Elmebeck

@Tagger you know the saying, Saskatchewan is a mouthful! As Peace says, spend half a season with us. Please.

The Howe clan! Welcome, as I reminded your siblings, cousins and uncles; Gordie Howe was born and raised in Saskatchewan, so it would make sense for you guys to at least start your career at Saskatoon Wild (I don't even know if we have room for all of you at this point, but who cares). But talk to @Peace if you also think it makes sense for the Howe-clan to start where Gordie started. Love the concept!

Again, Gordie Howe was from Saskatchewan, start in Saskatoon Wild with your friends until the draft. It just makes sense. Being a goalie and ours inactive you would start 100% for the rest of the season.

Love the Howe theme going on here! @Molholt , did you know that Gordie Howe was from Saskatchewan and also lived in Saskatoon for a while? So obviously you should start your career in Saskatoon Wild. It's only for half a season, and then we can hopefully pick you up in the draft.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nhl/bhc5sd/picture6685152/alternates/FREE_1140/HansonBrothers.jpg

Love the Howe theme going on here! Saskatoon is your huckleberry! @Doc Holliday, did you know that Gordie Howe was from Saskatchewan and also lived in Saskatoon for a while? So obviously you should start your career in Saskatoon Wild. It's only for half a season, and then we can hopefully pick you up in the draft.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nhl/bhc5sd/picture6685152/alternates/FREE_1140/HansonBrothers.jpg

Love the Howe theme going on here! @emidas, did you know that Gordie Howe was from Saskatchewan and also lived in Saskatoon for a while? So obviously you should start your career in Saskatoon Wild. It's only for half a season, and then we can hopefully pick you up in the draft.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nhl/bhc5sd/picture6685152/alternates/FREE_1140/HansonBrothers.jpg

@Beowoof (love that name btw), did you know that Gordie Howe was from Saskatchewan and also lived in Saskatoon for a while? So obviously you should start your career in Saskatoon Wild. It's only for half a season, and then we can hopefully pick you up in the draft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nhl/bhc5sd/picture6685152/alternates/FREE_1140/HansonBrothers.jpg

SASKATOON WILD Saskatchewan, more than a mouthful. Sales pitch below, I guess you're a returning player or recreate... so well, let's skip the pitch then: you can win a cup with Houston if they still have room, or you can get minutes and some stats in Saskatoon Wild. You probably know @Peace well enough to know what to expect, and can get to know me. https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nhl/bhc5sd/picture6685152/alternates/FREE_1140/HansonBrothers.jpg

@Beketov I am sure you have read my sales pitch in other threads, so I will spare you that, and you know Peace. So you know what to expect if you go with us. Saskatoon will probably struggle a bit for the last part of this season but you will have a good chance at more playing minutes here and getting some points for your career at least, unlike in the top teams. So yeah, if you wish you're welcome at Saskatoon Wild. GM @Peace AGM @Elmebeck

1. Why the "Redemption" part? Redemption from what? 2. You have a history in Houston, Saskatoon and New York.... which is mind blowing... as those are the three teams I have been involved with! Which one did you like most? 3. With the 250 TPE change to go to VHL, does it feel even more important in what choice you make for VHLM, or that you get drafted by the correct team? 4. Out of your previous players, anyone that stands out, had a special build, had really good stats or anything like that? 5. When it comes to VHL later on, any teams or players there that you feel have a bit of preference? 6. If this comeback had a soundtrack, which song would it be?

Heya! @Reverb. We've spoken a bit, if you want to join us for the last part of the season you are super welcome to, otherwise we'll try to catch you in the draft!

1. A recent string of losses, being outscored 16-6, how do you keep morale high? "Happy water with Scwheppes Ginger Ale." *sniggers* No, but seriously, I just try to work harder at training and perform better the next game. I was really unhappy with myself when almost getting to a plus/minus of 0 to go -3 the very next game. I need to work on that part of my game, is all. 2. 47 games into the season defenseman Guy LeGrande leads the Americans in points, does this push forwards to preform better or is LeGrande just that good? Honestly I think he's just that good right now, and played well (despite what he says sometimes ). And also, our forwards are still young. But yeah, we're lucky to have @Steve on our team anchoring the blueline. 3. VHL rookies Dalton Wilcox and Lance Flowers lead both Goals and Assists respectively (not counting LeGrande), do you think one of them takes home Rookie of the Year? I have played with @Dalton Wilcox my whole career so I really hope he can take it, his wrist shot is sick! But I would obviously be happy for @CowboyinAmerica to take it home too. 4. A Red Guy has recently stepped up to the plate at goaltender, with nearly identical SV% and GAA to Gunnarsson, does his improved game garner confidence for the rest of the roster? I think a lot. Especially for the future. It's so important with goaltending, and here we have a prodigy to build off of until we start coming into our true form and dominate the league. 5. With such a young, inexperienced core, who shows the most leadership on and/or off the ice? Disregarding the management, who I think are doing their job well, maybe Steve is the locker room leader, so not just on ice. 6. With 11 roster players eligible for WJC, are tensions higher than usual as national competition picks up? My father who GM's Team Europe picked me, @Ace, @studentized and @Saelven88, so I am hyped to be able to play with them in the tournament!

