animal74

Can All-VHL be incorporated/included? Since there are no All-Stars per se, this is kind of thin...

What a descent into averageness has befallen last season’s playoff MVP goalie Joel Castle of the Toronto Legion. One of the top goalies the last two seasons, Castle has not been playing up to his usual standards until recently and the stats show. He hasn’t placed in any of the Top-10 statistical lists for most of the season – at one point sporting a dismal 2.95 GAA with the Legion bouncing in and out of a play-in spot. “I knew something had to change,” said Castle during yesterday’s post-game scrum after one of his better performances of the season, a 4-3 SOL to rival Los Angeles where he stopped 42 shots. “I talked to our goalie coach, we looked at some film from last season and made some tweaks to a couple of bad habits I’ve been getting into. Nothing major, just some stylistic changes and how I push off from the post. I’ve also changed some of my workout routine to maintain my flexibility after such a long season last year. And, I’m not getting any younger.” The results, at least in net, have been positive as Castle is back to his stellar form. Over the last seven games he's posted a 1.84 GAA on 13 goals against, a 0.936 SV% and earned his first shutout of the season. Unfortunately, his better play hasn’t necessarily translated to a big boost in the standings as the Legion have only scored 16 goals in that span going 3-3-1. Even with an improved power play, they’re still ranked last in the VHL with the man advantage. They’ll have to do better then that to secure a spot in the playoffs to defend their championship.

Toronto Legion Press Conference (2 TPE for answering all six questions) 1. At the halfway point of the season we are tied with Chicago for the last play-in spot. What are your thoughts on our season so far? 2. We rank last in the league in power play percentage with 14.77%. What can we change on the PP? 3. With the trade deadline approaching what should management's strategy be? 4. Which team (besides us) has surprised you the most (good or bad) this season? 5. What new helmet do you think would look best with our uniforms - a matte blue or chrome blue? 6. Rank the four new NHL Stadium Series jerseys with 1 being the best and 4 being the worst.

Toronto Legion Press Conference (2 TPE for answering all six questions) 1. What do you think of the move to bring in Lattimer and Caufield Jr? 2. What grade do you give your performance this season so far? 3. We currently sit at 11-11-2 with an uncharacteristic -9 goal differential. What not working for us? 4. Do you think we're suffering from Cup hangover? 5. What song/album do you have on repeat right now? 6. What is your best story about 40 degrees C (104 F) or -40 C (-40 F)?

Glad to have you aboard @pugsood! Hopefully we can win again like we did with the JST Pickles!

Speaking of tampering, @rory your goalie name is going to be tampering with the goalie stats page layout for the next eight seasons.

@leandrofg All done!

Also, can there be a Career Task checklist so when we claim one on the portal, it ghosts it on the dropdown or there's a list that gets marked? I can't remember how many I've done most of the time and it's a lot of scrolling through the update log to find them.

Yup I love this and have been thinking about this but forgot to add it. Being able to add links to articles related to your player would be great - like an index. This would also potentially increase forum traffic. Also, the ability to add jersey numbers.

That's wicked! Toronto renames the team to Legion of Angels...

