animal74

Why be a Menace when you can be a Wann Kerr?

@Sjin just trouncing everyone by 40+ points...

Claim 2/2 (1000 words)

TEAM AWARDS A lot of pressure followed the Legion into S92. They were now the defending Continental Cup champions and the target was squarely on them as they prepared for life without Dens Oden and Tomas Sogaard, two key members of their Cup run. The core remained the same with rookie Kobe Johnson and mid-season acquisition Steve Lattimer brought in to bolster the roster. Despite down years from Mac Atlas and Joel Castle, Toronto made the playoffs as the 4th seed in the North American Conference with continued solid production from Jimi Jaks and Bobby Bob and strong sophomore campaigns from Harry Callahan, Diego Machado and Walter Fitzroy Jr. After defeating New York in the first round, the Legion shocked the VHL by taking out top-seeded Calgary in six games to make their third straight Conference Final. Their luck ended there, however, as they lost in five games to the eventual Cup champs, the D.C. Dragons. Here are some of the individual highlights: - Jimi Jaks was T-10th in the VHL in goals with 38, T-2nd with 3 hat tricks, and 10th with 487 shots - Jaks was also 5th in playoff scoring with 5-16-21 in 15 games. - Bobby Bob’s career-high 71 points were T-6th among defensemen and his 56 assists were T-11th - Harry Callahan was T-2nd with 9 GWG and 9th with 489 shots - Mac Atlas set career-highs with 96 PIM and 207 hits - Jimmy MacElroy tied his career-high of 10 goals and set highs of 142 shots and 6 PPG in his final season - Evan Bihler set career-highs in games (14) and minutes played (648) and SV% (0.938) in his final season - Joel Castle co-led the league with 6 shutouts and was 8th with 32 wins and a 2.56 GAA Statistical Leaders: Goals: Jimi Jaks 38 Assists: Bobby Bob 56 Points: Jimi Jaks 83 +/-: Jimi Jaks 30 PIM: Jimmy MacElroy 107 Hits: Mac Atlas 207 Shots: Harry Callahan 489 Shots Blocked: Walter Fitzroy Jr 146 PPG: Jimi Jaks, Steve Lattimer 7 GWG: Harry Callahan 9 Fights: Diego Machado 6 Wins: Joel Castle 32 GAA: Evan Bihler 2.04 SV%: Evan Bihler 0.938 SO: Joel Castle 6 Here are the S92 Team Awards as voted by the Toronto players and management: Best Defenseman Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer For the second straight season, Bobby Bob lead the Legion in assists with 56 and also led Toronto defensemen with his career-highs in goals (15), points (71, tied for 6th among VHL defensemen), and shots (172) and led them in plus/minus (13). His continued excellence in all three zones was a reason why he was also a major contributor on special teams. Rookie of the Year Kobe Johnson @Vkobe-v It’s been a long journey to the VHL for Ukrainian winger Kobe Johnson. Drafted with the first of Toronto’s three 2nd round picks in the S86 Draft, Johnson has continued developing throughout two seasons in the VHLM and five in the VHLE before making the cut in S92. The only rookie on the Legioni roster, he had a solid campaign scoring 9-13-22 showing skill and versatility. He potted 3 PPG, 2 GWG, and even scored on his only shootout attempt of the season. Unsung Hero Harry Callahan @dstevensonjr Although only in his second season, Callahan quickly cemented himself as an integral part of the Legion’s offense. He was second in team scoring with 75 points and third in goals with 30. But he also showed how he was willing to sacrifice his body with 36 blocks and also shone in the clutch by leading Toronto with 9 game-winning goals. Most Energetic Harry Callahan @dstevensonjr Someone would see Callahan’s team-leading shot totals (489) from S92 and assume he was all over the ice and they’d be right. A seemingly endless motor helped him to improve on his rookie campaign by 20 points and 70 hits (180, 4th on the team). His increased performance and energy was even more evident in the locker room as he became one of the Legion’s most vocal players. This is his second consecutive Most Energetic award. Most Gentlemanly Joel Castle @animal74 Although a fierce competitor, Toronto’s veteran goaltender is known also for his sportsmanship and gentlemanly demeanor on and off the ice. Never one to let a milestone go by without kudos, Castle keeps spirits high and encourages dedication and buy in. This is Castle’s fourth Most Gentlemanly award. Most Valuable Player Jimi Jaks @ke1vi On a team that finished in the bottom half of the league in scoring, Jaks’ 38 goals was very significant for the Legion and was tied for 10th in the VHL. Not only did he lead the team in scoring for the second time in his career with his 2nd straight 80+ point campaign (a career-high 83), he also lead Toronto in plus/minus with +30 which was 11 more than the next player. He was tied for 1st with 7 PPG and second in shots (487, also a career-high). His commitment to detail has allowed him to improve his point total for the fourth straight season and his all-around game helped keep Toronto in the playoff hunt. Legionary of the Year Harry Callahan @dstevensonjr As mentioned previously, Callahan burst onto the Toronto scene not only on the ice but also off of it. He quickly cemented himself in the Legion culture and his strong leadership, strong work ethic, and outgoing personality endeared him to his teammates, management and the fans. He was also selected as an alternate captain in only his second season thus making an easy vote for his second straight Legionary of the Year award. 3-Stars Award Jimi Jaks @ke1vi Jaks contributed on the scoresheet most nights and when he didn’t, he did the little things that win hockey games. The Legion’s most valuable player led the team in goals, points, and plus/minus and that led to also leading the team in total 3-Star selections and points. He also led the team in 2nd-Star selections with 11. Full 3-Star standings below: Congratulations to all the award winners!

