ConnorMcdavid

Happy to hear you enjoy and thanks for the shout out.
 
Just don't think timing is right for me, personally. Want to make sure I get to a point where I'm pumping out good content more regularly before venturing into something like this. Some day in the future though for sure

Thank you for the shout out, really appreciate it.

A Week in Review
 
     It was the week everyone looks forward to at the beginning of the season. The playoffs had finally arrived! The blood, sweat, and tears of the regular season were behind us. While players on New York, Moscow, Prague, and D.C. headed home for an offseason of growth and training, the other eight teams were all preparing themselves for a playoff run. Only one team - Toronto - came this far unexpectedly while others like Vancouver and Calgary expected to come this far but were not sure how much further they would go. Seattle was a surprise contender that really established themselves throughout the year as legitimate contenders in a very weak North American conference. On the other side however, though Malmo took home the top seed, the four teams are interchangeable on talent and expectations with all of them having legitimate hopes of pulling through to the Finals.  
 
     As the first round started, the parity showed its face as each round began 1-1 eventually leading to two series going six games while the other two went the distant seven.  Twelve of the games were decided by one goal, while six more were decided by two goals. That’s an astonishing eighteen out of twenty-six games or nearly seventy percent!  Besides that, the largest series goal differential was four (Seattle and Malmo) with one series winner (Riga) even being outscored.
 
     Unfortunately, the second round came and went without much pushback from the losing teams. Seattle steamrolled Calgary for a clean sweep outscoring then an astonishing fifteen to two! The other series featured the leagues top two teams in Malmo and Riga and while this series was close and hard fought, with many close games, Malmo closed it out in a tidy five games setting up a showdown between the growing rivalry of Seattle and Malmo. 
 
Playoff Leaders:
 
Goals:
Tyler Barabash Jr (CGY) - 7
Matt Thompson (MAL) - 6
Ryan Sullivan Jr (MAL) - 6
 
Assists:
Jerry Garcia (MAL) - 10
Matt Thompson (MAL) - 9
Brandan LeBlanc (CAL) - 9
 
Points:
Matt Thompson (MAL) - 15
Ryan Sullivan Jr (MAL) - 14
Jerry Garcia (MAL) - 13
Kevin Low (SEA) - 13
 
Stat of the Week

Combined Record of Opponents Through Two Rounds
 
Seattle’s: 64-61-19
Malmo’s: 86-44-14
 
——————————————————————————————————————————————
 
Rookie Spot Light
 
(S67) LW Berocka Sundqvist (Seattle) @Berocka
6’3” 200lbs
23-34-57 +30 267 shots 245 hits 7GWG
 
     A young talent from across the globe, this young Australian is a talent to keep an eye on. Berocka was born in Australia and grew up playing other sports as hockey wasn’t so big in his hometown. Learning the game from his grandfather Hugo, Berocka quickly developed into an intriguing talent.  Though he was a natural athlete, Berocka didn’t get the chance to learn the hockey game as much as other youngsters did. This did not stop him from pursuing his dream and eventually scoring a scholarship from the Gothenburg University of Business in Sweden where he became known to scouts in pro leagues, such as the VHL.  In his career in college, Berocka excelled earning the still standing record for points for a rookie in that program.  Soon enough, with scouts knocking on his door, Berocka signed as an undrafted player with the Mississauga Hounds where his VHLM career began.
 
     Berocka Sundqvist was drafted first overall in the Season Sixty-Seven VHLM draft while also being selected seventeenth overall in the VHL draft the same season. Berocka spent two entire seasons in the VHLM where he tore the league up to the tune of 163 points in 144 games.   
 
      Entering this season, Berocka was playing for a young talented but inexperienced Seattle team and his expected output was unknown. He was able to exceed all expectations ending his rookie season with 23 goals and 57 points along with a punishing 245 hits! 
 
     Berocka’s Bears are still playing as they have steamrolled through the North American conference on route to a meeting with the Malmo Nighthawks in the VHL finals. Berocka and his teammates are attempting to put the finishing touches on the first season of this budding powerhouse as they look to remain atop the league for the foreseeable future. You can bet Berocka Sundqvist will be a huge part of that future wherever it goes.

A Week in Review
 
     It was the week everyone looks forward to at the beginning of the season. The playoffs had finally arrived! The blood, sweat, and tears of the regular season were behind us. While players on New York, Moscow, Prague, and D.C. headed home for an offseason of growth and training, the other eight teams were all preparing themselves for a playoff run. Only one team - Toronto - came this far unexpectedly while others like Vancouver and Calgary expected to come this far but were not sure how much further they would go. Seattle was a surprise contender that really established themselves throughout the year as legitimate contenders in a very weak North American conference. On the other side however, though Malmo took home the top seed, the four teams are interchangeable on talent and expectations with all of them having legitimate hopes of pulling through to the Finals.  
 
     As the first round started, the parity showed its face as each round began 1-1 eventually leading to two series going six games while the other two went the distant seven.  Twelve of the games were decided by one goal, while six more were decided by two goals. That’s an astonishing eighteen out of twenty-six games or nearly seventy percent!  Besides that, the largest series goal differential was four (Seattle and Malmo) with one series winner (Riga) even being outscored.
 
     Unfortunately, the second round came and went without much pushback from the losing teams. Seattle steamrolled Calgary for a clean sweep outscoring then an astonishing fifteen to two! The other series featured the leagues top two teams in Malmo and Riga and while this series was close and hard fought, with many close games, Malmo closed it out in a tidy five games setting up a showdown between the growing rivalry of Seattle and Malmo. 
 
Playoff Leaders:
 
Goals:
Tyler Barabash Jr (CGY) - 7
Matt Thompson (MAL) - 6
Ryan Sullivan Jr (MAL) - 6
 
Assists:
Jerry Garcia (MAL) - 10
Matt Thompson (MAL) - 9
Brandan LeBlanc (CAL) - 9
 
Points:
Matt Thompson (MAL) - 15
Ryan Sullivan Jr (MAL) - 14
Jerry Garcia (MAL) - 13
Kevin Low (SEA) - 13
 
Stat of the Week

Combined Record of Opponents Through Two Rounds
 
Seattle’s: 64-61-19
Malmo’s: 86-44-14
 
——————————————————————————————————————————————
 
Rookie Spot Light
 
(S67) LW Berocka Sundqvist (Seattle) @Berocka
6’3” 200lbs
23-34-57 +30 267 shots 245 hits 7GWG
 
     A young talent from across the globe, this young Australian is a talent to keep an eye on. Berocka was born in Australia and grew up playing other sports as hockey wasn’t so big in his hometown. Learning the game from his grandfather Hugo, Berocka quickly developed into an intriguing talent.  Though he was a natural athlete, Berocka didn’t get the chance to learn the hockey game as much as other youngsters did. This did not stop him from pursuing his dream and eventually scoring a scholarship from the Gothenburg University of Business in Sweden where he became known to scouts in pro leagues, such as the VHL.  In his career in college, Berocka excelled earning the still standing record for points for a rookie in that program.  Soon enough, with scouts knocking on his door, Berocka signed as an undrafted player with the Mississauga Hounds where his VHLM career began.
 
