacy with fantastic GMs like Shindigs and I'm honoured to be given this job by Spartan. As to what will bring us the Founders cup, that's a little tricky. We kinda have to be drafting well and retaining as much players as we get. Along with that, we also need to help our players develop as much as possible when they are with us. Retaining and signing players have been tricky for us from the beginning but that wouldn't and shouldn't be an excuse" MS: "Very interesting, so with that being said then what are your plans with the upcoming draft and free agency? Are you aiming for specific players or player types or more aiming for the most developed players available?" B: "That's a great question. Going back to pre trade deadline, I decided to make some moves to give us more picks. I would definitely want to draft the most developed players with my top picks yet keeping in mind their discord activity and earnings." MS: "I like the sound of that for sure! I only have a few questions left, so we'll continue with a question on Captain Juan Ceson. The level of competition in the M is immense, and players are constantly on the move to bolster teams to give it their best shot at the Cup. Ceson has been on the team for a very long time, and has been a cornerstone piece to the Aces. What does his presence add to the team that other VHLM teams might not have?" B: "He is definitely a lovely spirit with tons of charisma. People and players love him and the atmosphere he creates in the arena. I think the Aces have a legacy and veteran that no other team has. Having that helps build confidence among the players for sure" MS: "I absolutely agree! Moving onto management, Viper in his interview with us stated that he's been interested in pursuing a fulltime GM job somewhere sometime in the future, but is dedicated to sticking around in the Aces organization for the foreseeable future. From your point of view, how valuable is Viper to management and the team as a whole?" B: "Viper should be fired. Ok no I'm just kidding I am pretty busy most of the day honestly. I won't lie about that because it can be observed and seen by the people in my LR. Viper helps with most of the things that needs to be done in the team. Press conferences, scouting etc. Needless to say, he is a valuable piece. However I am happy for him if he gets a full time GM job some where. I'll just have to hire again " MS: "Hahaha, I love that! Finally, I'll ask you the same thing I asked Viper. This one is for the fans and supporters of the Aces directly, what is something you'd like to say to them regarding this last season and the future of the team?" B: "Thank you for your endless support. We haven't produced significant results that we would love to see but you guys have been our biggest supporters. We hope to bring a cup back to the strip for you guys" MS: "Inspiring words as always! I'm excited to see what's in store for the organization! Thank you again for your time, and best of luck in the offseason!" B: "Thank you! All the best to you as well" Lastly, we have a bonus interview with Captain Juan Ceson of the Aces! MS: "Thank you for showing interest in being interviewed by Helsinki News Radio! I have a few questions for you that I'm sure our audience would love to hear your input on! I'm gonna go for the hard hitters right off the bat. What are your thoughts on this last season and what do you felt could have been different?" JC (Juan Ceson, Captain of LVA): "Last season was very good. We fought the law and we won. We also won a lot of games. We could have won more games but I am happy with our season." MS: "I'm glad to hear that! Moving along with a similar question, what do you think could be done to improve upon the team to get them further in the standings and deeper into the playoffs?" JC: "Get rid of the forwards. We don't need them. 5 defensemen is the best strategy and we will win with it." MS: "A perfectly sound strategy indeed! I touched on this a bit with GM Blazzer but I'd love your input on this. How's it felt playing for the same org for so long? It's rare to see a player play for the same team in the M for more than a year or two, but you've done it your entire career! What's it like?" JC: "A lot of people won't remember when Las Vegas traded me in S81. I still remember. I am playing the long game here. I am bleeding the city dry to make them pay for trading me. Also there are some great players on the team and it is fun to wathc them get so good that Vegas loses them to the E or the VHL. I also like my house that GM Shindigs bought for me." MS: "I love that for you! To wrap up this interview I'll ask you what I asked Blazzer and Viper. Coming from you, what words would you like to give for the fans of the Aces moving forward? Any words of encouragement or hype you'd like to say?" JC: "The price of Juan Ceson merchandise will be increasing by 200% starting tomorrow. You will also be required to wear a least one item of Juan Ceson merchandise to watch any Aces games at the Juan Ceson Arena next season. Thank you for your support!" MS: "Buy 'em while you can, they're going fast! Well, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this interview! Thank you for your time, and best of luck next season!" JC: "Thank you!" And that wraps up our interviews, overall very exciting times to be an Aces fan. The future is very bright in Las Vegas! Join as next time as we do post analysis of the Las Vegas Aces S88 VHLM Draft! For Helsinki News Radio, I'm Marcus Svedberg, signing off!

