Smarch

1. Calgary seems to have heard you and now started winning too much, hopefully they start losing again soon!
 
2. They remind me of the Minnesota Wild in 2011-12. League leaders after 30 games, missed the playoffs. 
 
3. No, I am interested in the playoffs if we don't make the playoffs. 
 
4. I believe they will get drafted in the First Round to a team in either the North American or European Conference. 
 
5. I think she would still look dead in yoga pants 
 
6. A feather. 
 
Also just for laughs mascot, nice!

1. Calgary seems to have heard you and now started winning too much, hopefully they start losing again soon!
 
2. They remind me of the Minnesota Wild in 2011-12. League leaders after 30 games, missed the playoffs. 
 
3. No, I am interested in the playoffs if we don't make the playoffs. 
 
4. I believe they will get drafted in the First Round to a team in either the North American or European Conference. 
 
5. I think she would still look dead in yoga pants 
 
6. A feather. 
 
Also just for laughs mascot, nice!

1. Calgary seems to have heard you and now started winning too much, hopefully they start losing again soon!
 
2. They remind me of the Minnesota Wild in 2011-12. League leaders after 30 games, missed the playoffs. 
 
3. No, I am interested in the playoffs if we don't make the playoffs. 
 
4. I believe they will get drafted in the First Round to a team in either the North American or European Conference. 
 
5. I think she would still look dead in yoga pants 
 
6. A feather. 
 
Also just for laughs mascot, nice!

The next two weeks are super busy for me so trying to do an extra long media spot to count for two weeks.  I am off to Las Vegas for two weeks which is waaaay too long to be in the desert.   So this weeks Around the League will cover a bunch of topics such as Bollos de Trueno potential draft spot, a look in on Rip Wheeler, the race to the playoffs, and maybe other random stuff to get me to 1000 words.
 
BOLLOS de TRUENO
A quick look in at the upcoming draft shows a pretty deep first round and truly a bunch of  “can’t miss” draft pick for the first 10-15 picks.  Lots of big names and huge earners litter the top spots and a large amount of these picks are defensive players.  What does that mean for Trueno?  Well lets look deeper at BDT.
 
Without even looking at @Thunder current player in Trueno we have to think his draft stock is high simply because of his history.  His first player, Jake Thunder was the type of defenseman that set the standard for modern era VHLers looking to make a Hall of Fame dman.  
 
Not knowing what type of build Trueno will be, it seems likely we will be looking at Jake Thunder 2.0 but maybe better since Thunder is passed the learning curve now and knows what to put his TPE into now.  
 
Currently, Bollos de Trueno plays for Saskatoon and is having a great season.  In 61 games he has 12 goals 39 assists 51 points with 94 hits and 67 SB. 6 of his 12 goals are on the power play and he somehow snagged a shorthanded goal to show he is a threat in any circumstance. 
He currently sits #7 in overall TPE (3rd overall for defenders) for the upcoming draft class that shows 7 defensemen in the top 15. 
 
So where will he go?  Based on the current standings it looks like LA will have #1 pick with Davos picking #2.  LA’s needs could force them to take a sure pick goalie in Soju @Frank first overall and based on Franks past players could prove to be the smart choice. 
 
If Davos had the second pick they could go with #2 in overall TPE in Jillian Woods @jacobcarson877who is lighting it up in Ottawa (18-47-65) and another guaranteed winner of a pick.  But could Davos draft Trueno at #2 since his former player was a Davos legend?  Davos has some young forward talent but some needs all around so tough to say, only @AlexAlex knows.  There is some amazing forward talent as well in Maverick Goncalves @leandrofg who skipped the M and is already playing well against better talent in the VHLE.  Maverick is supreme talent and earner, and we can easily see him go #1 in this draft or any previous draft.  If he falls to #2 will Davos pick him up to lead their club in the future?  
 
Other names like Felicia Hardy @JCarson, Pierre Mac Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito, The Phantom of the VHL @Hogan, Pombo @samx, Lazlo Holmes @Gustav , Maple Dogwood @dogwoodmaple, Erik Thorvaldsson @Tetricide, and Wally Lose @youloser1337 all complicate the matter too since they are all great talent with historically great players.  
 
My prediction for Bollos de Trueno’s draft spot is #2-#8 spot.  My sincere hope is that he somehow falls to Vancouver’s draft selection so that I may play with my friend in real life. But it’s more likely he ends up somewhere else just based on pure statistics and, in that case, I hope to smash his face on the daily.  
 
LOL.  Best of luck Trueno, either way I can’t wait for you to get to the VHL and make another Hall of Fame defenseman.  
 
RIP “Glass jaw” Wheeler
To date, I have recruited four players to the VHL.  Two shit the bed early and were useless. One made the hall of fame (Jake Thunder) and one recruit I like to consider an off and on disappointment in Rip Wheeler.  Now, I know Rip in real life, and we work together. So, we often have conversations about Rip Wheeler @ScottyP and my player, Logan Ninefingers dropping the gloves and going at it.  For example, he told me that he was, “going to make that rookie Ninefingers pay the price in the big leagues,” when my player got to the VHL. 
 
So recently when the Vancouver Wolves squared off against the Prague Phantoms in game 393 in Prague.   So, in front of his sold-out hometown crowd Rip Wheeler  tried to assault young Vancouver forward, Riley Martin @Smarch. At the 16:44 mark Rip embarrassed himself by challenging the youngster to a fight by slashing him up the ice over and over.  What happened after will be shown on YouTube clips for ages as the rookie Martin served right hand after right hand into Wheeler’s mouth. Wheeler looked like a puppet on strings as Martin showed the veteran forward a little about pugilism on ice. 
 
