Brrbisbrr

It seems weird that on a 90 degree day with a hurricane churning not far away hockey is on someone’s mind.  Word has just been sent by Samuel Ross’s agent, Brrbis Brr that Ross will declare for the VHL draft.  Ross released this statement just minutes ago.

       After hours of thoughts and prayers I have decided to continue to pursue my dream of playing professional hockey in the VHL.  Although I did have the option to be a major star in the VHL minor system, I feel like I have gotten as much as I could have accomplished at that level.  I also would not want to take a spot away from an aspiring star just to be dominant in the minors.  That is not what the minors mean to me.  I would like to thank my now former GM AcydBurn for giving me a contract, a chance and being a straight up guy with me.  I would like to thank my Ottawa teammates for a great season and memories that I will cherish until the end.  Not many players win championships in their rookie seasons and that is something to be proud of.  I know I have a long road ahead of me and I am going to struggle.  I hope that any general manager that is willing to draft me realizes that also.  I am not afraid of hard work and I’m not afraid of being a good teammate.  Thank you
 

It seems weird that on a 90 degree day with a hurricane churning not far away hockey is on someone’s mind.  Word has just been sent by Samuel Ross’s agent, Brrbis Brr that Ross will declare for the VHL draft.  Ross released this statement just minutes ago.

       After hours of thoughts and prayers I have decided to continue to pursue my dream of playing professional hockey in the VHL.  Although I did have the option to be a major star in the VHL minor system, I feel like I have gotten as much as I could have accomplished at that level.  I also would not want to take a spot away from an aspiring star just to be dominant in the minors.  That is not what the minors mean to me.  I would like to thank my now former GM AcydBurn for giving me a contract, a chance and being a straight up guy with me.  I would like to thank my Ottawa teammates for a great season and memories that I will cherish until the end.  Not many players win championships in their rookie seasons and that is something to be proud of.  I know I have a long road ahead of me and I am going to struggle.  I hope that any general manager that is willing to draft me realizes that also.  I am not afraid of hard work and I’m not afraid of being a good teammate.  Thank you
 

575 words, claiming for September 1st
 
#6

Saturday, August 31st: 
 
Just as it started, so it has come to an end. My season in the VHLM has come and gone, and at the end of it all, we are the champions!!!!!! Queue the music, Queen, confetti, champagne, the whole nine yards. The run has been nothing short of spectacular, and all I can say is that it has been an absolute pleasure. The Ottawa franchise is one of if not the most historic left in the league, and I am so proud that we were able to add to that legacy. Bringing the Founder’s Cup back to the Lynx was like a dream come true. Granted, I’ve only been attached to the franchise rather briefly, since the draft, but in time I’ve really come to respect and feel at home with the team. I can’t say enough how good the organization has been to me. 
 
Acyd and Hulk, they really were there for us in the locker room. Any questions we had, concerns we wanted to raise, we could go to them and they would help. I think that attitude really trickled down into the players dispositions. I’m sure everyone swears by their locker room as the best locker room, and to be honest, I’m not going to try and pretend with that whole “oh but ours actually is,” because let’s be real, that is some bullshit. All I will say is our locker room was all that I was hoping for and more. All I can say is that I hope wherever I end up in after the VHL draft has the same kind of feeling to it. I know that might be hard to replicate (and even harder to continue winning silverware into my first season in the VHL), but one can hope! Speaking of, the draft is coming up, and I am beyond excited. 
 
I have no idea where I will end up in the draft. All I know is that with two expansion teams, anything can happen. Of course, it doesn’t seem too likely at this moment that many of the current 10 teams will need to draft a starter right away. Maybe one of them. And while I’m not completely disregarding the idea of trying to work my way up to a starting position, I really would like to try and compete as the first choice in net within a year. Maybe that’s a bit of a stretch to hope for, but what else should I do? I don’t know, but I can’t help but shoot for the top right off the bat. 
 
Of course, there is always the possibility that the expansion teams work out a deal of some kind with one of the current teams. Perhaps they agree to take one of the young goalies in the expansion draft in exchange for some picks in the future, and then the current team in turn takes me in the draft. In that case, maybe I could be on a contender, and competing soon. Or maybe that won’t happen and I’ll be taken by an expansion team. That would be exciting indeed, maybe even preferable! Don’t get me wrong, I understand it might be a long road ahead, but I have no doubt that we could build a real competitor within the context of my career. And hey, even if we can’t, at least it will be fun starting off a franchise on the right foot. 
 

Great season Minnesota don't let this sweep tarnish how great of a team y'all were.  This series was not indicative of the amount of fear y'all put in our locker room all year long.  I wish you guys nothing but the best going forward.
 
To my Ottawa teammates:  Thanks for a great rookie season, I can't tell everyone how special you have made the vhlm for me.  I'm glad I got the chance to meet each and every one of you and I hope our paths cross again.  

Great season Minnesota don't let this sweep tarnish how great of a team y'all were.  This series was not indicative of the amount of fear y'all put in our locker room all year long.  I wish you guys nothing but the best going forward.
 
To my Ottawa teammates:  Thanks for a great rookie season, I can't tell everyone how special you have made the vhlm for me.  I'm glad I got the chance to meet each and every one of you and I hope our paths cross again.  

Great season Minnesota don't let this sweep tarnish how great of a team y'all were.  This series was not indicative of the amount of fear y'all put in our locker room all year long.  I wish you guys nothing but the best going forward.
 
To my Ottawa teammates:  Thanks for a great rookie season, I can't tell everyone how special you have made the vhlm for me.  I'm glad I got the chance to meet each and every one of you and I hope our paths cross again.  