     Berocka Sundqvist was drafted first overall in the Season Sixty-Seven VHLM draft while also being selected seventeenth overall in the VHL draft the same season. Berocka spent two entire seasons in the VHLM where he tore the league up to the tune of 163 points in 144 games.   
 
      Entering this season, Berocka was playing for a young talented but inexperienced Seattle team and his expected output was unknown. He was able to exceed all expectations ending his rookie season with 23 goals and 57 points along with a punishing 245 hits! 
 
     Berocka’s Bears are still playing as they have steamrolled through the North American conference on route to a meeting with the Malmo Nighthawks in the VHL finals. Berocka and his teammates are attempting to put the finishing touches on the first season of this budding powerhouse as they look to remain atop the league for the foreseeable future. You can bet Berocka Sundqvist will be a huge part of that future wherever it goes.

A couple weeks back I made a fairly simple post tracking giveaways and takeaways in the VHL (see here). I cherry picked some of the leaders in some categories I thought were interesting, but that didn't really tell the whole picture. So to start off this media spot, I thought I'd include a full individual leaderboard below. I've haven't been successful getting this html to embed in one of these forum posts so I've ended up just adding it as an attachment. Let me know if its broken for anyone, but it should be viewable in just about any browser.
 
takeaways-leaderboard.html
 
A couple of good points were brought up to me regarding that past article. The one that stuck with me the most is the whole "Why should we care?" aspect. Are giveaways and takeaways even worth tracking in the VHL? Do more takeaways make a better player? More giveaways a worse one? More importantly, how do they affect wins at a team level? To start answering this last question, let's just look at the team rankings below combined with their place in the standings.
 
Team GP W L OTL P Takeaways Giveaways Diff Malmo 72 46 20 6 98 9803 9541 262 Riga 72 46 22 4 96 9701 9679 22 Helsinki 72 45 22 5 95 9797 9851 -54 Seattle 72 43 24 5 91 10051 10036 15 HC Davos 72 40 22 10 90 9852 9732 120 Moscow 72 40 30 2 82 9701 9782 -81 Vancouver 72 35 28 9 79 10030 9974 56 Calgary 72 35 32 5 75 9658 9602 56 Toronto 72 29 29 14 72 9930 9930 0 New York 72 30 35 7 67 10048 10135 -87 Prague 72 23 40 9 55 10058 10083 -25 D.C. 72 20 49 3 43 9349 9633 -284 From looking at the above you can argue that some relationship probably does exist, but it's not clear how strong or how important that relationship is. The top and the bottom of the standings happen to be the best and the worst in turnover differential, but the middle is not as nice. So how should we look at his? One thing we could try is to compare the accuracy that turnover differential has on predicting wins to the accuracy of another, more common stat. It's widely believed that the team that shoots the puck more, scores more (and so wins more), so shot differential can serve as a nice comparison stat. In S68, the team that won the shots differential won the game 66.1% of the time. I wanted to compare this same metric to teams that won the turnover differential. Turns out that teams that won the turnover differential won only 52.1% of the games. At first glance, this feels low but the more you think about, the more it makes sense. Keep in mind that the more a team possesses a puck, the more chances for giveaways (and less chances for takeaways) they have. Considering the extreme case where one team possesses the puck for close to the entireity of the game, said team would almost certainly win but also lose the turnover battle. So a better metric would measure "takeaways per some unit of possession allowed". The closest metric measuring puck possession that I can use is shots. With this new metric of "takeaways per shot allowed", we get that teams winning this differential end up winning the game 65.5% of the time.
 
One thing lost in both these stats is how badly a team won/lost the turnover differential. A single more takeaway than giveaway might not sway a game much, but 20 more might. This is represented in the data above; when looking at all the games where the team won the turnover battle (as defined by my new stat) but still ended up losing the game, we find that the average turnover difference is 20% smaller than normal. This supports the notion that games that are closer in turnover differential, often end up going either way in terms of the final result. One good way to actually model this would be with a linear logistic regression which would try to model how the magnitude of turnover difference affects the probability of winning. I might end up doing this another week, but for now I'm out of words to write.
 
608 words

TVL changes to Robert Mattalex.
 
As was rumoured, Malmo forward TVL in the midst of a heated playoff round, has busied himself with the process of a name change.  With the paperwork complete, TVL would like to formally introduce himself to the VHL world as Rob Mattalex. Of course this all begs the question, why?
 
See this interview I had with him today on this very subject:
 
Well I hear there’s big news! Why the name change?
 
Honestly, I wanted to change my name as I usually don’t use my irl name on internet games like many people don’t. It’s that simple. 
 
And why the name Rob Mattalex?
 
That’s a good question. Recently I was blessed with my firstborn son (irl). Now leading up to this season there was a huge negotiation going on for the services of Matt Thompson. Word is that he signed with Malmo on the sole basis that TVL would name his firstborn (unborn at the time) after Matt or Bek or whatever names are associated with this man in VHL history. After my boy was born and my wife didn’t allow me to choose the name, I felt really bad. Bek and other let me hear about it and there was a certain unrest in our locker room because of this. By naming him Rob Mattalex, I chose three names associated with Bek and put them together as an attempted peace offering in the hopes of regaining a good friend and peace in our locker room.
 
Have you talked about this to him yet?
 
No, no one knows about this. Not even my wife! I hope he takes this the right way though and we can repair our once strong bonds as linemates and friends.
 
Has this had any effect on your playoff performance?
 
I think I have played well all things considered, but it has been weighing on me tremendously so I hope I can now relax and play the game how I know I can.
 
So do we call you Rob from now on or can we continue with calling you any nicknames we have for you?
 
I would prefer to go by Rob to pay proper homage but if Bek approves I will allow a few nicknames to stick such as TVL, Van, etc.
 
Now back to the ice, where do you see your series playing out in the 7th and deciding game?
 
We are going to dominate the lesser talented HC Davos and move on to the next round. Matt is a superstar that is willing (and simming) his way to bring Malmo their first championship. We have such a good group of guys and so much talent we know we are the best team in the VHL. 
 
What are the keys to your team success from here forward? 
 
If everyone forgives me my big mistake towards Bek and accepts this peace offering taking me back in with open arms, we will regain the unity that made us an unstoppable force this season.
 
502 words.
 
@Beketov @Advantage @fonziGG @GustavMattias @Matt_O @Phil @OrbitingDeath

 

ROBERT! @VanCanWin

CONGRATS ON THE NAME CHANGE!@!!!

TVL changes to Robert Mattalex.
 
As was rumoured, Malmo forward TVL in the midst of a heated playoff round, has busied himself with the process of a name change.  With the paperwork complete, TVL would like to formally introduce himself to the VHL world as Rob Mattalex. Of course this all begs the question, why?
 
