Seabass

Well the Wildcard Round is now complete and we're about to finally see some Moscow Menace playoff hockey once again. I was hoping to see the Riga Reign come out of the wildcard round so we could both have another epic playoff battle but that's not the case as H.C Davos has come out the winner and will challenge the Menace in the first round of the VHL playoffs. It's been a good while since the Menace have ever lost in the opening round and with them winning the Victory Cup for the 2nd season in a row, they are obviously favored in this matchup versus Davos.  But as we all know there's always room for a upset or two in the VHL playoffs.
 
Davos is coming into the series with a really hot goaltender as David Davis just finished posting a save percentage of .950% in his wildcard round against the Reign.
 
Zeedayno Chara of Davos had two game winners in their series against the Reign and has been really clutch and has posted a PPG(6pts in 5) so far in the playoffs.
 
Moscow's duo, Hard Markinson and The Seabasstard are nearing their 75th career playoff game which i'm guessing leads the VHL, so Moscow definitely has experience on their side as they got them and have been to the finals the last four years. 
 
Fans are excited and tickets have already been sold out in anticipation for the series. 

@v.2
 
Welcome to VSN’s VHL playoff preview and predictions, in this article we’ll break down each series and discuss what players could be key to turning the tide of the series and potentially pulling off an upset. This was truly an incredible season and we could be in for a few upsets in the playoffs. While you’re here be sure to check out some of the other recent VSN articles.
 
LINKS
 
Wildcard Series
 
 Toronto (4) vs. Calgary (5) 
 
Both these teams took a slight step back this season, having been the 2nd and 3rd seed last season. In the regular season Calgary won 3 of the 5 matchups in part due to the spectacular play of Ben Dahl @Ben who would finish the season with a 0.914 SV% and a 2.66 GAA. However, for Calgary to be successful in this series they will need Saku Kotkakoivu @DollarAndADream and Erlantz Jokinen @jRuutu to be at the top of their game, they finished the regular season with 81 and 80 points respectively. For Toronto this series will come down to two players, Paul Atreides @Mr_Hatter who led Toronto in scoring this season with 45 goals and 90 points, and goaltender Oskar Lindbergh @Doomsday will need to stand on his head in this series, he had an outstanding regular season and finished with a 0.925 SV% and a 2.46 SV%. This series could go either way, but right now Calgary has a slight edge with how their matchups went in the regular season. 
 
Prediction: Calgary in 5 (best of 5)
VSN vote: TOR: 4 CGY: 5
 
 Riga (4) vs. Davos (5) 
 
Possibly the more interesting of the two-wildcard series as it features a new age Davos team and Riga who is possibly in their final season of contention. This series could very much be a question of Riga’s offense vs. Davos’s defense. For Riga to come out on top in this series they will need Anze Miklavz @kelvi, Alex Johnston @Alex, and trade deadline acquisition Jerome Reinhart @MexicanCow123 to carry the offense and pick up their play to the next level in the playoffs. For Davos it’s the majority of their teams first time in the playoffs and they will be leaning heavily on Rookie defensemen Siyan Yasilievich @badcolethetitan and Jake Thunder @Thunder who finished the season with 41 and 38 points respectively. Additionally, expect to see the majority of Davos’s offense come from season 83 Continental Cup Champions Vinny Detroit @dasboot and Zeedayno Chara @Jubis. Davos also has a significant edge in goal with David Davis @Josh. With that being said, Riga came out on top in the regular season and have only gotten better since the last time they played, this should be a close series that could come down to the wire.
 
Prediction: Riga in 5 (best of 5)
VSN vote: RIG: 6, DAV 2
 
Conference Semi-Finals
 
 Seattle (2) vs. Chicago (3) 
 
Chicago took a big step forward this season in part due to the play of Red Gaming @Lilpfigher in goal. With both teams rostering rookie goaltenders this could be a very high scoring series as Seattle and Chicago have relatively high-powered offenses with AJ Williams @ajwllmsn and Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems @FrostBeard producing over 80 points for Seattle this past season and Baby Bob @Baby Boomer carrying the load offensively for Chicago with an even 100 points. Given the experience of Seattle this series will likely go in their favour.
 
Prediction: Seattle in 5
VSN vote: SEA 7, CHI 1
 
 D.C. (1) vs. Calgary (5) 
 
The D.C. Dragons have been on a mission this season in large part due to the play of Duncan Idaho @OrbitingDeath who is determined to go out with a boom and probably yet another Scott Boulet Trophy. Calgary may just be outmatched in this series as on paper D.C. looks better in just about every position. With that being said this will be no cake walk for D.C. as season 83 top defensive defenseman AirRig GoodBrandSun @Rhynex Entertainment will not make it easy on them. Calgary is clearly a team on the rise, and this is likely the first of many upcoming playoff series between the two teams. In this round D.C. has the upper hand and should come out on top.
 
Prediction: D.C. in 5
VSN vote: DCD 5, CAL 1
 
 Helsinki (2) vs. Warsaw (3) 
 
Helsinki has made the playoffs, putting an end to the longest active playoff drought in the VHL. This should be a hard-fought series with Vasile Lamb @dlamb and Nico Pearce @Spartan at the center of it. Pearce is coming off of a career season and we should see them pick up a fair bit of hardware at the season's end. Lamb on the other hand has been a very consistent player and we could see them in the Boulet discussion yet again. For Warsaw to have a chance in this series it may all come down to if Wumbo @Fire Fletcher can out play one of the top goalies in the league with Xavier Booberry @CowboyinAmerica who has had yet another spectacular season.
 
