animal74

I would contribute a song to this!

Happy Friday!

Ho ho

Late to the party, but both absolute legends. Was an honor to play against you @STZ and @Seabass! Fantastic careers!

Merry Jingle!

Post duo jour

Jour Uno

When I Was a Young First-Gen... animal74 (Gunnar-Rune Rorvik) Way back in my day as a First Gen - early 2008 from what I recollect, it was a different world - both in the VHL world and the real world. Before Disney bought Star Wars and Marvel and before the launch of Disney Plus; before the rise to fame of the likes of Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, and Kendrick Lamar; before Game of Thrones became an international sensation and Spotify made its way to North America. Before all this, there was a fledgling sim hockey league named the VHL and a little known defenseman from Norway who found his way to the Toledo Scorpions - Gunnar-Rune Rorvik, “The Norwegian Nightmare”. Rorvik caught the tail end of the Scorpions’ fifth season (S5) and then helped them to win their first Founder’s Cup. And thus began my career as a “First Gen”. Rorvik with the S12 Continental Cup Rorvik was drafted by the Seattle Bears 6th OV in the S7 Draft with 102 TPE - a measly sum in today’s VHL. The highest earning prospect and 1st OV that draft was future Hall of Famer C Lazarus Hatzifotiou-Kyriakos (Layken Heidt) and he had a grand total of 150 TPE which would likely have him going late in the second round nowadays. Rorvik could have been drafted by teams of yesteryear like the Stockholm Rams, Vasteras IK, the Hamilton Canucks, or the Avangard Havoc. To earn TPE, we could write media spots or create graphics - similar to now - but they were graded. And I was one of the toughest graders. Multiple spelling and grammar mistakes? Good luck even getting 5 out of 6 points! There was also just the forum to chat in and the index for the scores. No portal for easy button clicking (we had to type the TPE changes in the forum), no Google Sheets (well maybe a couple) and definitely no Discord for happy internet banter (the horror!). Everything was manual. But we had a good time! Eventually, I learned the ropes and Gunnar-Rune Rorvik became one of the first Triple Crown winners (Founder’s Cup, World Cup Gold, Continental Cup). I didn’t come back until ten years later, but I would check that it was still running. The VHL has doubled the amount of teams it had back then. Franchises have folded, been created, resurrected or switched leagues. Members and HOFers have come and gone. But one thing has remained - the people. There is a dedicated community that has run this league to new heights since I first joined, both participant- and technology-wise. The BOG continues to work to make things better and smoother. The community is worldwide, friendly, and willing to help first-gens. That has never changed. I’m not the only early first-gen that has come back. Some created a new player right away. Others, like me, waited a while only to find a vibrant community ready to welcome them. Hopefully, that will always be the case and we’ll be able to make new first-gens introduction to the world of the VHL one they want to return to again and again.

Coming back to my old stomping strip to do a presser! 1) Do you think Juan Ceson should be allowed to build a monorail No, he'll just use it to link the IKEAs together and take over the USA. 2) What VHLM award would you like to win and why? I already won the Founder's Cup although I would have liked to win one as a starter. A third of the way to a Triple Crown. 3) Should the Las Vegas arena be used for other sports then just hockey, or should it just be used for hockey? Sure, use the arena for other sports - it's an entertainment center after all! 4) What Vegas player do you think is doing the best so far My old buddy, Sigma Freud is having a great individual season! Top-10 in assists and blocks. 2nd in dmen for scoring - looking great so far! 5) What VHLE team were you drafted to and are you happy you got drafted there, and if you weren't drafted to the VHLE yet, what VHLE team do you want to go to? Kind of old hat but I was part of the Aces organization, had a fantastic time and then was drafted to the Geneva Rush where I'm playing now. 6) Do you have a favourite NHL team if yes what team? Vancouver Canucks

