Austin2997

Player Information
Username: Austin2997
Player Name: Alexsei Volchenko
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 18
Position: C
Height: 77 in.
Weight: 215 lbs.
Birthplace: Russia

Player Page
@VHLM GM

*LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED*
 
I maybe swear a couple times idk
 
https://anchor.fm/jardy-b/episodes/The-Chodesode-26-Just-a-Single-Train-Car-e19fe8i
 
A truly brief 10 minute podder this time around!
 
- I introduce all the new and returning players who might not get on a team in time for playoffs
- I then possibly inaccurately break down how I think Round 1 of the VHLM playoffs might go
 
Mentions:
@mmaarrkk @Austin2997 @GoldGear88 @Jeff Beukeboom @ThatsGreissy @Grim_Onion

Player Information
Username: Austin2997
Player Name: Alexsei Volchenko
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 18
Position: C
Height: 77 in.
Weight: 215 lbs.
Birthplace: Russia

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Season 69 ended in disappointment for Reaper fans and players as they lost in the 1st round of the playoffs to Halifax 21st.  They’ve used the offseason to let go of the past and focus on the upcoming season. We had an opportunity to sit down with the Reapers’ GM, Domini Maximus, to find out her thoughts on her tenure and what she hopes Season 70 holds for the Reapers.
 
Q: What was the mood of the team like in the locker room after the Game 6 loss to Halifax?
A: I think we were all shocked more than anything. We were confident in our abilities, we had a strong team, we expected to win. I mean we had an excellent record against them in the regular season. Having all that come crashing down was a shock to the system to say the least.
 
Q: A 2nd straight season ending in disappointment for the team. Are fans losing patience with you?
A: I’m not sure I can speak for all the fans. I think it’s natural for fans to want us to win immediately and consistently so I get where they’re coming from. I want the same thing myself. 2 seasons ago we missed the playoffs, last season we made the playoffs. There’s clear improvement there and based upon the buzz this team is creating around the city, I think fans are really excited for what’s to come.
 
Q: Talk about that buzz, why is there excitement?
A: Just look at the roster. We’ve got stars like Bud Knight @Dilly Dilly, Griff Manzer @Garsh, Richard Fitzwell @Tomato Soup, Kyle Andersen @Cusemode, Jack Russell @quanack, and of course our fantastic goalie Isak Sjostrom @Austin2997, all returning. We had a great draft where we were able to pickup an absolute gem of a player in Jared Spaz @Spaz and we were able to draft fan favorite Derek Eriksson @DirtyDerek back to our team. He’s poised for an all-star year. We were also able to add talent in the later rounds, like Xavier leFlamant @BarzalGoat, who I think will be called a huge steal of the draft in any historical review. And we got up and comers in Justin Goatman @Goatman and Xavier Hills @inflastud.
To add to that, we were able to make a trade for Damien Wolfe @Laflamme. He’s shown he knows what it takes to win it all in his last season with Saskatoon. We’re glad to his experience and proven toughness on our team.
And we just completed a free agent signing of defenseman Aamon Grim @aCrypticPancake. Adding Aamon to our team gives us amazing depth at defense, a position most in need in the league. With Aamon’s addition, I think we’re going to have the greatest defense in the history of the VHLM.   
 
Q: The greatest defense ever? That’s a bold statement.
A: Without getting too into the numbers, last season was the first season the cap was raised in the VHLM. Saskatoon has a great defense, but it was primarily 3 players, all who were at the cap for most of the season. We’re starting the season with 4 defensemen over the previous cap. By the midway point of the season we’ll hopefully have all 4 D men capped. That makes for the greatest D of all time, on paper at least. I’m sure the numbers will prove it out by the end of the season.
 
Q: After all that, what are your expectations for the team?
A: The way I look at it is, there’s things you can control and things beyond your control. I can’t control the way that other teams play. I can’t control the random bounces or outcomes we see over the course of a season. What we can control is how we operate. We control us showing up every day, working hard, and working together as a team to achieve a championship. I think as long as we focus on that, we’ll have a really good season.
 
Q: Anything you’d like to say to Reaper fans?
A: I’d like to thank everyone who supports this team. I think the fans already know we have a great roster made up of great players whom everyone can support. I’d say grab your friends and get ready to enjoy a fantastic season! Go Reapers!

It was a roller coaster for Team Europe during the round robin games in this years WJC tournament. Europe started off hot going 4-1 in the first 5 games.

GM Greg decided to go with the following lines for the first 3 games
 
Line 1: Nyman - Kidd - Hooper
Line 2: Ohradka - Stava - Steve
Line 3: Tallinder - Lahtinen - Lesieur
Line 4: Nyman - Stava - Lesieur
 
D1: Summers - Petrovic
D2: Jokinen - Lagesson
D3: Summers - Jokinen
D4: Petrovic - Lagesson
 
G1: Boris Boris
G2: Isak Sjostrom (Starting vs Asia)


The first game saw Europe beat Team USA 3-2 in a thrilling game that went into overtime. Mac Hooper ended up potting the winner and Guy Lesieur led the team with 2 points. It was the first game for these players playing together, so it will take time for them to gel and fire on all cylinders

In the second game Europe played USA once again but this time came out on top 4-2 in a much more dominating performance. Boris Boris played exceptionally well stopping 41 of 43 shots. Guy Lesiuer led the team with 2 goals and Fernando Jokinen helped with 3 assists. This was a much better performance from Team Europe and leaders were starting to form.
 
