Jubis

Review: Legend! Love the idea and concept of this graphic. I do feel like if it was rushed. The jersey color change has the whole jersey tinted read but would have looked better if maybe only the trim was red. Some of the numbers in the boxes are not cantered vertically and are overlapping the borders. Specifically the goals total number. I appreciate the effort put into the added effects on the graphic. I know it’s tough to get into doing tasks every week but just taking even 10 extra minutes to clean a few things up will go along way. Overall it’s good and I love looking back on players careers in Calgary. Rating 6.5/10

This table above shows how many first gen players from the range of the given draft classes went on to surpass 200 TPE (E.g. For the top one, there were 203 first gens taken from the Season 63 Draft Class to the Season 71 Draft Class that surpassed 200 TPE in their VHL career). As you can see, we are at our lowest number for quite some time, in fact you would have to go back to the Season 61-Season 69 cycle (drafts that took place in 2018-2019) for a lower first gen over 200 TPE count and that’s only because the Season 61 Draft Class had just two first gens surpass 200 TPE. There are many reasons why we could be experiencing this dip; many people point to Covid sparking a lot of new players joining and engaging in the league in the mid Season 70’s and we also don’t have quite as many avenues for advertisement as we did in the past, due to some irregularities we had in the past with reddit. But the main thing that we should be doing is instead looking at what we can do with the players that we bring in to do our best to make sure they stick around because, from what I can gather from my research, at our current pace that number is more likely to continue going down in the future than it is to go up.
 
So my first suggestion for helping with this is making the forum site and the portal more accessible for the new VHL user. We have to acknowledge with the scope of our advertising that we are not necessarily going to be recruiting new members to the VHL who are 1) going to be familiar with forum layout or 2) have the patience to stick around and ask how to make a player when they don’t know how to. This is where my first point comes in, we need to make the link to the Create a Player area of the portal catch the eye. As it stands, on the PC version of the website, the only direct link to Create A Player is embedded between several other options at the top of the screen. It’s even worse on mobile where the only direct link to creating a player is hidden behind the sub-menu button. There are two ways that I think you potentially fix this. One is that you amend the Create a Player forum slightly, make it so that clicking on “Create a Player” in the main forum area links you to the Create a Player area of the portal (this is also the method that the SBA use for player creation). The other potential option is making a clickable banner underneath the Create a Player heading that stands out a bit more than “Create a Player” does in the sub-menu, an example of a concept of this can be found below (To point out in advance, there will be quite a few concepts in this piece and that’s what they are, concepts. I’m not saying what I provide is a good banner, but that is where I believe a good banner would be.)
 

 
From there, we move on to making the portal more accessible to the new member. This is probably not what the developers of the portal want to hear but for every step we make towards putting items that use to be forum-based onto the portal, more users will dedicate more of their VHL time on the portal, so we need to increase the amount of information about the VHL that the user can pick up on the portal. I’ve already mentioned in the past about how we should have clearer links to important pages rather than burying them under the manage tab, but I’ve got a few more concepts here. One such example would be a tip that the portal would provide to new members about where to apply their TPE upon creation. We have taken routes to combat the amount of people adding small amounts of TPE to every single attribute on creation with the First-Gen reroll, but why not give these players a warning ahead of time that spreading your attributes in that manner is not going to net the best results for your player so that they are better prepared upon creating their player?
 

 
Another method of interaction with the user could be to have the Player Management screen display how much capped TPE they’ve earned in a given week and provides a link to a pop-up box that gives a quick breakdown on what other capped TPE tasks are available to them. The example below is what could potentially pop up for a member who submitted for welfare (therefore 4 of 10 rather than 4 of 12) and the second is an example of what the pop-up box could show for a VHL.com graphic.
 
 

 

 
 
Finally, a way to potentially help newer users with the VHL Trivia task, the one that is probably the hardest for new members given their recent join date. Why not use the opportunity to link to the VHL Discord so that any struggling user knows where to ask for help with a trivia question?
 

 
So those are my proof of concepts as to how to potentially help improve the First-Gens approach to the VHL. I know that the VHL probably want to make moves to add more currently forum based tasks like Fantasy Zone to the portal, but I really think the thing that should take precedence right now is creating a more new-user friendly version of the portal because, while it’s great and the developers have done a lot of terrific work with it, with how much it has grown it needs to evolve beyond the base structure that Will gave it (a subsection of the VHL for you to update your player) to something that can be engaged with by users who may not be familiar with how the VHL works.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Right, that’s the proof of concept power hour out of the way, now to talk about other things that I think will help first-gen retention.
 
