Zeno

+10
How do we claim this?

Claim 10 TPE, which you can apply as you wish, to whatever attributes you want. It can be broken up.
 
Example, +10 skating, or +3 Skating, +5 Scoring, +2 Passing.
 
@Jayrad28@RunnerBert11 @Grape @Juddy @Infernal @Jbeezy76 @NumberJ5 @Liberty_Cabbage @AdamEss @FerdaJets @Sebster03 @sjs88speed @Cornholio @Zeno @Psyduck77 @jblock3 @diamond_ace
 

1) I play a two way game. In the minors I used to think that scoring was my strength, but my numbers lead to show that I am more of a passer now.
2) I didn't model my game after anyone, but I would like to think that I play like Patrice Bergeron.
3) Absolutely! I might be able to design one...
4) Eleven
5) 45 hopefully
6) If we can go .500 then I will be happy. It is all about improving with such a young team.

1) It's been great. The home crowd always gets us pumped up, and it is always a packed house.
2) It like to here some shipping up to Boston. What song could get you more fired up than that?
3) It's been a building year for the team, but I think my player has done pretty well. If he picks it up a little he might be able to finish the year at a point per game pace.
4) Tuukka Rask
5) Boston Bruins. It's a classic, but I might be a bit biased.
6) 25

TEAM USA
 
Hello one and all, for what you have all been eagerly awaiting for this is the announcement of the greatest team that Team USA has ever put up. This team will be the one to bring the Gold home back to the great United States of America. This will be the team to Make America Great Again At Hockey. Let me hear it MAGAAH!
 
Without further ado the team for Team USA in alphabetical order:
 
Aamon Grim                 @aCrypticPancake Benny Graves               @STZ Chad Gilbert                 @Fire_In_Babylon Erik Draven                   @Jbeezy76 Finnegan MacBurn      @DizzyWithLogic George Washington    @Enorama Gert B Frobe                 @NumberJ5 Jason Connors            @Klrpizza Jaxon Walker               @hewasajazzman Koda Adok                    @trevmi Raymond Bernard       @Mr_Hatter Samuel Ross                @Brrbisbrr Tony Bolonee               @Tbeez99 Willie Dredge                @sjs88speed Zeno Miniti                   @Zeno
Invites will be out shortly for the Locker Room. I hope all that are tagged are ready for greatness, apologies to those that were not picked but there are too many great Americans in this sport.

 

Oh now it’s pick on the captain day ? ? I see how it is Turdberg! ?Don’t worry I will eventually get to double digits in goals. I only need 3 more. Judging from my past seasons I get hot halfway through the season. The time is now ?

The Old White Rhino - Part 4
 

 
"Vladmir! Vladmir! Don't you hang up on me goddamnit or by Putin's pull-ups I'll have you flogged!" Aleksei shouted into his mobile phone as he paced the cobblestones outside of his hotel, lit only by an old-fashioned streetlamp and the glow of the stars. It was three in the morning and he was at his best, "the child is worth his borscht, he's the next Frostbeard I tell you! A guarenteed winner!"
 
Lights began to turn on in windows as his shouting increased, drapes parted and concerned eyes looked out onto the man walking back and forth with purpose, but not one word of protest was said. The citizens of Prague knew that braver people had disappeared over less. All eyes were on Aleksei as he wore a divet into the rough narrow streets, his ten pound cell phone in one hand, a snifter in the other, and fire in his eyes. 
 
"I don't care about assists Vladmir! Assists do not win games! I care about goals. GOALS! I need another Draper @Infernal! I need another Miniti @Zeno! It doesn't matter that he has twenty five assists, you get that makeup-faced captain of yours to make his face up into a player that SCORES GOALS!"
 
Aleksei threw the phone to the ground with force enough to shatter its plastic shell in all directions, bits of char and smoke rising from where they fell. "By Babushka's Cabbage, GET ME SOMEONE TO SCORE GOALS!"
 
He realized he was yelling into his glass of vodka. 
 
Aleksei looked up, saw the eyes looking down upon him, huffed with indignity, performed a heel turn, and entered the hotel. A fresh glass was waiting for him at the bar, along with a box score sheet and a nub of a pencil.  The bartender gave Aleksei a wink as he replaced the vodka bottle, wiping down the counter dutifuly. He nodded, sat down, and began scribbling beside the names on the score sheet. They'd find a way out of this.
 