Prediction: Helsinki in 7
VSN vote: HSK 5, WAR 4
 
 Moscow (1) vs. Riga (4) 
 
These two teams have come up against each other a lot of times over the past few seasons and each and every time Moscow has come out on top, and this season could be no different. Papa Emeritus @Beketov was a big reason for Moscow’s regular season success and there is no reason this won’t be the same case. On paper Riga’s offense does have a slight edge in contrast to previous seasons. But with Hard Markinson @STZ and Jan Hlozek @Bojovnik on the blue line it’s hard to doubt Moscow’s defense as their big 3 defensemen will give them a considerable advantage. Lastly, while Tobias Reinhart @Spaz has been a solid goalie over this past season posting a 0.923 SV% and a 2.43 GAA, Emeritus might just be too much to handle. This could be a surprisingly close series that Riga may finally be able to win, but it will be a tall task to dethrone the 4-time Continental Cup finalists.
 
Prediction: Moscow in 7
VSN vote: MOS 5, RIG 4
 
Conference Finals
 
 D.C. (1) vs. Seattle (2) 
 
Possibly one of the most long-awaited series in the North American Conference, D.C. and Seattle have been going toe-to-toe all season with D.C. dominating Seattle in the regular season winning 4 of the 5 games. For Seattle this series may just come down to rookie goaltender Dusty Wilson @dustywilson22 who played well this season with a 0.924 SV% and a 2.44 GAA. for D.C. they can expect their offense to take over led by top-defenseman Tui Sova @v.2 who recorded an outstanding 106 points this past season and a greatly improved Ronan Lavelle @Arce who could very well be the expected winner of the Dustin Funk Trophy. This series could potentially go either way, but if the regular season is an indicator of anything D.C. may finally make back it to the Continental Cup Final.
 
Prediction: D.C. in 5
VSN vote: DCD 5, SEA 1
 
 Moscow (1) vs. Helsinki (2) 
 
Another long-awaited series sees the European Conferences top offensive and defensive team taking on Helsinki who if anything has proven that top players Xavier Booberry and Nico Pearce can steal a game and potentially a series. We can probably expect this series to be a battle between Booberry and Papa Emeritus as they are without a doubt the league's top 2 goaltenders with a 0.931 and a 0.939 SV% respectively. With Moscow’s top 2 skaters nearing retirement, this may be one of their final chances at that elusive cup and we can expect Hard Markinson and The Seabasstard @Seabass to not go down without a fight. This should be a fun to watch, low scoring series where either team could come out on top, but at this point it’s hard to doubt Moscow.
 
Prediction: Moscow in 7
VSN vote: MOS 4, HSK 3
 
Continental Cup Finals
 
 Moscow (1) vs. D.C. (1) 
 
In what is Moscow’s 5th consecutive attempt at a Continental Cup they come up against a team that is very much on the rise in D.C.. The Dragons have played well against Moscow and has split the season series 2 games a piece. D.C.’s depth is something that should give them the edge in any series with Taylor Mourning @scoop, Ryan Vidot @Enorama, and Poopy Peepants @JardyB10 dominating the 2nd line/pair of every team all season and they will be a big reason why D.C. will find themselves in the finals and potentially cementing D.C. as Continental Cup Champions. For Moscow to finally reach the cup they will have to best Bubbles Utonium @fishy who has had a very solid season with a 0.928 SV% and a 2.09 GAA. This series could go either way, but D.C. certainly wins the battle on paper.
 
Prediction: D.C. in 6
VSN vote: MOS 2, DCD 5
 
Thank you to everyone for reading and best of luck to each and every team in the playoffs! If you have any predictions of your own feel free to post them in the comments.

Had some downtime on vacation to do the VHFL payout! As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns with your payout either in a DM on forums, or in a PM on Discord. Please don't have questions though.
 
Also, Nico Pearce fans, enjoy your sweet, sweet TPE  
 
How to claim:
Claim uncapped -> Fantasy -> VHFL
 

Rank Group 1 TPE 1 @Dom (GM) 1470 6+1 2 @Girts 1443.6 5 3 @UnkemptCL4PTP- 50% payout 1392.7 4->2 4 @DQ 1383.2 3 5 @aimkin 1330.8 2 6 @Phil 1325.3 1  

Rank Group 2 TPE 1 @Quik 1522 6 2 @Ahma 1378.8 5 3 @Jubis 1353 4 4 @hedgehog337 1340.6 3 5 @Doomsday (GM) 1248.4 2+1 6 @Vkobe-v 939.8 1  

Rank Group 3 TPE 1 @Ricer13 (GM) 1570.3 6+1 2 @Lemorse7 1536.8 5 3 @DMaximus 1395.7 4 4 @BarzalGoat 1267.4 3 5 @N0HBDY 1261.6 2 6 @Lilpfigher 1256.6 1  

