animal74

Congrats World!

As the league evolves our logos must evolve with it. Not just to stay current but to bring new life to some old franchises. The Blue team have decided that every couple seasons we are going to tackle a logo or two to change and / or refresh in the VHL and the VHLM.
 
Our first logo is a team that is very near and dear to me since it was the first team that I was the General Manager for. It's also one of the only logos that doesn't match its name.
 
This is not a Lynx:
 

This is!
Thanks to all the hard work from @Motzaburger for his original design and @Da_Berr who made some minor tweaks.
 

CALGARY - The Red Mile was alive. It was alive once more as the Calgarians partied as the playoffs went on. However, this time, it was not about the Calgary Flames. While that Red Mile is soon to happen this season as the playoffs have not started, the Red Mile was still alive as the Calgary Wranglers defied all odds to go from a rebuilding team to being two wins away from kissing the cup. Yup. Two wins. While Jacques Lafontaine had not played in the playoffs, he was still a part of the team and was hoping that they would be able to pull it off. They seemed to be doing well on the earlier rounds.
 
“Yeah, we’ve been playing great hockey lately,” the young goaltender said after they had beat the Seattle Bears in six games, confirming their spot in the Victory Hockey League championship finals. “You know, I think we have a chance at winning this. Everyone has worked so hard and we’ve proven ourselves to be quite the formidable team.”
 
Sadly, his prediction wasn’t right as the Calgary Wranglers ended up losing to the Moscow Menace as the Russian team won their first championship as a team. While the Moscow players were taking pictures on the ice and kissing the cup, the dejected Calgary Wranglers began to head back to the locker room. They had worked so hard yet they came up just short. But they were confident that they would be able to do it next year.
 
“Yeah, it’s a tough loss but we’ve shown ourselves that we can do this. Next season, we’ll dominate and go all the way.” Jacques Lafontaine said after the Moscow Menace eliminated the Calgary Wranglers. “We’ll be better next year and this time, that cup will be ours.”
 
The Wranglers had an amazing run, winning against the DC Dragons and Seattle Bears all in six games until the Menace ousted them.
 
“It was still a good run, sure. But you ask anybody on our team, we want to go all the way. It’s no consolation to just have a good run. We want the perfect run. We want the winning run.”
 
And this time, Jacques Lafontaine might be the one standing tall for the Calgary Wranglers. With JB Rift’s contract expiring, Jacques Lafontaine will most likely have to take the reins and be the one that the Wranglers depend on. Unless something goes wrong, he will be their starter.
 
“Yeah. People have been saying I’m being the starter. Who knows? Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. The only thing I’m sure of is that I will try hard and push my limits. And I also speak for the team when I say that. We pushed hard this season but now we’re ready to push hard next season. We could literally taste the victory. But soon, we’ll do more than just tasting. We will be the ones holding the cup.”
 
We asked Jacques Lafontaine if he was nervous about this new development.
 
“Well, I'm a bit nervous. But nervousness is not going to stop me. No damn way it will."

Note: 1066 words Claim 1/2 
 
Note: This media spot reflects the player's story arc and has no connection my state of mental health. ?
 
Mentions: @SlapshotDragon @Jubis @Beketov @cody73 @Ricer13 @Tagger @enigmatic @Rayzor_7
 

Ohradka's Odyssey to the Finals
 

 
To say this season did not go how Ondrej Ohradka expected would be an understatement. He came to Calgary as a VHLM All-Star, scoring consecutive seasons of 100 points, and as a Founder’s Cup Champion. He was ready to ignite the same magic with fellow Wild teammates, Mikko Lahtinen, Jacques Lafontaine, Edwin THE Encarnacion and former teammate, RJ Jubis.
 
The Wranglers were not considered the best team on paper but there was a good feeling in the locker room and Ohradka liked the attitude and work ethic displayed by his new teammates.
 
“The playoffs were always the goal this season,” said the Slovakian rookie in an interview after a practice during the Continental Cup Finals. “We knew we could keep up with any team in the league especially if our young guys kept developing. We have a good mix of hungry vets and enthusiastic youth and a lot of depth so we have always believed in our team.”
 
Ohradka, the Saskatoon Wild’s all-time leading goal scorer, started off his inaugural VHL campaign with vigor notching 10 points in his first 20 games, good for second among rookie players. But then he would go without scoring a point in 13 straight games, the worst slump of his career. After finally breaking the slump with his 5th goal (his 11th point) in his 34th game against the D.C. Dragons, the damage, unfortunately, was already done. He would only manage six more points the rest of the season (38 games) to finish out of the Top-10 in rookie scoring with 17 points. Despite his offensive woes, he was still among rookie leaders in goals (8) and plus/minus (4) highlighting his commitment to his defensive game even when not scoring at his accustomed pace.
 
“OO7” shook his head when reflecting back on that slump. “I distinctly felt something changed at the beginning of when I wasn’t scoring. Something in my mindset was different,” he stated somberly. “I knew the VHL would be much harder and much faster and I tried to prepare myself at the beginning of the season, but yet, when I started not scoring after 4, 5, 6, games after starting so well, I started to doubt. I lost some confidence – that maybe I wasn’t ready to play in this league.”
 
As the streak of futility lengthened and Ohradka’s off-ice mentality suffered, he started to notice his normal routines and habits not having the effectiveness they usually did.
 
“I was aware, when I ate, when I was at the gym, I would eat a little less healthy, skip a workout here or there, do less reps. The fun was gone, I was thinking to myself, is this worth it? I would keep reminding myself, no, I’m at the bottom again and I have to keep working, but those thoughts weren’t enough to push me anymore. I don’t know if I was just mentally tired after such a high winning the Founder’s Cup and the whole season in Saskatoon or if I just wasn’t used to my role here in Calgary, but I hit a wall. It’s taken me, it seems, until the playoffs and the chance at winning another championship to bring myself out of my funk.”
 
In spite of Ohradka’s lack of offense, he still contributed defensively, chipping in physical play and generating scoring chances albeit at a lower rate then what he was used to. The VHL still took notice of the Wranglers all-rookie “Kid Line” of Ohradka, Lahtinen, and Kris Rice although as the season wore on, Lahtinen and Rice’s development curves shot up while Ohradka’s remained stagnant on the third line. The fact is not lost on him.
 
“I realize I missed some opportunities and I lost some chances to hasten my development, but in my state, I just couldn’t. And, the fact that I wasn’t scoring and wasn’t moving forward didn’t help. I don’t know if I was depressed as I wasn’t feeling dark, but my self-confidence was definitely at a low and it was hard to be happy.”
 
One Western VHL scout who saw a lot of the Wranglers this year says it’s not uncommon for young players to be overwhelmed by the demands of the VHL.
 
“The VHL is a huge step up from the VHLM,” points out the scout, who wished to remain anonymous. “I think the injuries that Ondrej Ohradka suffered back in the minors in Slovakia hurt his overall development and while extremely intelligent and talented, he has had to work harder to keep pace with his fellow rookies this year. That’s partially why he hit that wall after the first third of the season. Do I think he has the capacity to get past it and continue to succeed next year? Yes, I do. He is a good kid, humble, not pitying himself but still works hard even when it’s tough. He does the little things on the ice even when the puck’s not going in for him. He’s tenacious and gritty and a character person. By all accounts I’ve heard, he’s a great presence in the Wranglers’ locker room as well. Those type of players don’t stay down long. They push through until they succeed.”
 
The playoffs have been a whole other struggle for Ohradka as it took him until his 12th playoff game in the series-clinching Game #6 against the defending champion, Seattle Bears, to pot his first goal and point of the post-season. At 9:46 of the first period, he would finish off a beautiful passing play from Cody Smith and Hiroshi Okada by snapping a signature wrister in the top corner over the glove of Bears goalie, Rayz Funk, to tie game at 1 and start a 3-goal first period by Calgary that Seattle never recovered from.
 
He has yet to get on the scoresheet in 5 games in the Finals. And with Moscow now leading the series 3-2, Calgary needs the young Ohradka to step up more than ever.
 
He knows it, too.
 
