DoktorFunk

1. Honestly I took a few days off from following the VHL and I'm ready to come back strong again
2. I'm just rooting from the sidelines
3. Not ever! Congrats @Hooperorama
4. Hawaii for sure
5.peanut butter sandwich
6. Ping pong

Let's fucking gooooo

F - Isabella Campbell @Banackock
F - John Merrick @Steve
F - Robin Winter @Sonnet
F - Addison McLaren @tcookie
F - Justin Lose @youloser1337
F - Thomas Landry II @Doomsday
 
D - General Zod @Matt_O
D - Randy Marsh @oilmandan
D - Jolly Greene Giant @DoktorFunk
D - Bob Tristan @N0HBDY
 
G - Stone Wolski @DollarAndADream
G - Thadius Sales @thadthrasher
 
Join here - > https://discord.gg/x8Wa2uGn

1. 100%. I believe. 
2. I'm not honestly sure what it is. Still getting familiar with the team.
3. I think I have a lot more in the tank!
4. Definitely shots blocked.
5. I love both, so you wish you could do both at the same time.
6. Going to Puerto Rico!

Well the trade deadline has come and gone. 

Toronto isn't the same team anymore, yet still features a strong core of forwards and two top end defensemen.

We say goodbye to Gunnar Odinsson, Erik Killinger, and Nicholas Sunderbruch as the Legion find themselves too far from a playoff position to really make buying a viable option. Odinsson was testing free agency, Killinger was retiring, and Sunderbruch's team option wasn't going to be picked up. Odinsson and Killinger were the obvious assets to trade, but Sunderbruch might have scratched some heads. Good depth piece and a team option yet we still decided to make the trade... there must be a backstory!  

It's kinda simple really. Toronto's season has drained any motivation the roster had by the end of our 1-17-0 or whatever it was slide. You win only one game in eighteen and... yeah, you're already done with the season and everything related to it. As a player I didn't even look at the box scores anymore, and as a GM I totally stopped updating the games area on the Legions' Discord. I was done, this season has me feeling really burnt out and honestly just void of any emotions from the sim side. I'm no longer angry a team like Toronto is being shit on when we should have been competing with Chicago and Seattle; Beketov said it best, I suppose. He doesn't know what STHS hates about our roster, but it's hating something. 

Juice had the concern it was a top heavy blue line, and I agreed with that. The numbers at the time showed we were the second or third best team in limiting shots against Klamasteris, yet we couldn't convert on the shots we were taking and the offense dried up shortly after an awesome 10-3-0 start to the season. Working alongside Smarch and Juice (on and off) we found a potential diamond in McLaren, but obviously that didn't quite turn out like any party involved anticipated. @tcookieis starting to warm up now -- which is great to see -- after playing four games for the Legion without a point. Fourteen games with the Legion now and McLaren has ten points, which means he's scored a point per game in his last ten.
 
Something is clicking there. I hope it continues. 

I know that trade was a little bit before the trade deadline but it was still involved with the preliminary plans for today.

Now the actual trade deadline day... well I was actually unavailable.
 
My aunt had a surgery today that toyed with the wrong side of 'coincidence'. See my Uncle had the same surgery on the same day and later died due to complications, so when we learned that my aunt was having post-surgery complications and the hospital needed to keep her for observations you could imagine how we all felt. 

So with me unavailable for the majority of the day@Smarch had to take over for Toronto in a true assistant GM fashion. He joked about traded everyone he never had permission to trade, yeah I saw that, but I really need to acknowledge his work today. He wasn't working from home, he was in the office and hiding (I assume) just to check his Discord DMs to keep the trade negotiations flowing. Not only was he at work physically, but he was also training throughout the work day. I really appreciate the work he did today, and I appreciate the time and effort he's given me as the AGM of Toronto. 
 
Throughout the day he kept me in the loop but the grunt work was all him. Negotiations, portal movement, discussion with players and everything else he needed to handle in order to make the day work best for Toronto... he did it all! We had a goal to acquire as many picks as possible and Smarch set out and potentially netted us four second round draft picks, Kate Upton (who is inactive) and a steady earning Lambert. Now I may have had some work in the negotiations between Calgary, but the final approval was entirely out of my control. 

Smarch... you did a fantastic job. 