Rank Group 4 TPE 1 @Beketov (GM) 1553.3 6+1 2 @JardyB10 1542 5 3 @Daniel Janser 1357 4 4 @JCarson 1327.9 3 5 @chikn 1287.8 2 6 @DollarAndADream 1206.9 1  

Rank Group 5 TPE 1 @MubbleFubbles 1536.7 6 2 @Greg_Di 1420 5 3 @Arce (GM) 1415.3 4+1 4 @kelvi 1305.3 3 5 @FrostBeard 1298.7 2 6 @Moon 1137.6 1  

Rank Group 6 TPE 1 @Spartan (GM) 1556.6 6+1 2 @Brandon 1406.4 5 3 @animal74 1348.1 4 4 @frescoelmo 1313.8 3 5 @DQ 1305.8 2 6 @Seabass 1224.9 1  

Rank Group 7 TPE 1 @Enorama 1498.8 6 2 @leandrofg (GM) 1473.3 5+1 3 @Adrest245 1441.1 4 4 @dogwoodmaple 1333.3 3 5 @ajwllmsn 1330.1 2 6 @ThePerfectNut 1132.4 1  

Rank Group 8 TPE 1 @Insypher 1442.6 6 2 @MexicanCow123 (GM) 1410 5+1 3 @JB123 1349.6 4 4 @DQ 1313.8 3 5 @Gaikoku-hito 1313.6 2 6 @Baby Boomer 1288.3 1  

Rank Group 9 TPE 1 @badcolethetitan 1495 6 2 @Bojovnik 1391.3 5 3 @Webberj 1365.4 4 4 @DQ 1361.4 3 5 @Alex (GM) 1324.8 2+1 6 @youloser1337 1322.7 1  

Rank Group 10 TPE 1 @Jason kranz 1446.9 6 2 @BOOM 1408.7 5 3 @zepheter 1337.2 4 4 @thadthrasher (GM) 1267.7 3+1 5 @Rhynex Entertainment 1249.3 2 6 @Berocka 1210.8 1  

Rank Group 11 TPE 1 @CowboyinAmerica (GM) 1461.1 6+1 2 @Crstats23 1378.8 5 3 @Bulduray_1 1350.9 4 4 @weekz 1308 3 5 @rory 1297.4 2 6 @Hendrix Cobberson 1272.9 1  

Rank Group 12 TPE 1 @leafsman (GM) 1550.8 6+1 2 @Hoopydog 1453.4 5 3 @DQ 1421.8 4 4 @Tate 1386.3 3 5 @InstantRockstar 1352.9 2 6 @Hogan 1161.6 1  

Rank Group 13 TPE 1 @Shindigs(GM) 1499.7 6+1 2 @TheNeonShaman 1399.8 5 3 @Thunder 1396.7 4 4 @DQ 1395.1 3 5 @Acydburn 1345.4 2 6 @dlamb 1342.5 1  

Rank Group 14 TPE 1 @STZ 1486.9 6 2 @Frank 1406.2 5 3 @xNJDevilsFanx - 50% 1389.1 4->2 4 @Gustav (GM) 1374.3 3+1 5 @samx 1369.3 2 6 @DoktorFunk 1284.5 1  

Rank Group 15 TPE 1 @MetalToday 1374.6 6 2 @eagle_3450 1347.6 5 3 @DreMin15 1340.3 4 4 @jacobcarson877 (GM) 1311.5 3+1 5 @Banackock 1294.2 2 6 @Anthique 1214.4 1  

Rank Group 16 TPE 1 @MMFLEX 1567.7 6 2 @KaleebtheMighty 1455.7 5 3 @ROOKIE745 1361 4 4 @OrbitingDeath 1338.1 3 5 @fromtheinside (GM) 1263.8 2+1 6 @Agito 1176.1 1  

Rank Group 17 TPE 1 @v.2 (GM) 1595.9 6+1 2 @Scurvy 1528.4 5 3 @jhatty8 1317.4 4 4 @DQ 1308 3 5 @JeffD 1302.2 2 6 @Xflexz 1293.3 1

"Hello there! Welcome to the world of Pokemon! My name is Ptyrell. People call me the random guy who plays forum games on VHL. This world is inhabited by creatures called Pokemon! For some people, Pokemon are pets. Other use them for fights. Myself... I make random Pokemon forum games. First, what is your name? Right! So your name is _____. This is my grandson. He's been your rival since you were a baby. ...Erm, what is his name again? That's right! I remember now! His name is _____. Your very own Pokemon legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with Pokemon awaits! Let's go!"
 
Rivals:
Ash @dlamb vs Gary @Lemorse7
Red @omgitshim vs Blue @Goliathus
Professors:
Prof Oak @JardyB10 and Prof Elm @Devise
Gym Leaders:
Brock @Berocka, Sabrina @Doomsday, and Koga @rory
Team Rocket:
Jesse @Enorama and James @Ricer13
Other:
Officer Jenny @N0HBDY, Nurse Joy @Adrest245, and Bill @OrbitingDeath
 
Game notes:
First off, THANK YOU ALL for taking a chance on joining this game. I initially planned each day phase to take just 1 day and the night phases 1 night. We will start out that way, but if that ends up being too difficult for myself and @Gustav to mod or for the majority of players to get all their actions in, I may extend the days to be 2 days each.
 