“I’ve been working harder than ever this last couple of weeks to make sure I’m ready and can do all I can to win. I’ve tasted victory before and I want to taste it again with my Wrangler teammates. We can do this.”
 
As Ohradka has finally climbed out of his mental “hole”, here’s hoping he can help to lift Calgary out of their series hole and claim the Continental Cup Championship.

Ohradka's Odyssey to the Finals
 

 
To say this season did not go how Ondrej Ohradka expected would be an understatement. He came to Calgary as a VHLM All-Star, scoring consecutive seasons of 100 points, and as a Founder’s Cup Champion. He was ready to ignite the same magic with fellow Wild teammates, Mikko Lahtinen, Jacques Lafontaine, Edwin THE Encarnacion and former teammate, RJ Jubis.
 
The Wranglers were not considered the best team on paper but there was a good feeling in the locker room and Ohradka liked the attitude and work ethic displayed by his new teammates.
 
“The playoffs were always the goal this season,” said the Slovakian rookie in an interview after a practice during the Continental Cup Finals. “We knew we could keep up with any team in the league especially if our young guys kept developing. We have a good mix of hungry vets and enthusiastic youth and a lot of depth so we have always believed in our team.”
 
Ohradka, the Saskatoon Wild’s all-time leading goal scorer, started off his inaugural VHL campaign with vigor notching 10 points in his first 20 games, good for second among rookie players. But then he would go without scoring a point in 13 straight games, the worst slump of his career. After finally breaking the slump with his 5th goal (his 11th point) in his 34th game against the D.C. Dragons, the damage, unfortunately, was already done. He would only manage six more points the rest of the season (38 games) to finish out of the Top-10 in rookie scoring with 17 points. Despite his offensive woes, he was still among rookie leaders in goals (8) and plus/minus (4) highlighting his commitment to his defensive game even when not scoring at his accustomed pace.
 
“OO7” shook his head when reflecting back on that slump. “I distinctly felt something changed at the beginning of when I wasn’t scoring. Something in my mindset was different,” he stated somberly. “I knew the VHL would be much harder and much faster and I tried to prepare myself at the beginning of the season, but yet, when I started not scoring after 4, 5, 6, games after starting so well, I started to doubt. I lost some confidence – that maybe I wasn’t ready to play in this league.”
 
As the streak of futility lengthened and Ohradka’s off-ice mentality suffered, he started to notice his normal routines and habits not having the effectiveness they usually did.
 
“I was aware, when I ate, when I was at the gym, I would eat a little less healthy, skip a workout here or there, do less reps. The fun was gone, I was thinking to myself, is this worth it? I would keep reminding myself, no, I’m at the bottom again and I have to keep working, but those thoughts weren’t enough to push me anymore. I don’t know if I was just mentally tired after such a high winning the Founder’s Cup and the whole season in Saskatoon or if I just wasn’t used to my role here in Calgary, but I hit a wall. It’s taken me, it seems, until the playoffs and the chance at winning another championship to bring myself out of my funk.”
 
In spite of Ohradka’s lack of offense, he still contributed defensively, chipping in physical play and generating scoring chances albeit at a lower rate then what he was used to. The VHL still took notice of the Wranglers all-rookie “Kid Line” of Ohradka, Lahtinen, and Kris Rice although as the season wore on, Lahtinen and Rice’s development curves shot up while Ohradka’s remained stagnant on the third line. The fact is not lost on him.
 
“I realize I missed some opportunities and I lost some chances to hasten my development, but in my state, I just couldn’t. And, the fact that I wasn’t scoring and wasn’t moving forward didn’t help. I don’t know if I was depressed as I wasn’t feeling dark, but my self-confidence was definitely at a low and it was hard to be happy.”
 
One Western VHL scout who saw a lot of the Wranglers this year says it’s not uncommon for young players to be overwhelmed by the demands of the VHL.
 
“The VHL is a huge step up from the VHLM,” points out the scout, who wished to remain anonymous. “I think the injuries that Ondrej Ohradka suffered back in the minors in Slovakia hurt his overall development and while extremely intelligent and talented, he has had to work harder to keep pace with his fellow rookies this year. That’s partially why he hit that wall after the first third of the season. Do I think he has the capacity to get past it and continue to succeed next year? Yes, I do. He is a good kid, humble, not pitying himself but still works hard even when it’s tough. He does the little things on the ice even when the puck’s not going in for him. He’s tenacious and gritty and a character person. By all accounts I’ve heard, he’s a great presence in the Wranglers’ locker room as well. Those type of players don’t stay down long. They push through until they succeed.”
 
The playoffs have been a whole other struggle for Ohradka as it took him until his 12th playoff game in the series-clinching Game #6 against the defending champion, Seattle Bears, to pot his first goal and point of the post-season. At 9:46 of the first period, he would finish off a beautiful passing play from Cody Smith and Hiroshi Okada by snapping a signature wrister in the top corner over the glove of Bears goalie, Rayz Funk, to tie game at 1 and start a 3-goal first period by Calgary that Seattle never recovered from.
 
He has yet to get on the scoresheet in 5 games in the Finals. And with Moscow now leading the series 3-2, Calgary needs the young Ohradka to step up more than ever.
 
He knows it, too.
 
“I’ve been working harder than ever this last couple of weeks to make sure I’m ready and can do all I can to win. I’ve tasted victory before and I want to taste it again with my Wrangler teammates. We can do this.”
 
As Ohradka has finally climbed out of his mental “hole”, here’s hoping he can help to lift Calgary out of their series hole and claim the Continental Cup Championship.

Can you believe it? Well, actually most can by now because it's already a done deal. The 2 time defending Cup Champion Seattle Bears were ousted in 6 games by the sleeper Calgary Wranglers. One of the more interesting aspects to Calgary's solid season and even better playoff run has been the play of goalie JB Rift. 
 
For me personally, by me I mean me Devise; it has been kind of an ironic run. To give those unfamiliar a little history lesson we have to travel all the way back to S33 to find the irony. Back then I was coming off a Continental Cup win as New York GM in S32. My GM player at the time, Skylar Rift, was an upstart goalie who won the Cup in his rookie season with NY. It was a weird GM run that only lasted a few seasons as I took over in S30 with the intent to rebuild, couldn't find a home for @scoop's former goalie Benjamin Glover and @.sniffuM HoF forward Tukka Reikkinen. Well I could find homes but not on the return I wanted. So after barely making the playoffs in S30, and hilariously causing the Cup winning Toronto Legion from S29 to barely miss out on the playoffs (sorry @sterling) I decided to say to hell with it and go all out for S31 (Glovers last season, Braxtons too but nobody knows who he is) and 32. It took bringing up another HoF forward in Alex Chershenko (@Victor for those counting) to get the job done in S32.
 
Your probably wondering what this mass of tag and history has to do with CGY. Well you see, this is where I and my goalie Skylar gained the monikor of Two-Face. In S33 I decided to step down and hand the reigns of GM over to none other than @Advantage. His HoF defender Ryan Sullivan was still going strong and was a premier player for a Calgary club GM'd by none other than current Prague GM and VHLM Commish @diamond_ace. So it was straight across, Calgary would get Skylar Rift (currently only signed to one season) and New York would get Sullivan and ADV as GM. I made a verbal commitment to Jason/CGY that I would sign with them after seeing what happened in the off-season.
 
Well what happened is, I screwed CGY over hard. No like it should of went this way or I had other plans. Matthew Boragina was one of the premier players in the league, and he was also a free agent. So after discussing it with him, he and I decided to piss the entire league off by joining the Quebec City Meuete in free agency upon the conclusion of the S33 season. This didn't just piss people off because two notable FA players went to the same team, and I screwed over CGY's trade and future in the process. No, QUE already had a weird reputation since a host of notable members were already colluding to get their players there. They were known as "The Valiq brothers" represented by Squinty, Koradek and the still running @Kyle. Even @Frank got in on the action being apart of a pretty hated Quebec squad. To make matters worse, a personal friend of mine, the other Kyle @Jericho couldn't win a Cup with his last player Braxton despite what seemed like a ungodly amount of finals appearances. So, after joining the squad I convinced GM Koradek to trade an entire drafts worth of picks (4 at the time) for Jericho's newest center Kellinger. Essentially, we all colluded and overloaded into a super team. We only won a single Cup, in S35, Quebecs first and the first for an expansion team. 
 