340 words
TPE for week ending October 6

1) What is your favorite pre-game meal?
Willie Dredge smokes a old school joint before every game, so you can say that's his meal.
2) Who is your favorite NHL player currently?
Tomas Hertl
3) How many goals do you have at the moment?
4
4) How many assists do you have at the moment?
12
5) What is your favorite brand name for hockey sticks?
Warrior
6) Do you think Prague can get our record up to .500 ?
Always believe!

1.Usually share a blunt with Willie and munch out on cheese puffs.
2.Brenden Gallagher 
3.Not Enough...
4.8 helpers isn’t terrible 
5.Bauer probably
6.Maybe if everyone keeps their tpe growth up

1) Miniti always has sushi before his games.
2) Patrice Bergeron, although Brandon Carlo is my guy.
3) 7
4) 9
5) Bauer
6) Absolutely! Got to believe in the power of the Phantom!

Hi Everybody!
@Members
 
As has been teased all off-season long, there will be a few changes to league operations, ranging from scheduling, to transactions, to point task changes, to another change that many have been asking for for quite some time. Without adding too much fluff, I’ll get right into the changes that are coming, as there are quite a few.
 
1.      League Divisions
As was announced with the unveiling of the expansion franchises, the league will be moving to divisions for the first time. As the league has always been wont to do, we are taking advantage of these divisions to pay homage to some of our history. In the past, we have named awards after players, and builders alike, and that trend continues with our four new divisions, named after past commissioners who have made great contributions to the league.
 

 
2.      Schedule
With 12 teams, the league is facing another first in its history, as we move towards a weighted schedule. Teams will face competition from their own conference for 42 games (minimum 8 per opponent), while playing 30 against the opposite conference (5 per opponent).
 
3.      Conditional Trades
Effective immediately, teams may now add conditions to trades, so long as they do not circumvent any other rules regarding player movement, including, but not limited to: Traded Draft Pick restrictions or Violating the integrity of the league.
 
o   Any, and all, conditions must be explicitly stated at the time a trade occurs, and agreed upon by both parties. Once a condition is agreed upon, make sure to tag a commissioner, who will add a condition tag to the thread, to be followed up on upon completion of the condition(s).
o   All conditions must convert prior to the conclusion of the following off-season.
o   Any draft pick that is part of a condition may be traded in a separate trade, so long as the receiving team understands that there are conditions attached to that pick
§  i.e. If Helsinki makes a trade with Davos, guaranteeing the higher of two 1st round picks held, then trades the other 1st round pick to Toronto. Toronto would receive the lower of the two picks, while Davos receives the higher.
o   The League Office holds the right to veto any conditional trade it feels circumvents league rules.
 
4.      VHLM TPE Cap
With the rise in TPE around the league the past few changes, you may have noticed that it is now more difficult for rookies to make an impact, especially if they are coming in just above the current VHLM TPE Cap. With that in mind, the Board of Governors has approved a raise of the VHLM TPE Cap from 200 TPE to 250 TPE, effective in Season 69.
 
5.      VHLM Achievement Tracker 
One other change the BOG has decided upon, is that Season 67 will be the final season that VHLM Players collect the Achievement Tracker. Instead, it will now be replaced with the VHLM Graduation Bonus of 20 Uncapped TPE. All players, starting with S69 Prospects, will be eligible for this bonus, as soon as they earn 251 TPE.
 
6.      Multi-Claim Podcasts
Something that has been brought up recently has been the legality of claiming podcasts over multiple weeks. As with Media Spots, Podcasts can run much longer than the required minimum, and there is also the possibility of having multiple members participate in a podcast. With that in mind, the BOG has created new rules regarding the length of podcasts, and for how many weeks each participant may claim them. The following chart displays how long a podcast must be to claim multiple weeks and/or claim as a group.
 

 
This means that members may now claim up to 4 weeks per podcast, while group podcasts have a set of guidelines for claims as well. Podcasts may not be claimed for more than 4 weeks. Podcasts with more than 4 people cannot be claimed by a 5th (or more) member.
 