Great season Minnesota don't let this sweep tarnish how great of a team y'all were.  This series was not indicative of the amount of fear y'all put in our locker room all year long.  I wish you guys nothing but the best going forward.
 
To my Ottawa teammates:  Thanks for a great rookie season, I can't tell everyone how special you have made the vhlm for me.  I'm glad I got the chance to meet each and every one of you and I hope our paths cross again.  

You forgot to add the three extra from step 10

This week in Lynx hockey 
 

Welcome back to another installment of this week in Lynx hockey.  The final week of the regular season was a successful one for Ottawa as they leaped over Philadelphia and took first place in a wild week.  This sets Ottawa up with a date with Las Vegas in the first round.  As of this writing, Ottawa is up 3-1 on Las Vegas.  More on that later.  The Lynx were well represented at the top of the regular season statistical leader board.  They have the top 3 overall scorers as well as a leader in assists, plus minus, shots and hits.  The stats are there for every one to see so I will skip to what we all came to hear about…Playoff Predictions!!!

Ottawa vs. Las Vegas

This series seems almost already over as of this writing.  Ottawa is up 3-1 after winning 3 straight.  I wouldn’t count anyone out because it is the playoffs, but Las Vegas has not looked impressive at all against Ottawa.  Even in their win, the Aces were out shot by a wide margin.  Sub par play by goalie Samuel Ross was the culprit.  Ross eventually recovered and beat Vegas in game 3.  So far in this series Anthony Amberback has been the teams biggest  threat.  He has 2 first stars and his defense has kept shots low.  Maybe he’s an early playoff MVP.  Who knows?  Thorny Underyew is playing lights out again, scoring 10 points in the 4 games.  I wonder if this will spring him into the number one spot in the VHL draft?
Halifax vs. Yukon
 
This matchup pitted 2 of the hottest teams against each other.  Yukon had a great last month as it took down some of the elite of the vhlm and making a case for them to be considered elite as well.  They had the VHL’s best defense and arguably the top goalie in the league.  This has not seemed to help them much as they are down to Halifax 3-1.

Minnesota and Philadelphia have already ended their series.  Houston put up a good fight against Minnesota as game 4 ended in a 1-0 shutout.  This pits both teams against each other next round.  I’m going to assume Halifax and Ottawa win their series for my predictions.  So here goes..

                                                                                                                                                                    Minnesota vs. Philadelphia
 
Philadelphia has kind of cooled off the last month, allowing Ottawa to take the top spot from them.  So far it hasn’t hurt them in the playoffs, but it might here.  Minnesota isn’t quite unbeatable anymore, but they have some great weapons and I think they might actually take down Philadelphia in this matchup.  It’s a classic offense vs. defense battle as both teams have great defenders but I give Philly the edge here.  For Minnesota, the opposite seems true to me.  Berocka Sundqvist has been consistently great scoring goals for the Storm.  I think he will be a key this series.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Minnesota pulled it off but it will take 6 or 7 games.  This might be the most difficult series to speculate on.
               
Ottawa vs. Halifax
 
Isn’t it funny how things seem to work out?  For a good chunk of the season Halifax had Ottawa’s number.  Ottawa took down Minnesota for their first loss, then got beaten by Halifax the next game.  Ottawa seemed to have cracked the code on Halifax as it went on a 2nd half tear.  Halifax also had a GM change, did that contribute to Halifax losing it’s magic?  Maybe we will find out in this series.  I’m not quite so sure this series will go as long as Minnesota versus Philly.  I’m going to take Ottawa in 5.  Ottawa’s defense has caught up to it’s blistering offense.  The Lynx goaltending has worked very hard as a unit and now both goalies could have starting spots for teams.  With 3 hundred point scorers Ottawa’s offense will put the 21st away.
 
This brings us to Minnesota versus Ottawa.  This series should be great.  Maybe even one that gets the VHLM a little more respect.  Could it be one of the best of all time?  I think so.  It features plenty of star power, lots of two way defensive play, and lots of talented forwards. Will Sundqvist get enough offensive help to overcome Ottawa’s offensive barrage?  Will Virgil Ligriv out duel Raymond Bernard?  Will Finnegan MacBurn’s physical play continue through these playoffs?  I don’t think so.  I’m going to call Ottawa in 7.  Thorny, Zeno and Anthony Hawk will be the difference makers for Ottawa.  Hawk’s physical play will be too much to handle and Bernard will be his steady, calm and cool self.  I can’t think of a better series to end season 67.  

This week in Lynx hockey 
 

Welcome back to another installment of this week in Lynx hockey.  The final week of the regular season was a successful one for Ottawa as they leaped over Philadelphia and took first place in a wild week.  This sets Ottawa up with a date with Las Vegas in the first round.  As of this writing, Ottawa is up 3-1 on Las Vegas.  More on that later.  The Lynx were well represented at the top of the regular season statistical leader board.  They have the top 3 overall scorers as well as a leader in assists, plus minus, shots and hits.  The stats are there for every one to see so I will skip to what we all came to hear about…Playoff Predictions!!!

Ottawa vs. Las Vegas

This series seems almost already over as of this writing.  Ottawa is up 3-1 after winning 3 straight.  I wouldn’t count anyone out because it is the playoffs, but Las Vegas has not looked impressive at all against Ottawa.  Even in their win, the Aces were out shot by a wide margin.  Sub par play by goalie Samuel Ross was the culprit.  Ross eventually recovered and beat Vegas in game 3.  So far in this series Anthony Amberback has been the teams biggest  threat.  He has 2 first stars and his defense has kept shots low.  Maybe he’s an early playoff MVP.  Who knows?  Thorny Underyew is playing lights out again, scoring 10 points in the 4 games.  I wonder if this will spring him into the number one spot in the VHL draft?
Halifax vs. Yukon
 
This matchup pitted 2 of the hottest teams against each other.  Yukon had a great last month as it took down some of the elite of the vhlm and making a case for them to be considered elite as well.  They had the VHL’s best defense and arguably the top goalie in the league.  This has not seemed to help them much as they are down to Halifax 3-1.

