Greg_Di

Guys, Gals, and Non-Binary Pals – let me welcome you to the unofficial naming of the S85 Draft Class All-Star Team! This All-Star team is exclusively made up of S85 draftees who are currently playing in the VHL. We will be naming 1 Center, 2 Wingers, 3 Defensemen and 2 Goalies. Buckle up and strap in as we introduce them to you.
 
To start off our team, at Center, all the way from Ireland and currently playing for Prague, we have John Jameson. Jameson spent his time playing for Philadelphia and San Diego in the VHLM and Oslo in the VHLE and was drafted 2nd overall by Prague. Over the past 6 and a half seasons, Jameson has scored 260 Goals and made 326 Assists for 586 Points. Jameson makes an excellent start for this All-Star team as he sits 5th overall amongst players and is the number 3 center as of today. Surprisingly, Jameson also leads in Hits this season so far, making him a dangerous piece to have out on the ice.
 
Next up we are turning to our Left Winger, all the way from Finland and also playing for Prague, Nikolas Kauppi. Kauppi spent him time in the VHLM shifting between Mexico City and Saskatoon, spent one season in Oslo in the VHLE, and was drafted 17th overall by Prague. Over the past 6 and a half seasons, Kauppi has scored 168 Goals and made 229 Assists for 397 Points. Though not amongst the overall top, Kauppi still has his name all over the leaderboards. Currently he is 7th in Goals (24), 9th in Shots (283), 6th in Plus/Minus (+21), and is tied for 1st in Game Winning Goals (7) with none other than who we are about to announce as our next team member.
 
Turning to the Right Winger, from Poland and member of Malmo, Henry Eagles. Eagles only spent 1 season in the VHLM with Houston before a season in the VHLE with Bratislava. He was drafted 1st overall by Vancouver and played there for 5 seasons before being traded to Malmo between S89 and S90. Over the past 6 and a half seasons, Eagles has scored 246 Goals and made 287 Assists for 533 Points. Eagles sits 5th overall amongst all players, is 10th in Goals (23), and as stated before, is tied for 1st with Nikolas Kauppi for Game Winning Goals (7). Eagles’ overall consistency from season to season, for the most part, makes him a very reliable player to have for this All-Star Team. 
 
Now we shift to the defense of our team. From jolly old England and playing for Calgary, we have Phil Strasmore. Strasmore spent 3 seasons in the VHL playing for Mississauga, Houston, and San Diego and was drafted 3rd Overall by Calgary. Over the past 6 and a half seasons, Strasmore has scored 60 Goals and made 325 Assists for 385 Points. Though he has had some rough seasons, Strasmore has definitely been proving himself an aggressive defense player. On the leaderboard he is currently 10th in Hits (139) and 4th in Penalty Minutes (113). Strasmore should prove to be a good fit in front of the net for this aging team. 
 
Joining Strasmore on defense, all the way from Japan, and currently playing for London, we have Isamu Knievel. Knievel spent 1 season in the VHLM playing for Houston, 1 season in the VHLE for Cologne, and was drafted 14th overall by Toronto. Knievel never played for Toronto however, as he was traded multiple times over his career, Davos, Riga, Malmo, back to Davos and now London. Over the past 6 and a half seasons, Knievel has scored 40 Goals and made 175 Assists for 215 Points. Knievel might not have much production in points but he does sit 8th overall in Hits (140), just barely getting in above Strasmore. 
 
To round out our defense, from right here in the United States and playing for London, we have Lloyd Braun. Braun played for Houston and San Diego in the VHLM, jumped between Vasteras and Stockholm in the VHLE, and was drafted 12th overall by Helsinki. Though like Knievel, Braun was traded prior to being called up for the VHL and ended up playing for Calgary, then back to Helsinki for a season before going to London. Over the past 6 and a half seasons, Knievel has scored 43 Goals and made 188 Assists for 231 Points. Braun can’t be found anywhere on the leaderboards however that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a great player. Overall, Braun has an average of +19 and 117 hits per season. 
 
And finally to the last key pieces of this All-Star Team. The goalies.
 
The first named to the team, from right here in the United States and playing for London, Jesse Teno. Teno played for Saskatoon in the VHLM, Cologne in the VHLE, was drafted 10th overall by London, and has been there ever since. Over the past 6 and a half seasons, Teno has a record of 196-134-39 with an average Save Percentage of 0.928, Goals Against Average of 2.41 and 25 total Shutouts. Though this season Teno’s stats are struggling, they have been otherwise reliable and highly consistent prior to S92. Teno currently sits in 5th for Wins (20) and 7th for Shutouts (1). They also currently sit at the 6th overall goalie for S92.
 
And last but not least, also from here in the United States, and another Prague player, Matt Murdock. Murdock played for Houston in the VHLM, Istanbul and Vasteras in the VHLE, and was drafted 7th overall by Moscow where he played 3 seasons. He was then traded to Prague and has spent the last 4 seasons there. Over the past 6 and a half seasons, Murdock has a record of 203-120-29 with an average Save Percentage of 0.926, Goals Against Average of 2.54 and 19 total Shutouts. Murdock is on the leaderboard in 5th for Save Percentage (0.935), 6th for Goals Against Average (2.19), 4th for Shutouts (2), and 10th for Penalty Minutes (2). Murdock, like Teno, has been very consistent since coming to the VHL and is probably the best tandem pick to play alongside them.
 
And there we have it; your S85 Draft All-Star Team! A basic look back at how these 8 players have gone from obscure players in the VHLM to some of the best players of their draft class.  
 
 
1069 words for weeks ending 2/4/2024 and 2/11/2024

As Henry got older, he taught things would be easier but as he has come to know....they haven't.

After a successful season last year setting career highs in assists and points and tying goals, Henry has taken a step back and has once again got off to a slow start, which has been the story of his career.
 
22 games in and only 15 points with 10 of those being goals. If he is to get close to any point totals from last season he will need to really step it up.
 
"I don't know what the problem is to be honest, usually I have an answer but this time I dont" Henry said " I have been doing the same things but hey maybe its because i'm one year older and that means im just slower and not seeing the ice as clearly as before. Team is playing well so it's definitely not that the team is not doing well, I just cant put a finger on it"
 
Henry recently resigned for one year with Malmo to help them go after the cup but if things continue at this pace, it won't be Henry that will be doing any of the helping.

As Henry got older, he taught things would be easier but as he has come to know....they haven't.

After a successful season last year setting career highs in assists and points and tying goals, Henry has taken a step back and has once again got off to a slow start, which has been the story of his career.
 
22 games in and only 15 points with 10 of those being goals. If he is to get close to any point totals from last season he will need to really step it up.
 
"I don't know what the problem is to be honest, usually I have an answer but this time I dont" Henry said " I have been doing the same things but hey maybe its because i'm one year older and that means im just slower and not seeing the ice as clearly as before. Team is playing well so it's definitely not that the team is not doing well, I just cant put a finger on it"
 
Henry recently resigned for one year with Malmo to help them go after the cup but if things continue at this pace, it won't be Henry that will be doing any of the helping.

Do 9 season VHL careers actually work? An analysis of S80-83 draftees
 
With the introduction of the VHLE before Season 80 came a different, possibly even more radical change for history and stat buffs like myself: nine season careers. Now, rather than going straight to the VHL after the draft and playing for eight seasons, the idea was that most players would go to the VHLE for one season then the VHL for their remaining eight, thus necessitating nine season careers post-draft.
 
But there was an interesting wrinkle within the announcement: Some players didn’t ever need to go to the VHLE at all. For those at 350 TPE and above, they had the option of going straight to the VHL and playing a longer career than any player in VHL history had ever had before. In doing so, however, they would be subject to a stricter regression scale that means four seasons of decline, with their peak occurring one season earlier than their counterparts who went to the VHLE for a season.
 
There were some thoughts that this may force the VHL to re-write some record books, or that nine season players would be easier shoo-ins to the Hall of Fame. And there’s some logic behind that argument: It’s only top earning players that would even have the option to skip the VHLE in the first place, so it stands to reason that they would also be the players dominating stats and awards.
 
Luckily though, we now have a pretty good data set of those nine-season players to analyze and try and answer the question: Is it worth it? Anecdotal data seems to be swinging towards no - just look at the lengths Logan Ninefingers and George Richmond took to stay in the VHLE this season. My very own decision on this could be coming in a few weeks, which is why I decided to take a look at the data.
 
