Rayzor_7

Hey everyone! I'm excited to be Team Nordic Mercenaries Scandinavia's GM this World Cup, and I can't wait to get the ball rolling. Here are this season's players:
 
Forwards
Nikolas Kauppi  @Tetricide
Scotty Sundin  @fromtheinside
FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist  @STZ
Tomas Sogaard 🇩🇰 @Brandon
Viktor Jensen 🇳🇴 @Advantage
Halvar Torbjorn  @Rayzor_7
 
Defense
Elias Lampi  @Pifferfish
Velociraptor Greg  @samx
David Jokinen  @Ahma
Bo Johansson  @Shindigs
 
Goaltending
Fuukka Rask  @Jubis
Karl Pedersen 🇩🇰 @JeffD
 
If you haven't already, please join us in the WCoH Discord server. Everyone is welcome! https://discord.gg/mz8nxswp Let's get hype!

Tough to really call Torbjorns season an improvement but overall it technically was. Up to 19 goals from 15, down to 10 PIMs from 29, shots blocked went up to 35 from 12 and notched a game winning goal this season. With that said, Torbjorn will now enter his fourth VHL season on yet another different team, this time back in Seattle after spending time in Malmo, Calgary and Davos. At this point Torbjorn may play a season on every team with the way things are headed. Honestly I wouldn't mind that but it's not ideal. At least this past season Torbjorn managed to put up 5 goals and 4 assists in 11 playoff games compared to just one assist in 6 games in Calgary. 
At the end of the day Halvar is just one point off of 100 and just crossed the 500 shot barrier. My player won't be anything special but as long as he's doing good work I'm happy.

My very first recruitment graphic and one of the very first graphics I ever made. I remember being really into putting color gradients over pictures of cities at the time, and I also remember that the text looks the way it does because I pressed random things until it got that way. I then proceeded to ask what I did, so I could hopefully do it again, and learned that this isn't the greatest graphic in the world and that no one else had any idea either.
 
 
Way back in S66, the VHLM expanded--again. I was part of the league's (at the time) historic S66 draft class, which was already given a good amount of room to work with by the addition of Houston and Philadelphia in S65. Heck, I was even part of the very first Houston team, even though that's not something I'll get into here. In S66, the league brought in Mississauga, Mexico City, and San Diego. And it was here that I would get hired, after just one season in the league, to my very first GM job...the very first GM of the Mississauga Hounds.
 
For the next 4-plus seasons, the team would be mine. I grabbed an old Houston teammate of mine in @Radcow as my first AGM, and off we went--the S66 Hounds team alone would feature names like @DoktorFunk, @Rayzor_7, @Hogan, and of course, current Wild GM (and longtime AGM of mine) @Berocka as first-gens. And that's not even mentioning Scottish legend (and VHLM points leader) Callum MacElroy and eventual AGM-of-a-couple-teams Cody Smith. From the very first season, the Hounds were a very special place. 
 
Other first-gens who originally called Mississauga home in my time and built one or more solid careers upon it include @Telkster, @Cxsquared, @Patrik Tallinder, and 4th-round pick @Ricer13 (whose draft slot I initially traded into targeting someone else I didn't realize had been picked. Although, good riddance--I don't even remember who that was because they went IA immediately, and we got Ricer!). And, of course, I have to give an honorary mention to @DarkSpyro, whose career began as a waiver signing in Ottawa but whose activity we watched explode with the Hounds. We'd all come together to create something that was beyond a team and was even almost a community in itself. Our locker room was talked about around the entire league, and that isn't just my own GM bias. Do you know how hard that is to achieve, especially when you're just a VHLM team and no one is supposed to care about you? We did that.
 
