mattyIceman

Good evening everyone,
 
It's been another successful season for VSN, in spite of some challenging circumstances. It's a testament to the hard work of all the writers, graphical wizards, contributors, and editors to keep bringing such wonderful content to you, and to continue to innovate and find new ways to do so. They don't get enough credit for that, and you all have my undying gratitude for all of your hard work. 
 
I was floored when Frostbeard handed the reigns of VSN to me upon his stepping down. I had lots of ideas, lots of things I felt I could do to not only keep VSN going strong, but better. With my passion as a writer and overall hype man for VSN, how could it go wrong? Well, as I found out, plenty. As it turns out, being poorly organized is not ideal to managing something like VSN. Combine that with severe anxiety, and I quickly began to realize that as much as I wanted to be, I simply was not suited to this position. At best, I was simply treading water. At worst, I was negatively impacting VSN, and all of those great people deserve more than treading water. I spoke to Beaviss about stepping down, and after confirming that this was indeed what I wanted, and ultimately needed to do, the search for the new Editor-In-Chief of VSN began. 
 
I am here tonight to announce that the Blue Team has completed the search, and that @Mr_Hatter is the new Editor-In-Chief of VSN! Congratulations, I hope that you are more up to this task than I was. I will be doing everything in my ability to make the transition as smooth as possible, including a potential return to the writing ranks of VSN. Part of my discussion with Beaviss was that I did not wish to leave VSN entirely, but would be perfectly happy to resume writing or contributing in any way the new boss found suitable. 
 
Thank you to those who have read this, and keep an eye out for more great VSN content in the days and weeks to come!
 
Love,
 
Dooms
@VSN

1. I have a feeling we’ll make a run at making the playoffs. We were close this season and we’re going to be even better next season.
2. I do not, but I do own a guitar because I was going to learn but never did.
3. Oh wow I had no idea. That awesome! Are you talking about rj or the baby? RJ’s is Julian I believe.
4. Probably Land Rover for the sake of the versatility and just how much of a brute they are.
5. Maybe not on opening night but at least a recognition. I always loved league of extraordinary gentlemen.
6. I never really have any expectations coming into these questions so I never know.

1 - We better not be.
2 - Nope. I was a big music theory nerd though, and my household is full of musicians.
3 - Probably named it after me, so I'm guessing "Terrible"
4 - Lotus, hands down.
5 - Every night should be Bond night. RIP, Mr. Connery.
6 - How are you so big?

London United Press Conference - Week Ending November 8th
 
1.  London finished last, but has the 2nd overall pick in the upcoming draft.  Do you think London will have a lottery pick next season?
2.  Do you play a musical instrument?  If so, why did you chose that/those instruments?
3.  Houston Bulls GM Rjfryman had a baby recently.  What do you think his middle name is?
4.  Which British car manufacturer is your favorite and why?
5.  Sean Connery passed away on Halloween.  Should we have a James Bond 007 Theme Night on opening night?
6.  Which question have you always been ready to answer, but never got asked?
 
@TTtheT @MattyIce @Boragina @Biggreen10 @der meister @SirRupertBarnes @Ninjaboi @SeamusSv
 @okochastar @Enorama @ZP16 @eaglesfan0366 @Nepto @Goliathus

Out with the old and in with the new

Some of you may remember awhile ago @Motzaburger (where are you bud?) and @Da_Berr collaborated on a new logo for the Calgary Wranglers. Some of you may also remember that Bushito, the GM of Calgary at the time, didn't care for it. Well Bush is gone now and @Jubis happens to be quite fond of getting rid of what I have deemed the derp horse. So, even though you have mostly all seen it before, I present to you the new and improved Calgary Wranglers logo!
 

Keeping the colour scheme and the overall theme of the wranglers logo, important for such a historical team, this new logo encompasses the best parts of the Wranglers while removing the slightly, shall we say, Family Guy esk nature of the old logo. The wranglers shall be sporting this new look starting in S75.

Life as a professional hockey player can be stressful and exciting. Games every night, fans and lots of travel. 24 Hours tries to put you in the place of a hockey player for 24 hours. We managed to get 24 hours with Patrik Laine.
 
Hour 1 - Sunday, November 1st, 2020 in Vancouver B.C, 6:00 PM
 
Laine: "Driving to go and watch Game 7 between Vancouver and Toronto. We'll end up playing the winner in the Continental Cup Finals. It's a good opportunity for me to see how both teams play and to visit some old friends on Vancouver. It should be a good game. Venus and King are playing for Vancouver so it'll be good to catch up with them after the game, hopefully I can see a few goals."
 
Hour 2 - 7:00 PM, End of Period 1: Vancouver 2 to Toronto 0
 
Laine: "The first period was actually very exciting to watch. Lots of hitting and a few goals. Venus got one with a quick wrist shot and ended up getting the apple on the second one a few minutes later. Vancouver dominated the shots 14-8 in that period but still lots of game ahead."
 
Hour 3 - 8:00 PM, End of Period 2: Vancouver 2 to Toronto 0
 
Laine: "Play got a lot more physical in that period, lots more checking and a few scrums near the end. Despite Vancouver dominating the shots and having a two goal lead, Toronto really started to push back in that period. They just have to stay out of the box because that could end up costing them.
 
Hour 4 - 9:00 PM, End of Period 3: Vancouver 3 to Toronto 1 (FINAL)
 
Laine: "I said Toronto needed to stay out of the box to stay in the game and what do they do? Take two penalties in the first 3:04 of the period and one of those turns into a power play goal for the Wolves. Vancouver dominated that third period both in shots and physicality. They sat back the last 15 minutes or so holding onto that 3 goal lead. Toronto got one back but only managed 11 shots in that period with no high-danger chances."
 
Hour 4 - 10:00 PM, Vancouver Wolves Locker Room
 
Laine: "Just making my way down to the Vancouver Wolves locker room to catch up with some old friends, also may or may not prank one of them without them realizing. Oh look, there's Kev King."
 
King: "Wait Laine is that you?"
 
Laine: "The one and only."
 
King: "Hey man, how have you been since we left Miami?"
 
Laine: "I've been okay. Still getting used to life in Helsinki but I've been doing alright. How are you?"
 
King: "I've been good, Vancouver has been a nice city to live in."
 
Laine: "I remember staying here for the World Juniors once, it was actually a lot of fun. We did some touring and went and checked some landmarks out. Visited a few restaurants here."
 
King: "Oh yeah. I've checked out a few of the restaurants they have here too. Very good food."
 
Venus: "King, who are you talking to?"

King: "Laine is here."
 
Venus: "Wait, Laine is here? How did you get past Jubo?"
 
Laine: "I told him I had a dentist appointment, and instead flew out here to watch the game."
 
Venus: "SERIOUSLY?"
 