7.      Re-Roll Change
While the league has always allowed position switches mid-season, re-rolls have been relegated strictly to the off-season. After much debate, the BOG has decided to allow in-season TPA re-rolls, beginning this season. The only caveat to this change is that re-rolls may not be purchased during the same season as a position switch, though purchasing both in the same off-season will still be allowed. Additionally, while it has never been allowed, a formal rule will now be put in place restricting TPA Re-Rolls between the Trade Deadline and the date of Depreciation.
 
8.      Lottery Changes
Yes, something many have voiced an opinion on. The league has heard your complaints, and strived to find a solution that better works for everyone, which we believe we have found. Effective immediately, the league’s lottery format will be receiving an improvement for the better. The prizes will remain the same, but the “tickets” will be seeing a drastic change.
 
Lottery entries will now be based on Capped TPE earned each week, which will be calculated every Tuesday, while the draw will take place Wednesday or Thursday of each week. Each Capped TPE will be worth 1 entry to the lottery, with a maximum of 12 entries per member.
 
The monthly draw will be calculated on the 5th of every month, taking into account each week that ended in the previous month, allowing those who missed the weekly draws a chance to take part in the monthly draw. Entries will be capped at 12 per member, per week that is in the draw (will vary from 48-60 depending on the month).
 
There will still be two draws, one for VHL Players, and one for VHLM Players. Should a member have two active players, playing in both leagues, they will only qualify for the VHL draw.
 
9.      Test Simming
Finally, we will end with another topic that has seen some hot debate, of late. As the current Update Scale has been discussed as being too light, the League has greenlit a test that will run during Season 68. Higgins will be simming, in conjunction with the VHL schedule, using a harsher scale that the league would like to test. He will be using live updates, just as the regular sim does, and converting them to the harsher scale. Depending on the success of this test, it is possible this new scale will be put into place starting in Season 69.

Yeah unfortunately @Zeno just didn’t fit into our timeline. He’s done nothing but impress with his earning, and is going to be a fantastic VHLer, but right now we’re in a place where we’re focused more on the now than down the line. Wish you nothing but the best with Prague going forward!

@Quik No problem, I am sad to leave Helsinki, but very excited to join this team in Prague! I think we are going to be quite the team in a few years. 

S67 Commissioners Cup 

 
"What is this?", you're likely asking. Over the last season, @diamond_ace and myself have spent quite a lot of time looking at and talking about how we can improve the VHLM. During our tenure as commissioners, that's always been our goal. Making the VHLM move enjoyable, more meaningful to a player and more efficient with key things like retention and development. This past season, we talked about a lot of things structurally/rule wise that are either ready to be announced or in the final stages of being what we believe to be a system we're confident in. One of those changes is going to be the Top Prospects Game. Last season, it was the first one in a very, very long time. I'm sure it was a thing once upon a time, but I can assure you it's never been this. S66, we quickly put together a roster that we felt was going to be fairly even and extremely competitive. They only played one game. It's a Top Prospect GAME. 12 F, 6 D, 2 G. It was your normal all-star/prospects game. So, whats the change? 
 
Firstly, the name. We present to you the Commissioners Cup. This event will be held during the off-season - every off-season. The event will be the ultimate battle between the two who hold the most power in the VHLM - Team Diamond VERSUS Team Bana. Unlike the past where one person quickly threw together a competitive roster for each and the other said "yep", we actually stayed up late last night doing a 40 pick draft - drafting some of the best the VHLM currently has to offer and putting together two extremely solid teams. The roster sizes are the same (we'll be using the last file of the regular season for attributes etc), but the amount of games played will be different. Instead of 1, you're going to see 3 games. ITS A BEST OF 3 SHOWDOWN. A fight. A BATTLE.... to the death... ULTIMATE GLORY... K, maybe not death - but it's ultimate shit. The battle and intensity is real. The rivalry is real. 
 
WHO WILL REIGN SUPREME? LET THE BATTLES BEGIN!?

With that being said, I guess it's time to release the draft results of the draft, as well as the rosters for the very first ever "Commissioners Cup". Awesome effort this season one again bye everyone involved in the VHLM. This season has been extremely busy for myself and DA, but also a very good one. Thanks!
 