To add fuel to the fire poor Wheeler was given a game misconduct for his antics and a guaranteed hearing with league officials over his behavior.   However great the fight win was for Vancouver they ended up losing in a shootout to a goal by Skor McFluery.  
 
VHL Standings
At the 60-game mark the Toronto Legion are currently the best team in the league with a 43-15-2 record.  Malmo, Seattle, London, New York, Moscow, and Prague are all close and this off-season should be a fun one to watch. 
 
Seattle and Moscow made the most moves at the deadline to try and improve their clubs and I think both were successful and pose a real threat to other clubs come playoff time.  Warsaw, defending champs DC, and Chicago also have their talents and are looking to wreck their pairings come playoffs.  
 
The current hot team in the league is Malmo with a 4-game win streak and is in a battle for top spot in the European division with London. It will be an exciting ending to the season to see where these clubs shake out.  
 
will claim for weeks 04/28 and 05/05

Sorry RIP
 

1. To be honest I have no clue who either of those players are. I am sure it was a decent trade for both teams, but If they are not Wolves players, I couldn't pick out anyone in this league or point out thier impact.
 
2. I guess picks right now are hot commodities are the drafts are decent right now, so I guess its good?
 
3. No, I think we will be ending our season at the conclusion of the regular season unfortunately.
 
4. I don't think we had a great season overall. Its been a tough go of it and even if we sneak into the playoffs I don't foresee the team taking a playoff series.  
 
5. Had no idea it was taking place. I did not and likely will not watch it.
 
6. Looking forward to the season being over so we can re-group and try again. Not looking forward to summer housework and maintenance. 

Sorry RIP
 

Sorry RIP
 

Things are starting to heat up between Prague Phantoms winger Rip Wheeler, @ScottyP, and Vancouver Wolves winger Logan Ninefingers, @Scurvy.  Game #393 found Rip Wheeler to be skirting the ice time with Logan Ninefingers, knowing all too well that Ninefingers has been after Wheeler.  Logan Ninefingers, the hard working, gritty power forward for the Wolves had reached out to his GM, @Frank, for a chance to share the ice with Wheeler so they could match up and air out some differences.  Ninefingers has been vocal about how disappointing Wheeler is as a hockey player, giving a lackluster effort and just going through the motions.
 
For almost two periods, every time Logan Ninefingers stepped on the ice, Rip Wheeler immediately asked for a sub out.  This chicken shit worked as Logan Ninefingers was keenly aware of Wheeler’s antics of being mouthy only when Ninefingers cant get to Wheeler.
 
At the 16:43 mark, Wheeler had only four shots, all of which were easily stopped by Dalkr Vidarrson, @kaleebthemighty.  Wheeler received a pass from Skor McFleury, @Alex, while looking on the Vancouver bench and seeing Ninefingers was about to jump on the ice.  Wheeler dumped the puck and went right after rookie Riley Martin, @Smarch, with what can only be described as a limpwristed attempt to challenge Martin.  Now Martin, not about to back down from anyone, let alone Rip Wheeler, reveled at the instigating and proceeded to use Wheeler’s face to redden his knuckles.  Spanish Moon Moth, @Renomitsu and Guntis Gavilrovs, @Girts embraced for a fight to a draw; as did Nikolas Kauppi, @Tetricide and Mikko Borisyuk. @Minebro.  Spanish Moon Moth and Nikolas Kauppi both shook their heads in disgust as they saw Rip Wheeler pick himself off the ice and skate to the bench as quickly as possible knowing that Wheeler will not be tangling against Logan Ninefingers anytime soon.  Before opening the bench door, Wheeler could be heard begging the referee to give him a game misconduct so he could avoid Ninefingers another day.
 
335 words

I gamble everyday with my 300k mortgage and getting engaged in the same year 

Player Spotlight - Matteo Stefano
 
@mmrs617
 
The Canadian born winger joined the VHL earlier this month on April 2, 2024 and had jumped right into things in the league. Stefano was signed by the Mississauga Hounds right after joining the league has been played spectacular in his first eighteen VHLM games. So far in those eighteen games Stefano has put up seven goals and nine assists, which if projected over the Hounds full forty-nine games Stefano would be the second highest scorer on the team. 
 
Currently to date Stefano has earned 139 TPE I’m just ten days, which is an amazing number especially for a first generation player in the league. The 139 TPE puts him as the four highest TPE earner at forward on the Hounds roster as well as the second highest VHLM Dispersal Draft eligible player for the Season 94 VHLM draft. With a high end work ethic and brilliant one ice ability alot easy showcased in under two weeks in the league,  Stefano might challenge for the First Overall draft pick in the VHLM when the time comes

Thank you so much for the kind words. I've really enjoyed my time so far in the league. I'm hoping to continue to improve and help out my team. 

Player Spotlight - Matteo Stefano
 
@mmrs617
 
The Canadian born winger joined the VHL earlier this month on April 2, 2024 and had jumped right into things in the league. Stefano was signed by the Mississauga Hounds right after joining the league has been played spectacular in his first eighteen VHLM games. So far in those eighteen games Stefano has put up seven goals and nine assists, which if projected over the Hounds full forty-nine games Stefano would be the second highest scorer on the team. 
 
