McLovin

Hopefully later tonight/tomorrow morning!

ELITEEEEE

Claiming week 2/2

This is a really awkward hill to die on tbh, L take imo don't get triggered by colors next time

Welcome welcome! Feel free to reach out if you need any thing at all!

Elle Aura Ashe @Lynersify confirm referral

Ye I more meant it in the sense of like it's impossible to say how good someone is gonna be before they suit up, but if you compare em to some of the greats in todays game from when they played in the same leagues, what he's doing now as compared to what McDavid was doing almost a decade ago, and Crosby almost two, it's a pretty good sign that he's gonna be elite hahaha

I honestly don't remember a single person ever comparing the top two picks in a rather weak draft to the likes of McDavid and Crosby, but they were certainly expected to at least TRY and play like 1st and 2nd overall selections. They're both only hovering around 21 years of age though so they've got plenty of time to figure their game out. That's the big difference that needs to be paid arguably the most attention to until we see them actually play in the NHL. When players in the CHL and the WJC are breaking records set by NHL Superstars and future HOFers, it's usually a good stat to compare and contrast from. Look at all McDavid did for the Erie Otters when he was in the O, for example, or Crosby when he played in the Q. Outstanding careers, and Bedard is breaking their records and even league records in a tougher competitive player pool than what the two other guys faced when they played in the minors. If he can play like that against people of his age group in the modern game, very, very big things are expected of him once he makes the full jump.