S67 Commissioners Cup Rosters:
 
 
S67 Commissioners Cup Draft:

S67 VHLM Awards 

 
We'd like to congratulate the Ottawa Lynx on a successful campaign - hoisting the Founder's cup. It was a team, over the course of the regular season and playoffs, that overcame a lot and was guided in an extremely efficient direction to dominate most portions of the year. Probably a lot of other people had other teams picked? Maybe? Anyway, congrats to them. Another big congrats to all of the players who are making their ways to the VHL and were drafted the other night to their new VHL organizations. We wish you all the best of luck. Next, thank you to everyone who runs the show. From my trusty partner D_A, le bluez, to the people who make the lines and simulate for us season after season, the updaters, the recruitment team and every other staff member and normal member we have that makes the VHLM such a stronger, more enjoyable league. 
 
We will have some small changes coming in the near future that we feel are strongly going to improve the VHLM and all those involved. All rules will take place immediately if ready, however, the entirety will not be announced until a later date.
 
 And with that, I'd like to congratulate this seasons Awards winners. 
 
If you won an award you can claim 2 TPE. All co-winners can claim 1 TPE.
 
Team awards do not count as TPE. 
 
S67 VHLM Awards
 
Championship - Founder's Cup: Ottawa Lynx
Best Regular Season Record - Prime Minister's Cup: Ottawa Lynx
Leading Points - Ethan Osborne Trophy: Zeno Miniti (OTT)
Leading Goals - Alexander Chershenko Trophy: Thorny Underyew (OTT)
Leading Assists - Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy:  Zeno Miniti (OTT)
 
Regular Season MVP - Mitch Higgins Trophy: 
Zeno Miniti @Zeno
 
Playoff MVP - Skylar Rift Trophy: 
Thorny Underyew @jack

Top Defenseman - Ryan Sullivan Trophy:  
Kafka Palazzo @diamond_ace
 
Top Goaltender - Benoit Devereux Trophy: 
A Red Guy  @.sniffuM
 
Top Two-Way Forward- Matt Bentz Trophy: 
Anthony Hawk @ahawk2191
 
Top Executive - Jack Reilly Trophy: 
Minnesota GM @Rayzor_7
 
 
Merci,
@VHLM Commissioner
 

I'm just too busy right now. Can you give it too @DollarAndADream?
Thanks

Thanks @Acydburn it has been a really great season. We are not done yet though!

Ottawa season 67 review
 
This was my first season as Ottawa’s GM, I just wanted to tank all of the players on the team for a great season. We pulled off something that a lot of people doubted we could do when the season started, having a .500 team. We accomplished this goal and then some, ending the season as the number 1 seed on the season. This wouldn’t have been possibly without the help of:
Aamon Grim @aCrypticPancake
Anthony Amberback @Oost
Anthony Hawk @ahawk2191
Beau Bennett @Datools
Cameron Eastwood @CammyM
Cody Parkey @SaltyTalty
Finnegan MacBurn @DizzyWithLogic
Hiroshi Okada @enigmatic
Hunter Wagner @Inf1d3l
Jacob Scott @jscott
John Perdue @johnnyhockey42
Micha Sage @AcousticKazoo
Micheal Rasmussen @Connor mcdavid
Symere Myles @InciteHysteria
Thorny Underyew @jack
Titus LaClass @Termancy
Wonona Levantoes @oramuda
Zeno Miniti @Zeno
Raymond Bernard @Mr_Hatter
Samuel Ross @Brrbisbrr
 
 
We ended up with
4 Players in the top 10 for points
5 Players in the top 10 for Assists
3 in the top 5 for goals
1 goalie in the top 5 (36 starts or more)
 
This was clearly a team effort and we couldn’t have done it without everyone. With that said I wanted to highlight some of the individual efforts of the team.
 
Top goal scorer/Most Shots:
Thorny Underyew had the most goals on the team with 58 goals in 72 games played. This is a nice accomplishment since he was placed on the second line for the season. He really helped the team out with secondary scoring. Thorny also managed the most shots for the team with 462 the most in the league. The closest one to 462 was 428 set by his teammate Zeno Miniti.
 
 
Most Assists/Points/+/-
This accomplishment goes to Zeno Miniti, he centered the top line and amassed a massive 134 points on the season. The closest to him in points was Thorny with 119. Zeno also had the highest +/- on the team (probably had something to do with the 134 points).
 
