Garsh

1. Getting tossed by Seattle in the Conference Finals sucks, what should we have done differently after we started to go down in the series?
Hired some sort of Voodoo doctor, get a little doll of Funk and use those needles to stick him.
 
2. What are your plans for this offseason?
As always I plan to head back home to Finland and row on our many lakes, and continue to work on my science fiction series "Atlas Rising".
 
3. What are your expectations for next season?
Am I too bitter if I say win the regular season and lose to Seattle in the playoffs?  Maybe I'm still bitter.
 
5. Who do you think our top individual playoff performer was for S71?
Probably HHH for Davison
 
6. Do you prefer Surf or Turf? 
Why not both?
 
8. Are you excited to play in the S71 AllStar game?
Oh yeah for sure I'm definitely excited because I am definitely playing in the All-Star game.

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who applied. Even though some of you weren’t selected please don’t let this discourage you. One stood out above the rest and I am happy to announce that the first Assistant GM of the Miami Marauders is....
 
 
@bigAL!!!

As we enter the final round of this season’s exciting playoffs, we here at the VSN thought it would be a great opportunity to hear from some of the top performers of this postseason. I sat down with a couple of players who are competing in these finals.
 
Also, make sure to check out the wide variety of content here at VSN. There are in-depth weekly updates and an award tracker for the VHL, a great podcast, and daily WJC coverage when it starts up, among other informative articles. Check out our latest instalments here:
 | VSN Radio | VHL Weekly | VHL Award Tracker | Deep Rewind | Under 250 |
 
Aleksander Rodriquez

What has been the highlight of the playoffs for you this season?
I am truly impressed by the fact that I got 4 game-winning goals trough 12 games before the finals, but I love the fact that I got a short-handed goal since it is probably my first one in my VHL career and I'm not even supposed to be on the penalty kill Hahahahaha.
 
Coming into the playoffs, who did you expect to face if you made it to the finals?
I did not expect to make it to the finals at first. I mean Vancouver is a really strong team on paper and we got the game 7 against DC as well, but I did wish that we would have faced Riga. It was the team that drafted me in the VHL so I do have a little bit of remorse from getting traded without getting a chance to play for them.
 
You are one of the top performers on your team this postseason, is there someone on the roster who you think might be being overlooked due to a lack of statistical performance?
Well, I feel like Scott Green got his well-deserved recognition already even though he didn't make the ASG, but I would like to throw Guy LeGrand, my former teammate in New York, in there. I saw him being a bit harsh on himself, but he is top 5 in points and I believe with 7 goals? He is contributing more than enough.
 
This season, the finals are between the two teams who have won the last three cups. What do you think has lead to the sustained success of your team?
I was certainly not apart of the regular-season success. I do believe that our amazing goaltender Rayz Funk and our defence were really vastly overlooked and we have shown that defence can win you games in the playoff. We just need 2 goals for Funk and then good luck to score on us.
 
I know it is early, but do you have any thoughts on your plans for next season?
I have been thinking of retiring next season so I am maybe playing as a d-man for my last year. All of this will depend on my negotiations with my GM so I will not say anything else yet. But hey, playing with Fontennete and MSG on a team would be amazing in another life. Recreate that Mexico dream team we had going on that year since we made the playoffs with an expansion team.
 
Does your team have any plans for what they are going to do in the days that follow if you get to lift the cup?
I do not want to jinx us, but I would have no idea, to be honest. This is my second playoff appearance and I am killing it right now so I really do not know what to expect. I will follow the vibe I guess.
 
Henrik Zoiderberg

What has been the highlight of the playoffs for you this season?
The highlight of the playoffs has definitely been the 4-0 sweep of Malmo, capped off by a 7-2 drubbing in game 4.

Coming into the playoffs, who did you expect to face if you made it to the finals?
To be honest, I think anyone in the North American Conference could have made it to the finals. That conference was very strong this season. There were a couple of strong teams in the European Conference as well, but some of those teams weren't as strong as we were or as strong as the NA teams.

You are one of the top performers on your team this postseason, is there someone on the roster who you think might be being overlooked due to a lack of statistical performance?
Gritty only has 7 points in 10 games, but he has a strong two-way play. If the games were only played along the boards, he'd be an all-star.

This season, the finals are between the two teams who have won the last three cups. What do you think has lead to the sustained success of your team?
Two things - a strong core of players either drafted or added through trades and free agency and a good job of drafting supporting talent that will eventually become the core of the team.