Sure we would have liked more for Odinsson, but Lambert and a second -- alongside the conditional second -- was the best offer we were going to get, so we had to trade him before we lost him for nothing. Smarch worked with what he had and made a deal work that suited both teams, and then did it again with Killinger and Sunderbruch. Personally I think Toronto hasn't degraded too much from these transactions, we've got young and prime players on the roster that emulate Toronto at the start of last season... for the most part. 

 

Can confirm I will do this as well. 500 if we make playoffs

Can confirm I will do this as well. 500 if we make playoffs

Can confirm I will do this as well. 500 if we make playoffs

Can confirm I will do this as well. 500 if we make playoffs

The top 5 of each conference make it to the playoffs in the VHL. The final 2 playoff spots fight in a play-in to face the number 1 seed in next round. For Justin Lose and the Riga Reign, they have only made it to the Play-ins where they lost in 4 games. That was in Season 76. It's Season 78 and Riga hasn't come close to making it back to the playoffs. This season is different for Lose and it's time to put some money down.
 
 
"I want to win and get into the playoffs. That's why today I'm announcing I will be donating $500 to a charity voted from the VHL community if the Riga Reign make the playoffs. I'll let my agent go over more details. I'm committed to getting a cup here in Riga and if this means putting some incentive I will do it."
 
 
OOC: Yes I will donate $500 to a charity that you will vote on. Hell, I'll even do an additional $100 per round that we win and a total of $1000 if we win the cup. This was inspired by trying to bribe the sim engine to give us some luck. I'm not sure if @DoktorFunkmeant it as a joke, but I'm committed to this. (You don't actually have to donate / donate that much. This isn't a callout) If we make the playoffs, expect a poll with some local charities or suggest a charity down below.
 

 
**This is only from me. I don't want to include anyone else and no I'm not rich.

Well, Scott Greene was at least CLOSE to greatness. I guess he'll just have to settle for having his name on the Cup four times 

Yeah, four Cups just doesn't cut it anymore.

he was ok

Well, Scott Greene was at least CLOSE to greatness. I guess he'll just have to settle for having his name on the Cup four times 

Thanks for joining VSN for Part 2 of our look at the all-time best picks of the VHL Draft covering picks #18 - #13. Check out Part 1 (#24 - #19) which was expertly crafted by my esteemed VSN colleague and legendary wordsmith, @Doomsday. Be sure to check out all the other fantastic content being produced for your visual perusal by the rest of the fabulous VSN crew!
 
Under 250 | S78 VHLM Power Rankings | S79 Wayyyy Too Early Mock Draft | S78 Season Preview: European Conference | VSN Australia
 
 
#18. Norris Stopko, G @Bushito
Drafted: 2nd Round, 8th Pick, S57 
Teams: , , 
Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S65), Continental Cup Champion x2 (S62, S64), Aidan Shaw Trophy x3 (S61, S62, S64), Daisuke Kanou Trophy x2 (S63, S64), Greg Clegane Trophy x2 (S61, S62), Dustin Funk Trophy (S61)
 
Aside from Alex Gegeny drafted at #22, legendary goaltender Norris Stopko might just be the next biggest draft day steal in VHL history when the Stockholm Vikings selected the Canadian netminder with the 18th pick in the S57 Entry Draft. Stopko played only one ill-fated season with the Vikings before they merged with the Calgary Wranglers which led to him playing out the rest of his storied career in his native country. It took three seasons for the Wranglers to catch up to Stopko’s growing brilliance and then he was almost unbeatable as he took them to three consecutive Cup Finals, including one win and then orchestrated another Cup win with Toronto in his final season. His outstanding playoff performances resulted in two Daisuke Kanou (Playoff MVP) Trophies including a co-win despite losing in the Finals. He has the best career save percentage (0.932) of any goalie who has played in 44 or more playoff games. Stopko was ranked the #48 best player in the VHL’s first 75 seasons.
 
