Smarch

If only it was this easy...

this is what I assume my flight in the Seattle game looked like 

Jolly Rancher

It’s been quite a start to the Sophomore season for Toronto Legion defenseman Jolly Green Giant. The Second Overall pick from the Season Seventy-Five VHL Entry Draft has been leading the way for the Legion through their first nineteen games this season, putting up eight goals alongside his team leading nineteen assists. With a team leading twenty-seven points under this belt during those seventeen games, Giant is currently on pace for over 100 points this season. While of course there is a lot of time remaining for the Legion in the season, the early progression from his rookie season has been great for a team that struggle to find the net last season.

Greene Giant has not only impressed his teammates and the fans of the Legion with his early season output, but across the VHL other players and fans are starting to take notice of the youngster. Greene Giant currently sits in tenth place in the entire VHL with his twenty-seven points, alongside the eight place spot currently in the league for assists with his nineteen helpers in nineteen games

Now closing in on 600 practice hours in just his second season in the VHL, Greene Giant is poised to keep this upward trend going, barring of course any unforeseen injuries or retirements.

Claiming 2/3

Review: It a been a up and down early start to the season for the Legion. The North American Conference looks wide open so far so who knows what a hot steak could do this season.

I don’t think you were missing anything, good over view of the two games you went over. Keep up the good overviews.

Like the other MS I reviewed, some pictures and colour possibly could go along way to break up a long walk of text.

8/10

Review: Riga in last place is so weird as a long time VHLer. I’m sorry to hear you have had a let’s say trying first week to S77. It’s hard when line changes are done with a struggling team, sometimes makes you think about your place on the team in the minute.

Overall good read, good analysis of the situation in Riga. Unfortunately doesn’t seem much better since Friday.

Maybe some colour or a picture or two to spruce up the reading experience would help with the long black text.

8/10

The Replacements are here everyone.

1. 2-2 to start the season. How you feeling very, very early into the Season.

2. Three undefeated teams still left in the VHL (Seattle, Prague, London). Who is the last one standing?

3. Oh Sens has nine points in our first four games for us this season? What kind of drugs do you think he is currently taking? 

4. The two Greens on the roster have yet to score this season. Who gets the first goal this season Jolly or Lester?

5. Funk has a 40% shooting percentage already and three points. What are your early predictions for his end of season totals?

6. How's things? How's life? We in the Social Club want to know

@osens @NickSunderbruch @Matmenzinger @BOOM @Rayzor_7 @Callahan 

@Smarch @Juice @DoktorFunk @fromtheinside @ngine4

@ROOKIE745 @hedgehog337

@Peace

VHL Storylines- CCCCChanges

After one of the busiest off-seasons in the Victory Hockey League in possibly decades, the league is on the verge of getting its Seventy-Seventh season underway. While we say it was one of the busiest off-seasons in history, of course we had the usual trades, some bigger free agent signings than usual, but then we have the VHL General Manager mini-exodus.

The first domino to fall in the off-season for management changes was Moscow General Manager Victor Alfredsson announcing his retirement from the Menace, after being with the club since their inaugural season in Season Sixty-Five. In twelve seasons at the helm of the Menace, Alfredsson had a 380-326-26-27 record. While Alfredsson and the Menace didn’t fare as well in the post-season as they did in the regular season, Alfredsson still ends his Menace GM career with a winning record in the post-season with a 42-41 record. Of course during this retirement announcement, Alfredsson touched upon his other accolades leading the Russian franchise, some of those accolades included;

9 Playoff Appearances (8 Seasons in a row currently)

3 Victory Cups (Seasons 70, 74, 76)

2 Continental Cups Final Appearances

1 Continental Cup (Season 70)

3 David Knight Trophies (Seasons 67, 69, 74)

While Moscow wasn’t the first time Alfredsson has seen success with the VHL club as their General Manager, this was the first time he undertook an expansion club, allowing him to see the club into what he expects out of a hockey club from day one. When one looks back on the General Manager career of Victor Alfredsson, you would be foolish to think he’s anything but one of the top three VHL General Managers of all time.