I am very interested in VHLM GMing, I apply!

Reply to all six questions for 2 capped TPE! Respond to each question with a full sentence otherwise updaters will probably deny your update! 1. To players playing in the WJC for the first time, what are your thoughts? To players returning to Europe/WJC competition, what's it feel like to be back on the world stage? 2. The rosters for the WJC have just been announced! Which team are you most looking forward to facing in the tournament? 3. Which players that were selected are you most looking forward to playing with? 4. What are you looking to gain most from participating in the WJC? 5. Lemme hear your early predictions for Team Europe MVP? 6. What are you doing personally in your day to day life to save the bees and why is it not enough?

1. I've been rooting for Vancouver cause I've always rooted for them, but since they got eliminated I've been rooting for London. 2. I don't follow the VHLE playoffs as closely but if I were to pick I'd go for Oslo for the sole fact they're the only Scandinavian team left. 3. ACES BABY LET'S GOOOOOOOO 4. Aces, Oslo, and either Vancouver or Helsinki. Anyone else is alright but those are my favorites 5. Winning a championship with your team easily, there's nothing to match the hype and energy in the LR like winning it all 6. DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE

Hey man, between Karl being the only European goalie to select and me needing to loan somebody over, it was too easy

Team Europe has announced their roster for the S88 World Junior Championship, and we've got a lot to cover in this, so let's not waste any time and just jump right into it! This is an incredibly strong team that's been selected to represent the continent of Europe here, so in this media spot we're gonna cover strengths and weaknesses, as well as team power rankings and where to expect to see Team Europe end up in the tournament. Before any of that, however, it's important to make note of how significant this tournament is for GM McLovin, who announced his retirement from managing in the WJC about 18 seasons ago during his bronze and gold medal runs with Team USA in S69 & 70 respectively. GM McLovin had been out of the business for a long, LONG time. He was selected as the General Manager of Team USA in S69 after showing interest in entering management in the VHLM, and off a recommendation from his mentor @Jubo, who at the time was General Manager of the Helsinki Titans. GM McLovin would win Bronze in a comeback story of the ages after barely squeaking into competition for medal contention. Team USA was last place, but after some motivational speeches in the locker room and some lineup changes, he completely turned the team around and got them a bronze medal. Unsatisfied with his work, he reapplied for GM of Team USA the following season. After bringing back a couple players and selecting a few new ones as well, he built a true underdog team that went on to upset Canada in the Gold Medal game to bring gold back to the States. Looking to end on a high note, he shortly thereafter announced his retirement from WJC management to assist GM Jubo in Helsinki for three seasons before retiring from management (for the time being. ) The reason I bring this up is that it can really only mean one thing, GM McLovin is aiming to reenter the management game. He's built strong teams before, as shown previously, as well as assisted GM Jubo in getting the Titans to the Finals in S73. With his application being accepted for GMing Team Europe, and his announcement earlier today of the players representing Europe in the tournament, time will tell where GM McLovin takes his skills into the rest of the VHL. Until then however, we can only wait and see. With all that out of the way, let's get to the real exciting part of this team! Offense: This team has got a remarkably strong offense, based upon individual players point totals and experience within the minor leagues of the VHL, these guys know how to score goals. With the likes of Francesco Mancini @GioSivo, Jasper Davis @Josh, and BjorkaBjorn BjornaBjorkson @JardyB10 headlining as some of the best forwards in the entire tournament. Their VHLE careers thus far speak for themselves, and it's going to be interesting to see how their player types and chemistry blend when they play top minutes against the rest of the world in the tournament. Owen Lazaro @traphag, Tullemore Dew @Spade18 and Legacy Gaming @Gaming Ringleader make up the middle core of this offense. What's interesting here is that GM McLovin has gone for a more two-way lineup possibility with these players. We have the elite offensive production of Legacy Gaming and Tullemore Dew here, in addition to a strong two-way winger option in Owen Lazaro. While he doesn't put the numbers of his two likely linemates, his defensive coverage and physicality will do wonders in keeping players off his line mates and bodies in front of the net to screen shots. It's going to be very interesting to see how they collectively play when puck drop comes. Rounding out the forward core, we have Steve Lattimer @pugsood, Viktor Jensen @Advantage and Nils Andersson @Viper. What's