It's a pretty long story, and one that to most members around the board probably has little meaning today. But when I created JB, I wanted to go a full career with a goalie, something I never did with Skylar. Despite winning a Cup and going all out in Quebec, Rift only stuck it out a few more seasons with the team and retired early. I hated being a goalie and only had done it as GM. So as fate would have it now, when I don't mind being a goalie because I'm riding out the last of a second player due to the previous GM rules, I find this Rift helping a CGY squad to the finals. This Rift, the player who was meant to be the anti Skylar, the one who stuck it out as a GM goalie on a team for a time (which I did) the one who earned the most TPE i've earned on any single player, and now the one who is giving CGY a make due on the screwjob his dad got. In a fitting fashion, JB will only be spending one season with CGY. Not due to some screwjob this time though, due to league rules. JB will be a FA for his final season in S71, but due to being a former GM player he won't be allowed to sign with either Toronto or Calgary. 
 
Anyway, it's a fitting end to this chapter of my goalie legacy. I wish Moscow best of luck in the Finals and look forward to seeing how this chapter truly concludes. 

Wranglers are good at riding bareback and coming back.

This is literature 

Battle of the Masked Men
 
After the first two games of the Continental Cup Finals, the Moscow Menace and the Calgary Wranglers head to Cowtown with a 1-1 split in the best-of-seven series. Both teams triumphed in 2-0 shutouts with Calgary drawing first blood as JB Rift stymied all 35 shots the Moscow’s menacing offense threw his way to hand Jet Jaguar and his mates their first home loss of the post-season. But, the Menace got their revenge in Game #2 as it was Raymond Bernard’s turn to shut the door as he posted a 24-save shutout to give Moscow the split going away.
 
While special teams were the biggest buzz going into the Finals, and they have been a factor as both teams are 0-6 on the powerplay over the first two contests, and the clichéd “Offense VS. Defense” was gleaning headlines in both cities, the real story has been, and will probably continue to be, the contest in the creases, the battle in the blue paint, the masked men going mano a mano. Both netminders are playing in their first Finals. It hardly shows.
 
The stats over the first two games are almost identical as can be seen here:
 
  GP W L PCT GAA MP SO GA SA SV JB Rift (CGY) 2 1 1 0.968 2.00 60 1 2 63 61 Raymond Bernard (MOS) 2 1 1 0.964 2.00 60 1 2 56 54  
Make no mistake, this series will be won between the wickets and the padded paladin who can stand without wilting the longest will caress the Continental Cup when the final horn blows.
 
@Devise @Mr_Hatter

1. You did it,  you stopped Seattle in their tracks. How does it feel to have stopped the 3 peat ? 
Awesome! We put an end to potential dynasty with the opportunity to start our own.
 
2. Even more important than my last question. You're in the finals !!!  4 wins away from a cup. How does that feel ?
Not that I didn't believe in our group but I wouldn't have guessed to be in consecutive VHLM and VHL finals! WTF?!? It's amazing to be in the finals with such a great group of guys. Go Wranglers! We can do this! 
 
3. What will be the keys to potentially beating Moscow ? 
Defense and goaltending. We have to win in these areas and also stay out of the penalty box.
 
4. What will play a bigger part in the series in terms of special teams.  Moscow's 30% powerplay or your 91% penalty kill ?
Hopefully our PK. We need to shut them down. And we can. And will.
 
5. If you can somehow beat the juggernaut that is Moscow who would win playoff MVP?
Probably Rift. He's been outstanding and has carried us all season.
 
6.  Can you give a prediction on the series who wins and in how many games? 
No. Not going to do it.
 
7. Do you believe in luck or karma? What can we do to get the hockey gods on our side?
Keep getting the TPE and getting better. (Looking at myself obviously).

Perhaps, in fitting fashion, the Calgary Wranglers and Moscow Menace opened their series with a pair of mirroring games in terms of results. In Game 1, Calgary was able to upset the Menace with a 2-0 shutout for goalie JB Rift. It was a relatively close, but decently high shot game that saw both goalies play pretty good as each team put more than 30 shots on net. 
 
The second game came down to the wire, as it was scoreless heading into the third with both goalies again playing as lights out as possible to try and give their teams a chance in these pivotal playoff games. But this time it was Raymond Bernard posting the shutout as Moscow was able to put 2 past Rift and take the second game of the series, responding with their own 2-0 win. Neither team hit the 30 shot mark in the second game but it was equally a relatively close shot margin. 
 
Heading into the 3rd game the gauntlet now seems open for what narrative this series can take. The pressure is going to be on both goaltenders to try to keep their stellar play up, and one slip up could easily cost a team a pivotal game. Likewise, the biggest question has to be will the shot totals remain equal? Moscow was the leagues best offense, and Calgary the best defense. And while Moscow has technically outshot Calgary this series, it was only by 3 and 4 shots in the two games. That isn't the edge that some thought they would have. If things continue at this pace it's a pretty open ended series, where either team could steal it in tight games. Stay tuned to the Finals action to see how this narrative continues to play out. 

1. Which of these has never been a VHLM team? (Credit and 1 uncapped TPE to @animal74)
That would be the Bern Beasts. The Bern Royals were a team, also known as the Toledo Scorpions once, but never any Beasts in the VHLM or VHL for that matter. I was very tempted to put the Oslo Screaming Seamen as an option (which was a legitimate team which existed) but anyway, a full list of current and former names can be found here: https://vhlforum.com/topic/506-vhlm-team-abbreviations/
 
 
2. TRUE/FALSE: The VHL was founded on July 23, 2007 (Credit and 1 uncapped TPE to @Quik - RIP)
A trick question in a way, as the VHL opened its doors to the general public on July 23rd.... the league itself was created when Kevin Brooks made it on the 18th. https://vhlportal.com/hof/inductees/45
 
 
2 capped TPE goes to:
McWolf @McWolf
GustavMattias @GustavMattias
Spyro @Spyro
Josh @Josh
DoktorFunk @DoktorFunk
Proto @Proto
Jacobaa19 @jacobaa19
MexicanCow123 @MexicanCow123
Chillzone @chillzone
Matt_O @Matt_O
Bob Helminen @Bob Helminen
Zetterberg @Zetterberg
FrostBeard @FrostBeard
Motzaburger @Motzaburger
Alex Bridge @Alex Bridges
DMaximus @DMaximus
Vin Calia @VinCal
Jubo07 @Jubo07
MMFLEX @MMFLEX
Chacet @ChaceT
Tape-To-Tape @Tape-to-Tape
JBeezy76 @Jbeezy76
Dalton Wilcox @Dalton Wilcox
dasboot @dasboot
Esso2264 @Esso2264
Doomsday @Doomsday
Ahma @Ahma
Gwdjohnson @Gwdjohnson
McLovin @McLovin
Zyrok @Zyrok
KillaScrilla @KillaScrilla
Antone10 @Antone10
Pengu @Pengu
enigmatic @enigmatic
scoop @scoop
Brewins15 @Brewins15
Dil @Dil
Erik Summers @Erik Summers
Jtv123 @Jtv123
Hulkhogan @HulkHogan
BoucherFan12 @BoucherFan12
Beketov @Beketov
gorlab @gorlab
bluesfan55 @bluesfan55
Studentized @studentized
Matmenzinger @Matmenzinger
Berocka @Berocka
philliefan @Philliefan
.sniffuM @.sniffuM
jRuutu @jRuutu
Legend0985 @Legend0985
Harpskii @Harpskii
Zepheter @zepheter
frescoelmo @frescoelmo
BrrbisBrr @Brrbisbrr
Sonnet @Sonnet
fonziGG @fonziGG
Kekzkrieg @Kekzkrieg
KC15 @KC15
Enorama @Enorama
Trifecta @Da Trifecta
Cxsquared @Cxsquared
STZ @STZ
Garsh @Garsh
DirtyDerek @DirtyDerek
Big Mac @Big Mac
Spax @Spaz
Tagger @Tagger
rjfryman @rjfryman
Kyle @Kyle
Oilmandan @oilmandan
Acydburn @Acydburn
Greg_Di @Greg_Di
littleboi @littleboi
fever95 @fever95
Ricer13 @Ricer13
jared @jared
Lockdown Defense @Lockdown Defense
Garrett @Garrett
DaftRaincloud @DaftRaincloud
Peace @Peace
wcats @wcats
Ferda @Ferda
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TheFlash @TheFlash
ROOKIE745 @ROOKIE745
Telkster @Telkster
Grant @Grant
Edustava @Edustava
Tate @Tate
Midnite @Midnite
Mr_Hatter @Mr_Hatter
Smarch @Smarch
diamond_ace @diamond_ace
Rayzor_7 @Rayzor_7
Giles Rigel @Giles Rigel
Chip Chiperson @Chip chiperson
PadStack @PadStack
Lefty_S @Lefty_S
Kendrick @Kendrick
CowboyinAmerica @CowboyinAmerica
solas @solas
Josh @Josh
JeffD @JeffD
jared @jared
Keygan @Keygan
Patrik Tallinder @Patrik Tallinder
GRZ @GRZ
Nykonax @Nykonax
Kylrad @Kylrad
Weretarantula @Weretarantula
hedgehog337 @hedgehog337
rjfryman @rjfryman
Renomitsu @Renomitsu
Grape @Grape
ngine4 @ngine4
DollarAndADream @DollarAndADream
leafsman @leafsman
CF Punk @CF Punk
pennypenny @pennypenny
Spencer King @Spence King
flyersfan1453 @flyersfan1453
 