Stop letting people having so many jobs at a time
 
So this might stand out as a weird topic for helping first-gens, but bear with me on this one. I made a podcast talking about making more jobs PT equivalents and one of my listeners to that podcast was a user called SpicyGecko who, at the time, was a pretty promising first-gen user. After listening to the podcast they sent me a message about how they had a problem with people having so many jobs at once and how it reduces a new members ability to actively contribute to the site or try to improve their standing within the league by showing they can do a job well. Given the timing of the message in combination to their activity, it would not surprise me if this played a role in their eventual inactivity. While I do think there are ways that members can contribute to help the site without holding a job, I think the point they make is a valid one, there really is no reason why, especially when we are arguably at the best point in our league’s history when it comes to the number of personnel at our disposal that could actively help the league, some people are allowed to hold onto so many jobs at one time. I don’t see much of an argument for why a specific member in the VHL should not just be limited to one VHL job (e.g. Commissioner, Updater, etc.) and one GM job. Think about it like the VHLM, we try to encourage the members who are on the cusp of 200 TPE who are thinking of staying down to make the move up to the VHLE instead of sticking around the VHLM at a high capped level, so that they give the opportunity to other newer players to demonstrate that they can be good assets to the league. The same logic should work with jobs, if you get a higher-up/higher-regarded job than you’re currently on, by electing to also keep doing your old job on top of that, you’re effectively taking away an opportunity from someone else who could potentially prove that they can do a job for the league, so you should give up your lesser paid job once you take up your newer job. By all means, let them keep the relevant permissions so they can help contribute here and there if they so want to, but lets give more members the opportunity to contribute to the VHL so that maybe one day they can show what they can bring to the league and potentially rise to the same level in the future to that of the members they inherited their jobs from.
 
VHLE Draft Change
 
I’ve mentioned this idea in other point tasks I think a couple of times now, but we’re talking about things that will help boost the first-gen experience and I think this is one of them. Let me hit you with the least surprising thing you’ll hear today: Members in sim leagues like drafts. But what lessens the draft experience is when you have potentially three draft experiences with 48 hours, with two of said drafts not mattering for at least the next two and a half months. Instead, why not change up the experience so the user can experience a draft that would be immediately relevant to their interests the season after their other drafts to maintain their interest in the VHL for a longer period of time? My idea is to make it so that instead of entering the VHLE Draft in the same season as your VHL Draft, you enter it in the first off-season that you enter having surpassed the 200 TPE VHLE limit, basically limiting the draft to players that have exceeded 200 TPE over the last season. I talked about the other positives of such a move here, here and here if you want to read or listen to more of my thoughts on that.
 
More Content Focused Towards Newer Members?
 
So this is one thing that I don’t have a concrete idea for but I’ll bring up the concept of my thought here at least since it’s on my mind. One thing that helps keep newer members attention is seeing themselves acknowledged by their peers on the forum and we’ve had certain things in the VHL in the past that has been geared towards highlighting new members. For example, when I was in the recruitment crew I would run a VHLM Newsletter (unfortunately I can’t find any links to my old pieces since I’m guessing it's now in a hidden forum) that was mainly to give a breakdown of the VHLM and what activities were available that week but I would make sure to give a shoutout to the new members that joined that week. I also did the Draft Rankings (which I’ve kinda just filled since no-one else was doing them as I think they serve a good way of demonstrating to newer members that their earning activities are being noticed) and when STZ was in the recruitment crew, they also offered out graphics to new members of the forum, which is a pretty cool interaction especially given how good STZ’s graphics are. I don’t have anything particularly in mind that could fill that role, but maybe having more pieces of content that focus on members that have just joined would help to boost their activity and engagement with the site further. But this is obviously something that someone could also do off their own back with their graphics/media/podcast (in fact I believe Jardy does shout-out new creates on his podcast on occasion) so it doesn’t necessarily have to be a league job/VSN thing, but more just getting out there that if you want to keep people around, best thing you can do as a member is write about them and tell them how good they are.
 
2000+ words

I absolutely love all of your web design ideas, and think this definitely deserves a @Dil ping. Even the smallest little changes can make things so much more clear! 
 
I'm not fully on board with a hard limit on jobs (even as someone who doesn't like to have all the jobs in the world at once), although I do believe that "doesn't have a job" should be a good tiebreaker between two deserving candidates. It's something we've followed a couple times in the VHLM.
 
I agree with the VHLE draft idea and I'm trying not to go off on another "here's why I think the VHLE sucks" rant. Three drafts at once is too much, especially since people used to complain about two.
 
I also agree with "more content for newer members", and I'm not saying that you're necessarily saying this, but I don't really care if the proposed way to achieve that is any sort of incentive. At that point, you're doing it for the incentive and not for the new people. There's probably no easy way to just...change the culture of the league like that, but I'd much rather see my new member content from people who actually mean it.

Name: Ash Sparks
Height: 6’1
Weight: 187 lbs
Position: Goalie
Age: 29
Birthplace: Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada
Shoots: Left / Right
Potential: Franchise (LOW) - Elite (HIGH)
Drafted: 
•VHLM - 15th Overall (2nd Round) (S85)
•VHLE - 34th Overall (5th Round) (S86)
•VHL - 6th Overall (1st Round) (S86)
 

 
Player Render: Garett Sparks
Jersey Number: #39
NHL Comparison: Dominik Hasek, Jonathan Quick, Marc-Andre Fleury 
VHL Mentor / Agent: Jimmy Spyro  
 
Overview
 
Ash Sparks entered the league very late in S84, where the Houston Bulls picked him up as their backup goalie to finish off the season. Despite only appearing in 12 games for the Houston Bulls, he managed to rack up an impressive 9-2-1 record with an impressive .900 save % and even claiming 2 shutouts victories for his squad. Finding himself in the playoffs with Houston, he played 2 games behind fellow goaltender Bill Nye The Puck Stopping Guy where Sparks managed to earn the team a W, but lost in his 2nd showing in OT, thus resulting in Bill Nye playing the rest of the playoffs as he was intended to. Though his showing in the playoffs weren’t very promising, there were many moments where Sparks appeared as if he could become one of the better goalies this league has ever seen. 
 