On March 9^th, it was announced that the new Moscow General Manager would be first time VHL GM Euron Leonidas, better known to the VHL as Spartan. While Leonidas doesn’t have any VHL management experience under his belt, he has held various management experience in the league, including the Season Seventy-One World Junior, where he put together the Canadian roster that won a bronze medal, while also holding the roles of General Manager for the Las Vegas Aces from Season Seventy-Two to Season Seventy-Six, alongside the Assistant General Manager role for the New York Americans from Season Seventy-One through Season Seventy-Two. With a possible re-tool/re-build season in Moscow, we will have to see what the season hold for Moscow and Leonidas.

The second General Manager domino to fall in the VHL, was the former General Manger in Vancouver, Keaton Louth stepping down after a very lengthy and successful career with the Wolves. Louth had stepped down from his very important commissioner and Head of Victory Hockey League Recruitment a few weeks prior, but during the announcement he expected to continue his General Manager duties. Just over two weeks after the resignation from the commissioner position announcement, the league made a subsequent announcement on a new General Manager taking over the reins in Vancouver. After eighteen seasons at the helm of the Quebec/Vancouver Wolves franchise, Louth stepped down from his position as General Manager. Louth and the Wolves has a good regular season record during those eighteen season, putting up a 583-509-35-42 record. Louth and the Wolves also made the playoffs in fourteen of those eighteen seasons, putting up a 62-67 record in those fourteen seasons. Louth had many accolades during his time with the Wolves, including the following;

14 Playoff Appearances

2 Victory Cups (Season 69, 71)

4 Continental Cups Final Appearances (Seasons 62, 66, 67, 74)

2 Continental Cups (Seasons 67, 74)

1 David Knight Trophy (Season 62)

While Louth currently has left the VHL to take some time for himself after this long tenure in Vancouver, its undeniable that over the past 18 years in the VHL, you could count on Vancouver being a competitive team almost each season. With only two cups to the franchises name before Louth came around, It’s safe to say hockey fans in Vancouver are glad Louth brought the franchise and winning attitude to the west coast.

On March 20^th, the league again released a press release regarding a new General Manager in the VHL, and again it was a first time VHL General Manager announced. Ted Mosby, better known to the VHL as the man from How I met your mother, we mean fonziGG. Mosby was most recently the Assistant General Manager for the D.C. Dragons, but he also has experience as the General Manager for the Halifax 21^st from Season Sixty-Seven through Season Sixty-Nine. Mosby inherits a roster that finished ninety-five points last season and still has a lot of that fire power heading into Season Seventy-Seven. Eyes will be on Vancouver here early in the season to see if they will hold the course or head more towards a re-tool/rebuild.

While those were the two General Manager changes that were announced in the off-season, we would be doing a disservice to the other two General Managers that will be taking their swing at VHL management in Season Seventy-Seven. Calgary General Manager Ryan Jubis announced he would be stepping down after five seasons at the helm of the Alberta based VHL franchise. Jubis has a decent run as Calgary GM putting up a 170-118-16-13 record in the regular season, and a 10-14 record in the post-season with the club. While Jubis wasn’t able to bring home a Continental Cup for the Wranglers, he did lead the lead to a Victory Cup last season in Season Seventy-Five. After deciding during the regular season, Season Seventy-Six would be his last with the Wranglers, the league announced Kris Rice would be taking over in Calgary. Rice is again another First time VHL GM, but comes to the Wranglers with loads management experience including experience in the World Junior Championships in Season 70 with a bronze medal win with Team Europe. Rice also was the Assistant General Manager in Yukon from Season Seventy through Season Seventy-One, before moving up to taking over the Miami Marauders from Season Seventy-Two until this past VHLM season. Rice comes to the VHL after a successful run with Miami during those five season, winning two Jack Reilly Trophies for Top VHLM Executive and a Season Seventy-Five Founders Cup with the Marauders.