Currently to date Stefano has earned 139 TPE I’m just ten days, which is an amazing number especially for a first generation player in the league. The 139 TPE puts him as the four highest TPE earner at forward on the Hounds roster as well as the second highest VHLM Dispersal Draft eligible player for the Season 94 VHLM draft. With a high end work ethic and brilliant one ice ability alot easy showcased in under two weeks in the league,  Stefano might challenge for the First Overall draft pick in the VHLM when the time comes

Player Spotlight - Matteo Stefano
 
@mmrs617
 
The Canadian born winger joined the VHL earlier this month on April 2, 2024 and had jumped right into things in the league. Stefano was signed by the Mississauga Hounds right after joining the league has been played spectacular in his first eighteen VHLM games. So far in those eighteen games Stefano has put up seven goals and nine assists, which if projected over the Hounds full forty-nine games Stefano would be the second highest scorer on the team. 
 
Currently to date Stefano has earned 139 TPE I’m just ten days, which is an amazing number especially for a first generation player in the league. The 139 TPE puts him as the four highest TPE earner at forward on the Hounds roster as well as the second highest VHLM Dispersal Draft eligible player for the Season 94 VHLM draft. With a high end work ethic and brilliant one ice ability alot easy showcased in under two weeks in the league,  Stefano might challenge for the First Overall draft pick in the VHLM when the time comes

Player Spotlight - Matteo Stefano
 
@mmrs617
 
The Canadian born winger joined the VHL earlier this month on April 2, 2024 and had jumped right into things in the league. Stefano was signed by the Mississauga Hounds right after joining the league has been played spectacular in his first eighteen VHLM games. So far in those eighteen games Stefano has put up seven goals and nine assists, which if projected over the Hounds full forty-nine games Stefano would be the second highest scorer on the team. 
 
Currently to date Stefano has earned 139 TPE I’m just ten days, which is an amazing number especially for a first generation player in the league. The 139 TPE puts him as the four highest TPE earner at forward on the Hounds roster as well as the second highest VHLM Dispersal Draft eligible player for the Season 94 VHLM draft. With a high end work ethic and brilliant one ice ability alot easy showcased in under two weeks in the league,  Stefano might challenge for the First Overall draft pick in the VHLM when the time comes

Player Spotlight - Matteo Stefano
 
@mmrs617
 
The Canadian born winger joined the VHL earlier this month on April 2, 2024 and had jumped right into things in the league. Stefano was signed by the Mississauga Hounds right after joining the league has been played spectacular in his first eighteen VHLM games. So far in those eighteen games Stefano has put up seven goals and nine assists, which if projected over the Hounds full forty-nine games Stefano would be the second highest scorer on the team. 
 
Currently to date Stefano has earned 139 TPE I’m just ten days, which is an amazing number especially for a first generation player in the league. The 139 TPE puts him as the four highest TPE earner at forward on the Hounds roster as well as the second highest VHLM Dispersal Draft eligible player for the Season 94 VHLM draft. With a high end work ethic and brilliant one ice ability alot easy showcased in under two weeks in the league,  Stefano might challenge for the First Overall draft pick in the VHLM when the time comes

Player Spotlight - Matteo Stefano
 
@mmrs617
 
The Canadian born winger joined the VHL earlier this month on April 2, 2024 and had jumped right into things in the league. Stefano was signed by the Mississauga Hounds right after joining the league has been played spectacular in his first eighteen VHLM games. So far in those eighteen games Stefano has put up seven goals and nine assists, which if projected over the Hounds full forty-nine games Stefano would be the second highest scorer on the team. 
 
Currently to date Stefano has earned 139 TPE I’m just ten days, which is an amazing number especially for a first generation player in the league. The 139 TPE puts him as the four highest TPE earner at forward on the Hounds roster as well as the second highest VHLM Dispersal Draft eligible player for the Season 94 VHLM draft. With a high end work ethic and brilliant one ice ability alot easy showcased in under two weeks in the league,  Stefano might challenge for the First Overall draft pick in the VHLM when the time comes

Theme Week – Time to Move
It’s that time of year again in the VHL, as theme and trade deadline week is upon us. This year the theme week talking point is all about moving current franchises if we had the ability. While franchises moving in the VHL are far and few between, this week I would like to take a shot at where I would move the current North Americans VHL franchises to. We will try not to move the franchises out of the current country they are currently in but will try to have some fun with the moves.
North American Conference:
 
Calgary Wranglers:
First up on our list is one of the franchises that have been in the VHL since day one. Alberta is a hot spot for hockey in Calgary with two NHL teams and five Western Hockey League franchises, so we will try to stay away from those cities. If I were to move the Calgary Wranglers, I would look to Okotoks Alberta. Just thirty-right kilometers south of Calgary, Okotoks has a estimated population of 30,214, but would be able to draw those from the surrounding area to VHL games, including Calgary, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge to name a few. Currently Okotoks has a junior A hockey club (Okotos Oilers), junior B hockey club (Okotos Bisons) and a previous AAA senior hockey club (Okotos Drillers). The Okotoks based hockey club could also keep the Wranglers name and not step on any current Okotos hockey clubs., but an updated logo would likely help the club with their new identity.
 
Chicago Phoenix:
Chicago was part of the VHL expansion that took place before the VHLs seventy-second season, so moving them already seems like a crime. However, with the theme week in mind I will have to do what the league wants. With the mindset of keeping the Phoenix in the state of Illinois, I would suggest moving the team to Rockford Illinois, home of the current AHLs Rockford IceHogs. With the Chicago Blackhawks purchasing the IceHogs in 2021 and investing millions of dollars into the BMO Harris Bank Center the Phoenix would be able to move into a state-of-the-art renovated arena. I would also suggest the Phoenix to be a complete make-out and pay homage to the previous Rockford AHL teams and rename to the Rockford Bandits, who left Rockford in 1997 for Cincinnati.
 