Honorable Mention: Jardy Bunclewirth, LW @JardyB10: S16
 
 
#17. Brad Janssen, C/D @BRAD JANSSEN
Drafted: 3rd Round, 1st Pick, S1 
Teams: , , 
Highlights: Continental Cup Champion x3 (S2, S6, S7), World Cup Gold (S4)
 
Although Brad Janssen is not one of the more well-known stars of the VHL’s early years, he was nevertheless a fantastic player in his own right and one of the first multi-positional trailblazers in the league. He was the second player in league history to win a Continental Cup with three different teams (Scotty Campbell was the first). After two successful seasons in Calgary including the Wranglers first Championship in S2, Janssen was moved to Helsinki where he changed to defense and helped the Titans make the Cup Finals three times in four seasons culminating in the franchise’s first Continental Cup in S6. That season he also became the second defenseman in VHL history to scored 40+ goals (41). He won his third Cup with Avangard in S7 and after his final season in S8, Janssen finished his career with 703 points (7th all-time as of then) and 42 points in 51 playoff games.
 
Honorable Mentions: Berocka Sundqvist, D @Berocka: S67, Finn Davison, G @Poptart: S64
 
 
#16. Thomas Landry, RW @Doomsday
Drafted: 2nd Round, 6th Pick, S33 
Teams: , ,
Highlights: Continental Cup Champion x2 (S36, S38), Grimm Jonsson Trophy x2 (S36, S37) World Cup Gold (S34)
 
It’s hard to imagine now that power forward Thomas Landry was passed over by every other team in the VHL (some of them three times) by the time New York made their first pick in the S33 Draft at 16th overall. The little-known American was on the rise after consecutive Founder’s Cups. He then captained Team USA to the S34 World Cup Gold and his reputation as an up-and-coming leader was officially launched. He was traded to Davos after his rookie season where he cemented his Mark Messier-like status. He was the captain of the Dynamo from S36-S39 and led them to the Continental Cup Finals each of those seasons winning two championships in S36 and S39. Landry produced one of the penultimate clutch playoff performances in S36 when the Dynamo were down 3-1 in the Finals against Toronto. He posted 2-1-3 in the next two elimination games and then scored the opening goal in Davos’ 2-1 Game 7 win to push his team to the victory. His seven points in the three final games doubled his production in the previous 10 games. He would win the Grimm Jonsson Trophy as the league’s Top Leader in S36 & S37 and finish his career with a season in Calgary and 621 points.   
 
Honorable Mentions: Petr Shirokov, D @nibbz: S1, Brody Hodgson, C @Tylar: S28
 
 
#15. Slava Aleksei, RW/D @Tyler
Drafted: 2nd Round, 5th Pick, S54 
Teams: , ,
Highlights: Continental Cup Champion x3 (S57, S58, S61), Mikka Virkkunen Trophy (S56)
 
This was a very close choice as there are no HOFers ever drafted at #15, but a couple of blueliners emerged as the best, albeit they were totally different players in different eras. While the HM Michael Angelo was a premier offensive defenseman for six seasons and won a Continental Cup and Rookie of the Year honors, Slava Aleksei, who was selected by Riga as a right winger, switched to defense after his rookie season and became an all-around rock for three Continental Cup teams (two with Riga and one with Davos). Aleksei took a while to reach the big league but once he did he was second in rookie scoring in S56 with 82 points and zero penalty minutes which garnered him the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike). He continued his gentlemanly ways totaling less than 100 penalty minutes in his first five seasons. The likeable German was also as consistent as they come as he was a plus player, scored 14+ goals and 60+ points and made the playoffs in each of his six VHL campaigns.
 
Honorable Mention: Michael Angelo, D @Advantage: S18
 
#14. Zach Arce, RW @Arce
Drafted: 2nd Round, 6th Pick, S9 
Teams: /,
Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S15), Continental Cup Champion x3 (S11, S13, S14), Gretzky (Scotty Campbell) Trophy x2 (S12, S13), Lemieux (Mike Szatkowski) Trophy x2 (S12, S13), Brett Slobodzian Trophy x2 (S12, S13), Mikita (Alexander Beketov) Trophy (S13)
 
Despite a short five-year career, Zach Arce quickly ascended into the VHL list of legends as his sublime passing skills dazzled fans and opponents alike. The Danish star was Avagard’s fourth pick in the S9 draft but was the only player in his class to reach the Hall of Fame, only one of three to win a Continental Cup and the only player to win three Cups. After a moderately successful rookie campaign of 56 points, Arch and his teammates kicked off their first season in Davos with the franchise’s second championship. Arch averaged over 116 points in his final three seasons, leading the league in scoring twice, assists once, and was handed both MVP trophies (voted by the league – Gretzky Trophy - and by players – Slobodzian Trophy) twice. He would win the Cup again with Davos in S13 and help New York win its first Cup in S14. He finished with a 1.36 points/game in the regular season and 44 points in 41 playoff games.
 