Together, we would build up a team that made the playoffs in its very first season, took a step back, and made two very serious runs at the championship in S68 and S69. In fact, we'd make the finals in S69, but lose to a borderline unstoppable Saskatoon team. In a season where I'd banked more mid-late picks than anyone else (a range where I'd typically excelled in drafts previous because I'd scout the absolute heck out of them), it was just our luck that there wasn't a single active to be found outside the first round and a half. Sometimes I wonder what may have changed with a draft class that looked more like the ones before it, but at the end of the day...I can be proud that we made the very first finals appearance in franchise history.
 
But anyway, hello everyone. Perhaps you're wondering why I'm pinging you--this certainly isn't the very first time I've reflected on my time as GM, and it's been almost four real-life years since I ran the Hounds. But since there's a general lack of VHLM awareness, I thought I'd let you (and maybe a lot of others) know...
 
...that for the very first time in franchise history, the Mississauga Hounds are Founder's Cup Champions.
 
You got that right. It took over 4 years to get there, it took a long list of GM changes, and it took a whole lot of hard work through countless rule changes and VHLM stuff, but at long last, the GM who can claim the title is none other than @vincentlg2007, in his very first team management gig. The team is still fighting through it all, wins are still being chased, and in what I can tell you is nothing short of an administrative miracle, the exact same server that I created as a college freshman is still up and running.
 
And isn't it nice to look over the list of Hounds past and imagine what the future might hold for the franchise? Heck, this team just did what I couldn't, even with the names I had. And while I'm generally obligated to be impartial and spent most of the season neither knowing nor caring how the Hounds were doing, seeing the outcome of the Cup still gave me a sense of pride. It's not my team anymore, but it was my very first as a GM and I'll never forget the time I spent there, much like I hope you won't forget the best of your early-VHL experiences.
 
Until next week!

Well all things considered I can't complain with Torbjorns pace this season, he's managed to top his career scoring totals already as well as shots blocked as Davos is chasing Prague for first place in the conference. Davos sits six points back with a game in hand at nineteen to Prague's eighteen while on a nine game win streak, second to London's massive eleven game win streak! 
I wish I had more to complain about as honestly that makes writing these easier so I'll just have to ramble on a bit about other league going ons. 
As always the league has someone playing fast and loose with the rules as Warsaw has played double the amount of backup games necessary with a bot goalie in place, arguably a very distinct attempt at tanking and one thats working as they sit last in the league by eight points which is equivalent to if the won half of those extra eight backup games. Who knows what the league will do (nothing likely)

If you ask @Ahma, which team is the biggest nemesis for HC Davos, you will get this answer every time; Helstinky.  I have to agree with the great predictor.  Helsinki always seems to be a problem child for Davos, and with that being said, this is going to be a breakdown of Helsinki, mostly for the TPE, which I am going to try to make it a two week doc, since I will be fishing next week, I need to try to get my shit done so I can catch my food for the winter and not be concerned about earning my max TPE.
 
The best way to start this discussion is the management.  Helsinki changed general managers after the season and there were several people looking to earn the spot, which was ultimately given to Samx.  @samx has been in the league for several seasons and has a lot of experience.  She’s definitely knowledgeable about the VHL and can easily make her way through trades, drafts, and other decision making that goes with being a good manager.  It appears that she stepped in and started right away looking to get Helsinki into a competitive field of European teams all competing for the next cup.
 
Does Samx have what it takes to be a good GM for Helsinki?  Probably so.  Is she at the caliber GM as HC Davos GM @Alex?  Most definitely not.  No offense Samx, but Alex is the best GM in the league and he is responsible for Davos winning the cup as well as competing season after season.  Being the nice guy Alex is, you could probably hit him up with questions as I’m sure he’d help you with anything to make you a better GM, but it will be at a price.  You must make sure Helsinki loses to Davos all season.
 
Next is the assistant GM comparison.  Since Samx has yet to choose her AGM, this will be a short discussion. @kirbithan is a top AGM and continues to lead the team.  Advantage HC Davos.
 
