DoktorFunk

Player Information
Username: DoktorFunk
Player Name: Chip Stone
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 17
Position: LW
Height: 70 in.
Weight: 190 lbs.
Birthplace: United States of America

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Player Information
Username: DoktorFunk
Player Name: Chip Stone
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 17
Position: LW
Height: 70 in.
Weight: 190 lbs.
Birthplace: United States of America

Player Page
@VHLM GM

@DoktorFunk

Let's go Titans!

Let's go Titans!

Let's go Titans!

Hello, VHL...
 
With the conclusion of the regular season upon us, I think now is the right time to talk about the conclusion of something different. That being...
 
...that this will be my last season as Davos' GM.
 
I was (controversially) originally brought on in January of 2020, meaning that at the end of the playoffs, I will have served the league (somewhat) faithfully for just about exactly 2 years. This will also be my first time not being a GM of some sort since April of 2019, when I became the first GM of the Mississauga Hounds. I know that this will come as a surprise to some of you, but I have given this a great deal of thought on my own time and think it's the best decision to make for myself and for the league. Bear with me, because I'm going to try to address whatever I can about it in this post.
 
FAQ:
 
Why?
This is an interesting question, and it has a few answers.
Davos will be hit hard with retirement, and I don't have the heart to deal with it. We've had some not-fun times with me here, including S70-71 when we set the record for most consecutive seasons in last place (which wasn't really my fault) and S74-79 (I think?) when we underperformed and rebuilt (which kinda was my fault). While we're a playoff team now, I don't have the same enthusiasm for turning things around that I did then. It might be possible to make it work, but I've asked myself whether I see myself working to do that and I really don't. Hopefully we get someone who will! I haven't lived up to the hype. This by itself isn't a reason to step down--the reason is mostly represented in the first point--but I was meant to be the savior of the franchise and things didn't work out that way. I will always think it's more important that everyone had fun, but with one failed attempt to compete gone and another probably gone unless some playoff magic comes out of nowhere, I also think it's unfair to the league that a consistently underperforming team has the same GM for eternity. The league and I are moving in different philosophical directions. This actually isn't about the VHLE. Everyone's also aware of the whole meta thing, and it's more about that. I'm not here to criticize anyone for going along with it, but it's another "do I see myself doing this" situation where the answer is no. I am NOT saying that I want any replacement to try to make Davos a meta team--in fact, I very much do not want that--but I find the idea of running a team less fun when "this is what I want to do" is very different from "this is what I should be doing if I want to win a championship". Like the second point, this is a very minor issue for me in relation to the first, so please don't make me "that guy who left over the meta" or anything. Just something I find worth mentioning. I don't like that I'm saying any of the above, but I've had this on my mind for weeks and I think it's the most fair explanation of my thoughts.
 
Are you going inactive?
No. In fact, I hope I stay as active as always in the future.
 
Do you want to GM again?
I hope I do at some point, and at that point I hope I'm hired! Right now, I just need a break.
 
Are you leaving the BoG?
No, you can't get rid of me that easily. I like arguing too much.
 
 
A few (alright, quite a few) shoutouts to people who have made my time as GM fun:
 
@Berocka: I cannot possibly make a list without putting you on top. I don't like to speak in absolutes, but you are my best friend in this league. Thank you for putting up with all of my bullshit, and thank you for always being there to talk. It's been great working with you almost from Day 1 and I hope we'll do some other cool stuff in the future.
 
@Ahma: It's no secret that you LOVE Davos, and I'm amazed by your ability to stand by this team through thick and thin. Thank you for your loyalty, and also for reminding me to care when I start to lose it.
 
@WranglersSuck, @Banackock, @Darth Kaprizov, @Tyler, @KC15, and @JardyB10: to the rest of the active members of the current roster, hi! I know this comes on short notice, but thank you so much for getting Davos where it is today and making it a wonderful place to be. Best of luck!
 
@Brrbisbrr, @McWolf , @Laine, @FrostBeard, @Grape, @Snussu, @samx, and probably a whole lot of others I'm missing: you were the people who made the past 12 (yes, 12!) seasons fun as players. I hope you're doing well, whatever you're up to.
 
@Doomsday, @Renomitsu, @Esso2264 , @DoktorFunk, @diamond_ace , and especially @GlowyGoat (if you ever see this): you never played for me, but you still showed up to our server because you wanted to. I appreciate this endlessly and consider you my friends.
 
To the @VHL GM crew: some of you have given me advice, some of you have given me some respectful negotiations, some of you I've never really interacted with on a GM level. But none of you have ever made me feel unwelcome, even when I wasn't making the smartest moves, and I think that's great.
 
@Commissioner: I haven't talked to you about this, so I'd like to apologize again for the zero-notice thing. But here's the announcement. Thanks for keeping things running for all of us! If you'd like to talk to me about the next GM, feel free to do so; if you'd rather make the decision on your own, I respect that as well.
 
