animal74

#24 Bobby Bob The trade of Toronto Legion star defenseman and captain Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer to the rival Calgary Wranglers marked the end of an era for the Legion as Bob was the last of the four foundational first-rounders selected by GM Moon (who recently stated S96 was to be his last season at the helm) to spark one of the Legion’s longest runs of playoff success in franchise history. At the S86 Draft, Toronto would select goaltender Joel Castle 13th overall. Armed with the 1st and 3rd overall picks in S87, centers Mac Atlas and Jimi Jaks were taken. Then Bobby Bob was selected with the 3rd overall pick in the S88 Draft. It would take three seasons of growing pains before the young core four would taste the playoffs. With the off-season additions of veteran stars and Cup-winners Ronan Lavelle, Tomas Sogaard, and Siyan Yasilievich prior to S90, the burgeoning Legion roster was finally ready to take the next step. From S90-S95, the Legion would record 45+ wins five times, make the playoffs six consecutive seasons, play 81 playoff games, win 10 playoff series, play in the Continental Cup Final three times and win the Cup once in S91. Bobby Bob was there for all of it. Every time he scored at a point-per-game pace, the Legion reached the Cup Final. Bob scored at least 10 goals and 50 assists in each of those six playoff-bound seasons while becoming the only recorded player to lead the Legion in assists for five consecutive seasons (and was leading the Legion again this season in assists with 45 at the time of the trade). He also led the league with a career-high 92 assists in S94 and lead all defensemen with 111 points which was 13 more points than the next defenseman and tied him for 7th in the VHL. He was awarded the Beketov Trophy as the league’s assist leader during his amazing year but many feel he was FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY for the Valiq Trophy as well. One of the most productive offensive defensemen of his generation, he has a chance to increase his playoff legacy with Calgary as he currently sits in the Top-20 all-time in playoff shot blocks and Top-30 in playoff assists. A long run with the Wranglers would certainly see him move up those lists. A testament to his importance in the locker room, Bobby Bob was voted as the Legion’s captain for S96 after many years wearing an A. He leaves Toronto as the Legion franchise’s all-time career leader in regular season assists (466), playoff assists (61), playoff shot blocks (175), and playoff power play goals (10) and tied for playoff games played (81). Among Legion defensemen, he is the all-time career leader in regular season points (563), playoff points (77), playoff plus-minus (27) and second in regular season shot blocks (1027). This all proves that his consistency on the backend, sublime passing, gifted offensive vision, and commitment to defense was the backbone of one of the most successful periods of Legion history. After his retirement, it’s guaranteed that his #24 will be raised to the rafters to hang with his former teammates and the other Toronto legends, many that he surpassed, during an amazing career.

1. I think it's just a weird coincidence of the VHLE dispersion. It is bizarre that the last team in the East would be the top team in the West. It will be interesting to see how things shake out next season. 2. I'm going to assume this should read "haven't done". I've pretty much done everything except record my own podcast as I've been a guest on someone else's once before. I might find it easier to talk about stuff than write about it depending on the subject. 3. Win more? Joking aside, and maybe Sadie was doing a lot of this already but if not, experiment with the sliders more. I don't know how much difference that would make but I think next year will be better. 4. Alright. The Canucks are still in a playoff spot but they've lost to some teams they should have beaten and they been really slow at getting into the game early. Once they get healthy, especially Demko, I expect things to get better. 5. So many but for general entrances, Phenomenon by Thousand Foot Krutch 6. A Pavel Bure rookie card or signed Bure Canucks #10 jersey.

Good to hear from you again, @Peace! Welcome back! You missed possibly the highest peak of the Toronto franchise!

@Moon First of all, thank you for having faith and drafting me as your first ever pick for the Legion, 13th overall in the S86 Draft. Secondly, thank you for letting me ride shotgun as your co-AGM for seven seasons. You had a vision and built something wonderful. Everyone who came to Toronto during your tenure, no matter for how long, loved playing for the Legion and loved playing hard for you. The Legion went from missing the playoffs for five straight seasons to making the playoffs in six straight including three Cup Finals in five seasons with the S91 Cup the cherry on top! It was a pleasure and honor to work with you and play for you and together, with many others, we have written our names in the annals of Legion lore forever. You end your Toronto GMing career as the all-time franchise leader in regular season and playoff wins - not easy to do in today's VHL especially for one of the original teams. Be proud of what you accomplished. We are all proud of you.