Minnesota and Philadelphia have already ended their series.  Houston put up a good fight against Minnesota as game 4 ended in a 1-0 shutout.  This pits both teams against each other next round.  I’m going to assume Halifax and Ottawa win their series for my predictions.  So here goes..

                                                                                                                                                                    Minnesota vs. Philadelphia
 
Philadelphia has kind of cooled off the last month, allowing Ottawa to take the top spot from them.  So far it hasn’t hurt them in the playoffs, but it might here.  Minnesota isn’t quite unbeatable anymore, but they have some great weapons and I think they might actually take down Philadelphia in this matchup.  It’s a classic offense vs. defense battle as both teams have great defenders but I give Philly the edge here.  For Minnesota, the opposite seems true to me.  Berocka Sundqvist has been consistently great scoring goals for the Storm.  I think he will be a key this series.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Minnesota pulled it off but it will take 6 or 7 games.  This might be the most difficult series to speculate on.
               
Ottawa vs. Halifax
 
Isn’t it funny how things seem to work out?  For a good chunk of the season Halifax had Ottawa’s number.  Ottawa took down Minnesota for their first loss, then got beaten by Halifax the next game.  Ottawa seemed to have cracked the code on Halifax as it went on a 2nd half tear.  Halifax also had a GM change, did that contribute to Halifax losing it’s magic?  Maybe we will find out in this series.  I’m not quite so sure this series will go as long as Minnesota versus Philly.  I’m going to take Ottawa in 5.  Ottawa’s defense has caught up to it’s blistering offense.  The Lynx goaltending has worked very hard as a unit and now both goalies could have starting spots for teams.  With 3 hundred point scorers Ottawa’s offense will put the 21st away.
 
This brings us to Minnesota versus Ottawa.  This series should be great.  Maybe even one that gets the VHLM a little more respect.  Could it be one of the best of all time?  I think so.  It features plenty of star power, lots of two way defensive play, and lots of talented forwards. Will Sundqvist get enough offensive help to overcome Ottawa’s offensive barrage?  Will Virgil Ligriv out duel Raymond Bernard?  Will Finnegan MacBurn’s physical play continue through these playoffs?  I don’t think so.  I’m going to call Ottawa in 7.  Thorny, Zeno and Anthony Hawk will be the difference makers for Ottawa.  Hawk’s physical play will be too much to handle and Bernard will be his steady, calm and cool self.  I can’t think of a better series to end season 67.  

This week in Lynx hockey 
 

Welcome back to another installment of this week in Lynx hockey.  The final week of the regular season was a successful one for Ottawa as they leaped over Philadelphia and took first place in a wild week.  This sets Ottawa up with a date with Las Vegas in the first round.  As of this writing, Ottawa is up 3-1 on Las Vegas.  More on that later.  The Lynx were well represented at the top of the regular season statistical leader board.  They have the top 3 overall scorers as well as a leader in assists, plus minus, shots and hits.  The stats are there for every one to see so I will skip to what we all came to hear about…Playoff Predictions!!!

Ottawa vs. Las Vegas

This series seems almost already over as of this writing.  Ottawa is up 3-1 after winning 3 straight.  I wouldn’t count anyone out because it is the playoffs, but Las Vegas has not looked impressive at all against Ottawa.  Even in their win, the Aces were out shot by a wide margin.  Sub par play by goalie Samuel Ross was the culprit.  Ross eventually recovered and beat Vegas in game 3.  So far in this series Anthony Amberback has been the teams biggest  threat.  He has 2 first stars and his defense has kept shots low.  Maybe he’s an early playoff MVP.  Who knows?  Thorny Underyew is playing lights out again, scoring 10 points in the 4 games.  I wonder if this will spring him into the number one spot in the VHL draft?
Halifax vs. Yukon
 
This matchup pitted 2 of the hottest teams against each other.  Yukon had a great last month as it took down some of the elite of the vhlm and making a case for them to be considered elite as well.  They had the VHL’s best defense and arguably the top goalie in the league.  This has not seemed to help them much as they are down to Halifax 3-1.

Minnesota and Philadelphia have already ended their series.  Houston put up a good fight against Minnesota as game 4 ended in a 1-0 shutout.  This pits both teams against each other next round.  I’m going to assume Halifax and Ottawa win their series for my predictions.  So here goes..

                                                                                                                                                                    Minnesota vs. Philadelphia
 
Philadelphia has kind of cooled off the last month, allowing Ottawa to take the top spot from them.  So far it hasn’t hurt them in the playoffs, but it might here.  Minnesota isn’t quite unbeatable anymore, but they have some great weapons and I think they might actually take down Philadelphia in this matchup.  It’s a classic offense vs. defense battle as both teams have great defenders but I give Philly the edge here.  For Minnesota, the opposite seems true to me.  Berocka Sundqvist has been consistently great scoring goals for the Storm.  I think he will be a key this series.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Minnesota pulled it off but it will take 6 or 7 games.  This might be the most difficult series to speculate on.
               