During the off-season is where he managed to squeak his way into the illustrious ranks of the “Heavenly 7”, an elite list of the best goalies in the VHLM all at the same time. Being labeled as such came with more pressure for this rookie netminder, but that was only the beginning. 
Enter the S85 VHLM draft, one of the most stacked classes in goaltending talent the league has ever seen, ever. This would also go down as the season where 7/10 teams would have a maxed out goaltender to help their team compete.. it was unprecedented and straight up incredible to behold. Being one of the last of the Heavenly 7 to be drafted, Ash Sparks was drafted to the Halifax 21st. The pressure of being labeled a top goalie, was now about to be put to the test as he got drafted to one of the more “mediocre” teams and was going to have an extremely difficult time ahead of him.
Despite the slow start to the season, with a record of 1-8-1, the team started to rally on the back of Ash Sparks. He was consistently facing over 70-80 shots per game, and was standing on his head like a monster. The league stated, Ash Sparks at this time had been losing games by splitting hairs, and was surprisingly playing as if he was THE best goalie. This trend continued all season long, as if a myth and legend started to grow around Ash Sparks. Other teams were getting nervous of being goalied by Halifax every game they played Ash Sparks, and for good reason. He stole the most games out of every goalie that season, and was set on the hardest track to prove himself. Not only did he meet the demands and surpass all expectations placed around him, he proved that he was in fact the best goalie of that season to the players and fellow goalies alike. Sadly the league didn’t feel the same way, and shunned Ash Sparks from the awards, just like his mentor Jimmy Spyro predicted. “If you played against the Hounds like those guys did, your stats would have been inflated like theirs were too. You proved you were the best, hands down. The BoG doesn’t know shit, everyone knows who the best really was this season. It was you Sparks, no contest, no questions asked.” - Jimmy Spyro, after the VHLM award ceremony to the VSN press.
 
Enter the VHLE draft, where somehow Ash Sparks was completely overlooked by every single team. His talent and character led most teams to believe that he would be a top pick for any team, but sadly this wasn’t the case. Every team failed to do any scouting on Ash Sparks the season prior, leaving him to by left on the draft board until he was finally taken in the 5th Round by the Geneva Rush, as the 34th pick of the draft. This would place him as the 1-b goaltender behind fellow Heavenly 7 goalie and Ash Sparks’ friend, Joel Castle. Currently the 2 are on the worst team in the league, but they are performing amazingly, especially given their circumstances. Ash Sparks currently holds a 2-7-0 record in his 10 appearances (1 being in relief of Castle when he sustained an injury during his 2nd game of the season) and has put up some insane numbers. Sitting on a 0.944 save %, and facing an average of 60 shots per game, Ash Sparks is looking like an absolute god in net but this isn’t surprising to those that really know what Ash Sparks is capable of. 
 
Being graded with a low chance to reach Franchise potential, Ash Sparks was then drafted in the VHL draft 6th overall in the 1st round to the illustrious Seattle Bears organization. He was drafted before every other goalie, the inverse of the previous 2 drafts for the E and the M. A good portion of the league had their mind boggled, but again, those that know the legend that is forming around Ash Sparks, aren’t surprised by this. The only thing that remains an anomaly is how Sparks is still continuing to perform at such a god like level.. is it possible that he could be one of the next GOATs? Time will tell, but for now let’s dive into some of his traits.
 
 
Abilities (Pros)
 
LIGHTNING REFLEXES [passive]
The power of lightning courses through his veins, his reaction time is explosive and otherworldly, as if time is at a stand-still each time he goes to stop the puck.
 
INDOMITABLE WILL OF FIRE [passive]
When he’s feeling it, the whole team is. His Will of Fire reaches his teammates through every save he makes, inspiring them to skate harder and dig deeper into their reserves.
 
RALLY OF THE DRAGON’S ROAR [activated]
Sparks screams deathcore in the Locker Rooms between periods, rallying the team together, bolstering their moral and boosting their energy.
 
 
EYE OF THE STORM [passive]
When he’s in the zone, he’s as calm as the eye of the storm. You can sense the electricity in the air, an eerie feeling that he’s about to explode for a save like a bolt of lightning.
 
 
INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS [passive]
The more dire the situation, the more Sparks rises to the occasion.
 
INTERNAL BATTERY [passive]
..the motor on this man is inhuman. 
 
ILLUMINATE PERFORMANCE [trait]
..the highlight reels are 90% Ash Sparks, it’s just how it is.
 
GAME BREAKER [trait]
..seriously, how can 1 man alter the very fabric of reality time and time again!? .. teams fear playing against Sparks due to his ability to straight up steal games by himself.
 
 
Risks (Cons)
 
WHEN IT RAINS.. IT POURS
Oh.. cry me a river.. wait- not literally! .. .. Sparks is very critical on himself, and can easily spiral into depression if his teammates don’t support him.
 
NO REST FOR THE WICKED
Pfft.. who needs awards anyways? .. .. .. .. .. Just like his mentor, Jimmy Spyro, the BoG is out for blood with this one. Good luck seeing hardware buddy!
 
BURNOUT
The fire that burns twice as hot, burns half as long.. … Sparks has an “all gas” mentality when he practices and plays. This high octane energy leads to him getting burnt out more frequently. 
 
 
GAS-LIT
..a fiery passion can be easily manipulated, don’t let the other players get in Sparks’ face too long or he is bound to take a penalty eventually.
 
 
MOUNTAIN OF SOLITUDE 
..whether it’s ego, skill, or lack of relatability, Sparks may be destined for the top.. but it can be lonely, and that depression can affect his game significantly.
 