By my count (unless I missed somebody, which is completely possible), there have been 12 players from the S80-83 draft classes who went straight to the VHL and have finished their careers. And the general thought is, maybe you’re not getting the full experience that you were promised. What I’m seeing is a lot of Very Good players, but maybe not the ability (or in some cases the drive) to become truly great.

 
(S80) C Matty Ice - Total TPE: 1285 @mattyIceman
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
648
302
420
722
83
3854
548
1259
346
39
51
7
 
Personal Awards: 1 (S80 RotY)
 
There were only two players to jump directly to the VHL in the first season the option was offered, and unfortunately the first one to be drafted isn’t the best test case. Although Fire would win Rookie of the Year in a truncated class (since much of his competition went to the VHLE), the user behind Fire would receive a temporary ban a bit into his career. As a result, Fire would hit 49 goals in two of his first three seasons, but never top 40 again for the rest of his career en route to a solid, but unspectacular nine season career.
 
 
(S80) LW Vinny Detroit - Total TPE: 1519 @dasboot
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
646
239
280
519
113
2850
1753
3163
362
39
42
2
 
Personal Awards: 0
 
The other S80 player to jump directly to the VHL that first season may not be the best test case either, seeing as how Detroit had one very specific goal: as many hits as possible. In that regard he absolutely accomplished his goal - Detroit’s 3136 hits is far and away the VHL record, more than 200 more than the eight seasons of Druss Deathwalker. From that angle, Detroit can be seen as a nine-season career success, with the extra season (Detroit had 339 hits in S80) allowing him a record he wouldn’t have otherwise been able to hit.
 
 
(S81) LW Nico Pearce - Total TPE: 2206 @Spartan
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
650
362
412
774
177
4216
769
1785
335
52
82
2
 
Personal Awards: 2 (S84 MVP, S84 Most Goals)
 
Now we’re getting to some interesting ones. Pearce is the current all-time TPE record holder and exactly the type of player that VHL leadership was thinking of when instituting the nine season idea. He sailed past the VHLE cut-off, was a 59 point contributor to a powerful Moscow team in his very first season, and was even able to hold on to the tougher regression scale to hit 44 goals and 88 points in his final season. But if you think of a career as a bell curve, Pearce’s peak was never quite there. Outside of the S84 season with 59 goals and 120 points, Pearce never topped 100 points and only topped 45 goals one other season (S85). The overall counting stats look good - Pearce’s 362 goals ranked 29th all-time - but the end result is a career in the Hall of Very Good.
 
 
(S81) D Harkat Mulds - Total TPE: 513 @hylands
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
504
137
238
375
18
1606
243
553
679
16
42
5
 
Personal Awards: 0
 
The other S81 draftee to go right to the VHL is also our first one to not actually finish out the nine season career. Mulds would stall out their TPE earning fairly soon after reaching the league, hopping around to four different teams (including Moscow and Prague twice) before retiring after their seventh season. The one thing that is interesting from Mulds is that their highest point total (73) actually occurred in that very first season that other contemporaries spent in the VHLE, on a Toronto team that made the playoffs no less.
 
 
(S82) LW Vasile Lamb - Total TPE: 1433 @dlamb
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
649
342
379
721
134
3928
1469
2877
366
68
76
5
 
Personal Awards: 0
 
Lamb’s career reads as very similar to Pearce’s to me, just with some additional player movement and without that one standout season. The cumulative numbers look nice - 342 goals is 42nd all-time, 68 game winning goals is tied for 17th all-time, and 2877 hits is third all-time. Those totals are something you look for in a nine-season career. But I think the trade-off of never truly being top-tier in TPA did hurt Lamb, both in terms of individual season highs (he topped 40 goals three times) as well as team placement (he’d play for six teams in those nine seasons). Another very good player, but the nine season career is not leading to the Hall of Fame.
 
 
(S82) G Cole Pearce - Total TPE: 1654 @N0HBDY
 
Season
GP
W
L
OTL
SV%
GAA
SO
GA
SA
MP
Totals
504
278
182
42
0.922
2.65
33
1333
17110
30162
 
Personal Awards: 1 (S86 Lowest GAA)
 
We have our first goalie! When I was active with Booberry, I watched Pearce’s career with great interest because he took the path I didn’t take. I thought that the additional season of regression would hurt too much, and especially with all of the competition at the goalie position, it would put me behind the eight ball too much. The final answer to that then is a resounding - maybe? Pearce did indeed only win one individual award, as he was competing with a rash of goalies in the next couple of draft classes who were able to keep pace with him in TPA. However, he also had arguably his best season in his eighth season (49 wins, .929 save percentage) before retiring one season early. Another one for the Hall of Very Good here.
 
 
(S82) D/RW Tavish DeGroot - Total TPE: 1447 @rory
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
577
197
318
515
115
2305
943
1417
981
30
63
5
 
Personal Awards: 0
 
There’s a trend I’m noticing as I’m going through too. Many members are starting to top 1700, 1800 TPE and work their way towards the upper reaches of the TPE leaderboard. But by and large, those aren’t the players skipping the VHLE, which you might expect. That’s why I’m putting final TPE totals by player names, because you’re seeing a lot of very strong totals in the 1300-1700 range, but not necessarily totals that can withstand a fourth season of regression which leads to eight season careers regardless. Anyway, as somebody who has had two players start on defense and switch to winger at the end of their career, it makes interpreting career stats a bit of a mess. DeGroot’s career was solid enough (especially with that S84 Continental Cup), but they wouldn’t top 70 points in a season until the final season playing on the wing in Seattle.
 
 
(S82) D Max Torq - Total TPE: 1728 @Steve
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
576
166
403
569
97
2169
780
1197
1200
33
81
3
 
Personal Awards: 0
 
Comparing apples to apples of defensemen who went nine seasons, Torq had some slightly higher highs than did DeGroot - a point total that stayed consistently between 61-86 between his second and eighth seasons, a 1200 shots blocked total that ranks 37th all-time. And similar to DeGroot he’s got a Continental Cup, with Torq’s coming in Season 83 with Seattle. But in his eight season career (he retired a season early similar to Pearce), there weren’t too many very high peaks. A very valuable player to every team that he was on and occasionally in the awards conversation, but ultimately did not bring home any hardware himself.
 
 
(S83) C Scotty Sundin - Total TPE: 1263 @fromtheinside
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
648
334
410
744
41
4015
409
814
322
55
69
10
 
Personal Awards: 2 (S91 MVP, S91 Most Points)
 
Sundin is an interesting one to me because of the dualities. 1263 is one of the lower total TPEs on the list, and he only topped 40 goals three times in his career. And yet - he’s literally the reigning MVP after career highs with 49 goals and 112 points last season, his 334 career goals are top 50 all-time, and he is the first and only person on this list to play the full nine season career with the team that drafted him (Chicago). I think they’re happy with their investment with the first overall pick, even if they didn’t get a cup out of it. Sundin a point in favor of the argument that it’s not necessarily the length of the career, but how you build for it.
 
 
(S83) G Brandt Fuhr - Total TPE: 1418 @Tate
 
Season
GP
W
L
OTL
SV%
GAA
SO
GA
SA
MP
Totals
581
290
243
43
0.924
2.77
32
1592
21000
34533
 
Personal Awards: 3 (S86 Playoff MVP, S87 Top Goalie, S87 Lowest GAA)
 
Another goalie, and this time the first one to go the full nine! And you could very well argue that he has the best career of the dozen players listed here. A stalwart in net for 8.5 seasons in Vancouver, the Wolves would go to the playoffs six times during that stretch, go multiple rounds in four, and win it all in one. By virtue of going 60ish games longer than any other goalie before him, Fuhr also ranks 19th all-time in wins and 47th all-time in shutouts, and still manages to hold on to a tie with the 18th-best save percentage of all-time. As I’m writing I kind of feel like I’m making an HOF case here, and I think it’s right on that line. Maybe you’d like to see a few more individual awards, but those are tougher to come by in a competitive era. The best case scenario for a nine-season career here.
 