Hello, and welcome to this VSN Presentation of the VHLM’s Power Rankings for Weeks 1 & 2 of the S90 Regular Season! We’ve got a lot to cover in these, as we’ll be going over projections into the future, current projection and a lot more. That being said, without further ado, let’s get into the rankings! 1st. Mississauga Hounds 12-1-0, 24 Points, 1st in Eastern Conference, 1st in League Standings Staring off our power rankings, we have the Mississauga Hounds! It’s very easy to understand why they're in first place as well when you look at what they’ve already accomplished. Five of their players are near the TPE ceiling for the VHLM, so having all-stars on almost every line certainly helps, and with the seasons that some of them are having, primarily Grimgor Ironhide @FrostBeard, Gremlis Lielais @Anomalijs, and Howdy Doody @BigIrish. It’s safe to say that unless something drastically changes for the Hounds, expect to see them up here in this place quite a bit. 2nd: San Diego Marlins 9-2-1, 19 Points, 2nd in Western Conference, 3rd in League Standings Next on our list, we have the Marlins. The reason we’re not ranking based off standings solely is because there are deeper factors to consider besides standings placement, as they don’t tell a whole story, or where a team deserves to be over where they are in the standings. 5 players at a PPG pace thus far, elite goaltending, and the second highest GDiff in the league has them placed second on our standings. An overall very well rounded team that has potential to compete with Mississauga for first place in the league should the elite players of San Diego step up even more and take off in production. 3rd: Las Vegas Aces 9-2-2, 20 Points, 1st in Western Conference, 2nd in League Standings After a few seasons of inconsistent performance, the Aces seems to have found their stride in waivers signed by GM McLovin in the offseason. Bric Sheithaus @Oldhead91and Stinky @taylorherd lead the way in point totals, and a majority of the team is actually nearly at or above point per game production. The only reason they’re not second in the rankings however is because of their defensive game. Of the top 6 teams in the standings, Las Vegas has by far the biggest goals against total among them. If they’re able to round up their defensive game a bit and keep pucks in the opponents net instead of their own, I see them shooting up to second very easily. 4th: Miami Marauders 8-4-1, 17 Points, 2nd in Eastern Conference, 4th in League Standings Moving on, we’ve got Miami. A surprising addition to this list, as they aren’t one of the teams you’d expect to see this high in the rankings. Led by Joakim Norden @Kaldolmar in the scoresheet, they boast a surprising lethal offense that’s certainly been helping them win key games to be up at this point. The only weakness is their lack of defensive depth on the blueline. Only having two defensemen is never a perfect strategy, and they’ve been partially burned for it, but despite this they’ve managed to rank 4th in the standings, as well as here in our VSN Power Rankings. 5th: Philadelphia Reapers 7-6-0, 14 Points, 3rd in Eastern Conference, 6th in League Standings Entering the halfway mark of the rankings, we have the Reapers. After their remarkable season in S89, they’ve slowed down and are looking to be either leaning on waivers to join up midway through the season, or dedicating to the rebuild. They hold a solid record at 7-6-0, only a goal differential of +1, and seem to be a very steady middle ground team that can go one way or another seemingly as they choose. Having won their last two games, and with players like Eno Velvson @Nykonax leading the way, the future is promising for Philadelphia. If they manage to acquire more depth to fill the holes in the lineup, expect to see them shoot up in the rankings very quickly. Time will tell, however. 6th: Saskatoon Wild 6-5-3, 15 Points, 3rd in Western Conference, 5th in League Standings At the second half mark of the rankings, we got Saskatoon. The deepest team of any other in the VHLM finds themselves in the bottom half of the rankings. Despite the depth and large number of elite players on the roster, they seem to struggle finishing games as of late with 3 overtime losses already. Their biggest reason for this seems to be attributed to players not finishing as needed. Whether it be a strategy issue, overload on depth, eating up minutes for star players, or any other number of factors, they find themselves barely holding their head above .500%, and will likely fight tooth and nail for each win moving forward until their players improve in their individual skill sets. 7th: Ottawa Lynx 5-7-1, 11 Points, 4th in Eastern Conference, 7th in League Standings Up next, we have the Ottawa Lynx. A similar team to Philadelphia, but without the early production to win them games, and lack of elite players, they find themselves struggling to be a top tier competitive team. Dan jr @Danzo, and Lucky Mitts @Gmoneyman52 lead the way offensively, but despite their well over point per game production, the lack of depth proves to be a consistent issues as we move further down the list, and expect to see it be a common theme as to troubles teams will face moving forward in the season. 8th: Mexico City Kings 4-7-2, 10 Points, 4th in Western Conference, 8th in League Standings A very surprising team to be found this low in the standings and our rankings is the Mexico City Kings. Despite their strong defensive core, bolstering elite players like Mina @Baozi on the blueline, they find themselves unable to get goal production actively flowing. Interestingly enough, however, is the fact that they have one of the highest goals against in the league despite their defense on paper. Perhaps the lack of forward depth is negatively affecting the defense enough that they can’t stop the high volume of shots and goals against that they’re facing. Whatever it may be, if they can get more forwards to take the pressure off the defense, watch these guys explode in production, and become one of the better defensive teams in the league. 9th: Houston Bulls 4-8-1, 9 Points, 5th in Western Conference, 9th in League Standings Another victim of the defense shortage the VHLM is facing, we have the Houston Bulls. Despite having one of the best forwards in the league in Joshua Schwarzer @Velevra absolutely tearing it up for them, once again it’s the lack of defensemen on the team that holds them back, and is giving them a difficult time to find their stride in the standings. If they’re able to get a defenseman or two, however, they definitely have the potential to turn the season around and get wins in the books. As a lot of teams struggle with this problem however, being one of the teams to lock up waiver defensemen is going to be a challenge, and might prove difficult to convince players to join them should they fall further in the standings. 10th: Halifax 21st 1-10-2, 4 Points, 5th in Eastern Conference, 10th in League Standings Onto our final team in the power rankings, we have Halifax. Honestly, I have no idea how they are this low in the standings. They bolster elite players, and even though they have a lack of depth to lean on, having 5 forwards and a pretty decent goalie in net to help a bit, it usually isn’t a nail in the coffin death sentence towards a team's performance. They hold the fifth most goals for in the league, but by far hold the worst goals against with 65 in only 13 contests. The lack of defense seems to be the biggest issue, and Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage @Grape can only do so much to help. Perhaps waivers will be interested in joining up with them for Cinderella, coming from way behind story potential by signing up with them. Otherwise, expect a hard rebuild from Halifax going into the midway portion of the season This concludes the VSN Week 2 Power Rankings for the VHLM Regular season. Make sure to catch our next rankings as we expect teams to fluctuate a lot in these rankings, and keep yourself in the loop of all things VHLM! This has been Marcus Svedberg, for VSN, signing off!