Laine: "Yeah, I don't know how he bought it."
 
Venus: "If I ever come to Helsinki, I'll need to try that one."
 
King: "So, I heard Venus might be lining up across from you for this entire series."
 
Laine: "That'll be fun. I can finally show her how to hit the net with her shots."
 
Venus: "Oh please, that wrist shot I scored on in the first was as good as your shots."
 
Laine: "Fine, I concede."
 
King: "Wait, I just got a text from coach, he wants us on the bus right now. We gotta go to the hotel. See ya later, Laine."
 
Venus: "See ya Laine, prepare to get destroyed tomorrow."
 
Laine: "Alright, it's on. See you on the ice tomorrow."
 
*Sneaks into the Vancouver Locker Room*
 
Laine: "An innocent prank won't hurt anyone, except for me possibly. I brought a bottle of water with me and I'm going to fill Venus' s stick up with water. Alright, now it's time to get out of here."
 
Hour 5 - 11:00 PM, JW Marriott Hotel, Vancouver
 
Laine: "Alright, It's 11. Just arrived at the hotel. I gotta get some shuteye for the games tomorrow. Good night guys"
 
Hour 13 - 7:00 AM, JW Marriott Hotel, Vancouver
 
Laine: "Just woke up, had a good sleep. Gotta get ready though for the long day ahead."
 
Hour 14 - 8:00 AM, Vancouver
 
Laine: "Just on the way to the rink for practice. I'll be mic'd up for practice so you guys can hear everything. Super excited for Games 1 and 2 tonight. Vancouver's fan will be loud but Helsinki will always be louder."
 
Hour 15 - 9:00 AM, Rogers Arena, Practice
 
Laine: "I'll see you guys in a bit, gotta go to practice"
 
MEANWHILE, DURING THE MIC'D UP:
 
-------------------------------------
 
Draven: "You're mic up today?"

Laine: "Yep."

Draven: "Can you say anything smart?"

Laine: "No...usually I don't do that."
 
-----------------------------------------------
 
Laine: "Nice shot Erik, but try to hit the net"
 
-----------------------------------------------
 
Laine: "You got no one else to with, you have to go with me?"
 
Summers: "Yeah"
 
Laine: "Alright"
 
-----------------------------------------------
 
Laine: "Do we have to chip it by the point guy or-"
 
Coach Jubo: "You have the choice to take it in or chip it depending on what you read"
 
Laine: "Oh okay"
 
----------------------------------------------
 
Hour 16 - 11:00 AM
 
Laine: "Sorry it took so long, had a one hour meeting with Jubo. We negotiated a new 3 year contract which is exciting. About to go for lunch"
 
Hour 17 - 12:00 PM
 
Laine: "Just finished lunch, going to take a nap before the game"
 
Hour 21 - 4:00 PM
 
Laine: "Heading to the rink, ready for the game. That nap was nice. Hopefully we can win the first game"
 
Hour 22 - 5:00 PM, Rogers Arena
 
Laine: "Just arrived gotta get my gear ready, I'll be with you guys after the game."
 
BEST LINES: GAME 1:
 
------------------------------------------------
 
Laine: "Holy ****, I didn't know V can shoot like that..."
 
Venus: "Oh please, everyone knows I'm better than you. Even you know it on the inside."
 
Laine: "Maybe, maybe not."
 
Venus: "At least make me try this time."
 
Laine: "Very funny. Bring it on. Don't hold back."
 
-------------------------------------------
 
GAME 2:
 
--------------------------------------------
 
Laine: "Yes, finally he didn't bite glove side. Good thing I got that shot up there."
 
Draven: "You think you can bury one more to make it 3-0?"
 
Laine: "Not sure, but I'll sure as hell try"
 
----------------------------------------
 
Laine: "Summers, what a ****ing pass bud, put that **** on a tee"
 
Summers: "Nice finish on that too"
 
-------------------------------------
 
Venus: "You think the third will be the overtime winner?"
 
Laine: "No, especially not with you guarding me"
 
Venus: "Well with you guarding me, you guys might as well give us the 2-0 series lead now rather than later. It'll only take one shift for me to put a goal in past Driver"
 
Laine: "I won't hesitate to hit you this time"
 
Venus: "Neither will I. Bring it on, Patty."
 
-------------------------------
 
Laine: "YES, NICE ****ING SHOT OKADA"
 
Okada: "YEAH BABY, NICE ****ING PASS"
 
--------------------------------
 
Hour 26 (yes, that is legal) - 9:00 PM, Rogers Arena
  
Laine: "Lost Game 1, but stole Game 2. Happy that the series is tied at 1 as the series shifts to Helsinki."
 
We hope this series will give you a good look into the life of a pro hockey player.
 
(1,243 words)
 
 

I remember that game lmfao

Ah where do I begin? This season has rather been eventful for me. Getting hired as an AGM, becoming a WJC GM, getting nominated for the Elmebeck Memorial award, and getting 400 rep points. Oh yeah, and the VHL Twitter as well. I dunno what to write honestly. It's the end of Vegas's season, and rather than making a sort of player review for my player or just Vegas's season in general, I thought of doing this instead.
 
I honestly never thought I'd be able to be where I am when I first joined on June 12. Holy shit it's November already? It just goes to show how fast time flies eh? When I first joined, I simply thought I was just gonna create my player and figure shit out from there and be as active as I can be. I bet many others probably start out the same. I was lucky enough to have a friend in the VHL before me so I was able to learn a lot quicker then. To think I would be able to make it to this point is kinda just astonishing. I'm just a 16 year old kid, I don't really think much of myself so this means a lot to me.
 
@PatrikLaine I know I shit on you a lot, but thank you so much for introducing this to me bud. I never thought I'd be able to join such a great community and be where I am if it wasn't for you. Like actually, just thanks for introducing this league to me. And I also really want to thank @Spartan as well, for showing me the ropes in Vegas. Without your teachings, I wouldn't be the AGM I am now. I learned a lot during my first season here, and I credit it all to you bud.
 
I also want to thank guys like @MattyIce @Blazzer @NickSunderbruch @Crstats23 @DreMin15 @dariusmarimotoman @a_Ferk @Prout for just being really fun to be around. I know there's a shit ton of guys I want to mention as well, but you all have made my time in the VHL worth every minute. Even the guys who I didn't mention, I also want to thank you guys as well.
 
I also want to thank everyone for the 400 rep points, sure it's not too much compared to others but still, 400 is a lot. I didn't expect my articles and stuff would get that much recognition but I don't think much of myself in the first place. So big thank you for that.
 