Remember to post your day actions here, and night actions in your Discord channel. If you have any questions, please ask.
 
Day 1 Begins!

1. Our team always had that victory cup potential even with losing some key pieces. We were lucky enough to live up to that potential this year.  I'm not surprised by where we are now going  into the playoffs.
 
2. The team is too studded with star status where I think a player from another team will end up winning the mvp. My bet is that pierce the top scorer right now will win the mvp.
 
3.I feel like I had a good bounce back year and I feel good having contributed to our teams positioning in the vhl standings.
 
4.i wanna say Riga will win because somehow we always end up having to go through the reign to get to the finals.
 
5. I will typically throw it out if it's bad enough. I've had some pretty mean ketchup stains on some clothes in the past. That or grease.
 
6.i think your right I'm currently typing this presser out from a back country camping site by a fire. Gotta take advantage of the summer it's so short.

1. I predict that he won't even reach 40 goals, I just don't think his current pace is sustainable.
 
2. I'd say Hard Markinson as we've been teammates forever, and were both from the same draft class. 
 
3. Moscow to win the cup.
 
4. Saku Kotkakoivu, want to draft Markinson but he got drafted the selection before.
 
5. Any game against the Vancouver Wolves is a game I look forward to, they still leave a foul taste in my mouth ya know?
 
6. Dryden, Ont. Had to stay there for work, that place sucks.

The Season is almost over and has about a little less than a week's worth of VHL sims left. Currently most teams are sitting at 64-62 games which leaves every team with about  8 games left to play. 
 
So far it looks like the Moscow Menace are a lock to win the Victory Cup for the 2nd time in a row with only the one team remaining that can statistically challenge them. The D.C Dragons who are sitting at 91 points can still catch up and grab the Victory Cup but it's currently unlikely as they are 11 points behind the Menace in the standings.
 
It also looks like Nico Pearce of the Helsinki Titans is running away with the Kevin Brooks Trophy this year as he's currently got 53 goals and is 8 goals ahead of the next player, Duncan Idaho of the D.C. Dragons. However Idaho is only 4 points behind Pearce for the Mike Szatkowski Trophy race and can still get hot and take at least a trophy away from Pearce who looks like he might take multiple VHL awards home this year. 
 
Out of our defenders this year it seems like the Sterling Labatte Trophy will go to either Tui Sova of the D.C Dragons or Hard Markinson of the Moscow Menace. Both Defenders had a amazing campaigns so far in S84 and both look like they'll break the 100 point milestone for the year. That being done by a defender is remarkable and both players should get some credit for that. However only one can come out with the Labatte Trophy and this stretch at the end of the season might just decide who wins it. It's that close.
 
Papa Emeritus seems to have the Aidan Shaw Trophy locked in. He's been consistently great for the Menace and it's not too often you see a goaltender with and over .940 Save Percentage. That's nuts. 

This week, Moscow centerman, The Seabasstard managed to score his 30th goal of the season. That is a great accomplishment for him as he rebounds from last season where he didn't even eclipse the 30 mark. It looked as if age was finally setting in for The Seabasstard as he started to regress in S83 his 6th VHL season scoring 29 goals. This year it seems like the captaincy has sprung new life into him as he seems to be playing like the Seabasstard of old. He managed his 30th this year in only his 49th game of the year in Los Angeles as the Moscow Menace cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Stars. Considering he still has 20+ games to play hitting the 40 goal mark isn't out of the question if The Seabasstard manages to continue scoring at the same pace. 
 
" Well 30 isn't too big of a deal to me, 40 would be nice I'd much rather hit the 50 mark for the first time as I've missed the 50 mark by 1 goal twice now, I would just love to be able to say I've scored 50 in a season."
 
I think 50 is out of reach but it isn't wrong to dream right? 

This week, Moscow centerman, The Seabasstard managed to score his 30th goal of the season. That is a great accomplishment for him as he rebounds from last season where he didn't even eclipse the 30 mark. It looked as if age was finally setting in for The Seabasstard as he started to regress in S83 his 6th VHL season scoring 29 goals. This year it seems like the captaincy has sprung new life into him as he seems to be playing like the Seabasstard of old. He managed his 30th this year in only his 49th game of the year in Los Angeles as the Moscow Menace cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Stars. Considering he still has 20+ games to play hitting the 40 goal mark isn't out of the question if The Seabasstard manages to continue scoring at the same pace. 
 
" Well 30 isn't too big of a deal to me, 40 would be nice I'd much rather hit the 50 mark for the first time as I've missed the 50 mark by 1 goal twice now, I would just love to be able to say I've scored 50 in a season."
 
I think 50 is out of reach but it isn't wrong to dream right? 

1. Well obviously what were doing right now is working, keeping a goal differential like what we got now is a great way to get him more wins. We got to keep up the pressure and not make it easy on other teams.
 
2. Well I think it's obvious to say that we've got Warsaw's number this year. D.D defintely gives us the bigger challenge.
 
3. @animal74has always been a good contributor, loved his work for VSN.
 
4. I desire a Continental Cup more than I do a jersey retirement, still I would be very honored to have my jersey raised up in Moscow. However everytime I would look at my jersey hanging there i'd be reminded of how I haven't been able to bring the cup here. 
 