Ottawa vs. Halifax
 
Isn’t it funny how things seem to work out?  For a good chunk of the season Halifax had Ottawa’s number.  Ottawa took down Minnesota for their first loss, then got beaten by Halifax the next game.  Ottawa seemed to have cracked the code on Halifax as it went on a 2nd half tear.  Halifax also had a GM change, did that contribute to Halifax losing it’s magic?  Maybe we will find out in this series.  I’m not quite so sure this series will go as long as Minnesota versus Philly.  I’m going to take Ottawa in 5.  Ottawa’s defense has caught up to it’s blistering offense.  The Lynx goaltending has worked very hard as a unit and now both goalies could have starting spots for teams.  With 3 hundred point scorers Ottawa’s offense will put the 21st away.
 
This brings us to Minnesota versus Ottawa.  This series should be great.  Maybe even one that gets the VHLM a little more respect.  Could it be one of the best of all time?  I think so.  It features plenty of star power, lots of two way defensive play, and lots of talented forwards. Will Sundqvist get enough offensive help to overcome Ottawa’s offensive barrage?  Will Virgil Ligriv out duel Raymond Bernard?  Will Finnegan MacBurn’s physical play continue through these playoffs?  I don’t think so.  I’m going to call Ottawa in 7.  Thorny, Zeno and Anthony Hawk will be the difference makers for Ottawa.  Hawk’s physical play will be too much to handle and Bernard will be his steady, calm and cool self.  I can’t think of a better series to end season 67.  

This week in Lynx hockey 
 

Welcome back to another installment of this week in Lynx hockey.  The final week of the regular season was a successful one for Ottawa as they leaped over Philadelphia and took first place in a wild week.  This sets Ottawa up with a date with Las Vegas in the first round.  As of this writing, Ottawa is up 3-1 on Las Vegas.  More on that later.  The Lynx were well represented at the top of the regular season statistical leader board.  They have the top 3 overall scorers as well as a leader in assists, plus minus, shots and hits.  The stats are there for every one to see so I will skip to what we all came to hear about…Playoff Predictions!!!

Ottawa vs. Las Vegas

This series seems almost already over as of this writing.  Ottawa is up 3-1 after winning 3 straight.  I wouldn’t count anyone out because it is the playoffs, but Las Vegas has not looked impressive at all against Ottawa.  Even in their win, the Aces were out shot by a wide margin.  Sub par play by goalie Samuel Ross was the culprit.  Ross eventually recovered and beat Vegas in game 3.  So far in this series Anthony Amberback has been the teams biggest  threat.  He has 2 first stars and his defense has kept shots low.  Maybe he’s an early playoff MVP.  Who knows?  Thorny Underyew is playing lights out again, scoring 10 points in the 4 games.  I wonder if this will spring him into the number one spot in the VHL draft?
Halifax vs. Yukon
 
This matchup pitted 2 of the hottest teams against each other.  Yukon had a great last month as it took down some of the elite of the vhlm and making a case for them to be considered elite as well.  They had the VHL’s best defense and arguably the top goalie in the league.  This has not seemed to help them much as they are down to Halifax 3-1.

Minnesota and Philadelphia have already ended their series.  Houston put up a good fight against Minnesota as game 4 ended in a 1-0 shutout.  This pits both teams against each other next round.  I’m going to assume Halifax and Ottawa win their series for my predictions.  So here goes..

                                                                                                                                                                    Minnesota vs. Philadelphia
 
Philadelphia has kind of cooled off the last month, allowing Ottawa to take the top spot from them.  So far it hasn’t hurt them in the playoffs, but it might here.  Minnesota isn’t quite unbeatable anymore, but they have some great weapons and I think they might actually take down Philadelphia in this matchup.  It’s a classic offense vs. defense battle as both teams have great defenders but I give Philly the edge here.  For Minnesota, the opposite seems true to me.  Berocka Sundqvist has been consistently great scoring goals for the Storm.  I think he will be a key this series.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Minnesota pulled it off but it will take 6 or 7 games.  This might be the most difficult series to speculate on.
               
Ottawa vs. Halifax
 
Isn’t it funny how things seem to work out?  For a good chunk of the season Halifax had Ottawa’s number.  Ottawa took down Minnesota for their first loss, then got beaten by Halifax the next game.  Ottawa seemed to have cracked the code on Halifax as it went on a 2nd half tear.  Halifax also had a GM change, did that contribute to Halifax losing it’s magic?  Maybe we will find out in this series.  I’m not quite so sure this series will go as long as Minnesota versus Philly.  I’m going to take Ottawa in 5.  Ottawa’s defense has caught up to it’s blistering offense.  The Lynx goaltending has worked very hard as a unit and now both goalies could have starting spots for teams.  With 3 hundred point scorers Ottawa’s offense will put the 21st away.
 
This brings us to Minnesota versus Ottawa.  This series should be great.  Maybe even one that gets the VHLM a little more respect.  Could it be one of the best of all time?  I think so.  It features plenty of star power, lots of two way defensive play, and lots of talented forwards. Will Sundqvist get enough offensive help to overcome Ottawa’s offensive barrage?  Will Virgil Ligriv out duel Raymond Bernard?  Will Finnegan MacBurn’s physical play continue through these playoffs?  I don’t think so.  I’m going to call Ottawa in 7.  Thorny, Zeno and Anthony Hawk will be the difference makers for Ottawa.  Hawk’s physical play will be too much to handle and Bernard will be his steady, calm and cool self.  I can’t think of a better series to end season 67.  

