animal74

Nice read! I love names in general so hearing the background of players' names is fascinating to me. You're inspiring me to maybe do my own write-up. Stay tuned... Also a Harington... (albeit one less 'r')

Four Calling Birds

With the S97 VHL Draft being held tonight, Swedish defenseman Albin Aldgard puts on his best suit and his lucky tie and gets the stream ready on the living room television. With family and friends gathered in his home in Ostervala, Sweden they all gather around to wait and see which VHL team picks Albin. A smaller defenseman with excellent puck skills, skating and offensive vision, he has been contacted by a few teams interested in having him join their roster in the future. Mock VHL drafts have him going in the Top-5. Aldgard would be thrilled to go that high but he knows there are many skilled players – especially defensemen – that could go ahead of him. The first three names are called and Aldgard fidgets in his seat as GM @qripll of the D.C. Dragons approaches the microphone. The Dragons gave Aldgard the most thorough interview and he has high hopes that his name could be next. Then the words he’s dreamed of hearing his whole life: “With the 4th pick in the S97 VHL Entry Draft, the D.C. Dragons are proud to select, from the Las Vegas Aces via Sweden, Albin Aldgard!” Aldgard’s home erupts in cheers and also a few tears of joy. He leaps up, hugs his mother, then his father and then the next few minutes are a blur of hugs, handshakes, high-fives and back pats. As the din dies down, a clear musical clanging begins and Aldgard’s agent, former VHL defenseman Gunnar-Rune Rorvik is tapping a glass with a fork at the front of the room. “A toast!” he begins. “To the Animal Sports Agency’s new highest-ever draft pick, (beating my 6th overall selection), new D.C. Dragon, Albin Aldgard!” The room cheers again, “TO ALBIN!” Then the party begins. Albin can’t stop smiling and barely hears his phone ring. Ducking quickly into the adjoining room, he answers. “Hi Albin, this is GM qripll. Welcome to the Dragons!”

Look ma! I'm a Dragon!

Halfway through December almost!

Ho Ho Ho! Merry VHLmas!

Jingle Bells, @Doomsday smells, what a super game! After Druss and Payne, bring the pain The other teams will walk with canes! Hey! @Scurvy (Sorry, Dooms, it rhymed nice!)

Aww, thanks!

1. We're both on the Beavers in the ProAm and two of my other players are on two other teams. I'm guessing I'll be in the WJC? 2. All the recent hires have been excellent. I would like to GM at some point in the future but too busy right now. 3. Which ever team I'm on... Europe? 4. I briefly looked at the thread but not sure how it works to be honest... 5. Time off and time with family. And egg nog. 6. Depends on the weather.

Beavers comin atcha!

Great charity choices! Let's make this a happy Christmas VHL Fam!

Congrats @VattghernCZ and @rory! Good luck in the new VHLM!

Looks like we're on opposite ends of the rink again, my friend!

Not sure how the (by far) best team in the league has no nominations for most outstanding player...

The Animal Sports Agency announced this morning that three of their past clients will take part in the VHL’s S96 ProAm Tournament. A fourth player, Norwegian defenseman and Triple-Crown winner Gunnar-Rune Rorvik deemed himself too old to play as his last game was in S12. The other three players who will all join the ProAm Tournament for the first time are: Ondrej Ohradka, LW, Slovakia The 44th OV pick in the S68 Draft by Calgary, the late-blooming winger had success in the VHLM with the Saskatoon Wild with two 100+ point seasons and a Founder’s Cup in S69 and remains the Wild’s fifth all-time scorer. After reaching the S70 Continental Cup Final with the Wranglers in his rookie year, he was dealt to the Prague Phantoms where he spent the rest of his career and is 11th among Phantoms’ all-time goal-scorers. Druss Deathwalker, RW, Scotland The giant Scotsman terrorized the VHL after joining the Malmo Nighthawks as the 11th OV pick in S77. He would score 70+ points five times, help the Nighthawks win the S79 Continental Cup and break Zach Parechkin’s decade’s old career hits record which stood for three seasons. His #66 was retired by Malmo. Joel Castle, G, Canada The most recent in the long line of fantastic Toronto goaltenders, Castle helped break the Legion’s 25-season Cup drought in S91, winning the Diasuke Kanou Trophy as playoff MVP. The franchise’s all-time leader in shots against in the regular season, and playoff games played (goalie), wins, shutouts, and shots against, Castle also won a Founder’s Cup (S84 Las Vegas), a JST Championship (S85 Dehli Pickles), World Cup Gold (S90 Canada) and a Victory Cup (S94 Toronto).