See this interview I had with him today on this very subject:
 
Well I hear there’s big news! Why the name change?
 
Honestly, I wanted to change my name as I usually don’t use my irl name on internet games like many people don’t. It’s that simple. 
 
And why the name Rob Mattalex?
 
That’s a good question. Recently I was blessed with my firstborn son (irl). Now leading up to this season there was a huge negotiation going on for the services of Matt Thompson. Word is that he signed with Malmo on the sole basis that TVL would name his firstborn (unborn at the time) after Matt or Bek or whatever names are associated with this man in VHL history. After my boy was born and my wife didn’t allow me to choose the name, I felt really bad. Bek and other let me hear about it and there was a certain unrest in our locker room because of this. By naming him Rob Mattalex, I chose three names associated with Bek and put them together as an attempted peace offering in the hopes of regaining a good friend and peace in our locker room.
 
Have you talked about this to him yet?
 
No, no one knows about this. Not even my wife! I hope he takes this the right way though and we can repair our once strong bonds as linemates and friends.
 
Has this had any effect on your playoff performance?
 
I think I have played well all things considered, but it has been weighing on me tremendously so I hope I can now relax and play the game how I know I can.
 
So do we call you Rob from now on or can we continue with calling you any nicknames we have for you?
 
I would prefer to go by Rob to pay proper homage but if Bek approves I will allow a few nicknames to stick such as TVL, Van, etc.
 
Now back to the ice, where do you see your series playing out in the 7th and deciding game?
 
We are going to dominate the lesser talented HC Davos and move on to the next round. Matt is a superstar that is willing (and simming) his way to bring Malmo their first championship. We have such a good group of guys and so much talent we know we are the best team in the VHL. 
 
What are the keys to your team success from here forward? 
 
If everyone forgives me my big mistake towards Bek and accepts this peace offering taking me back in with open arms, we will regain the unity that made us an unstoppable force this season.
 
502 words.
 
@Beketov @Advantage @fonziGG @GustavMattias @Matt_O @Phil @OrbitingDeath

 

TVL changes to Robert Mattalex.
 
As was rumoured, Malmo forward TVL in the midst of a heated playoff round, has busied himself with the process of a name change.  With the paperwork complete, TVL would like to formally introduce himself to the VHL world as Rob Mattalex. Of course this all begs the question, why?
 
See this interview I had with him today on this very subject:
 
Well I hear there’s big news! Why the name change?
 
Honestly, I wanted to change my name as I usually don’t use my irl name on internet games like many people don’t. It’s that simple. 
 
And why the name Rob Mattalex?
 
That’s a good question. Recently I was blessed with my firstborn son (irl). Now leading up to this season there was a huge negotiation going on for the services of Matt Thompson. Word is that he signed with Malmo on the sole basis that TVL would name his firstborn (unborn at the time) after Matt or Bek or whatever names are associated with this man in VHL history. After my boy was born and my wife didn’t allow me to choose the name, I felt really bad. Bek and other let me hear about it and there was a certain unrest in our locker room because of this. By naming him Rob Mattalex, I chose three names associated with Bek and put them together as an attempted peace offering in the hopes of regaining a good friend and peace in our locker room.
 
Have you talked about this to him yet?
 
No, no one knows about this. Not even my wife! I hope he takes this the right way though and we can repair our once strong bonds as linemates and friends.
 
Has this had any effect on your playoff performance?
 
I think I have played well all things considered, but it has been weighing on me tremendously so I hope I can now relax and play the game how I know I can.
 
So do we call you Rob from now on or can we continue with calling you any nicknames we have for you?
 
I would prefer to go by Rob to pay proper homage but if Bek approves I will allow a few nicknames to stick such as TVL, Van, etc.
 
Now back to the ice, where do you see your series playing out in the 7th and deciding game?
 
We are going to dominate the lesser talented HC Davos and move on to the next round. Matt is a superstar that is willing (and simming) his way to bring Malmo their first championship. We have such a good group of guys and so much talent we know we are the best team in the VHL. 
 
What are the keys to your team success from here forward? 
 
If everyone forgives me my big mistake towards Bek and accepts this peace offering taking me back in with open arms, we will regain the unity that made us an unstoppable force this season.
 
502 words.
 
@Beketov @Advantage @fonziGG @GustavMattias @Matt_O @Phil @OrbitingDeath

 

aw man, so close ? 
 
nice article again though! Really enjoy these!

TVL , nice time to score there ♡ 

#HireMattOSinceHeHasBeenWithVsnSinceFebruaryAndHasBeenABeastThroughoutHisTenureAndCaresAboutVSNMoreThanBanaDoes

VSN shall become a writers' gulag under my iron fist (I am, however, not a circus monkey, so there's that at least).
 
For real, though, the solution to VSN is simple:
-Keep @Matt_O and @VanCanWin. Also, keep @Advantage on as he's the new hire and plans to begin podcasting for VSN full-time. FIRE EVERYBODY ELSE BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE HAS DONE ANYTHING MEANINGFUL IN RECENT MEMORY.
-Hire people who can write well and who will be motivated to put out articles on a regular basis.
-Encourage quality over quantity. If someone doesn't get an article out every week, but writes extensive, well-thought-out, well-written articles, that is much better than just half-asking 500 words every week without fail.
 
It's either that, or we can continue to watch VSN be dead.

Great article from  you. Happy you got me into this league. 


Why every NA team can/can’t win the continental cup
 
     This article is a follow up to a fantastic article my coworker Matt posted last week. You can find his article here: https://vhlforum.com/topic/70331-why-every-eu-team-cancant-win-the-continental-cup/. Matt looked at the EU conference and why or why not each team could be a contender. I have followed his format in doing the same for the NA conference.
 
Seattle
Can - Goalie Rayz Funk
     Seattle has built a roster full of young promising players with the hope of developing a contending core for seasons to come. In Season Sixty-Seven, Seattle drafted a young goaltender in Rayz Funk. Rayz has been a stalwart for Seattle even though they are a very young team. It looks like Seattle is a lock for a playoff spot and it’s mainly due to their league low one hundred and two goals against. That’s a team stat sure but having a lights out goaltender is sure to be a big help in getting there.
 
Can’t - Lack of star power
 
     Outside of their goaltending, Seattle has a lot of potential waiting to burst out of the gates. It looks like a bunch of them are sitting on the cusp of turning from prospects to players but this season Seattle really lacks that star power on the ice. They recently picked up centre Joel Ylonen to try change this but though Joel has a high TPE total he has never been a point per game player in the VHL and we don’t expect this to change this season.
 
Vancouver
Can - Top Line
     After trading the Season Sixty-Seven trophy whore Rauno Palo and a first round pick for superstar Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Vancouver now has a top line that most teams dream of. Hunter, Starlord, and Freeman are a trio that alone should guarantee Vancouver makes the playoffs and sets them up for another potential playoff run through the weak North American conference.
 