Holy crap guys.  I’m hyped, like super seriously hyped.  I’ve come a long way from the country.  We made the playoffs.  Really we outclassed everyone.  There are lots of good teams in this league, but in the regular season we were the best.  We were number 1.  This team is just amazing.  But it’s playoff time.  I never ever thought I would make it this far.  I figured I couldn’t hack it or wouldn’t like being a backup, but wow.  What a season, what a team.  I love these guys.  Everyone gives 100%  I know I’m rambling, but I’m stoked.    I’ve also spent some time talking to a few general managers.  Of course I’ve been talking to Acyd, but our locker room has become a lot more serious.  We still support each other, but the guys are working so hard in practice that we have cut out a lot of small talks and jokes.  It’s all business and focus.  There’s talk of me getting drafted.  Hopefully I will be playing pro hockey.  All of my hard work is coming to fruition.  If we win a championship on top of that?  That makes for one heck of an offseason.  GO LYNX!!!!!!

Holy crap guys.  I’m hyped, like super seriously hyped.  I’ve come a long way from the country.  We made the playoffs.  Really we outclassed everyone.  There are lots of good teams in this league, but in the regular season we were the best.  We were number 1.  This team is just amazing.  But it’s playoff time.  I never ever thought I would make it this far.  I figured I couldn’t hack it or wouldn’t like being a backup, but wow.  What a season, what a team.  I love these guys.  Everyone gives 100%  I know I’m rambling, but I’m stoked.    I’ve also spent some time talking to a few general managers.  Of course I’ve been talking to Acyd, but our locker room has become a lot more serious.  We still support each other, but the guys are working so hard in practice that we have cut out a lot of small talks and jokes.  It’s all business and focus.  There’s talk of me getting drafted.  Hopefully I will be playing pro hockey.  All of my hard work is coming to fruition.  If we win a championship on top of that?  That makes for one heck of an offseason.  GO LYNX!!!!!!

Holy crap guys.  I’m hyped, like super seriously hyped.  I’ve come a long way from the country.  We made the playoffs.  Really we outclassed everyone.  There are lots of good teams in this league, but in the regular season we were the best.  We were number 1.  This team is just amazing.  But it’s playoff time.  I never ever thought I would make it this far.  I figured I couldn’t hack it or wouldn’t like being a backup, but wow.  What a season, what a team.  I love these guys.  Everyone gives 100%  I know I’m rambling, but I’m stoked.    I’ve also spent some time talking to a few general managers.  Of course I’ve been talking to Acyd, but our locker room has become a lot more serious.  We still support each other, but the guys are working so hard in practice that we have cut out a lot of small talks and jokes.  It’s all business and focus.  There’s talk of me getting drafted.  Hopefully I will be playing pro hockey.  All of my hard work is coming to fruition.  If we win a championship on top of that?  That makes for one heck of an offseason.  GO LYNX!!!!!!

Holy crap guys.  I’m hyped, like super seriously hyped.  I’ve come a long way from the country.  We made the playoffs.  Really we outclassed everyone.  There are lots of good teams in this league, but in the regular season we were the best.  We were number 1.  This team is just amazing.  But it’s playoff time.  I never ever thought I would make it this far.  I figured I couldn’t hack it or wouldn’t like being a backup, but wow.  What a season, what a team.  I love these guys.  Everyone gives 100%  I know I’m rambling, but I’m stoked.    I’ve also spent some time talking to a few general managers.  Of course I’ve been talking to Acyd, but our locker room has become a lot more serious.  We still support each other, but the guys are working so hard in practice that we have cut out a lot of small talks and jokes.  It’s all business and focus.  There’s talk of me getting drafted.  Hopefully I will be playing pro hockey.  All of my hard work is coming to fruition.  If we win a championship on top of that?  That makes for one heck of an offseason.  GO LYNX!!!!!!

VHL Season 68 Expansion
 
The VHL has recently announced that it will expand. Not just by one team but two glorious teams will be joining the illustrious ranks of the Victory Hockey League. What does that mean for us? You may be asking yourself. It means my friends that it's time for rampant speculation on where these two new teams will be located!
 
Now a traditional viewpoint would suggest that one North American team and one European team would be added to their respective conferences. That may be the easiest set up to wrap our minds around and quickly organize. I believe a double expansion is indicative of a new age dawning upon the VHL and the time is ripe for breaking with the traditional conference lines. I think the league could benefit from a little shake up, not a major one mind you, and my list of locales takes that into account while trying to also present solid options for those of the league who would like to stick closer to the status quo.
 
European options would predominantly fall into the more conservative of the choices. Here are a few locations that I believe could be solid options to add into the league.
 
Belfast- Northern Ireland's capital city and birthplace of the Titanic. Don't let that fact scare you off.
 
Warsaw- The capital of Poland has a mermaid monument at it's center despite it's landlocked status. Confusing or intriguing you decide.
 
Prague- Capital of the Czech Republic has the beautiful Charles Bridge spanning the Vltava river. I know first hand how beautiful this city is.
 

 
The Americas are where I start to present some locations that are a little off the map.
Yes the choice of Americas as opposed to "North" America was intentional.
 
Oakland- A part of the San Francisco Bay area and the silicon valley. A hot spot of technology is a very appropriate choice to carry the league into the future.
 
New Orleans- The big easy is known for its music, cuisine, and festive atmosphere. It just screams fun, even if it isn't a traditional hockey market.
 
Rio de Janeiro- Speaking of festive Rio is home to the largest Carnival festival in the world. Home to the 2016 summer Olympics and quite possibly a VHL expansion team.

 
Locations based outside of the Americas or Europe are the biggest stretch when it comes to expansion but tap into markets where growth could be the highest due to that exact same factor.
 