The other VHL franchise that will have a new person in charge of the team this season is the Malmo Nighthawks. While this announcement was made a few days prior to the end of the Season Seventy-Six regular season, it was announced the second GM in team history John Frostbeard would be stepping down immediately. Just under two seasons removed from the franchise’s first Continental Cup, the man that was the architect of that roster was announced to be leaving the Swedish club after six seasons at the helm of Malmo. Frostbeard will be leaving the club with a regular season record of 169-189-15-10 to go along with a post-season record of 22-22. It was announced on February 19^th the league would be appointing a new GM to lead the Malmo, leaving the job to Christopher James, better known to the members of the league as Hylands. James is the fourth new General Manager taking the reins of a VHL franchise, but like everyone else announced he comes to the Nighthawks with management experience in the VHLM with the Mexico City Kings. James was the General Manager of the Kings from Season Seventy-Three until this past year in Season Seventy-Six. James has a pretty successful but short carrer with the Kings, winning the Prime Minister’s Cup as the top regular season team in the VHLM in Season Seventy-Five following it up with a Founders Cup win in his last season with the Kings in Season Seventy-Six.

Now that we have touched upon the four changes in the VHL management landscape, I would like to take moment to thank those who have recently stepped down.

@Victor- I don’t really need to say much here. I appreciate everything you have done over the course of your VHL career. Of course I’ll always make fun of you for being your best advocate in terms of your VHL success, but let’s be honest, you deserve tooting your own horn after everything you have done. Hopefully you continue to stick around and don’t go away like last time you left some positions of power in the VHL.

@Beaviss – While I’m not certain what happened to make the fast exit you have done, I can only imagine why you have done so and honestly would agree with any information you gave. I understand the grind the league can be in a position of power, something that is often thankless. You were and still are a valuable member of the community, and hope one day soon you can find some peace in just coming on to enjoy yourself on the league again. Thank you for everything since you joined the league.

@Jubis– While we have had almost zero contact, outside I believe you contacting me to see if I had a contact outside the VHL for Bushito. From what I can remember, you stepped up in Calgary when it was needed, leading one of my favorite VHL franchise back to relevance again. I'm not sure again why you have stepped down or your plans moving forward, but hopefully you are still sticking around and looking for more in your VHL experience.

@FrostBeard- Our main crossing of paths came in the Philadelphia Reapers Discord, which I was the least active of that great roster back in Season Sixty-Six. You were a great member of the team and discord, which was great to see from a new member. Now after a few seasons running a VHL franchise, I am glad you were able to hit the top of the GM pinnacle with a Cup in Season 75. I wish you the best moving forward and hope our VHL paths cross again.

Weeks of:

Mar 22-28

Mar 29-Apr 4

Apr 5-11

Lets Get Ready to Rumble 

The Seventy-Seventh VHL is finally expected to get underway tomorrow after a off-season that was much like the great Lambs Chops Song, The Song That Never Ends. The landscape of course no different than any new season will look different than last, with new teams emerging from the pack from pretender to contender. One team looking to improve from last season, is the North American Conferences’ Toronto Legion. After a sixty-four point performance that was good enough to miss the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Conference, the Legion made a few moves to shore up some of the teams most glaring weaknesses. The biggest move in my opinion for the Legion was having Asher Reinhart falling in the draft for the Legion to pick up with the Sixth Overall pick. While we won’t go much into what happened next, all I can say as a member of the Legion is, we are extremely grateful to have landed Reinhart and Jon Webber. With two number one goalies dressing again for us this season, I think this might be the biggest deciding factor in the Legion making the VHL playoffs in Season Seventy-Seven. #WinForHextall.

1. Another week in the off season... is there anything I can do to keep you entertained? 
 

Yea another week in the off-season, while anyways no you cannot do anything. Enjoy being in the LR!

2. I'm running out of questions for the off season, so I'm going to start asking random ones... what is your favorite game genre? 

I play basically just sports. Odd other game here and there, but I have a fantasy team with Sterling in football and a fantasy team myself I’m hockey on PS4

3. What about your favorite music genre? 
 

I can and will listen to just about most main types of genres but my favourite it classic rock.

4. What about movies? 

I don’t watch tons of movies, but I guess I would go with. a comedy or documentary if I was to watch one.

