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With a record of 21-34-5 and a last place conference standing, it's quite easy to claim that the Vancouver Wolves are not having the year they hoped they would. A rebuilding season was certainly expected for the most part, but it is still no fun for players and team personnel in the moment. That statement would seem especially true for veteran players like Ziarie Anigbogu, who is entering the final stretch of his career. However, the S72 draftee has had quite the opposite reaction to the team's poor performance. Although the team's record represents what might be Anigbogu's final chance for championship glory disappearing, Ziarie is more excited by the team's young talent than anything else. Players like Robin Nilsson, who has accumulated 66 points in 60 games, still have their entire primes ahead of them. Vancouver might be down at the bottom for now, but as long as their quality group of youth and prospects continue to develop, this season will still have served a very important purpose. It'll be interesting to see if the potential actually ever materializes into something special in the future, but fans are rightfully feeling hopeful for now.

An early season trade this past year relocated RW Ziarie Anigbogu from Toronto to Vancouver. Vancouver would finish the season strong, squeaking into the playoffs before falling short in the Wild Card round. The move actually seemed to work out to the benefit of Anigbogu, who collected a total of 51 points in 50 games with the Wolves. Compared to 11 points in 23 outings with Vancouver, it's safe to say Anigbogu performed much better with his new team. Now entering his 5th season of professional hockey, it's clear that Anigbogu is on a rapid decline. He aims to preform his best within whatever roll he is able to fulfill on a mostly young Wolves roster, but not much impact should be expected from him at this point. Retirement is most likely the next major step in Anigbogu's hockey career. A look back will reveal a mostly unspectacular player, but Anigbogu never really planned for much more. His sole accomplishment of making an all-league team a few years back is already far more than he expected. With the remaining time Anigbogu does have left as a professional, he hopes to assist Vancouver and GM Fonzi in whatever fashion he is capable. There's not much to compliment on Anigbogu's stat sheet or training record, but at the very least he might be remembered as a positive teammate and coachable player.

After 3 seasons with the Toronto Legion, right wing Ziaire Anigbogu was recently traded in a blockbuster deal in which the Legion acquired star players Micah Adrienne and SS Hornet. Anigbogu would mostly serve as filler in this trade deal, as he's entering the backend of his career and has regressed pretty heavily this season. After a really impressive outing in season 75, Anigbogu has simply been unable to replicate his success since. Earlier this morning Anigbogu gave his first media presence as a member of the Vancouver Wolverines, where he discussed his new team and his thoughts on the trade. Q: "What has been your initial reaction upon landing in Vancouver?" A: "I've loved it so far. GM FonziGG is a guy I've known for quiet some time so it's definitely good to have a familiar face as I get acclimated. They've quickly put me on a development path that I think can help me turn this season around after I had a bit of a slow start. Everyone on the team has been welcoming. It's also beneficial that I got to stay in Canada, I've gotten used to life around here and don't think I'm ready to give it up." Q: "Regarding the trade itself, what are your feelings on that?" A: "I'd say my first reaction was a bit surprised. Not so much that I considered myself some untouchable prospect that Toronto would never trade, I know my place in the league. It just came out of nowhere, especially because I'd always been alerted ahead of time when I've previously been included in trade talks. Vancouver's GM was actually the one who broke the news to me, and after it had all already went down. Even then, it's no hard feelings on my end. I don't mind getting traded, and landed in a situation that I'm happy with for the final few seasons of my career."

1. The first week of the season was great for me. Really just enjoyed getting back into the swing of things. 2. I'm just happy to be here! My personal stats are whatever. If Vancouver is able to get any value from me being here that's great for me. 3. I love them. I'm confident we'll make it. 4. Our whole team is under the radar. I think we'll show up big time when it matters. 5. Toronto! Canada team vs Canada team. Though we might actually have more Canada teams in the league I just wouldn't know honestly. 6. Well I just got here! So I guess Kate because we both came from Toronto. 7. Fighting. Wanna drop some fools. 8. Mostly going to be hip-hop from me. Might toss some other things in there just for variety though.

For left wing Ziarie Anigbogu of the Toronto Legion, playing professional hockey is still a fairly new experience. Anigbogu recently completed his 3rd year of playing in the VHL, which in most cases would signify a long and bright career ahead. The unfortunate reality, however, is that he's quickly getting old and close to entering the twilight of his career. Slow development and lack of training in the VHLM held Anigbogu back for years while his peers advanced, taking a toll on his physical condition and longevity even without being called up. With time running out on Anigbogu's career, the newly converted forward has committed to his craft more than ever before. This past season was by far the most productive in Anigbogu's career in terms of consistent practice and reps, and he's hoping the pay-off will come through for the Legion next year even as he begins to decline. Toronto is filled with young talent that will surely fill and outgrow Anigbogu's shoes, but he'll continue to make a difference in any way he can for as long as he is able to.