Caesar Monterrey @CaptainGatsby pls confirm

Bric Sheithaus @Oldhead91 confirm referral

Stockholm not winning the cup + Anisimov not mentioned 0/10

Claiming week 2/2

RLV: Hello Europe: Maxim Anisimov Maxim Anisimov has made the jump to the VHLE, having been drafted by the Stockholm Vikings 10th overall in the S90 VHLE Entry Draft. Returning to Europe means a great deal to Anisimov, as he was born and raised in Ukraine. Growing up watching the KHL & VHLE, it inspired him to pursue a hockey career and show the world that eastern European countries can make some great hockey players too. Returning to his home continent, and especially playing for a team he's been wanting to be a part of his entire life, means Anisimov has high expectations for himself in his rookie VHLE season. The Stockholm Vikings didn't preform the best during the S89 VHLE regular season, having only won 3 games out of a total of 72 contests, it's safe to say that the addition of Anisimov to the roster is going to provide the Vikings a great deal of firepower they've been desperately needing for a long time now. Anisimov is going into his first VHLE season with expectations that he will be a player Stockholm leans on for his playmaking and special teams ability. High assist totals and power play points are his primary focus, with his end goal being to develop into a good two-way player that Stockholm can put into any slot in the roster, and he'd be able to provide elite performance. With this in mind, he wants to do everything he can to get Stockholm back in the win column, and get them back to the playoffs. Honestly, anything better than a three win season will be a great season in the eyes of Maxim, so anything else is just a bonus to playing for one of his favorite teams in the VHL. Overall, Anisimov couldn't be happier with where he ended up. He knows he's going to enjoy his time back in Europe, and having also been drafted by Warsaw in the S90 VHL Draft, he'll be very close to home for a long time, and he can't wait to get started. The anticipation has been building for a long time, and now he gets a chance to prove his worth on one of the worlds biggest stages. Although he will likely only spend a single season in the VHLE before moving onto the Pros, he's going to make the most of the wonderful opportunity he's been given, and make Stockholm proud to have selected him when they did. For Radio Las Vegas, this is Marcus Svedberg, signing off! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Piston Maicupp @MandyManiac pls confirm

The jersey number of Juan Ceson is being retired by the Las Vegas Aces. Ceson is the All-Time Aces record holder for Games Played: 531 Points: 291 Hits: 1691 Shots Blocked: 897 Shots on Goal: 776 Penalty Minutes: 702 Playoff Games Played: 66 Playoff Hits: 210 Playoff Shots Blocked: 93 Playoff Penalty Minutes: 125 Ceson was and still is an all-time leader of this team, having been a part of the Golden Age of the Aces from S83-85, contributing to two Founder's Cup Championships, and still to this day helping management achieve what he's always stood for, winning. The accomplishments, achievements and prestige of Ceson cannot be condensed into a mere few words, but if I were to, it would be "Juan Ceson Forever." It's one of the greatest honors of my young GMing career to be the one to put this great mans number into our rafters forever. Thank you, Juan Ceson