Honorable Mention: Christoph Klose, LW @der meister: S40
 
#13. Chris Julien, LW @arcbee07
Drafted: 2nd Round, 5th Pick, S1 
Teams: //
Highlights: Grimm Jonsson Trophy (S3), World Cup Gold x2 (S2, S6)
 
Although there have never been any HOFers selected at #13 in the history of the VHL, (and that may soon change after Andrew Su winds down his career), this was still a tough decision. Go with the player with the most points who many see as an HOF snub? Or the really good player who won four Continental Cups with the dynasty Seattle Bears? Or the aforementioned future inductee who’s still going strong with an overflowing trophy case? Long before the likes of stars such as Fredinamijs Krigars, Edwin Prencarnacion, Podrick Cast, and Lincoln Tate suited up for the Riga Reign, there was Chris Julien. The Stockholm Thunder’s second-ever draft pick in the league’s first season would become the first face of the franchise and set a high bar for those who came after him. While team success was not a common theme in those early days in Sweden, Julien would lead the then-named Rams to the S4 Continental Cup Finals against Scotty Campbell’s Seattle Bears where the Bears would prevail in five games. Julien was second in playoff scoring only to Campbell, finishing with 18 points in 11 games and two game-winning goals. That would be the closest he would get to a VHL championship although he did win two World Cup Gold Medals with Team Switzerland in S2 and S6. He was named team captain in three separate seasons and his leadership was recognized league-wide when awarded the Grimm Jonsson Trophy in S3. Chris Julien remains the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer with 341 goals (tied for 40th all-time in league history) and second to Krigars with 711 points and is one of only seven players with 700+ points not in the Hall of Fame.
 
Honorable Mentions: Scott Greene, C @DoktorFunk: S67, Andrew Su, C @Da_Berr: S72
 
In conclusion, the majority of the players we looked at were 2nd-rounders and as expected, had more success than the first group of #19 - #24 picks. There were four Hall of Famers mentioned and there’s more to come. Stay tuned next week as our countdown continues, going from the 12th overall pick down to the 7th overall pick!

Welcome to the team @DoktorFunk and @osens, glad to have you guys!
 
@tcookie and @Dtayl, it was great to have you guys in Riga and I wish you the best of luck in Toronto
 
Go Reign!

Thank you @Peace for being a great Manager. I had a fantastic time in Toronto and would wholeheartedly recommend anyone play there. Very excited to play in Riga!!!!

Thank you @Peace for being a great Manager. I had a fantastic time in Toronto and would wholeheartedly recommend anyone play there. Very excited to play in Riga!!!!

Thank you @Peace for being a great Manager. I had a fantastic time in Toronto and would wholeheartedly recommend anyone play there. Very excited to play in Riga!!!!

I've been happy with how the Jolly Greene Giant has been so far. It's nice to see that my decision to not sweat the loss of two TPE due to me claiming Welfare hasn't been felt too badly by the Giant. He still scores goals and puts up assists. It's also quite vindicating when during the offseason and your GM is shopping players and retooling the team he tells you that there is no way in hell that you'll be traded. That must mean I'm doing something right. Hopefully this season will be the season that the Giant finally wins an individual award. He's really been coming into his own and I could finally see it happening. Our defense in Toronto is stacked and I'm interested to see where it goes!
 
As for what I've been up to, I've been writing short stories in my free time. I missed writing and I don't think I realized it. I might start posting them here for point tasks. They've mostly been short horror stories, so I have no idea how I'll make that hockey related. Let me know if you have any ideas!
 
 

Dang I gave up on this ever happening.  Honored to be back in the VHL HOF.  I remember how much fun I've had in the VHL over the years being totally dedicated and immersed.  Met some really great people and have interacted with hundreds of VHLers.  I'll never be as dedicated and active as I used to be.  I'm just really happy to see how well the VHL is doing and know that at one point I was a big part toward contributing to where it is today.

You got me signing eye of the tiger well done

ah mate, this cracked me up

Well, I'm really bored at work so I guess I'll write one of these. But about what? Well, considering I very rarely write one of these, let's do some incredibly accurate personality appraisals by using a HOROSCOPE! Whichever team you're on, I'm confident this is in no way false. Feel free to DM me and let me know how right I was!
 