 
(S83) C Igor Molotov - Total TPE: 1483 @Dom
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
576
250
341
591
-10
2925
761
1601
266
39
60
2
 
Personal Awards: 0
 
Molotov reads to me as a player who had a ton of potential, especially following a number of awards at the VHLM level, but that the nine season career may have held back. Molotov’s TPA peak ended up being the same as their player peak, with 41 goals and 88 points in their fifth season of S87. But regression came swift, where despite his only Cup coming in S88 with London, Molotov would not top 34 goals while in regression. Molotov’s another who clocked out after eight seasons rather than face the tough fourth season of regression, limiting their career numbers somewhat.
 
 
(S83) D AirRig GoodBrandSun - Total TPE: 1558 @Rhynex Entertainment
 
Season
GP
G
A
P
+/-
SHT
PIM
HIT
SB
GW
PPG
SHG
Totals
648
121
430
551
214
1847
792
1127
1293
23
53
1
 
Personal Awards: 1 (S83 Top Defensive Defenseman)
 
We end with GoodBrandSun, whose career is interesting in that they’re the only player to win an individual award in the season they were originally supposed to skip - an award that ended up being the only one of their career, as it turns out. GoodBrandSun developed from a more defensive-oriented player at the beginning of their career (198 shots blocked in S83 was by far their highest) to a more offensive-oriented player (93 points in S86) near the peak of their career. I believe GoodBrandSun is also the first one to reach the playoffs nine times in a career, eight with Calgary and one with Seattle, with a Calgary Cup coming in S87. Overall a career I’d call a nine-season success story, even if it didn’t come with necessarily the individual accolades.
 
 
Verdict for Me: After doing the exercise, I’m leaning towards not trying to go nine seasons in the VHL with Antonia Bucatini. While there are some mitigating factors at play with many of the players who tried it in this sample, there are a lot of flame outs on this board - and depending on Fuhr and Sundin potentially not a Hall of Famer in the bunch. Even those with high TPE totals like Nico Pearce (or later Henry Eagles and The Frenchman) may not be seeing the individual success they hoped for themselves on draft day. But there’s always that temptation to try something that not many others have, so it may end up being a conversation between myself and my future VHL team following the draft.
 

Today marks the start of season 92! The Malmo Nighthawks have released the starting lineups for their home opener tonight, giving us a little preview during their morning skate.  From what we could tell, the team has settled on calling up rookie sensation Philip Rave @tcookie to play on the left wing along side elite scorer Henry Eagles @Greg_Di on the right, with Ronald Johnson MacWallace III @RJMW returning as their centre, and defenders Conference Prince-de-Galles @UnkemptCL4PTP and Reese McFleury @Spaz to round out a scary 2nd line.
Nighthawks staple and starting Goalie Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro returns to the crease in spectacular form, hoping to lead his squad towards the Continental Cup this season. Lastly the top line for Malmo is looking very sharp as well, with many returning faces up front including centre Viktor Jensen @Advantage who is looking immaculate during Training Camp this season. On his wings are newly promoted assistant captain Savaisk Tzesar @comrade cat on his left and Yaroslav Bogatyrev @Bojovnik on the right, forming a dynamic scoring line with lots of grit and snarl. On the blue line behind them- we have Jacob Stone @scoop and Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish @hylands which gives the Nighthawks a very solid and talent filled defensive-core this season. 
 
(211 words)

S92 Malmo Nighthawks Captains

 
C - Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro
A - Viktor Jensen @Advantage
A - Boris Tzesar @comrade cat
A*- Henry Eagles @Greg_Di
(was an “A” for many seasons- and due to the Captain being a goalie this season, I believe he should still be an alternate assistant captain for those back-up games when Sparks is on the bench)
 
Go Nighthawks!🔥⚡️

@rory You can probably go as its been 21 hours for @Gustav

After a long decision period, Henry Eagles, finally made his decision on his future and he decided to stay one more season with Malmo. This will also potentially give him one more season to test FA if he wants after this season.
 
"It was a tough decision but I couldn't turn my back on Malmo, we have come a long way and I feel like we are ready to make that next step" Henry said " I want to be here for that and at the same time it's good to be part of a team where you feel wanted. Malmo made a very strong pitch and I just couldn't say no. We have a lot to do this season and I am excited to play another season here"

Speaking on his future after this season...
 
"That is yet undecided, my focus right now is this season and this season only" Henry said "If Malmo wants me back for my final year that will definitely be a choice I would have to make. We will see how this season plays out and how well we do; if we get close then it might be for the best to sign my final season here and give it another shot"

After a long decision period, Henry Eagles, finally made his decision on his future and he decided to stay one more season with Malmo. This will also potentially give him one more season to test FA if he wants after this season.
 
"It was a tough decision but I couldn't turn my back on Malmo, we have come a long way and I feel like we are ready to make that next step" Henry said " I want to be here for that and at the same time it's good to be part of a team where you feel wanted. Malmo made a very strong pitch and I just couldn't say no. We have a lot to do this season and I am excited to play another season here"

Speaking on his future after this season...
 
"That is yet undecided, my focus right now is this season and this season only" Henry said "If Malmo wants me back for my final year that will definitely be a choice I would have to make. We will see how this season plays out and how well we do; if we get close then it might be for the best to sign my final season here and give it another shot"

Great read and article but same as @Gaikoku-hito I skipped and went straight to VHL. Never played draft year for Bratislava (S85) as I started rookie season with Wolves.

The season has ended; not the way any of the Malmo players expected but it was an exciting season overall.

One big question that fans and management are asking is what is Henry Eagles going to do? His contract runs out at the end of the season and Henry has a very tough decision to make.
 
Option A: Resign with Malmo

This would in reality probably be the best option for Henry, having only 2 years left in his VHL career and coming off a career year where he almost reached his goal of 100 points. He is very comfortable in Malmo and likes his team-mates and management. His one goal on his mind is to help Malmo win the cup.
 
Option B: Hit Free Agency

The other option is to test free agency. No Eagle's player has ever gone to Free Agency so the allure of being the first could be intriguing to Henry. On the other hand the question is will there be any teams willing to use his services for 2 years. While he did have a career year he is on the downturn of his career only have 2 eligible seasons left to play. If he opts for free agency, he may end up with no contract and no place to play next season
 
" I have a tough decision to make this off-season and I will think hard and long about it; I have not yet made my decision but I do know Malmo is very interested in having me back and there is definitely mutual interest but I won't know the final answer until I sit with my agent and discuss it" Henry said when questioned about his status.

The season has ended; not the way any of the Malmo players expected but it was an exciting season overall.

One big question that fans and management are asking is what is Henry Eagles going to do? His contract runs out at the end of the season and Henry has a very tough decision to make.
 
Option A: Resign with Malmo

This would in reality probably be the best option for Henry, having only 2 years left in his VHL career and coming off a career year where he almost reached his goal of 100 points. He is very comfortable in Malmo and likes his team-mates and management. His one goal on his mind is to help Malmo win the cup.
 
Option B: Hit Free Agency

The other option is to test free agency. No Eagle's player has ever gone to Free Agency so the allure of being the first could be intriguing to Henry. On the other hand the question is will there be any teams willing to use his services for 2 years. While he did have a career year he is on the downturn of his career only have 2 eligible seasons left to play. If he opts for free agency, he may end up with no contract and no place to play next season
 
" I have a tough decision to make this off-season and I will think hard and long about it; I have not yet made my decision but I do know Malmo is very interested in having me back and there is definitely mutual interest but I won't know the final answer until I sit with my agent and discuss it" Henry said when questioned about his status.

The season has ended; not the way any of the Malmo players expected but it was an exciting season overall.

One big question that fans and management are asking is what is Henry Eagles going to do? His contract runs out at the end of the season and Henry has a very tough decision to make.
 
Option A: Resign with Malmo

This would in reality probably be the best option for Henry, having only 2 years left in his VHL career and coming off a career year where he almost reached his goal of 100 points. He is very comfortable in Malmo and likes his team-mates and management. His one goal on his mind is to help Malmo win the cup.
 
Option B: Hit Free Agency

The other option is to test free agency. No Eagle's player has ever gone to Free Agency so the allure of being the first could be intriguing to Henry. On the other hand the question is will there be any teams willing to use his services for 2 years. While he did have a career year he is on the downturn of his career only have 2 eligible seasons left to play. If he opts for free agency, he may end up with no contract and no place to play next season
 
" I have a tough decision to make this off-season and I will think hard and long about it; I have not yet made my decision but I do know Malmo is very interested in having me back and there is definitely mutual interest but I won't know the final answer until I sit with my agent and discuss it" Henry said when questioned about his status.