Can’t - Special teams
     If Vancouver wants this season to be another deep playoff run, they will need to pick it up in the special teams department. They currently sit 3rd last in Power Play Percentage and dead last in penalty kill.  Those type of numbers will put you on the wrong side of a tightly contested playoff series should they not improve.
 
Calgary
Can - Defense/Goalie
     Calgary has a stalwart defence led by Brady Stropko Jr and Leph Twinger. With Cody Smith anchoring the second pairing, Calgary’s recent movement transitioning some forwards to defence looks to be paying off. Couple that with a legendary goaltender in Brick Wahl and this teams back end should be able to compete with most and any given night.
 
Can’t - Offense - particularly on the wings 
     Unfortunately, though they upgraded their defence at the expense of their offence, the damage that did to their offence was significant.  Their three centres have TPE totals around the six hundred mark showcasing their lack of star power but it is their wing depth - a total of TWO wingers on their entire roster - that is a telling stat as to why this team is seemingly underachieving in a weak North American conference.
 
Toronto
Can - Goalie JB Rift
     After a dominating season Sixty Seven, Toronto has taken a serious step back and has gone full out into their tank. Goaltender JB Rift is the only one left on the squad that still has the talent to be part of a contending team. A ton is resting on his shoulders if Toronto has any hopes of making the playoffs this season.
 
Can’t - below average everywhere else
     Outside of their all-star goaltender, Toronto has little else to offer. They are old and declining as they spiral from the top of the league last season to near the bottom this season. A rebuild is in order here and we’ll see how long it is until they once again climb to the top.
 
New York
Can - Defence
     New York has a young core of defence that should set them up for many more seasons. This group of four has outperformed expectations as three rookies being led by a stud sophomore in LeGrande. If New York has any hopes of making the playoffs it will have to lean on an inexperienced but talented group on the back end.
 
Can’t - inexperience
     Even with its promise and potential, New York is a very young team that just doesn’t have the experience and development that’s needed to win games in the VHL consistently. This will be the reason they likely miss the playoffs this year although the only cure to this is time so hopefully this will no longer be an issue next season as they trend upwards.
 
DC
Can - Cinderella
     Every league and every season has the potential for a nice Cinderella story. A Cinderella story is basically where a team or player do so much better than they are expected to do that everyone is in disbelief whether they can continue their run. DC’s only hopes of playoffs would be a heck of a Cinderella story.
 
Can’t - everything else
     DC literally does not have any pieces that make you think, “well this player can carry this team.” They are so weak on paper and during the sims that they look miles behind fellow expansion team Prague. They need to build an entire roster - not that we are doubting them at all - but it’s simply going to take time and a few gems that they’ll need to find to build around. 
 
So there you have it. The North American conference is definitely much weaker than their European counterpart but still there is competition for playoff spots and the quality of competitiveness will be fierce. 
 
On behalf of VSN and all the excellent writers there, my name is Trevor Van Lagen and I’ll see you all next article.

House of LefLop Press Release
For Immediate Use

Paris - The House of LefLop, which is guiding the career of King Kruul in the VHLM, is hereby release it's first impressions of the VHLM. The house thusfar has found the landscape to be very fashionable and intriguing, there are a lot of talent artists here and the visuals found in this league are stunning. The logos for the teams are very impressive, and the overall structure of how to earn to improve the players is very fair. The support staff whom are here to help the new players are extremely impressive, and the automation when making new players is very exciting. Coming from the other leagues, thus far the differences that make this league are noticeable and really help to keep players interested. In terms of the engine itself, everything is pretty straightfoward and Kruul is very interested in learning the different ways to play defense and hit people. He's very excited to finally learn the difference between good hitting that doesn't get called for penalties and bad hitting that causes him to be one of the highest penalty minute players on his team. 

Though we aren’t quite at the finish line yet, this season has already been a success for me. I’ve reached few new career highs as I currently sit with twenty goals and nineteen assists for a career high thirty-nine points, nine more than my previous. My goal this season is to surpass the twenty five goal and fifty point plateaus as a VHL sophomore.  I’ve been blessed to be playing alongside high skill players but I still am proud with how my player has grown this year especially after a tough first week. 
 
Big thanks to @Advantage for sticking with me on that first line! I am doing everything I can to prove that decision was a correct one for you to have made and stuck with. 
 
Besides my personal success this season it is the teams success that has me most excited! I’m really hoping I can part of a deep playoff run even though I know it won’t be easy fighting through the European Conference.
 
167 words.


Why every NA team can/can’t win the continental cup
 
     This article is a follow up to a fantastic article my coworker Matt posted last week. You can find his article here: https://vhlforum.com/topic/70331-why-every-eu-team-cancant-win-the-continental-cup/. Matt looked at the EU conference and why or why not each team could be a contender. I have followed his format in doing the same for the NA conference.
 
Seattle
Can - Goalie Rayz Funk
     Seattle has built a roster full of young promising players with the hope of developing a contending core for seasons to come. In Season Sixty-Seven, Seattle drafted a young goaltender in Rayz Funk. Rayz has been a stalwart for Seattle even though they are a very young team. It looks like Seattle is a lock for a playoff spot and it’s mainly due to their league low one hundred and two goals against. That’s a team stat sure but having a lights out goaltender is sure to be a big help in getting there.
 
Can’t - Lack of star power
 
     Outside of their goaltending, Seattle has a lot of potential waiting to burst out of the gates. It looks like a bunch of them are sitting on the cusp of turning from prospects to players but this season Seattle really lacks that star power on the ice. They recently picked up centre Joel Ylonen to try change this but though Joel has a high TPE total he has never been a point per game player in the VHL and we don’t expect this to change this season.
 
Vancouver
Can - Top Line
     After trading the Season Sixty-Seven trophy whore Rauno Palo and a first round pick for superstar Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Vancouver now has a top line that most teams dream of. Hunter, Starlord, and Freeman are a trio that alone should guarantee Vancouver makes the playoffs and sets them up for another potential playoff run through the weak North American conference.
 
Can’t - Special teams
     If Vancouver wants this season to be another deep playoff run, they will need to pick it up in the special teams department. They currently sit 3rd last in Power Play Percentage and dead last in penalty kill.  Those type of numbers will put you on the wrong side of a tightly contested playoff series should they not improve.
 
Calgary
Can - Defense/Goalie
     Calgary has a stalwart defence led by Brady Stropko Jr and Leph Twinger. With Cody Smith anchoring the second pairing, Calgary’s recent movement transitioning some forwards to defence looks to be paying off. Couple that with a legendary goaltender in Brick Wahl and this teams back end should be able to compete with most and any given night.
 
Can’t - Offense - particularly on the wings 
     Unfortunately, though they upgraded their defence at the expense of their offence, the damage that did to their offence was significant.  Their three centres have TPE totals around the six hundred mark showcasing their lack of star power but it is their wing depth - a total of TWO wingers on their entire roster - that is a telling stat as to why this team is seemingly underachieving in a weak North American conference.
 