Calgary Wranglers
 
The star that burns twice as bright burns our twice as fast, and that's true for you. Much like your namesake, you like making order out of chaos. You go with the flow and find a way to streamline every single obstacle. Sure, you don't plan too much ahead, but that's okay. This approach gets you pretty far, but very rarely do you fully achieve what you set out to do. "So close and yet so far" is your motto, so better to look at your work and really put in that extra effort to get you over the hump. In your love life, you take things very seriously, but you adapt well and listen to the emotions of others. Plus, you're much like a horse in more ways than one. 😏
 
Chicago Phoenix
 
The star that burns twice as bright burns our twice as fast, and that's true for you. Your passion is what defines you. You will go as hard as possible into every situation, and damn the outcome. Sometimes this hurts you, but this often pays off as well. Most will respect your drive and will strive to be like you. You react best to a challenge, and hate being bored. In a relationship, you sometimes overlook the feelings of your partner, but your sex life is amazing. There's a reason they say Phoenix's rise! 😏
 
DC Dragons
 
The star that burns twice as bright burns our twice as fast, and that's true for you. You like working really hard and then relaxing as soon as possible. Plus, you're really into smoking week. Like a lot. Like Cheech Marin is making vacation plans to DC because of how much ganja you're rocking. Sexually, you're usually too high to do anything. 😴
 
HC Davos Dynamo
 
The star that burns twice as bright burns our twice as fast, and that's true for you. People always expect more out of you than you deliver. They're often making excuses for you. But, your charm and personality carry you through most situations, and people can't help but love you anyway. Still, you can't help but want to be better, but you never can seem to step it up. In bed, you're big, purple, and lazy. 👿
 
Helsinki Titans
 
The star that burns twice as bright burns our twice as fast, and that's true for you. You're the gentle giants of the world. The ones who tower above all others, whether it be through height, intelligence, personality size, etc. Still, sometimes you're a little too complacent and your stature can cause you to be a little lazy. Compensate for this by finding someone who hates you. Like, 100% fucking despises your guts. You're a people-pleaser, and this will bring out the best in you. When you get intimate, lucky you, you're big. 🍆
 
London United
 
MORE LIKE "LOINDON UNTIED" LOL. But seriously, I haven't paid that much attention to London. In bed, I dunno... you're into butt stuff. 🍑
 
LA Stars
 
The star that burns twice as bright burns our twice as fast, and that's true for you. You are a star, and you act like it. Embrace your selfishness. It's what gives you strength. When you get down, do a shit ton of cocaine and drink a lot. That'll probably be healthy. Whilst in an intimate relationship with someone, you tend to be really warm. Too much so. You're a furnace, and you'll probably cost your partner a lot as far as the electrical bill is concerned. Remember to change out your Freon. ❄️
 
Malmo Nighthawks
 
MaLMAO. The star that burns twice as bright burns our twice as fast, and that's true for you. You love the night, and so you go out to the clubs a lot. You have a sick neon sleeveless shirt that says BOOTY PATROL. You wear it everyday. You like The Big Dog store because those shirts are amazing and you love American flags because these colors don't run. Sexually, your partner says "Not now, I'm tired" a lot. 💔
 
Moscow Menace
 
Все люди рождаются свободными и равными в своем достоинстве и правах. Они наделены разумом и совестью и должны поступать в отношении друг друга в духе братства. 🇷🇺
 
New York Americans
 
The stars and stripes that burn twice as bright burn our twice as fast, and that's true for you. If you stop and listen for a second, you'll hear an amazing sound. It's something you very rarely hear, and it's quite special. That sound is silence. Silence in the Arenas. Silence on the forums. Silence in the discord. Silence from the players. No one cares about New York, and if you break the record for longest time spent without a cup, no one will bat an eye. Sexually, you like to lead people on. You collect people to give you attention, then discard them. ♻️
 
Prague Phantoms
 
Purple. 💜
 
Riga Reign
 
Rising up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive So many times it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger Face to face, out in the heat
Hanging tough, staying hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger Rising up straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not going to stop
Just a man and his will to survive It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger 🐯   Or is your logo a lion?   Seattle Bears   You like to win. 🐻   Toronto Legion   Much like your namesake, there are a lot of you, you only speak Latin, and you're from Toronto. No one has any idea what the fuck you're saying most of the time, unless they grew up Catholic. Your favorite hobbies involve sharpening your sword, reading long scrolls written by ancient dead dudes, and marching in formation. In bed, you count your strokes. 🔢   Vancouver Wolves   I'll be honest, I'm getting pretty bored at this point. You like cheese? 🧀   Warsaw Predators   Let's just say you have a lot of restraining orders filed against you and your name is Doug. 👮‍♂️   Want to leave a review for me? Please don't. Good luck with your life!          
 