The World Junior Championship is upon us! This go around is no different from seasons past, as both General Managers of the teams and players alike look to prove they have what it takes to be the best of the best of the future in VHL competition. The rosters are set and the teams are ready. Let’s take a look at who’s playing where, and which team might possibly take home Gold at this World Juniors! Team Europe: Starting with the team that did the impossible and won it all last season, we’ve got Team Europe! It seems they’re sticking to what worked last season, leaning on the offense to carry games. Familiar faces like Viktor Jensen @Advantage, BjorkaBjorn BjornaBjorkson @JardyB10, Legacy Gaming @Gaming Ringleader, Steve Lattimer @pugsood, and Admir Bala @Tyler headline the team again, and look to be some of the best players the Tournament has to offer. Additionally, Goaltender Karl Herzlich @LastGoon007 is making his return to the WJC after a completely dominant VHLM season with the Philadelphia Reapers, and looks to win his second consecutive Gold Medal at the Tournament. The roster is absolutely stacked, and personally I’d say they’re favorites to win the Tournament. That being said though, Team USA was by far the favorite to win last season's World Juniors, and with how they only walked away with a Bronze for their Round Robin showing, favorites mean little in the grand scheme of things. Regardless, I’d expect a big WJC from Team Europe, and a Medal Round appearance minimum. Team World: Moving on, we’ve got last season's Silver Medal winner, Team World! Looking to make another Cinderella story type run, they’re expanding upon what made them so good last season and leaning on their top line and defensive core. Keita Kourou @woog and Pope Francis @nurx are the players to look out for, as they are likely who Team World will rely heavily on to keep them competitive in Medal Round contention. With new depth pieces being added as well, they’ve got a solid shot at making something happen. The big, glaring issue, however, is absolutely the goaltending. Skill wise, their goaltending duo is of the worst in the tournament, and if they goalies can’t keep up with heavy hitter teams in the Round Robin, it’s looking very scary for Team World. I believe that should the goaltending hold its ground and make games competitive, World has a solid chance at making a serious run at Gold, but they have a long road ahead of them to get to that point. It’s safe to say World has their work cut out for them, but should they rise to the challenge, I see a wonderful underdog story in the making that would be very reminiscent of Team Europe's own Cinderella run and win from last season's World Juniors. This will be a very interesting team to watch, so make sure to keep them in mind once the puck drops tomorrow! Team USA: Next up, we have Team USA! After a strong Round Robin in S88’s World Juniors, they look to improve upon their previous success and make a run at Gold once more! The roster, similarly to ones mentioned previously, has many familiar faces making their return to the red, white and blue. With players like Justin Williams @JCV and Eric Queefson @twists returning, and the additions of Fradin McGryer @Fradin99, Jack Jeckler @Uncommon, and Ben Laas @dustywilson22, this is a much more defensively minded Team USA that looks to shut down competition, and level the playing field against more offensively minded teams like Europe. Matchups between them should be very interesting to watch indeed! Overall, I believe that Team USA has a very strong chance at making the Medal Round once more, and even competing for a Gold Medal. The question lies in the defense and goaltending however, as if they’re unable to prevent goals from going in at rapid pace, they’ll be eaten alive by the lack of offensive depth to match juggernaut teams like Europe or Canada. Goaltending shouldn’t be an issue, however, as Team USA bolsters one of the better goaltending duos of the Tournament, and aims to lean on them to shut down games. Should Jonny Elgar @Jonny pull this off, watch out for Team USA! Team Canada: Here’s a dark horse candidate for the competition, we have Team Canada! After failing to win a Medal in the S88 World Juniors, Team Canada is coming back with a vengeance, and it’s going to be everyone else’s problem. Canada bolsters arguably the second best roster (at least TPE wise) of the entire Tournament, and on paper, they’re a very, very scary team. 7 of the top 11 players for Canada are forwards, and similarly to Europe, will look to utilize this strength in the Round Robin by exploding on offensive production at every opportunity. Jeff Lewis @nerji and Montgomery Burns @LastOneUp especially are some of the best forwards playing in the World Juniors, and look to be deciding factors in whether Canada can return to Medal contention in this season's go. As I said previously, these guys are good, and I honestly expect big things from them. They’ve got the pieces, they’ve got the experience, they’ve got what it takes. Their kryptonite, however, is easily their defense. While they have a strong first pairing, it severely drops off after that, and it’s been proven time and time again that depth is what wins Championships. If the offense can pull through, or the defense pulls a miracle out, I can easily see Canada playing and potentially even winning Gold. Keep an eye out for them! Team Asia: Last but not least, we have Team Asia. A first look at the roster, and it’s rather plain to see. The lack of Asian players hurts the team, as a majority of the team isn’t actually from Asia, but players that the rest of the Tournament didn’t select for their rosters. With a team of misfits, however, draws opportunity. While it’s tough to argue that they’d be a contender for a Medal Round appearance, they have the potential to be upsetters for teams looking to make it there. Shubham Anand @Will3 and Savaisk Tzear @comrade cat are definitely the stars of this roster, and will likely be leaned on heavily to maintain competitiveness against stacked teams who have deep depth. Throw in the misfits and you got yourself a very unique opportunity to be a rather nice comeback story in the making. Not to mince words, but I can’t see them being a very strong contender for Gold. As mentioned previously however, they’re going to fight hard and heavy for every game, and make the rest of the Tournament sweat. You won’t be able to walk over these guys, that’s for sure, and they’re going to make you earn a win whenever you play them. With that said, however, I’m sure some teams will underestimate them, and they’ll quickly come to learn that no team should be written off when playing on the world stage. Concluding this VSN coverage of the WJC rosters for S89, I have to say that I’m extremely excited to see what happens in the coming weeks with this tournament. Everyone has a chance at doing something great, and the potential stories to be told are infinite. This is a very exciting time to be a fan of the WJC, so make sure you cheer on your teams as they attempt to win glory on the world's largest prospect stage. This has been Marcus Svedberg, VSN, wishing you all a happy WJC!