The season has ended; not the way any of the Malmo players expected but it was an exciting season overall.

One big question that fans and management are asking is what is Henry Eagles going to do? His contract runs out at the end of the season and Henry has a very tough decision to make.
 
Option A: Resign with Malmo

This would in reality probably be the best option for Henry, having only 2 years left in his VHL career and coming off a career year where he almost reached his goal of 100 points. He is very comfortable in Malmo and likes his team-mates and management. His one goal on his mind is to help Malmo win the cup.
 
Option B: Hit Free Agency

The other option is to test free agency. No Eagle's player has ever gone to Free Agency so the allure of being the first could be intriguing to Henry. On the other hand the question is will there be any teams willing to use his services for 2 years. While he did have a career year he is on the downturn of his career only have 2 eligible seasons left to play. If he opts for free agency, he may end up with no contract and no place to play next season
 
" I have a tough decision to make this off-season and I will think hard and long about it; I have not yet made my decision but I do know Malmo is very interested in having me back and there is definitely mutual interest but I won't know the final answer until I sit with my agent and discuss it" Henry said when questioned about his status.

The season has ended; not the way any of the Malmo players expected but it was an exciting season overall.

One big question that fans and management are asking is what is Henry Eagles going to do? His contract runs out at the end of the season and Henry has a very tough decision to make.
 
Option A: Resign with Malmo

This would in reality probably be the best option for Henry, having only 2 years left in his VHL career and coming off a career year where he almost reached his goal of 100 points. He is very comfortable in Malmo and likes his team-mates and management. His one goal on his mind is to help Malmo win the cup.
 
Option B: Hit Free Agency

The other option is to test free agency. No Eagle's player has ever gone to Free Agency so the allure of being the first could be intriguing to Henry. On the other hand the question is will there be any teams willing to use his services for 2 years. While he did have a career year he is on the downturn of his career only have 2 eligible seasons left to play. If he opts for free agency, he may end up with no contract and no place to play next season
 
" I have a tough decision to make this off-season and I will think hard and long about it; I have not yet made my decision but I do know Malmo is very interested in having me back and there is definitely mutual interest but I won't know the final answer until I sit with my agent and discuss it" Henry said when questioned about his status.

Sad day for Calgary. @Ricer13 you have been a great GM for the organization and I had a great time when I was there. Was secretly hoping you would still be GM for my next recreate  
 
Enjoy the break from GM, I know you will be back at it in no time!

Note - I’m not affiliated with VHFL in any way. I pulled the data from the VHFL group updates thread because I thought it would be fun to look at, and did some similar stuff with VSN a while back, but this is all very much unofficial! 1581 words, good for the next 3 weeks.
—
A thrilling season of VHL action wrapped up yesterday and with it, a slew of VHFL group champions crowned. How did you fare in your group this year? Who helped you win your league, or who didn’t live up to the expectations you had for them?
 
In this edition of VHFL Fantasy Corner, we’ll take a look at the season that was in S91 and the stars and duds of the fantasy campaign.
 
Group Winners
There were 14 VHFL groups in S91, with some very impressive seasons among them. 32 teams crossed the 1400 point mark overall, a number that was required to win each of the 14 groups, while 7 teams (6 group winners and one unlucky 2nd-place, @JCarson) hit the 1500 point mark. The tightest group was Group 11, separated by just 6 points.
 
Here are your group winners for S91 (another disclaimer, please do not take this as official results):
Group 1: @twists - 1518.9
Group 2: @jacobcarson877 - 1456.2
Group 3: @Triller - 1440.5
Group 4: @kirbithan - 1516.3
Group 5: @VattghernCZ - 1495.8
Group 6: @hedgehog337 - 1490.0
Group 7: @Arce - 1516.6
Group 8: @leandrofg - 1461.3
Group 9: @Grape - 1508.8
Group 10: @cLoWn - 1480.1
Group 11: @tcookie - 1485.6
Group 12: @STZ - 1425.8
Group 13: @eagle_3450 - 1548.3
Group 14: @MexicanCow123 - 1508.9
 
The highest-scoring team across all VHFL groups was managed by @eagle_3450, who put up a whopping 1548.3 points. That team consisted of Larry Abass Jr, Leandro Goncalves, Dogwood Maple, Jake Thunder, Skor McFleury, and Jesse Teno.
 
Highest Scoring Players
The overall highest scoring player in VHFL this year was Larry Abass Jr of the Los Angeles Stars. The 6’3, 212 pound power forward really came into his own this season. Abass was already a solid fantasy contributor in recent years thanks to a tendency to pile up 300+ hits while contributing on offense, but this season, Abass didn’t just contribute on offense, he dominated. Scoring career highs across the board, Abass finished the year with 46 goals, 55 assists, and 101 points while going well over the 300 hit marker for the third-straight season (357), and was the only player to top 300 fantasy points this season (301.6).
 
The highest scoring defenseman in VHFL was Malmo defenseman Skor McFleury, another player who changed teams last off-season. McFleury was owned in 100% of groups, and for good reason. McFleury was a fantasy stud last season with 25 goals, 96 points, 211 hits, and 158 blocks. That made him defenseman #1 last year and pushed him over the 300 fantasy point mark with 300.8 overall. It was a similarly dominant performance this time around as he put up 22 goals, 89 points, 224 hits, and 142 blocks to lead all VHFL defenders by almost 17 fantasy points with 282.1.
 
The highest scoring VHFL goaltender was Davos’ Lachlan Summers, which you can file under “entirely expected”. Davos was always supposed to be a great team this year and they delivered on that promise, leading to Summers piling up a bunch of wins (46). Summers won the Shaw, Clegane, and Slobodzian Trophies last season and he’s got a good shot to take home some more hardware this year, with a 46-12-6 record, 2.24 GAA and 0.933 SV% to go along with 5 shutouts. It was a dominant year and Summers just edged out Art Vandelay for the league lead in fantasy points among goalies.
 
VHFL All-Star Team
F - Larry Abass Jr (301.6) - AK92 Wit da Hoodie (289.3) - John Jameson (282.1)
D - Skor McFleury (282.1) - Elias Lampi (265.4)
G - Lachlan Summers (244.0)
 
@RileyL @hedgehog337 @Frank @Alex @Pifferfish @kirbithan
 
Fantasy MVPs
When we talk about Fantasy MVPs, we’re talking about the guys you regularly find on winning rosters. This isn’t always necessarily the best players, although there is strong correlation. You might find a big name who had a great season a little lower in the FMVP rankings because a similarly good player was able to be found later in the draft, leading to an even stronger presence on winning rosters. This plays into this year’s selection as while big names like John Jameson are definitely found on group-topping teams (Jameson was on 5 group winners himself), Larry Abass Jr was both fantasy’s top scorer AND available later in drafts in general.
 
We’ve already talked about the dominance of Abass Jr this season, but what really earns him the title of VHFL Fantasy MVP is the fact that he was found on a whopping 10 of the VHFL’s winning rosters. Shockingly, one group didn’t even draft Abass (group 14), so Abass finishes the year up at 92.9% owned, but in the 13 groups he was owned in, his team won 76.9% of them. No team with Abass on it finished worse than third overall.
 
Skor McFleury can be found on several VHFL champion squads, too - 6 to be exact - but one other player that deserves a mention here is defenseman Elias Lampi. Lampi was only owned in 71.4% of groups (10) but his teams won 4 of those groups. In his second year with the Los Angeles Stars, Lampi put together his best all-around season as he set a career high in points (82) and +/- (+28) while still posting strong defensive numbers (215 hits, 151 blocks). With production like that, you have to figure Lampi will find himself universally drafted next time around.
 