D.C. Dragons:
The Dragons were part of the earlier VHL expansion prior to the VHLs Sixty-seventh season. As we won’t be able to keep the team in the District of Columbia, we will look to move the teams somewhere close in Virgina, and in this instance we would pick Richmond Virgina. Richmond does not currently have a professional sports team and a VHL franchise would be able to exist without much competition. To tie the new VHL franchise in Richmond into the community I would suggest renaming the team the Richmond Rapids, as Richmond is the only city in the entire United States to have class IV rapids. Creating a new logo for the team might be a challenge with such a name, but anything is possible in the VHL with our amazing graphics members.
 
Los Angeles Stars:
The last of the North American later expansion clubs, Log Angeles currently has a lot of sports and non-sports competition in the city. My opinion would be to move the Stars to the state capital, Sacramento California. With the Sacramento Kings already playing in a 17,608-seat arena in the Golden 1 Center, the team would possibly be able to retrofit the area with an ice system to share the arena. With being labeled as America's Farm-to-Fork Capital, I would suggest re-naming the team to the Sacramento Bison or if the league wanted to stay away from more animals, the Sacramento Gold Miners, in honor of the first Americans team to grace the Canadian Football League.
 
New York Americans:
New York, New York. Speaking of a heavy dose of competition, the New York based VHL franchise would be a hard sell each night in the city. I think moving the Americans outside of New York might help the team on and off the ice, possibly to somewhere such as Queens. While most obviously there is still a lot of competition in Queens being a borough of New York City, with the Mets and New York Islanders playing in Queens, however the Mets and Islanders stink and no one cares about them. The VHL based hockey club could easily share the UBS Arena in which the Islanders play, as the arena currently holds 17,250 patrons for Islanders games. The only part I am stuck on is changing the name Americans, as it’s a great honor to have that name for your sports teams.
 
Seattle Bears:
The pacific northwest based VHL team would likely have had a bigger following prior to the NHL taking over in the area, so it would be a perfect time of move the team to gain some new fans. I think the team could benefit from moving 32 miles southwest to Seattle to Tacoma Washington. With no major hockey clubs in the area and only three other sports franchises in baseball and soccer in the region, I think the club could benefit from the hunger of sports fans in Tacoma and surrounding areas. I believe the Bears name could carry over to Tacoma, but if the league was looking for a full rebrand I would suggest the Tacoma Rockets, to pay tribute to the previous WHL franchise in the city that has since moved to Kelowna.
Toronto Legion:
It seems that everyone in Toronto would be willing to pay to see a professional hockey team, but with major competition from the Leafs and Marlies, the Legion would likely benefit the most from a relocation. With so many hockey teams around Toronto, I think moving the team to Mississauga Ontario to replace the previous AHL franchise Mississauga Ice Dogs would help the Legion draw more fans. With the Ice Dogs gone, the city of Mississauga needs a new full-time tenant for the Paramount Fine Foods Centre, as currently the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League and Toronto 905 clubs are the current sports teams leading the charge in the arena. Unlike some of the other franchises, I think the team could keep the Legion moniker and become the Mississauga Legion.
 
Vancouver Wolves:
The last team in the North American Conference on my list, the Vancouver Wolves also would have a lot of competition in the area for ticket sales. I believe if a move was necessary for the Wolves to draw more fans, a move to Chilliwack B.C. might be in their best interest. Chilliwack has had a crack at hockey previously with a team in the WHL that has since left, but a professional team might fare better, but would likely need to build a new area as the Chilliwack Coliseum currently holds on 5,000 people for hockey games. I believe the team could keep the wolves name as there would be a connection to the vast forestry area the town is surrounded by, but the team would also pay homage to a previous Junior A team and become the second coming of the Chilliwack Rivermen.  
 
European Conference:
 
HC Davos Dynamo:
With a team already playing in Davos under the same name based in Davos, Graubünden, Switzerland, this would be the team that would make the more sense in the league to move. A possible move to Zurich Switzerland as it is currently the largest city in Switzerland and would have a big population to tap into for fans. While Zurich currently has a hockey club playing in the International Ice Hockey Federation, being the biggest city, I believe they have more room to grow the hockey fan base with another team. A total rebrand of the Dynamo name might be needed with my suggestion being the Zurich leopards.
 
Helsinki Titans:
Another original VHL team, the Helsinki based VHL team might be best off if they are left in Helsinki as they have gathered quite the following since season one. However, no team is going to be left alone in this article. My suggestion would be moving the team wot the regional capital of Southwest Finland and oldest city in Finland, the city of Turku. With a hockey club currently playing in Turku in the SM-liiga level, the new team would have to succeed right away to gather a fan base, but I believe they could pull it off. With Turku being quite a music hub, I would make a recommendation to name the new team the Turku Jazz, as it is also the name of a annual festival in July in the city.
London United:
Another newer franchise in the VHL, London would be another franchise that would be difficult to move as they haven’t had the opportunity to establish themselves in the city. I would suggest a move for the franchise to the city of Cambridge, a city that does not currently have a hockey club. In honor of one of the more famous bands to have ties to the region, Pink Floyd, I would suggest naming the new VHL based Cambridge hockey club as the Cambridge Pigs.
Malmo Nighthawks:
Malmo has been in the VHL since Season Sixty-Six, winning their only Continental Cup back in Season Seventy-Eight. A rebrand for a very successful expansion franchise might be seen in poor taste but hockey in Sweden would likely succeed no matter where you put a hockey team. I would suggest putting a team in the country’s fourth biggest city, Uppsala. I wouldn’t push for a full re-brand as the Nighthawks logo is one of the better logos in the VHL at this time, so I would just push for a move to a different city with the team becoming the Uppsala Nighthawks.
 