[1,337 words]

FUUKKA RASK- #40  
VHLM Drafted: 14th Overall 
Birthplace: Savonlinna, Finland
Age: 19
Height: 6"3'
Weight: 193lbs
Shoots: Left
NHL comparison: Tuukka Rask
 
OVERVIEW
 
Fuukka Rask burst onto the scene, after signing with the Philadelphia Reapers in S84.  He went 6-0-0 in his only 6 games that regular season.  In S85 he joined the Ottawa Lynx after being drafted 14th Overall.  The season went incredibly well, Ottawa was in 1st place in the entire league and Rask was leading all goalies in wins. A mid season GM firing saw Rask ride the bench the remaining 14 games of the season. The Lynx also slid a little in the standings standings. 
It appears Rask will finish with a respectable 34-11-5 record. The team is now gearing up for a nice playoff run. Rask is well rested and looks forward to proving potential future GM's what he can do!!
PRO:
Balanced Style- Rask has made it a habit of his to practice all aspects of his game. Fuukka puts in the same amount of time training for rebound control, catching, positioning and puck handling when he needs to. while it is possible to say this is a con of his due to no one style of his game being stronger than the other I think most teams will be interested in the well roundness of his game.
Reaction Time- Rask is increedible at reading the shots that are coming towards him, and is rarely too late to respond. Another part of what gives him his incredible raw potential and what makes him such a fun goaltender to watch is his lightning quick combination of reaction time and hand speed. 
Dedication- Fuukka is an incredibly hard worker. Coming into the gamelat such a young age, many have wondered whether or not he is willing to stick around for the long-haul. Rask is known for not only finishing what he starts but also striving to be number 1 at what he does. There need not be any worry about his dedication to the game of hockey or the league going forward.
 
CON:
Penalty Shot- Rask is not known for stopping breakaways. His coach used to try not to get to penalty shots when he was in net. His size may help but he is just not good at handling this type of pressure in 1 on 1 situations. 
Skating- Some say goaltenders are the best skaters on most hockey teams.  That's just not the case with Fuukka. This may be his biggest weakness.
Ego- Although he seems really humble and is not overly outspoken. Rask truly believes he has the potential to be the best in the world.  This could cause issues later on in his career with playing time, locker room interactions and post game comments. 
 
 
450+ W

F- Tomas sogaard
D- Jake Thunder
 
 @Ben mclaughlin

D - Bo Johansson
 
Sorry for the late pick!

F- Nils godlander
@Ben mclaughlin your on the clock

Yes, boss!

Nico Pearce 
@Jubis

A very well written article with excellent formatting. Your use of colors and graphics are outstanding. I think Cologne made the right choice with Justin Lion. Lion is this weeks top earner in TPE and I'm predicting better numbers in goal for him this upcoming season with San Diego. If he continues to earn consistently then he'll make a smooth transition into the VHLE next season. Cologne made another great choice with former Marlin, Ben Dover. It was a tough draft for Bratislava but I still expect them to be competitive this season. I really appreciate that @FrostBeard wasn't afraid to take a risk with The Frenchman even though it didn't work out in the end.

I do not decline. Sorry, I thought I signed up and I guess it slipped my mind. Happy to be here!

I just wanna ramble about VHL related stuff. It’ll most just be random thoughts on things or mini complaints/suggestions that aren’t really a big deal.
 
-So I didn’t win any VHLM awards. Turns out The mediocre one had more points and goals than me despite not reflecting on the portal. I feel like this should be an issue that gets fixed. Really got my hopes up.
-I’m playing in the E this season. Not sure I totally love the idea of it but I do like the idea of marinating another season before making my VHL debut. Why does the E feel so irrelevant? Maybe we should abolish it and raise the M cap to 300 soft cap and 400 hard cap instead?!?
-I love the Wranglers. Such a good group of people in there. Always a good vibe and even our newer members are fitting in really nicely. I hope we can turn the corner and finally make a decent push in the playoffs. These guys deserve a fun run.
 
That’s all for this ramble sesh. I will be back to ramble some more next week.
 
 

1. The VHL,VHLM and VHLE have long road trips.  What is your go to app to watch shows and movies on and what do you watch ? 
 
2. As a kid a lot of games come with 2-4 colors for the players to select.  The games that each player specifically had to be red or blue , which did you choose ? Why ?
 
3.  What is your favorite breakfast on gameday ? 

biggest steal of that the draft at 14.
Why thank you 😊  🥳 🔥 

Well, since I’ve been earning some form of TPE on all my drafts, it’s time to analyze the S86 VHL draft. Since I have seen others grade teams on how well they did throughout the draft, I will grade the 16 first round picks individually. As before, these are at least 102% accurate and therefore everyone should pick VHFL/predictions based off of this. I am not trying to offend anyone here and I am confident everyone picked in this round will turn into something special! And yes, I know the early picks are all an A+ but that is because I genuinely think there was no better option.
 
1. Riga Reign - The Frenchman (439 TPE)
We begin with the first selection in the draft- The Frenchman @OrbitingDeath . Riga's highest TPA player is currently Daniel Weaver, with 615 to their name. That is the lowest amount of TPA for any VHL team's highest earning player except for the Helsinki Titans. This provides a great opportunity for The Frenchman to step into the league now and be a truly huge part of this team's future. Having separated their passing and scoring stats by 10 already, the center is an elite scoring threat and we will undoubtedly be seeing them become a rapidly rising star this upcoming season. The Frenchman has also been named an assistant captain before the start of their rookie year!
 