 
1 capped TPE goes to:
@Corco
@Gavin Minton

Playoff Previews
First Round: Calgary Wranglers vs D.C. Dragons
 
Probably one of the most exciting matchups of the first round, Calgary vs D.C. has the potential to wow us with star power and keep us on the edge of our seat the whole way. Each team overcame some serious adversity to get to this point and we will explore that further as we look to the road to the playoffs for each.
 

Road to the Playoffs
The North American Conference was a gauntlet this season if you wanted to make it to the postseason. The Wranglers got out to a hot start this season, much to the surprise of many. As many of you know, Calgary was in the middle of serious team drama at the end of last season, with several players wanting off the team entirely. Instead, the GM was replaced, a few major trades occurred, and the Wranglers entered this season with a new mindset and chip on their shoulders.
 
One of the biggest changes for Calgary this season was the addition of goaltender JB Rift. Probably the third or fourth-best goalie this season, Rift recorded a personal best six shutouts this season. Part of that, however, should certainly be credited to one of the best defences in the league. Outside of Jordan Tonn, this is not a defensive core that shows up on the score sheet a lot, but when it comes to playing shutdown-style defence there is no one who compares to Calgary’s blue line.
 
For the Dragons, this is their first playoff appearance in franchise history, and for much of the season, it looked like they had another year to go before they would get here. At the midway point of the season it looked like D.C. was going to finish dead last in the conference, if not in the league. However, the veteran leadership this team acquired in the off-season paid off and the team rallied to make a late-season push for a playoff spot.
 
Somehow, not only did they end up with a spot in the postseason, the Dragons managed to avoid a first-round meeting with Vancouver by just edging out the reigning champion, Seattle Bears, for the third seed. As I mentioned before, the success of this season was largely built on the backs of D.C.'s off-season additions in John Frostbeard, Elasmobranch Fish, and Kallis Kriketers. Acquiring top-tier goaltending, defence, and a possession machine in Frostbeard allowed D.C. to shut down other teams and finish the season with the second-fewest goals allowed in the league.
 

Why Calgary will win
Currently, on a three-game winning streak, Calgary is hot at the right time. The Wranglers had a fierce start to the season and slumped a bit in the middle, but they are hot at the right time and everything seems to be clicking as we enter the playoffs. Cracking forty wins is usually the sign of a real cup contender with every team for the past five seasons who won the cup earning at least that many.
 
One of the many things Calgary has going for them is the best youth line in the league with Ondrej Ohradka, Kris Rice, and Mikko Lahtinen. Despite being the bottom three forwards on the team, this trio combined for a point per game in their rookie season and played a big role in the Wranglers recovery from last season.
 
Calgary’s biggest strength almost matches up well against D.C.’s biggest weakness. D.C. was the second-lowest scoring team to make the playoffs and Calgary made a habit of punishing teams who were unable to sustain consistent offensive pressure. I would call Calgary the moderate favourite in this matchup, especially considering how dominant they were against D.C. in the regular season, going 6-1-1 against them.
 

Why D.C. will win
On the flip side, D.C. has some unique advantages that just might allow them to steal the series. First and foremost among their advantages is playoff experience. For a team that only recently entered the league, the Dragons went out of their way to add a number of players who know was it takes to win in the postseason. In fact, Kallis Kriketers has more playoff wins than most of Calgary’s roster has playoff games played.
 
Similarly, John Frostbeard has two championship rings and is among the league’s experts in what it takes to win a cup. This matches up favourably against a Calgary roster with zero players that have won a cup and only a handful with experience making in our of the first round. That being said, Elasmobranch Fish has so far had the ultimate playoff curse being eliminated from the playoffs in four consecutive first-round game seven losses.
 
I expect this series to be low-scoring and D.C. has typically won those types of games this season. However, they are going to have to find a way to be more offensively productive than they have been all season if they are going to score on what is possibly the best defence in the league.
 

 

1. The Calgary Wranglers have gone 5-4-3 since last Sunday. This is including a 3 game losing streak. How do you turn it around ?
Play Riga apparently.  We just need to keep working on the details and not squeeze our sticks too tight.
 
2. The VHL's current hottest team the young D.C Dragons are riding a 5 game win streak. They are currently now in 9th place and only 1 point out of a playoff spot. Do they make the playoffs ? 
I think Kallis can lead them to the playoffs. Never underestimate a good goalie.
 
6. Tricks for sleeping during long road trips ?
Melatonin
 
7. Captain @Big Mac calls you at 01:00AM in the morning. What could he possibly want ? 
Flat tire on the QE2 in a -30 snowstorm.
 
8. Tyler Barabash  jr. Is on pace for 35 goals (would be career best) and 77 points (would tie career best). My question is can he score 35 goals and hit or surpass the 80 point milestone ?
Sure he can. As our team keeps improving, we'll create more opportunities for him. He's been playing well all season - he'll do it.
 
10. Our backup goalie @SlapshotDragon went 1-0-1 this week. Improving his record to 3-0-1. Do you have any kind words for him ?
I've won a championship with this man. I've never doubted that he would succeed at the next level. He's a brother from another hockey mother.
 
11. What song should the Calgary Wranglers play when they skate onto the ice for warm ups? 
Just heard again, good warm up song to blare through arena speakers: On Becoming Willing - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

1. The Calgary Wranglers have gone 5-4-3 since last Sunday. This is including a 3 game losing streak. How do you turn it around ?
Play Riga apparently.  We just need to keep working on the details and not squeeze our sticks too tight.
 
2. The VHL's current hottest team the young D.C Dragons are riding a 5 game win streak. They are currently now in 9th place and only 1 point out of a playoff spot. Do they make the playoffs ? 
I think Kallis can lead them to the playoffs. Never underestimate a good goalie.
 
6. Tricks for sleeping during long road trips ?
Melatonin
 
7. Captain @Big Mac calls you at 01:00AM in the morning. What could he possibly want ? 
Flat tire on the QE2 in a -30 snowstorm.
 
8. Tyler Barabash  jr. Is on pace for 35 goals (would be career best) and 77 points (would tie career best). My question is can he score 35 goals and hit or surpass the 80 point milestone ?
Sure he can. As our team keeps improving, we'll create more opportunities for him. He's been playing well all season - he'll do it.
 
10. Our backup goalie @SlapshotDragon went 1-0-1 this week. Improving his record to 3-0-1. Do you have any kind words for him ?
I've won a championship with this man. I've never doubted that he would succeed at the next level. He's a brother from another hockey mother.
 