I know it is early, but do you have any thoughts on your plans for next season?
Both myself and the team and currently keeping all of our options open. It's too early to say anything definitive, but it's looking more and more likely that Moscow will not be my home for my final season.

Does your team have any plans for what they are going to do in the days that follow if you get to lift the cup?
Yeah - we'd go to Disney World and take the cup on a parade down Main Street.
 
 
It was very fun to get to interview these two players and I think we learned some very interesting things. The fact that neither of them may end up with these teams next season means we could see a major shake-up at the top of the league next season. It is sure to be an exciting off-season as we watch what happens with these players in the future.
 

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 
Also, make sure to check out the wide variety of content here at VSN. There are in-depth weekly updates and an award tracker for the VHL, a great podcast, and daily WJC coverage when it starts up, among other informative articles. Check out our latest instalments here:
 | VSN Radio | VHL Weekly | VHL Award Tracker | Deep Rewind | 
 
First Round Review
 
This first round of the Season 71 VHLM playoffs was a return to exciting playoff hockey, complete with upsets and Game Sevens; a far cry from last year’s round of sweeps in which the higher-ranked team swept their matchup (though we still had one of those just for good measure. Without further ado, let’s jump into the first series between the first ranked Ottawa Lynx and the lowest-seeded team, the Halifax 21st. 
 
Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. Halifax 21st (8)
 
I mentioned earlier that there still was one sweep these playoffs, and to no surprise, you are looking at it. Ottawa is a lean, mean, fighting machine, and are remarkably consistent, having scored four goals in every game this series. However, despite losing each game, the 21st put up a remarkable fight, scoring at least two goals in each game. The true MVP of this series, however, was Halifax’s stellar goalie, Hex Valentine. Despite having been swept, he still remains the top goalie in the playoffs by SV% with a .933. Considering Ottawa put over 50 shots on goal in each game, including a staggering 83 shots in Game Three of the series, that four goals per game stands as a monument of bittersweet success to the netminder. 
 
I just want to reiterate that. 83 shots in a playoff game and Valentine saved 79 of them. Truly fantastic stuff, especially considering two of those goals came on the powerplay. For Ottawa, the series was a relative breeze; Valentine’s Game Three heroism was the only time a Halifax player found themselves on the three stars of the game, and continued success from the regular season scoring champ Richard Penisson and partner in crime Adam Syreck, who both scored eight points over the four games, found them closing out the series with ease. 
 
Yukon Rush (2) vs. Saskatoon Wild (7)
 
Our next series was a fair bit closer, at least in the grand context. Ironically, the margins of victory were, for the most part, much wider apart. Really it was a tale of home-ice advantage. The Yukon Rush dominated each of their home games, while the Saskatoon Wild held firm on home ice through Games Three and Four, though eventually succumbed in a Game Six overtime loss.
 
Kicking off their playoff run strong, the Rush beat the Wild 7-2 in Game One. They started off shakey, however, with the Wild taking a quick lead thanks to Kazimir Komarov, and extended it further off a shorthanded goal halfway through the period. But then it all fell apart for the Wild. The Rush, similar to their namesake, found the net four times in just two minutes, including two goals from centre Vin Calia, who then completed their hat trick in the second period. Add in two assists for good measure, and you have a well earned first star of the game. What is perhaps most impressive from this game, however, is Nicolas Fomba’s 57 saves on 59 shots. With such stellar work, the Rush were able to win by such a high margin despite being outshot 59 to 37.  Game Two was a similar story; once again the Wild took the lead, but this time the Rush waited until the third period to begin their assault. In fact, after only putting nine shots on net over the first two periods, they took 18 shots in the third period alone, finding the back of the net three times for a 5-2 victory. 
 
Games Three and Four found our series tied up, as the Wild took to their home ice with gusto. Game Three had an inspired first period that saw the Wild leading 3-1 by the intermission, and they saw this lead out, despite the best efforts of Yukon’s Mickey Dickson, whose two goals kept the Rush in contention before falling 3-4.  In Game Four, despite trailing at the second intermission, the Wild were able to take the game, scoring three in the third period. Third-line forward Jay Jones proved the unlikely hero, scoring the game-tying goal twice to keep the Wild in it, even providing the secondary assist to close the game out with the final goal. Alas, that would be the final game the Wild would win. 
 