Looking forward into the future, I'm still going to keep on going, keep on growing here in the VHL. I still want to have more rep points than @VHL Games and I still want to do my best and become a GM as quickly as possible. I know I still much to learn but hey, who knows what might happen? I'm not particularly good at this sort of thing, but I want to simply just thank Vegas, LA, and everyone else for a great and wonderful season. Anyways to stop people from cringing for my excessive gratitude, I might as well stop this for now and just claim my TPE for the week so I can end it here.
 
(545 words)

Game of Civilization when?

So I've had this idea for way longer than I'd like to admit (think, like, a year), but it wasn't until @rory  and I actually talked about it last week (he's doing VHLM and probably knows his stuff a good deal better than I do) that I actually decided to do it. As luck would have it, I'm out of media spot claims, and I do need to write something (hopefully) substantial to cover for any possible inadequacies/lack of sleep to come in the relatively near future. It's now time to compare every GM to a historical world leader--I may get stuff wrong, I may miss obvious comparisons, but what the hell, I'm not studying history. I'd like to have a good time, fill up the word count, and maybe even learn (and teach) a thing or two.
 
(Teams will be listed in alphabetical order by location)
 
 

@Jubis - Otto von Bismarck

A few seasons ago, Jubis inherited a culture-wise mess in Calgary. The team was decent, but they were plagued by a former GM with long-standing activity issues, internal conflicts including multiple retirements over a certain incident well-known to those who were there to see it, and general recognition around the league as an "instant nope" for many (yours truly at one point). Present-day Germany, too, found itself in a state of disrepair in the mid-late 1800s--the last barely-breathing remnants of the Holy Roman Empire, itself the very last barely-breathing remnants of old-time Rome, were on its way out, and the rest of the area was very loosely defined as the "German confederation," a collection of small sovereign states. In other words, a Calgary-esque hot mess. Cue Bismarck, the brain behind German reunification and Germany's first chancellor, bringing it all together under his power in 1871 and making Germany a strong state which aimed to develop itself as a world power while making peace with those who surrounded it. There can be no better choice for Bismarck than Jubis, who has taken a cultural dumpster fire and maintained the strength of the roster while also making his team a much more desirable destination.
 
 

@JeffD - Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus

Since we're talking GMs of expansion teams, it's a bit hard to differentiate between who's who, but I'll give it a shot. Cincinnatus served as a (Senate-approved) dictator of Rome in 458 BC and resigned after fifteen days. A while later (ok, 19 years later), he would be called off of his farm again to--no joke--crush the uprising of the plebeians. Jeff was a member of the league since S1 and the second-ever GM of Helsinki, but quickly faded into obscurity after a few mediocre players and ended up leaving the league for quite a while. When he came back last year, he'd had something like 20 posts on the forum since 2014, and after a while was offered a GM job in the latest, super-secret 4-team expansion. The only thing that lies slightly out of order here is the uprising of the plebeians--Jeff's appointment was one of a few that sparked controversy as he hadn't recently served as VHLM GM, and the fact that people weren't hired off of a list had some newer members calling for the heads of league leadership.
 
 

@Enorama - Maximilien Robespierre

What the hell? Robespierre? I'll explain in a bit--I almost went with Grover Cleveland for this one (this was difficult, ok?), but I'd rather have something more interesting. For those who are unfamiliar, Robespierre took control of France a little while after their Revolution in 1789, and, well, proceeded to kill everyone who disagreed with him as head of the ironically-named Committee for Public Safety, swiftly rising to power in 1793 and organizing the two-year Reign of Terror during which over 16,000 death sentences were handed out, many of which went to leading government officials. Now, Eno is a fairly reasonable person, and he's certainly never done anything like that, so why the comparison? First of all, his appointment drew some criticism (read: angry media spots) due to lack of VHLM experience, making him somewhat unworthy of the job at first to some, and secondly, he quickly became known for signing players, including those he recruited himself, to lifelong contracts with DC. With Robespierre in power, you wanted to be on his side, and would sign your life away to avoid losing it.
 
 

Myself - Gustavus Adolphus

First of all, how could I not find a Gustav for this one? This actually wasn't even intentional--I was searching up people whose names I remembered from high school history and figured it would be a decent match. Gustavus Adolphus was the king of Sweden between 1611 and 1632, and was primarily known for leading Sweden into the Thirty Years' War (basically this thing where all of Europe decided to kill each other over power and religion). Twelve years in, our friend Gustavus set Sweden up to be one of Europe's greatest military powers, came charging into Europe, and then died in battle after a couple years. Even though he continues to be known and respected as an all-time great military strategist and leader, there's no better allegory for me making a ton of moves before S72 and turning three lotto picks into a load of bad sim luck and no cups.
 
 

@Jubo07- Elizabeth I

 At first I had Jubo down for Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great), but then I thought of this one and found it too good to pass up. Actually the daughter of Henry VIII (and Anne Boleyn, executed for not giving Henry a son), a never-married Elizabeth took the throne in 1588 and held it for 44 years. That same year, some interesting things were brewing over in Spain--King Philip II had built the famed Spanish Armada, the most powerful naval fleet in the world, and launched an attack on England. The English ships, having much less firepower but being a good deal quicker, successfully defended their homeland and took down the Armada upon invasion (the above portrait was then commissioned and sent to Philip, with symbolism all over the place giving a giant middle finger to Spain). Pulling off upset victories like this seems to be Jubo's specialty, as his Titans went all the way to the cup finals last season (and most recently, just knocked off Moscow this season!) despite not looking much like a top-tier team on paper.
 
 

@McWolf - Alfred the Great

One of only two English monarchs to earn the title of "the Great", Alfred became King of the West Saxons in about the year 871 and took over as King of the Anglo-Saxons around 886, where he stayed until 899. After watching his three older brothers take the throne (and die in succession), Alfred took over. As a military leader and diplomat, he successfully fought off an attempt at conquest by the Vikings, and then proceeded to make peace with them and Denmark. Subsequently, he acted as an educational reformer and oversaw a large improvement in his people's quality of life. McWolf, in a similar manner, took a while to reach VHL GM status, being passed over multiple times after his return to the league before finally landing a job in Saskatoon and eventually being promoted to his current role. He has also seen himself appointed to the BoG, where he's one of the more active and reasonable voices in league policy-making and improvement.
 
 

@Josh - John F. Kennedy

I considered making Josh Benedict Arnold purely for leaving me in free agency, but I'm not that mean. Kennedy was well-known for his rise to the American presidency at a young age. His military policies would prove dangerous, speaking with hindsight, but perhaps his most notable achievement was helping to bring about the Civil Rights Act, arguably the most important piece of American legislation in the 20th century, which was passed after his assassination in 1963. Josh is the newest addition to the league's admin team, and while he has been around for a good amount of time less than many others, his work on the portal--arguably the greatest development in VHL history--has proven to be an immeasurable contribution to the current state of the league.
 