Helsinki appears to be stacked in the forward department which I particularly dont like just looking at the surface.  This could cause some issues for Davos when playing Helsinki.  For two seasons, Chip Stone, @DoktorFunk, has been a consistent player helping the team with goals and assists.  Rick Grimes, @tinafrombobsburgers, could be a surprise this season depending on the line Grimes is teamed up with.  And then there is Legacy Gaming, @Gaming Ringleader, who is a rookie and dominated the VHLE.  Right off the bat, I’d be looking at Legacy Gaming as winning the rookie of the year award.  Daryl Dixon, @Ricer13, a Helsinki true to the core player, has yet to put up remarkable goals or assists, but has turned into a punisher with hitting.  Looking at Dixon’s TPE build, I see a menace in the making.  A brilliant trade by Samx brings Landon Wolanin877, @jacobcarson877, to Helsinki.  Wolanin had been a top point scorer in the league for several seasons with Calgary, and is sure to bounce back with Helsinki to lift the team into domination.  In season 89, Wolanin had his fewest points thus far, but when I took a deeper look into Wolanin I found that his goal per shot percentage jumped up while he took over 100 fewer shots.  All in all, he’s consistent with assists.  To finish the forwards, there is Owen Lazaro, @traphag, who was a rookie last season.  Lazaro is a promising prospect so far and if Traphag continues her building of Lazaro’s TPE, we might find Lazaro being a top contributor for Helsinki this season.
 
Now, to compare Davos forwards with Helsinki, its quite simple… Davos dominates!  Starting with newcomer, Halvar Torbjorn, @Rayzor_7, is going to be the surprise of the league this season and will be a top 10 assist leader.  Alfred Champagne, @Anthique, another season 85 player, continues to get better and is a main factor in Davos’ success.  Champagne likes to antagonize opponents and keeps the other team on their toes.  DBIII, @wcats, is another newcomer to the team and he brings a balance that needed filling along with discord activity.  The rock of the forwards, James Teekirque, @Mongoose87, is in his final season, and he’s sure to have another outstanding season as Davos shoots for another cup.  Pete Mitchell, @Crstats23, is another superstar forward for Davos.  Pete is coming off a dominating season and is guaranteed to demolish the scoreboards this season, given the support he’s got coming to the team.  Pete will be top forward in the league.  A blockbuster trade brings Vasile Lamb, @dlamb, to HC Davos.  Lamb’s physical presence on the team will intimidate opponents and open up the game, giving Davos the opportunity to score tons of goals this season.  Lamb’s presence in the locker room is also going to be a huge benefit to the team and his all round play is a major plus.  Advantage HC Davos.
 
Helsinki defense is in a rebuild status, as Bob Robb, @rotbag, the senior defender will have to step up and keep the puck away from the goalie.  Bob’s career has been in a supportive role, and he may be expected to jump into a leadership role this season.  Lloyd Braun, @Toast, came to Helsinki via Calgary, and hopes to have a breakout season for Helsinki.  Kronchy Kardashian, @Garsh, is a young player, but Garsh is a VHL dinasour.  Kardashian will inspire his teammates with steady play and good puck handling.  He’s still working to be the promising player who was drafted early in all three drafts, and with the support from teammates, he could be a superstar.
 
Now, to compare Helsinki defense to Davos defense, we say, Davos dominates!  Starting with David Jokinen, @Ahma, the true blue Davos player.  Jokinen gets better each season and coming off a championship season, Jokinen is sure to lead the team to another cup.  Skor McFleury, @Alex, is coming off a season with 61 assists, and is likely to lead the league this season in all defensive categories.  McFleury dominates the ice and has the build to be the MVP.  Jake Thunder rounds out the defensive squad and hopes to contribute again this season to help Davos with a repeat championship.  Advantage Davos.
 
Fuukka Rask, @Jubis, is once again the Helsinki goalie.  He is a consistent goalie with a .911-.916 save percentage.  Rask is in his 3rd season in the VHL and last season he demonstrated a commitment to success, although he didn’t get the support from his teammates he should have.
 