Toronto
Can - Goalie JB Rift
     After a dominating season Sixty Seven, Toronto has taken a serious step back and has gone full out into their tank. Goaltender JB Rift is the only one left on the squad that still has the talent to be part of a contending team. A ton is resting on his shoulders if Toronto has any hopes of making the playoffs this season.
 
Can’t - below average everywhere else
     Outside of their all-star goaltender, Toronto has little else to offer. They are old and declining as they spiral from the top of the league last season to near the bottom this season. A rebuild is in order here and we’ll see how long it is until they once again climb to the top.
 
New York
Can - Defence
     New York has a young core of defence that should set them up for many more seasons. This group of four has outperformed expectations as three rookies being led by a stud sophomore in LeGrande. If New York has any hopes of making the playoffs it will have to lean on an inexperienced but talented group on the back end.
 
Can’t - inexperience
     Even with its promise and potential, New York is a very young team that just doesn’t have the experience and development that’s needed to win games in the VHL consistently. This will be the reason they likely miss the playoffs this year although the only cure to this is time so hopefully this will no longer be an issue next season as they trend upwards.
 
DC
Can - Cinderella
     Every league and every season has the potential for a nice Cinderella story. A Cinderella story is basically where a team or player do so much better than they are expected to do that everyone is in disbelief whether they can continue their run. DC’s only hopes of playoffs would be a heck of a Cinderella story.
 
Can’t - everything else
     DC literally does not have any pieces that make you think, “well this player can carry this team.” They are so weak on paper and during the sims that they look miles behind fellow expansion team Prague. They need to build an entire roster - not that we are doubting them at all - but it’s simply going to take time and a few gems that they’ll need to find to build around. 
 
So there you have it. The North American conference is definitely much weaker than their European counterpart but still there is competition for playoff spots and the quality of competitiveness will be fierce. 
 
On behalf of VSN and all the excellent writers there, my name is Trevor Van Lagen and I’ll see you all next article.


Why every NA team can/can’t win the continental cup
 
     This article is a follow up to a fantastic article my coworker Matt posted last week. You can find his article here: https://vhlforum.com/topic/70331-why-every-eu-team-cancant-win-the-continental-cup/. Matt looked at the EU conference and why or why not each team could be a contender. I have followed his format in doing the same for the NA conference.
 
Seattle
Can - Goalie Rayz Funk
     Seattle has built a roster full of young promising players with the hope of developing a contending core for seasons to come. In Season Sixty-Seven, Seattle drafted a young goaltender in Rayz Funk. Rayz has been a stalwart for Seattle even though they are a very young team. It looks like Seattle is a lock for a playoff spot and it’s mainly due to their league low one hundred and two goals against. That’s a team stat sure but having a lights out goaltender is sure to be a big help in getting there.
 
Can’t - Lack of star power
 
     Outside of their goaltending, Seattle has a lot of potential waiting to burst out of the gates. It looks like a bunch of them are sitting on the cusp of turning from prospects to players but this season Seattle really lacks that star power on the ice. They recently picked up centre Joel Ylonen to try change this but though Joel has a high TPE total he has never been a point per game player in the VHL and we don’t expect this to change this season.
 
Vancouver
Can - Top Line
     After trading the Season Sixty-Seven trophy whore Rauno Palo and a first round pick for superstar Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Vancouver now has a top line that most teams dream of. Hunter, Starlord, and Freeman are a trio that alone should guarantee Vancouver makes the playoffs and sets them up for another potential playoff run through the weak North American conference.
 
Can’t - Special teams
     If Vancouver wants this season to be another deep playoff run, they will need to pick it up in the special teams department. They currently sit 3rd last in Power Play Percentage and dead last in penalty kill.  Those type of numbers will put you on the wrong side of a tightly contested playoff series should they not improve.
 
Calgary
Can - Defense/Goalie
     Calgary has a stalwart defence led by Brady Stropko Jr and Leph Twinger. With Cody Smith anchoring the second pairing, Calgary’s recent movement transitioning some forwards to defence looks to be paying off. Couple that with a legendary goaltender in Brick Wahl and this teams back end should be able to compete with most and any given night.
 
Can’t - Offense - particularly on the wings 
     Unfortunately, though they upgraded their defence at the expense of their offence, the damage that did to their offence was significant.  Their three centres have TPE totals around the six hundred mark showcasing their lack of star power but it is their wing depth - a total of TWO wingers on their entire roster - that is a telling stat as to why this team is seemingly underachieving in a weak North American conference.
 
Toronto
Can - Goalie JB Rift
     After a dominating season Sixty Seven, Toronto has taken a serious step back and has gone full out into their tank. Goaltender JB Rift is the only one left on the squad that still has the talent to be part of a contending team. A ton is resting on his shoulders if Toronto has any hopes of making the playoffs this season.
 
Can’t - below average everywhere else
     Outside of their all-star goaltender, Toronto has little else to offer. They are old and declining as they spiral from the top of the league last season to near the bottom this season. A rebuild is in order here and we’ll see how long it is until they once again climb to the top.
 
New York
Can - Defence
     New York has a young core of defence that should set them up for many more seasons. This group of four has outperformed expectations as three rookies being led by a stud sophomore in LeGrande. If New York has any hopes of making the playoffs it will have to lean on an inexperienced but talented group on the back end.
 
Can’t - inexperience
     Even with its promise and potential, New York is a very young team that just doesn’t have the experience and development that’s needed to win games in the VHL consistently. This will be the reason they likely miss the playoffs this year although the only cure to this is time so hopefully this will no longer be an issue next season as they trend upwards.
 
DC
Can - Cinderella
     Every league and every season has the potential for a nice Cinderella story. A Cinderella story is basically where a team or player do so much better than they are expected to do that everyone is in disbelief whether they can continue their run. DC’s only hopes of playoffs would be a heck of a Cinderella story.
 
Can’t - everything else
     DC literally does not have any pieces that make you think, “well this player can carry this team.” They are so weak on paper and during the sims that they look miles behind fellow expansion team Prague. They need to build an entire roster - not that we are doubting them at all - but it’s simply going to take time and a few gems that they’ll need to find to build around. 
 
So there you have it. The North American conference is definitely much weaker than their European counterpart but still there is competition for playoff spots and the quality of competitiveness will be fierce. 
 
On behalf of VSN and all the excellent writers there, my name is Trevor Van Lagen and I’ll see you all next article.

10/03/2019:
 
Officially, today marks the day that I'll comfortably admit that I'm slumping slightly. I've improved immensely, which is real nice! Still, though. I need to pick up in the next run of games. Malmo sits second right now, due to the pure offensive prowess of Matt Thompson and the rest of our offensive core. Still, we have a great defensive core that doesn't get as much recognition. Condor Adrienne has been absolutely outstanding and I knew he wouldn't blow up right out the gate, but he's starting to find his rhythm offensively and has been a huge rock on the defense next to Jerry Garcia. Both guys have been majorly dedicated to improving on both sides of the ice which has been a dream come true. Heh, maybe I'll give you a slight insight into how Malmo has been behind the scenes? Alright, this is happening.
 