Press conference for week ending October 13th. Tough week, but now we can possibly relax and just put in time on training, experiment with lines and play more creatively and without pressure, as our position is pretty hard to climb to a playoff position from. It is of course still possible, we'll see how this week goes, but it might be nice to just play and enjoy the ice. 1. Perhaps not the best week last week, at worst ten losses in a row. Were we that outplayed do you feel, or just a bit of bad luck with bounces and margins? 2. Which snacks do you bring to the locker room ahead of a game or a training? 3. How do you feel about the S70 changes to the Career Point Tasks? (https://vhlforum.com/topic/70624-career-point-task-change/) 4. How are you liking your current ice time? 5. Do you have a rival on a competing team? 6. With the Trade Deadline coming up, do you think we will see any big moves in either VHLM or VHL? (Edit, it's spelled Deadline, not Deadling )

How much does the give/take away ratio mean when it's about a fifth of those who actually get ice time and handle the puck, one wonders.

Huge, Wang! (I have no shame editing when it's available)

TEAM EUROPE, WJC S68 EU STAFF Pär-Mårten Elmebeck (GM) Lincoln Tate (Assistant GM) Guy LeGrande (Assistant to the Assistant GM) EU ROSTER AVERAGE TPA AT TIME OF PICKS Europe: 276 Canada: 240 USA: 214 Asia: 210 World: 172 Team Europe are clearly the favorites with this roster and it is up to them to lose the gold, but can they contain Morpheus (@Abaddon)? WJC GM Elmebeck had this to say, "I am very happy with the roster me and our team have put together, now it's up to us to make sure the lines work, and up to the players to perform to the high expectations. The whole of Europe is watching us and we won't fail them!" @Tate, the assistant GM, nodded during the press conference, "This is one of the strongest showings in years, I really hope we can win this comfortably and with a performance we don't have to feel ashamed about." Guy LeGrande (@Steve), the assistant to the assistant GM offered, "This is the opposite of the Monroe doctrine." The press, Elmebeck and Tate look a bit lost while trying to parse what LeGrande just had said, but somehow it made some sort of sense. Elmebeck caught his bearings, "If USA falls to us we could call it a part of the Marshall Plan? An attempt to save Europe's pride?" Pity laughter ensued among the reporters at the weak joke. Elmebeck cleared his throat with some embarrassment. A Finnish reporter stepped in, "Sinulla on joukkueessa kolme ruotsalaista ja kolme suomalaista, onko tämä tarkoitus?" Elmebeck without missing a beat, "Kyllä, halusin tasapainottaa sen ja saada edustajia myös Islannista ja Tanskasta, mutta valitettavasti ketään norjalaista ei ollut valittavissa turnaukseen." The press conference was about to end, people shuffled down towards the openings as one more question was raised loudly before the two coaches and the assistant to the assistant could escape, "Attakallio (@Bobby Bummhole), what made you pick him at 39 TPE?! Has he even played this season?" Elmebeck removed his glasses and squinted, "Because he called me and asked to be on the team," he paused gravely, "and I have never seen anyone opening a door to the bench as well as he does. He'll be great, and that's that." The reporter got a bit more combative in his tone, "How do you explain skimming over @Edustava and Ohradka (@animal74) then? I thought your son played with them in Houston? Not to mention your neglected to pick Petrovic (@Tyler)?!" "Because I don't play favorites like that. Obviously both I and Fredrik would have liked to have both of them, and I was heavily considering Petrovic, but as long as I knew they were picked by World or Asia I wanted to go for some players slightly better than them. This is my team, not Fredrik's..." Pär-Mårten paused again, "...and certainly not yours." "Is that how you run Mississauga?" the reporter continued in an accusing tone. "Do you even follow hockey? I am assisting the GM in Saskatoon Wild, not goddamned Mississauga Feebles. Now, thank you very much for this opportunity to present our team. We have work to attend to." "The public has a right to know! What about Jokinen! Swedish bias?!", the reporter shouted while raising his fist as security started to remove him from the room. Elmebeck's thoughts were on the lines already, "Lehtinen - Eller - Nolan would make sense for 1st line? Wouldn't it? Wouldn't it..." AVE EUROPE NOSTRA VERA PATRIA (Thanks to @Ahma for help with the Finnish grammar, sorry for not being able to pick you)

I always support the underdog, GO USA! Go get that Bronze!