11. What song should the Calgary Wranglers play when they skate onto the ice for warm ups? 
Just heard again, good warm up song to blare through arena speakers: On Becoming Willing - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

To anyone who knew Elme, or even didn't know Elme, I'd like to pay tribute to someone who left us far too soon. The word "strong" gets thrown around a lot, during tragedies (such as the Boston Marathon Bombings) or losses. Today, we not only lost a friend, a family member or just a colleague in the VHL, we lost a strong individual who was kind, big hearted and most importantly, respected around the community. 
 
You are all more than welcome to wear this in your sig, something simple but with a strong message, and something to show our appreciation for the life that was, and will forever be, #elmestrong ❤️ 
 
Cheers ya'll. 

Welcome to the second edition of VSN’s S70 Weekly recap (Games 49-123).  We’ll cover a host of things in this recap each week including highlights of important VSN happenings, three stars of the week, power rankings, rookie profiles, and anything else of importance.
 
Recap

The second week of the S70 season has commenced. Let’s take a look at some of this week’s highlights and low-lights. Competition is fierce in the European Conference and I wouldn’t be shocked to see any of the top four teams at the moment in the first place spot by this time next week. As for the North American Conference, I don’t know if you can pay one of the bottom three teams to take the last playoff spot willingly. Week performances this week from Toronto and D.C. have allowed Seattle to begin clamouring at the door again and they will be a threat to everyone in the conference if they manage to make the playoffs.

We saw an uptick in hostilities around the league as several teams faced off against bitter rivals with thirteen fights in total and two bench-clearing brawls. One such helter-skelter resulted in some of the dirtiest hockey I have seen in this league and calls player safety strongly into question. This correlated with an uptick in scoring across the league, but whether the fights were the cause of or the result of the scoring isn’t clear. This includes the highest-scoring game of the season so far, 6-5 fireworks show between Moscow and Malmo.

This week also featured several players who were traded over the off-season facing off against their former teams for the first time. Most notable among these was the league’s current winningest goalie, Brick Wahl, facing off against his former team, the Calgary Wranglers, with an outstanding performance. But that is just some of the excitement from this week’s games, so strap in and get ready for a lot of recapping.
 
3-Stars

First Star
JB Rift (CGY) - .935 SV%, 2.05 GAA, 1 SO
Second Star
Aston Martin (RIG) - 5 Goals, 10 Assists
Third Star
Guillaume Fontenette (HSK) - 7 Goals, 7 Assists
 
Power Rankings

European Conference
Riga Reign - (+3) Skyrocketing to the top after a very strong week of sims against top teams. Moscow Menace - (-1) They need to start beating top teams if they want the #1 spot back. Prague Phantoms - (-1) Wildly inconsistent, beating good teams, losing to lower teams. Helsinki Titans - (-1) Once again, Europe looks very strong this season. I’d rank Helsinki #5 in the league. HC Davos Dynamo - Falling behind isn’t an option in this conference, but Davos is still in striking distance. Malmo Nighthawks - They beat Vancouver this week! That’s about it...  
North American Conference
Vancouver Wolves - (+2) Stop losing to teams at the bottom of the table! That being said, this was a successful week for the Wolves  Calgary Wranglers - (-1) Calgary is currently playing all of the top teams. It shows in their record this week. New York Americans - (-1) A late-week slide really hurt New York this week. They still have a high upside. Toronto Legion - The bottom three here is almost interchangeable at this point. That is bad news for Toronto. Seattle Bears - There is a light at the end of the tunnel that maybe even includes sliding into a playoff spot. D.C. Dragons - A couple of impressive wins by Seattle slips D.C. into the last spot.  
Notable Games

Game 58 - Vancouver vs D.C.
What an upset! D.C. has some great veteran talent, but it just hasn’t come together often for them so far this season. This was a flash of the greatness that we wish we could see from them on a regular basis. The veterans really stepped up this game with Frostbeard and Kriketers dominating the shootout for an important 2 points. We also saw some cracks begin to form for Vancouver with the disgusting OT play of Jeff Downey. There is no place in the league for that kind of play, and doing it out of frustration in OT cost his team a chance to win the game before it went to a shootout.

Game 75 - Riga vs Prague
A battle for the top spot in the European Conference, Moscow leads both these teams but is yet to face either on the ice, so for now, this is the closest we get to a title bout. The first period was insane with a combined twenty-three shots and six goals. Riga got out to an early lead, up 3-1 after seven minutes, and didn’t take their foot off the gas. The Reign can be truly explosive at times and showed it here. However, to be fair to Prague, they went on to win the rematch in Game 98, so their defence is certainly cable of hanging with even the best scorers.

Game 89 - Vancouver vs Moscow
The rematch of one of the best games from last week, this could very easily be a preview of this season’s cup final. Both teams executed their game plans with excellence. Vancouver appeared to dominate offensively through the first two periods, but still, Moscow stayed within one with very efficient shooting on their limited offensive opportunities (at one point, they were scoring on 1/3rd of their shots). In addition to that, both teams produced on the power play, scoring two goals apiece while holding the man advantage. The Menace looked as though they would force overtime through defensive mastery in the third, but Vancouver was able to resist their continued pressure and secure the win.