1. I don't know if it makes us better. It's more of just a different mix. We didn't get younger and the picks aren't great so it didn't really help us for the future. 2. I've enjoyed reading some of the Theme Week "Lore" articles. Brought back lots of memories. 3. Really any of the playoff teams have a chance. I guess Philadelphia would be the favorite but we've beat them a couple of times this season so they're definitely beatable. 4. I can just imagine Captain Puck Sparrow being the mascot of the Miami Marauders. That would be pretty cool. 5. Couple of things immediately come to mind - the Dairyland (?) Dutch Chocolate Milk drink boxes. That was the best chocolate milk, so thick and chocolatey! Also, Spicy Chicken pizza at Boston Pizza - so good! 6. I play board/video games with my kids. I'm getting back into ball hockey. I'm in the process of interviewing an author for my Facebook fan group.

Through the first half of the S96 VHLM season, the Las Vegas Aces appeared to be firmly in a playoff spot. With a 16-14-4 record in their first 34 games, they were playing good hockey behind a solid defense and brilliant goaltending from Deadpanda @Alex and Brian S @Bigb33 . The offense and special teams were lacking but they were producing enough to keep them going. Fast forward to 52 games and that lacking offense has almost completely dried up and the Aces find themselves second-last in the league and three points out of a playoff spot. This is a major disappointment for the reigning Prime Minister’s Trophy winner and Founder’s Cup finalist. The last 18 games have seen the Aces go 5-10-3 while being outscored 39-21. They have been shutout five times and only scored more than one goal in a game five times. That means they have been held to one or no goals in 13 of the last 18 games. Seemingly out of options, Las Vegas has started selling off marketable players while trying to hang on to a youthful core for next season. Whether the roster changes will make a difference remains to be seen. They can’t get much worse.

Simon Valmount is part of this? You must be jokinen! Love the article!

The Legacy of the Toledo Scorpions Despite being a franchise for only 15 VHLM seasons (S2-S16) before their move to Bern, the original Toledo Scorpions are still deeply rooted in the early story of the VHL whether it be through the franchise continuation of the Las Vegas Aces or the three Hall-of-Famers and many champions that rose through the ranks to hockey superstardom from humble beginnings rooted in the Spanish club. Toledo was one of the VHLM’s earliest success stories as they made the playoffs 7 of their first 9 seasons and became the third team in history (following the Ottawa Ice Dogs and the Gothenburg Eagles) to win two Founder’s Cups which the Scorpions earned in S5 and S9. We’re going to take a brief look at the legacy of those championship-winning Scorpion teams and some of the players that led the way. S5 Although not much is known about the early VHLM teams, the S5 Scorpions were a balanced team and led by Bourque Trophy (Top Defenseman) winner Hugh Rection and playoff MVP goalie Dominik Stryker. Rection posted a 30-goal, 106-point regular season from the blueline and Stryker went 8-1-0 with a 1.33 GAA and 0.935 SV% in the playoffs to lead the way for Toledo. They were joined by forwards Ned Louvencourt and Anton Razov, defensemen Drew Michaud and late pick up, Gunnar-Rune Rorvik. Stryker would go on to be drafted 2nd overall by Helsinki in the S6 draft and subsequently lead the Titans to their first ever Continental Cup that season. Rorvik would play another season with Toledo before being drafted 6th overall in S7 by Seattle and eventually become the VHL’s 7th member of the Triple Gold Club when he finished his six-year career by winning the Continental Cup with the Bears in S12. Louvencourt would also play six seasons in the VHL while Razov and Michaud would be the only other members of that S5 Founder’s Cup team to play more than one VHL season with two each. S9 When looking at Toledo’s Founder’s Cup winning roster from S9, there’s an instant difference from the S5 team – name recognition. The S9 Scorpions were led by future Hall-of-Famers winger Zach Arce @Arceand goaltender Benoit Devereux @Cowboy, two-time leading VHLM goal and point-scorer and S9 regular season MVP Tyler Vassell, and S9 top defenseman and assist leader James Platts. This team was also the top team in the league with an astounding 65-7-0 record. Vassell’s then record-setting 123 goals and 204 points led an offensive juggernaut to go along with Devereux’s 1.64 GAA and 9 shutouts. Devereux would go on the next season to become the first goalie to win VHL rookie of the year honors and also be named Top Goalie. He would win two Continental Cups with Davos along with playoff MVP in S11 during a decorated career. Arce would take a couple seasons to duplicate his VHLM 111-point rate in the VHL but he did in S12 and S13 leading the VHL both times with 125 and 133 points also earning MVP both seasons. He would also win three Continental Cups in a short but brilliant five-season career. Despite every member of that S9 Scorpions team getting drafted by VHL teams at some point, only six players besides Devereux and Arce would make it to the big league and only three, Vassell, Platts and center Nicholas Miller would play more than one season. Miller, a 7th OV S10 Vasteras draft pick have the most success of the three with 334 points in 288 games and 35 points in 39 playoffs games winning a Continental Cup in S15 with Helsinki. Platts would score 192 points in 210 games earning a Cup with Devereux and Scorpions’ alumni Sebastien Perrin @Seabass with Davos in S11. Vassell would struggle to maintain his astronomical VHLM numbers producing only 188 points in 288 games. @ke1vi Unfortunately, S10 would be the last time Toledo would make the playoffs before the move to Bern. But, other former Scorpions would also go on to have success in the VHL such as those who played in the final season in Toledo like future HOFer Markus Strauss @gregreg (S17 Cup winner) and defenseman Jordan Berglund (S20 Cup winner). First rounders including two-time Cup winner Fayt Leingod @scoop (S13, S17), Greg Eagleowski @Greg_Di (S18) and Xavier Martinez @BluObieZ (570 points in 492 games) would also have great success but they would be among the last players to be able to say they played for the Toledo Scorpions.