 
 

People see Seattle as a lot of things and sometimes, sure, we like to have a little bit of fun, create rivalries and you know, not everyone is going to like me, us or the team. I want those who come to Seattle to be loyal and just open minded when they enter the locker room because most of the time, it ends somewhat like this and people enjoy their stays. What is and what is heard are often different. But to each their own! I want the locker room to be a place that is safe for anyone and everyone, where people can joke, laugh, be happy and have fun, and just be kind to one another while also being able to discuss whatever as long as it's not too wild and breaking rules. For a long time and as long as I can remember on here (it gets harder to remember far, far back as the seasons go on), Seattle always has/had a family vibe to it and I love that. Especially since the 67 guys have rolled in, we've done an excellent job in bringing people in and truly making them part of the family and continuing it - and I really hope they feel that way too, because they are! They're DA BEARZ. We're here for each other for whatever the hell it is. We're kind to each other no matter where we come from, who we are or whatever. A lot of you guys are an online family to me who I speak to in the LR or behind the scenes about so many different, personal things. Even after they're long off the team! We know a lot. Discuss whatever. Keep it real and usually relaxed. That's a good, caring family. That's what makes this role so special. That's what motivates me to try my best to be my best at the role to make you, us and the Bears succeed so we can reach new heights of all things together. You guys, too, are what make me as special and good as you think I am. 
 
I've had a few hard good-byes throughout my tenure as Seattle Bears GM. I've made a lot of difficult trades and even some retirements that aren't enjoyable to say the least. The most difficult off the top of my head were when I had to trade @FrostBeard and then traded @DoktorFunk. It sucked. I find it a little weird but am not ashamed to admit that I had moments of sadness and even choked up a little bit with teary eyes reminiscing of the talks, the explosive emotion when winning our cups and just the time we spent together being such a great team and how I was going to miss daily interactions with such amazing people. Not even players or members. Just amazing, great people. It was the hardest things Iv'e done moving those two guys. It fucking sucked but business is business if you're looking out for all and not one. They were excellent about it too. Then we lost @Berocka, @Rayzor_7, @TXC and so on in the locker room and that was difficult too. Keeping them on the council definitely helped, but surely it was still a different atmosphere to get used to. Similar to @oilmandan being casted away to Malmo this season. The list could go on and on. However, because of the family we've built over the many of season, we kept everything in tact, remained strong, close and loyal - we worked together and look, we're back on top together. All of us. It may be a new group, but that win here in S77 felt just as good despite it not being our first. It exploded. It was awesome.
 
Thank you for coming into Seattle with open arms and an open mind. Thank you for your loyalty over your career, your honesty and always putting the team, your teammates and even sometimes me first. I appreciate every effort you've placed into your player in attempts to improve for yourself and the team. You've been an excellent teammate from day one who has only cared about helping the team and making his teammates better. I'm glad we found a way to revive your career and keep you on the Bears for a final season because boy, did we ever send you off with a great retirement gift and you left us with one too. Another reason is because it wasn't really hitting me then and it didn't even in the playoffs or during the win. There was too much hype and we were seriously focused on fighting our way through the playoffs. It's always a damn team effort! You're still in the locker room and we're all planning the next season and as I find myself writing this, I feel the same form of emotion when I said good-bye to the other members from the LR and team. You were a huge part of the locker room and team. Anytime you were around, it was just good. You were one of the best Bears. We are going to miss you a lot in the locker room. Hopefully our paths do cross again because you're always welcome back. Once a Bear, Always a Bear. 
 
Don't be afraid to fire us a message in the Bears general (even with you still in the LR now, but in the future). Don't be afraid to send me a message on Discord to shoot the shit just to see how the Bears or life is going. Hell, I still bug a majority of the Bears to see how life is kicking from time to time.