amazing about these three is that it shows top to bottom, there is offensive production everywhere. Steve Lattimer and Nils Andersson both had very strong S88 campaigns in the VHLE, and Viktor Jensen is currently the leading scorer in the JST by far with 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points in only 23 games! He's simply a juggernaut of production, and the fact that he's going to play only 2nd or 3rd line ice time is criminal, so you'll probably see him move up the lineup should his game transition to the international stage. Overall, this is a well oiled machine of production, and will be the backbone and carry of this team moving forward. It's without saying however, without these next two categories, the offense would be able to do nothing, so let's cover the blueline and goalies and what they're going to provide in the WJC. Defense & Goaltending: In the WJC, power rankings have been used to assess the teams likelihood of determining how and where a team will end up. Based upon these preliminary power rankings, Team Europes defense is ranked last, as well as it's goaltending. This is mostly due to a lack of European defenders and goalies being eligible for this seasons WJC, but they still provide a strong and determined group that will put up a fight no matter what. Without further ado, let's take a look at who's guarding the goalie and keeping pucks out of the net in a single segment. Staring us off, we have Admir Bala @Tyler. Admir is a very strong and capable two-way defender. With 74 points in 72 games in the VHLE, Europe is going to be leaning on this guy to quarterback powerplays and kill off penalties for sure. Expect to see him putting up some numbers, as well as high ice time figures for how much Europe is going to need him. Next up, we have Eurydyka Sklodowska Dudzinska @diamond_ace. While his name may be difficult to understand, his defensive game absolutely isn't. He's a defensive defenseman through and through, and when paired with Admir Bala, you got a recipe for success. A hard hitter and shot blocker, ESD as he's been called is going to provide much needed defense on this team, so expect to see his special teams ice time up there too. Tord Yvel @Trazan is another similar case to Admir. Strong two-way game, and a very good vision on sending passes up the ice. His game combined with Tyler Swifts @lilchrist incredibly strong defensive game is going to guarantee Europe has a fighting chance across the board. Despite being ranked in the power rankings low, Team Europes defense is remarkably capable of getting it done, and the player types GM McLovin has selected was not by accident. A strong mix of offensive and defensive capabilities is going to carry this team to glory, and I, myself, cannot wait to see them all out of the ice. Wrapping this up we got the tendies, Karl Herzlich @LastGoon007 and Jeffrey Blake @ElementStyx9. Herzlich and Blake both currently play for the Philadelphia Reapers of the VHLM, who just won the Founder's Cup. This winning mentality will absolutely carry over into the WJC, and they bring a capable and formidable mindset into the locker room that will be the backbone of Team Europe. Conclusion: Man, this is an exciting team right here. Between the stories that have been already written with some of these players making Team Europe in previous World Junior tournaments, to the new stories that will be written, this is an exciting time to be a fan of Europe. Really, it's an exciting time to be a fan of hockey in general. Seeing these players do their thing in the coming weeks is only going to enhance their game, teach them lessons, and propel them even further upon their already illustrious careers. Overall, GM McLovin has built a strong team. Not one purely based off numbers, but off of chemistry and player architypes. What we can expect from Europe this tournament, with that being said, is another underdog story. GM McLovin loves building teams that people will write off as not being strong or capable enough in winning it all, but he's proven before that it is a winning recipe, and this iteration of Europes representatives is no different. An absolutely lethal offense matched with pre-scouted defensive playstyles catered towards enhancing the defense, as well as Cup winning goalies, how could anyone say that Team Europe doesn't have a shot at gold? I'm extremely biased when I say that Europe is absolutely bringing home gold, and that everyone writing them off as just an obstacle for the Canadians and Americans to overcome is just not right. Europe is gonna give the WJC hell, and I cannot wait to see the boys in action. It's also worth mentioning that GM McLovin is most definitely retiring from WJC management for good after this as he's aiming for management position in the VHL leagues, so this is truly his last hurrah in the international stage, but of course, there is always the World Cup. So we'll see what he does there, too . Games are set to begin soon, so stay tuned and keep up to date with your new favorite team! Let's go Europe! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Word Counter stats for those interested, claiming for next three weeks