Going back to home ice, the Rush struck gold once more with a 7-3 victory in Game 5. Once again, the third period proved decisive, as the Rush went from an even 3-3 scoreline to scoring a quick and easy four goals, including a single period hat trick from the aforementioned Dickson. The final match of the series proved the most exciting, as the Rush would take the game in an overtime thriller. Saskatoon led throughout the game, but with less than four minutes remaining, Vin Calia tied it up. In the overtime period, a tripping call proved fatal for the Wild’s Gary Neal. Despite his fantastic play throughout the regular season and in the playoffs (he led the team in goals for both), this cost them the series, as Yukon’s Jack John capitalized, scoring the series-winning power-play goal to send the Rush on to the second round. 
 
Minnesota Storm (3) vs. San Diego Marlins (6)
 
Enter the San Diego Marlins. This playoff’s first upset, the sixth-seeded Marlins defeated the third-placed Minnesota Storm in six games. This series had it all, from close, overtime games, to huge blowouts. Let’s see how it all went down. 
 
Game One of the series set the tone for the rest, as the two teams traded goals, keeping the matchup as close as possible. The Marlins were always on the front foot and never trailed, despite being outshot 39 to 31. Eventually, after a goalless third period, San Diego’s Jungkok struck swiftly in the overtime period to give the Marlins the quick 1-0 lead in the series. They would never trail. Game Two was another close affair, but this time the Storm prevailed, thanks to some great goaltending from Woody McPine and a pair of goals in the third from Minnesota’s Robin Winter. Winter tied the game up early with a short-handed goal and finished it off later with a power-play goal. The Marlin’s Ike Bennet did his best, scoring both of his team’s goals, but it wasn’t enough as the Storm tied up the series. 
 
Game Three of the series was a real shootout, with the teams scoring a combined 11 goals. Impressively, San Diego’s Kosmo Kramerev managed a +5 with three assists, earning the second star. The first star went to Alex Bridges of the Marlins, as his two goals and one assist led the team along with the third star Marshall James Frostbeard, as the Marlins took the game 7-4. Next up was Game Four, another Marlins victory. They shot up to a quick lead in the first period and held that throughout. Throughout the series as a whole, Minnesota’s McPine suffered greatly from streaky performances, and unfortunately for the Storm, this was one of those times. Luckily, Bennet Dahl came in to stabilize, but the damage was done, and they were not able to come back. 
 
Game Five saw a glimmer of hope emerge for the Storm, as they completely dominated, outshooting the Marlins by 43 to 16, winning the game by a score of 6-2. Everything was coming up for the Storm in this game. Their power play was lethal, finding the net as often as not, and the trio of Latrell Mitchell, Jack Feriancek, and Danny DeYeeto was instrumental in this victory, with each of the first two scoring once and assisting twice, while DeYeeto scored twice himself. Unfortunately, it was a little too late, and the 3-1 curse wouldn’t be a reality this series. 
 
Our Game 6 was a tense affair, scoreless after the first period. The Marlins got out ahead early in the second period, scoring twice in the first five minutes, and widening that gap early on in the third to three goals. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous for the Storm, as they scored four goals unanswered, with each of Aleelee Kiak and Jack Feriancek scoring twice. In fact, identical goals from Feriancek as he was assisted by Valtteri Vaakanainen and Squirrely dan both times. It wasn’t the full comeback they needed, however, as San Diego’s JaredN was able to tie it up with his second goal of the game, in really thrilling fashion with just 40 seconds left on the clock, not 20 seconds after Minnesota’s go-ahead goal. In front of home fans, and with the momentum turned, the Marlins struck first in overtime. Ike Bennet ended the game in favour of the underdogs; a fantastic ending to a fantastic series. 
 
Philadelphia Reapers (4) vs. Las Vegas Aces (5)
 
With our first full seven-game series of the first round, the Las Vegas Aces became the second team to upset their opponent, in this case, the Philadelphia Reapers. A really exciting series with more than one lead change, we truly saw an intense 4/5 seed matchup here. 
 
The Reapers took Game One in somewhat surprising fashion. Despite being outshot 31-22, their balanced scoring (no one scored more than a single goal) was enough to see them on top despite the Aces’ Vladimir Shaposhnikov scoring twice and assisting once. This, in addition to a somewhat poor performance from Vegas goaltender Nils Friedriksen, who let in five goals on 22 shots. Luckily for the Aces, he stabilized in time for Game Two, only letting in two goals in 16 shots as the Aces took the win by a score of 4-2. The Aces star centre SS Hornet took a deserved first star after his two-goal, two-assist performance, having a hand in each of their four goals. Philadelphia’s Damien Wolfe earned the third star, continuing his good performances from the first game in which he earned the first star. In fact, Wolfe would go on to lead the Reapers in scoring throughout the whole series, with three goals and seven assists. 
 