There are two special members of the Toronto Legion who announced their retirement shortly after the team’s Continental Cup win: Dens Oden @Snussu and Tomas Sogaard @Brandon. Sogaard had a remarkable career, retiring as one of only 35 players in VHL history with at least 650 points and at least 1500 hits. He was a part of some strong Moscow teams that won the Victory Cup in S84 and S89. He had his best season in S88 leading the league with a career-high 51 goals which earned him the Brooks (Goals Leader) and Funk (Most Improved) Trophies. He scored 30 or more goals in seven straight seasons (every one except his rookie season) finishing with 288. He also made the playoffs each of his eight VHL seasons scoring 78 points in 79 playoff games including 9 game-winners. His best playoff showing was Toronto’s S91 Cup run where he posted 22 points and a team-leading 12 goals. He led the team with 61 hits and tied for the team lead with 4 game-winners including the team’s only two overtime goals. He will forever be remember for his post-season heroics. His Toronto totals are 66 goals and 134 points in 144 games. In the playoffs he posted 19 goals and 32 points in 29 playoffs games. Oden was a late bloomer and despite being drafted in S83, he bounced around a few organizations before finally finding a home in Toronto and played his first VHL game in S87. He has bled blue ever since. The slick forward may not have been the most talented but he was as consistent and unselfish as they come. He even switched to defense in his final season – a move that undoubtedly helped put Toronto on the path to their Cup win. He scored a career-high 28 goals in S90 and then a career-high 59 points as a defenseman last season. As proof of his leadership and versatility, he had won the team’s Unsung Hero, Most Energetic and Most Gentlemanly awards. Always a positive voice in the locker room, his steady and reliable presence will be missed. He finishes his Legion career with 107 goals and 246 points in 360 games and 22 points in 29 playoff games. Thank you to Dens and Tomas for your contributions to Legion hockey. Enjoy retirement!

“And the winner of the S91 Daisuke Kanou Trophy, for leading the Toronto Legion to their first Continental Cup in 26 seasons, Joel Castle!” Shaking my head in bewilderment, I slowly get to my feet and make my way to the stage. I get high-fives and a few hugs from my Legion teammates as I cross the floor. I’m in shock, my brain racing through the last five seasons. From my first start for the Legion in S87 to our first playoff game in S90 and the thrilling series win against Vancouver to the crushing defeat at the hands of Los Angeles. Knowing of all the adversity we faced this season, the struggle to get back into the playoffs but just having that confidence in one another and using the lessons learned the last few seasons to march through each series and finally finish our comeback in Game 6 of the Final. The memory of hoisting the Cup and skating around the rink followed by my Legion brothers is bright in my mind as I accept the beautiful Kanou Trophy from the presenter. Emotion welling up inside, I simply say: “Thank you. Thank you. This is a dream come true, an honor and a day I didn’t know if it would ever come but I kept working toward it anyway. Thank you to our GM Moon for assembling us together and believing in us even when the critics didn’t. Thank you to our captain, Mac Atlas, who could be up here instead of me after his incredible run and breaking the Legion single playoffs points record. Thank you to all the rest of my teammates, Jimi – you were awesome and if Mac hadn’t broken the record, you would have. Dens and Tomas, you both fought until the bitter end and now you retire as champions! Bobby and Jimmy were solid all playoffs in the back end and Burnsy came up big when needed. Our Toronto Trio of rookies, Diego, Harry, and Walter – you guys played like vets – don’t ever forget these moments. And finally, but not least, my brother in pads, Evan you helped keep me focused and loose throughout the whole playoffs. You always kept cheering us on, pushing us to be better. And not to forget, a huge thank you to our fans in Toronto and around the world who have stayed with us for the long haul and now we’ve been able to bring a Cup to TO. You guys are the best fans in the VHL and we love you all! To all the goalies I faced this season – you guys made me push myself to be the best I could be. I look forward to facing you next season.” I turn shake a few hands then grab the trophy and lift it to a round of applause. As I make my way backstage, the announcer says, “This is Joel Castle’s first Kanou trophy and the first individual trophy of his career.” The rest of the night is honestly a blur. There are pictures, more hugs and handshakes, poses and parties. But I can’t stop thinking about the trophy shining in the lights and what it means. Now, I have to be ready even more for next season. We are the defending champs and everyone in the VHL will be gunning for us. And it’s a great feeling. I’m ready for it.