Pick Grade: A+
 
2. Seattle Bears -  Yaroslav Bogatyrev (411 TPE)
After surprisingly falling to 4th overall in the VHLE Entry Draft, Yaroslav Bogatyrev @Bojovnik was certainly one of the most highly valued players of the VHL Draft. Having the 2nd most TPE out of anyone selected, it's no surprise that Seattle jumped at the chance to get them. Seattle had a monster draft with 4 first round picks and could essentially fill any positional need in the S86 draft. Bogatyrev has been a consistent and beyond great earner (being good at VHFL and predictions helps too) and will not be slowing down anytime soon. On a fairly young Seattle team, Bogatyrev is another leader of the future and if they choose to play in the VHLE this year, should have an absolutely amazing season. Should they choose to begin their VHL career, the league had better watch out for a top rookie with especially elite defensive capability. I believe Seattle made the best pick possible here.
 
Pick Grade: A+
 
3. Helsinki Titans - Daryl Dixon (383 TPE)
Daryl Dixon @Ricer13 is again, the best pick available in my opinion which brings a third straight A+ in a row to the table. Normally you can find Dixon on the same team as his counterpart, Rick Grimes. They found a way to stick together throughout their VHLM careers and were drafted 1st and 2nd overall by Istanbul in the E. This year, they were separated with Helsinki not being able to resist the talent of Dixon. Dixon has created a massive gap in scoring and passing with 71 SC and 61 PA and with defense relatively high, is a player capable of being the best at both ends of the ice. Posting an astonishing statline of 123 points in 72 games for the Miami Marauders of the VHLM, we have been treated to beautiful goal after beautiful goal by the American star. Helsinki's highest earning forward has 517 TPE to their name, so Dixon ought to immediately make an impact as either the top player or very close to it by the time they end their time in the VHLE.
 
Pick Grade: A+
 
4. Riga Reign - Sadie St-Louis (304 TPE)
Riga finally deviated from the order of highest TPE players at this point in the draft- they went for Sadie St-Louis @sadie who, outside of Bogatyrev and Dixon, is the highest earning winger in the draft. She has max earned nearly every week she has been a part of the VHL and is shaping up to be very effective both in scoring goals and in preventing them. She is a high volume shooter who puts the puck on net whenever she gets the chance and put up 85 points in 72 VHLM games in S85 and was playing over half of those games as a defenseman due to Ottawa's lack of them. She should be another player who should be able to make an immediate impact when she reaches the VHL and possibly could be playing with The Frenchman by that time. Riga has had a solid 2 picks in this first round- the reasons this pick does not receive an A+ are 1. I don't want to be biased and 2. I thought Riga would draft a defenseman given that they only have 1 in their system. In drafting a winger however, this was the best available player.
 
Pick Grade: A-
 
5. London United - Rex Wolffe Gregor (254 TPE)
The first defenseman to be selected in the draft was the young Canadian Rex Wolffe Gregor @oilmandan with the highest amount of TPE for any defenseman in the draft (at least currently). London already had amazing defensemen in the league and some could argue that taking a forward would have been the better move here when you have guys like Hari Singh Nalwa and Jerome Reinhart already on your team but I think taking a promising defenseman in Gregor that can fill the shoes of the veterans as they move to the latter stages of their careers is a great move. They consistently earn 12 affiliate tpe and were a huge asset in the VHLM last year with Philadelphia with 50 points in 72 regular season games, putting up 307 hits and 162 shot blocks as well. They were instrumental as well in Philadelphia's miraculous run to a championship and had 17 points in 18 playoff games. London will be watching Gregor's progress closely with Bratislava, waiting for the chance to get them going in the VHL.
 
Pick Grade: A-
 
6. Seattle Bears - Ash Sparks (300 TPE)
Seattle's GMs must not have been able to believe their eyes when they saw the upcoming picks because they managed to get 3 IN A ROW. FIRST ROUNDERS. So the order of the next three picks didn't matter too much of course; basically Seattle already has great players and young/inexperienced players at every position but goalie (they only have 1, that being Dusty Wilson). So Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro seemed like a logical pick to make here. Sparks max earns almost every week and posted 31 wins and a .913 save percentage last year for one of the weaker teams in the league in Halifax. You could argue that other goalies should have been taken but you can't argue that Sparks is a great pick no matter where you take them.
 
Pick Grade: B+
 
7. Seattle Bears - Elias Lampi (228 TPE)
Elias Lampi @Pifferfish is an interesting pick- we didn't get a full season out of them last year in the VHLM with them having created about halfway through the season. However, they impressed with 23 points in 43 games as well as 4 points in 4 playoff games which sadly ended in a sweep for the 21st. Pifferfish is super active and will make an awesome addition to the bears; they are a consistent max earner as well and GMed in the JST and WJC. They are the highest earning defenseman in the Bears system not playing in the VHL and there is a 3 year gap between the last one to make it onto the Bears roster and Lampi, who I am sure will. A defensively minded strong skater, they will be a force in the VHL for years to come.
 
Pick Grade: B
 
8. Seattle Bears - Left Alone (259 TPE)
I thought that with the overflow of wingers Seattle seem to currently have, they would have gone with a center (Hulk Hogan is their only VHL center at the moment). But picking Left Alone @okochastar was anything but a miss. With 71 points in 72 games in the VHLM, they went on a tear and earned themselves a high draft position in both the E draft (3rd overall) and the VHL draft (8th overall) as opposed to having been taken 55th in the prior VHLM draft. They are an extremely active earner (with affiliate 12 tpe as far as the eye can see) and will be a great asset as the Bears will have their pick of young star wingers.
 