 

@FrostBeard - Ivan the Great

Notice how I didn't pick Ivan the Terrible. That would have been terrible, wouldn't it? Ivan III, now known as Ivan the Great, was the Grand Prince of Moscow and leader of Russia from 1462 to 1505. What made him great? After inheriting the throne, he kicked the Mongolian Empire out of Russia, centralized power to form a solid foundation for the Russian Empire, and tripled his territory. Now, I'd be the first to tell you that @Advantage was great in his run in Malmo, but neglecting S68, the franchise was plagued with bad sim luck and was set up for an impending rebuild by the time he stepped down. Frost took over and so far has done a great job with the team--the roster is young and they're already pretty decent, for a while finding themselves on top of the standings this season, with a bright future ahead of them.
 
 

@Victor - Napoleon Bonaparte

Here's where you really expected to see Ivan the Great, or at least someone Russian. Ivan the Terrible didn't really work, the only thing I know about Tsar Nicholas II was WWI, Peter the Great kind of worked but would be a bit of a boring choice, and Vlad the Impaler was actually Romanian. So, after going through everyone that came to mind in that regard, I tried to think in more general terms and settled upon this. After France went and abolished their monarchy in 1789 (and, as we established earlier, had a different sort of an awful situation not too long after), Napoleon took over fifteen years later and...you know, became Emperor. Mission accomplished, France? Anyway, after Napoleon rose to power, France became the dominant power in Europe, as he brought about reform and overhaul of the legal code while expanding the empire. Then, long story short, he was kicked out, came back, traveled up to Paris, and the guy sent to stop him ended up kissing him instead and he briefly became Emperor again. Victor was already established as one of the league's all-time great dictators when he went into exile in the league's notorious almost-dead era, and returned in S60 with a vengeance, introducing Podrick Cast and (fittingly enough) invading Russia upon appointment as GM of Moscow.
 
 

@Esso2264 - Tutankhamun

Here we go back to easily the earliest entry so far (and possibly the earliest entry on the entire list; I'm not going back and editing this one). King Tut is probably best known as one of the stereotypical symbols of ancient Egypt--the mask found in his tomb, above, is probably a picture that many of you have seen many times. But what actually happened with him? Why am I making comparisons? Tut became pharaoh at the grand old age of eight or nine around 1334 BC. Though he died not long after, a few things that happened under his rule are known--he worked to restore old monuments and religion, and relocated the capital to Thebes from Akhetaten. Esso was hired early on in his VHL career, getting a promotion after (I think) only one season with Ottawa, and recently campaigned for a relocation of New York.
 
 

@diamond_ace - Nelson Mandela

Mandela devoted his life to the ideal of ensuring happiness and fair treatment for all people--arrested for life in 1962 for action against his native South African government, he was set free in 1990 amid heightened racial tension and apartheid policies. Four years later, he was elected president. Working to bring an end to racism, as well as to attack problems with the economy, with healthcare, and with HIV/AIDS, and remaining active in these causes after his time in office, Mandela is held in the highest of regard by millions of people around the world. d_a runs Prague in a very player-centric manner, almost never having traded an active player. He's also part of the VHLM commissioner team, which recently has taken to hard enforcement of retention-first policies to benefit newer, lower-TPE members.
 
 

@hedgehog337 - Caesar Augustus

Nope, not Julius, but the one who came after Julius. Appointed Emperor of Rome in the year 27 BC, Augustus had his work cut out for him. His predecessor, you-know-who, was known as a great military leader, and a bit of skirmish erupted after his death over the identity of Rome's next ruler. After defeating one competitor in battle and exiling another, Augustus took over--and began an era of unforeseen peace in the empire known as the Pax Romana. Hedge has been GM of Riga for a very long time (as in, the amount of time I've been in this league isn't even half of it), and as far as I can tell, nobody's ever had a huge issue with Riga. They've consistently been a strong team (as was the Empire under Augustus), but never one that's had conflict.
 
 

@Banackock - Mansa Musa

The empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, located one after another in about the same location in Western Africa, are one of world history's more interesting and overlooked stories. In 1312, Musa took the throne of Mali, and amassed heaping loads of wealth. Mali was already one of the world's largest producers of gold, and on top of that, they were one of the world's largest producers of salt. Then much more difficult to obtain, salt would be traded pound-for-pound for gold from elsewhere. Because of this, Musa is considered one of the wealthiest people to ever live. This past run of Seattle teams has provided the league with some of the wealthiest players in its history, with just about every other cup in recent memory going to the Bears as deals are struck every season to keep it going.
 
 

@Peace - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Atatürk is a bit of an unknown name to some, but he was a very big deal in his country of Turkey. After WWI came the fall of the Ottoman Empire, which opened up possibilities for the future of the region. Atatürk was greatly responsible for governmental reform, personally abolishing the Empire and becoming the first president of the Republic of Turkey. Under his leadership, the country received extensive education reform and westernization, with a greater focus on science and individual freedom than the more authoritarian Islamic ideals of the Empire. Toronto is probably the most radically-changed team in terms of management philosophy that we've seen recently--Peace's predecessor, @Devise, was very well-known for his strategy of trading away every pick, every season. Though there are still some similarities to Devise-style management, Peace has very much taken Toronto and made it his own--any member from the S60s would take one look at the pick tracker and instantly know leadership has changed.
 
 

@Beaviss - Moctezuma II

Moctezuma was actually reasonably effective in his role as leader of the Aztec Empire--becoming Emperor in 1502, he expanded the territory to its greatest-ever extent and was known for centralizing his own power to rule with as little interference as possible. There's only one problem with that, though--the year was then 1520, and a certain Hernán Cortés was knocking on the door from Spain. Sparing a lot of graphic details, the empire fell and so did Moctezuma, who went on to be portrayed in many a historical source as a weak-minded and indecisive ruler. Let's be honest--Beav has done a lot of great work for the league, probably more than most others could ever hope to do. But, there's also no denying that being mean to Beav is practically a sport of its own. For that reason, here's our comparison!
 
 

@.sniffuM - The Zhengde Emperor

So I got to this point and realized that Eno was really the only one I drew an outright negative comparison to. So, with apologies to Muff, we're screwing him over too. The Emperor's real name was Zhu Houzhao, and he was made crown prince of China as part of the Ming dynasty in 1505. At first he was promising as a leader, but then things got weird--he often lived outside of the Forbidden City purely because he felt like it, he built private zoos for himself, hunted tigers, accidentally burned down his own palace...the list goes on. Often regarded as one of history's most insane monarchs, Muff is all this--but in a good way, I promise. He has one of the goofier senses of humor out of anyone, and there's no other Discord server in the league with a #pictures-of-deli-meats channel.
 
 
 
2,785 words; this was more difficult to write than it should have been but here you go.

Hey there everyone who actually cares to read anything I write. 