To anyone else I missed, and to many others I'd like to tag here but won't because the reasons don't really connect to my time as a GM: thank you for being you.
 
 
This isn't an easy post to make, but I've been hesitating to make it for a while now and it's time to push the button.
 
But before I do...
 
DAVID

Okay all, about time I put my money where my mouth is. I have been talking about this for too long so here is the podcast tournament.
 
Please enter below if you want to sign up, once we have all the applicants we have one week to produce a podcast this will be the week ending 19th December. The tournament will then be open for voting until the end of the year. This is to give enough people the time to listen and vote on all the podcasts. So start thinking about what you want to do for you podcast.
 
There will be 4 awards handed out.
 
Funniest Podcast, Most Informative Podcast, Best Presented Podcast & GREATEST PODCAST
 
All listeners will need to vote using a google form and rate the podcast out of 5 for the above.
 
Please enter your name below if you would like to podcast in the tournament the rules are as follows;
 
You can only make the podcast as long as 1 weeks claim for all people in the podcast. You can not enter more than one podcast in the tournament for the same group of people. The podcast must be posted before 20th December The podcast must contain a one word password for voters to use in their form. Please advise me the password you use and do not share the password outside of the podcast You need to get as many people listening to all the podcasts that are entered. If a voter votes on all podcasts their results will be doubled.  
Any questions let me know 
 
Tag list of all podcasters
@dasboot @rjfryman @BladeMaiden @JardyB10  @N0HBDY @samx @jRuutu @rory  @thadthrasher  @hylands @nurx @Minion @Hogan @Dil @Moon @fishy @Spartan @Ahma @FrostBeard @Grape @Phil @Juice @Tate
 
Plus podcasts I miss
 @DoktorFunk @DarkSpyro @bigAL
 

Woot Woot, thanks! And big shoutout to all the great teammates and GMs I had that could make this happen! 

Welcome one and all to the S80 Hall of Fame induction! This season we have a double first ballot induction, a fairly impressive distinction for 2 of the finest players of the past decade.
 
C - Andrew Su, S72-S79
RS: 576 GP, 301 G, 412 A, 713 P, +109, 260 PIM, 396 HIT, 234 SB, 41 GW
PO: 69 GP, 28 G, 43 A, 71 P, +12, 72 PIM, 58 HIT, 25 SB, 0 GW
 
S76 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable)
S76 Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points)
S77 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable)
S77 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding)
S77 Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points)
S77 Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists)
3x All-VHL First Team (S75, S76, S77)
One Continental Cup (S74)
 
First up, it's the man who jokingly tanked his own draft stock and fell to the 2nd round in S72, only to rise as the best forward of a generation. Su kept flying under the radar for the first part of his career but by his 3rd season was a key cog of a young Vancouver Wolves team that surprised the league by winning the Continental Cup in S74. As the team's veterans retired, Su became the focal point of the Wolves attack and rose to the occasion, posting 4 straight 100+ point seasons. After an era of the lowest scoring the league has ever seen, Su's rise was a throwback to a different time, with his pinnacle being two straight 120-point seasons in S76 and S77, in which he also filled out his trophy case with the VHL's most prestigious awards. Su stayed in the west with two 1-season stops in Calgary and Seattle to end his career, coming within 2 wins of a second championship while also breaking the 700-point barrier - the first player to do so since Julian Borwinn's retirement in S70. Congratulations @Da_Berr!
 
 
 
RW/D - Chris Hylands, S73-S79
RS: 504 GP, 233 G, 404 A, 637 P, +51, 628 PIM, 1,205 HIT, 523 SB, 34 GW
As RW-  333 GP, 190 G, 244 A, 434 P, +30, 321 PIM, 772 HIT, 172 SB, 27 GW
As D- 171 GP, 43 G, 160 A, 203 P, +21, 307 HIT, 351 SB, 7 GW
PO: 81 GP, 29 G, 65 A, 94 P, +15, 60 PIM, 177 HIT, 106 SB, 6 GW
As RW- 40 GP, 23 G, 26 A, 49 P, +17, 22 PIM, 90 HIT, 21 SB, 5 GW
As D- 41 GP, 6 G, 39 A, 45 P, -2, 38 PIM, 87 HIT, 85 SB, 1 GW
 
S73 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy (Top Rookie)
S75 Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Playoff MVP)
S78 Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenceman)
S78 Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenceman)
1x All-VHL First Team (S78)
1x All-VHL Second Team (S75)
Two Continental Cups (S75, S78)
 
Conner Low, Matt Bailey, Black Velvet - we can now add Chris Hylands to the unique list of Hall of Famers who excelled both on offence and defence. Hylands didn't do a slow start - he was top rookie in S73 and hit 100 points by S75, a season in which he led Malmo to the franchise's first Continental Cup, being crowned playoff MVP (he would later become the Nighthawks' GM and masterminded their second championship in S79). As Malmo entered a rebuild, Hylands' points totals didn't dry - halfway through S76 he was probably his draft class' best Hall of Fame hope, before Su's big breakthrough. Many of us thought he wasted that chance by moving to defence once he was sold to the high-flying Warsaw Predators, but Hylands' talent transferred to the back easily. By S78, he was known as the VHL's best defenceman and a key contributor now to Warsaw's first ever championship. Like Su, a 2nd rounder who broke down barriers and accumulated unique accomplishments - congrats @hylands!
 