Pick Grade: A-
 
9. Vancouver Wolves - Wann Kerr (268 TPE)
This Czechian talent is a great pick, being 10th in TPE and the 6th ranked skater. They look like they are growing into a shutdown winger who can do anything the team calls for. Shooting, passing, physicality, you name it, Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ will deliver.  They are an active player, max earning and participating in opportunities for extra TPE. Last year in the VHLM, Kerr tallied 97 points in 72 VHLM games and 24 points in 19 playoff games for the Las Vegas Aces who fell just short of a 3rd straight championship. Vancouver has some amazing players along with having a great draft and everything is in place for Kerr to become a top player on this team, learning under Nico Pearce.
 
Pick Grade: B+
 
10. London United - Rick Grimes (324 TPE)
So Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon were at last split up by London (not that I would blame them). They were fortunately reunited shortly after via a trade to send Grimes to Helsinki. Grimes @tinafrombobsburgers is the 2nd best center in the draft class after The Frenchman and it is a surprise that they went this low honestly considering their caliber. With an astounding 116 points in 72 VHLM games last season, Grimes was near unstoppable for the Marauders. With multiple picks for London in a row here, it's impossible to refuse what Grimes brings by passing twice consecutively. They were drafted 1st overall in the VHLM and in the VHLE, so by 10th the pick kind of needs to be made.
 
Pick Grade: A+
 
11. London United - Leonard Triller (230 TPE)
Leonard Triller @Trilleris an interesting pick here because John Richards was still available, but the TPE difference is honestly not that much. Triller is from what I've seen a fun person and someone you'd definitely want on your team and in your LR! They are a pass-first forward (which we don't see too many of) and they are excellent on and off of the puck. They tallied 52 points in 55 games last year, and 116 hits. Triller has been a great earner, consistently hitting their 12 capped and show that they will continue to produce the TPE. As one of London's top prospects, I hope to see what they can do in the VHL soon- I think they may surprise everyone.
 
Pick Grade: B+
 
12. HC Davos Dynamo - Lachlan Summers (320 TPE)
Simply said, this is a home run pick by Davos. They get a young goalie with one of the highest ceilings in the entire league and they get an active and awesome person to have in their locker room. Lachlan Summers @kirbithan is a consistent max earner and participates in activities that get them extra TPE. With 320 TPE to their name, there is not a shot that Summers doesn't have a chance at stopping with his extremely quick reflexes and speed with the glove. Lachlan brought San Diego to an above .500 record in S85 with 34 wins and had an impressive save percentage (.916) and goals against average (2.57) as well as 4 shutouts! Davos came into the draft likely looking for a goalie who could succeed Booberry, who is doing a remarkable job right now, and they got Summers in a steal of a 12th pick. Lachlan will be ready for the VHL, but will the VHL be ready for him?
 
Pick Grade: A
 
13. Toronto Legion - Joel Castle (333 TPE)
Joel Castle @animal74is the 3rd goalie taken and the 2nd in overall TPE for goalies. They are a great earner despite claiming welfare fairly frequently (as evidenced by being 5th in TPE among the S86 draft class). It may have been weird to see another goalie taken when they had drafted a goalie last year who sits at around 300 TPE, but Castle is worth it over picking many other players in my opinion. Toronto has a BOATLOAD and I mean an entire fleet, of skater prospects, many of who should turn out good just because of how many of them there are. Their forward core and defense are well balanced in the big leagues and they have only 1 goalie there. Joel, who had 41 wins, a .911 save percentage, and a 2.34 GAA, seems like a great candidate for the future. This team, with a couple more pieces or prospects who turn out well, could be very good in the future.
 
Pick Grade: A
 
14. Helsinki Titans - Fuukka Rask (373 TPE)
Now how on earth did this happen? Fuukka Rask @Jubis , had the 4th most TPE in the draft by a margin of 40 and also had earned the most out of any goalie. So getting them at 14th is the biggest steal of the draft in my opinion for Helsinki. Rask was an amazing goaltender for Ottawa last season and led them to one of the top spots in the league, far exceeding the expectations for the team. They had a .912 save percentage and a 2.39 goals against for themselves- and 4 shutouts. This year, I believe Fuukka is playing in the VHLE but when they get into the VHL they will be contending for a starting spot, given that Helsinki's goalies have 561 and 484 TPE and are both S81. Rask, in my opinion, should not have fallen close to this far and this was definitely a huge step for the future of the Titans.
 
Pick Grade: A+
 
15. Calgary Wranglers - Vincent Laroche-Gagnier (195 TPE)
Some may look at this as a reach in terms of TPE compared to those taken around him, but Laroche-Gagnier @vincentlg2007 is more than just his TPE number. As well as being a funny and active locker room member, he is an underrated player. Calgary has only Landon Wolanin in terms of big-league LWs so snagging one in the first round here is a logical choice (he was also the next best LW available). Vincent also contributed 94 points in 72 games last year for the Marlins, being an integral part of their season. With skilled shooting and strength, he will be an asset to Calgary for years to come.
 