Events of the Week

Fights
Game 49 - Nolan draws with Vigneault After an action-packed first period, it had been twenty-eight long minutes since the last scoring. Nolan and Vigneault must have been getting bored because they decided their last fight needed round 2. This time, they each got in a few solid blows but there was still no clear winner. These teams face each other again in Game 127, so key an idea on these two to see if they get up to these antics again. Game 51 - Kastelic draws with Plunkett After going up 3-1 on the Dynamo, Ryan Kastelic decided to add injury to insult. Right from the faceoff, Kastelic started throwing his weight around. He was eventually able to find a sparring partner in Brendan Plunkett, but even he didn’t seem interested in a real fight. After a lot of jersey holding and jabs, refs broke it up and sent Kastelic off for instigation. Game 56 - Jubis beats up Vigneault In his third fight in as many games, Edward Vigneault finally got what was coming to him. Fighting is fine, but being a goon is different. One can only hope that the beating Vigneault received at the hands of RJ Jubis was enough to make him think twice before dropping his gloves at the drop of a hat again. Jubis’s victory was the only one the Phantoms would find in this game. Game 61 - Barabash Jr. draws with Vigneault So much for knocking some sense in the Edward Vigneault; this makes four in a row. This time, the job of fighting Vigneault fell to Tyler Barabash Jr. It took the refs four games to finally have enough of Vigneault’s nonsense and ejected him from the game following the fairly meaningless fight. Game 62 - BRAWL! This was a shameful display by both teams. Hockey sticks are dangerous weapons and should be treated as such. Brendan Plunkett and Walter Clements got into a heated discussion right off the faceoff and their fight sparked complete chaos. John Madden ended up bloodying Jaxon Walker and Fernando Jokinen threw a few punches at Ryo Yamazuki II but the smaller forward had no interest in that matchup. The truly horrific part was the four skaters who wildly and dangerously tried to hit others with their sticks. Matthew Materazo, Joseph McWolf, David O’Quinn, and Jagger Philliefan should all be ashamed of their actions and the league should take a hard look at further discipline for those involved. Game 70 - Adrienne beats up Dissanayake After scrapping in the corner for the puck, these two came out swinging. It is unknown what really sparked the hostilities in a game tied 1-1, but Adrienne definitely managed to get the upper hand over Dissanayake. Play resumed uneventfully while these two sat in the box and another goal wasn’t scored for another thirty-five minutes. Game 91 - Summers draws with Laughton Blake Laughton is the most penalized player in the VHL, but sometimes he is answering the needs of his team. Prague was down by a goal going into the third period and they needed a spark. Laughton provided that when he dragged Erik Summers into his first VHL fight. Summers managed to hold his own through the fight, with both sides landing several blows, but it lead Titans to draw four more penalties in the third, with one of them resulting in the tying goal. Despite Laughton’s ejection from the game, Prague went on to win in the shootout. Game 101 - BRAWL! These undisciplined melees are becoming more common as the season goes on. After Jack Lynch bodied Gritty on the forecheck, Gritty came up swinging and found Ambrose Stark ready to drop gloves. Dan Baillie picked up Lynch and started wailing on him. Neither fight had a clear winner, but both Moscow players were ejected from the game for instigation. Plenty of sticks and fists flew from other players as well resulting in penalties to Oskar Lagesson, Vladimir Pavlov, Henrik Zoiderberg, Berocka Sundqvist, and Mat Tocco. Game 109 - Tear draws with Okada Two players who rarely fight, these two had simply seen enough of each other tonight. Following a puck tipped away from ACL Tear as he entered the zone by Hiroshi Okada, the play moved on but the players different. It was a long fight, as both players refused to go to the ice, but in the end, they each sat their five minutes and by the time they returned, the game-winner had been scored. Game 123 - Forest draws with Crosby It isn’t clear what transpired between these two earlier in the period, but they had some words a few minutes earlier. That conversation continued on the bench with chirping back and forth. Eventually, both players decided to give in to the inevitable and as soon as Crosby stepped on the ice, he skated straight to Boris who was eagerly awaiting him. The fight was over quickly, and both sides seemed to cool down as they went into the second period.  
Hat-Tricks
Game 55 - John Madden After going down by two goals in the first period, John Madden put the rest of HC Davos on his back and got to work. Over the next twelve minutes, Madden put up three unanswered goals. From there, Bert Meyers took over with two of his own to put the game away for the Dynamo. Game 57 - ACL Tear With an empty-netter in the final seconds, ACL TEAR has secured his first hat-trick of the season. The early season series between Helsinki and Riga has been intense and each side now has a hat-trick in the series as well. Apollo Hackett deserves recognition here as well with assists on all three goals.  Game 66 - Mat Tocco Mat Tocco becomes the second player in S70 to put together a four-goal game. To do that and somehow still not be the highest-scoring player in the game is a cruel fate. At least they were smart enough to give Tocco the first star, but Vladimir Pavlov’s five assists should also be made note of. Game 80 - Codrick Past A one-period hat trick! Svoboda tacked on one more in the second, but this game was over as soon as Codrick scored his third goal in less than eleven minutes. Also of note, Ryan Kastelic had four assists (two primary and two secondary) in this game to move himself up into the top ten in assists in the league while Past moved into the top five goal scorers. Game 95 - Jet Jaguar It took overtime, but Jet Jaguar managed to put together his first hat-trick of the season. Jet scored the game-winner with just twenty seconds left in OT to save his team from the ever-fickle shootout. Moscow and Riga are racing to lead the league in hat-tricks. Game 108 - Dan Baillie And just like that, Moscow ties Riga with three hat-tricks so far this season. Dan Baillie counted for nine of Moscow’s forty shots and ended the night with three goals and an assist. Despite having four points in the game, Moscow still needed one more goal from Nate Telker, his first of the season, to put Malmo away. Game 117 - Tyler Barabash Jr. Tyler Barabash Jr. opened up the scoring for Calgary on the power play just over three minutes into the game. In the second period, he went on to score the game-winner and then put the cherry on top with a phenomenal short-handed goal. He also nearly had another goal in the second put it was tipped in by his teammate instead when Barabash’s shot seemed to be on target but Kris Rice secured the goal with a last-second tip to beat Samuel Ross. Shutouts
Game 56 - Calgary vs Prague Sweet, sweet revenge. After threatening to retire if he stayed in Calgary, this matchup holds an unimaginable amount of significance for Brick Wahl. How sweet, then, it must feel to get a shutout in your first game against your former team under such circumstances. Brick Wahl is showing us all that he still has some great goaltending left in him. Game 65 - Malmo vs Seattle Is Seattle getting over their cup hangover? Maybe back-to-back cups means double the hangover. If Seattle wants to 3-peat they are going to have to have performances like this from Rayz Funk a lot more often. Seattle’s defence also deserves a shoutout for only allowing four shots in the second period. Game 67 - Calgary vs New York Oof! That is two shutouts in a week against Calgary. This team has the weapons, but scoring has been ice cold recently. A Red Guy records his first shutout of the season and New York manages to keep the series between these teams close and the rankings at the top of the North American Conference even closer. Game 86 - Calgary vs Davos JB Rift has been on a tear this week and this shutout was the finishing touch on his this masterpiece of goaltending he has put together. Davos has struggled to produce a lot of scoring opportunities in a few of their recent games and the Calgary defence took full advantage of the struggling Dynamo to hold them to only seventeen shots. Game 113 - Toronto vs Seattle This game was a goal-tending clinic. The two goaltenders walked away with the first and second star and combined for sixty-eight saves on sixty-nine shots (nice). However, only one can walk away with the win and the shutout, and that honour goes to Owen May with his first of the season. Game 114 - Malmo vs Vancouver In what might be the most shocking box score of the week, Malmo shut out the Vancouver Wolves despite allowing forty-nine shots on goal. Michael Johnson records his second shutout of the season and he deserves every ounce of the glory. His team hung him out to dry again and again and he simply could not allow a puck to slip by him. Easily the most impressive single-game performance of the season. Game 119 - Vancouver vs D.C. Greg Eagles must have felt inspired after watching Johnson’s performance in the Wolves’ last game. Either that, or he didn’t want someone else to have more shutouts than him because he came into this game with a chip on his shoulder. By the second half of this game, with a 3-0 lead, Vancouver’s defence simply became oppressive, allowing only twelve shots in the final thirty minutes of play. Game 120 - Moscow vs Seattle Remember what I said about the Malmo/Vancouver score being the most shocking of the week? This is the only game that rivals it. Rayz Funk wasn’t going to let another amazing performance go to waste as he was a Walrus in net while his team chased Moscow’s starting goalie from the ice. Toronto should be scared knowing this Seattle team is clawing up behind them for a playoff spot. Game 122 - Prague vs. Davos Brick Wahl is now the winningest goalie in the league so far this season. He has played a couple more games than his nearest competition, so we will have to wait and see if that stands, but performances like this one will keep him firmly in that position. Prague killed off nine penalties in this match, nine. It was a miraculous piece of goal-tending that saved them here.  
Rookie Spotlight

Calgary’s Youth Line

At one point this week, the Calgary Wranglers had the three highest-scoring rookie forwards in the league. Ondrej Ohradka, Kris Rice, and Mikko Lahtinen have combined for 27 points in their first season in the VHL. Ohradka and Lahtinen had some great chemistry coming into the season after spending last year together on the cup-winning Saskatoon Wild team of S69. There, they combined for 211 points while Rice put up 137 in Mississauga, first among forwards.
 
Interestingly, Rice and Lahtinen also had a VHLM connection while playing together for the Mississauga hounds in S68, but found themselves on opposite sides of the ice for the S69 cup final. Apparently there are no hard feelings because these two have been playing off each other wonderfully so far this season.
 
Calgary’s future is looking extremely bright with so much young talent at hand, it just took a strangely constructed tank last season to get there. If the Wrangler can entice these three to spend a large chunk of their careers in Calgary, expect this to be the top-scoring line in the league just a couple seasons from now.
 
 

RJ Jubis
Rj Jubis from Nova Scotia was a top 5 pick in S69 draft, and as known from the title he went to the Calgary Flames. Jubis after being drafted in his 1st season while he didn’t have an amazing season, for a lowly placing team he dropped a solid amount of points with 11. So far this season Jubis has had a really bad start to the season, but has really turned that frown upside down as he now has 19 points in 33 games, and has so much room to get better. Now to say what Jubis is a person we’d have to start with his work in the Calgary Community, and locker room. 
For a fairly young player Jubis is not afraid to stick up for his teammates when he needs to, and if you ask anybody, and even former goaler Brick Wahl they will tell you how great of a locker room presence he is. As his teammate I can tell you that Jubis is one of the nicest guys on the team :). 
Now to talk about Jubis as a player...  While he put up a disappointing season one could say, he has followed up with a bang, and he has already broken his career high point record in points, and assists with A (13) and P (19). While Jubis dominated goal scoring compared to assists last year, he hasn’t exactly been that Patty Laine, and has shown us much more of his playmaking side to him, and will hopefully continue his tear on the game. While there isn’t much more to say about Jubis, I will say this, 'Watch out for Jubis'. 