Moscow Menace:
The next team on the list is another expansion franchise team currently located in Russia. Many around the league might look to take the team out of Russia with the currently political situation but keeping with our trend we will look to move the team inside of Russia, just out of Moscow. A move to the hometown of Sergei Makarov, Chelyabink would be my suggestion, as it is currently the seventh biggest city in Russia. The city is also home to Traktor Arena with a capacity of 7,500 spectators.  A rename might not be the best move as the Menance is another great name and logo but if a rename was in the cards I would suggest the Chelyabink Meteor, as the Traktor arena was damaged in 2013 from the explosion of the Chelyabinsk meteor.
Prague Phantoms:
Likely the best logo in the VHL past and present, there would be no way I would push for a rename of the Prague based VHL franchise. However as we need to move the somewhere I would suggest moving the team to Hradec Králové as it is currently the second biggest city in the Czech Republic behind Prague. Once again I would keep the Phantoms name and logo to have the team become the  Hradec Králové Phantoms.
 
Riga Reign:
Another older franchise in the VHL after spending a few seasons in Amstel at the beginning of the VHLs existence, Rigas has seen its share of ups and downs recently with the teams currently in a thirty-season Continental Cup drought. Riga might benefit from a move for establishing a new fan base, so a possible move out of Riga to Jelgava, which is twenty-five miles southwest of Riga might bring the spark on and off the ice they need. Without a professional sports team in the city, all eyes would focus on the new VHL franchise. In honor of the International Cat Show that takes place annually in the town, renaming the team to the Jelgava Cats, might hit the right spot for the locals.
 
Warsaw Predators :
The last franchise in the European Conference to get a face-lift, Warsaw could be another candidate to move but not go through a renaming. I think a move to the third biggest city in Poland would be the best bet, that being Wrocław. If a full rebrand was to take place, I think a slight renaming to the Wroclaw Panthers might be the best bet.
 
 
2, 059 words. 
April 7-13
April 14-20
April 21-27
April 28-May 4
 

Theme Week – Time to Move
It’s that time of year again in the VHL, as theme and trade deadline week is upon us. This year the theme week talking point is all about moving current franchises if we had the ability. While franchises moving in the VHL are far and few between, this week I would like to take a shot at where I would move the current North Americans VHL franchises to. We will try not to move the franchises out of the current country they are currently in but will try to have some fun with the moves.
North American Conference:
 
Calgary Wranglers:
First up on our list is one of the franchises that have been in the VHL since day one. Alberta is a hot spot for hockey in Calgary with two NHL teams and five Western Hockey League franchises, so we will try to stay away from those cities. If I were to move the Calgary Wranglers, I would look to Okotoks Alberta. Just thirty-right kilometers south of Calgary, Okotoks has a estimated population of 30,214, but would be able to draw those from the surrounding area to VHL games, including Calgary, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge to name a few. Currently Okotoks has a junior A hockey club (Okotos Oilers), junior B hockey club (Okotos Bisons) and a previous AAA senior hockey club (Okotos Drillers). The Okotoks based hockey club could also keep the Wranglers name and not step on any current Okotos hockey clubs., but an updated logo would likely help the club with their new identity.
 
Chicago Phoenix:
Chicago was part of the VHL expansion that took place before the VHLs seventy-second season, so moving them already seems like a crime. However, with the theme week in mind I will have to do what the league wants. With the mindset of keeping the Phoenix in the state of Illinois, I would suggest moving the team to Rockford Illinois, home of the current AHLs Rockford IceHogs. With the Chicago Blackhawks purchasing the IceHogs in 2021 and investing millions of dollars into the BMO Harris Bank Center the Phoenix would be able to move into a state-of-the-art renovated arena. I would also suggest the Phoenix to be a complete make-out and pay homage to the previous Rockford AHL teams and rename to the Rockford Bandits, who left Rockford in 1997 for Cincinnati.
 
D.C. Dragons:
The Dragons were part of the earlier VHL expansion prior to the VHLs Sixty-seventh season. As we won’t be able to keep the team in the District of Columbia, we will look to move the teams somewhere close in Virgina, and in this instance we would pick Richmond Virgina. Richmond does not currently have a professional sports team and a VHL franchise would be able to exist without much competition. To tie the new VHL franchise in Richmond into the community I would suggest renaming the team the Richmond Rapids, as Richmond is the only city in the entire United States to have class IV rapids. Creating a new logo for the team might be a challenge with such a name, but anything is possible in the VHL with our amazing graphics members.
 
Los Angeles Stars:
The last of the North American later expansion clubs, Log Angeles currently has a lot of sports and non-sports competition in the city. My opinion would be to move the Stars to the state capital, Sacramento California. With the Sacramento Kings already playing in a 17,608-seat arena in the Golden 1 Center, the team would possibly be able to retrofit the area with an ice system to share the arena. With being labeled as America's Farm-to-Fork Capital, I would suggest re-naming the team to the Sacramento Bison or if the league wanted to stay away from more animals, the Sacramento Gold Miners, in honor of the first Americans team to grace the Canadian Football League.
 
New York Americans:
New York, New York. Speaking of a heavy dose of competition, the New York based VHL franchise would be a hard sell each night in the city. I think moving the Americans outside of New York might help the team on and off the ice, possibly to somewhere such as Queens. While most obviously there is still a lot of competition in Queens being a borough of New York City, with the Mets and New York Islanders playing in Queens, however the Mets and Islanders stink and no one cares about them. The VHL based hockey club could easily share the UBS Arena in which the Islanders play, as the arena currently holds 17,250 patrons for Islanders games. The only part I am stuck on is changing the name Americans, as it’s a great honor to have that name for your sports teams.
 