Comparing Rask to the Davos goalies, Lachlan Summers, @kirbithan, and DJ Fire Dragon, @Firekiss, who was recently traded to Davos by Toronto, we find that Davos once again has the advantage.  Summers was the main cog in Davos’ success last season and he shut down opponents during the entire playoffs.  Now with Fire Dragon as back up, you can expect Davos to be even better this season.  Advantage Davos.
 
To summarize this, everything looks like Davos will dominate Helsinki this season, but there is always the Helsinki curse that pops up and screws with Davos.  Ahma pointed this out to me a while back and ever since then I have noticed that whenever Davos plays Helsinki, Davos is at a disadvantage; whether it be because of the way Simon does his shit, or the Helsinki curse, the only thing we can say is that we dread having to play Helsinki.
 
Let’s break the curse!
 
1253 words

Thank you for adding that last part and keeping the job at bay for the day. You did a great service to us. 🤣

Well unexpectedly Halvar Torbjorn has been traded twice in the same offseason, first from Calgary to Seattle, where he signed a one year deal and then a one year extension only to be traded from Seattle to Davos just a day after that. While not his preferred way of spending his offseason but landing on Davos is a good feeling for the unsettled Torbjorn. 
 
"Well admittedly I wasn't expecting to be traded from Calgary to Seattle in the first place but the GM came to me and let me know I'd be moving to Seattle prior to FA. I talked with the Seattle GM and was happy with how that went and signed there for a season. He came to me a few days later to see if I'd roll another season beyond that and I thought why not. Then a day later I get notified by my agent that I'm moving to Davos which I wasn't expecting but I got on the phone with the Davos GM the following day and we got to talking pretty quickly an he seemed pretty happy to pick me up."
 
All GM's acted in good faith and this writing is for fun

Well unexpectedly Halvar Torbjorn has been traded twice in the same offseason, first from Calgary to Seattle, where he signed a one year deal and then a one year extension only to be traded from Seattle to Davos just a day after that. While not his preferred way of spending his offseason but landing on Davos is a good feeling for the unsettled Torbjorn. 
 
"Well admittedly I wasn't expecting to be traded from Calgary to Seattle in the first place but the GM came to me and let me know I'd be moving to Seattle prior to FA. I talked with the Seattle GM and was happy with how that went and signed there for a season. He came to me a few days later to see if I'd roll another season beyond that and I thought why not. Then a day later I get notified by my agent that I'm moving to Davos which I wasn't expecting but I got on the phone with the Davos GM the following day and we got to talking pretty quickly an he seemed pretty happy to pick me up."
 
All GM's acted in good faith and this writing is for fun

Well unexpectedly Halvar Torbjorn has been traded twice in the same offseason, first from Calgary to Seattle, where he signed a one year deal and then a one year extension only to be traded from Seattle to Davos just a day after that. While not his preferred way of spending his offseason but landing on Davos is a good feeling for the unsettled Torbjorn. 
 
"Well admittedly I wasn't expecting to be traded from Calgary to Seattle in the first place but the GM came to me and let me know I'd be moving to Seattle prior to FA. I talked with the Seattle GM and was happy with how that went and signed there for a season. He came to me a few days later to see if I'd roll another season beyond that and I thought why not. Then a day later I get notified by my agent that I'm moving to Davos which I wasn't expecting but I got on the phone with the Davos GM the following day and we got to talking pretty quickly an he seemed pretty happy to pick me up."
 
All GM's acted in good faith and this writing is for fun

Thanks @samx for the talks!
 
@Yahtzee I’m very happy to welcome you back to the Nighthawks and look forward to pushing for a championship in your last season!

Calgary receives:
S91 CGY 1st

Helsinki receives:
Landon Wolanin
Lloyd Braun


This trade has been accepted by all parties and is pending league approval.