5. He's scoring again! He hasn't scored at this rate since the Meta years, I thought my 40 goal seasons were a thing of the past. 
 
6. I'm contractually required to say Popeye's Chicken is the best.

1. Well obviously what were doing right now is working, keeping a goal differential like what we got now is a great way to get him more wins. We got to keep up the pressure and not make it easy on other teams.
 
2. Well I think it's obvious to say that we've got Warsaw's number this year. D.D defintely gives us the bigger challenge.
 
3. @animal74has always been a good contributor, loved his work for VSN.
 
4. I desire a Continental Cup more than I do a jersey retirement, still I would be very honored to have my jersey raised up in Moscow. However everytime I would look at my jersey hanging there i'd be reminded of how I haven't been able to bring the cup here. 
 
5. He's scoring again! He hasn't scored at this rate since the Meta years, I thought my 40 goal seasons were a thing of the past. 
 
6. I'm contractually required to say Popeye's Chicken is the best.

Over the weekend the Moscow Menace faced two good teams and contenders to take away the top spot in the league away from the Menace. They dropped two against the D.C Dragons, one in the shootout, one in regular time  and they won in the shootout versus the Warsaw Predators. 
 
The Moscow Menace still managed to come out of the weekend holding the top spot in the VHL standings with 55 points. Both D.C and Warsaw are right behind them tied for 2nd in the league standings with 54 points, but Warsaw has one less game played so there's still lots of time for the standings to change that as we're only just over halfway through the season. 
 
The Menace coach however must be really happy with his team's play against Warsaw this season. The Menace have now collected 10 points in the standings out of a 12 possible points in their games played against the Predators having won 5 out of the 6 games played against the conference rival team. Not only that but they also managed to outscore the Predators 27 to 12 this season so far thanks to two shutouts by Menace goaltenders and two blowout games. The Menace really do seem to have the Predators number this year. 
 
 

The news this morning mentioned that Moscow Menace's team captain, The Seabasstard has been arrested after a traffic stop revealed him driving a "hot boxed" car that was previously rolling under the speed limit on the highway. 
 
A search of the vehicle resulted in the find of 4 rolled marijuana cigarettes which is a criminal offense in Russia and can cost you up to 15 days of jail time. This is not the kind of headline a team would want to see out of their captain.
 
Footage taken by a bystander's cell phone has been circling social media this morning. The footage shows The Seabasstard's M3 BMW being impounded on site and the player being lead into the back of a police cruiser in handcuffs. 
 
Rumour has it that once at the police station, the police found out who The Seabasstard was and they were all big fans and released him without charges after the player agreed to volunteer at a local policemen gala event. 
 

The Moscow Menace are currently participating in a dogfight for the 1st place in the VHL Standings. The team is currently sitting with 34 points in the standings which is good for third in the VHL tied with D.C. Dragons and 1 point behind the Chicago Pheonix and Warsaw Predators who are both tied for the top spot at 35 points. 
 
The team has underwent a bit of a culture change the last couple of seasons, first starting with the trade of superstar Paul Atreides to Toronto two seasons ago and then last offseason with the trade of their longtime captain Duncan Idaho to the Dragons. Yet, every year somehow, Moscow still ends up being one of the most competitive teams in the VHL and has made the Continental Cup Finals the last 4 years. A lot of the success has to do with the General Manager of the team, Spartan who has made the right moves at the right time to keep us cap compliant and competitive. It's not easy leading the team to 4 straight cup finals but Spartan has made it look easy. He's still waiting for his first championship as a GM however and we're all eager to finally kill this finals curse and win it all. 
 
Today we're going to be talking about our new guys from this season. Yeah I know there's been a few new faces the past few years but I'll just be focusing on the guys who made their Menace debut in Season 84. 
 
Flynn Remy
 
Remy is the only player to be featured in this article that isn't a rookie. He was acquired in the offseason from Helsinki in a trade that sent back our third round pick in the S85 draft. @jhatty8 has been around the VHL for a bit and from what I've seen he's pretty active guy and I've never played with him before so I was pretty happy to get to opportunity to know the guy. Remy had a pretty good rookie S82 rookie season in Helsinki, posting a career high of 44 points but seemed to have regressed offensively in his sophomore season reaching only 29 points. It was pretty surprising however to see a 5'8" defender putting up over a hundred hits in a season so there is a physical element to this player's game. 
 
We're about a quarter of the way into the season and Remy is already doing better playing in Moscow and is sitting with 18 points in 25 games.  He's been defensively sound and has shown a lot of discipline out on the ice. He's only got the 11 PIM for the season and he's been a solid, low maintenance solution on the Menace's back end.
 
Jason Argos
 
The first rookie to be featured in this article is Jason Argos. I also believe this is @Insypher's first player, correct me if I'm wrong. Argos was drafted by Menace with the last selection of the third round of the S82 draft. He's had some pretty impressive numbers in the VHLM hitting 91 points in 72 games for the Mexico City Kings in S82 and getting 58 points in 72 games the next season with the Instanbul Red Wolves of the VHLE. He seems to be a player that also has a lot of grit to his his game as he's also got 100+ hits in his last few seasons in the VHLM/VHLE. 
 