Toronto Legion Press Conference (2 TPE for answering all six questions) 1. Does it concern you that we went 2-6 in our last eight games to not only lose the Victory Cup but also the Conference title? 2. Which North American team do you think will be our toughest test? 3. What defines a sports dynasty for you? If we win another Cup this season or next would you consider this Legion team a dynasty? 4. Who will score the Legion's first playoff goal? 5. What part of VHL history would you like to know more about? 6. Do you have a video game recommendation for your teammates?

The creation of this award continues to be one of the best decisions the league has ever made. #RIPElmebeck

Toronto Legion veteran Joel Castle became the first VHL goalie to reach 40 wins tonight after a 5-3 victory over the Moscow Menace reaching the milestone for the second time in his career. The last time Castle reached 40 wins was in S91, the year the Legion last won the Continental Cup. Castle hopes the milestone is a good omen. “Obviously, we want to win every game but that’s impossible so to win as much as we have this season has been great. I haven’t been as sharp as I’ve wanted to be so most of the credit goes to the rest of the team as they’ve been scoring at a phenomenal rate.” To Castle’s point, Toronto has been the league’s highest scoring team (249 GF) and is on pace to score the franchise’s most goals in a season since S81 with they poured in 279. They currently have four 40-goal scorers and could finish with five by the end of the season. Castle’s 40th win also kept Toronto’s slim lead at the top of the VHL with 96 points, two ahead of the red-hot Malmo Nighthawks who have beaten Toronto handily in all four of their meetings this season and have a game in hand. The Nighthawks netminder, Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro, who led the league with 46 wins last season, is second in the VHL with 39 wins and it won’t be long before he get his 40th win as well. It will be a close race between the two former Geneva Rush teammates for not only the wins title but also the Victory Cup.

Toronto Legion Press Conference (2 TPE for answering all six questions) 1. We are currently hanging on to the top spot overall in the VHL but a few teams are close behind. Can we hold on and capture our first Victory Cup since S67? 2. We're on pace to have our best offensive season since S81 (279 GF). How many goals will we have by the end of the season? 3. Which do you think will happen first in the VHL: The next 70-goal scorer or 100-assist scorer? 4. If Toronto used a third color to accent the double blue jerseys, what color do you think would look good? 5. Diego Machado is on pace to become Toronto's first 50-goal scorer since Paul Atreides in S83. Will he make it and how many goals will he end up with? 6. Which NHL playoff matchup intrigues you the most? Which matchup could you care less about?

2-0

Truer words have never been written.

VHL Centennial Rebrand I think that there's a huge opportunity coming up to in the next few seasons to not only rebrand a team or two but to give the league a new look - a celebratory refresh if you will - for its 100th season. With all the changes that have happened over one hundred seasons, this is possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity to give the league a new look if only for a season and to celebrate it’s rich history, the seven original franchises that have been around for all 100 seasons, and the teams and players that have made the VHL what it is today. Here are a few rebrands/refreshes I think should be considered for the league’s 100th anniversary: League Logo I think that the league logo needs a “rebrand” for it’s centennial, something that incorporates “100” to celebrate it’s one hundred seasons (similar to what the NHL did) and to show the world that it’s one of the best and longest lasting sim leagues ever. Perhaps it could also incorporate the seven (or eight) original team logos in the centennial logo. The NHL's Centennial Logo Original 7 Logos/Jerseys I would like to see the seven remaining original franchises (Calgary Wranglers, Helsinki Titans, Seattle Bears, Toronto Legion, HC Davos Dynamo (Amstel/Avangard), New York Americans (Hamilton), and Riga Reign (Stockholm) get special centennial logos: either a refresh of the original logos, a part of the original logo in the relocated logo where applicable, or a completely new rebrand of the colors and logos for something new and fresh. Also, I think all team logos should have “100” in the logo. I also propose a graphic/banner for each franchise showing things like number of seasons, past logos, number of Cups and Conference titles, player stats leaders, etc. That way, a new member to the VHL or someone joining a team for the first time have a fantastic way of getting a quick snapshot of the team’s history at a glance. Portal Page/Web Now this is where the VHL’s community could really show their talent. I propose a refresh of the portal and forum banners and have a contest where all who wish can submit a centennial banner and the winner (or Top 3?) get TPE. But we could use all of them and have the banners rotate on the pages (if that’s possible). The banners would need to pay homage to the VHL's rich history. Awards There isn’t a better time to unveil a new award or a rebranded award than during a centennial season. I know that they went through a renaming before, but with so much history and great players since then, it might be time for an award or two to be renamed. Maybe induct a special centennial member into the Hall of Fame? I’m not going to throw out too many ideas at the moment but just putting it out there for the general public to discuss. In conclusion, I think the VHL needs to capitalize on S100 to bring in some new looks and bring back old memories to celebrate this league and all the people that have made it run. New visuals should help attract new members and would liven the place up a bit. Plus it would allow our talented community to showcase what they can do and make this centennial a season to remember!