Seattle Bears:
The pacific northwest based VHL team would likely have had a bigger following prior to the NHL taking over in the area, so it would be a perfect time of move the team to gain some new fans. I think the team could benefit from moving 32 miles southwest to Seattle to Tacoma Washington. With no major hockey clubs in the area and only three other sports franchises in baseball and soccer in the region, I think the club could benefit from the hunger of sports fans in Tacoma and surrounding areas. I believe the Bears name could carry over to Tacoma, but if the league was looking for a full rebrand I would suggest the Tacoma Rockets, to pay tribute to the previous WHL franchise in the city that has since moved to Kelowna.
Toronto Legion:
It seems that everyone in Toronto would be willing to pay to see a professional hockey team, but with major competition from the Leafs and Marlies, the Legion would likely benefit the most from a relocation. With so many hockey teams around Toronto, I think moving the team to Mississauga Ontario to replace the previous AHL franchise Mississauga Ice Dogs would help the Legion draw more fans. With the Ice Dogs gone, the city of Mississauga needs a new full-time tenant for the Paramount Fine Foods Centre, as currently the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League and Toronto 905 clubs are the current sports teams leading the charge in the arena. Unlike some of the other franchises, I think the team could keep the Legion moniker and become the Mississauga Legion.
 
Vancouver Wolves:
The last team in the North American Conference on my list, the Vancouver Wolves also would have a lot of competition in the area for ticket sales. I believe if a move was necessary for the Wolves to draw more fans, a move to Chilliwack B.C. might be in their best interest. Chilliwack has had a crack at hockey previously with a team in the WHL that has since left, but a professional team might fare better, but would likely need to build a new area as the Chilliwack Coliseum currently holds on 5,000 people for hockey games. I believe the team could keep the wolves name as there would be a connection to the vast forestry area the town is surrounded by, but the team would also pay homage to a previous Junior A team and become the second coming of the Chilliwack Rivermen.  
 
European Conference:
 
HC Davos Dynamo:
With a team already playing in Davos under the same name based in Davos, Graubünden, Switzerland, this would be the team that would make the more sense in the league to move. A possible move to Zurich Switzerland as it is currently the largest city in Switzerland and would have a big population to tap into for fans. While Zurich currently has a hockey club playing in the International Ice Hockey Federation, being the biggest city, I believe they have more room to grow the hockey fan base with another team. A total rebrand of the Dynamo name might be needed with my suggestion being the Zurich leopards.
 
Helsinki Titans:
Another original VHL team, the Helsinki based VHL team might be best off if they are left in Helsinki as they have gathered quite the following since season one. However, no team is going to be left alone in this article. My suggestion would be moving the team wot the regional capital of Southwest Finland and oldest city in Finland, the city of Turku. With a hockey club currently playing in Turku in the SM-liiga level, the new team would have to succeed right away to gather a fan base, but I believe they could pull it off. With Turku being quite a music hub, I would make a recommendation to name the new team the Turku Jazz, as it is also the name of a annual festival in July in the city.
London United:
Another newer franchise in the VHL, London would be another franchise that would be difficult to move as they haven’t had the opportunity to establish themselves in the city. I would suggest a move for the franchise to the city of Cambridge, a city that does not currently have a hockey club. In honor of one of the more famous bands to have ties to the region, Pink Floyd, I would suggest naming the new VHL based Cambridge hockey club as the Cambridge Pigs.
Malmo Nighthawks:
Malmo has been in the VHL since Season Sixty-Six, winning their only Continental Cup back in Season Seventy-Eight. A rebrand for a very successful expansion franchise might be seen in poor taste but hockey in Sweden would likely succeed no matter where you put a hockey team. I would suggest putting a team in the country’s fourth biggest city, Uppsala. I wouldn’t push for a full re-brand as the Nighthawks logo is one of the better logos in the VHL at this time, so I would just push for a move to a different city with the team becoming the Uppsala Nighthawks.
 
Moscow Menace:
The next team on the list is another expansion franchise team currently located in Russia. Many around the league might look to take the team out of Russia with the currently political situation but keeping with our trend we will look to move the team inside of Russia, just out of Moscow. A move to the hometown of Sergei Makarov, Chelyabink would be my suggestion, as it is currently the seventh biggest city in Russia. The city is also home to Traktor Arena with a capacity of 7,500 spectators.  A rename might not be the best move as the Menance is another great name and logo but if a rename was in the cards I would suggest the Chelyabink Meteor, as the Traktor arena was damaged in 2013 from the explosion of the Chelyabinsk meteor.
Prague Phantoms:
Likely the best logo in the VHL past and present, there would be no way I would push for a rename of the Prague based VHL franchise. However as we need to move the somewhere I would suggest moving the team to Hradec Králové as it is currently the second biggest city in the Czech Republic behind Prague. Once again I would keep the Phantoms name and logo to have the team become the  Hradec Králové Phantoms.
 
Riga Reign:
Another older franchise in the VHL after spending a few seasons in Amstel at the beginning of the VHLs existence, Rigas has seen its share of ups and downs recently with the teams currently in a thirty-season Continental Cup drought. Riga might benefit from a move for establishing a new fan base, so a possible move out of Riga to Jelgava, which is twenty-five miles southwest of Riga might bring the spark on and off the ice they need. Without a professional sports team in the city, all eyes would focus on the new VHL franchise. In honor of the International Cat Show that takes place annually in the town, renaming the team to the Jelgava Cats, might hit the right spot for the locals.
 