Don't know how I missed this but as a former Founder's Cup winner with Toledo in S5, I heartily approve!

1. Just waiting for the shoe to drop here in Vegas. Something's not working. I'm actually surprised at the lack of trades. 2. I like it! I'm always into digging up VHL history (hence why I'm a VSN History Writer). 3. I'm happy to see my former Hounds teammate (albeit briefly) Slava Kovalenko doing well. 4. Maybe red for hearts/diamonds and gold to match a face card - almost reverse of the Golden Knight alt jerseys 5. Transformers One and the new Lord of the Rings shows. 6. I grew up playing cribbage with my Mom. But Spit/Speed is fun too and Scum/President

@Beketov Is VHLM Lore included in this?

The theme for S96 is:

Review: Game 291 Moscow 2 Toronto 3 (SO) Needing all the points they can get in order to get back into the North American playoff picture, the Toronto Legion faced a stiff test in the league-leading Moscow Menace. In a penalty-filled first period, the Menace took a 2-1 lead on goals by Pombo @samx and Annie Oaks @Noodle Enjoyer sandwiching Harry Callahan’s @dstevensonjr 30th (which tied him with Malmo’s Phillip Rave @tcookie for the league lead). Both teams calmed down a bit in the second frame with the Legion’s Wayne Shotzky @Kenamatic power-play marker late in the period the only goal to tie things up. Both goalies were sharp in the third and overtime with Toronto’s Dalkr Vidarsson @KaleebtheMighty stopping 15 shots and Moscow’s Joseph Reed @BrutalBoost blocking 10 in that time. A shootout was needed to decide the victor. The first three shooters for each team didn’t beat the netminders so the game’s first scorer, Pombo, went in on Vidarsson to win the game and narrowly missed the net. Toronto youngster Kyle Toms @Ktoms22 then glided to center, skated into the zone with speed, head-faked and snapped a shot five-hole on Reed to give the Legion the extra point. In one of his best performances of the season, Vidarsson stopped 41 of 43 shots to get his 12th win. 3 Stars 1 - Dalkr Vidarsson (TOR) 2 - Annie Oaks (MOS) 3 - Pombo (MOS)

1. I think we need to find something to spark the offense which is in the bottom half of the league and especially our power play which is 7th in the league. We also need start better as only two teams in the M have scored less than our 18 first period goals. 2. Not really. I expected a fair bit of parity this season and with the occasional outlier, the standings are fairly even. 3. I'm doing both but haven't had a chance to check in on their progress. 4. Hmmmm. Let the Sparks Fly by Thousand Foot Krutch would be a good one. 5. Wendy's 6. Rock