Funny enough, I think I caught Condor teaching Jerry, outside of practice mind you, how to think more offensively on the ice. In return, I've seen Jerry teaching Condor how to be more defensively aware. Condor (@OrbitingDeath) is at 56 blocks this season (which is slightly more than half way through) whereas last season, he held 61 blocks in his entire season with the Reapers organization. Offensively,  Condor has slumped hard this season, but honestly, I know he's going to be an absolute stud. He's been putting in more work then anyone in the entire organization (including myself admittedly) and reminds me of Cristiano Ronaldo's workrate which has lead him to becoming one of the best players all time.
 
Lets talk about Jerry Garcia (@GustavMattias) . Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. What a man. Half way through the season, Jerry has 33 points (6 goals and 27 assists) which is 7 points off of his entire points total last season. Condor has had such an offensive affect on him, it's unbelievable. He's also been working on his breakouts and passing every single morning before practice. Huge workrate on him as well, which has been incredible to see. He's already got his highest Power Play goals tally (nearly double by the way, sitting at 5) and he's sitting at a +20, which is a new record for him as well. Since he's joined Malmo, he's been on a team that was tanking, this is the first time all the pieces are coming together and we're seeing a dominating performance from him.
 
Okay, time to talk a little about Hugh (@HughJas_), Dude has been on an absolute tear. His rookie year has been outstanding on that 2nd defensive line that Malmo has some huge potential in a 2 punch with him and Rusty. Naturally, he's not going to get 92 points in the VHL (well atleast right out the gate) but he's been keeping cool on the ice every single time he's been on. He's got 60 shots blocked and last season, he had 68. He's taken more to the defensive game, which has been integral to my play. 
 
Matt Thompson (@Beketov) has been a stud. Do I need to say more? I mean he's been a fricken warrior this season for us. I honestly, don't have much to say, really. Like, I could spend 5 diary entries on how much we rely on him. He's been on such a tear that I expect him to blitz all his previous records. Forget about his on ice stats for a minute, he's been an absolute brilliant mentor for all of us and having a future hall of famer as a vet on your team is going to have a career long impact on us (#Thompson400).
 
Naturally, we'll speak about Matthew Materazo (@Matt_O) next. El capitano. Matt, this season is on par to complete another brilliant season under his belt. Right now, Thompson is scoring a lot of goals but Materazo has been scoring quite a bit himself. 17 goals and 19 assists has been huge for us and while it seems like he's statistically regressed, his play has improved immensely on the ice. He's been more physical on the ice and been a huge energy bunny within the team. He's also taking his ambassador duties to the next level, which has been huge for us. 
 
Phil Marleau (@Phil) has been incredible for us as well. He's been a huge physical presence in the side and and so has his penalty minutes. He seems to be taking less time in the box but been a huge presence on the ice physically. His offensive stats haven't shown here in the VHL yet, but they say that power forwards take time to develop and I think he's got all the right tools to become a dominant force within the league.
 
My man, TVL as we call him, Trevor Van Lagen (@VanCanWin). Easily, one of my bestest friends in this group. We've rode together through Halifax and now Malmo. He's going to demolish offensively this season, mark my words. He's centering the first line with Thompson which has, in part, been huge statistically for him but his confidence has never been at such a high before. He's a defensive forward scoring goals and getting assists, which is has been a major defining type of player for us. I do project his offensive stats will drop once Thompson retires, but I wouldn't be worried about that all all, he has all the tools to become a superstar in the league.
 
Alright, last but not least, we'll speak about Ryan Sullivan JR (@Advantage). Former defender converted to left winger, almost like the anti-Burns? I mean, what can I say. He's been a defensemen before, which is difficult to compare since he's about to blitz his offensive records. He's also got 2 shots blocked this season, which, I'll give him hell for later but also funny for a former all-star defender. He's 7 points away from blitzing his former scoring record at 63 points, and he's been thriving heavily with how well he skates and passes.
 
Okay, this ends my little insight into our team today, I don't want to give away a little too much. Malmo has been a great team to be a part of and you know, I love this city. I just wanted to highlight how hard every single person on this team has been working. Honestly, it's encouraging to know that every single one of us wants to improve on ourselves and with our teammates. I feel like this is the right organization for a young player to join. 
 
 
This is me signing off,
Michael Johnson
 
1,083 words, using this for 10/06/2019 and 10/13/2019

Last week I wrote an article bringing attention to a phenomenal young group of defence for New York. This week I asses the remainder of the roster and shed light on exactly how bright New York’s future is.
 
     I will dive deep into each of the forwards who matter today and most importantly, for the future.  While there are some other vets and league minimum youngsters, it’s this group of seven forwards who best represent the future. 
 
The Forwards
 
Boris the Forest @chillzone
15G 17A 32P 162S 9H 20SB
 
     Boris the Forest was drafted in the Season Sixty-Seven draft at tenth overall as a center. Boris quickly became the future for New York up front as they had thinner themselves out quite a bit and were beginning their rebuild. Boris is an offensive wizard who also plays very responsible hockey in his own end. Already, Boris has a lethal shot and a very good defensive mind although the rest of his game still needs to catch up some.
 
     Boris is playing this season as the clubs number one center and is doing everything he can to justify it. Scoring at nearly a point per game for New York, Boris is their number one offensive weapon. He gets plenty of offensive ice time resulting in a total of one hundred and sixty-two shots already.  
 
     Boris will continue his development on his other attributes as he continues to form into a top center in the VHL. New York is counting on his development being key to getting the forward ranks up to par with the skill and potential of the defence. Boris is by far the most promising piece up front that New York has.
 
Alexander Rodriguez / Nethila Dissanayake @Jtv123 @nethi99
26G 43A 79P 215S 186H 17SB Combined Stats
 
     Alexander Rodriguez and Nethila Dissanayake are two Season Sixty-Six players for New York who have taken on a more leadership type of role with this young club. The two players are welfare players but dedicated nonetheless and now sit each close to the five hundred TPE mark making them New York’s top two wingers by skill and experience. 
 
     The two have combined for a lot of scoring this season, each scoring over a point per game. Alex and Nethila also bring a lot of grit to the Americans as they have combined to lay down one hundred and eighty-six hits just thirty-five games into the season.
 
     Alexander and Nethila both are playing pivotal roles for New York even though they may never reach superstar status that Boris the Forest brings to the club. One thing to count on though is their dependability and that may be enough to help bring New York back to contention.  Both players are signed to just one year contracts though I’m not sure they would rather play anywhere else than where they currently are. 
 