Warsaw Predators :
The last franchise in the European Conference to get a face-lift, Warsaw could be another candidate to move but not go through a renaming. I think a move to the third biggest city in Poland would be the best bet, that being Wrocław. If a full rebrand was to take place, I think a slight renaming to the Wroclaw Panthers might be the best bet.
 
 
2, 059 words. 
April 7-13
April 14-20
April 21-27
April 28-May 4
 

No, you! 

Theme Week – Time to Move
It’s that time of year again in the VHL, as theme and trade deadline week is upon us. This year the theme week talking point is all about moving current franchises if we had the ability. While franchises moving in the VHL are far and few between, this week I would like to take a shot at where I would move the current North Americans VHL franchises to. We will try not to move the franchises out of the current country they are currently in but will try to have some fun with the moves.
North American Conference:
 
Calgary Wranglers:
First up on our list is one of the franchises that have been in the VHL since day one. Alberta is a hot spot for hockey in Calgary with two NHL teams and five Western Hockey League franchises, so we will try to stay away from those cities. If I were to move the Calgary Wranglers, I would look to Okotoks Alberta. Just thirty-right kilometers south of Calgary, Okotoks has a estimated population of 30,214, but would be able to draw those from the surrounding area to VHL games, including Calgary, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge to name a few. Currently Okotoks has a junior A hockey club (Okotos Oilers), junior B hockey club (Okotos Bisons) and a previous AAA senior hockey club (Okotos Drillers). The Okotoks based hockey club could also keep the Wranglers name and not step on any current Okotos hockey clubs., but an updated logo would likely help the club with their new identity.
 
Chicago Phoenix:
Chicago was part of the VHL expansion that took place before the VHLs seventy-second season, so moving them already seems like a crime. However, with the theme week in mind I will have to do what the league wants. With the mindset of keeping the Phoenix in the state of Illinois, I would suggest moving the team to Rockford Illinois, home of the current AHLs Rockford IceHogs. With the Chicago Blackhawks purchasing the IceHogs in 2021 and investing millions of dollars into the BMO Harris Bank Center the Phoenix would be able to move into a state-of-the-art renovated arena. I would also suggest the Phoenix to be a complete make-out and pay homage to the previous Rockford AHL teams and rename to the Rockford Bandits, who left Rockford in 1997 for Cincinnati.
 
D.C. Dragons:
The Dragons were part of the earlier VHL expansion prior to the VHLs Sixty-seventh season. As we won’t be able to keep the team in the District of Columbia, we will look to move the teams somewhere close in Virgina, and in this instance we would pick Richmond Virgina. Richmond does not currently have a professional sports team and a VHL franchise would be able to exist without much competition. To tie the new VHL franchise in Richmond into the community I would suggest renaming the team the Richmond Rapids, as Richmond is the only city in the entire United States to have class IV rapids. Creating a new logo for the team might be a challenge with such a name, but anything is possible in the VHL with our amazing graphics members.
 
Los Angeles Stars:
The last of the North American later expansion clubs, Log Angeles currently has a lot of sports and non-sports competition in the city. My opinion would be to move the Stars to the state capital, Sacramento California. With the Sacramento Kings already playing in a 17,608-seat arena in the Golden 1 Center, the team would possibly be able to retrofit the area with an ice system to share the arena. With being labeled as America's Farm-to-Fork Capital, I would suggest re-naming the team to the Sacramento Bison or if the league wanted to stay away from more animals, the Sacramento Gold Miners, in honor of the first Americans team to grace the Canadian Football League.
 
New York Americans:
New York, New York. Speaking of a heavy dose of competition, the New York based VHL franchise would be a hard sell each night in the city. I think moving the Americans outside of New York might help the team on and off the ice, possibly to somewhere such as Queens. While most obviously there is still a lot of competition in Queens being a borough of New York City, with the Mets and New York Islanders playing in Queens, however the Mets and Islanders stink and no one cares about them. The VHL based hockey club could easily share the UBS Arena in which the Islanders play, as the arena currently holds 17,250 patrons for Islanders games. The only part I am stuck on is changing the name Americans, as it’s a great honor to have that name for your sports teams.
 
Seattle Bears:
The pacific northwest based VHL team would likely have had a bigger following prior to the NHL taking over in the area, so it would be a perfect time of move the team to gain some new fans. I think the team could benefit from moving 32 miles southwest to Seattle to Tacoma Washington. With no major hockey clubs in the area and only three other sports franchises in baseball and soccer in the region, I think the club could benefit from the hunger of sports fans in Tacoma and surrounding areas. I believe the Bears name could carry over to Tacoma, but if the league was looking for a full rebrand I would suggest the Tacoma Rockets, to pay tribute to the previous WHL franchise in the city that has since moved to Kelowna.
Toronto Legion:
It seems that everyone in Toronto would be willing to pay to see a professional hockey team, but with major competition from the Leafs and Marlies, the Legion would likely benefit the most from a relocation. With so many hockey teams around Toronto, I think moving the team to Mississauga Ontario to replace the previous AHL franchise Mississauga Ice Dogs would help the Legion draw more fans. With the Ice Dogs gone, the city of Mississauga needs a new full-time tenant for the Paramount Fine Foods Centre, as currently the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League and Toronto 905 clubs are the current sports teams leading the charge in the arena. Unlike some of the other franchises, I think the team could keep the Legion moniker and become the Mississauga Legion.
 