Tokyo- Japan's capital brings an intriguing mix of rich history and ultra modern influences to every aspect of life. Giving an expansion team options on which direction to go and which conference they could shuffle into.
 
Hong Kong- A portion of China that was ceded to the British in 1842 with the Treaty of Nanking after the first opium war. A territory that tends to be a little different than it's parental country. An interesting place for a VHL expansion team.
 
Sydney- One of Australia's largest cities is known more for its seaside tourism than anything else.
 

 
I know most of these locations won't be at the top of the leagues list. I would like to point out that a large portion of these locations are major population centers. It could be a breath of fresh air to have some locations further from the north pole. I mean modern technology has allowed teams to thrive in places like Mexico. Why not push the boundaries further?
 
Claiming for 6 tpe week of 8/18 theme week extra.
 Word count 579

Hello ladies and gentlemen, what a week it has been!  Your Ottawa Lynx are number one in the VHL.  There is lots of news to cover not only with the Lynx but the VHL as a whole.  As far as Ottawa goes, it has been a very successful week!  Ottawa has overtaken Philadelphia for first place, leading the VHLM by 4 points with only 8 games to go.  If Ottawa wins 5 out of those 8 they lock up the number one seed in the playoffs.  Can they do it?  What does this mean for their championship hopes?  Will they get revenge for last season?
 
                 As far as players go, Zeno Miniti still has the lead in points with 127.  Thorny Underyew is second with 110 while Anthony Hawk has 99.  Ottawa also has the league’s top 3 goal scorers, Underyew has potted 55, Miniti has scored 50 and Hawk has netted 46.  What a season these guys are having.  Finnegan MacBurn has snuck into the top 10 in points for defenseman, putting up a 5 point game this week.  The biggest storyline is what has been going on with Raymond Bernard?  He has been getting less and less starts as the year goes on.  While backup Samuel Ross has been playing great, he is certainly not the superstar in making that Bernard has been this season.  I have heard from sources though that it’s just rewarding Ross for working hard as a backup.  I have it on good record that the reason Ross started against Philadelphia (which Ottawa won in a shootout 3-2) was to show that Ottawa had the tools to win no matter who was in net.  There doesn’t seem to be any grumbling from the locker room, so I doubt this will be much of an issue heading into the playoffs.  We will see.
 
                As for the big VHL news, word from the league is that it is expanding to 12 teams.  The board of directors, overjoyed at the amount of VHLM players trying to make the jump, voted last week on the expansion.  My sources say it will be one North American team and one team from Europe or Asia.  Expansion teams usually start out slowly in the VHL but this year does have a strong crop of rookies.
 
               So where exactly will they expand to?  Right now there are a lot of major US cities without a franchise.  Do the directors try to tackle some of the bigger leagues for fans?  Should they try a small town with no competition?  How about a non traditional hockey market? San Diego and Mexico City have VHLM teams and while both are not super successful in the standings, they seem pretty strong financially.  I highly doubt it is enough to move a major franchise in.  Personally I would like to see a Kansas City franchise.  The KC area has had successful franchises in other sports and seem to have great fan presence every year.  If the team is successful, the fans will show up.  People in Kansas City don’t need a championship to come out, as long as the team plays well, they will support well.
             
              On the European side, that is kind of a tough one.  A lot of the major European cities have a franchise.   Do you really want to put a team in soccer crazy Rome, Spain, or London?  Cologne has already had their shot.  Would Berlin be any better?  Paris is soccer crazy as well.  Most of the major hockey crazed cities have franchises.  I propose Prague.  Prague has a rich history with hockey and has produced great players before.  I think it would be close enough to Germany to get some fans from that area.  Another bonus is that it is close to Riga and could be a great rivalry to the Reign.
That’s it for this week in Lynx hockey.  
 
           Next week will be the playoff preview as the Lynx try to bring home another cup.  It’s still too early to call who they will be playing as there are lots of leap frogging that could take place!

Word around the league is that the big boys are expanding.  I’m really not surprised.  I’ve met great guys from all over and the minors are getting larger and larger.  It’s something I ain’t seen before.  I know those guys are going to struggle, and I’m sure I will be working under new gms but it would be fun to be a part of a team’s history.  They haven’t announced where the teams would be, but as much fun as Ottawa is, it would be cool to be in another part of the US.  Europe would be neat too, if that’s where they go.  I don’t know much about the new gms but I know one ran Ottawa before I came.  Acyd says they’re both great, but he’s a nice guy and would probably say that about most people.  Maybe he’s a little too nice,  All I know is that if you would have told me I would be going from not knowing my hockey future to making it to a major league I would have scoffed.  Here am I though, one of the top winning percentages in the league despite playing 16 games.  I got a big win against Philly, that was nice and made me feel like I belong at this level with this team.    What a crazy ride this has been.  

Hello ladies and gentlemen, what a week it has been!  Your Ottawa Lynx are number one in the VHL.  There is lots of news to cover not only with the Lynx but the VHL as a whole.  As far as Ottawa goes, it has been a very successful week!  Ottawa has overtaken Philadelphia for first place, leading the VHLM by 4 points with only 8 games to go.  If Ottawa wins 5 out of those 8 they lock up the number one seed in the playoffs.  Can they do it?  What does this mean for their championship hopes?  Will they get revenge for last season?
 