Geneva Rush goalie Joel Castle looked to the rafters and raised his arms in triumph as the final buzzer sounded in Game 84 of the S86 VHLE season versus the Vasteras Iron Eagles. Castle had finally won his first game in the E after being on the losing side in seven previous starts and eight games overall. His teammates helped the cause by scoring five goals for the first time all season but Castle was nevertheless brilliant stopping all but one of the Iron Eagles 46 shots. His one blemish was an Eric White @ErictheFish shot that got by him at 9:24 of the first period but he shut the door after that. The Rush, meanwhile, had their best offensive output in S86 as Cooper Skambraks @CSkams15 led the way with a hat trick including the game-winner at 13:50 of the first period. Vasteras netminder Basileus Jute @Matt thunder valiantly tried to halt the onslaught but was tagged for all five Rush goals on 36 shots. After backstopping the Las Vegas Aces to 41 wins last season in the VHLM, Castle found it frustrating that he couldn’t get one as easily in the E. He met with reporters after the game. “It feels great, that’s for sure. We’re a rebuilding team, I get that, but it took longer than I expected to get the first one. I’ve just kept working hard, battling through it and I hope we can get some more wins. Ash (Sparks @DarkSpyro) and I have been stopping everything we can so it’s always nice to get rewarded for our efforts.”

Great! Thanks Everyone! @BarzalGoat We're finished.

D Biggie Cheese G Dusty Wilson Back to you @Johnny_HX

@Ben mclaughlin You've been skipped. This is your 2nd skip and I hate to DQ you so get your pick in quick! @l1l KRZY l9l your pick.

*Ahem* you're #grammarpolice

F Igor Molotov F Girts Galvins Back atcha @Johnny_HX

Toronto Legion Press Conference 1. Toronto is currently in a playoff spot despite it being early. Can we hang on all season and make the playoffs despite having a -1 goal differential? 2. We are 2-0 against Calgary and we play them next. What is your prediction for the season series (7 games) between the Canadian rivals? 3. We were shut out by Los Angeles in the last game. Who will score the next goal for the Legion? 4. Alessio Simeoni @Alesime scored our first overtime goal of the season in a 4-3 win over Helsinki. Who will score Toronto's next OT winner? 5. With two goals already this season, Kyle Peace @Peace needs two more to move ahead of Jakub Kjellberg for 10th All-Time among Toronto goal-scorers. 32 more goals will move him into 7th past Lars Berger. Will he make it this season? 6. What is your goal song this season?

Joel Castle knows what it’s like to wait for his opportunity. When he was ranked as a Top-10 prospect for the S85 VHLM draft, he still slipped (albeit most fortunately) to his short-lived previous team, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at No. 13. Recently, after leading the VHLM in wins, backstopping the Aces to their third straight Prime Minister’s Cup and their third consecutive Founder’s Cup final, and being nominated for the Benoit Devereux Trophy (Top Goaltender), Castle still found himself waiting as he fell to the Geneva Rush at No. 11 in the VHLE Draft and No. 13 again where he was scooped up by the Toronto Legion in the VHL Draft. And with incumbent starter Oskar Lindbergh holding down the Toronto crease for the time being, Castle will bide his time sharing puck stopping duties in Geneva with fellow S86 draftee Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro. Thus far into his first VHLE season, Castle has only started two games for the floundering Rush and was pulled after letting four goals in the first period in his latest outing. With the Rush allowing a league-worst average 64.7 shots against over the first 10 games and being the most penalized team in the league, Castle and Sparks are doing all they can to keep the team in games.

@Webberj Your "first" 12 hours have passed. You have just over six hours to make both picks.

@Ben mclaughlin you have now been skipped (first time). You may choose a player anytime @Webberj you are on the clock with two picks

Claim 2/2 (1200+ words)

@Johnny_HX you have now been skipped (first time). You may choose a player anytime @Jubis you're on the clock

D - Scoish Velociraptor Maloish F - Vasile Lamb @Johnny_HX

@BarzalGoat Are you marking Retired players on this list or no?

Sorry for the tags, just setting up the list. @l1l KRZY l9l is on the clock

Yes, boss!