In the third game it was a disappointing loss to Asia as Europe lost its first game 4-3. Asia, unknown during this game, went on to have a miracle round robin going undefeated. Europe played well but they were just not up to par defensively. Isak Sjostrom received his first start and played exceptionally well for his WJC debut.

For the next 3 games, GM Greg decided to mix up the lines as some players were performing very well and deserved more ice time like Stava and Lesieur while others were not playing up to their potential like Belantine Kidd. GM Greg announced the new lines to the team.
 
Line 1: Nyman - Stava - Lesieur  
Line 2: Tallinder - Kidd - Steve
Line 3: Ohradka - Lahtinen – Hooper
Line 4: Tallinder - Kidd - Lesieur
 
D1: Summers – Petrovic
D2: Jokinen - Lagesson
D3: Summers – Jokinen
D4: Petrovic - Lagesson
 
G1: Boris Boris
G2: Isak Sjostrom

The first 2 games with the line changes went very well as Europe beat Team World 4-3 and 2-0 in back to back games. Lesieur shined on the first line and put up 3 points and Roadkill Steve also shined with his new linemates putting up 2 points over the stretch. Boris Boris was playing lights out and earned his first shutout of the season.

In the 3rd game with the updated lines Europe hit a snag and lost 3-2 to Canada in a very lacklustre performance. Europe was expecting to win this game and GM Greg was unhappy with the way his team played.

He once again decided to change up the lines but this would lead to more disappointment in the next 2 games.

Line 1: Ohradka - Stava – Lesieur
Line 2: Nyman - Lahtinen - Steve
Line 3: Tallinder - Kidd - Hooper
Line 4: Nyman - Kidd - Steve
 
D1: Summers - Jokinen
D2: Petrovic - Lagesson
D3: Summers - Petrovic
D4: Jokinen – Lagesson
 
 G1: Boris Boris
G2: Isak Sjostrom
 
GM Greg decided to give some extra ice time to those players that were performing well and less ice time for his more skilled players that were not performing well.

This may have been a mistake as Europe for the first time in the tournament were blown out 5-2 by Asia and followed by a 5-3 loss to Canada. After these games GM Greg held an emergency team meeting to figure out what was going on.

The GM and players all discussed the issues and a new line up will be rolled out for the first elimination game. Greg is keeping the lineup a secret but rumour is it will be a mix of the 1st lineup and the 2nd lineup that was rolled out.
 
At the end of the Round Robin here is how the team scoring ended

Fernando Jokinen and Guy Lesieur both led the team with 11 points.

Jokinen was the teams star playmaker ending the round robin with 11 assists while Lesieur was an all around dominant player ending with 6 goals and 5 assists. If Europe wants to advance past Canada in the elimination round these 2 players will need to keep on producing at a hot pace. Players like Kidd, Lagesson and Tallinder will need to play better and offer more secondary support if Europe is to advance.

The full team scoring is below:

 
Player
Goals
Assists
Points
Jokinen
0
11
11
Lesieur
6
5
11
Steve
3
3
6
Summers
1
5
6
Nyman
2
3
5
Hooper
4
1
5
Ohradka
2
3
5
Stava
1
3
4
Lahtinen
2
2
4
Petrovic
0
2
2
Kidd
1
1
2
Lagesson
1
1
2
Tallinder
0
1
1
 
Player
Save %
GAA
Boris
0.908
2.84
Sjostrom
0.895
4.07
 
Europe was expected to finish 1st or 2nd out of the round robin but with the losses of the last 2 games they found themselves in 3rd place with only 10 points. Their final record was 4-4. Europe will face Canada in the first elimination game, a team they have not yet beaten in this tournament.
 
“ It will be a tough elimination game for sure, Canada is a great team and they have had our number all throughout the round robin” GM Greg said “ but I believe with the new lines we will be rolling out that we can overcome them. Sometimes it takes a couple games to figure out what lines work and who clicks with who. All I can say is expect a better showing from our players”
 
It will be interesting to see what Greg has done and if anything will kick-start some of the European stars who have been invisible during this tournament. It will also be disappointing for the defending WJC champs to get eliminated in the first round of the elimination stage.

Stayed tuned to the WJC to see how well Europe does.
 
 
1033 words, claiming Dec 9-15 and Dec 16-22
 

Isak Sjostrom
 
VHL Drafted: 37 Overall (Vancouver Wolves)
 
VHLM Drafted: 16 Overall (Philadelphia Reapers)
 
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180lb.
 
