End of the line
With the VHL playoffs in full swing, some VHL players are or have laced up their skates for the last time in the league. With three of the four VHL Conference Finals finished already we thought we would look at some of the players on the playoff teams this season that will be ageing out of the league at the conclusion of season ninety-six, outside of the Vancouver Wolves players.
Bobby Bob (Calgary Wranglers)
Bobby Bob is finishing off his VHL career with the Calgary Wrangles after spending the first seven seasons with the Toronto Legion. Bob was drafted by the Legion back in the season eighty-eight VHL Entry Draft, third overall, and joined the Legion the following season in season eighty-nine. Since joining the Legion in season eighty-nine Bob has played in 556 games for the Toronto based VHL club, while putting up 97 goals and 466 assists, which makes him a point per game defenseman during his Legion tenure. Bob was traded to the Wrangles this season for FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist and a Toronto third round pick in season ninety-seven. Bob played in twenty regular season games with the Legion and put up six goals and fifteen assists, to continue his point per game career pace. Calgary and Bob have played in four playoff games this season, where Bob has put up one goal and five assists. With one Continental Cup under his belt already from the Legions win in season ninety-one, Bob will be looking to end his career on a high note with a possible second cup win this season on the North Americans powerhouse Wranglers.
Francesco Mancini (Chicago Phoenix)
The first player we will talk about on the Phoenix roster that will be retiring this off-season is Francesco Mancini. Mancini was drafted in the season nighty-eight VHL Entry Draft, eighth overall by the New York Americans. Mancini would spend the first five years on the Americans where he would play 360 games while putting up 137 goals and 156 assists. It was during the season ninety-four off-season that Mancini was traded from the Americans to the Phoenix for Kevin OConnor and Yaroslav Trunov. Mancini would play the final three years of his VHL career with the Phoenix putting up 112 goals and 163 assists. Included in that point total was a career best 105 points in his first season in Chicago, season ninety-four. This past season, while Mancini say his worst point total since season ninety-three, putting up seventy-two points, he helped Chicago reach the postseason. Chicago would play in the wild card round in season ninety-six against the Seattle Bears, who they would eventually fall to in four games, including two heartbreaking overtimes losses. Mancini should be very proud of his VHL career, especially the past six seasons where he put up 510 of his 568 career points.
Legacy Gaming (Chicago Phoenix)
The second member of the Phoenix roster that will be retiring this off-season is right winger Legacy Gaming. Gaming was drafted in the season eighty-eight VHL Entry Draft twelfth overall by the Helsinki Titans. After playing in two VHLE seasons with the Istanbul Red Wolves, Gaming made his VHL debut for the Titans in season ninety, where he put up thirteen goals and twenty-four assists. After his rookie season, Gaming would be traded from Helsinki to Chicago for a season ninety-two third and a season ninety-three third. In his six seasons with the Phoenix, Gaming put up 173 goals and 205 assists, along with 1,149 hits. Playing a power forward role with the Phoenix obviously didn’t lead to absurd point totals, but outside the first two seasons in Chicago Gaming was putting up over 250 hits each season, which is a very respectful number in the hybrid era of the VHL. Gaming also played in thirty-one playoff games with Chicago over five seasons, putting up fourteen goals, fifteen assists and 112 hits, with forty-three of those hits coming in the Phoenix’s thirteen playoff games in season ninety-five. While Gaming likely won’t hear his name called in a VHL hall of fame introduction, Gaming had a very respectable career in his seven VHL seasons.
Isaac mclflopper (Malmo Nighthawks)
Next on the list of retiring players this off-season is the Nighthawks Isaac mclflopper. Unlike those we talked about before, mclflopper was drafted in the season ninety-one VHL Entry Draft and is not forced to retire this off-season but choose to call it a career after four VHL seasons. Mclflopper was drafted by the Titans nineteenth overall in the season ninety-one draft, but didn’t join the Titans until season ninety-three for his VHL rookie season. Although mclflopper only played in four VHL seasons, the Canadian born forward still had a good career with Helsinki and Malmo. In 288 VHL games played mclflopper put up 109 goals and 122 assist, along with 572 hits. Unfortunately for mclflopper only appeared in one VHL post season which happened to be the season ninety-six post season. In eight playoff games this post-season, mclflopper put up two goals and two assists. With no posts from the agent that represented mclflopper since August 28, 2024, we might not be seeing anymore players from this agency any time soon, which is a shame as mclflopper put up a very respectable 812 TPE as a first generation VHL player.
Jacob Stone (Malmo Nighthawks)
The second player on the Malmo roster who will be hanging it up during the off-season is defenseman Jacob Stone. Stone is a rare breed in professional sports as he spendt all nine seasons in his VHL tenure with the same club. While it’s tough to say if Stone will be heading to the VHL hall of fame in a few seasons, one thing is for sure, Stone will likely see his number retired in Malmo in the not to distant future. Stone was drafted by the Nighthawks fifth overall in the season eighty-eight VHL Entry Draft and immediately joined the Nighthawks that season to begin his VHL career. In total Stone has played in 648 games for the Nighthawks putting gup 186 goals and 462 assists, which puts him right at a point per game. Most players in the VHL don’t see career highs in their last season in the league, but Stone was a different beast as he put up career highs this past season in assists (83) and points (106). Stone has already taken home two Jake Wylde trophies in his career for the league’s top defensive defenseman, winning the award in season ninety-two and season ninety-five, and will also be adding some more hardware during this season’s award ceremony as he led the league in assists and in points for VHL defenseman. Adding more individual hardware to his trophy case this off-season might be the push the Americans born defenseman needs to get that call to the hall.