VHFL All-MVP Team
F - Larry Abass Jr (10 group winners) - Landon Wolanin (5) - John Jameson (5)
D - Skor McFleury (6) - Elias Lampi (4)
G - Jesse Teno (4)
 
@RileyL @jacobcarson877 @Frank @Alex @Pifferfish @aimkin
 
S91 Fantasy Steals (Highest-Scoring Players <40% owned)
F Henry Eagles, Malmo Nighthawks (35.7% owned, 247.2 points) @Greg_Di
In hindsight, it looks kind of silly that so many people passed on Henry Eagles in their fantasy drafts this year. Malmo was looking at a big step forward, particularly with the off-season additions of Skor McFleury and Yaroslav Bogatyrev, so why wouldn’t a guy like Eagles take a big step forward to match? There was some skepticism around Eagles’ fantasy relevance this year, probably due to the fact he only put up 58 points last year, but Eagles flourished in his seventh VHL season, matching a career high with 42 goals and setting a career high in points, too, with 96, convincingly leading the resurgent Nighthawks in scoring.
 
F Francesco Mancini, New York Americans (7.1% owned, 237.5 points) @GioSivo
Now this one, on the other hand, is completely understandable. The Americans are a bad team, finishing with a 29-38-5 record as the second-worst team in the North American Conference, and Mancini had 58 points in his entire VHL career coming into this season. So, nobody could realistically have predicted a 100-point campaign out of him, but here we are. With 47 goals and 101 points, Mancini had a downright massive year. He was only drafted in one group, and in that group, the team that picked him won. Guess they knew what they were doing.
 
D Rex Wolffe Gregor, Seattle Bears (7.1% owned, 241.4 points) @oilmandan
Gregor had the best season of his five-year career in the VHL in S91, with 27 goals, 79 points, 165 hits, and 137 blocks. His previous career highs of 20 goals, 67 points, and 166 hits were all comfortably eclipsed as he became one of the highest-scoring defenders in VHFL this season. As the #1 defenseman on a Bears team that hopes to take a step forward next year, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Gregor’s on a lot more VHFL rosters in S92.
 
S91 Fantasy Disappointments (Lowest-Scoring Players >70% owned)
F Vincent Laroche-Gagnier, DC Dragons (78.6% owned, 192.8 points) @vincentlg2007
It’s not like it was a bad year for Laroche-Gagnier, but after he put up 100 points in his first season in DC in S90, more was expected and he was drafted accordingly. Laroche-Gagnier doesn’t provide too much in the way of physical presence, so he needs to score to put up big numbers in VHFL, and his 35 goals and 78 points overall didn’t quite do it for teams that drafted him high.
 
F Randy Bobandy, Calgary Wranglers (71.4% owned, 168.4 points) @AJW
Bobandy scored 174 points over his last two seasons in Seattle before heading to Calgary, and there were high expectations of him taking a big role for the Wranglers. It didn’t quite work out that way for Calgary, who struggled to produce offense all season long, and Bobandy dropped off to 59 points, a number reminiscent of his sophomore season. If the Wranglers can fix their offense, you can bet the points will come back for Bobandy next time around, but for such a highly-drafted player to end up with this VHFL score was a disappointment.
 
D Phil Strasmore, Calgary Wranglers (85.7% owned, 170.5 points) @Phil
It seems to be a trend with Wranglers on the list, and it makes sense, because much of fantasy is simply about putting points in the board and the Wranglers struggled to do that as a whole. Strasmore, a longtime Wrangler, had four straight 60+ point seasons before this one but dropped off hard to 40 points in S91. His defensive numbers didn’t quite live up to expectations either, as his hits total (225) was his lowest in five seasons, and his shots blocked 106 was his lowest of his career. There doesn’t appear to be much reason for the sudden decline, as Strasmore still passes the eye test with flying colours, but the eye test doesn’t do much for the 12 VHFL teams that drafted him.

Love the splash page idea

Lately in the VHL there has been a big discussion on recruitment and efforts put into recruitment. There were many valid points on to what may not be going right such as targeting the wrong people or creating IG posts that users outside of the league would not understand. The question is now how do help the recruitment team improve.
 
Below are just random thoughts.
 
Targeting:
 
For recruitment to be effective we need to target the right type of demographic to pull in new players. With VHL though there is a wide demographic on who actually participates. Members here have all different types of varying interests but one thing that everyone here shares is the love of hockey. This is where the ads should be targeted. Target sites/forums/youtube channels/ig channels .etc that are created especially for those that enjoy and follow hockey. Whether its casual fans or the hardcore fans that look over every stat. If we target groups that enjoy hockey we should see an uptick in our recruitment and then it will come down to retaining those individuals by showing them how great of a league this is
 
Podcasts:

The recruitment team could work on getting on hockey podcasts to discuss VHL and what the VHL is. There are many hockey podcasts out there who have small to huge followings that the recruitment team could target and work on getting on the air, even if its only for a 2-3 minute spot. This could help spread the awareness to more hockey fans to the VHL. We have quite a few talented users who make their own podcasts and they can be utilized to help with this.

Google search:

Say for example I am not a VHL member and I hear someone talking about the VHL. I become interested and decide to look it up. If I type in VHL into google we are no where to be found in the top 30 list. I have to specifically type in victory hockey league. The problem with this is that most members reference this league as VHL. The recruitment team should look at the potential of ensuring that when VHL is typed into google that our league shows up in the top 5. This would help users that just hear the name VHL be able to locate the forum better and potentially join.
 
Splash page:
 
For a brand new user to the site, when they click on the link and being thrown into a forum with so many different threads, it might deter them. What if a VHL splash page was created to help guide new users where they need to go. Have a button that takes them to the create a new player thread, have a button that takes them to the rules thread, have a button that takes them to the how to earn TPE page. This will help with new users being able to understand quicker what they must do to get started; instead of being bombarded with tons of sections and posts which could lead to potentially being overwhelmed and leaving before creating a new player.
 
 
Those are just some of my thoughts on how to improve recruitment.

A hot topic indeed, recruitment is a beneficial theme where we as a league can look introspectively at our process and see what we can do differently. While my suggestion may not be a “this fixes everything” level idea, I think we can truly benefit from this.
 
Bringing in new players and people is tough right now. And Zetterberg’s call out of recruitment, while a bit intense, does bring to light some key issues. What exactly are we doing? Sure, seeing cool stats or graphics online through Instagram is neat as a current player/member, but if I’m on the outside looking in, what the heck am I looking at? Why would I get involved? What’s in it for me? We as a community struggle now with retention and getting people involved. And we struggle with bringing people in. There seems to be no good system to keep people here once they get here.
 
To put it bluntly, we need a recruitment and system overhaul.
 
To go into more depth, we need to look at a few things. I’ll break it down with some key aspects to look at along with some suggested fixes. Then of course, I’ll make some general points that I hope don’t come across as finger pointing but ones that I feel someone needs to make especially after having been a part of this community for a while.
 
RECRUITMENT
 
First up, let’s look at recruitment. Our current efforts have been…dismal. We need to focus on what exactly brings people in here to begin with. I look back at my own experience with how I discovered the VHL (reddit and we can’t do that anymore which sucks) but what made me pull the trigger to join was the community. I saw the comradery on the forum, in discord, and each team’s locker room. So I ask a question regarding recruitment…
 
How does someone on the outside now see this community if we are focusing on Instagram or Tik Tok?
 
Spoiler, they don’t. They have no idea what we’re doing minus the fact that you can make a player and have them participate in a sim league. They look at what we put out, are confused, or simply don’t get attached to it, and move on. Why would a random picture of Connor McDavid with a weird colored jersey and logo make me excited to go join this random sim league I see?
 
What we need to change and focus on with Instagram and Tik Tok is reels. We need some actual “ads” of the VHL where people are discussing the league, maybe taking a funny clip from a set podcast or blurb, and putting that on as a reel. We need to show the community of the VHL and hockey sim leagues, not just stats or cool pictures. Our target audience are more than likely people looking for a hockey community of some kind to spend time in. That’s what we need to showcase. And that starts to tip toe into my second notion…
 
RETENTION
 
This is another low point for us. We’re entering a realm where the cracks are beginning to show slightly, and all we can seem to do is point fingers at others and not do anything. We point out teams fielding low rosters, we single out users pushing a negative agenda, and we harm the community that makes us great. There is no responsibility taken, and the course does not alter. We need a change. A big change. Actually a few big changes across the board. I think we need to bring in another organization, tool, or job into this community that focuses on retention and maintaining the community. No, I’m not talking about mods keeping the peace. I’m talking about guides for new players and helpers who value this community and showcase the very best of us. There needs to be a new emphasis on a group experienced enough but level headed enough to bridge new players through their first few seasons.
 