 

 
Introduction to Hockey

Isak Sjostrom found his passion for hockey in a small town just outside of Stockholm Sweden. A bit of a late bloomer, Isak started to play hockey with a local Stockholm travel team at the age of 9. He originally wanted to be a defensemen but since he was starting to play hockey much later than the other players, his skating ability was subpar. Paired with the fact the team was in desperate need for a goalie, Isak, begrudgingly - suited up as the teams goaltender. Immediately, he fell in love with the position.

7 years later, the Vancouver Wolves and Philadelphia Reapers took a flyer on the young goalie, hoping to turn his raw abilities into something special for years to come. In a joint scouting report, the teams had this to say:

Scouting Report:

Isak Sjostrom possesses the raw athleticism and skills to be an elite goaltender in the VHLM and VHL. Starting hockey at such a late age has limited Isak's technical development thus far. He plays a very unorthodox style of goalie, and needs much more refinement in the developmental league.

Pros:

Uncanny amount of athletic ability. Lightning fast reflexes. Can find himself out of position regularly but these two abilities paired together can often mask his positional flaws.

Tons of untapped potential, a team with patience should get a great return on investment.

Rigorous work ethic. For many kids 16 years of age, hockey can sometimes be the last thing on their mind. Seems like Isak eats, breathes, and sleeps hockey. Attending every on ice and off ice clinic he can. Consistently out with teammates long before and after practice to refine parts of his game. He's got the will to be the best, just needs a team to put the same effort into him.

Cons:

As stated above, he seems to get overwhelmed in various situations. Consistently out of position when the puck gets moving around the zone.

Like every young goaltender, lacks consistency. Has had stretches of well over .900 sv% play but will follow it up with a stretch of .750 sv% play.

Severely lacks in the technical sense of the position. Lots of patience needed; will probably never be above average in terms of technical abilities.

Lacks communication on the ice. Most 16 years olds will be quiet amongst men but, basic communication is still needed on the ice. Isak will need to show an improvement in the high levels.

Height is an integral part of today's modern game. While he could still theoretically grow at 16 years of age. He currently stands 6'0". Far smaller than many of the current goalies dominating today's game.

Overall, Isak projects to be a starting/backup goaltender in the VHL by career end. The right team and the right coaches can put Isak into a position to be an elite goaltender but he's a long term investment. Reminder; he's only been playing goaltender for the past 7 years of his life. He's an extremely raw player, which can be advantageous if the right coach can get mentor him. He's basically a freak athlete that can be molded into whatever a coach sees fit. How he responds to the development will dictate how far he goes in this league

Isak Sjostrom
 
VHL Drafted: 37 Overall (Vancouver Wolves)
 
VHLM Drafted: 16 Overall (Philadelphia Reapers)
 
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180lb.
 
 

 
Introduction to Hockey

Isak Sjostrom found his passion for hockey in a small town just outside of Stockholm Sweden. A bit of a late bloomer, Isak started to play hockey with a local Stockholm travel team at the age of 9. He originally wanted to be a defensemen but since he was starting to play hockey much later than the other players, his skating ability was subpar. Paired with the fact the team was in desperate need for a goalie, Isak, begrudgingly - suited up as the teams goaltender. Immediately, he fell in love with the position.

7 years later, the Vancouver Wolves and Philadelphia Reapers took a flyer on the young goalie, hoping to turn his raw abilities into something special for years to come. In a joint scouting report, the teams had this to say:

Scouting Report:

Isak Sjostrom possesses the raw athleticism and skills to be an elite goaltender in the VHLM and VHL. Starting hockey at such a late age has limited Isak's technical development thus far. He plays a very unorthodox style of goalie, and needs much more refinement in the developmental league.

Pros:

Uncanny amount of athletic ability. Lightning fast reflexes. Can find himself out of position regularly but these two abilities paired together can often mask his positional flaws.

Tons of untapped potential, a team with patience should get a great return on investment.

Rigorous work ethic. For many kids 16 years of age, hockey can sometimes be the last thing on their mind. Seems like Isak eats, breathes, and sleeps hockey. Attending every on ice and off ice clinic he can. Consistently out with teammates long before and after practice to refine parts of his game. He's got the will to be the best, just needs a team to put the same effort into him.

Cons:

As stated above, he seems to get overwhelmed in various situations. Consistently out of position when the puck gets moving around the zone.

Like every young goaltender, lacks consistency. Has had stretches of well over .900 sv% play but will follow it up with a stretch of .750 sv% play.

Severely lacks in the technical sense of the position. Lots of patience needed; will probably never be above average in terms of technical abilities.

Lacks communication on the ice. Most 16 years olds will be quiet amongst men but, basic communication is still needed on the ice. Isak will need to show an improvement in the high levels.

Height is an integral part of today's modern game. While he could still theoretically grow at 16 years of age. He currently stands 6'0". Far smaller than many of the current goalies dominating today's game.

Overall, Isak projects to be a starting/backup goaltender in the VHL by career end. The right team and the right coaches can put Isak into a position to be an elite goaltender but he's a long term investment. Reminder; he's only been playing goaltender for the past 7 years of his life. He's an extremely raw player, which can be advantageous if the right coach can get mentor him. He's basically a freak athlete that can be molded into whatever a coach sees fit. How he responds to the development will dictate how far he goes in this league