 
(279 words)
 
 
 
@Jubis

The Seattle Bears have always been located in Seattle but for 1 season, the Seattle Bears were known as the Seattle Everblades. After being rebranded in Season 2, the Seattle Franchise has more or less been the same.
 
Continental Cup Banners

Season 4 Championship Roster C - Scotty Campbell (A) LW - Matt Defosse LW - Derek Harland LW - Anders Heissman RW - Alex McNeil RW - Dust'n Funk D - Patrice Reynaud (A) D - Danny Tremblay (C) D - Steve Kent G - Adrian McCreath Season 5 Championship Roster C - Scotty Campbell (A) LW - Derek Harland LW - Anders Heissman RW - Alex McNeil RW - Brannan Anthony RW - Dust'n Funk D - Danny Tremblay (C) D - Patrice Reynaud (A) D - Steve Kent G - Adrian McCreath Season 12 Championship Roster C - Zacky Vengeance (A) C - Jonathan Matthias C - Bob Loblaws LW - Josh Vestiquan (C) LW - Alexander Beketov LW - Peter Payne RW - Pavel Dubnikov RW - Sandro Desaulniers D - Gunnar-Rune Rorvik (A) D - Markus Sedin D - Mike Kloepfer D - Sebastian Ball G - Steve LaFramboise Season 17 Championship Roster C - Grimm Jonsson (A) C - Devon De La Soul LW - Fayt Leingod LW - Markus Strauss RW - Sandro Desaulniers RW - Keyvan Kljk (A) D - Emerson Hrynyk (C) D - Baron Von Jonsson D - Virgil Quincey-McDienenburg G - Alex Young The Seattle Bears won the Continental Cup 4 times from Season 1 to Season 19. The Bears won in back to back seasons in S4 and S5. Won again in S12 before winning in S17. The S4 and S5 rosters had some of the VHL's best at the time including the greatest player ever in Scotty Campbell. Alex McNeil and Dust'n Funk were also pretty big names on that team as well as goalie Adrian McCreath. The S12 team had Zacky Vengeance, Jonathan Matthias, Josh Vestiquan, Alexander Beketov and Steve LaFramboise who anchored that team. Finally, in S17, Grimm Jonsson, Fayt Leingod, Markus Strauss and Emerson Hrynyk. Overall, the 4 Cup teams had quite a few HoFers as well as some solid 1st line talent.
 
Regular Season/Playoff Record
Unfortunately, there are no records which are available to break down the teams for the first 19 Seasons in the VHL for any of the teams which is a crying shame.
 
Awards
Victory Cup (Best Regular Season Record) - 3 Times
S4 - 53 W | 14 L | 5 OTL | 111 P
S5 - 63 W | 7 L | 2 OTL | 128 P
S6 - 57 W | 9 L | 6 OTL | 120 P
 
The Seattle Bears won the Victory Cup 3 times all in back to back to back seasons. The pinnacle win for the Bears was in S5 when they won 63 games and lost just 9 games including 2 in OT or SO. 
 
Devon Marlow-Marta Trophy (North American Champions) - 6 times
S4, S5, S11, S12, S15, S17
 
The Bears made it to the finals, 6 times in the first 19 seasons with all 6 almost being back to back showings as they made it in S4 and S5, S11 and S12 and then S15 and S17.
 
Scotty Campbell Trophy (MVP) - 5 Times
S4 - Scotty Campbell - 87 G | 87 A | 174 P | +99
S5 - Scotty Campbell - 89 G | 101 A | 190 P | +122
S15 - Grimm Jonsson - 60 G | 72 A | 132 P | +48
S16 - Grimm Jonsson - 52 G | 63 A | 115 P | +51
S17 - Grimm Jonsson - 57 G | 70 A | 127 P | +59
 
The Scotty Campbell Trophy has been home to the Seattle Bears 5 times in history won by just 2 men. Scotty Campbell, the man himself won in S4 and S5 including a historical season in S5 in which he scored 89 G and assisted on 101 G for 190 P. Grimm was able to win the award in 3 straight seasons with a 60 G season and a 132 P season.
 
Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player, as voted on by the members) - 1 Time
S15 - Grimm Jonsson - 32 Votes
 
Grimm is the only winner of the Slobo in the first 19 seasons winning with a massive 32 votes which was about as landslidish as you can get in the early days.
 
Daisuke Kanou Trophy (Playoff MVP) - 4 Times
S4 - Scotty Campbell - 13 G | 10 A | 23 P | +6
S5 - Scotty Campbell - 10 G | 20 A | 30 P | +12
S12 - Jonathan Mathias - 5 G | 12 A | 17 P | +5
S17 - Devon De La Soul - 10 G | 9 A | 19 P | +7
 
The Kanou Trophy was able to come to the Pacific Northwest 4 times with back to back seasons in S4 and S5 when Scotty Campbell won. He scored a combined 23 goals and assisted on 30 goals for 53 points. Most players these days are happy to get that in our VHL Playoff careers, Campbell was able to do that in just 2 runs. Mathias won the Kanou in S12 with 17 P and DDLS won with 10 G and 19 P in S17.
 
Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Top Point Scorer) - 5 Times
S4 - Scotty Campbell - 174 Points
S5 - Scotty Campbell - 190 Points
S6 - Scotty Campbell - 155 Points
S15 - Grimm Jonsson - 132 Points
S16 - Grimm Jonsson - 116 Points
 
The Bears have taken home the Szatkowski Trophy 5 times in franchise history with Campbell taking 3 in a row from S4 to S6 and Grimm taking it in back to back seasons in S15 and S16.
 
 Kevin Brooks Trophy (Top Goal Scorer) - 5 Times
S4 - Scotty Campbell - 87 Goals
S5 - Scotty Campbell - 89 Goals
S6 - Andreas Heissman - 71 Goals
S15 - Grimm Jonsson - 60 Goals
S17 - Grimm Jonsson - 57 Goals
 
The Brooks Trophy was home to Seattle 5 times with Campbell taking it in back to back seasons with a total of 176 goals. Heissman had a career season in S6 with 71 goals taking home his Brooks Trophy. In S15 and S17, Grimm took home the Brooks Trophy with a 60 goal and 57 goal season.
 
Alexander Beketov Trophy (Top Assists) - 5 Times
S4 - Scotty Campbell - 87 Assists
S6 - Scotty Campbell - 87 Assists
S11 - Alexander Beketov - 88 Assists
S15 - Grimm Jonsson - 72 Assists
S17 - Emerson Hrynyk - 86 Assists
 
Scotty was able to take 2 Beketov's with 87 assists in both years. The namesake Alexander Beketov won in S11 with 88 assists. Grimm took the Trophy home with 72 assists in S15 before Hrynyk took the trophy home in S17 with 86 Assists.
 
Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman) - 4 Times
S4 - Patrice Reynaud - 21 G | 83 A | 104 P | +49 | 80 H | 147 SB
S6 - Patrice Reynaud - 26 G | 78 A | 102 P | +81 | 107 H | 119 SB
S16 - Emerson Hrynyk - 25 G | 75 A | 100 P | +48 | 85 H | 98 SB
S17 - Emerson Hrynyk - 30 G | 86 A | 116 P | +45 | 138 H | 114 SB
 
The Labatte Trophy was won 4 times in Seattle between 2 defenseman. Patrice Reynaud in S4 and S6 and then Emerson Hrynyk in back to back seasons in S16 and S17.
 
Aidan Shaw Trophy (Top Goaltender) - 3 Times
S6 - Adrian McCreath - 53 W | 6 L | 6 OTL | 2.18 G.A.A | .936 SV% | 3 SO
S7 - Adrian McCreath - 44 W | 20 L | 6 OTL | 2.53 G.A.A | .935 SV% | 3 SO
S11 - Steve LaFramboise - 52 W | 10 L | 2 OTL | 1.65 G.A.A | .938 SV% | 12 SO
 
The Bears goalies have won 3 Shaw's over 19 seasons with McCreath taking it in back to back seasons in S6 and S7. LaFramboise had one of the best seasons in VHL History for a goalie with a 1.65 G.A.A and a .938 SV% with 12 SO.
 