Dalton Wilcox @Dalton Wilcox
17G 17A 34P 161S 33H 10SB
 
     Dalton was drafted by Malmo twenty-eighth overall in the Season Sixty-Seven draft. Dalton was lost in the depth on Malmo and because of this Malmo included him in a trade with New York that saw Malmo snag Ryan Sullivan Jr.  There was room on a rebuilding team like New York which presented a golden opportunity for Dalton to take the next step in his promising career.
 
     Since coming over in the trade, Dalton has shot out of the gate for New York scoring at nearly a point per game in his first season here.  He’s firing a multitude of shots - one hundred and sixty-one already while doing all the little things to help his teammates win games. Probably a simple case of extra playing time is helping him score so many points but nothing should be taken away from him and his production to date.
 
     Dalton should continue to get plenty of ice time and opportunity this year and we’ll see if his production can keep up like it has the first half of the year.  Dalton may not have the obvious ceiling that Boris the Forest has but with dedication and hard work can still turn into a very solid complementary piece to this outstanding group of youngsters playing in the Big Apple.
 
Frans Eller / Michael Sage / Owen Nolan @studentized @AcousticKazoo @Ace
 
     With Boris the Forest and Dalton Wilcox leading the rebirth at the forward positions and Rodiguez and Dissanayake being solid veterans on this team, the future of the forward ranks depends very much on this trio of youngsters.  Frans Eller, Michael Sage, and Owen Nolan are three Season Sixty-Eight draftees that are growing together as they acclimate to life in the VHL. Already all hovering around the three hundred TPE threshold, if these three can continue to put in the hard work and grow their talent, the future of New York’s forwards is very bright. Should this trio falter though, New York doesn’t have anyone else. 
 
     The three rookies have had varying levels of success so far this season in diminished roles.  They have been providing solid depth for an inexperienced New York squad and should continue to grow being the bigger four in front of them. There is definite opportunity for these three to gain ice time and move up the lineup should they continue to earn TPE at solid rates. Together, the three represent the difference between a powerhouse future for New York and a New York that has too many holes to really contend. 
 
 
The Goalie 
 
A Red Guy @.sniffuM
8W 13L 4OTL 0.894SV% 3.19GAA
 
     A Red Guy has jumped onto the scene being drafted eighth overall in Season Sixty-Eight. New York already had a young goaltender in Thorvald Gunnarson but the potential in A Red Guy intrigued them so much that they used a first round pick on him. The decision really can’t be argued as he has jumped straight into the number one role passing Gunnarson on the teams depth chart within the first half season of his career. It’s safe to say, the future in goal for New York is A Red Guy and him alone.
 
     A Red Guy, though full of potential, is still generally raw and his stats show just this. Don’t let that fool you on his talent and his potential though. By the time his teammates develop into contenders, A Red Guy will be contending for being the leagues top goaltender. There should be no concerns here.
 
     That wraps the in-depth look into New York’s future. The defence and goaltending are locks to be a phenomenal group but though the forwards are less of a sure thing, with proper development, expect New York to be a powerhouse within a few seasons. 
 
On behalf of VSN News and all the great staff there, my name is Trevor Van Lagen and I’m signing off until next week.

Last week I wrote an article bringing attention to a phenomenal young group of defence for New York. This week I asses the remainder of the roster and shed light on exactly how bright New York’s future is.
 
     I will dive deep into each of the forwards who matter today and most importantly, for the future.  While there are some other vets and league minimum youngsters, it’s this group of seven forwards who best represent the future. 
 
The Forwards
 
Boris the Forest @chillzone
15G 17A 32P 162S 9H 20SB
 
     Boris the Forest was drafted in the Season Sixty-Seven draft at tenth overall as a center. Boris quickly became the future for New York up front as they had thinner themselves out quite a bit and were beginning their rebuild. Boris is an offensive wizard who also plays very responsible hockey in his own end. Already, Boris has a lethal shot and a very good defensive mind although the rest of his game still needs to catch up some.
 
     Boris is playing this season as the clubs number one center and is doing everything he can to justify it. Scoring at nearly a point per game for New York, Boris is their number one offensive weapon. He gets plenty of offensive ice time resulting in a total of one hundred and sixty-two shots already.  
 
     Boris will continue his development on his other attributes as he continues to form into a top center in the VHL. New York is counting on his development being key to getting the forward ranks up to par with the skill and potential of the defence. Boris is by far the most promising piece up front that New York has.
 
Alexander Rodriguez / Nethila Dissanayake @Jtv123 @nethi99
26G 43A 79P 215S 186H 17SB Combined Stats
 
     Alexander Rodriguez and Nethila Dissanayake are two Season Sixty-Six players for New York who have taken on a more leadership type of role with this young club. The two players are welfare players but dedicated nonetheless and now sit each close to the five hundred TPE mark making them New York’s top two wingers by skill and experience. 
 
     The two have combined for a lot of scoring this season, each scoring over a point per game. Alex and Nethila also bring a lot of grit to the Americans as they have combined to lay down one hundred and eighty-six hits just thirty-five games into the season.
 
     Alexander and Nethila both are playing pivotal roles for New York even though they may never reach superstar status that Boris the Forest brings to the club. One thing to count on though is their dependability and that may be enough to help bring New York back to contention.  Both players are signed to just one year contracts though I’m not sure they would rather play anywhere else than where they currently are. 
 
Dalton Wilcox @Dalton Wilcox
17G 17A 34P 161S 33H 10SB
 
     Dalton was drafted by Malmo twenty-eighth overall in the Season Sixty-Seven draft. Dalton was lost in the depth on Malmo and because of this Malmo included him in a trade with New York that saw Malmo snag Ryan Sullivan Jr.  There was room on a rebuilding team like New York which presented a golden opportunity for Dalton to take the next step in his promising career.
 
     Since coming over in the trade, Dalton has shot out of the gate for New York scoring at nearly a point per game in his first season here.  He’s firing a multitude of shots - one hundred and sixty-one already while doing all the little things to help his teammates win games. Probably a simple case of extra playing time is helping him score so many points but nothing should be taken away from him and his production to date.
 
     Dalton should continue to get plenty of ice time and opportunity this year and we’ll see if his production can keep up like it has the first half of the year.  Dalton may not have the obvious ceiling that Boris the Forest has but with dedication and hard work can still turn into a very solid complementary piece to this outstanding group of youngsters playing in the Big Apple.
 
Frans Eller / Michael Sage / Owen Nolan @studentized @AcousticKazoo @Ace
 
     With Boris the Forest and Dalton Wilcox leading the rebirth at the forward positions and Rodiguez and Dissanayake being solid veterans on this team, the future of the forward ranks depends very much on this trio of youngsters.  Frans Eller, Michael Sage, and Owen Nolan are three Season Sixty-Eight draftees that are growing together as they acclimate to life in the VHL. Already all hovering around the three hundred TPE threshold, if these three can continue to put in the hard work and grow their talent, the future of New York’s forwards is very bright. Should this trio falter though, New York doesn’t have anyone else. 
 