 
VOTING RESULTS:
Andrew Su - 11/12
Chris Hylands - 11/12
-------
Alex Letang - 2/12
Tyson Kohler, Jakab Holik, Alexander Pepper, Roque Davis, Erik Killinger - 0/12

I, and my dedicated AGM @Horcrux, would like to congratulate all of the players of US origins who were considered for this elite team.
However, only a few can be chosen. And, guess what? We've chosen the best.
 
No other team will be able to face us without fear and anguish. All who face off against Team USA will quake in their skates, and will likely turn the ice yellow.
 
Without wasting your time anymore, here we go!

Forwards
Justin Lose @youloser1337 - RW
Isabella Campbell @Banackock - C
Muffbeav @.sniffuM - LW
Jolly Greene Giant @DoktorFunk - LW
John Merrick @Steve - C
Addison McLaren @tcookie - LW
 
Defense
Hard Markinson @STZ - D
Bob Tristan @N0HBDY - D
Erlantz Jokinen @jRuutu - D
Sportsboy57 @Sportsboy57 - D
 
ֹGoalies
Thadius Sales @thadthrasher - G
Markus Emerson Jr @Xflexz - G
 
 

@v.2
Be sure to check out recent articles from VSN here if you haven't already:
https://vhlforum.com/topic/109775-vsn-presents-top-10-vhl-prospects/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/109706-vsn-s80-under-200-power-rankings/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/109694-vsn-scouting-presents-the-s77-vhl-re-draft/
 