Most PIM/HIT
 
The player with the most PIM’s and Hits is no other than Anthony Hawk, he managed 94 PIMS and 398 hits on the season. The closest player this Hawk’s hits was Kenji Hachimura with 259 hits on the season. He kept other players on their toes and was a big contributor to the team.
 
Most Shots Blocked
 
The most shots blocked was defenseman Beau Bennett, he managed 66 shots blocked on the season. That is no to take away from our other defensemen Aamon Grim (64), Finnegan MacBurn (63), Jacob Scott (55). All of the defenseman were very close in SB.
 
We were lucky enough to have two goalies on the Lynx this season Raymond Bernard and Samuel Ross. Both goalies did spectacular this season with a combined record of 61-9-2. What I found the most interesting is that the both ended the year with 2 assists each. Both ended up with a save percentage above .880 and under a 2.2 GAA. Combined they even managed 7 shut outs, 156 goals against on 1421 shots and 4 assists.
 
A player that I wanted to highlight from the Lynx that needs no introduction is Michael Rasmussen. Many of the veterans of the VHL know Michael from a few seasons and I just wanted to highlight that he should win most improved. This season Rasmussen had 20 Goals 46 Assists for 76 Points on the season. When we compare this to his stats from last season of 5 goals and 1 assist for 6 points or season 65 where he had 1 lonely assist.  This is a 1166.67% increase from the previous season.
 
Once again, I wanted to thank everyone on the team even if you didn’t get a call out you were a huge contributor and we couldn’t have been as successful this season without you. Here’s to the playoffs and hoping we can bring home the cup!
 
 

Trying my hand at doing sigs. This is my very first one, so, any tips or suggestions are very welcome!
 
@ahawk2191

It happens! I still really like the whole format of it though.

Review: Nice job! Everything about this card looks really professional. The removal of the Blue Jackets logo is really good, but I would have liked to see a USA logo on the jersey. It is also a little hard to see the players name. Overall though, I really like how you did this card.

Decided to do an Alternate and Away uniform to add to the home one I already did. Let me know what you all think!
 

0.0 - Introduction
 
To begin, I'm not calling myself the god of sigs, but I do think I have improved a lot since my return to the VHL earlier this year. Hopefully this thread can help out some people struggling to consistently create nice sigs.
 
Here we go.
 
 
1.0 - Composition
 
The difference between a good sig and a fantastic sig often lies in its composition. That is, its layout of the elements, and its flow. There are a few key things to note in this category, and these things are easy to do.
 
1.1 - Rule of Thirds
 
The rule of thirds states that interesting elements and focal points should be on the intersecting points of a 3x3 grid.
 
In the following sig, the render's face and logo are on an intersecting point, as well as the text.
 

 
The main thing to note here is that you shouldn't put stuff in the dead centre.
 
1.2 - Depth
 
Depth in a sig is what makes it seem complete. To create depth, you will usually need a combination of stocks and effects. 
 

 
In this sig, the foreground is the render and the some surrounding area. The background is a bit of the left and the rest of the right. The depth comes from the "bokeh" effect, or simple stated, the blur. An easy way to create depth is to make a layer on top of everything else when you're done, and Gaussian Blur it between 1px and 2px. Erase (or mask) the parts that you want to be in focus, mainly your render and the text.
 
 
2.0 - Stocks
 
Stocks, put simply, are photographs or digital images of anything that you put in your sig to make it look cool.
 
This is one of my sigs without the render or text.
 

 
Some of the stocks in there are splatters, c4ds, or lighting effects (Click those links to find thousands of examples.)
 
Other stocks include landscapes, patterns or just cool pictures.
 
Many often get messed up with the sort of blend modes they're supposed to use for a stock. Best advice here is to experiment, but the most common blend modes are Soft Light, Overlay, Screen/Lighten, Multiply/Darken and occasionally Color Burn/Color Dodge. 
 
A good trick for when a stock is too intense is to play with its Levels instead of its Opacity. Hit Ctrl+L (Cmd+L) when you are on that layer and adjust the middle slider until it looks good. And never be afraid to erase ugly parts!
 
 
3.0 - Text
 
Text is often the biggest issue for sig makers. Many simply don't put in enough effort, and many don't know what effort to put in.
 
One simple thing to do is give it a background.
 