https://vhlportal.com/players/playerfocus/6029 has reached 100 TPE

Live from Juan Ceson Arena, this is Radio Las Vegas, with your host, Marcus Svedberg. A special episode is here, so let's get into it! General Manager @Blazzer has announced she is resigning from the position of GM of the Aces, and it comes at a time where the Aces are looking towards the future to get out of the rut they've been in for the last couple seasons. Taking a look back at the career of Blazzer, sure the numbers don't stand out, but the dedication and passion for the team cannot be denied. Despite tough seasons ever since she took over, she worked day in and day out to get a team together to be competitive, and that alone is to be commended. The care for the players she's shown has proven to this writer that the Aces, win or lose, were going to come to the arena with a will to win, and that's thanks to the leadership that she provides from the front office. With her resigning, it's a tough guess as to who will take over. Favorite at the moment to be named next GM is current AGM of the team, Ben Hafkey @McLovin, who looks to continue his work in management in a more amplified role. Having served as AGM in Helsinki from S70 to 73, and multiple Gold Medal wins at the WJC, Blazzers apprentice aims to take what he has learned and take it to the next level. Her previous AGM, @Viper has already made a name for himself in Saskatoon with a commendable rookie GM season. Hafkey has announced that he intends to offer Blazzer the role he filled should she want to come back to the team. Whether this happens or not, and whether he actually becomes GM are up in the air. As it stands though, the future of the Aces hangs in the decision the Commissioners make in the coming days. Frank Sinatra is up next, reminding us that you're never really alone, under a Blue Moon

I'll toss my hat in the ring should Las Vegas not be available by then. Every player I've had has been a Titan and reviving the legacy of the great GM Jubo would be amazing

Applying for Las Vegas.