The Toronto Legion's recent 2-3 loss against Moscow might appear as just another blip on the radar for an unspectacular 26-34-8 team. In reality, the loss cemented a moment that most team personnel feared was coming: an end to the previous era of Legion hockey. With the defeat, Toronto has been eliminated from playoff contention once again, and now await the upcoming offseason. With several players reaching the twilight of their careers, the Legion will have big decisions to make in order to solidify their future path. One such player who's nearing his final few seasons is S72 draftee Ziarie Anigbogu. Anigbogu, who was a defenseman for the entirety of his career, recently made the swap to left wing in order to fill some holes in the Legion lineup. After the Moscow game, Anigbogu dismissed concerns about his future status with the franchise: "To be honest I don't even really follow the hockey world enough to know about any rumors or what the team has planned. I just know that I play hockey for the Toronto Legion, and will happily continue to do so as long as wanted or until I'm forced to retire." Short and simple. Fans are eager to see what direction the team moves in, but that'll have to wait another week or so!

Purchase has been made on player store!

1. I wouldn't say I expected it, but it certainly wasn't too much of a surprise. Even as more of an observer I could tell that the early season group was a bit too far apart. More recently, it's also been clear the team has been buying, and we've definitely bought some incredible pieces. 2. Like I always admit - I'm not exactly the most active LR guy for Toronto. But BOOM has come in and made such a massive impact I can't help but take notice even in my limited visits. Incredible addition, made the team better and stronger even before playing a single game. 3. I think the team will be great. Management has been building a group that seems really committed, and the only thing holding them back is youth. 4. I think there'll be a bit more action. Too much rumors for not a bit to actually go down. 5. It's a fun topic and very interesting! I just wish they'd accept affiliate PT haha. 6. I'm not sure I participate quite enough to have legitimate critiques, but I do think it'd be cool if sim threads had a little more interaction than just a quick dump of links that a handful of people comment on. That just might be the SBA/EFLer in me though.

The Toronto Legion have been fairly stagnant in the standings thus far, but that hasn't stopped the team from making huge decisions to improve the team. The trades to ship Merrick and Strauss out of town are old news by now, but the move to bring Gunnar Odinsson into town occurred just over a week ago. Odinsson's arrival hasn't yet sparked any major turnaround (although the team has won 5 of 6 and appears to be trending in the right direction), but the energy and excitement in the atmosphere nowadays is tremendous. Defenseman Ziarie Anigbogu gave his thoughts on the transaction: "I'll be the first to admit I don't bring a ton to the team in terms of activity or leadership, but that doesn't mean I don't value those qualities. Credit where credit is due - Odinsson has showed up and made an immediate impact on the team, perhaps even before playing a game or participating in practice. That's a super special trait to have, and it just makes the Legion future all the more exciting. The team is united as ever, and the current group is as good a selection as one could hope for. I'm very hopeful for this team to do great things in the future!"

Toronto Legion defenseman Ziarie Anigbogu is now in his 3rd year with the team. Coming off a sophomore campaign in which he was named to an All-League team, Anigbogu's performance hasn't been quite as strong to open Season 76. He's currently on pace for 72 points, down from 81 last year. The Legion have had a rocky start to the season, between play inside the rink and the drama surrounding certain departing players, and Anigbogu's decline has not helped. In a recent interview, he addressed some of these concerns: "Man, honestly I don't really care. Those numbers, yeah, they're down. But what really matters to me is not at all how I produce, but how I'm able to contribute to the Legion. Of course the team success hasn't completely been there either so far, but I think there's still a lot of positives to take away from this season. First of all, the locker room excitement and activity has never been higher. That environment is constantly buzzing, and that'll eventually translate to a cohesive team effort in games. And these young guys man, they're impressive. I completely expect them to start passing me in production sooner than later, they're all special talents. So as good as it may have felt to be honored last season, that's never been my priority in the VHL. It's just been to bring the most to whatever team rosters me, and I'll continue to strive for that goal."