As my path in VHL has been very interesting I wanted to actually tell you about my name - FrostBeard and where it comes from. I have been using this name for over 5 years across many different platforms. Previously (And still in some communities like World of Tanks) I used a name - SelonianViking but that is another story. Actually, being called Frost was a somewhat of an everyday thing when I was a part of Youth Guard (Youth organization for National Guard in Latvia). Our instructor decided that it would be fun to assign Call-signs to us when we used old soviet radios. For me it was simple - as one of my RL names is Sarmis and it translates quite closely to Frost the call sign was there. Not that I really liked it at first as I found it to be better just called Sarmis as it was rare enough (Only about 50 people bear that name) but no, the decision of call-signs was final and we had to go with them. Funny but more people called me Frost, more I started to enjoy that and slipped away from SelonianViking in gaming world. I think the first game I used FrostBeard was in BF4 if I remember correctly. That said, still, a long time a go. When it was time to join VHL there was no real doubt in my mind to come and choose that as my name. That said - why Beard? Well, I had to keep some heritage from Viking part of my old nickname - you know - Viking had beards, I will call myself that. Done. 

Since then, every single name for a game character, for an account in a game has been related to Frostbeard. Funny how when I restarted playing Star Trek Online I without hesitation called myself John Frostbeard and then stopped to smirk for a minute. It is something I will probably never change. FrostBeard for life. 

Also, so that people don't flag this as - Oh, it is not league related. Well, I can say this - Malmo Nighthawks had an amazing season and we went up ahead against super strong teams. I would not have thought that Malmo would get swept by Helsinki squad but oh well. For me it is a difficult path now as I have to wonder if there has to be any changes made to the squad or are we ready to go and do our best. In the end, it really doesn't matter what I do, it is always up to STHS gods to give us a good sim. I am quite happy with our individual performances - Wakaro had a great Rookie season and will turn out to be an amazing piece for Malmo future. Adrienne was as dominant as he could have been considering our team was getting better and better. Impressed to see Hylands shining with his teammates. I think I can say that we are looking at future Top Goalscorer in VHL. Well, at least there is no doubt in my mind it is going to be that way. Gyrfalcon had a bit of a struggling end of the season but I believe with more improvements we might see Gyrfalcon shine on the big stage next season!

Thanks for reading this and I hope you all will have fun this next upcoming week!
Cheers!

Excitement Building In Saskatoon

 
SASKATOON - Although there will be no parade through the streets of Saskatoon this season, the hometown Wild having been eliminated in the first round of the VHLM Playoffs by the Mississauga Hounds, excitement for the next season is already in full swing. Even in a season many expected to be a down year for the Wild, General Manager Thomas Landry and Assistant General Manager Timothy Brown delivered a competitive squad that at times was atop the VHLM standings. Bolstered by an unprecedented wealth of young talent joining the VHLM, a fresh crop of faces paved the way for a deep and active team, and setting the stage for one of the deepest VHLM Dispersal Drafts to date. 
 
"It's a shame that we have to return all of those new signees to the draft," lamented Landry at a press conference. "As much as I would love to bring them all back and take another run, that's just not how it works. We are, however, in quality shape to bring some of them back, and along with the returning players we do have, things are shaping up quite nicely for Season 75."
 

 
Forwards Florent Vericel, Alex Zouzouambe, Steve Eso, and Dale Miller highlight the offensive weapons returning, while defenseman Gabriel Johnson and goaltender Piero Angela give the Wild additional pieces on the back end. It's a strong foundation to start with when a draft class as stacked as any in recent memory is on the horizon, especially with Saskatoon holding two first round picks. Tradition with the team would generally indicate that Landry is looking to, "bring his boys back home," especially with him publicly giving defenseman Scotty Kaberle high praise following his exit interview. However, with the draft class as deep as it is, surely the Wild will be keeping all avenues open, as they did in Season 72 when selecting Lucas Brandt, a player they never imagined would be available.
 
It's a fantastic class to have multiple first round picks for, with depth plentiful at multiple positions. Scotty Kaberle and Silas LeFriend, two prospects who played well for the Wild last season, are two of the top prospects available for the taking. Multiple goalies, including Rara Rasputin, Kunibuni UnGuri, and Thadius Sales, among others, give Saskatoon a chance to continue their strategy of maintaining a solid tandem of netminders with longtime Saskatoon tendie Cal Conway making the leap to the VHL. Cabe McJake, Addison McLaren, and Ryan Ryker are all forwards who look to go early on draft day as well, although the team remains high on Dominic Gobeil, who showed tremendous passion and poise with the team last season. 
 

 
Season 74 didn't end quite like the Saskatoon Wild wanted it to, but the future looks very bright for them. Familiar faces will be returning to form the new veteran leadership, while the upcoming draft may yield even more. Regardless of how the draft may go, the upcoming season looks as if the VHLM will offer some of the deepest rosters to start a season across the league in recent memory, and the Wild are in prime shape to reap the benefits. A big season is on the horizon, and all Saskatoon can do now is count the days down until the VHLM Dispersal Draft, where all the pieces will come together to form the Season 75 Saskatoon Wild. 
 
Jethro Novacek is a writer for the MSFL Times, the leader in fictional sports entertainment. He enjoys watching old NFL highlight films, crockpot recipes, and a comfy pair of slippers. 

Miami is having a season for the history books. They were projected to be a lottery team at the beginning of the season with everyone already counting them out of the playoff picture. They had maybe five active members at the start of the season who were getting lots of minutes while they learned the ropes of the VHL. They struggled for the first half of the season sitting a few spots out of 8th in the standings. They began recruiting members as the great recruitment drive of S74 began. They were quick to recruit members to fill out their roster and were able to DROP inactive members in order to make space for ACTIVE members. Miami did a fantastic job recruiting players as they have pulled together some of the best recruits this season. The team started to turn the season around and found them selves fighting for that 8th and final spot. It came down to the very last game of the season that decided the fate of the Marauders and they shocked the VHLM work by winning themselves into the playoffs. Securing that 8th spot was a blessing and curse as they had to face the number one team in the league the Halifax 21sts. A team primed for a championship run that the Marauders had no business even winning against. Well seven games later Miami shocked the VHLM world yet again by defeating the juggernaut team in Halifax. It didn't end there as the Marauder's now had to face the challenge of facing the number two team in the league, the Las Vegas Aces. This Marauders came out strong after riding the high of beating Halifax and took a 3-0 series lead. While Miami wanted a sweep, Vegas had other plans. The Aces forced their way back into this series by winning 3 straight of their own forcing this series to another game 7 for the Marauders. Trying their best to avoid the cursed reverse sweep the Marauders came out hard and with a late goal in the third they sealed their victory against Vegas and are now moving on to the finals. For the second straight season the Miami Marauders are in the finals. Last season as the top team but this season as the 8th overall team. What is going on in Miami?
 