5. Favorite snack to munch on while watching a movie/playing a game?

chips, can finish a whole bag, sadly. So I stopped buying them and now they are a nice treat every month or so.

6. Do you crank your music loud, or do you listen to it at a reasonable volume?

Depends on the situation, alone in a room loudish. 

3/3

Review: Good write up hedge. It was nice to read about Rigas off-season in trades and drafts so far. Enjoyed the finishing part on each teams off-season. Hopefully we can both make noise in Riga and Toronto this season.

pretty bland appearance, but otherwise good read.  8.5/10

Review: Good predraft interview. What I enjoyed most was it was not a straight question and answer, but had some quotes from Hlozek throughout the piece. Glad you enjoyed yourself and were able to put in the work to become a 1st round VHL pick. You’re in great hands in Riga.

Good article, glad to know more about Hlozek then I died before. 

9/10

@Josh as per your instructions, please see the purchase in the player store 

thanks!

1. The S77 VHL Entry Draft is approaching... will you be paying attention? 

Yes I hope to watch. I know it's Friday and I have a VHL alumni supposed to be at my place, so who knows if we will get around to actually taking it in. Hoping for exciting results at number six. 

2. What do you think about the management and leadership movement on the sim lately? (GMs retiring/leaving, Beaviss' resignation, etc)

It is interesting. Gives new blood in the room, not that it was necessarily needed, but who knows what will come of it

3. Are you participating in the World Cup? 

Yes I am U.S.A baby! We didn't start so hot, but its all about that finish. 

4. What is your favorite thing about the off season? 

Nothing, its boring as all fuck

5. What are you expecting from Toronto in S77?

Playoffs, number one. If we don't make the playoffs with our current roster in the North American Conference, then I would say its a bad year. After that anything can happen in the playoffs.  

6. What are your individual aspirations for S77? 

I want to be a top five player in my position and a top three player on the Legion. I am one of the higher TPE players and its time to put up in year four. 

Transaction ID: 20554595631191550
Doubles Week

5 uncapped 

Free week - Used May 2021

2/3

Review: I think everyone that’s been in the league and been active has been in your position, don’t feel afraid to reach out in the LR for ideas as well!

Good stuff on your player and what he wants to do next when he hits the TPE gym. Hopefully you can fond your minor LR

activity in the majors! 
 

7.5/10

Review: I remember my first draft, I didn’t know much about the league and wasn’t nearly as invested, but was excited when I logged on! In a league that only requires 16 starters, going in the top of the third is a great feat for a first Gen goalie, don’t be discouraged or worry where you fall, putting in the work will get the results you want. Good review

8/10

VHL Storyline – Expansion Finals

At the time of writing this article, the Victory Hockey League is awaiting the first day of the Continental Cup Finals. The finals this season will see the Chicago Phoenix and Warsaw Predators facing off against each other, an amazing feat for franchises that both saw their first seasons in the league in Season Seventy-Three. Today we will take a quick look at the two franchises that are looking to hoist their first VHL championship in just their fourth VHL season, and how they got themselves in this position.

Chicago Phoenix:

The Phoenix have come a long way since their eighteen-win inaugural season back in Season Seventy-Three. Chicago’s General Manager Geoffrey Dee started off his career with the Phoenix, with the Season Seventy-Three VHL Expansion Draft back on July 13^th, 2020. Chicago was awarded the Second Overall pick in the expansion draft, along with five other picks spread out through the twenty-four picks. Dee used the Second Overall pick in the draft to pick up another pick in the VHL Entry Draft, picking up Slot A, which was Seventh Overall. That pick turned out to be the first franchise building block Dee would put into place, selecting the team’s starting goaltender for the past four seasons, Jean Pierre Camus. Fifteen selections later, Dee pulled another gem out of the Season Seventy-Three draft, when Dee and the Phoenix selected Canadian born defesenman Matty Socks. Chicago would of course as mentioned earlier go onto win only eighteen games in Season Seventy-Three, something that did set them up for long-term success, as the team through the draft lottery was awarded the Second Overall pick in the Season Seventy-Four VHL Entry Draft. Although the team missed out on winning the draft lottery, picking Second Overall allowed the team to find their franchise forward in Christian Mingle. While Mingle was able to bring some extra firepower to the roster, Season Seventy-Four still saw the Phoenix put up a losing record, however they did add twelve win from the previous season. As is the theme with this article and the Phoenix, another losing season allowed the team to enter the draft with the sixth overall pick. At this time with an up incoming roster that seemed ready to break out, Dee saw a unique opportunity to pick up two franchises defining defenseman in the Season Seventy-Five VHL Entry Draft. Dee flipped his Season Seventy-Six First and Third draft picks to Calgary in exchange for the Fourth Overall pick in Season Seventy-Five and a Season Seventy-Six fourth. This move allowed the Phoenix to pick up for L and R to finish building their impressive defensive core.   