Vancouver Wolves:
The last team in the North American Conference on my list, the Vancouver Wolves also would have a lot of competition in the area for ticket sales. I believe if a move was necessary for the Wolves to draw more fans, a move to Chilliwack B.C. might be in their best interest. Chilliwack has had a crack at hockey previously with a team in the WHL that has since left, but a professional team might fare better, but would likely need to build a new area as the Chilliwack Coliseum currently holds on 5,000 people for hockey games. I believe the team could keep the wolves name as there would be a connection to the vast forestry area the town is surrounded by, but the team would also pay homage to a previous Junior A team and become the second coming of the Chilliwack Rivermen.  
 
European Conference:
 
HC Davos Dynamo:
With a team already playing in Davos under the same name based in Davos, Graubünden, Switzerland, this would be the team that would make the more sense in the league to move. A possible move to Zurich Switzerland as it is currently the largest city in Switzerland and would have a big population to tap into for fans. While Zurich currently has a hockey club playing in the International Ice Hockey Federation, being the biggest city, I believe they have more room to grow the hockey fan base with another team. A total rebrand of the Dynamo name might be needed with my suggestion being the Zurich leopards.
 
Helsinki Titans:
Another original VHL team, the Helsinki based VHL team might be best off if they are left in Helsinki as they have gathered quite the following since season one. However, no team is going to be left alone in this article. My suggestion would be moving the team wot the regional capital of Southwest Finland and oldest city in Finland, the city of Turku. With a hockey club currently playing in Turku in the SM-liiga level, the new team would have to succeed right away to gather a fan base, but I believe they could pull it off. With Turku being quite a music hub, I would make a recommendation to name the new team the Turku Jazz, as it is also the name of a annual festival in July in the city.
London United:
Another newer franchise in the VHL, London would be another franchise that would be difficult to move as they haven’t had the opportunity to establish themselves in the city. I would suggest a move for the franchise to the city of Cambridge, a city that does not currently have a hockey club. In honor of one of the more famous bands to have ties to the region, Pink Floyd, I would suggest naming the new VHL based Cambridge hockey club as the Cambridge Pigs.
Malmo Nighthawks:
Malmo has been in the VHL since Season Sixty-Six, winning their only Continental Cup back in Season Seventy-Eight. A rebrand for a very successful expansion franchise might be seen in poor taste but hockey in Sweden would likely succeed no matter where you put a hockey team. I would suggest putting a team in the country’s fourth biggest city, Uppsala. I wouldn’t push for a full re-brand as the Nighthawks logo is one of the better logos in the VHL at this time, so I would just push for a move to a different city with the team becoming the Uppsala Nighthawks.
 
Moscow Menace:
The next team on the list is another expansion franchise team currently located in Russia. Many around the league might look to take the team out of Russia with the currently political situation but keeping with our trend we will look to move the team inside of Russia, just out of Moscow. A move to the hometown of Sergei Makarov, Chelyabink would be my suggestion, as it is currently the seventh biggest city in Russia. The city is also home to Traktor Arena with a capacity of 7,500 spectators.  A rename might not be the best move as the Menance is another great name and logo but if a rename was in the cards I would suggest the Chelyabink Meteor, as the Traktor arena was damaged in 2013 from the explosion of the Chelyabinsk meteor.
Prague Phantoms:
Likely the best logo in the VHL past and present, there would be no way I would push for a rename of the Prague based VHL franchise. However as we need to move the somewhere I would suggest moving the team to Hradec Králové as it is currently the second biggest city in the Czech Republic behind Prague. Once again I would keep the Phantoms name and logo to have the team become the  Hradec Králové Phantoms.
 
Riga Reign:
Another older franchise in the VHL after spending a few seasons in Amstel at the beginning of the VHLs existence, Rigas has seen its share of ups and downs recently with the teams currently in a thirty-season Continental Cup drought. Riga might benefit from a move for establishing a new fan base, so a possible move out of Riga to Jelgava, which is twenty-five miles southwest of Riga might bring the spark on and off the ice they need. Without a professional sports team in the city, all eyes would focus on the new VHL franchise. In honor of the International Cat Show that takes place annually in the town, renaming the team to the Jelgava Cats, might hit the right spot for the locals.
 
Warsaw Predators :
The last franchise in the European Conference to get a face-lift, Warsaw could be another candidate to move but not go through a renaming. I think a move to the third biggest city in Poland would be the best bet, that being Wrocław. If a full rebrand was to take place, I think a slight renaming to the Wroclaw Panthers might be the best bet.
 
 
2, 059 words. 
April 7-13
April 14-20
April 21-27
April 28-May 4
 

1. I think it was a pretty equal trade for both parties. Calgary need some veteran help and it allows us to get a younger player and pick to help the young core. 
 
2. I don't believe we will make the playoffs at this point unfortunately, but I hope I am proven wrong. 
 
3. My team clinched a playoff birth last night. We are likely to be murdered in the first round by Colorado. 
 
4.  Fake trade was great as it was posted prior to my April Fools starting so I thought it was legit. 
 
5. I thought it was legit as it was posted prior to April 1st in my area and the spoiler was posted in the trade conditions, so I assume the trade conditions were a joke.
 
6. Good group to team the young team this season. Liv going to be a captain in Van City for a long period of time I hope. 

Now we need to show this amount of fight on the ice and we’re set. 

1. He should shoot more, we need more goals to climb the standings.
 
2. Top ten two years in a row would have me out her in the top 2 currently amongst active defenders.
 
3. Calgary they went from first last year to almost worst if not for LA in the North America conference.
 
4. We need to be more consistent. We allow
60 shots one game and 25 the next.
 
5. We could always head down to Hastings street and helped the unhoused. 
 
6. I cooked Easter dinner one day and had another Easter dinner at the in-laws the next. Buys weekend.