                 As far as players go, Zeno Miniti still has the lead in points with 127.  Thorny Underyew is second with 110 while Anthony Hawk has 99.  Ottawa also has the league’s top 3 goal scorers, Underyew has potted 55, Miniti has scored 50 and Hawk has netted 46.  What a season these guys are having.  Finnegan MacBurn has snuck into the top 10 in points for defenseman, putting up a 5 point game this week.  The biggest storyline is what has been going on with Raymond Bernard?  He has been getting less and less starts as the year goes on.  While backup Samuel Ross has been playing great, he is certainly not the superstar in making that Bernard has been this season.  I have heard from sources though that it’s just rewarding Ross for working hard as a backup.  I have it on good record that the reason Ross started against Philadelphia (which Ottawa won in a shootout 3-2) was to show that Ottawa had the tools to win no matter who was in net.  There doesn’t seem to be any grumbling from the locker room, so I doubt this will be much of an issue heading into the playoffs.  We will see.
 
                As for the big VHL news, word from the league is that it is expanding to 12 teams.  The board of directors, overjoyed at the amount of VHLM players trying to make the jump, voted last week on the expansion.  My sources say it will be one North American team and one team from Europe or Asia.  Expansion teams usually start out slowly in the VHL but this year does have a strong crop of rookies.
 
               So where exactly will they expand to?  Right now there are a lot of major US cities without a franchise.  Do the directors try to tackle some of the bigger leagues for fans?  Should they try a small town with no competition?  How about a non traditional hockey market? San Diego and Mexico City have VHLM teams and while both are not super successful in the standings, they seem pretty strong financially.  I highly doubt it is enough to move a major franchise in.  Personally I would like to see a Kansas City franchise.  The KC area has had successful franchises in other sports and seem to have great fan presence every year.  If the team is successful, the fans will show up.  People in Kansas City don’t need a championship to come out, as long as the team plays well, they will support well.
             
              On the European side, that is kind of a tough one.  A lot of the major European cities have a franchise.   Do you really want to put a team in soccer crazy Rome, Spain, or London?  Cologne has already had their shot.  Would Berlin be any better?  Paris is soccer crazy as well.  Most of the major hockey crazed cities have franchises.  I propose Prague.  Prague has a rich history with hockey and has produced great players before.  I think it would be close enough to Germany to get some fans from that area.  Another bonus is that it is close to Riga and could be a great rivalry to the Reign.
That’s it for this week in Lynx hockey.  
 
           Next week will be the playoff preview as the Lynx try to bring home another cup.  It’s still too early to call who they will be playing as there are lots of leap frogging that could take place!

Hello ladies and gentlemen, what a week it has been!  Your Ottawa Lynx are number one in the VHL.  There is lots of news to cover not only with the Lynx but the VHL as a whole.  As far as Ottawa goes, it has been a very successful week!  Ottawa has overtaken Philadelphia for first place, leading the VHLM by 4 points with only 8 games to go.  If Ottawa wins 5 out of those 8 they lock up the number one seed in the playoffs.  Can they do it?  What does this mean for their championship hopes?  Will they get revenge for last season?
 
                 As far as players go, Zeno Miniti still has the lead in points with 127.  Thorny Underyew is second with 110 while Anthony Hawk has 99.  Ottawa also has the league’s top 3 goal scorers, Underyew has potted 55, Miniti has scored 50 and Hawk has netted 46.  What a season these guys are having.  Finnegan MacBurn has snuck into the top 10 in points for defenseman, putting up a 5 point game this week.  The biggest storyline is what has been going on with Raymond Bernard?  He has been getting less and less starts as the year goes on.  While backup Samuel Ross has been playing great, he is certainly not the superstar in making that Bernard has been this season.  I have heard from sources though that it’s just rewarding Ross for working hard as a backup.  I have it on good record that the reason Ross started against Philadelphia (which Ottawa won in a shootout 3-2) was to show that Ottawa had the tools to win no matter who was in net.  There doesn’t seem to be any grumbling from the locker room, so I doubt this will be much of an issue heading into the playoffs.  We will see.
 
                As for the big VHL news, word from the league is that it is expanding to 12 teams.  The board of directors, overjoyed at the amount of VHLM players trying to make the jump, voted last week on the expansion.  My sources say it will be one North American team and one team from Europe or Asia.  Expansion teams usually start out slowly in the VHL but this year does have a strong crop of rookies.
 
               So where exactly will they expand to?  Right now there are a lot of major US cities without a franchise.  Do the directors try to tackle some of the bigger leagues for fans?  Should they try a small town with no competition?  How about a non traditional hockey market? San Diego and Mexico City have VHLM teams and while both are not super successful in the standings, they seem pretty strong financially.  I highly doubt it is enough to move a major franchise in.  Personally I would like to see a Kansas City franchise.  The KC area has had successful franchises in other sports and seem to have great fan presence every year.  If the team is successful, the fans will show up.  People in Kansas City don’t need a championship to come out, as long as the team plays well, they will support well.
             
              On the European side, that is kind of a tough one.  A lot of the major European cities have a franchise.   Do you really want to put a team in soccer crazy Rome, Spain, or London?  Cologne has already had their shot.  Would Berlin be any better?  Paris is soccer crazy as well.  Most of the major hockey crazed cities have franchises.  I propose Prague.  Prague has a rich history with hockey and has produced great players before.  I think it would be close enough to Germany to get some fans from that area.  Another bonus is that it is close to Riga and could be a great rivalry to the Reign.
That’s it for this week in Lynx hockey.  
 
           Next week will be the playoff preview as the Lynx try to bring home another cup.  It’s still too early to call who they will be playing as there are lots of leap frogging that could take place!

Hello ladies and gentlemen, what a week it has been!  Your Ottawa Lynx are number one in the VHL.  There is lots of news to cover not only with the Lynx but the VHL as a whole.  As far as Ottawa goes, it has been a very successful week!  Ottawa has overtaken Philadelphia for first place, leading the VHLM by 4 points with only 8 games to go.  If Ottawa wins 5 out of those 8 they lock up the number one seed in the playoffs.  Can they do it?  What does this mean for their championship hopes?  Will they get revenge for last season?
 