All the moves in the draft, along with some savvy trades put the Phoenix in the spotlight as the team now headed into their third VHL season in Season Seventy-Five. After winning thirty-games the season before, the Phoenix continued to improve each season, as the team saw its first winning season in Season Seventy-Five, posting a thirty-seven-win season, good enough for the team’s first playoff appearance. In their first playoff appearance in the league, Chicago was tasked with facing one of the best VHL franchises over the past decade, the Seattle Bears, in the North American Wildcard round. In a three game sweep of the best of five series, the Phoenix swept the Bears in a surprising turn of events. Chicago would then see another first as they would head into the Conference Semi-Finals against the best team in the league, the Calgary Wranglers. Unlike the Wildcard round, Chicago was put to the test against the Wranglers, with the series finally being decided in overtime of game seven. That’s where the team’s second draft pick from their first VHL Entry Draft, Matty Socks came to the franchises rescue. Just like that after experiencing their first playoff berth just a few weeks ago, The Phoenix were now headed to the Conference Finals to take on the D.C. Dragons. Again the Phoenix were back and forth against their opponent in the Conference Finals, and just like the previous round, the Phoenix found themselves in a game seven. Unfortunately for the team, a rough second period would be the undoing of the team and the end of their great Cinderella playoff run. Six goals were scored between the two teams in the second period, but Ove Dyrdahl put the final nail in the Phoenix coffin, with the Dragons fourth goal and the eventual game winner with just under 5 minutes left in the second period. A great season and great run, set the team up for where they find themselves now.

Fast forward to today, the Phoenix and the city of Chicago are looking forward to first Continental Cup finals in the city. After going 1-1 to start the playoffs, the Phoenix have gone on to win the last seven playoff games, a very rare hot streak for VHL teams in the playoffs. The next week will be full of highs and lows, while Phoenix management and friends go on the wild last ride with the team.

Warsaw Predators:

Like Chicago, the Predators came into the league in Season Seventy-Three and immediately held court near the bottom of the European Conference standings. This of course is not a knock on Warsaw of their management, the expansion franchises in the VHL are not expected to be world beaters when they enter the league. Like Chicago the first real action that Predator General Manager Damien Walec saw with the team was the Season Seventy-Three VHL Expansion Draft. The best selection for the Predators in the VHL Expansion draft was the third last pick in the draft, when Warsaw took the S73 VHL Entry Draft Slot C (10^TH Overall). With that selection in the Entry Draft, Warsaw was able to select centerman Dakota Lamb. Lamb who currently is the highest TPE player on the team, was a great first building block for Walec and the Predators. Like Chicago, Warsaw used the great Season Seventy-Three VHL Entry draft to stock the cupboards, selecting goaltender Ajay Krishna and defenseman Victor Grachev in the Second Round of their first VHL Entry draft. After the first season in Season Seventy-Three that saw the team finish with twenty-three wins, which was good enough for fourteenth place in a sixteen team league. While the first season had its share of growing pains, Walec and the Predators new better things were ahead for the new franchise. Season Seventy-Four started off for the Predators by selecting Aloe Dear First Overall in the Season Seventy-Four VHL Entry Draft. While Dear was the belle of the ball in Warsaw, one shouldn’t overlook the selections the Predators made at Twenty-Second and Twenty-Third Overall. With those back to back selections in the Second Round, the Predators were able to pick up two quality pieces to help the team in Tim Waters and Lexi Glass.  