Pick Grade: B+
 
16. HC Davos Dynamo - John Richards (264 TPE)
Davos had another amazing pick to close out the first round in John Richards @John Cimarno the right winger. Another great locker room presence and hockey fan, John is a great player as well. Being the highest earning right wing in the draft after Dixon, it's impressive that he fell this far! I'm sure Davos jumped on the opportunity to take him immediately, taking into account that 1. they would be uniting part of the trio, 2. that they only had 1 RW in their entire organization in Alfred Champagne, and 3. because Richards was the highest remaining player on the board at this time. Richards had an amazing season last year with 86 points in 72 games as a member of the Ottawa Lynx. He valiantly tried to help Ottawa through the first round of the playoffs with 11 points in 7 games, but fell just short after an intense game 7 with Philadelphia. He is a scorer and a leader, and will take those qualities with him wherever he goes, first to Stockholm in the VHLE and then to Davos.
 
Pick Grade: A+
 
Well, this has certainly been an absolute monster of an article word count wise (I can't speak for quality). Somehow I got through this without giving anything lower than a B which is just a reflection on how good the GMs were in the draft this year! I look forward to seeing who exceeds the expectations of my unlearned first-gen eyes!
 
Word Count: 2701 (although does that matter at this point)
 
will be claiming for 11/13, 11/20, 11/27, 12/3

What type of player/member did The  Helsinki Titans get when they Drafted Fuukka Rask 14th Overall ?
 
 
Fuukka Rask is actually my 3rd generation player i have created. I joined the league in the late 60s when I created RJ Jubis.  RJ was drafted 5th overall to the Calgary Wranglers at just 212 TPE for as a 1st gen.  He also later signed a 5 season extension to remain on the team for his career if they so choose. 
As a member I eventually became AGM and then shortly after GM of the Wranglers.  I burnt out after just 5 or 6 seasons, the hours I was putting in analyzing every little move was just not sustainable. It was easier to step down when I knew there was a True GM in Ricer ready to step up.  The guys done a fantastic job over there I can't say enough good things about him. (Hmm maybe I will in an different media spot this season). 
After stepping down I mostly just focused on my players and spend a good amount of time in my respective teams LR. 
After Jubis retired it was time for player #2.  Zeedayno Chara was then created.  I earned well with Chara early on and with a proven track record he was drafted 4th overall and 1 spot higher than my first player. Chara joined the New York Americans, where he also pledged his 8 season career to them if they wanted. Chara went on to have a 600+ point career.  
 
After creating 2x 1400+ TPE players it was time to create player  #3. My previous players played Wing , Center and Deffense depending on what the team needed. I've always been a team first player. It was time for a change. I wanted to be  a goalie.  Even tho the league is flooded with goalies, my high TPE earning would separate me from the rest. (Well so I thought at the time).  It was at this point Fuukka Rask was born. I did not disappoint on the earning front.  Regarding tpe  Rask was #4 in the entire draft and #1 amongst goalies having a decent chunk of TPE more than all other high end G options. Rask dropped like ton of bricks during the draft tho falling all the way to 14th and last amongst 4 goalies in the first round. The 3 other goalies truly are beauty members so this could honestly be why. Im not taking anything away from them , Just looking at numbers. So if my earning is clearly proven to be superior, maybe as a member I am probably not as well liked as I thought lol. 
 
BLESSSED TO BE A TITAN
I can't stress enough how happy I am to be joining Helsinki tho. Whatever the circumstances that led me here are.  This is definitely  a blessing. Rayzor is a great dude and I enjoyed our rivalry back with my first player. So to have him as GM is awesome. Probably will be asking him for goalie pointers at some point.  Not to mention Helsinki recently drafted some familiar faces i ❤️ love. I am happy to be here and  I will use this love for this team to make Rask the best possible player I can.  Ill give 110% to help my new teammates in Helsinki win as many games as possible. 
 
The bear has awoken from hibernation. Rask is going full active and I have my sites on 1500+ TPE  
 
PREVIOUS PLAYERS:
1.-RJ JUBIS 1469 TPE EARNED
5th overalk pick
 
2.-ZEEDAYNO CHARA 1421 TPE EARNED 
4th overall pick
 
Player # 3. 
FUUKKA RASK
*1500+ TPE*
14th overall pick
DEDICATING 8 SEASONS TO TITANS
 
Thanks for reading my little post draft rant. Look forward to seeing you all out on the ice. 
My players have always had more heart than skill.  Rask's career is a blank canvas so we shall see. 
 
 
650 words
 
Cheers 🍻, 

In a recent interview for a local sports magazine - translation of which is not available - Wann Kerr said there probably couldn't be a better fit for him than the Gladiators, when it comes to branding. As a medieval weapons enthusiast, he owns a collection of different swords, daggers, knives, maces, axes, polearms and pieces of armor from different cultures and different eras. In relation to the Gladiators, he showcased a few pieces - a spatha (a long sword used by gladiators and roman legions mostly towards the end of the 3rd century), two gladii, a pugio (a type of dagger infamous for being used in assassination of Julius Caesar) and a pilum (javelin). During the interview, he also wore a crested centurion helmet from his collection.
 
What we found out in said interview is Wann Kerr has some history of HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts), LARP and historic cosplaying. A day after the VHLE draft, he posted a photo of him in full Roman legionaire gear. 
 
At the first skate at Gladiators' training camp, he rocked his centurion helmet instead of hockey helmet, but was immediately sent back to the locker room to switch to proper helmet, which as it turned out he had painted bronze during the offseason, and placed an SPQR sticker over the Jofa logo.
 