     The Seattle Bears. If you have been around the VHL for even a little while you immediately associate the name with one thing. Winning. The Bears have proven themselves to be a very successful franchise under general manager Blake Campbell @Banackock. Since his hiring in Season 49, Campbell has dominated the league, winning six Continental Cups, appearing in nine finals, winning five Victory Cups as the top team in the regular season, and earning four David Knight Trophies as the best GM in the VHL. Needless to say, he has developed a winning culture in Seattle. 
     Campbell’s first season as GM of Seattle was not bad. Although they had a solid winning record of 40-30-2, they missed out on playoffs in a formidable North American Conference. They had some success in the 50’s, notching 119 and 118 points in back-to-back seasons (S52, S53). However, it was during the late 50’s and into the 60’s, that the Bears truly asserted themselves as perennial contenders. In Season 58 they notched 111 points, good for third league-wide. They would go on to lose to the Riga Reign in the final in six games. The next season they would get their revenge. While they only finished with 85 points, they would win the Continental Cup, besting the Helsinki Titans in a wild seven game series. This was Bana’s first championship as GM of the Bears. 
     Season 60 proved that the Cup season was not a fluke. The Bears finished with 101 points. After a couple rebuilding seasons, Seattle would come back strong, posting three consecutive 100 point seasons (109, 108, 110). The next two seasons would be retooling years, before the team would absolutely tear up the league and make the playoffs twelve straight times. Yes, you read that right. Twelve. It was during this period that the Bears made their mark on the league once and for all. 
     Catalyzed by the emergence of an elite, future hall of fame goaltender in Rayz Funk @Rayzor_7, as well as a developing core, the Bears would finish first in the North American Conference in Season 68, earning 91 points. That team featured rising stars Joel Ylonen @Esso2264 , John Frostbeard @FrostBeard, Acyd Burn @Acydburn up front and future hall of famers Hulk Hogan @Hogan and Maxim Kovalchuk (Banackock) on the backend, to name a few. Funk would win 38 games, posting a .921 save percentage, second only to Finn Davison @Poptart of the HC Davos Dynamo. This ‘68 team would go on to win the Continental Cup, sweeping both the conference final and Cup final (vs the Calgary Wranglers and Malmo Nighthawks), with Funk winning the Daisuke Kanou Trophy as Playoff MVP. 
     Determined to repeat, the Bears ran it back with much of the same crew in Season 69. They would go 44-23-5, good for 93 points and second in the conference. Funk again was stellar, winning 39 games for the Bears en route to another Cup win. He would win the Kanou for the second consecutive season, with center Scott Greene @DoktorFunk leading the tournament in assists with fourteen. The Bears avenged their Season 58 loss to the Riga Reign, defeating them in the same number of games ironically (six). 
     In Season 70 Seattle would finish fourth in their conference, going 37-28-7 for 81 points and a playoff appearance. Fourth-year center Ambrose Stark (Banackock) would lead the team in points (67) and tie with Acyd Burn for the lead in goals with 29, in what was a breakout season for Stark. The Bears would advance to the Conference Final before the Wranglers beat them, four games to two. 
     Season 71 was an excellent season for the team. They would finish second in the conference only to the Vancouver Wolves. Stark had an even better season this time around, scoring 88 points, tied for the most in the league with Hunter Hearst Helmsley @Beaviss of the Wolves. Greene was right behind Stark with 82 points. Funk would tie Jacques Lafontaine of Calgary for most wins that season with 40. In the postseason, Seattle beat the D.C. Dragons in seven games followed by two five-game wins against the Wolves and Moscow Menace, respectively. Funk would win yet another Kanou, Campbell would earn his third Knight as best GM, Hogan would take home the Alexander Beketov Trophy awarded to the player with the most assists, and Stark would of course share the Mike Szatkowski with Helmsley. Safe to say, it was a terrific season all in all. 
     In Season 72 the club again made the playoffs, amassing 97 points in the regular season, but this time lost to the New York Americans in Round 1. Defender Berocka Sundqvist won the Beketov that season. 
     Season 73 was a return to championship form. Winning the Victory Trophy for best record in the regular season, the Bears would go on to win their fourth Cup of Campbell’s tenure. Funk would win his fourth Kanou, and the team looked better than ever. Greene was tied for fourth in the league in points with 105. The Bears were gaining a bit of a new identity in the process, with rookie winger Timothy Brown @a_Ferk and goaltender Jacob Tonn @MexicanCow123 beginning to make their mark on the league. Furthermore, center Ola Vikingstad @Dil had a breakout season, scoring 34 goals and adding 37 assists for 71 points in 72 games. This team would defeat the Helsinki Titans for the Cup for the second, but not final, time with Campbell at the helm, in a six game series. 
     With Funk signing with the Dynamo for his last season of his career, Seattle turned to Tonn. In his first full season he won 37 games and had five shutouts. They had also added star center Kris Rice @Ricer13 to an already stacked team through a trade with Calgary. Rice tied with right wing Uhtred @leafsman for the team lead in points in Season 74 with 101. The Bears would lose in Round 2 to the Toronto Legion in five. 
     In Season 75 Brown became a true offensive threat. In 72 games Brown scored 90 points (41 goals, 49 assists), most on the team. There was an important first-year player on this team in center Isabella Campbell (Banackock). Campbell and Brown would develop into a dynamic duo for seasons to come. This season, however, the team was swept in the wild card round by the Chicago Phoenix. 
     Prior to Season 76, starting goaltender Jacob Tonn was traded to the Moscow Menace for Rara Rasputin @Victor. Kris Rice was dealt to Moscow too, in a separate trade. Even with the obstacles of losing two key players, Seattle persevered and found a way just like they always do. Brown proved to be a reliable scorer, tallying 43 goals and 42 assists for 85 points. Rasputin won 33 games that season with a .917 save percentage. The Bears lost to the Phoenix again in the postseason, this time in the second round, four games to two. 
     If there was any doubt as to if the dynasty was nearing its end, Season 77 proved all those doubters wrong. Seattle won the Cup for an unprecedented sixth time under Campbell, cementing his legacy for good. They beat the Titans for a third time in the final (four games to one). Jim Bob @jRuutu had 103 points, Brown had 89 and Campbell had 88. Bob led the league in goals with 48. Rasputin won 37 games and saved nearly 92 percent of shots, going on to win the Kanou Trophy in the playoffs. 
     In Season 78 they lost to the Warsaw Predators in the Cup Final in six games. Campbell had 99 points that season; Brown 87; trade acquisition Venus Thightrap @BladeMaiden had 86; Leo Strauss @gregreg had 85; and defenders James Rose @MattyIce and Kasper Kankkunen @16z had 82 and 80 points, respectively. Rasputin won 40 games that season. 
     In Season 79 it was the Malmo Nighthawks who ousted them in the championship, four games to two. Valtteri Vaakanainen @Jubo, acquired from Helsinki, led that team with 97 points, followed by Brown with 95, and Campbell with 94. Kankkunen had 89 points on defense. Interestingly enough, all four of them would not be on Seattle’s roster come Season 80. Campbell would earn another Knight Trophy for his work with this team in Season 79. 
     Season 80 has signaled change in the Bears organization. While Campbell shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, Seattle appears to have finally entered a rebuild. They have several great, young pieces to build around, among them left wing Vinny Detroit @dasboot and defender Erlantz Jokinen (jRuutu), as well as prospects Sven Eightnine @BarzalGoat (D) and Em Em Flex @oilmandan (G). 
      Campbell’s run has been truly incredible and unlikely to be matched in the near future. The Bears were a contender season after season for a long time. With everything comes change and that is what is happening with Seattle right now. The question is, what will their next Cup team look like?
 