Let’s run through a hypothetical of a user who joins for the very first time and is excited to get into it. We’ll call him Billy. Billy creates a new user and hops into the forum. He gets some fun messages from some people, maybe a VHLM GM, and gets waiver offers from a VHLM team. He joins, gets told in the Locker Room maybe how things should work (if he’s lucky) and is just kind of handed the keys to his own destiny and told “if you need help ask!”. Then he gets told he’s actually going to partake in 3 drafts in the offseason and suddenly has to try and figure out which team he’s playing for, earning TPE accordingly, builds for their player, etc. And now, after a season of getting help from a VHLM GM (again, maybe), he has to look around, figure some things out himself, and try to piece together a career. Who knows if anyone else is doing their job of assisting (we’ve discussed this point plenty of times before as well). Daunting? Absolutely, and it pushes people out.
 
VHLM GM’s are often tasked with this additional role, and it’s time consuming. We potentially need a separate group who are not aligned to a team that exists solely to work with new players on how the league works. I’m not saying they need to be on call all of the time for everyone, but like a “VHL Helpline” to answer questions and guide new players to a longer career here. This needs to be users who value the league and community far above their own player’s accolades or accomplishments to bring out the best in others.
 
What would also help a bunch are actual easy to follow guides for starting out. And I’m not talking about the point task guides. I’m talking about videos that walk you through in detail how to get started, how everything works, and what to expect at each phase of the VHL. It’s a big task and a bit of production, but having tutorial videos would help immensely with keeping people in the know when they first start out.
 
COMMUNITY
 
Here’s where I get to step on some toes after being fairly neutral for quite a long time. The VHL community is not completely free of bias. There is a trend to go with what is commonly viewed as the best with little to no other opinions. So here’s some other suggestions that I think would benefit how things are done here:
 
Members of the BOG should be completely free of other responsibilities. It is the duty of the BOG to remain impartial to dealings within a league to provide appropriate guidance for that league; being a GM can taint that level of oversight. I say this as a GM myself that, if I were to ever get to that level of responsibility, it would not be fair or correct to also hold a GM position in any league.
 
The community during the season is lackluster with no other events until theme week, and then we slowly churn through a season. If we want to help this community flourish, there needs to be more involvement on a weekly basis from higher ups that creates events or things for the community to look forward to. If we do the bare minimum, regardless of position or role, we will get the bare minimum, and the league will flounder until it is just the regulars doing the same thing. We need to give the extra push to keep people longer.
 
Attitudes need to be checked in certain positions. As responsibility increases, so do the characteristics you need to display. It is our duty (those who have been here awhile) to create an environment where everyone is welcomed, where everyone gets to participate, and where everyone enjoys their time, even at the expense of your own player and team. Especially at the expense of your own player and team if you are managing or in a key role within the community. If those wielding that responsibility abuse it or flaunt it to support their own gains, everyone else falls behind until only those in positions of power remain, creating a whirlpool where only the select few benefit.
 
I don’t like taking off my neutral hat, so after saying those things it’s going back on. There’s a lot to fix here and a lot to take in. But having been here now over 3 years, I think I have earned the ability to offer some input into multiple things. Each of the 3 categories need to be addressed in order to work towards bringing in more people and retaining them. I don’t have all of the answers, and some of mine may be wrong. Hell all of them may be wrong and I could be completely missing the mark. But the ship needs to be steered in another direction soon, or the path we are continuing on could spell dark times for the VHL ahead.
 
----------
 
Word count: 1,511 words | to be claimed for weeks 11/26, 12/3, and 12/10

Lately in the VHL there has been a big discussion on recruitment and efforts put into recruitment. There were many valid points on to what may not be going right such as targeting the wrong people or creating IG posts that users outside of the league would not understand. The question is now how do help the recruitment team improve.
 
Below are just random thoughts.
 
Targeting:
 
For recruitment to be effective we need to target the right type of demographic to pull in new players. With VHL though there is a wide demographic on who actually participates. Members here have all different types of varying interests but one thing that everyone here shares is the love of hockey. This is where the ads should be targeted. Target sites/forums/youtube channels/ig channels .etc that are created especially for those that enjoy and follow hockey. Whether its casual fans or the hardcore fans that look over every stat. If we target groups that enjoy hockey we should see an uptick in our recruitment and then it will come down to retaining those individuals by showing them how great of a league this is
 
Podcasts:

The recruitment team could work on getting on hockey podcasts to discuss VHL and what the VHL is. There are many hockey podcasts out there who have small to huge followings that the recruitment team could target and work on getting on the air, even if its only for a 2-3 minute spot. This could help spread the awareness to more hockey fans to the VHL. We have quite a few talented users who make their own podcasts and they can be utilized to help with this.

Google search:

Say for example I am not a VHL member and I hear someone talking about the VHL. I become interested and decide to look it up. If I type in VHL into google we are no where to be found in the top 30 list. I have to specifically type in victory hockey league. The problem with this is that most members reference this league as VHL. The recruitment team should look at the potential of ensuring that when VHL is typed into google that our league shows up in the top 5. This would help users that just hear the name VHL be able to locate the forum better and potentially join.
 
Splash page:
 
For a brand new user to the site, when they click on the link and being thrown into a forum with so many different threads, it might deter them. What if a VHL splash page was created to help guide new users where they need to go. Have a button that takes them to the create a new player thread, have a button that takes them to the rules thread, have a button that takes them to the how to earn TPE page. This will help with new users being able to understand quicker what they must do to get started; instead of being bombarded with tons of sections and posts which could lead to potentially being overwhelmed and leaving before creating a new player.
 
 
Those are just some of my thoughts on how to improve recruitment.

Lately in the VHL there has been a big discussion on recruitment and efforts put into recruitment. There were many valid points on to what may not be going right such as targeting the wrong people or creating IG posts that users outside of the league would not understand. The question is now how do help the recruitment team improve.
 
Below are just random thoughts.
 
Targeting:
 
For recruitment to be effective we need to target the right type of demographic to pull in new players. With VHL though there is a wide demographic on who actually participates. Members here have all different types of varying interests but one thing that everyone here shares is the love of hockey. This is where the ads should be targeted. Target sites/forums/youtube channels/ig channels .etc that are created especially for those that enjoy and follow hockey. Whether its casual fans or the hardcore fans that look over every stat. If we target groups that enjoy hockey we should see an uptick in our recruitment and then it will come down to retaining those individuals by showing them how great of a league this is
 
Podcasts:

The recruitment team could work on getting on hockey podcasts to discuss VHL and what the VHL is. There are many hockey podcasts out there who have small to huge followings that the recruitment team could target and work on getting on the air, even if its only for a 2-3 minute spot. This could help spread the awareness to more hockey fans to the VHL. We have quite a few talented users who make their own podcasts and they can be utilized to help with this.

Google search:

Say for example I am not a VHL member and I hear someone talking about the VHL. I become interested and decide to look it up. If I type in VHL into google we are no where to be found in the top 30 list. I have to specifically type in victory hockey league. The problem with this is that most members reference this league as VHL. The recruitment team should look at the potential of ensuring that when VHL is typed into google that our league shows up in the top 5. This would help users that just hear the name VHL be able to locate the forum better and potentially join.
 
Splash page:
 
For a brand new user to the site, when they click on the link and being thrown into a forum with so many different threads, it might deter them. What if a VHL splash page was created to help guide new users where they need to go. Have a button that takes them to the create a new player thread, have a button that takes them to the rules thread, have a button that takes them to the how to earn TPE page. This will help with new users being able to understand quicker what they must do to get started; instead of being bombarded with tons of sections and posts which could lead to potentially being overwhelmed and leaving before creating a new player.
 
 
Those are just some of my thoughts on how to improve recruitment.

Lately in the VHL there has been a big discussion on recruitment and efforts put into recruitment. There were many valid points on to what may not be going right such as targeting the wrong people or creating IG posts that users outside of the league would not understand. The question is now how do help the recruitment team improve.
 
Below are just random thoughts.
 