 
This will give the text some substance, and make it easier to read.
 
Don't be scared of hiding some of the text with the render. As long as it is still readable, it can work.
 

 
Never be afraid to spice up the text with some flare. Add a bunch of periods or 'x's. Maybe even some small gibberish that is just for aesthetics.
 

 
Final tip for text: always try multiple versions. Do three totally different attempts of text on each sig you do, with different fonts, spacing, effects, colouring etc. This is the number one way to improve your text.
 
 
4.0 - Assorted Techniques
 
4.1 - Displacement Maps
 
Duplicate your render. Go Filter > Distort > Displace. Hit OK or choose some different numbers. Locate an old .psd of yours. This will distort the render into some cool looking formations.
 

 
It might look weird here, but if you put it behind your render, it can give a nice effect.
 
4.2 - Gradient Maps
 
Seems pretty obvious for experienced sigmakers but it took me a long time to realise Gradient Map didn't mean use the Gradient tool. Hit the Black and White circle at the bottom of the layers panel and choose Gradient Map or go Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map. A Gradient Map will map colours to your sig based on the light. 
 

 
The render on the right has a purple to orange Gradient Map on it set to Soft Light. Mess around with different colours and blend modes to find some interesting effects.
 
4.3 - Shapes & Lines
 
Using polygons and lines is one of my favourite techniques. Draw the shape with the polygonal lasso tool or use the Shape Tool.
 

 
The triangles in this sig were made using the shape tool and various colours.
 
 
4.4 - Color Dodge Dots
 
Create a new layer and set it to Color Dodge. Choose a soft brush (circular) and set it anywhere from 15px - 100px. Turn on size jitter if you're feeling funky. Choose a color that is on the darker half of the spectrum (halfway down inside the colour picker window). Now just click a few times in spots that need some brightening up.
 
This. 
 

 
To this. 
 

 
(Also did some blurring to this one).
 
4.5 - Clipping Masks
 
Clipping masks are using in many different ways. You can use them to isolate an adjustment layer to just on layer, blend in splatter effects, create nice backgrounds or make nice text. Here are a few examples.
 
A clipping mask, in its basic form, has the colour of one layer aligned to the shape of another. The colour layer is on top of the shape.
 

 
In this example, the circle layer is beneath the army pattern layer. To create this, you make the circle layer directly underneath the army pattern layer. Then, right click on the army pattern layer and select 'Create Clipping Mask'.
 
In this example, the text has a clipping mask of the render.
 

 
 
While in this example, the splatters at the bottom-right and bottom-middle have clipping masks applied to them. The goal of this effect is to have it blend better with the rest of the sig.
 

 
 
Finally, in this sig the large circle is a clipping mask from the left side of the sig.
 

 
 
5.0 - Final Touches to Sigs
 
There are a few things that I do to nearly every sig I make. These are almost universal to sigs, and should improve many sigs.
 
Starting point:
 

 
5.1 - Hue Layer
 
Make a new Gradient Map. Make the first colour whatever colour suits your sig, and your second colour black or white (doesn't matter). 
 

 
5.2 - Exposure Layer
 
Make a new Exposure layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Exposure). My settings are: Exposure: 0, Offset: +0.0164, Gamma Correction: 0.89.
 

 
This makes the dark less overpowering.
 
5.3 - B/W Layer
 
Sometimes some coloured parts of a sig should grab less attention. An easy way to fix this is making that part black and white. Make a new layer and set it to Color. Brush in black anywhere that is drawing too much attention from it's color.
 

 
5.4 - High Pass
 
Make a new layer. Select all (Ctrl + A/Cmd + A) then hit Ctrl + Shift + C/Cmd + Shift + C to copy the entire sig. Then, paste it on the new layer (Ctrl + V/Cmd + V). Then go Filter > Other > High Pass and set it anywhere from 10px to 100px. Set this on Soft Light or Overlay and mess around with its Opacity.
 

 
5.5 - Blur
 
Finally, to create some depth, I again go through the steps of copying the whole sig and pasting it (another way to do this is making a new layer and going Image > Apply Image). Then I go Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set it between 1px and 2px. Erase the render and text and other details that should remain sharp.
 

 
 
6.0 - Conclusion
 
Hopefully this helps some people in their sig making. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reply. I will likely add to this later as well.