Seattle Weaving Through Off-Season, Find Their Guy
 
SEATTLE - If it's one thing the Seattle Bears are good at other than winning, it's having fun, successful off-seasons. Maybe we're tooting our own horn here a little but, but they do seem to always find a way to make the most out of situations in the off-season. Last season, how many trades did they make? They made 9. Those trades were massive and absolutely critical to the success that Seattle had last season. Sure, they lost out to a New York team that got red hot, found momentum and then fell flat to a seasoned Wolves team. They did have a strong regular season though and once again showed the league they're still one of the best and have been doing it now for almost 25 seasons consistently. This off-season it seems to be the same status quo for the Seattle Bears organization as they quickly got to work, working the DM lines on Discord and even throwing back to some Forum offers for old time sake. The Seattle Bears have so far made 4 (5...) trades this off-season, but there's strong rumours out there that they're not finished quite yet! Before we get to that, let's take a look at the moves they've made so far.
 
 TO SEATTLE
(S87) Logan Foley
S90 MAL 2nd
S90 NYA 2nd
 
TO MALMO
(S85) Daniel Weaver
 
BREAKDOWN: 
Tough deal to make because Daniel Weaver is a good player and good member @ThePerfectNut. I've had them on the team before and we were fortunate enough to win together. I know what you get when they're on your team. They're typically consistent earners, good players, loyal/fun members of the locker room and always help the team find a way to win. I would have loved to have kept them, but that's the business sometimes. We end up picking up two 2nd round picks in a solid draft. We can use these to draft or as trade chips to gather other assets and moves. Logan Foley was the player sent along in the deal and while I didn't have a huge amount of knowledge on the player, I knew a small bit about the member @WildfireMicro. So far they've been a very good, active member of the Seattle team and we like what we've seen.  
 
 TO SEATTLE
(S88) Boolie Bucholz 
S90 SEA 4th
 
 TO CALGARY
Halvar Torbjorn
 
BREAKDOWN: 
Simple trade. @Rayzor_7 stepped down from running things in Helsinki. Things seemed a little negative and down, so I swopped in hoping to bring aboard a good VHL bud and make them enjoy what they can with the VHL. Their player is okay. They need to earn. They can do better. It doesn't take long. They're a valuable member to the team and have been added to the council for Seattle. Hopefully being part of that can keep the fire alive!
 
 TO SEATTLE
Karl Pedersen
 
 TO CALGARY
S92 SEA 4th
Ilya Bryzgalov
 
BREAKDOWN: 
We had two options this off-season. I really wanted to retool and gather some draft picks/youth, while also contending. The plan was to move some of our more valuable pieces for picks, then bringing in a little bit older and/or cheaper through trade or FA. However, trade talks were slowing down and kind of paused between Moscow @Spartan as he had something going on is what we'll say! This kind of forced my hand.. the longer you wait, the longer you play with fire in the off-season. It can pay off, but the risk gets bigger. Especially on off-seasons like this.. when it started there was TONS of chatter.. but not too much for trades.. things kind of got jammed as lots waited for finances, depreciation and the lottery. Well, boom! Log jam seems to be freed as we head into draft day! Expect huge moves that day too imo. I still REALLY wanted to contend.. so we went out and tried to get Pedersen.. Was hopeful but I heard likely not which is alright. 
 
 TO SEATTLE
Clueless Wallob
S90 MOS 3rd
S90 MOS 4th
 
 TO MOSCOW
Karl Pedersen
12th Overall
BREAKDOWN: 
Despite being told it was going to be await, it wasn't too long after the deal above with Calgary triggered Spartan to message me. I think within the hour we had a done deal! Was kinda messy because of the waiting and then man, I got sloppy at the end.. but that's all good! Was decent talks and while it was hard to let go of 12th overall, it was a fair deal. We're really happy adding an elite, legendary goalie like @DMaximus and super thrilled to be adding them to our bears family and locker room. Been a massive fan of the agency for a long time and I'm so happy we get to add them to my tenure history!