Nils Andersson (Moscow Menace)
Andersson was drafted by the Moscow Menace thirteenth overall in the season eight-eight draft and made his Meance debut in season eighty-nine. A defensive defenseman, Andersson still put up some decent offensive numbers in his eight-year VHL career. With seven years played on Moscow and one year with the Legion in season ninety-four, Andersson was able to put up 84 goals and 163 assists, along with a very impressive plus/minus of plus 154. While Andersson had a good VHL career, unfortunately he has been unable to take home a Continental Cup to date, however with Moscow still in the playoff race in season ninety-six, possibly the final season for Nils can be his best season to date.
Moritz Stauffer (New York Americans)
Season eighty-eight draftee is the next member on the list of those playing on playoff teams that will be retiring at the end of the season. Drafted sixth overall by the Malamo Nighthawks, Stauffer never again put on the Malmo jersey after draft night. Stauffer was quickly flipped to the Prague Phantoms for fellow defenseman Jacob Stone. Stauffer ended up playing five seasons for the Phantoms from season eighty-eight to season ninety-two. After those five seasons in Prague the German born defenseman bounced around the VHL a bit, playing in Calgary, London, Seattle, New York and Los Angeles. Despite bouncing around a bit on the back end of his career Stauffer put up some decent offensive number for a defenseman, putting up 105 goals and 377 assists in 647 games played. Stauffer will end his VHL career with a Continental Cup as well, as he was apart of the Season ninety Prague team that won the championship.
Mark Calaway (Riga Reign)
Mark Calaways’ VHL career ended last night after the Riga Reign lost in game seven against the HC Davos Dynamo. Calaway was drafted first overall in the season nighty-eight draft by the D.C. Dragons and lived up to the hype of a first overall draft pick during his eight VHL seasons. Calaway played five seasons in D.C., two seasons in Vancouver and finished his final season in the VHL with Riga. Calaway had a very good offensive career in the league, putting up 181 goals and 430 assists in 576 games played. While Calaway was above a point per game in the league, unfortunately for him Calaway will exit the league with only a Continental Cup win from season ninety-two in his awards cabinet, as Calaway has yet to win any other awards during his time in the league. Regardless of the empty award cabinet, Calaway was very dominant in his time in the league and should be held n high regard.
Jasper Davis (Seattle Bears)
Next on the list of retiring platers from VHL playoff teams is Swiss born centerman Jasper Davis. Davis was selected fourth overall by the New York Americans in the season eighty-eight VHL Entry Draft. Jasper joined the Americans for season eighty-nine and immediately made an impact on the team and entire league, winning the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy for the league’s top rookie in season eighty-nine. Jasper would take a step back in his sophomore season, putting up only fifty-three points in season ninety, but then put up 543 points from season ninety-one to season ninety-six overall, in his eight-year career, Davis put up 28 goals and 378 points. While Davis had an amazing career in the VHL with New York and Seattle, outside of the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy in his first season in the league, Davis will be heading home without anymore hardware, including no Continental Cups.
Tord Yvel (Seattle Bears)
The second player on the Bears roster that will be retiring in the off-season is Swedish born defenseman Tord Yvel. Drafted late in the second round, twentieth overall by the New York Americans, Yvel went on to have a very productive VHL career with New York, London and Seattle. After being drafted in the season eight-eight VHL draft, Yvel joined the Americans for the VHLs ninetieth season. Yvel had a great rookie season with the Americans putting up six goals and forty-four assists, putting him only six points behind the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy winner that season. Playing in eight seasons with three teams Yvel put up 53 goals and 322 assists, along with 840 hits and 1,206 shots blocked. As he was able to contribute on both ends of the ice Yvel was a big part of those three VHL franchises he played on. Unfortunately, Yvel and the Bears were eliminated from the playoffs by the Calgary Wrangles in four games, so Yvel will leave the VHL without any awards bearing his name.
Tullemore Dew (Warsaw Predators)
The last member of the list of retiring players we will look at is the twenty-seventh overall pick from the season nighty-eight VHL Entry Draft, Tullemore Dew. Dew was drafted by the HC Davos Dyman in the draft, but never played a VHL game for the Swiss based VHL club Instead Dew was traded to the Chicago Phoenix before the VHLs ninetieth season, where he would begin his VHL career. Dew would go on to play for four VHL teams during his eight-year VHL career, including two stints with the Helsinki Titans. In total Dew played in 506 games in the VHL, while putting up 143 goals and 257 assists. His last season split between Warsaw and Helsinki saw Dew put up career numbers in both goals (46) and points (93). Dew won the VHLMs Ethan Osbourne award as the leader in VHLM points in the regular season back in season eighty-eight but was unable to snag any VHL awards during his tenure. Although the lack of awards will be recognized there is no denying that Dew had an good career with Chicago, Helsinki, Seattle and Warsaw.
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