Word Count: 1504 (2 week claim) 

I'm not putting this in a media spot since I don't want to claim this for TPE as it would feel wrong to do so. Before the VHL draft started, the VHL awards were given out. It honors the members for their accomplishments in the previous season. There is one trophy that is very special though. It's given out to a community member for their efforts during the season. That trophy is the Fredrik Elmebeck Memorial Trophy. It was named after a member who passed away but made a huge impact, Elmebeck. To receive this trophy members would nominate someone who they thought would be the best candidate for this trophy. A private vote decides who gets the trophy in the end.
 
To my shock, I was nominated for this trophy. At the time I didn't really think I would win nor did I think I would even be nominated. I got some DMs from people saying they voted for me but I didn't think it would be enough to be considered. I was told by @Alex_J32 that I could message @Victor about the nominations I got. Keep in mind I only had gotten a few DMs from people, so I only expected that many to come in. What I got made me very emotional.
 
"work mans put into fantasy"
 
"I am nominating Youloser cause he has shown really great work ethic and really tries to help anyone whenever he can!"
 
"Welcoming new members in during the season and his AGMing work in Minnesota"
 
"They worked really hard as an AGM. They have taken on more roles including vhlm predictions. Especially when the couser ad came out he was huge in helping players get acclimated and giving out tons of information about it."
 
"genuine (but not obnoxious or overbearing) interest in helping helping new members, https://vhlforum.com/topic/106463-finally-donating/"
 
"youloser has shown tremendous passion in his role as agm for the minnesota storm. he goes above and beyond for the new members of the league. he is also running the juniors showcase tournament for new members. on top of that he donated $600 evenly split between an animal shelter and the american cancer society. i think youloser is a phenomenal example for new members of the leauge to look up to."
 
"Not only has he taken over both the VHLM and VHL fantasy zone jobs, but he has also worked to change them for the better. He is also very involved in the Junior Showcase tournament, one of the greatest ideas for the VHL I have ever seen. He's a fantastic guy, super passionate towards the league, and is one of the quickest to respond to waiver players with a contract."
 
"He's done a lot this season in terms of being an AGM and overall in general as a member of the community."
 
I won't say who sent those in, mainly because Victor didn't tell me, so if you wish to remain anonymous I'm okay with that. When I received that barrage of messages from Victor, I had to step away for a bit.
 
So how did we get to this point? To go from the unknown to the Elmebeck Trophy winner. First off, yes my actual name is Justin. I don’t care if you call me loser or Justin. Both are just fine to me. It started in October 2020 when I first joined. That Thrasher ad really must have been gold as Season 75 was a big creation season. Justin Lose was born and I was picked up by Philly. That Philly discord locker room was very exciting to be in. Lots of activity and super awesome people too. I was a newb but was helped along the way by @DMaximus . I owe a lot of my early motivation success to him. Tangent time, I believe that I am who I am today thanks to DMaximus. Not only did he help me through the 50 questions that every new player goes through, but he was also super supportive of me. Looking through those DMs on discord is like looking in a mirror with @Moon_50. More on Moon later though.
 
Fast forward to the VHLM draft and getting drafted by the Mexico City Kings. Of course, I get a positive message from DMaximus congratulating me on getting drafted. My time in Mexico City was a blast. Having @hylands and @rory in the locker room was so much fun. Lots of MEXICOO in the morning and who could forget ElHeuvo.gif through our cup run? DMaximus might have been my first motivation boost, but the dynamic duo of Rory and Hylands made me super motivated to keep earning for that cup. I think that was the most fun I had in a discord locker room. I cherish that playoff run locker room environment. Losing the cup was a bummer but moving up to the VHL to Riga was on the horizon.
 
My time in Riga can easily be described as unique. The biggest highlight is @hedgehog337 complaining about Simon when things don’t go our way. A joke that never gets old! My motivation was dwindling at this point as I’ve been max earning for most of my career. I knew I had to find new motivation to have fun again. My motivation almost shifted from being a 12 TPE a week player into being a GM / AGM. In May 2021 I was given a GM role in the Victory ProAm offseason league. A fun tournament that gives people the experience of being a GM / AGM that can be used for the VHL. A huge thank you to @Ledge and Dairy, @Laine, @MexicanCow123, @Ricer13, and @Zetterberg for allowing me to be a GM and ledge for being my AGM / guide to using STHS. Not gonna lie I did horrible but I knew this was going to be something I loved to do. It became my mission to become a GM in the VHL.
 
At this time I think I wasn’t really talking in the VHL discord as much. Maybe the usual VHL sim ping jokes or asking dumb questions. A few AGM positions opened in the VHLM though. This was my first chance of achieving my goals. Rory was my first chance with Halifax. Although I didn’t get the position, Rory sent me a nice message giving me the confidence to keep going. Along came the AGM position in Minnesota. Laine messaged me an application and I answered it as usual. I get a ping on discord for a DM conversation with Laine. He said that I got the position. Funny enough after I got the AGM position in Minnesota I got another application for the Las Vegas Aces AGM position. This was my first taste of getting to help people in the VHLM. Something I wanted to do after DMaximus being my “mentor” in a way. I wanted to pay it forward.
 