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In-Game Three the Reapers came back to win the closest game of the series, stealing one out of Vegas. Their goaltender Isak Sjostrom made 25 saves on 27 shots, and more team play from the Reapers saw six people grab a single point apiece, with no one reaching more than one point. Despite a late push from the Aces with Justin Graves scoring to bring it within one with five minutes left, they were unable to tie it up, and the Reapers took the lead of the series once more. 
 
Game Four had some superstar play come out of the Aces, as the trio of Joe Proto, Randy Marsh, and General Zod combined for 12 points. Proto scored twice and assisted three times for the first star, Marsh had a hat trick that included the game-winner (his second), while Zod set his teammates up four times earning as many assists. The series was now tied at two wins apiece. 
 
Coming into the final best of three, each team knew it was now or never. The Aces took initiative, and thanks to a fantastic individual performance from goalie Friedriksen with an SV% of .966, took Game Five by a score of 4-1. The outcome was never in question, and the Reaper’s only goal came more as a consolation, being the last one scored. 
 
Game Six was do or die for the Reapers, and they showed up. In part thanks to continued streaky play from the Vegas goaltender (11 saves on 17 shots) they took the game by a score of 6-4. Bob Helminen and Xavier leFlamant scored twice each  (the only two multi-goal performances in the whole series for the Reapers), with Helminen assisting an additional two times. The first period was hot and heavy with scoring as the Reapers found the back of the net four times, and the Aces were never quite able to get up to speed. Liam Flaten had an impressive four-assist game for the Reapers as well, earning the second star for the young defenseman. 
 
Finally, it was time for Game Seven. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the closest game we could have had. Vegas jumped ahead early with three goals in the first period to Philadelphia’s one. Extending their lead with two more goals in the second put the game out of reach for the Reapers, as Vladimir Shaposhnikov led his team to the second round with two goals and two assists. The final score was 7-3 in favour of the Aces, and with that, our first round was over. 
 
Second Round Review
 
Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. San Diego Marlins (6)
 
The second round kicked off with the Marlins taking on the Lynx, looking for their second upset of the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Marlins, it was not to be. The games they won were nail biters, and their losses were, well, significant. Game One kicked off the series strong, with a total of 12 goals being scored. Ottawa struck four times in the first period alone and didn’t let up all game. San Diego responded well offensively, but they weren’t able to match the pure output from the Lynx. 
 
In Game Two the Marlins clawed back into the series, with an overtime winner from Jungkok to take the game. Nikita Kulikovich was a star performer, blocking five shots, laying down 4 big hits, capping it off with an assist on Marlin’s first goal of the game. Perhaps the best performer was Marlin’s goalie Zamboni Driver, who deserved more than the third star after a 42 save performance. The final score was 3-2 in favour of San Diego. 
 
The next game was, in a word, brutal. There is a reason we say that Ottawa has an unstoppable offence, and this game is evidence. An 8-1 victory, putting the Lynx once again ahead in the series. Joakim Bruden of the Lynx managed a  .964 SV% on 28 shots this game and wasn’t even one of the three stars if that tells you how lopsided it was. The standout player for the Lynx was certainly Big Chungus, as his hat trick was complemented by another two assists. Somehow though, despite this beat down, the Marlins weren’t going to lay down and die. 
 
Game Four rolled around, and the Marlins were determined to stay with it. Two goals from Ike Bennet including the eventual game-winner in the third period led them to a 3-4 victory. A close match, in which Marlin’s strong penalty kill was very important, as they shut out the Lynx on all 6 of their power plays. 
 
However, as had been the case all series, the needle had moved and it was time for an Ottawa showcase. The Lynx wouldn’t disappoint, as they again scored big, finding the back of the net seven times to the Marlin’s three. A strong first period put the game more or less out of the reach as they led 4-1 at the first intermission. Particularly impressive was Iangenere Risteneen; his hat trick included the game-winner (his second goal). 
 
The final match was upon us, though of course at the time the Marlins still had hope. That hope was short-lived. Despite a close first period where each team scored twice, the second period saw the Lynx take the lead 4-3. The Marlins were still in it, but they needed to score just one more goal, and that wasn’t something they could do. The Lynx put the game out of reach with two goals in the third, and they secured their trip to the finals for the second year in a row. Let’s see if they can take it this time around!
 