Live from Juan Ceson Arena, this is Radio Las Vegas, with your host, Marcus Svedberg, fanning the flames of your passion. As the post season begins to wind down, and the draft approaching at rapid haste, the S89 Review for the Las Vegas Aces is next on our list of things to do before the draft. Overall, it's tough to rehash all that went wrong this season, so we'll be quick in it, and how management was able to turn what most would consider the lowest you can go (at least in the standings), into a promising future that Aces fans should be excited for. At the beginning of the season, the Aces traded for Maxim Anisimov after Saskatoon drafted him 12th overall, only two picks before the Aces were meant to select him. This should've been the first sign, as the Aces had to give up significant pieces to acquire a player they would eventually end up trading away for significantly less only a month or so later. However, the Aces pushed on and began the season in a respectable position. Depth and special teams were the Achilles Heel of this seasons team, as on both fronts the Aces were outmatched and outgunned in every capacity. Nearing the trade deadline and the Aces were slipping further and further down the standings. With multiple players also being released or outright randomly retiring mid season, to put it nicely, it royally screwed the team and forced them to concede the season. Management made an executive decision days before the Trade Deadline to sell off assets to begin a rebuild with what they had left. With a few waiver players joining around this time as well, they didn't make too much of a difference as the Aces ended S89 in dead last, a point behind the very team that fleeced them in the S89 VHLM Draft. I guess karma has funny ways of showing itself in that regard at least. To put it mildly, however, this season was tough. On the fans, on management, on the players, everyone. With question marks top to bottom in every capacity you can imagine, who knows what the future holds? I'm optimistic however, as this upcoming draft looks promising in delivering a team that can start competing again for reigns of VHLM Founders Cup Champions once more. When that competitiveness happens however, only the future knows. One would be forgiven for calling me crazy in believing the Aces have a good future ahead of them. Billie Holiday relates to that sentiment, with "Crazy He Calls Me," coming up next.