Congrats to both of you! @dstevensonjr @LucyXpher as these are my two most recent teams, know that...

YESSSSS!!!

1. Yes, I will be in the upcoming draft. I'm fine with any team - there are quite a few I haven't played for yet with previous players. I've only had one team reach out to me though so we'll see what happens. 2. Few ideas... have an award each for the best offensive and defensive defenseman like the VHL. Or a Top Prospect Award like the CHL. Or a "Best Teammate" award for locker room involvement to promote active players. 3. I would relocate the Houston Bulls. They haven't had much playoff success in their history and the name "Bulls" is pretty genenric. I think it's time for a fresh start. To even out the Canadian teams, I would move it to Victoria, BC (to stay in the Western Conference) and I'd call them the Victoria Vistas or Valor. 4. Reading and writing 5. I think right now, the 32 Thought Podcast crew. Always good stuff. 6. Autumn. Not too hot, not too cold. Some holidays and the start of egg nog and pumpkin!

That was an EPIC Game 4!

It took a Game 7 but the S96 Founder’s Cup Final is all set! The Mississauga Hounds exacted revenge on the Philadelphia Reapers who beat the Hounds in the second round last season in a close series to reach their first Cup Final since their first Founder’s Cup win in S90. The Ottawa Lynx, meanwhile, came back from being down 2-0 against San Diego to win four straight against the Marlins and reach their second Final in four years after being swept in S93 by the Saskatoon Wild. This couldn’t be a more evenly matched Final as both the Hounds and the Lynx finished with 93 points in the regular season and they both had the exact same goal differential as well with a +46! Both teams have their leaders. Mississauga’s Filip Zinek @FiZi and Ottawa’s Ocean Codoller @FreshOceanCod currently co-lead playoff goal scorers with 8 each and while Codoller also shares the lead with 4 power play goals, Zinek and fellow Hound Cardinal Copia @Beketov are the only players so far with a short-handed goal. Ottawa’s Drosmis Sarkanis @Mr Bohannan is leading the playoffs with 12 assists and 18 points and Lynx teammates Masa Akimoto @Hokikeijot and Joel Jakobs @Plate are tops with a +13 rating. Hounds’ blueliner Kurt Bachmann’s @Blutch 40 hits is tops and Owen two @do3bo1 of the Lynx is the most penalized with 28 PIM. S96 2nd OV pick River Harrington @kirbithan is tied for the lead with 3 game-winning goals. The Final could come down to goaltending as the Hounds’ Deadpanda @Alex leads the playoffs with 8 wins, 304 shots against, is one of four goalies with a shutout and is third in SV% (0.918) and GAA (1.95). The issue may be that Dr Victor von Doom @Garsh took over the starting role for the Lynx and won them the last series including a shutout in the deciding Game 6. He currently leads the playoffs with a 1.40 GAA and 0.926 SV% albeit only in five games. Who will continue their stellar play and who will falter? Stay tuned to the S96 Founder’s Cup Final to find out!

Cool! I'll check it out! I hope to publish one day too!

This?

1. I always have a soft spot for former teams, so the season, the Hounds as I played with them last season, and Malmo and Calgary as former teammate Bobby Bob is making a Cup run with the Wranglers. 2. The VHL Draft and which ever tournaments are coming (JST?) and getting some VSN work done. 3. I'd definitely like to do better overall but especially produce more offense. 4. OK, I'm a fan of Ovi so the Capitals and I've been a fan of Nashville since they've entered the league. 5. A few of my favorites are the Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien), Legend (David Gemmell), Blood Song (Anthony Ryan). 6. DC Talk -

Crazy how every team was unique!