IT'S SHOWTIMEEE!!!!! I'm so proud to present to the VHL, the S88 Team Europe representatives at the World Junior Championship! We got a crazy strong team here and I couldn't be more excited to see what we accomplish in this tournament! Without further ado, let's announce the players who made the team! Forwards: Francesco Mancini @GioSivo Jasper Davis @Josh BjorkaBjorn BjornaBjorkson @JardyB10 Owen Lazaro @traphag Tullemore Dew @Spade18 Legacy Gaming @Gaming Ringleader Steve Lattimer @pugsood Viktor Jensen @Advantage Nils Andersson @Viper Defense: Admir Bala @Tyler Eurydyka Sklodowska Dudzinska @diamond_ace Tord Yvel @Trazan Tyler Swift @lilchrist Goalies: Karl Herzlich @LastGoon007 (Borrowed on loan from Canada) Jeffery Blake @ElementStyx9 Additionally, the WJC discord is open so highly recommend everyone joins to keep up to date with the games! Ping myself or another GM to get your Team Europe roles! LET'S GOOOOO!!!! https://discord.gg/q6Recxwc

Anisimov was reported saying this in the locker room to his fellow players following the meeting with the commissioner

Maxim Anisimov - Prospect Scouting Report Age: 23, Height: 6'1 Weight: 186 lbs Nationality: Ukrainian Position: Right Wing, VHLM Team: Las Vegas Aces S90 VHL Draft Eligible ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VHLM Career: Maxim's career in the VHLM has been brief thus far, but he has shown wonderful glimpses of potential in that time. In the 18 games he played in S88 with the Las Vegas Aces, he scored 3 goals and registered 9 assists for a total of 12 points. While the point totals look good, a deeper look into the stats of this last season paint a rather impressive picture for Anisimov. 48 shots in 18 games averages out to a little over two and a half shots per game. For a player that prioritizes passing over shooting, that's an impressive number, though with 48 shots and three goals only grants him a shooting percentage of 6.25%. Not the most impressive number, but as it's not his strong suit, it will only improve with his rapid growth. He had 25 hits additionally during the regular season, and this is really impressive as Anisimov is not known at all for his physicality game. The S88 playoffs unfortunately were a sweep for the Aces, but Maxim did show up a bit with a goal and an assist in those four games. He was a -4, however, which shows that defensively, his game requires a little bit more work. With all that being said, let's move onto pros, cons, and draft notes for this rising star. Strengths: Maxim Anisimov is a playmaker through and through. He's stylized his game into a pass first, shoot second mentality and is the perfect accessory piece to a sniping winger or center. His offensive vision is above average for his draft group and will carry his line to offensive production in any situations. Powerplay or even strength, Maxim's got his head up looking to make a play and get his team some wins. He's also started to work heavily on his skating and deking abilities, which will just further enhance his offensive capabilities. Overall, he's on pace to be an incredibly strong offensively minded player, but with that in mind, let's take a look at some weaknesses. Weaknesses: His major glaring flaw over the course of S88 in the VHLM and the Junior Showcase has absolutely been his defensive game. He doesn't create space as much as he should, rarely gets down to block shots and only just found his physical game. Despite these shortcomings, Anisimov makes up for it in offensive production, and with his rapid development over the last few weeks, strides have been made in the Aces offseason to enhance his defensive side more. Whether this translates properly into next season however is still up in the air, so we'll see if he can be a solid two-way forward on top of his growing playmaking game. Draft Notes: Overall, Maxim Anisimov is a dark horse candidate for an elite playmaker in the making, and should be treated as such in the upcoming drafts. His game excels being placed with a sniper and/or strong two-way forward on the same line, and the chemistry can hopefully bring success to any franchise he ends up on. With how rapidly he's growing his skills and experience in the league, he's expected to have a long and successful career, and should definitely be a priority for teams that need a playmaking forward to pick up in the future. He's already been projected 8th overall in the S90 VHL draft, with his draft stock likely rising after the JST and VHLM draft, so GM's should keep an eye on this players career and see if he can bring something to the table for them. Thank you for the read! 627 words.