Scott Boulet Trophy (Best Defensive Forward) - 2 Time
S4 - Alex McNeil - 47 G | 79 A | 126 P | +77 | 94 H | 35 SB
S17 - Keyvan Kljk - 45 G | 69 A | 114 P | +64 | 219 H | 28 SB
 
In S4, McNeil took home the Boulet with a 126 P and 94 H season. It took 13 seasons before a Seattle Bear was able to take home the trophy once more as Kljk won the Boulet with a 114 P, 214 H season.
 
Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy (Top Rookie) - 4 Times
S7 - Jonathan Matthias - 27 G | 34 A | 61 P | -28
S8 - Zacky Vengeance - 25 G | 44 A | 69 P | -9
S13 - Cameron Stephens - 19 G | 58 A | 77 P | -55
S14 - Emerson Hrynyk - 24 G | 52 A | 76 P | -17
 
4 times the Seattle Bears have won the Stolzy Trophy in franchise history. Both in back to back seasons with Matthias in S7 and Vengeance in S8 then Stephens in S13 and Emerson in S14.
 
David Knight Trophy (Top GM) - 4 Times
S4 - Danny Tremblay
S12 - Mike Kloepfer
S15 - Alex McNeil
S17 - Sandro Desaulniers
 
The Knight Trophy also belonged in Seattle a total of 4 times in S4 with Danny Tremblay winning, S12 with Mike Kloepfer, S15 with Alex McNeil and S17 with Sandro. Interesting that 4 different GM's won this award for Seattle.
 
Grimm Jonsson Trophy (Top Leader) - 2 Times
S4- Patrice Reynaud
S15 - Emerson Hrynyk
 
The Grimm Jonsson was home to Seattle 2 times as Reynaud would win it in S4 followed by Emerson Hrynyk in S15.
 
Mikka Virkkunen Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike Player) - 3 Times
S7 - Derek Harland
S10 - Josh Vestiquan
S12 - Pavel Dubnikov
 
Derek Harland was able to win the Virkkunen in S7 followed by Vestiquan in S10 and Dubnikov in S12.
 
Trophy Total: 60
 
The Seattle Bears won a massive 60 trophies total from S1 to S19 which places them 2nd in the VHL just behind the Calgary Wranglers.
 
Calgary Wranglers
HC Davos Dynamo
Helsinki Titans
New York Americans
Riga Reign
 

When most people think about mobility for goaltenders the first thing that comes to mind is a goalie in a full split position making a spectacular save on an unsuspecting VHL player or a goalie moving from post to post in the blink of an eye.
 
Many fans wonder how can goalies perform these saves so easily and how do goalies become so flexible? What sort of training do goalies go through in order to be able to do this?

We recently found out that Greg Eagles has developed a routine for mobility training and was recently seen helping his backup, Spyro, go through this training.
 
In this article, we explore Greg Eagles most valuable mobility exercises for goalies to add to their routine as we look at the notes that were handed on to Spyro. We were given permission from Eagles to look at these notes and post them.
 
Goalie Mobility Exercise #1: Hip Internal Rotation
 
Great internal hip rotation is the most important area for goaltenders to improve, yet rarely is it the main focus. This is Eagle’s go to exercise to help improve his mobility. He starts every training off with this exercise and stressed that Spyro do the same.
 
It is what allows for a wide, sealed butterfly, and is imperative for reverse VH position which almost all goalies are now taught to use to seal off the post. Furthermore, by improving hip mobility, goalies can take some of the stress off of the ankle and knee, which many goalies find sore after a lot of time on the ice. Not only does this exercise help with mobility but it also helps prevent injury.
 
This first stretch is a great way for goalies to target this area and will quickly carry over to many more comfortable and fluid movements on the ice.


 
Goalie Mobility Exercise #2: 90/90 Stretch
 
The second exercise in Eagle’s mobility training is the 90/90 stretch. This exercise is used by Eagles due to its versatility, and ability to target both internal and external rotation of the hips. It has a ton of variations and will again help with a variety of your on ice positions. The more goalies stretch and loosen up their hips the more mobility they will have in order to make key saves.
 
As previously mentioned in exercise #1, not only do goaltenders need internal hip rotation for almost all saves they make, but having greater mobility in this area will also provide as a bit of a cushion against injuries.
 
Unfortunately, goalies aren't protected from contact and when players crash the net or are pushed through you by your own defenseman, your flexibility is forced even further. The more range goalies can have in their hips the less likely it is for a hip, knee, or ankle to give out and leave you sidelined. Since Eagles has started this exercise he has not once been injured due to contact on the ice.
 
These 2 exercises should be used by goalies daily to enhance that valuable hip rotation and to help in making the amazing sasves that make the crowd gasp.
 

 
Goalie Mobility Exercise #3: Couch Stretch
 
Another common stretch that Eagles has included in his mobility training is the couch stretch and for many of the same reasons mentioned previously, it is a key one for goalies.
 
The style that goalies spend a ton of time in can lead to a lot of tightness in the hip flexors which can lead to injuries.
 
Eagles uses this as his 3rd stretch as it is tremendous at keeping many joints functioning smoothly.
 

 
Goalie Mobility Exercise #4: Toes Elevated Ankle Stretch
 
Although the reverse VH position is efficient at sealing the post, it can require the goalie to have lots of mobility and can cause great pain on the ankles. Goalies that do not train for mobility may really struggle with this common position that all goalies should have 100% grasp on if they want to be successful in the big league.
 
Since Greg has introduced this exercise into his training, he has personally found the reverse VH less tough on his ankles.
 
In addition to improving hip internal rotation, we can target the ankle specifically with a simple stretch. This one hits the ankle in a few different directions and should help make this position easier to consistently achieve pain free and prevent ankle injuries.
 

 
Goalie Mobility Exercise #5: Lat To Pec stretch
 
Goalies are taught to keep their hands in front of their body to make saves, and most of the time this is great, but staying in this position for extended period of time can create chronic tightness across the upper body. In order to avoid this we need to make sure we are exercising our upper body with this mobility training.
 
Being stuck in a posture with the shoulders rolled forward not only can cause a build up of unhealthy postures, but can also spill over into performance by restricting goalies from having full reach. 
 
In order to open this area up, any Banded Lat Stretch or Pec Stretch can be a great choice, as these are the muscles most often responsible for tightness across the shoulders. Not only can these promote better posture in the shoulders, but they may provide an extra inch of reach that we all know that can sometimes be just enough to make the save. This training goes hand in hand with any goalie training that looks at improving the glove side or blocker side for goalies.
 

 
Goalie Mobility Exercise #6: T Spine Rotation
 
The final exercise in Eagles mobility training is an exercise that helps in the ability to quickly square the shoulders up to a shot as this is one of the first things that has to occur with any movement throughout the crease.
 
The spine is primarily responsible for rotation of the torso but can often get tight and locked up. Loosening up this area will help with the quick rotation, required to square up to a shot and can also help greatly when a desperation save is necessary.
 

 
All elite goalies have a mobility and stretching routine. While stretching your groin and hips is a fantastic place to start there is more that could be done to help improve a goalies mobility. These are the exercises that Greg Eagles is currently doing and is the routine that he has passed on to Spyro.



1075 words claiming for week ending Feb 2 and Feb 9

We don't have an award for the biggest trash talker on the ice.

Hmph, not a single award!
 
Thanks for an amazing season y'al. 

1. What have you done to keep busy during the offseason ? 
Trying to find time to work out, stay in shape, and hone my skills. And take care of kids.
 
2. You just treated yourself and bought a new car. What did you buy? 
A decked-out Sprinter converted camper van.
 
4. How many games will it take for you to register your 1st point of the season? 
I'll guess it takes 5 games.
 
5. What is your Favourite cheat meal ?
Pizza and lots of it.
 
7. Favourite 90s-2000s song that might be embarrassing to admit you really like? 
I Don't Want To Miss A Thing - Aerosmith. C'mon, you know you love it too!
 
8. What is your favourite hockey team that is not the Calgary Wranglers? 
Vancouver Canucks
 
9. Is there another sport you think you would've done well in, had you not become a pro hockey player? 
Tennis
 
11. Which rookie is paying the tab for the first steak dinners on the road this season? 
Probably me.