Team Europe's proud selection! Guys, if you got tagged, join us on Discord here: https://discord.gg/fc6kAZb or reach out to me at VerloreneSiege#9910 C Frans Eller @Ace C Kaspars Claude @Bruins10 C Balentine Kidd @TukTukTheGreat LW Teemu Lehtinen Jr @Sixersfan549 LW Sigard Gunnar @Big Mac LW Soren Jensen @Velevra RW Owen Nolan @studentized RW Mac Hooper @MacH RW Roadkill Steve @stevo D Wolf Stanson Jr @Cornholio D Fredrik Elmebeck @Elmebeck D Pierre Persson @Dominus89 D MORPHEUS DESTRUCTIOUS @Abaddon G Thorvald Gunnarsson @Saelven88 G Toppi Attakallio @Bobby Bummhole

The Asian media was not as excited at the new GM announcement and wrote articles asking how could the committee hire an outsider with no Asian background to lead the national team and especially someone who had no hockey experience. “Language issues and cultural differences surely explain part of the attacks,” he reasons. "But I believe I can change the media’s mind once the team hits the ice and I implements my strategy for this years tournament.” You will get expelled or jailed at that rate.

Pär-Mårten Elmebeck, AGM Saskatoon Wild, GM Team Europe S68 Each morning he gets up Pär-Mårten dies a little. Can barely stand on his feet, takes a look in the mirror and cries. He works hard every day of his life, works 'til he aches in his bones, at the end of the day he takes home his hard earned pay all on his own. Get down on his knees and starts to pray... 'til the tears runs down from his eyes. Says, "Lord, somebody, ooh somebody! Please, can anybody find me somebody to score?" Hockey has become his vocation and refuge from the burning loneliness. PM, as he is called by the team and friends, had a late start coaching, only starting when his first son joined the local little league team in rural Sweden where they were living. As Fredrik Elmebeck got better, and PM's other sons also started playing, he kept pace with his sons, taking the coaching and everyday running of the clubs evermore serious. Stuck on a farm in the middle of Sweden and only small, non-professional teams, in the vicinity and his wife leaving him for a chimney sweeper, he brought his two sons to Västerås (the clearly best team if compared to Malmö) to give his gifted sons a better chance at growing in hockey and hopefully become professionals. After winning several lower league cups with the Västerås youth team, he moved up with his son Fredrik to the Swedish Hockey League and managed to win three years in a row, first two as Assistant GM and the third as GM proper. His life would be dominated by his son though, following him wherever he went. So when Fredrik got contracted by Houston Bulls under @FrostBeard he immediately started looking for positions in North America. For S68 an opportunity at Saskatoon Wild opened up, and PM immediately jumped on the opportunity, calling @Peace to see what the prolific GM would need from him. Peace seemed to like the eagerness to learn and took on the aging, but successful GM from Sweden as assistant. As his latest laurel, on advice from his Saskatoon-GM and with broad support from both players and other GM's, he applied for leading Team Europe in the World Junior Championships. As staff he took on two untested, but veteran players, that were looking to possibly go into management after their playing careers were over, in @Tate and @Steve. And a board of advisors lead by @Esso2264 and @Peace. The next weeks will tell whether his and his teams' success in North America continues or not. We watch the shows, we watch the stars On TV for hours and hours We hardly need to use our ears How hockey changes through the years Let's hope you never leave old friend Like all good things on you we depend So stick around 'cause we might miss you When we grow tired of all this slashing You had your time, you had the power You've yet to have your finest hour Hockey (hockey) -- Freddie Quicksilver, Six Offenders bowler, avid hockey and P-M Elmebeck fan under Cricket Commissioner @berocka

Ahead of announcing the rosters GM Elmebeck was caught on a Danish radio station saying that "Europe should easily win this." When asked about why that was, when Team World has done so well last year he dropped the bomb, -To be honest I think World looks worst out of the lot, quite a bit worse than Asia. USA looks to be in the middle and Canada looks good, but Europe looks amazing. -How do you mean amazing? -A difference of almost 40 TPA between 1st and 2nd team in mean TPA, a 100 TPA difference between Europe and World. -So you're confident you'll win? [Elmebeck laughs] -Not at all. Not at all. I've been involved in hockey for long enough to know that's not a given. I do feel it's up to us to lose it though, we're just that much better. ...on paper. -But it will be a good tournament? -The best one in a long time.

260 Vancouver Wolves @ Helsinki Titans 261 Moscow Menace @ New York Americans 262 Prague Phantoms @ Seattle Bears 263 Calgary Wranglers @ Toronto Legion

Helsinki 4-2

Awesome choice for GM pick

*COUGHS*