Switching gears a bit, in my time with Riga, we were desperate to go to the playoffs in Season 78. @DoktorFunk was traded for during the season and brought up the offer that if we make playoffs they would donate money to charity. (Yup, it was all his idea originally. 100% of the credit goes to him for the idea.) I joined in on this to possibly give us some magic to make the playoffs, spoiler alert we didn’t. That stuck in my mind though. In season 79 I decided that I would actually donate money to charity. I used my bowling league scores as my benchmark for how much I would give. It was a good night as I believe I bowled somewhere in the 500 series range. A few weeks passed and I was setting up the charities. At the time I thought I would just split it 50/50 with ~$250 going to each charity. It was then decided that I would just give $300 each to keep it clean and even. I also chose two charities that were close to me. American Cancer Society and the North Shore Animal League. Both had huge impacts on my life that I covered in my reveal post, so I won’t go over it again here. I didn’t do it for likes or attention. I just wanted to, “put my money where my mouth is” and donate. Something that you will come to learn about me is that I love to give more than receive.
 
Going back to Minnesota, it was a blast to work with Laine. He wanted to give me all the tools to succeed in the league and allowed me to do more and more tasks as we moved through the season. He always said it was his goal to get me a higher position in the league. After a close run in the Season 78 playoffs, we turned to scouting for next season. After going all-in we didn’t have much in the draft, so we would have to rely on the waivers [FORSHADOWING]!! My role in the league was also shifting with the addition of VHLM Fantasy Zone being managed by myself.
 
A huge shoutout to @16z, @Domg5, @bigAL for allowing me to run the VHLM fantasy when 16z stepped down from that role. In season 79 I was approached to run the VHL fantasy as well with Domg getting the Yukon GM role as he wanted to focus all his energy on GMing. Going from a nobody to AGM to getting 2 paying jobs was a roller coaster for sure. Alongside getting to run both came a way to breathe new life into it. Working with AL to get more people involved was interesting. Changing the format was supposed to make it more fun and easier for everyone. Of course, nothing is perfect. Now I’m comfortable doing Fantasy and even got to do my own fantasy bracket challenge with A LOT of help from @Spartan (yes another ping for this!). This is only the start by the way. That bracket challenge is coming back 100% too.
 
In season 79 was the birth of the waiver warriors. Myself, @Alex_J32, and @JB123were always on top of new signings on the create a player page. It was a friendly competition and was very fun all season. A new Thrash ad came out and a new batch of players came in. What happened next really shaped me and why I love the VHLM. A new member by the name of @Moon_50 joined the forum. Luckily for me, I was able to snag him for Minnesota. Looking back at the DMs I sent DMaximus and what Moon sent me is scarily similar. Moon was my first “project” to get him set up in the league. Reminding him to claim stuff, doing tasks, career tasks. I was worried that I was going to burn him out with all the information I was dropping on him. He took it with stride though. Early on he expressed his interest in being a GM / AGM in the future which took me by surprise. He just joined the league and is already motivated to be a GM. All the energy I was putting into Moon was replicated for all the waivers I was getting for Minnesota. I was even accommodating the forum-only players by putting out a weekly newsletter almost of all the tasks for the week. A few people took notice of this.
 
The Adam Crouser ad finally hit. Oh boy, that scramble when it was posted and all the creations happened. The panic of realizing that playoffs was starting and we couldn’t pick up anyone on the team also hit me. I knew I wanted to help out the players and post on everyone who created. I didn’t want anyone who created to have 0 replies because playoffs started. I remember playing Borderlands 2 with my friend and having to stop every 2 minutes to post a welcome message on a player post. Domg was a hero and came up with the Junior Showcase tournament which was supposed to help retain the players who created. I was asked to be a GM alongside Z, JB, and Alex.
 
At the same time as the Junior Showcase tournament was starting, VHLE GM positions were posted which opened a lot of VHLM GM positions. With the encouragement of Laine, I posted for a VHLM GM job. Getting a discord message from @diamond_ace  dropping subtle hints that I was a “when” not “if” for a GM position was insane to me. It got me excited about being a VHLM GM. Myself and Moon were still chatting about stuff and that’s when it hit me to bring him in for my AGM. I couldn’t tell him 100% so I used the Junior Showcase tournament as his trial run. Not only did he absolutely kill it but it made me super confident in making him my AGM. I saw myself in him when he was drafting and helping out the new players that were coming into the league. Making him my AGM in Mexico City was a no-brainer and I think all the GMs knew I was going to choose him. 
 