      GM Ricer and AGM Zetterberg had a goal in mind this season and that was to make the playoffs. At first it looked like that wasn't going to be a possibility but the two never wavered from their mission. They started signing waiver players early as they brought in Goaltender Rara Rasputin. Rasputin signed believing in GM Ricer and that his history spoke for its self. Rasputin improved drastically throughout the season and stole a number of games for us late in the season and was a huge contributing piece as to why Miami defeated Halifax in round 1 of the playoffs. Addison McClaren picked up later in the season was very eager to learn the ropes of the VHL. He is a student of the game and his dedication to earning this season was top notch. He did all the work to improve his player and he now sits near the top of the draft board for the VHLM and scouts have been calling as they are excited about the potential of this player. His hard work has turned him into a contributing factor in the Marauders success this season as he sits near the top of the scoring leaderboards. Cabe McJake another addition of the mid season Marauder signings is louder than McClaren but works just as hard if not harder. He is the fire on this team that gets the team pumped after big wins. He wears his heart on his sleeve and bleeds Marauder black and red. Crazy because he's only been a member for half a season. McJake has been line mates with McClaren most of the season now as the two of them have been the top earners this season. They have both carried this team offensively during the regular season and it has been even more so in the playoffs. A surprise player for Miami has been Sheldon Juniper who Miami picked up late in the season. He isn't a member of the Marauders locker room as he is only a forum guy but he hasn't hesitated to reach out to learn and has been a solid earning member since he has joined. He worked his way up to the second line and has been a clutch player for Miami during these playoffs. Vivek Weiner who was another late signing by Miami started on the fourth line because the team was so full. He worked his ass off earning experience and climbed his way right to the top line. He is sitting pretty between wingers McClaren and McJake completing what has been the most dominant line in the VHLM these playoffs. A few other waiver signings I would like to mention are Hulk Hogan Jr., Martin Master, Nathan Perry, JL Gunnar, Wooshi Cat and Nikolas DAndrea who have played key supporting roles for this team since being signed late in season 74. They have all done their part in remaining active and earning to the best of their abilities.
 
      How crazy is that? That is a lot of waiver signings. It goes to show how important it is to be able to recruit members to your team and to help them remain active. This is something Miami has strived to be good at since they first joined the league three seasons ago. Now while I have given a lot of praise to the new members of this league who have been a huge part of Miami's success this season it really wouldn't be possible without the core pieces that were drafted and or acquired by this team. On the back end you have the best shutdown pair in the league with Eoin Byrne and Chicken Wing. Byrne has had a history of being moved around in the VHLM he was once in fact moved out of Miami. When GM Ricer saw the opportunity to reacquire this stud defensemen this season he quickly hopped to and got a deal done. Byrne has been the definition of a two way defensemen. He has put up the points and has been a huge factor in shutting other teams offense down. Chicken Wing was acquired by trade from the Halifax 21sts. GM Ricer had been given good reviews of this young player from Marauder Alumni and got a deal done to bring Wing into the Marauder family. Chicken Wing is very similar in regards to Byrne she can simply do it all. When you need the offense she is there and when its time to shut em down she's got that covered to. These two have been a staple on Miami's top pair all season long. Forwards Theodore Hoffman and Peter Louis II were leading the charge on the top line earlier in the season. They have been the perfect supporting pieces on this Marauder team and their attitude about it has been extremely positive. Hoffman was acquired in the same deal that brought Byrne to Miami from the Yukon. He slotted into the top line right away and was playin with Louis II. The two of them had instant chemistry and were leading the way when all of the waiver players started signing. As new members surpassed them in TPE the two were bumped down to the second line but did so graciously knowing the end goal was the playoffs. Even though they moved down a line the production never went away. The two of them have been a solid contributor to the Marauder's during the post season as well. Back up tendy Matt Sovick Jr. was also gracious enough to let Rasputin have the starting job so he could continue improving himself over the season to take the starting role in season 75. He did very well in the limited starts he had during the season which shows promise for this young goaltenders future. Lastly, Zakrevksky and Great who were higher up in the line up earlier in the season now serve as depth pieces. Both of which waiver on the edge of activity but when called upon they are there for their team.

      I think it is pretty obvious what is going on in Miami. They have gathered a nucleus of players who have all come together for a common goal. They all put in the work to get to where they are today. When you look at our roster now and compare it to those we are up against there really isn't much of a difference. The same couldn't have been said mid season when everyone here was a newbie joining the league for the very first time. Now look at them, on their way to a Founders Cup final and it's all because of them. 

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Welcome back to another entry of the greatest players from the portal era. Today we’re going to be heading down under and looking at the greatest Australian players of the portal era. Normally the format I use is five skaters and one goalie but Australia only has a handful of players who have even made it to the VHL. There’s a couple quality players I felt were worth making a shorter list for so I’ll only be including them.
 
Now with that out of the way let’s get right into the list!

 
D - Charles Drumm 710 TPE @frescoelmo
First up on this list of Aussies, we have Charles Drumm. In 417 career games with DC Drumm put up 20 goals and 185 assists for 205 points. Although he wasn’t the offensive dynamo on the blueline like some other players he was a pretty good two-way defender. He recorded just under 500 career hits and a bit over 650 shots blocked in his career. Unfortunately for him he never won any awards or trophies but he did get some playoff experience playing in 24 games and having 8 assists, 42 hits, as well as 31 shots blocked. It’s no Hall-of-Fame career by any means but he was a solid top 4 defender in the league through his career. 
 
F - Killy Foilen 611 TPE @Aye my name jeff
Second on this list we have the only forward to make the VHL from Australia, Killy Foilen. In 216 games Foilen recorded 41 goals and 52 assists for 93 points. Even though he only played in three seasons in his career he was able to capture a Continental Cup in S70 with Moscow. Although he wasn’t a superstar he did win the ultimate prize which has eluded many players over the history of the league. He was a good depth scorer and definitely contributed when he needed to. 
 
D - Latrell Mitchell 738 TPE @dasboot
Next up is the only active player on this list, who was the season 72 3rd overall pick, Latrell Mitchell. In 216 career games played so far Mitchell has put up 37 goals and 94 assists for 131 points. He puts up good points for a defenseman but he’s also not afraid to sacrifice the body either, putting up just shy of 450 hits and a little more than 350 shots blocked. He was somewhat recently traded from Calgary to Warsaw in a pretty big blockbuster deal. Warsaw traded a first round pick along with Arthur Dayne and Alex Bridges in exchange for a first and second as well as Willie Dredge and our man Latrell Mitchell. Warsaw must see some good potential in Mitchell to give up those guys. We’ll have to see where his career takes him from here but even this early on he’s one of the best to come from Australia, let alone even make the VHL in the first place.
 