VHL player name: Maxim Anisimov Render name: Ukraine Wayne Preferred colour(s): Yellow, Blue, Black if you can. Read below Any extra details: Any minor incorporation of the Las Vegas Aces logo/team colors onto a Ukraine themed signature card is perfect.

Review: I am in complete love with this graphic, and that's not even me saying it to get a word count hahaha. The lighting is blended perfectly and adds a wonderful layer to the graphic that I don't see very often, and the font is especially what I first noticed too. The attention to detail across the board whether it be the background and foreground mix is great, and doesn't look patchy anywhere. Overall, this is a very well done graphic, and I would love to commission you for my player one of these days 10/10!

Review: This is incredibly well rendered top to bottom. The layering immediately caught my eye, and the lighting adds a wonderful extra piece to the graphic that I definitely want to see more of! The blending of background into the foreground is also seamless and looks really natural and fresh. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy this graphic and would love to see more of your work! Keep it up, your work is a incredible addition to the forum! 10/10!

1. I expect Maxim to produce good numbers, providing assists and opportunities for his teammates and being a class act in the locker room. 2. The STEEL BABY! CAN'T STOP THE STEEL TRAINNNNNNN!!!! 3. Dark horse for sure, lots of GMs wrote of the playmaking of Maxim Anisimov and he's making GM's pay for it by producing strong numbers. 4. Viktor Jensen absolutely. He was picked first overall for a reason. He's a machine and I can't wait to see what him and Maxim can do together. 5. Absolutely lovely, the players are joys to be around and the energy in the LR has been next level. 6. E-Dubble, Evan f*ckin Wallace baby. E-Dub is the greatest artist I've ever had the pleasure of listening to and he was taken from the world too soon. RIP Evan

Claiming week 2/2

EUROPE RAAAHHHH

1. I'm happy we made it, and obviously it's disappointing being bumped in that fashion, but I'm proud of this team and what they were able to accomplish all things considered. 2. Yeah, it's never fun to get swept, but being able to play post-season hockey period is all that matters, cause once you're there ANYTHING can happen. 3. It was a W for sure. We learned a lot about what we need to improve, and where to go from here. It was a necessary stepping stone to propel us forward, and I'm glad we learned the lessons we did. 4. I'm hopefully getting drafted in the VHLM draft that's upcoming, and all goes according to plan I can spend my entire M career with the Aces! 5. Absolutely ecstatic. We've got a wonderful team here and I wouldn't want to play anywhere else to be completely honest. Maxim belongs in Las Vegas, period. 6. Very good! Regularly posting TPE opportunities and helping players get settled into positions and the team, I obviously wasn't here for the whole season but for the parts that I was, I had no complaints at all!