Targeting:
 
For recruitment to be effective we need to target the right type of demographic to pull in new players. With VHL though there is a wide demographic on who actually participates. Members here have all different types of varying interests but one thing that everyone here shares is the love of hockey. This is where the ads should be targeted. Target sites/forums/youtube channels/ig channels .etc that are created especially for those that enjoy and follow hockey. Whether its casual fans or the hardcore fans that look over every stat. If we target groups that enjoy hockey we should see an uptick in our recruitment and then it will come down to retaining those individuals by showing them how great of a league this is
 
Podcasts:

The recruitment team could work on getting on hockey podcasts to discuss VHL and what the VHL is. There are many hockey podcasts out there who have small to huge followings that the recruitment team could target and work on getting on the air, even if its only for a 2-3 minute spot. This could help spread the awareness to more hockey fans to the VHL. We have quite a few talented users who make their own podcasts and they can be utilized to help with this.

Google search:

Say for example I am not a VHL member and I hear someone talking about the VHL. I become interested and decide to look it up. If I type in VHL into google we are no where to be found in the top 30 list. I have to specifically type in victory hockey league. The problem with this is that most members reference this league as VHL. The recruitment team should look at the potential of ensuring that when VHL is typed into google that our league shows up in the top 5. This would help users that just hear the name VHL be able to locate the forum better and potentially join.
 
Splash page:
 
For a brand new user to the site, when they click on the link and being thrown into a forum with so many different threads, it might deter them. What if a VHL splash page was created to help guide new users where they need to go. Have a button that takes them to the create a new player thread, have a button that takes them to the rules thread, have a button that takes them to the how to earn TPE page. This will help with new users being able to understand quicker what they must do to get started; instead of being bombarded with tons of sections and posts which could lead to potentially being overwhelmed and leaving before creating a new player.
 
 
Those are just some of my thoughts on how to improve recruitment.

Graphic continue to be produced and made by @leandrofg
 
 
 
Half way through the season and most of the league seems to have a clear understand of where they stand but do I understand where the team really stand? Well, Let`s look at how I did in the second week of predictions as I think I have been better this week!! While you’re here be sure to check out some of the other recent VSN articles.
 
30 Seasons of Failure, The New York Americans Story / The Man Behind It All / A Look Back - Heavenly Seven
 
North American Conference
Standings                                       Record                         PTS                           Last WK                                              Prediction Last Wk.               
1.            Los Angeles Stars                    24-10-4                  52pts                     (7-3-4)                           🟰       1st North American Conference
2.          Chicago Phoenix                      21-11-6                    48pts                     (6-7-1)                           🟰       2nd North American Conference
3.          Toronto Legion                         20-17-1                    41pts                     (8-5-1)                           🟰       3rd North American Conference
4.          Seattle Bears                            16-18-5                    37pts                    (4-9-1)                           🔺        5th North American Conference
5.          D.C. Dragons                             15-18-5                    35pts                    (5-7-2)                           🔺        6th North American Conference
6.         Calgary Wranglers                    14-17-7                     35pts                    (4-7-4)                          🔻        4th North American Conference
7.          New York Americans                16-21-2                     34pts                    (7-7-1)                           🔺        8th North American Conference
8.          Vancouver Wolves                   13-19-6                     32pts                   (4-5-5)                           🔻        7th North American Conference
 
Summary:
All the movement was at the top of the conference this week with Los Angeles moving up to take the conference lead and Toronto over taking Seattle as predicated. New York traded for a goalie and made a small run out of the basement like a kid scared by the boogieman!! I wasn`t confident about Calgary and they proved to worth the skepticism.
 
European Conference
Standings                                         Record                         PTS                           Last Wk                                            Prediction Last Wk.                
1.          Riga Reign                                  29-9-1                    59pts                     (12-3-0)                             🟰         1st Europe Conference
2.         Malmo Nighthawks                   28-9-2                    58pts                     (13-2-0)                             🔺         3rd Europe Conference
3.         HC Davos Dynamo                    24-7-7                     55pts                     (11-1-3)                             🔻         2nd Europe Conference
4.         London United                           24-9-6                     54pts                     (10-4-1)                             🟰        4th Europe Conference
5.         Helsinki Titans                          24-13-2                    50pts                      (8-5-1)                             🟰         5th Europe Conference
6.        Prague Phantoms                     21-14-3                    45pts                       (7-6-1)                             🟰        6th Europe Conference
7.         Warsaw Predators                    10-26-2                    22pts                       (4-8-2)                             🟰       7th Europe Conference
8.         Moscow Menace                       8-24-6                     22pts                       (5-8-2)                             🟰       8th Europe Conference
 
Summary:
Would have had this completely correct if I didn`t over estimate or notice the two-point difference in the standings between Malmo and HC Davos but I was a much closer than I would have even though after making last minute changes last week before posting as I had HC Davos 4th when I first wrote the predictions only to realize was being as silly bugger as I wasn`t considering their easy schedule. Helsinki and Prague look like they could be in trouble now!?!
 
 
This week’s predictions:
 
 

North American Conference
 
🟰                              1.    
 
Reason: One of the hottest teams in the North American conference and they have a four point lead in the standings over Chicago; who finally look like they have come back down to Earth. Add in the mix bag of a schedule with Vancouver(2), HC Davos(3) and Moscow(2); it should lead to similar record as last win, at least. Los Angeles continues to be score by committee with Sunglasses Joyo @JetsGoalie101 (19-37-56pts), Larry Abass Jr  @RileyL (26-28-54pts), Todd Cooke @KRZY (22-25-47pts) and Napoleon Dynamite @thadthrasher (14-27-41pts) all above a point per game. Only concern for Los Angeles will be the lack of a star defender but again they have rather decided to work as committee from the back-end as well with Elias Lampi @Pifferfish (10-27-37) and Jens Lekman @Bobcat (7-30-37pts) tied on points.
 
 
 
          🟰                              2.    
 
Reason: Same reason as last week as they have a seven-point lead on the chasing Toronto Legion but it will be an interest week for both of these teams as they play each other three times; giving a chance that Toronto can make up at least six points in head-to-head series. (as unlikely as it might be) add in visits by other top teams the six remaining games against team lower in the standing will be huge for the Phoenix this week starting with Vancouver and D.C.  Next week we might be talking about another drop for this team; who continues to hold the secret of the fountain of youth as Scotty Sundin  @fromtheinside (29-34-63pts) not only leads the team but the league in scoring. Legacy Gaming @Gaming Ringleader (18-28-46pts) continue to have a strong season but overall Chicago will need to find secondary scoring if they hope to stay near the top of the North American conference and do some damage in the play-offs.
 
 
 
          🟰                              3.    
 
Reason: Big week if they hope to move up the standings with Warsaw(2), New York(2) and Moscow but really the biggest games of the week are the games head-to-head against Chicago(3). I think they will need to win at least ten games if they are going to catch and pass Chicago this week. Jimi Jaks @ke1vi (21-26-47) and Mac Atlas @v.2 (21-24-45) continue to lead the attack for the Legion and Joel Castle @animal74 (2.26GA & 0.931) will need to continue to provide solid tendering if they are going to become strong contenders down the stretch; so far so good!!
 
 
 
          🔺                               4.    
 
Reason: They have a goaltender in Brandt Fuhr @Tate (2.70GA & 0.928) but more importantly he has gone 7-4-1 since being traded from Vancouver Wolves. With the strong continued play from Francesco Mancini @GioSivo (30-31-61pts) and Jasper Davis @Josh (21-40-61pts). Now add in the goaltending and New York should be heading in the right direction up the standing ahead of the other teams all playing below five hundred hockey.
 
 
 
         🔻                                 5.   
 
Reason: A few points are hard to make up when everyone is playing around five hundred hockey and so the next few placements could really go either way but I have Seattle at 5th since I think they should be slightly better than D.C. and Calgary through the week. Rex Wolffe Gregor @oilmandan (16-30-46pts) continues his amazing run of form for the Bears and Svatopluk Puk @Otaznik(22-19-41pts) continue to be over a point-per-game player. Clueless Wallob @DMaximus (3.04GA & 0.924) has most likely been keeping the Bears higher up in the standing than they really should be and I don`t see this changing any time soon.   
 
 
 
         🔻                                 6.   
 