Even as someone not hugely invested into the hockey world, it's been impossible to miss the big news circulating the Toronto Legion over the past week. Several big name players were shipped out, prompting a small back and forth argument during a team press conference. With so many eyes on the team, it's always important to hear the perspective of players living within the situation. Ziarie Anigbogu, now in his 3rd season as a defenseman for the Legion, isn't the most vocal team member, but in a recent media session we were able to hear his thoughts on what went down: "I personally never had any bad blood with the two traded Legion players, but that's probably more of a reflection on myself not integrating with the team more often. What I can say with certainty, is that the level of tension that used to exist in the locker room has gone down considerably, at least from what I can judge. That's always a good thing. I'm happy to serve a role with this team, no matter what it constitutes, and I know many of my teammates are the same. So really, it's no huge surprise that the outliers who puts themselves first might not gel with the rest super well. For the most part, my thoughts are pretty simple. The move happened, and it's over with. Our attention has to shift back to this season and starting to string together some quality performances as a team."

1. We recently made pair of trades that sent out John Merrick and Leo Strauss, what are your thoughts on those particular trades and do you think we got back fair value? I don't feel confident enough in my VHL knowledge to judge the trade value. However, I definitely trust the GM's direction and prefer a lower drama environment, which this move seems to have effectively created. 2. Toronto released a podcast! Have you listened to it yet? Any suggestions on how to improve it? I have not yet listened to it. I might give it a listen later tonight. 3. Since the trade Toronto is 2-2-2. Is that better than you expected, or do you believe we can get more out of this squad? I definitely think we can do better. There's no limit for a team working together to improve every game. 4. Do you feel like you can be yourself within our locker room? Dangerous question, I know! I definitely am not the most active member in the Toronto LR, but from my little experience I'd say yes. Seems like a nice bunch. 5. What are your favorite things about Toronto this season? How young this team is, so many bright pieces for the future after the great rookie class joined us. 6. Toronto management thrives on being transparent within the locker room. Do you have any suggestions on how to improve communication between myself and the LR? Nope! I feel that communication at least between myself and management has been super transparent and open.

Ziarie Anigbogu, defenseman for the Toronto Legion, isn't quite a household name in the hockey world yet. At the same time, despite a relatively slow development and uninspiring work ethic, he has begun establishing his place in the league. Anigbogu was recently named to the VHL's 2nd team, a honor that come as a shock. On the award: "Man, I had no clue anything like that was coming. I wasn't even watching the award show. A couple of my buds messaged me and let me know that I had been picked to the all-league team. And if I'm being honest - I'm not fully sure I deserved it. The on-court play... maybe? I'm not quite sure how to rate myself. But I know for sure that tons of guys in the league are outworking me, and thus of course it was a surprise. I'm super thankful to the team and our GM for helping me get there, and I've promised them I'd be work a little harder this season. That's why I'm doing this interview right now actually." Although Anigbogu was happy to be selected, he has his sights set elsewhere. The new VHL season just kicked off, and the Legion are off to a slow start. A series of roster moves also recently took place, shaking up the team's situation even further. On the losses and trades: "Ahh of course it's never fun seeing your teammates go. They were great hockey players. But that's just how things are sometimes, and luckily I know we've got a really great GM who's going to make things work. You can tell he cares about his players, and I'm sure he didn't make those decisions without proper reason. Whether those wins start coming in this season, or later down the road, I'm just happy to play any role for the Legion that is need from me. Starter, depth piece, shit even trade asset - I'm just doing what I can to help out the team which took a shot on me."

1. I thought we absolutely nailed it, brought in a fantastic group of guys. 2. For sure. We weren't far off last season, and we've only gotten better. 3. Once you're there, anything can happen. No reason we can't go all the way, it'll just require us playing at our highest potential. 4. I'm pretty new to the league myself, but I will encourage them to trust coaches and management. 5. Just to help the team anyway I can. 6. Just to stay committed to the team!

The Toronto Legion failed to qualify for a playoff spot this most recent season, but the talent of their young core shined brightly. A more surprise member of that group was Ziarie Anigbogu, who exploded into the Toronto rotation and put up solid numbers. Although a low round pick and a slow developing prospect, Anigbogu finally hit his stride in the hockey world. While of course, the numbers could very likely (and with my limited knowledge, I assume to be) the product of an overall young and developing roster, they show tons of promise for a team lacking on the defensive end. If Anigbogu's season is proven to be more than just a lucky year, there's real hope for the Legion rebuild to be quicker than expected. At the direction of the coaching staff, Anigbogu has been working on developing a more all-around game, adding to his puck handling, scoring, and passing abilities. Hopefully he can continue to be a steal for his team and play a role, but even if not, he's more than happy to contribute to the Legion anyway he can - even if as depth.