The long and difficult season the Las Vegas Aces have had is finally over. After being bounced by Mexico City in the first round in a four game sweep, the Aces find themselves on the golf course once more, looking for ways to improve and return to the promised land of the Founder's Cup Final. In the seasons since the Aces last appearance in the Finals, the Aces have only won one game in the playoffs, that being in S87. With this in mind, let's take a dive into the Aces and what they could potentially do to elevate themselves to contender status, and bring Sin City another Founder's Cup. The most obvious start would be goaltending. It was the Aces Achilles' heel this entire season, and cost them big time once it came to playoff time. While goal tender Linden Moore cannot be blamed for everything that went wrong this season, you have to start somewhere unfortunately. Being thrown into a starting position in his rookie year, Moore struggled to find his game and couldn't catch a break. Despite doing all that he could to keep the team in games, Moore put up a 14-24-5 record in the regular season, with a 0.888% save percentage, with a 3.65 goals against to go along with it. With the Aces being swept in the first round, it didn't get much better for him. With 3 regulation losses and one in overtime, an 0.862 save percentage and a very rough 4.9 goals against average, it's safe to say that defensively he was not given much help. Obviously Moore is going to improve his game and will no doubt be a solid goaltender for the future, but sadly those numbers just can't match the level of the Aces opponents, who have had remarkable seasons posted by elite talent. With this in mind though, it's only fair that we take a look at the blueline in front of Linden Moore, and assess what could've been improved to help his situation. Defensively it didn't get much better. As it stands, the Aces only have one defenseman signed as we start approaching the post season. Captain Juan Ceson put up a strong offensively minded season, notching 13 goals and 43 helpers to match. Despite putting up a -19 +/-, Ceson had his second best career year in terms of blocked shots, and a career high 291 hits in the regular season alone! With a strong cornerstone piece like him most likely remaining on the team until retirement, building a strong defensive core with him as the highlight of the blue line, you have a promising future in those regards. The issues arise, however, when you consider that a cornerstone like Ceson has been around for a while now, and only has a few seasons left in the tank. This will mark his 8th year of playing in Las Vegas, and one can only wonder if regression is going to damper an already struggling defense. With this in mind, drafting or signing free agent defenseman has to be a top priority of the Aces management, General Manager Blazzer and AGM Viper certainly have their work cut out for them. Onto a much higher note, we'll wrap the review of the season up with the offense and what the plan should be moving forward team-wise. The Las Vegas Aces did not struggle offensively this season, and that should be something to lean on going into S89. With the likes of ShaunYoungca, Jeremia Barbaslov, and RJM nearing the end of their VHLM careers as they move onto Europe and the Pros, the need to either retain or replace the primary drivers of the offense is abundantly clear. Solid prospects have started making names for themselves with the team, with the likes of Jack Foster, Paul Cramer, Nose Nacho Montana and Maxim Anisimov hopefully either being resigned or drafted by the Aces in the upcoming draft. The future is bright for the Aces offense, but an additional piece or two will really solidify an already strong team hungry for championships once more. That being said, let's take a look at the off-season moves Blazzer and Viper can make to turn a fledging hopeful into a dominate contender. First and foremost, improving the defense and getting additional pieces to assist Juan Ceson is a must. The man simply can't do it all by himself, and I sense Blazzer and Viper are going to be potentially moving pieces, whether it be players and/or picks to get help in that field will happen. That being said, I likely see one if not both of the Aces and Reapers first round picks they have currently being used to acquire players that will make immediate impacts on the team. Moving on from that, either signing a strong starting goalie in free agency, or drafting a prospect goalie to potentially backup a rejuvenated Linden Moore might be the play as well. Either which way you see it, an extra pair of pads to help Moore out is essential in my eyes, short and long term. Finally, I definitely expect the offense to be bolstered further in this offseason, with more winger support coming in to assist an already remarkably strong center core. The possible drafting or signing of playmaking minded wingers to sauce dishes to the snipers already on the team would enhance the offense tenfold, and would likely result in very high scoring games should that be the focus of management instead of defense. With players like Maxim Anisimov and Jeremia Barbaslov already filling those roles on the team, retaining them should be a must, and I'm not only saying that because I'm extremely biased. All-in-all, the Aces are a promising team to look forward to watching in the upcoming seasons. A swift and decisive offseason for them will likely propel them back into the elite of the league, and with the assets they currently posses, they have the potential to make some major splashes to chase that dream. Time will tell what ends up happening, but the future is bright in the Neon City. ------------------------------- 1,020 words, claiming for weeks ending 5/21 & 5/28

Review: I'm a big fan of where you're going with this design. The darker and lighter color contrast really adds a nice layer to the graphic, not to mention the fading and almost grainy sort of retro vibe I feel looking at this. As has been mentioned in this post though I'd have loved to see the Marlins logo on the jersey, but overall it's a solid piece and you got a lot of skill already so props to you! Big fan of it though so I'm feeling a solid 8/10 on this! Keep it up!