 Reason: Somehow, they lack scoring and simply cannot outscore any of the problems they might be having defensively. This team is confusing to me a bit since they should be able to score more with the likes of The Frenchman @OrbitingDeath (17-21-38pts) , Jason @Jason kranz (21-21-42pts) and Vincent Laroche-Gagnier @vincentlg2007 (16-17-33pts);  even Lucas Grey @emidas (17-15-32pts) should have the ability to be around a point per game player. One would think than goaltending might be the issue but as team the Dragons have allowed the 10th least goals against in the league; so is Geoff Bezos @Quik (2.88GA & 0.920) really the issue? I let you decide that one by yourself.
 
 
 
         🔻                                 7.    
 
Reason: Scoring please!! It is crazy to think that Randy Bobandy @AJW (14-19-33pts), Sadie St-Louis @sadie (14-12-26pts) and Oreo McFleury @JB123 (16-18-34pts) simple cannot score more. If Calgary can find more scoring somehow, they might be able to save their season but at the moment I cannot see this team being that much better than an openly tanking team in Vancouver; I have even consider slotting Vancouver ahead of Calgary again this week but thought the better of it.
 
 
 
          🟰                               8.    
 
Reason: Tank is on? Vancouver traded away their goaltender in Brandt Fuhr @Tate (3.24GA & 0.916) only to use the assets to trade for Justin Lion @Emperor_Fun (2.44GA & 0.932); who has only solidified the position even further. FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist @STZ (23-21-44pts) continue to lead the team offensively and should reach all new career highs barring a season ending injury. Question here is will he improve enough to be considered for the Dustin Funk? Liv Slater @Subject056 (3-29-32pts) is also having a career season with the extra ice time allotted with the rebuilding Wolves.     
 
 
 
 
 

European Conference
 
 
 
            🟰                               1.    
 
Reason: Easy schedule continues as Riga will face Vancouver(2), Warsaw(2) and Calgary(2); sprinkle in the up-start Americans. Riga should continue to roll this week big games this week coming from two games against Prague. Riga continues to roll along thanks to scoring by committee (2nd Best in the league) lead by AK92 Wit da Hoodie @hedgehog337 (27-32-59pts) and Babay Shrimp @Blazzer (18-36-54pts) while solid performance in net by Henry Tucker Jr @NSG (2.50GA & 0.926).
 
 
 
            🟰                               2.    
 
Reason: Should be able to play above five hundred hockey this week again as one of the hottest teams the past two weeks while they do have a tougher schedule this week as they play London United three times. This series should/could determine the second overall in the European Conference but I have placed Malmo here due to the point gap between the two teams and assuming a split series. Malmo also has the best offensive team in the league in thanks to large part due to six players above a point per game in Henry Eagles @Greg_Di (26-28-54pts), Yaroslav Bogatyrev @Bojovnik(29-25-54pts), Skor McFleury @Alex (Not @Spaz) (12-41-53pts) Yaroslav Trunov @qripll (23-25-48pts), Jacob Stone @scoop (10-34-44pts and Viktor Jensen @Advantage (13-31-33pts).
 
 
 
            🔺                               3.           
 
Reason: They can move in the right direction this week but sadly I don`t see them moving up to second unless they can steal all the point from the high-flying Malmo offense in the head-to-head games this week. London should still win majority of the games this week in large part to the strong play from Jesse Teno @aimkin (1.96GA.; 0.941 & 4SO) add in the strong offensive play from Molly the Cat @JCarson (28-29-57pts), Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ (25-29-54pts) and Leonard Triller @Triller (8-43-51pts).
 
 
 
           🔻                                4.    
 
Reason: Strong schedule should see HC Davos struggle more this week to play above five hundred hockey while they shouldn`t be over taken by Helsinki or Prague; by the end of the week, they might be looking over their shoulders rather than looking ahead. Lachlan Summers @kirbithan (2.36GA & 0.930) has rounded back into form after a bit of award hangover to start the season and a bit weird to say but HC Davos needs to find some more scoring if they are going to keep pace with Malmo and Riga but I don`t think they are that concerned as Leandro Goncalves @leandrofg (27-36-63pts) leads the league in points (tied) and other two old dogs in Jake Thunder @Thunder (11-36-47pts) and Pete Mitchell @Crstats23 (16-27-43pts) continue to play like spring chickens.
 
 
 
             🟰                               5.    
 
Reason: Should continue to play just above five hundred hockey and point gaps should see them rather locked into this position. Helsinki needs a strong week to close the gap to HC Davos or they could find themselves battling the remainder of the season with Prague to see who makes the finals Wildcard placement. Helsinki really needs Pierre Emile Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito (8-35-43pts) to re-gain the early season former. While Kronchy Kardashian @Garsh (15-25-40pts) has been more than encouraging in the past few weeks. Helsinki also needs to find another forward or two that can take some of the offensive pressure off Landon Wolanin @jacobcarson877 (31-30-61pts) and Daryl Dixon @Ricer13 (18-38-56pts). Fuukka Rask @Jubis (2.40GA & 0.932) continues to have a career season but is Helsinki going to ruin it for him?
 
 
 
            🟰                                6.    
 
Reason: Five points back of the final wildcard spot (Helsinki) and they need a big week!! But I don`t think they play that much above five hundred. Leaving them in a similar situation as last week where Prague will try to close the gap to Helsinki (hope that they don`t loses any unexpected games) and fall even further out of the play-off position. John Jameson @Frank (27-26-53pts) has been less productive lately as teams seem to have been able to shut down the offensive star. Prague simply needs to find secondary scoring if they can before they fall back too much. Matt Murdock @Acydburn (2.60GA & 0.926) has been solid in the pipes and should have some of the tops team really hoping that Prague doesn`t find themselves in a wildcard spot.
 
 
 
                                        7.    
 
Reason: Should actually be one of the teams to watch this week. I know weird to say about a team that is tanking and tied for the worst record in the league but this is down to "The battle for Last" taking place this week with Calgary(4) and Moscow(3) putting the fans of the team in a awkward position to either cheer for the team to win these games or cheer them if they loses these games. Crazy also to think that Warsaw might have a better than five hundred record this week!! King Kisslinger @Kisslinger (11-11-22pts) hasn`t bounced back yet so could this be the week? Maxim Anisimov @McLovin (14-20-34pts) will also go head-to-head against Rookie of the year candidate Axle Gunner @Steve adding even more interest. 
 
 
 
                                        8.    
 
Reason: While I think they could fall back from Warsaw this week they should also be an interesting team to watch with "The battle of Last" with Warsaw but also games against Vancouver(2) and Calgary adding some interest in the games for the fan as least. Left Alone @okochastar (22-28-50pts) continues to lead the Menacing attack and Rookie of the year candidate Axle Gunner @Steve(19-20-39pts) will look to take advantage of the head-to-head series with Warsaw and Maxim Anisimov @McLovin to hopefully lay at least one hand in the Christian Stolzschweiger trophy.
 
 
 
 
Overall Thoughts:
A day or two after VSN presented 30 Seasons of Failure, The New York Americans Story ; it is actually funny that I am predicting a turnaround in fortunes in New York’s` season as they should start to climb the standings. Leading to the biggest question; am I over hyping New York’s climb? In Europe Conference I am predicting limited movement this week but this doesn`t mean the conference doesn`t have interest; actually, the opposite holds true as London United versus Malmo Nighthawks should be a great series to watch and could really affect the overall standings. Not to mention battle for Last with Warsaw Predators versus Moscow Menace. Oh, and I am forgetting about the battle for second in North American Conference between Toronto Legion and Chicago Phoenix. It should be a very interesting week to be invested in the VHL!! 
 
Come back next week to tell me how wrong I was or why not wait and tell me know below in the comment section but please like and subscribe.
 
 

Henry has slowed down over the last week in terms of points and goals but has still been producing at a good pace.

While he has fallen out of the top 10 in all stat categories in the VHL, he is still playing significantly better then last season. After 36 games, Henry, sits at 50 points. Last season he only achieved 58 points the whole season. He is on pace to have probably a top 3 career finish in points.
 
"Things have been going great, team is playing well and we are in a good spot heading into the trade deadline" Henry said "If we continue playing like we are then we should have no problems getting into the playoffs and showing everyone what we can do. We are finally playing like the team we should be"

Henry currently leads Malmo in points and he needs to continue to produce during each and every game if Malmo is to succeed. Having missed the playoffs last season, Malmo is taking this season as a revenge season and trying to prove everyone wrong.