1. @Velevra F - John Jameson F - Jason F - Jimi Jaks D - Mark Calaway D - Liv Slater G - Matt Murdock 2. @N0HBDY F - Yaroslav Trunov F - Alfred Champagne F - Randy Bobandy D - Elias Lampi D - Velociraptor Greg G - Merome Dilson 3. @Steve F - Henry Eagles F - Molly the Cat F - Axle Gunner D - Skor McFleury D - Michael Shotter G - Lachlan Summers 4. @animal74 (GM) F - Larry Abass Jr F - Wann Kerr F - Yaroslav Bogatyrev D - Jacob Stone D - Bobby Bob G - Joel Castle 5. @tcookie F - Daryl Dixon F - Mac Atlas F - Todd Cooke D - Kronchy Kardashian D - Moritz Stauffer G - Fuukka Rask 6. @Renomitsu F - AK92 Wit da Hoodie F - Jasper Davis F - Francesco Mancini D - Pierre Emile Bouchard D - Jens Lekman G - Jesse Teno

Toronto Legion Press Conference (2 TPE for answering all six questions) 1. What was your fondest memory of the Cup parade through Toronto? 2. What area are you going to be focusing on improving this off-season? 3. Do you feel there were any snubs at the VHL awards? 4. What do you think our biggest strength and weakness will be this season? 5. With all the discussion about league improvements, what one thing would you change about the league? 6. What is the best use for snow?

You may have flipped the stats, but good read regardless! It was an interesting time, that's for sure.

The toddler takes after your wife and not you, I'm guessing?

Congrats to @dstevensonjr on being the only person to correctly pick all three Cup winners! Thanks @Mysterious_Fish for running this!

Yes, which is great and I love them and why I was using them as an example, not an ask!

I'm probably biased and not everyone might gravitate toward this but with S100 coming up, I would like to see (and perhaps spearhead) some more gathering and presentations (graphics, etc) of the league's statistical history whether it be more team-related (Top 10 stats per team, etc.) or what have you. I realize @Victor is God in the history realm but he is but one being and there are many possibilities (I love you, Victor). Also, I think adding more (accurate) history to the portal like the Retired jerseys would be great. VSN is planning some 100-related stories and I continue to work on the All-Decade Teams but (time-permitting), there is so much more we can do to make VHL's rich history more interesting and accessible.

Thank you for not only this award - my first individual award of any kind (with my fourth player) - but also the three other nominations! This Kanou Trophy could not have been possible without the rest of my Legion teammates. I honestly thought Atlas @v.2 and I might split the vote. Congrats to all the other winners, especially @Gaikoku-hito and @Pifferfish! Also, @Alex, great ceremony!!

I knew I had to get better after leading the league with 51 penalty shots against in S90 - and only stopping 66.7% of those.

This is just a quick note of appreciation for newly inducted Hall of Famer, Ronan Lavelle @Arce. The Legion were ecstatic when we landed Lavelle and Tomas Sogaard @Brandon from Moscow in the S90 off-season. Paired with the signing of Siyan Yasilievich @badcolethetitan, we felt like we were the team to beat. After years of not only losing, but being at the bottom of the league, there was finally real hope and optimism in the locker room. Lavelle came exactly as advertised. He immediately pushed our offense to new heights, his 40 goals and team-leading 95 points helped the Legion to their best goal output in eight seasons. With his commitment and leadership, the Legion jumped from last in the NA Conference to first in one season, an incredible feat. He laid his body on the line every night and led the team with 205 hits. He showed us what it took to win. Having made the playoffs in every season he had played in, we could only follow his example. While the season didn’t end how we had hoped, Lavelle never gave up. He tied for the team-lead in points (16) and hits (46) in the playoffs. But more importantly is what he instilled in us as a team. We believed in ourselves again – that we could make the playoffs and give any team in the VHL a run for their money. That’s the real legacy of Ronan Lavelle: Not as a scorer, or a winner, but as a leader. And that’s who the Hall of Fame is built for. Congratulations, Ronan. You most definitely deserve your spot in the VHL Hall of Fame.

Toronto Legion Press Conference (2 TPE for answering all six questions) 1. We did it!! Toronto Legion, S91 Continental Cup Champions. How does that statement make you feel? 2. What was your initial reaction when you found out we had won the Continental Cup? 3. Who would be you pick for MVP of the S91 playoffs? 4. What do you think our biggest need going into the off-season is? 5. Former Legion (for his final season) Ronan Lavelle @Arce has been inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame. What words do you have for him? 6. What's your drink of choice to celebrate New Year's?

Merry Christmas!