Review: I absolutely adore this take on graphic design for the forums. It does wonders in immediately showing your artistic skills, as well as your story telling too! Combing the two into a very well refined and detailed graphic makes for a fantastic piece of work that honestly inspires me to dabble in the world of graphic design myself. I'd absolutely love to see more of this, so keep up the amazing work! 10/10 from me!

Once more unto the breach! I apply!

1. TPE IS A SCAM! FREE US FROM THESE SHACKLES AND UNLEASH OUR FURY UPON THE VHLM! 2. As an Avs fan I absolutely hate it, plus favor like that could not have happened to a worse team 3. Nearly a point per game pace in only 12 games is wonderful for me, I wasn’t expecting much but this certainly exceeds my expectations! 4. Trading games is never fun, but at least we’re still keeping it competitive so I’m fine with it. 5. I feel like we got some sleeper contenders for a handful of awards. I think it’s very much within the realm of possibility. 6. Maple Leafs reverse sweep and dunk on Edmonton in the finals. Calling it now

Review: Where do I even begin with this incredible graphic. This is a design I don't see many people use, and you do it wonderfully! I don't know what you used to render the player in the graphic but it is incredibly detailed so that alone is what sold me on this. On top of that, you got a nice flow in the background with the Marlins logo too. No crazy color clashing either so this is a very easy 10/10 for me! Keep up the great work cause the forum needs more of this!

Review: Oh man, I am absolutely in love with this graphic. Not overbearing or too flashy at all, very straight to the point and I love that about graphics. The attention to detail on the almost grainy/fabric feel to this graphic really adds a whole new layer to this, and the font is amazing as well. So it should be no surprise I'm gonna grade this a solid 9/10. Keep this up, cause I wanna see more of this for sure!