On the Menace's 2nd line Argos has done well, putting up 10 points and going +11 in 25 games. He's already collected 81 hits and brought a lot of energy to his line and has been just as effective physically at the VHL level as he has been in the lesser leagues. He's been a solid contributor to this team and i'm looking forward to see how he progresses from here. 
 
Tomas Sogaard
@Brandon
 
Tomas Sogaard has some draft pedigree as he was drafted 8th overall in the S83 VHL Entry Draft. Last year he was playing on the same squad as Moscow's other rookie Argos for the Instanbul Red Wolves and even though Sogaard eclipsed Argos in TPE, the older player Argos posted the better offensive numbers. Sogaard finished his last season in the VHLE with 42 points in 72 games with the Red Wolves.
 
This year the Menace gave him the opportunity to start the season playing on the team's first line. Sogaard took that opportunity and ran with it as he's collected 19 points in 25 games and has been on the VHL's rookie leader board since the season began. As of today he's the 7th best scoring rookie in the VHL and he's just 4 points away from tying the rookie scoring leader, James Teekirque of HC Davos. What a great start to the year this kid is having, he already looks like he belongs in the VHL.
 
 

1. We have the best fans behind us, pushing us to be very best. The atmosphere here in Moscow is great and were very motivated to bring our fans the best hockey we can. 
 
2. It doesn't really matter as long as I get that sweet TPE. 
 
3. Good question i'm not sure as I never imagined playing on another team else than the Menace. I'd probably be on a team I've played for before with my past players like Prague of Davos. 
 
4. It's part of being a GM to be resilient to the criticism around the VHL. I wouldn't want to be a GM as it requires a shit ton of free time, which I don't have. Don't have the committment level to be a GM.
 
5. I'd bring it home to show my friends and family, but i'll definitely be sleeping with the cup and drink/eat out of it. Who knows maybe i'll even fill it with Popeye's Chicken.
 
6. Last time I was on youtube I was looking up how to fix my truck.

The news this morning mentioned that Moscow Menace's team captain, The Seabasstard has been arrested after a traffic stop revealed him driving a "hot boxed" car that was previously rolling under the speed limit on the highway. 
 
A search of the vehicle resulted in the find of 4 rolled marijuana cigarettes which is a criminal offense in Russia and can cost you up to 15 days of jail time. This is not the kind of headline a team would want to see out of their captain.
 
Footage taken by a bystander's cell phone has been circling social media this morning. The footage shows The Seabasstard's M3 BMW being impounded on site and the player being lead into the back of a police cruiser in handcuffs. 
 
Rumour has it that once at the police station, the police found out who The Seabasstard was and they were all big fans and released him without charges after the player agreed to volunteer at a local policemen gala event. 
 

The Moscow Menace are currently participating in a dogfight for the 1st place in the VHL Standings. The team is currently sitting with 34 points in the standings which is good for third in the VHL tied with D.C. Dragons and 1 point behind the Chicago Pheonix and Warsaw Predators who are both tied for the top spot at 35 points. 
 
The team has underwent a bit of a culture change the last couple of seasons, first starting with the trade of superstar Paul Atreides to Toronto two seasons ago and then last offseason with the trade of their longtime captain Duncan Idaho to the Dragons. Yet, every year somehow, Moscow still ends up being one of the most competitive teams in the VHL and has made the Continental Cup Finals the last 4 years. A lot of the success has to do with the General Manager of the team, Spartan who has made the right moves at the right time to keep us cap compliant and competitive. It's not easy leading the team to 4 straight cup finals but Spartan has made it look easy. He's still waiting for his first championship as a GM however and we're all eager to finally kill this finals curse and win it all. 
 
Today we're going to be talking about our new guys from this season. Yeah I know there's been a few new faces the past few years but I'll just be focusing on the guys who made their Menace debut in Season 84. 
 
Flynn Remy
 
Remy is the only player to be featured in this article that isn't a rookie. He was acquired in the offseason from Helsinki in a trade that sent back our third round pick in the S85 draft. @jhatty8 has been around the VHL for a bit and from what I've seen he's pretty active guy and I've never played with him before so I was pretty happy to get to opportunity to know the guy. Remy had a pretty good rookie S82 rookie season in Helsinki, posting a career high of 44 points but seemed to have regressed offensively in his sophomore season reaching only 29 points. It was pretty surprising however to see a 5'8" defender putting up over a hundred hits in a season so there is a physical element to this player's game. 
 
We're about a quarter of the way into the season and Remy is already doing better playing in Moscow and is sitting with 18 points in 25 games.  He's been defensively sound and has shown a lot of discipline out on the ice. He's only got the 11 PIM for the season and he's been a solid, low maintenance solution on the Menace's back end.
 
Jason Argos
 
The first rookie to be featured in this article is Jason Argos. I also believe this is @Insypher's first player, correct me if I'm wrong. Argos was drafted by Menace with the last selection of the third round of the S82 draft. He's had some pretty impressive numbers in the VHLM hitting 91 points in 72 games for the Mexico City Kings in S82 and getting 58 points in 72 games the next season with the Instanbul Red Wolves of the VHLE. He seems to be a player that also has a lot of grit to his his game as he's also got 100+ hits in his last few seasons in the VHLM/VHLE. 
 