ROUND 2: 1st. Philadelphia Reapers (55-12-5) - z vs 4th. Mexico City Kings (39-27-6) - x Continuing the VSN’s coverage of our Playoff Preview, our next matchup has the Philadelphia Reapers going up against the Mexico City Kings. At first glance, one would suspect that the Reapers would take swift care of the Kings and have an easy path to the Finals. Taking a closer look into the individual players and abilities they have to bring, it’s actually a much closer matchup than one would think. Starting with Philly, their depth is second to none. Their entire roster is stacked top to bottom with role players, essential depth pieces and star power to give them a fighting chance to win any game they play, and likely do it too. A big reason why they found so much success in the regular season can likely be attributed to two main aspects, the center core and the goaltending. Having players in the center position able to play strong two-way games and carry a team’s ability to compete at both ends of the ice is crucial to winning games, and Philadelphia has mastered this mentality. With that said, it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t have an All-Star goalie in net, and Philadelphia has this too in Karl Herzlich @LastGoon007. Without him in goal, it’s not too crazy to think that the Reapers wouldn’t be anywhere near the level of contender they are now. With that in mind however, let’s assess the competition in Mexico City and how they can match the Reapers in a lot of what makes them a great team. While they don’t have the elite caliber goaltending or depth in numbers that the Reapers bolster, they make up for it in high end talent in the offensive and defensive cores. A staggeringly strong top 6 forward core and our previous player to watch candidate Conference Prince-de-Galles @UnkemptCL4PTP, they have the star power to match, and even at times, out play the Reapers on those top lines. What the difference is however in deciding this series is whether the Kings high end players can keep up with the numbers and large variety of skills the Reapers will lash out at them with. If the likes of Carson Walker Jr @Cwalker, King Kisslinger @Kisslinger and others can pull that off however, this will be a very competitive series, one that the Kings have a remarkably strong chance of winning. Our player to watch for this series will be Carson Walker Jr. The team has relied on him to produce in the regular season, and his high level of production will be put to the test against a stacked Reapers team. If he can turn it on and carry the Kings through this series, he has a seriously good chance at winning Playoff MVP for this series alone. My prediction for this series has the Reapers besting the Kings in 7. I believe the Kings will give the Reapers a run for their money, but the star power and depth from Philadelphia will edge them out in the end. This was a very close series to call, so keep your eyes open on either of these teams having what it takes to move onto the Finals. -Marcus Svedberg @McLovin, VSN 3rd. San Diego Marlins (49-16-7) - x vs 7th. Ottawa Lynx (24-33-15) - x In what many believe to be one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, the Ottawa Lynx upset the #2 seed Houston Bulls in 5 games. I’m for sure shocked at the fact that as strong as Houston was, they were bested by one of the bottom feeders of the league. C Bruise Banner @ctotsled the way in scoring for the Lynx with 1 goal and 6 assists, while G Ryan Artyomov @Enoramarecorded a .938 SV% and a 1.75 GAA, which definitely helps a team move onto the next round of the playoffs. Soon, however, we’re gonna see the Lynx get tested against a strong San Diego team, however, if they can beat the #2 seed, then they can definitely beat the #3 seed. San Diego beat Halifax pretty quickly, even though it seemed like this series would be much closer. Leading the way in scoring was C Sjin @Sjin with 3 goals and 6 assists in the 5 game series. G Clark @cl4rkhad what was likely the best showing playoffs wise out of all goaltenders, posting a .941% SV% and a 1.6 GAA. If the Marlins can continue to produce at these high of numbers, then they should have no problem moving onto the next round. They do, however, have to now face a red hot Ottawa team that just beat the team seeded 1 slot higher than them, so the Lynx can’t be taken lightly. Ok ok, I know I didn’t make the best predictions in the 1st round. But this is a fresh start. And why not make this fresh start fun? I’m taking Ottawa in 7. That’s right, the Cinderella story continues. I think that the production team-wide is going to push the Lynx over the top, sending them to the finals where they’ll look to win their 2nd Founder’s Cup in 3 seasons. -Chris Rock @TopTiddee2, VSN FOUNDERS CUP FINALS 1st. Philadelphia Reapers (55-12-5) - z vs 7th. Ottawa Lynx (24-33-15) - x The S89 Founders Cup Final, predicted by VSN writers Marcus Svedberg & Chris Rock will be the Philadelphia Reapers against the Ottawa Lynx! This matchup is fascinating, for a multitude of reasons. The most prominent being the fact that it will be a true test of whether offense or defense wins championships. Let’s analyze these teams a bit, and see what we mean by this. Starting with Philadelphia, what else is left to be said about them? They had a 55 win season, they’re in the Final, they’re here to win it. Bolstered by one of the most stacked rosters the VHLM has seen, it’d be surprising to say the least if they didn’t make it to this point, and in convincing fashion as well. Offense, defense, goaltending, special teams, all of it. They’re elite top to bottom, and they’ve earned their spot in the Final. Looking a bit deeper into the team as well and it's truly not even a debate. Four players over a point-per-game, with another three nearly at a PPG, it's impossible to ignore that this offense is STACKED. Two of the aforementioned players are also defensemen, so take that as you will. When you got a goalie also casually dropping a 54 win season for good measure, you've get a recipe for success. All-in-all, nobody should be surprised at the Reapers appearing here. A question now would simply be can they maintain the pressure they’ve put on the league all season and finally cap it off with a Founder’s Cup Championship? Personally, I think they have the potential to, but they have one more obstacle to push past before they can reach the summit of the playoff mountain, that being the Ottawa Lynx. The Ottawa Lynx have made it here for one reason, and that’s their elite defense and goaltending. Bolstered by the play of Ryan Artyomov, they’re here on a mission to win their second Cup in 3 seasons, and have what it takes to put a stop to the dominance of the Reapers so far in S89. With three of their four rostered defenseman at max skill acceptable by the VHLM’s ruleset, and the aforementioned goaltending, it quite honestly can’t get better than what they have, and they’re going to be put to the test against a proven to be lethal threat that the Reapers will inevitably throw at them. If the defense can convert opportunities in their zone into scoring chances on the other end of the ice, I see them keeping the Reapers on their toes all series long. 1-2 goal games will be the story of the Final here, and it’s anybody’s guess as to what will happen. With that in mind, let’s predict the future with a player to look out for, and who will win the S89 Founders Cup! I think without question our player to watch will be Ryan Artyomov. He will be what makes or breaks a dynasty in the making for the Lynx, and the series lies on his and the defenses shoulders, to put a stop to the Titan of the East. If he can pull it off however, I see another strong case being made for playoff MVP in Artyomov, depending on how this series plays out. All being said, let’s get into the S89 Founders Cup Champions prediction! Thank you for reading this VSN Playoff Preview for S89! We’ve been Marcus Svedberg and Chris Rock, wishing you all a happy playoffs!