*This is Marcus Svedberg, reporting from sunny Las Vegas, with an update on, you guessed it, the Las Vegas Aces of the VHLM!" Hello again! It's been a while since I sat down in front of this desk and wrote a media spot on a player or team in the wonderful VHL, so I figured what better time to do that than now! Today, we're gonna be looking at the Las Vegas Aces of the VHLM, and doing a bit of a rundown of their year as the regular season draws ever closer to the playoffs. As things stand, the season could be going a lot better on paper, but there is a conversation to be had about Las Vegas potentially being a dark horse candidate for a deep run in the S88 playoffs. As of writing this, Las Vegas sits in 4th place in the Western Conference with a record of 24-27-9. Let's take a deep dive into the team and assess the pros and cons going into the postseason. A quick look at team scoring and you can tell immediately that this roster is made for scoring. 6 players are at least a point per game, with Assistant Captain RJMW III @RJMWleading the way with 70 points (34g, 36a) in 60 games. Winger and 6'8" behemoth Jeremia Barbaslov @Je Barbaslov and defenseman Leo Lewkowicz @BeanSobie are both rapidly approaching 50 assists each, with 22 goals & 10 goals respectively to scratch as well! Center @Taro TsujimotoTarro Tsujimoto rounds out the 50 point scorers with 23 goals and 34 assists. Rounding out the high end production with the likes of Dank Turtle @DankTurtle & Aces legend Juan Ceson @dylanjj37who are both also putting up very respectable and strong efforts in the lineup too, it makes you wonder why a team of this offensive caliber is struggling to keep its head above water in the playoff hunt. It becomes more apparent, however, as you dig deeper into what's making the team click and the poor luck they've had in their quest for another Cup. Scheduling is always a concern for teams that are considered fringe playoff teams, and the competition this year has been heavy for Las Vegas. When the likes of the Mexico City Kings or San Diego Marlins (who are also on a 7 game winning streak at the moment!) come into town, it's gonna make your life a little bit harder. Given that they're also in the same conference, you can almost guarantee that should Las Vegas keep their head above water and make the playoffs, they have their work cut out for them and THEN some in the top dog competition that is the VHLM these coming playoffs. And their troubles don't end there, unfortunately. Sitting in the fourth to last place, you'd think that they are completely shot and that they only have a handful of players keeping it alive, right? You then see the team scoring and realize that this team is actually one of the better offensive teams in the entire VHLM, outscoring the likes of the Houston Bulls by 15 goals despite being 10 points behind them in the standings. So what's holding this team back you might be wondering? It's the Achilles heel of any professional hockey team. Shaky goaltending. This, mind you, is not a flaming of the goaltenders and casting all blame on them. Don't get me wrong, hockey is a team sport and it's a team that makes or breaks a good season. When you look at the facts, however, you start to see why this could be a source of many problems for Las Vegas going into the postseason, and even beyond. Looking at the goaltending of the teams at the top of the league, it becomes very apparent what a good team, and even great teams rely on for their success day in and day out. Goaltending. Not just your market value beer leaguer either, no, we're talking standing on their head, making diving saves at the buzzer, brick wall goaltending. When you're facing an elite tendy like Jonny Elgar @Jonny or Ross Glagau @Zetterberg who are putting up 38 and 36 win seasons, with a .913 sv% & 2.48 GAA or .915 sv% & 2.48 GAA respectively, you're gonna have a real hard time. Then you have to face goalies the likes of Olivier Gauthier @fonziGG putting up an absolutely mind bending 41 wins with a .927 SV% & 2.15 GAA, you're gonna have a really bad time. Looking inwards towards the Aces goaltending, and sadly you don't get that same level of production. Max Schuett @Schutte put up a decent record of 13-10-5, but the numbers that being 0.894 sv% and a 3.06 GAA, it was not what you were hoping for in a rookie goalie, and could possibly been what contributed to Max being released from their contract in the same season. Linden Moore @orbit has since taken the reigns and is doing his best to revive a dragging team behind him. This being his rookie season though, production hasn't been up to par of the rest of the league with a 11-17-3 record being posted since being signed to his rookie deal. An 0.886 sv% and 3.66 GAA to go along isn't earth shattering either, but one can hope that should Linden choose to return to Las Vegas, hopefully he can continue to build his game and become one of those highly touted goalies in the league. Until then though, the Aces struggle. Moving on past that though, let's end on a happier note and something the Aces can look forward to in the coming future. Trade deadline is an exciting time for VHLM GM's as new players come into the fold and are picked up by the team to play the last few games of the season. This year was no different for the Aces as they went out and acquired a few players to bolster their roster hopefully for the foreseeable future. First off, we have Jack Foster @0kmemie who's having a great start to his VHLM career. 12 points, 5 goals and 7 helpers in 15 games is a very strong start, and Vegas adds yet another strong center to their team to stack that offense. They also went out and grabbed Nose Nacho Montana @Nose Nacho Montana, who's only played two games so far. We'll definitely keep an eye out on them though as their career is looking to be another strong future for Las Vegas. Rounding out the acquisitions for the Aces is Maxim Anisimov @McLovin. Maxim's only played 6 games in his own VHLM career, but has put up 6 points and a +5 (a stat in which he leads the team crazily enough.) Being projected to be VHL drafted in S90, Maxim has a long, long time to develop his game in the minors and looks to be aiming for playing his entire minor league career with Las Vegas. Whether they draft him is still to be determined, but with a strong couple of futures in their hands, so long as the Aces figure out what to do in net scouts are expecting them to come out absolutely swinging for S89. What happens this season though is very much in their own hands, however, so all we can do now is wait and see. This is Marcus Svedberg, reporting from Helsinki, Finland. Go Titans Go! ------------------------------------------------------- 1,240 words, claiming for next two weeks