On the Menace's 2nd line Argos has done well, putting up 10 points and going +11 in 25 games. He's already collected 81 hits and brought a lot of energy to his line and has been just as effective physically at the VHL level as he has been in the lesser leagues. He's been a solid contributor to this team and i'm looking forward to see how he progresses from here. 
 
Tomas Sogaard
@Brandon
 
Tomas Sogaard has some draft pedigree as he was drafted 8th overall in the S83 VHL Entry Draft. Last year he was playing on the same squad as Moscow's other rookie Argos for the Instanbul Red Wolves and even though Sogaard eclipsed Argos in TPE, the older player Argos posted the better offensive numbers. Sogaard finished his last season in the VHLE with 42 points in 72 games with the Red Wolves.
 
This year the Menace gave him the opportunity to start the season playing on the team's first line. Sogaard took that opportunity and ran with it as he's collected 19 points in 25 games and has been on the VHL's rookie leader board since the season began. As of today he's the 7th best scoring rookie in the VHL and he's just 4 points away from tying the rookie scoring leader, James Teekirque of HC Davos. What a great start to the year this kid is having, he already looks like he belongs in the VHL.
 
 

The Moscow Menace are currently participating in a dogfight for the 1st place in the VHL Standings. The team is currently sitting with 34 points in the standings which is good for third in the VHL tied with D.C. Dragons and 1 point behind the Chicago Pheonix and Warsaw Predators who are both tied for the top spot at 35 points. 
 
The team has underwent a bit of a culture change the last couple of seasons, first starting with the trade of superstar Paul Atreides to Toronto two seasons ago and then last offseason with the trade of their longtime captain Duncan Idaho to the Dragons. Yet, every year somehow, Moscow still ends up being one of the most competitive teams in the VHL and has made the Continental Cup Finals the last 4 years. A lot of the success has to do with the General Manager of the team, Spartan who has made the right moves at the right time to keep us cap compliant and competitive. It's not easy leading the team to 4 straight cup finals but Spartan has made it look easy. He's still waiting for his first championship as a GM however and we're all eager to finally kill this finals curse and win it all. 
 
Today we're going to be talking about our new guys from this season. Yeah I know there's been a few new faces the past few years but I'll just be focusing on the guys who made their Menace debut in Season 84. 
 
Flynn Remy
 
Remy is the only player to be featured in this article that isn't a rookie. He was acquired in the offseason from Helsinki in a trade that sent back our third round pick in the S85 draft. @jhatty8 has been around the VHL for a bit and from what I've seen he's pretty active guy and I've never played with him before so I was pretty happy to get to opportunity to know the guy. Remy had a pretty good rookie S82 rookie season in Helsinki, posting a career high of 44 points but seemed to have regressed offensively in his sophomore season reaching only 29 points. It was pretty surprising however to see a 5'8" defender putting up over a hundred hits in a season so there is a physical element to this player's game. 
 
We're about a quarter of the way into the season and Remy is already doing better playing in Moscow and is sitting with 18 points in 25 games.  He's been defensively sound and has shown a lot of discipline out on the ice. He's only got the 11 PIM for the season and he's been a solid, low maintenance solution on the Menace's back end.
 
Jason Argos
 
The first rookie to be featured in this article is Jason Argos. I also believe this is @Insypher's first player, correct me if I'm wrong. Argos was drafted by Menace with the last selection of the third round of the S82 draft. He's had some pretty impressive numbers in the VHLM hitting 91 points in 72 games for the Mexico City Kings in S82 and getting 58 points in 72 games the next season with the Instanbul Red Wolves of the VHLE. He seems to be a player that also has a lot of grit to his his game as he's also got 100+ hits in his last few seasons in the VHLM/VHLE. 
 
On the Menace's 2nd line Argos has done well, putting up 10 points and going +11 in 25 games. He's already collected 81 hits and brought a lot of energy to his line and has been just as effective physically at the VHL level as he has been in the lesser leagues. He's been a solid contributor to this team and i'm looking forward to see how he progresses from here. 
 
Tomas Sogaard
@Brandon
 
Tomas Sogaard has some draft pedigree as he was drafted 8th overall in the S83 VHL Entry Draft. Last year he was playing on the same squad as Moscow's other rookie Argos for the Instanbul Red Wolves and even though Sogaard eclipsed Argos in TPE, the older player Argos posted the better offensive numbers. Sogaard finished his last season in the VHLE with 42 points in 72 games with the Red Wolves.
 
This year the Menace gave him the opportunity to start the season playing on the team's first line. Sogaard took that opportunity and ran with it as he's collected 19 points in 25 games and has been on the VHL's rookie leader board since the season began. As of today he's the 7th best scoring rookie in the VHL and he's just 4 points away from tying the rookie scoring leader, James Teekirque of HC Davos. What a great start to the year this kid is having, he already looks like he belongs in the VHL.
 
 

Congratulations to you both! It was an honor to be able to play with both of you and it was fun to share our consecutive trips to finals with you two. Too bad we couldn't get it done but we still had a blast.
 
Well deserved guys 

Well we're almost a week in to the season and the Moscow Menace haven't been as dominant in season's past. They currently sit 4th in the European Conference with 11 points in the standings with a goal differential of 11. Which isn't all that bad considering the team lost their superstar Duncan Idaho to a offseason trade and they're the only team to use up two backup goaltender games. 
 