                 As far as players go, Zeno Miniti still has the lead in points with 127.  Thorny Underyew is second with 110 while Anthony Hawk has 99.  Ottawa also has the league’s top 3 goal scorers, Underyew has potted 55, Miniti has scored 50 and Hawk has netted 46.  What a season these guys are having.  Finnegan MacBurn has snuck into the top 10 in points for defenseman, putting up a 5 point game this week.  The biggest storyline is what has been going on with Raymond Bernard?  He has been getting less and less starts as the year goes on.  While backup Samuel Ross has been playing great, he is certainly not the superstar in making that Bernard has been this season.  I have heard from sources though that it’s just rewarding Ross for working hard as a backup.  I have it on good record that the reason Ross started against Philadelphia (which Ottawa won in a shootout 3-2) was to show that Ottawa had the tools to win no matter who was in net.  There doesn’t seem to be any grumbling from the locker room, so I doubt this will be much of an issue heading into the playoffs.  We will see.
 
                As for the big VHL news, word from the league is that it is expanding to 12 teams.  The board of directors, overjoyed at the amount of VHLM players trying to make the jump, voted last week on the expansion.  My sources say it will be one North American team and one team from Europe or Asia.  Expansion teams usually start out slowly in the VHL but this year does have a strong crop of rookies.
 
               So where exactly will they expand to?  Right now there are a lot of major US cities without a franchise.  Do the directors try to tackle some of the bigger leagues for fans?  Should they try a small town with no competition?  How about a non traditional hockey market? San Diego and Mexico City have VHLM teams and while both are not super successful in the standings, they seem pretty strong financially.  I highly doubt it is enough to move a major franchise in.  Personally I would like to see a Kansas City franchise.  The KC area has had successful franchises in other sports and seem to have great fan presence every year.  If the team is successful, the fans will show up.  People in Kansas City don’t need a championship to come out, as long as the team plays well, they will support well.
             
              On the European side, that is kind of a tough one.  A lot of the major European cities have a franchise.   Do you really want to put a team in soccer crazy Rome, Spain, or London?  Cologne has already had their shot.  Would Berlin be any better?  Paris is soccer crazy as well.  Most of the major hockey crazed cities have franchises.  I propose Prague.  Prague has a rich history with hockey and has produced great players before.  I think it would be close enough to Germany to get some fans from that area.  Another bonus is that it is close to Riga and could be a great rivalry to the Reign.
That’s it for this week in Lynx hockey.  
 
           Next week will be the playoff preview as the Lynx try to bring home another cup.  It’s still too early to call who they will be playing as there are lots of leap frogging that could take place!

Draft Interview
 

 
ECN is returning this season with another round of Pre-draft interviews with highly valued prospects. Season 68 VHL Entry draft is showing great promise for many teams willing to stack up on players in the draft. Expansion teams and everyone else, get ready for one of the most flashy and interesting players in VHLM this season. One of the reasons why Ottawa is doing so great - their highly valued centre Thorny Underyew. He has shown many, truly many reasons why a team needing a centreman should pick up T.Underyew. He is clearly one of the best offensive players in VHLM this season.
 
ECN called Thorny Underyew right before his morning practice.
 
- Huge thanks for freeing up some time for an interview. To start off, how would you rank this season for your player?
- This season has completely exceeded my expectation. I was warned that it would be difficult to adjust to the North American pace, and it definitely took me a while, but I think as a team we are completely rolling right now. Everybody is contributing and I can't wait to see how we finish this off.
- What do you believe is the best part of you as a community member and LR presence?
- I bring a certain style to the community and to my teammates. I'm certainly one of the more soft-spoken players in the league, but people do turn their heads when they see me. I like to look good and I like helping my teammates look good too.
- Now to the current draft. Which are the teams that you would like to join in VHL with the help of the draft?
-  I've always liked the idea of playing in Seattle. But to be honest with you I'm just happy to play hockey at the highest level. There are also two new teams coming into play. Who knows where I'll end up!
- What is more important for you - success no matter what or building a legacy with one team?
- That would certainly depend on the team. If I'm somewhere that I love, I won't want to leave. I'll want to grow there and attempt to establish myself as a stalwart of the organization. If the fit isn't right though, I wouldn't be opposed to moving on to pursue my own goals.
- In the end, what do you believe will future bring for you and what is that you want to say to GM's looking at you as a potential draft pick?
- You'll be seeing a lot more of Thorny. And maybe where you least expect it!
- Thanks for the quik interview Mr.Underyew, good luck for the rest of the season!
- Oh, I will be having the best season I have ever had!
 
The clear #1 Forward prospect this draft with great scoring ability and fairly nice defensive game considering how many points Thorny Underyew is able to get throughout a quality season with good teammates. We are predicting that Mr.Underyew will be selected in the Top 2 this upcoming draft as players like him are truly hard to come by. 
 
Everyone on the staff of ECN wishes Mr.Underyew to have the best possible time at the draft and share that beautiful moment of getting drafted with friends and family!
 
People mentioned @jack

I'd give myself a 6/10 on this one. Not my best work. Not really a lot to work with. Text is a little uninspired. Still hope it gets a little use. 
 
@Brrbisbrr

Welcome to the VHL!  You can't really go wrong signing with either of these teams.  Both guys that reached out to you or great.  Don't get discouraged by your numbers, this league is all about hard work and practice rather than individual stats.  Good luck!