1. As a team it has been great! Our offense has been firing on all cylinders. I just wish my stats were a bit better. 2. He'll tie Max Molholt at the end of next season and surpass him in his ninth season. The party should be humungous! 3. Sure looks like it. One more to go. 4. Machado has been amazing all season. Going to go with him. 5. It means great stability for the franchise and the chance to be a contender for a while which is something the Legion haven't been for a while. 6. We only had about a 23% eclipse here. I went outside at the peak but didn't see any difference. Watched a couple videos of it live in Texas where it went completely dark which was crazy. My father-in-law went down there and said it was incredible.

Holy smokes, TWO shutouts for @DarkSpyro??? How does he do it??

S93 Toronto Legion Assistant Captains Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer Entering his fifth season, the Legion's 3rd overall pick in the S88 Draft has quietly become Toronto's leader on the blueline and one of the league's more underrated all-around defensemen. He has led the team in assists the past two seasons and works extremely hard off the ice setting an example for all Legion players to follow. This is his first season as an alternate captain. Harry Callahan @dstevensonjr After a successful rookie campaign, Callahan took his game to a new level finishing last season second on the team in scoring with 75 points and leading the Legion with 9 game-winning goals. He's proving to be as valuable off the ice as well as he has found his voice in the Toronto locker room and has the ear of the other leaders and management. Therefore, he has been voted an alternate captain for the second straight season. Captain Mac Atlas @v.2 Who else would it be? Altas will serve as Legion captain for the fifth consecutive season in S93. Already one of the most prominent players in franchise history, Altas' passion and desire to win is unmatched on the team and pushes the team to strive for greatness. He will do anything to achieve victory and is also climbing Toronto's all-time goal list. These three will lead the Toronto Legion in S93!

Nice article, always nice to be mentioned. Couple of points, McQueen has 2518 hits and ranks 16th all-time. The only reason Detroit beat Deathwalker (yes, I'm biased) is because he played an extra season. Deathwalker still holds the unofficial hits per game record.

Toronto Legion Press Conference (2 TPE for answering all six questions) 1. With five 20-goal scorers already (Machado, Jaks, Atlas, Lattimer, Callahan), who do you think will be the first Legion to hit 50 in ten seasons? 2. Which team in the three leagues do you think needs a name change most? 3. If you could pick an expansion city for each VHL Conference (North American and European), what would be your choices? 4. What were your thoughts on the league's Unfortunate Announcement? 5. How you feel about your performance so far this season? 6. What is your favorite Easter candy?

Woooo!!

Toronto Legion Press Conference (2 TPE for answering all six questions) 1. We are hanging near the top of the conference despite being in the lower half of goal scoring. What do we need to do to score more? 2. Walter Fitzroy Jr @Moon is tied for the league lead in assists. Do you think he'll have a shot at the Beketov Trophy (Most Assists)? 3. How would you rate your start to the season? 4. Rookie goalie Toddly Bobbly @ToddlyBobbly has stepped right in and is 1-1 in his first two VHL starts. What do you think of his performance so far? 5. Do you like the Team Awards? Is there an award you would like to see added/removed? 6. What NHL playoff match up would you most like to see?

I picked you so don't fail me twice!

Joel

I'll take F - Maxim Anisimov

D - Leif Reingaard F - Yaroslav Trunov @MubbleFubbles

F Jimi Jaks G Fuukka Rask @MubbleFubbles

Could make S94 perhaps??

Get a super large jersey and put us both in at the same time! No one would notice a four-legged goalie!