The team is currently being lead in points by veteran defender Hard Markinson who has been a fire and is currently sitting third on the leagues top scoring list, 1st among the league's defenders. Henri Le Massif has also been great in Idaho's absence putting up 14 points in ten games and has fit on the team's top offensive line very well. 
 
Even though the team sits in 4th place, team captain The Seabasstard has plenty of faith in his team.
 
"I think we're just about to heat up here honestly. I'm very confident in this group and most of our losses have been by just the one goal. We underwent some changes this offseason and I think we we're all just trying to establish some new line chemistry for a bit. Now that we've shaken the rust off a bit I think your about to see this team take off. We're only just finding our game and I think you'll see us closer to the top of the conference come the trade deadline. The young guys have also been phenomenal and I'm certain that even with Idaho here this year we're still going to be a damn good team."

Congratulations to you both! It was an honor to be able to play with both of you and it was fun to share our consecutive trips to finals with you two. Too bad we couldn't get it done but we still had a blast.
 
Well deserved guys 

It's been quite a while since I made one of these posts, but it is the perfect time to do so. While the two players being recognized today are not yet retired, both no longer play for Moscow - and one is in town to play against the Menace in tomorrow's sim. Both players are due to retire at the end of this season, and considering their backstory, it makes perfect sense for both to be retired together.
 
Anyways, into the ceremony!
 
---
 
Our first jersey retirement is going to one of the most underrated players in franchise history, and also the first draft pick I ever made as Moscow's GM back in S77 at first overall. Despite not receiving any individual recognition during his time on Moscow, he attained 3rd place on the franchise's leaderboard for points - also currently 2nd in franchise goals, 7th in franchise assists, and 3rd in game winning goals. It's certain that without this player, Moscow would not have gone to the finals in S80, S81 or S82, as he finished with 73 playoff points in just 55 games. He finished his Moscow career with 432 GP, 220 G, 288 A, and 508 P.
 
This user is also receiving his second jersey retirement here in Moscow, previously behind the winningest goaltender in Moscow franchise history. He is one of the best people I have encountered in all of sim leagues, and his personality along with his passion for the VHL led me to select him first overall. It remains one of my best moves as a GM, and his contributions to the franchise as a player, the locker room as a user, and an advisor to me in management are unforgettable. He makes sim leagues fun, and the community a better place.
 
I am extremely thrilled to announce the jersey retirement of:
 
C - Paul Atreides - @Mr_Hatter

 
---
 
Our second retiree is in town tonight, preparing to face off against the Menace tomorrow after a trade last off-season that sent him to the D.C. Dragons. We wanted to recognize him before his first game back in Moscow, as his legacy is simply that of the best player in Moscow's history. Tied for 2nd in franchise games played with 504, he finished 1st in franchise regular-season goals, points, PIMs (lol), hits, shots, and game winning goals. Looking at his playoff contributions, he also finished first in franchise post-season goals, points, PIMs (smh), hits, shots, and game winning goals. Clearly, he holds the majority of franchise records in both the regular-season and post-season.
 
Along the same veins as Paul Atreides, this player was also among the very first crop of players I selected to join Moscow in the S77 Draft, but at 3rd overall. He has been another crucial part of our core, leading the franchise to four European Conference championships and four Continental Cup finals in a row. As a player, he served as captain, and as a user, another trusted advisor who contributed to the overall direction of the franchise from behind the scenes.
 
A surefire Hall of Famer boasting four Boulet trophies in a row, along with an MVP win and RotY trophy, it is my honor to retire the jersey of:
 
RW - Duncan Idaho - @OrbitingDeath

 
---
 
To Hatter - As I've said before, I can't thank you enough for agreeing to return to Moscow for the greater part of a second player's career, trusting me with your player and assisting from the shadows.
 
To OD - Thank you for believing and supporting in me and the direction of the team. Your assistance throughout the seasons meant more than you know, and I'm glad you've also become a hardcore Moscowite.
 
Best of luck to you both as you finish out your careers ❤️
 
Obligatory @Beketov tag to add this to the retirement post.

1. I have no concern yet this team is fully capable of making the playoffs and yes we're in 4th place but all of our losses were mostly by one goal. We're not that far away from finding our groove.
 
2. Henri was also a talented player in his own regard, your just noticing him a lot more now that Idaho is gone. He's had a great start to this season and i'm happy for him.
 
 3. Soogard has been a pleasant surprise he doesn't even look like a rookie out there he has transitioned to the VHL very well. I can see him ending the year being a PPG player. 
 
4.The Americans having the one win. Didn't think they'd be that bad.
 
5. I'm just more busy in the summer time with my job and of course my hobbies, I'm still able to come on and update and chat with my teammates though so we're good, just busy.
 
6. I just came back from a camping trip with my homies. Went to do some offroading and fishing too. Fun stuff

Please don't trade me. 
 
Kidding aside thank you for the honor it's a pleasure to serve this team as captain. The franchise is going to be going through a transition period and i'm happy to lead this team through that and I hope to then pass the torch to our next big superstar. 
 
Even though we're going through some roster changes I still think this is a competitive team and I can still see us making another deep run this year. Lets go team

rough