To wrap this novel up, I just wanted to thank everyone who supported me to this point. I want you all to know how much you guys mean to my life. I was a bored guy looking for something to do when I found the VHL. It makes me super excited about the future too. To think I didn’t even see a future for myself. A few years ago I was at my worst with depression. 2 years after graduating from college and not getting a job I was bad. I felt worthless and thought I had no future. Honestly, I thought about suicide since I was a waste. Bless my sister who caught on to the warning signs and got me to therapy. Without her, I don’t think I’d be here writing this. Things are looking up and now I’m doing great. Being the Mexico City Kings GM is just the cherry on top.
 
To the past players who I managed, I hope you all have a great experience and I hope you will join the Kings in the future when you recreate.
 
To the current players, I hope I’m doing my job and making you feel comfortable in the league. I want to make sure you are welcomed and that I give you my all.
 
To the future players, you aren’t getting a GM who wants to win. You are going to be getting a friend who wants to see you succeed not only in the VHLM but in the VHLE or VHL. I want you to be comfortable and have the best time in the VHLM win or lose!
 
Getting the Elmebeck trophy was only validation that I’m in the right place. It might have seemed like a small nod to my activity for the season but to me it means everything. I already told Diamond_Ace that the VHLM was my home. I was even approached to be recommended for a VHL GM position but turned it down. 
 
As I cry writing this, thank you to each and every one of you. ❤️ 
 
TL;DR:
 
I’m sorry that this is a novel but the VHL community is the best and I feel at home here. I cried a bit when I got nominated and when I won. I feel honored and I want to continue being a help to VHLM players forever. If I could thank everyone in the community who voted for me I would if I knew who did.

@DoktorFunk already bought it, just need an approval. @Josh @Beketov
 
Put him to wing position.

The off-season is upon us and with it, this season's Hall of Fame induction. In S79, we decided to honour a few men who have been waiting in the wings for a while (some longer than others).
 
C - Wesley Kellinger, S33-S40 
RS: 576 GP, 275 G, 453 A, 728 P, +306, 532 PIM, 1,138 HIT, 221 SB, 56 GW
PO: 67 GP, 27 G, 37 A, 64 P, +18, 70 PIM, 151 HIT, 39 SB, 7 GW
 
S40 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable)
Two Continental Cups (S35, S39)
 
First we have a blast from the past in a similar vein to Mathias Chouinard or just a couple of season ago, Mike Szatkowski Jr. (a goalie Kellinger played against for most of his career). The recreate of Daniel Braxton, one of the VHL's most famous first-gens and one of the greatest defencemen ever, Kellinger got a lot of hype going into a deep S33 draft and went 1st overall. There were two forwards who would get into the HOF as first ballot members, Odin Tordahl and Niklas Lindberg, but Kellinger may have had to wait significantly longer, but he was always there, available for selection when the right time came. The right time is now. Drafted by Davos but making his name when Quebec traded two drafts worth of picks for him in S34, creating a mercenary team for whom he was then the offensive star as they won their first cup in S35, five seasons after expansion. Kellinger then stayed among the top 5 or so forwards for the rest of his career, teaming up with Tordahl to great effect for the NY dynasty and closing off his career as the veteran leader and MVP of another expansion team in Cologne. Never quite the best but always among the contenders, regular season or playoffs, Wesley Kellinger is finally in, hope it was worth the wait @Jericho
 
 
D - Hulk Hogan, S67-S74  
RS: 576 GP, 105 G, 444 A, 549 P, +84, 1,025 PIM, 1,212 HIT, 984 SB, 22 GW
PO: 90 GP, 9 G, 64 A, 73 P, +12, 149 PIM, 170 HIT, 155 SB, 2 GW
 
S71 Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists)
Four Continental Cups (S68, S69, S71, S73)
 
Lincoln Tate went in, then Condor Adrienne and then Jeff Downey, and still Hogan waited. We even inducted a S36 goalie before him but it was all about doing our due diligence. Hogan is a very interesting addition to the Hall of Fame, as his stats don't quite show his consistency and are hurt by his peak being in the VHL's dead puck era in the late 60s/early 70s. But consistent he was, almost like a Kellinger of defence. Similarly, he also didn't accumulate many awards but he did get quite a few championships as a lifer of the Seattle dynasty. Most of the credit for that Bears team went to the GM and then of course to the goalie, but Hogan was ever-present and if you had to think of the face of the franchise outside of Funk then it would be him. The team evolved but Hogan stayed consistent, putting up the numbers and biding his time - recognition finally arrives for @TXC
 
 
VOTING RESULTS
Wesley Kellinger - 8/11
Hulk Hogan - 8/11
-----------
Jakab Holik - 3/11
Alexander Pepper - 1/11
Roque Davis - 1/11
Tyson Kohler, Erik Killinger, Ola Vikingstad, Kyl Oferson - 0/11
 
 
And we're back to making a Builder induction this season. This is a man who was there for both Kellinger and Hogan's careers and then some - he actually joined the VHL at around the same time as me and around the same age, and we then took very different paths to end up in the same retirement home. Famous for his beard, to some most famous for being snubbed, Damien Walec @.sniffuM has been around the block for eons. Like many of us he dipped out for a bit but he's had a lot more highs - 1 Hall of Famer in the great Tukka Reikkinen, busting both Vasteras' and New York's curses, 1 GM tenure with Vasteras best described as a learning experience, 1 GM tenure with Warsaw where that experience was put to very good use with a very good expansion team, a VHLM Commissioner stint at some point in the last decade that I genuinely can't remember when but on the bright side I can vividly remember him being green which means he stood out in trying to make the VHLM (the old version) a better and more welcoming place. And of course years of contributing to league discussions and at times the BOG, and since his comeback (again, pretty much at the same time as me - are you following me Damien?) a staple of the VHL's Discord community - I don't think it would be the same without him.
 