Today, after the training camp was wrapped up, we were able to meet up with Wann Kerr on his way from the arena for a quick chat.
 
So, congratulations for being drafted, excited for the season?
Oh definitely, we're poised to have a strong season. And having an opportunity to play in such a beautiful city full of history, great food and amazing wine is definitely a plus. I might need to watch my weight a bit more closely.
 
How does the team feel compared to the Aces?
It's really too early to tell, I haven't had many opportunities to really meet with the guys properly. We've built something that felt truely special in Vegas. Jens Lekman being a part of the Gladiators helps, and it's cool to have Left Alone, another Czech player on the team as well. Of course the biggest change compared to playing in Vegas is being much closer to my girlfriend, who studies back home in Czechia. Being in the other hemisphere for a whole season was really tough on both of us.
 
Many people don't talk about this, I imagine it can get pretty lonely. Did she or your family visit you in Vegas?
Yeah, she did once. But my family kinda bailed on me after Juan Ceson locked me in his cupboard. They were probably afraid Juan would ask for ransom. Bunch of pricks. As if someone who owns all the IKEAs needed more money.
 
That's cold. How did meeting them in the offseason go?
I didn't even meet them, I just arrived home, grabbed my stuff, picked up my girlfriend and moved here in Rome, we've enjoyed a nice vacation here. She's actually leaving tomorrow, so I can't really stick around with you guys much longer now.
 
That's okay, I get it. Just one last question, how did you get out of Juan Ceson's cupboard?
That's...too complicated. And too long story for now. You wouldn't believe it anyway.
 
That's disappointing...anyway, thanks for your time and I wish you tons of success in your VHLE season!
Thanks! It will be really interesting experience, I expect to spend just one season here, so I have to make it count and help my team to get the title. Nice talking to you guys, see you later.

Orion D H Chiester IX is the greatest goaltender in VHLE History so it makes sense that the award is named after him. 
Hoping to see an amazing last season of his career - couldn't be more proud to have him as a Bratislava player for all these amazing seasons! 
 

Thank you for the honor, however it's truly reflective of the efforts made by the team as a whole and @l1l KRZY l9l as AGM. Congrats to everyone!

With that we conclude the VHLE Awards. Thank you to everyone who came out. 

What type of player/member did The  Helsinki Titans get when they Drafted Fuukka Rask 14th Overall ?
 
 
Fuukka Rask is actually my 3rd generation player i have created. I joined the league in the late 60s when I created RJ Jubis.  RJ was drafted 5th overall to the Calgary Wranglers at just 212 TPE for as a 1st gen.  He also later signed a 5 season extension to remain on the team for his career if they so choose. 
As a member I eventually became AGM and then shortly after GM of the Wranglers.  I burnt out after just 5 or 6 seasons, the hours I was putting in analyzing every little move was just not sustainable. It was easier to step down when I knew there was a True GM in Ricer ready to step up.  The guys done a fantastic job over there I can't say enough good things about him. (Hmm maybe I will in an different media spot this season). 
After stepping down I mostly just focused on my players and spend a good amount of time in my respective teams LR. 
After Jubis retired it was time for player #2.  Zeedayno Chara was then created.  I earned well with Chara early on and with a proven track record he was drafted 4th overall and 1 spot higher than my first player. Chara joined the New York Americans, where he also pledged his 8 season career to them if they wanted. Chara went on to have a 600+ point career.  
 
After creating 2x 1400+ TPE players it was time to create player  #3. My previous players played Wing , Center and Deffense depending on what the team needed. I've always been a team first player. It was time for a change. I wanted to be  a goalie.  Even tho the league is flooded with goalies, my high TPE earning would separate me from the rest. (Well so I thought at the time).  It was at this point Fuukka Rask was born. I did not disappoint on the earning front.  Regarding tpe  Rask was #4 in the entire draft and #1 amongst goalies having a decent chunk of TPE more than all other high end G options. Rask dropped like ton of bricks during the draft tho falling all the way to 14th and last amongst 4 goalies in the first round. The 3 other goalies truly are beauty members so this could honestly be why. Im not taking anything away from them , Just looking at numbers. So if my earning is clearly proven to be superior, maybe as a member I am probably not as well liked as I thought lol. 
 
BLESSSED TO BE A TITAN
I can't stress enough how happy I am to be joining Helsinki tho. Whatever the circumstances that led me here are.  This is definitely  a blessing. Rayzor is a great dude and I enjoyed our rivalry back with my first player. So to have him as GM is awesome. Probably will be asking him for goalie pointers at some point.  Not to mention Helsinki recently drafted some familiar faces i ❤️ love. I am happy to be here and  I will use this love for this team to make Rask the best possible player I can.  Ill give 110% to help my new teammates in Helsinki win as many games as possible. 
 
The bear has awoken from hibernation. Rask is going full active and I have my sites on 1500+ TPE  
 
PREVIOUS PLAYERS:
1.-RJ JUBIS 1469 TPE EARNED
5th overalk pick
 
2.-ZEEDAYNO CHARA 1421 TPE EARNED 
4th overall pick
 
Player # 3. 
FUUKKA RASK
*1500+ TPE*
14th overall pick
DEDICATING 8 SEASONS TO TITANS
 
Thanks for reading my little post draft rant. Look forward to seeing you all out on the ice. 
My players have always had more heart than skill.  Rask's career is a blank canvas so we shall see. 
 
 
650 words
 
Cheers 🍻,