While Glass has been the better of the two up to this point in their careers, Waters has been a stable contributor on the Predators blue-line. Warsaw headed into their second VHL season in Season Seventy-Four with a better roster, but one that had a lot of learning and growing to do. This was evident in the regular season, as the Predators did improve their wins from twenty-three to twenty-seven wins, the biggest indicator of the learning and growing the team did was in the goal difference between the two seasons. The Predators ended with a minus sixty in the goal difference category in Season Seventy-Three, but improved that number to a minus thirty-four in Season Seventy-Four. Behind the scene and on the ice, the players and management were doing everything in their power to ensure the team was headed in the right direction, that direction took a real shot in the arm heading into Season Seventy-Five. Walec started working the trade wire in the off-season, starting with a deal with Riga that say a Second Round pick head to Riga in exchange for Jeffrenomitsu The 3^rd. In the next few weeks, Warsaw would go onto pick up four draft picks, alongside veteran centeramn Dagmar Havlova. Warsaw then headed into the draft to complete the slight roster overhaul. The Predators used one of those picks they were able to grab in a trade with Toronto to pick up defenseman Muffbeav. Now with a more complete roster in their third VHL season, the Predators were ready to move from pretender to contender in Season Seventy-Five. I don’t think many that follow the VHL expected the leap Warsaw took from year two to year three, but after a twenty-seven-win season the season prior, Warsaw broke out in a big way with a forty-win season in Season Seventy-Five. Warsaw would see their first VHL playoff matchup in their history in the Conference Semi-Finals in Season Seventy-Five, unfortunately they would run into the eventual Continental Cup champions, Malmo in that round. Warsaws’ great season would end in that game seven defeat at the hands of the Malmo, but much like Chicago the Predators first playoff appearance would go a long way the following season. As the off-season began in Warsaw leading into Season Seventy-Six, Predators GM Walec, again took to the trade wire to upgrade his roster. Seattle and Warsaw would strike a deal that would see a First and Second head to Seattle in exchange for a Third round pick and six-year forward Uhtred.

Now as the team and their fans await game one to be played in the Polish capital, Predator fans hope that the team’s first championship appear ends in success.

1,599 Words For weeks:

February 28-March 6

March 7-March 13

March 14-20

1. Have you been following the VHL or VHLM playoffs? 

I actually looked at the conference finals game seven, which was the first playoff game I have viewed. Ain't nobody got time for that!

2. What do you think about the upcoming lotto tournament? 

Well I wasn't looking forward to it for sure, and now that it has happened it was even worse going from a possible third to now sixth. Yikes!

3. Where do you predict Toronto will draft? 

I predict the next time Toronto drafts in the first round will be the S79 OR S80 first round. So I predict we will see Toronto pick in the Fourth Round in the S77 Entry draft. 

4. What are some of your favorite offseason activities? 

Getting some me time in with the family. 

5. Food time: Pancakes or Waffles, you have to choose one or the other. 

Pancakes

6. What kind of ingredients to you add to it?

Vinegar to the milk and let sour for 3-5 minutes

The green gang re-unites of the international stage @DoktorFunk

25 minutes ago, Beketov said:

He is simmer the M this season so he's likely more focussed on the playoffs of that than he is the lotto Tournament.

Well then he’s more quality than first imagined.

Also you two are real quick to jump to his defense, @gorlab got people on edge. Also I understand my poorly typed pooping message earlier made it seem make aggressive and thus maybe the reply 
 

Thanks for the clarification tho 

1 hour ago, Quik said:

 

Oh, then yeah...I mean, tanking in this tournament isn't helpful unless someone else owns your pick. That doesn't really apply here, I think Josh just didn't realize the bot was in net for the final game of the regular season, which are the lines that carried over.

Sorry let me be clear, 

I was asking how could someone so invested in the league make this mistake. I don’t care if he’s tanking, I’d respect that more than just forgetting. 

Lol, how does a team run by a commissioner get to play a computer goalie in these games?