 
Congrats to Jericho, Hogan, and Muff!

1. I'm ready to kick some ass!
2. I haven't been paying close enough attention to know
3. Zambezi!
4. I didn't do them. 
5. Vasteras!
6. Sweet and sour

It's probably no secret that I have had less time to follow the VHL. But every once in a long while I'll scan through some teams' rosters and... when the heck did Riga start looking like a behemoth?
 
Sure, the European Conference is decently competitive at the top and the standings are wont to change on a dime, and we could debate the top-heaviness vs. depth of each conference til we're blue in the face. That's not what I'm talking about, though - four of Riga's six forwards are 700+ TPE, with their lowest just under 500. Not only that, they've got four defensemen over 600 TPE (led by none other than Jolly Greene Giant @DoktorFunk), and on top of that are finishing up Zamboni Driver's career (the guy's a career 0.919 sv%!).  When did they get all of these high earners, and how did I not catch on to this earlier?
 
Needless to day, I've been thoroughly impressed with my old boss @hedgehog337's ability to throw together yet another talented team - and I'm looking forward to seeing how they finish out the season and playoffs. With plenty of contributions from the Season 75 class it looks like they'll also be a roster that'll rapidly transition over the next 2-3 seasons, but I'm positive it'll be handled well.

I wouldn't say the league has been less active, although with recruitment having been largely cut off the past few seasons there aren't as many new people coming in so maybe the league's a little more splintered. Everybody getting tired of everybody else's shit, you know?
 
This season's been really competitive and interesting to follow though. All 8 NA teams were competing for a playoff spot until Toronto decided to sell, and the EU is almost as competitive as well.

I'm genuinely amazed at how little I know about the league now. I took a few seasons of decreased activity and now I'm just completely out of it. I'm glad everyone's having a good time, but does someone who knows a little bit more about the league know if activity is just down across the board, or am I just unclear on what's happening? It seems like the locker rooms are quieter than they were. In any event, it's interesting to see.
 
I hope this site's hayday isn't behind it. I really enjoy it but my ability to keep up with it every day is waning a little bit. Giant isn't performing quite like how I'd want. I'm still going to see him through to the end, but I'd be surprised if he wins an individual award at this point. Hall of Very Good at the very best. Thanks, y'all!

I'm genuinely amazed at how little I know about the league now. I took a few seasons of decreased activity and now I'm just completely out of it. I'm glad everyone's having a good time, but does someone who knows a little bit more about the league know if activity is just down across the board, or am I just unclear on what's happening? It seems like the locker rooms are quieter than they were. In any event, it's interesting to see.
 
I hope this site's hayday isn't behind it. I really enjoy it but my ability to keep up with it every day is waning a little bit. Giant isn't performing quite like how I'd want. I'm still going to see him through to the end, but I'd be surprised if he wins an individual award at this point. Hall of Very Good at the very best. Thanks, y'all!

1. I'm happy but I doubt it will last
2. The depth is a big part of it for sure
3. The team effort has been amazing. Everyone has contributed
4. Cinnamon Toast Crunch
5. Grubauer with the Kraken makes me worry they may actually be good
6. I like mutts!

1. I feel good about how we're doin
2. I think they'll have an immediate impact 
3. Playoff bound for sure
4. THE GIANT
5. LOTS OF CRUNCHES
6. In The Heights

1. I feel good about how we're doin
2. I think they'll have an immediate impact 
3. Playoff bound for sure
4. THE GIANT
5. LOTS OF CRUNCHES
6. In The Heights

Hi friends!
 
After Beaviss stepped down from his role as Commissioner, @Beketov and I made the decision to maintain our 2-person team, with the understanding that we would eventually add a third member, when the time was right. As some of you may have noticed, the past two weeks have seen a wane in activity from myself, as I've had an opportunity to grow in my career, which resulted in less time in the interim for the league.
 
With that in mind, Bek and I believe now is the right time to add a third member to the team. So, without further adieu, please welcome your newest Commissioner, @bigAL ! We feel he has shown more than capable of being a steady hand at the wheel, and what he may lack in longevity he more than makes up for in integrity, composure, and exuberance. Al is a fantastic representative for what this league is and can be, and we cannot put into words how happy we are to bring him aboard!