     The three rookies have had varying levels of success so far this season in diminished roles.  They have been providing solid depth for an inexperienced New York squad and should continue to grow being the bigger four in front of them. There is definite opportunity for these three to gain ice time and move up the lineup should they continue to earn TPE at solid rates. Together, the three represent the difference between a powerhouse future for New York and a New York that has too many holes to really contend. 
 
 
The Goalie 
 
A Red Guy @.sniffuM
8W 13L 4OTL 0.894SV% 3.19GAA
 
     A Red Guy has jumped onto the scene being drafted eighth overall in Season Sixty-Eight. New York already had a young goaltender in Thorvald Gunnarson but the potential in A Red Guy intrigued them so much that they used a first round pick on him. The decision really can’t be argued as he has jumped straight into the number one role passing Gunnarson on the teams depth chart within the first half season of his career. It’s safe to say, the future in goal for New York is A Red Guy and him alone.
 
     A Red Guy, though full of potential, is still generally raw and his stats show just this. Don’t let that fool you on his talent and his potential though. By the time his teammates develop into contenders, A Red Guy will be contending for being the leagues top goaltender. There should be no concerns here.
 
     That wraps the in-depth look into New York’s future. The defence and goaltending are locks to be a phenomenal group but though the forwards are less of a sure thing, with proper development, expect New York to be a powerhouse within a few seasons. 
 
On behalf of VSN News and all the great staff there, my name is Trevor Van Lagen and I’m signing off until next week.

Last week I wrote an article bringing attention to a phenomenal young group of defence for New York. This week I asses the remainder of the roster and shed light on exactly how bright New York’s future is.
 
     I will dive deep into each of the forwards who matter today and most importantly, for the future.  While there are some other vets and league minimum youngsters, it’s this group of seven forwards who best represent the future. 
 
The Forwards
 
Boris the Forest @chillzone
15G 17A 32P 162S 9H 20SB
 
     Boris the Forest was drafted in the Season Sixty-Seven draft at tenth overall as a center. Boris quickly became the future for New York up front as they had thinner themselves out quite a bit and were beginning their rebuild. Boris is an offensive wizard who also plays very responsible hockey in his own end. Already, Boris has a lethal shot and a very good defensive mind although the rest of his game still needs to catch up some.
 
     Boris is playing this season as the clubs number one center and is doing everything he can to justify it. Scoring at nearly a point per game for New York, Boris is their number one offensive weapon. He gets plenty of offensive ice time resulting in a total of one hundred and sixty-two shots already.  
 
     Boris will continue his development on his other attributes as he continues to form into a top center in the VHL. New York is counting on his development being key to getting the forward ranks up to par with the skill and potential of the defence. Boris is by far the most promising piece up front that New York has.
 
Alexander Rodriguez / Nethila Dissanayake @Jtv123 @nethi99
26G 43A 79P 215S 186H 17SB Combined Stats
 
     Alexander Rodriguez and Nethila Dissanayake are two Season Sixty-Six players for New York who have taken on a more leadership type of role with this young club. The two players are welfare players but dedicated nonetheless and now sit each close to the five hundred TPE mark making them New York’s top two wingers by skill and experience. 
 
     The two have combined for a lot of scoring this season, each scoring over a point per game. Alex and Nethila also bring a lot of grit to the Americans as they have combined to lay down one hundred and eighty-six hits just thirty-five games into the season.
 
     Alexander and Nethila both are playing pivotal roles for New York even though they may never reach superstar status that Boris the Forest brings to the club. One thing to count on though is their dependability and that may be enough to help bring New York back to contention.  Both players are signed to just one year contracts though I’m not sure they would rather play anywhere else than where they currently are. 
 
Dalton Wilcox @Dalton Wilcox
17G 17A 34P 161S 33H 10SB
 
     Dalton was drafted by Malmo twenty-eighth overall in the Season Sixty-Seven draft. Dalton was lost in the depth on Malmo and because of this Malmo included him in a trade with New York that saw Malmo snag Ryan Sullivan Jr.  There was room on a rebuilding team like New York which presented a golden opportunity for Dalton to take the next step in his promising career.
 
     Since coming over in the trade, Dalton has shot out of the gate for New York scoring at nearly a point per game in his first season here.  He’s firing a multitude of shots - one hundred and sixty-one already while doing all the little things to help his teammates win games. Probably a simple case of extra playing time is helping him score so many points but nothing should be taken away from him and his production to date.
 
     Dalton should continue to get plenty of ice time and opportunity this year and we’ll see if his production can keep up like it has the first half of the year.  Dalton may not have the obvious ceiling that Boris the Forest has but with dedication and hard work can still turn into a very solid complementary piece to this outstanding group of youngsters playing in the Big Apple.
 
Frans Eller / Michael Sage / Owen Nolan @studentized @AcousticKazoo @Ace
 
     With Boris the Forest and Dalton Wilcox leading the rebirth at the forward positions and Rodiguez and Dissanayake being solid veterans on this team, the future of the forward ranks depends very much on this trio of youngsters.  Frans Eller, Michael Sage, and Owen Nolan are three Season Sixty-Eight draftees that are growing together as they acclimate to life in the VHL. Already all hovering around the three hundred TPE threshold, if these three can continue to put in the hard work and grow their talent, the future of New York’s forwards is very bright. Should this trio falter though, New York doesn’t have anyone else. 
 
     The three rookies have had varying levels of success so far this season in diminished roles.  They have been providing solid depth for an inexperienced New York squad and should continue to grow being the bigger four in front of them. There is definite opportunity for these three to gain ice time and move up the lineup should they continue to earn TPE at solid rates. Together, the three represent the difference between a powerhouse future for New York and a New York that has too many holes to really contend. 
 
 
The Goalie 
 
A Red Guy @.sniffuM
8W 13L 4OTL 0.894SV% 3.19GAA
 
     A Red Guy has jumped onto the scene being drafted eighth overall in Season Sixty-Eight. New York already had a young goaltender in Thorvald Gunnarson but the potential in A Red Guy intrigued them so much that they used a first round pick on him. The decision really can’t be argued as he has jumped straight into the number one role passing Gunnarson on the teams depth chart within the first half season of his career. It’s safe to say, the future in goal for New York is A Red Guy and him alone.
 
     A Red Guy, though full of potential, is still generally raw and his stats show just this. Don’t let that fool you on his talent and his potential though. By the time his teammates develop into contenders, A Red Guy will be contending for being the leagues top goaltender. There should be no concerns here.
 
     That wraps the in-depth look into New York’s future. The defence and goaltending are locks to be a phenomenal group but though the forwards are less of a sure thing, with proper development, expect New York to be a powerhouse within a few seasons. 
 
On behalf of VSN News and all the great staff there, my name is Trevor Van Lagen and I’m signing off until next week.

Green article tho. Me, Gunnarson and Nethilla Dissanayake are ready to open some people eyes. Motivationnnn