Good Afternoon everyone,
 
So as you guys saw there were two postings to hire a new GM for Chicago and for Helsinki. Please join me in thanking @JeffD and @Rayzor_7 for their work as GMs of their respective franchises. 
 
So now you're all wondering who it is we've hired as the new GMs. 
 
Please congratulate 
 
 

UNKNOWN – In an undisclosed-yet-discovered location, the infamous VHL leadership makes decisions that send ripples throughout the entire league. A few select individuals have found their way to the VHL HQ, where the league’s “Commissioner” crew ultimately decides the fate of dozens of players that populate their league.
 
Less than an hour ago, the public side of an announcement affecting a very large number of entry-level VHL players was introduced without much of a chance for response. Indeed, the 400-500 “TPE bracket” – another undescribed metric leaving players mystified as to exactly what they’re using to grade players’ talent – had their salaries summarily slashed by $250,000, from $1.75m to $1.5m while on the rookie scale. Sure, prime players who don’t find their way past the 400 “TPE” hump will find themselves still paid the same $2m base salary,  but players in their first couple of seasons will be out another quarter million dollars.
 
“I think it’s ridiculous,” one anonymously surveyed player said, “the MAN is trying to keep us down with these salary cuts. $250k is a huge amount of money for a new VHL player just trying to make it in the big leagues, especially if we’ve been struggling through the M and the E to get there in the first place. It’s not easy to move my family back from Europe after all’s said and done. Why would @Spartan  do this?”
 
On an unrelated note, VHLM Commissioner Spartan was seen purchasing a third private jet, a second yacht, and, like, three bubble tea shop franchise locations. Rude.
 

@Rayzor_7
 

Halvar Torbjorn has been sent off to Seattle where he quickly locked in a one year deal with GM Blake Campbell. Torbjorn has seen a new team in each of his seasons this fair after seeing his first playoffs with Calgary last season we will have to see if he gets more time in with Seattle. Torbjorn had 7 PPGs last season as he worked as a specialist and saw his first season in a positive plus minus ratio. He missed one game somehow as he disappeared to drink during the season it seems missing a home game after the loss of his dog. 
Torbjorn will be looking to pick up pace this season as he works on his game to bring a new breath to Seattle and their long line of players and history of championships and playoffs under their reigning GM.
 
Excited to see how this season goes, but also want to take er slow. Let's get winning either way

That's it, that's the post.
Best of luck to the amazing core that is in Helsinki currently, I wish you all the best with the future!
Thank you to all the GM's I've worked with over the past many seasons, it's been a treat!

That's it, that's the post.
Best of luck to the amazing core that is in Helsinki currently, I wish you all the best with the future!
Thank you to all the GM's I've worked with over the past many seasons, it's been a treat!

Good luck in all of the future endeavours! Cheers to you good sir!

That's it, that's the post.
Best of luck to the amazing core that is in Helsinki currently, I wish you all the best with the future!
Thank you to all the GM's I've worked with over the past many seasons, it's been a treat!

apply for Helsinki only

That's it, that's the post.
Best of luck to the amazing core that is in Helsinki currently, I wish you all the best with the future!
Thank you to all the GM's I've worked with over the past many seasons, it's been a treat!

That's it, that's the post.
Best of luck to the amazing core that is in Helsinki currently, I wish you all the best with the future!
Thank you to all the GM's I've worked with over the past many seasons, it's been a treat!

That's it, that's the post.
Best of luck to the amazing core that is in Helsinki currently, I wish you all the best with the future!
Thank you to all the GM's I've worked with over the past many seasons, it's been a treat!

That's it, that's the post.
Best of luck to the amazing core that is in Helsinki currently, I wish you all the best with the future!
Thank you to all the GM's I've worked with over the past many seasons, it's been a treat!