D - Berocka Sundqvist 1296 TPE @Berocka
For the final skater on this list we come to one of the more memorable defenders in recent history, Berocka Sundqvist. In 504 career games played Sundqvist recorded 125 goals and 312 assists for 437 points. In his career he also amassed just shy of 1,000 hits and 650 shots blocked. If nothing else he was loyal. In his 8 season career he spent the entirety of it with Seattle and even won 4 Continental Cups with them. To top that off he even won an Alexander Beketov Trophy for most assists in a single season. That’s a pretty solid career for the 17th overall pick in the draft.
 
G - A Red Guy @.sniffuM
Now that skaters are done with we move onto the goaltender, who is none other than A Red Guy. With a bit of a shortened career only playing 6 seasons he was able to put up a 191-146-32 record with 29 shutouts, .918SV%, and a 2.57GAA all in 369 games. Nice. That record puts him tied for 50th all time in wins. If he had played those extra couple seasons I could see him making a decent run at top 25 all time. He was never able to capture a Continental Cup, however he did win three separate individual trophies. Those trophies included, the Scotty Campbell Trophy for league MVP, Dustin Funk Trophy for most improved, and an Aidan Shaw Trophy for league’s top goaltender. Even though a cup eluded him he had a great career. 


 
While there haven’t been too many studs come from down under. Maybe we’ll see a spike in players coming out of Australia because of these guys. Only time will tell. Unfortunately that’s all we have for today. As always, thanks for reading and be sure to check out some of the other countries I’ve already done lists for. 
 
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1. Bacon, bacon, bacon.
2. I'd shop it and see if we get anything good from it. Worst case scenario, there's no good offers and we keep the pick.
3. I'm trying to work on my weaknesses.
4. Maybe Brent Burns?
5. GM Mcwolf for sure.
6. Not really.

London United Press Conference - Week Ending November 1st
 
1.  What's on your plate for your favorite weekend brunch meal?
 
Call me oldschool but bacon and eggs, usually make a fried egg and bacon sandwich or scrambled with baciano on the side 
 
 
2.  London has a lottery pick in this draft.  GM @McWolf has recently stated that if there's a very good deal he might trade it down.  Armchair GM moment:  What would you do in his shoes?  Draft high or actively shop the pick?
 
Draft high, we need some more players who'll stay and make us stronger!
 
 
3.  What's going on in your offseason training regimen?  Are you focusing on other attributes other than your main ones?
 
Been trying my best to win a cup with Vegas in the VHLM, currently not working out. When I do train next I think getting my defense as high as I can will be vital in the VHL
 
 
4.  If you could grow a playoff beard, would you?  Which NHL player has the best playoff beard?
 
As much as I hate the Pens, I think Sidney Crosby's dirt statche is the best
 
 
5.  Which person has helped your development the most in your career?
 
Gotta give credit where it's due, has to be spartan, gnomeboi, gumballs and fishy, thanks for your relentless effort to help the team earn TPE
 
 
6.  Do you have any silly dreams or nightmares that you can remember or recall from a long time ago?
 
Don't really dream now, think it's the weed but whenever I was little I used to have this nightmare where I was in one of those construction trucks at the beach and the whole time I waa sumping sand into the ocean. Remember waking up wanting it to stop so bad, definitely fely anxious and my whole body would be soaked with sweat 

1- potatoes. A giant plate of potatoes, probably as crispy homefries, with a fried egg on top.
2 - id say it depends. I've gm'd in other places and have gone both ways with high picks. If I can trade down from 1 to 3 and pick up a 2nd rounder, and still get a player I like, then I'm game.
3 - I've been working on my defensive positioning and strengthening my shot. I don't think I have too much more to gain there, but if I can score 50 instead of 41, maybe we make the playoffs. 
4 - Probably not, but Lanny MacDonald wins the playoff facial hair race and it's not even close.
5 - my ex-girlfriend's pitbull Reggie
6 - one dream I had started with the idea that I want to be the very best, like no one ever was. To catch them is my real test,
to train them is my cause! I will travel across the land, searching far and wide.
 

Wow I was not even expecting, I'm really honored.  I don't even know what I did but thanks!

Huh. Really didn't expect my name to be up there, but thank you soon much for the nomination! It's such a great honor to be considered for this award.

This is an amazing group of members that were nominated. Each of them deserve this recognition in their own way. Thanks to those who voted for me and Good luck to everyone.

Congratulations to this season's ballot nominees (2 or more votes),
 
@IamMOOSE
@Hylands
@JigglyGumballs
@MattyIce
@Spartan
@rjfryman
@Ricer13
@Patrik Tallinder
 
But also congrats to everyone who received a nomination, which this season was:
@Acydburn  @Beaviss @Berocka @BladeMaiden @Blazzer  @Crstats23 @chatfan036 @Garsh  @Josh @Jubis @McWolf @Mr_Hatter @NickSunderbruch @PatrikLaine @tcookie25

SEASON 75 PRELIMINARY MOCK DRAFT
 
The season is over and the playoffs have already begun.  The quest for the Continental Cup has begun.
 
For some teams and members, a different game is being played…
 
The planning and scheming for the upcoming entry draft has started...
 
And this draft is like no other...
 
It’s a big one, 'that’s what she said'.
 
This draft has many solid players in the first round.  The second round and third round talent alone may shape the future of any VHL team looking for some franchise depth and skill contributions.  What pleases me personally is the amount of new users in the community.  Somewhere down the road, we will be looking back at this draft, seeing third and fourth round picks helping teams win more Continental Cups.  That’s the magic of this draft.
 
First, let’s see where teams would be selecting in the draft.  This is hypothetical, based on the final standings only, so this ranking won’t be the one on draft day.  I will not be taking into account possible trades, nor will I speculate what moves will be made.
 
The first round could look something like this:

 
1. London
9. HC Davos
2. Los Angeles
10. Helsinki
3. Calgary (from Warsaw)
11. Toronto
4. New York
12. Riga
5. Chicago
13. Warsaw (from Seattle)
6. Calgary
14. Vancouver (from Malmo)
7. D.C.
15. Vancouver
8. Prague
16. Moscow
 
Both Calgary and Vancouver have two picks each while Seattle and Malmo have none at the moment.  Draft day can be very unpredictable that’s for certain.
 
The top 10 alone is insane.  There are four VHL GM players in the top ten ranking for TPE.  Taro Tsujimoto @GustavMattias has been the consensus #1 ranked since the s73 season.  This does not mean he will be picked first.  He will go to HC Davos with 175% certainty, around the 9th pick overall.  Goaltender Rara Rasputin @Victorwill be going to Moscow at the bottom of the first round, the highest ranked defender Muffbeav @.sniffuMwill go around 13th to the Warsaw Predators while Sirkants Klamasteris @hedgehog337 should go to the Riga Reign.
 
With the reserved picks pretty much locked in, now it’s time for some meat and potatoes.  Yum actually.
 
Most eyes are on Pistil Stamen @DMaximus going first overall.  His ceiling is incredibly high, but with London slotted first and needing defense desperately after having the worst goal differential, I’m not sure he goes to London.  Second tpe-ranked defender L @gorlab would be a logical pick for London
here.
 
However..
 
L has been linked to fellow countryman R @Kylrad and has expressed the desire to be drafted to the same team together.  Unless a team can work some magic in the draft and obtain the two spots to draft the players, they may be separated.  London has some choices here now.  I can see GM Roger McWolf III @McWolfselecting either L or 3rd-ranked dman, Jolly Greene Giant @DoktorFunk, with the first overall pick.  He is considering every option at the moment, but he could be convinced to trade down if the offer is very good.
 
Next up is Los Angeles.  They have Jeffery Pines down the middle currently, and they could certainly use another centerman to secure and define their future.  They could also add another defenseman to their already young blue line with L or Greene Giant.  It would be foolish to pass on Stamen though, so with the second pick, I can see GM Josh Da Silva @Josh taking Pistil Stamen here
 
Calgary has two picks here.  The Wranglers would be praying for Stamen to be available here, as he would be the heir apparent to current star centerman RJ Jubis @Jubis.  He could also use the two first round picks to select L and R as well, so that’s another angle if GM Ryan Jubis chooses to do a full rebuild. Either Stamen, L or Greene Giant gets selected here with the third overall pick.
 
New York is entering a rebuilding phase with three players retiring, but they need help in all areas.  With some prospects set to graduate into the VHL, I see them taking the best player available.  GM Esso Drunlkmann @Esso2264 has his pick of wingers Joe Kelly @emidas and RJ Thatcher @jhatty8 here in the fourth overall spot, but literally anyone that’s available that he has his eyes on can get selected.
 
The Chicago Phoenix can go ahead and select the best player available if they wish to do so, but they should address their blue line.  Next highest defenseman available is 12th ranked Ove Dyrdahl @GRZ, so GM Geoffrey Dee @JeffD  should select him here with the fifth pick.  Zooming back around to Calgary with the 6th selection in the draft, If they take L at 3rd, they could select R here and keep the pair united, or they could go with the next best forward which would be either the aforementioned Kelly, Thatcher, or go with centerman Its Gucci @frescoelmo , ranking 16th in tpe.  
 
DC is next up.  If Calgary went with selecting the L and R pair, DC has their pick of either Thatcher, Kelly or Gucci.  They could go with a defenseman also, however the rumor mill has it that GM Eno Rama @Enorama might even trade the pick.  To who and for what, who knows?  As for Prague in the 8th position, well, they’d love to select centerman Its Gucci if he’s still available.  GM Jason Glasser @diamond_ace could select any of the top goalies in Artem Tretiak @Molholt or Kunibuni UnGuri @Berocka and shore up their backup position, they may also be shopping the pick around.
 
HC Davos in the 9th position, GM Jerry Garcia proudly selects Taro Tsujimoto.  Without question.  The Dynamo will have a good problem to solve with two elite centermen in their lineup with SS Hornet and Tsujimoto.  With the 10th pick, Helsinki isn’t going goalie.  Their forward core is solid so they should go defense.  Around here, Ove Dyrdahl, R and Chicken Wing @chikn could likely be their selection.  GM Julian Borwinn @Jubo07 could throw a curveball and select a forward to bolster their prospect pool at forward though.
 
GM Rylan Peace @Peace will hold onto his pick at 11th overall and select the best player available.  Any defenseman or forward would be a welcome addition to his prospect pool, my best guess is he goes defense as there are quite a few inactive players at that position hitting regression and/or free agency.
 
The Riga Reign should be selecting goalie Sirkants Klamasteris, as franchise goaltender Greg Eagles  is retiring after their current playoff push.  GM Benjamin Zeptenbergs hasn’t yet confirmed that he takes Klamasteris, it would simply depend on how Riga performs in the playoffs.  With VHL stars Lincoln Tate, Phil Marleau and Eagles retiring, he has alot to consider at this draft.  It could be mayhem in Riga, or not.  Draft Day will tell us what he’s up to.
 
Warsaw has the Seattle Bears’ pick in the 12th spot.  GM Damien Walec proudly selects defenseman Muffbeav.  Zero drama or speculation here, although he may take initiative and trade down for an asset, and that brings us to Vancouver next.  The Wolves have the next two picks at 13 and 14 overall.  The rumor mill has it that GM Keaton Louth @Beaviss is shopping these picks, but it’s difficult to determine what he’s looking for if he moves them or drafts in one or both spots. He may keep one and draft a goaltender to back up Jimmy Spyro, he could in fact go with UnGuri or Tretiak, which leaves us with the final selection of the first round going to..
 
Moscow.  Finishing at the top of the standings, GM Victor Alfredsson @Victor will select franchise-caliber goalie Rara Rasputin.  He’ll be backing up goaltending legend Raymond Bernard for next season, then offer Moscow many seasons of quality goaltending.
 
Fun (or odd) fact about this draft, Malmo has NO picks.  This doesn't mean he won't make a move.  GM John Frostbeard @FrostBeard had this to say: "I believe that Malmo could be looking at some possibilities near the draft time. Nothing concrete yet but I can say that I will not have an easy night when the draft happens."
 
How's that for an ominous cliffhanger.  Draft Day could get pretty crazy and unpredictable.
 
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NOW THIS IS DRAFT HYPE
 
@gorlab best of luck in the draft my man
 
RIP Sean Connery

Consider this a VHL.com article for the week.
 
I want to make a public statement to VHL GMs that if you jeopardize L and R being drafted by the same franchise, there will be dire consequences to your actions. 
 
Consequences include:
 
- Lifetime on gorlab's shit list. You can see how uncomfortable of a position this is for people like @Molholt and uhhhhh, yeah just ask @Molholt.
 
- L and/or R will hold out on your team to re-enter the VHL draft next season.
 
- Your VHL franchise will never, EVER, receive a signature made by the cig god of VHL.  New rookie who's best friends with gorlab and ends up on your team? Yeah, sorry, it's your fault he won't get a sig.
 
 
 
Let this be FAIR WARNING to VHL GMs.  L intends to spend the entire duration of his VHL career playing with my VHL-lore brother, R.
 
Anyone who jeopardizes this will be met with very swift and very cruel treatment from gorlab in VHL discord and VHL forums going forward.
 
 
Happy Halloween and see you on draft day.
 
 
 
 
 
Here's a graphic too, since this is VHL.com Graphics submission.
 
 

 
 
Happy Halloween @enigmatic