Yukon Rush (2) vs. Las Vegas Aces (5)
 
Other than Ottawa’s initial sweep of the 21st, this was the most one-sided of any series, at least by the final score. That being said, despite the series score of 4-1, the games were actually much closer than one would initially think for the most part. It certainly didn’t start that way, however, as the Yukon Rush dropped the Las Vegas Aces by a score of 5-1 in Game One. Joe Proto scored the Aces’ consolation goal as some balanced scoring from the Rush was more than enough to take the game, and an early series lead. 
 
Game Two was a much closer affair, though it still went the Rush’s way. Gino DiGiannatonio opened the scoring for the Rush, and the Rush led 2-1 after the first period. A goalless second and a pair of offsetting powerplay goals early in the third period was all that followed. The Aces struggled to find offensive presence in this game, only registering 16 shots on goal, with nine of those coming in the first period. 
 
Game Three saw the Rush edge even closer to the sweep. Scoring four unanswered goals in the first period started them off strong, and DiGiannatonio’s eventual hat trick capped off the night for the Rush. The Aces scored twice in the second but were unable to complete the comeback, falling by a final score of 5-2. 
 
Game Four was perhaps the most entertaining for a neutral fan (or an Aces fan). Facing elimination by sweep, the Aces had to win to keep their hopes alive. It didn’t start well, as they were held scoreless through two periods, trailing by two at the second intermission. Somehow GM Joe Proto (not to be confused with player Joe Proto) managed to whip his team up in a frenzy because the next period was something else. The Aces managed to score five different times to win the match, even trading a couple of goals to the Rush in the process. The first half of the period was a blitz as the teams scored 6 goals in the first eight and a half minutes. With only a few minutes to go and the prospect of long overtime awaiting them, Randy Marsh put the game to bed, keeping their cup dreams alive; for one more game. 
 
Game Five wasn’t the dream victory they had in Game Four.  Despite Joe Proto opening up the scoring for the underdogs in the first period, a strong second period from Yukon set the tone for the rest of the game. At 16:05 in the second period, Vin Calia hit the game-winning shot that put the Yukon Rush into the finals for the S71 Founders Cup, where they will meet the Ottawa Lynx. 

Finals Preview
 
The finals are shaping up to be an intense matchup. The top two seeded teams managed to avoid the fate of their friends in Minnesota and Philadelphia as they saw their way to the Founders Cup Finals. We caught up briefly with the management of Yukon to see what their thoughts were on the playoffs thus far, and what their expectations were for the finals coming up.
 
“I feel Yukon has had a fantastic playoff run so far. We came into the playoffs winning and we just carried that through the first two rounds. I know my team can continue to do that vs Ottawa. I know Ottawa is a skilled team and they will come at us hard but if my guys work hard and stay mentally well we will have a chance to take these guys down. Let’s do it Yukon!”
-- Jeffrey Tonn, Yukon GM
 
Their AGM joined in, adding:

“I was confident that our team would be able to make it to the finals. So being here isn’t too big of a shock. The players worked hard all season long to get better and it’s finally paying off for them.
What I expect from Ottawa is a great amount of offensive pressure. They have some really good top-end talent but I think we have better depth. It’s going to be a tough series but we have to believe that we can get the job done.”
-- Kris Rice, Yukon AGM
 
Finally, we spoke to Dixon B. Tweenerlegs, GM of the Lynx, to see what he had to say:
 
“I'm super happy with how the team has performed so far. They're really playing at a high level right now, and I hope they continue to do so. I really hope they don't start resting on their laurels, because Yukon is a great team, and we really can't afford to sleep on them. Yukon absolutely earned their spot in the finals, so I expect a competitive series.”
 
Time will tell how the finals will go, but one thing is for sure: this has been a fantastic playoff!
 
That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!
 
GMs:  @Proto, @Berocka, @DoktorFunk, @Dil, @Rayzor_7, @Motzaburger,
@MexicanCow123, @McWolf, @DMaximus, @iRockstar, @Sonnet, @Ricer13
 
Players Mentioned:  @DrHexDex, @bluesfan55, @Spade18, @Gooningitup, @VinCal, @efiug, @Brewins15, @ashton112, @LittleRiDog, @GoadenGoalie35, @tfong, @HearnNation67, @Sonnet, @Caboose30, @Mongoose87, @Alex Bridges, @FrostBeard, @Nothing but goals, @dasboot, @Jackie4967, @Cran, @Grant, @Jubo07, @jacobaa19, @jared, @ng1291, @Biggreen10, @McWolf, @Laflamme, @Austin2997, @JDGraves, @Proto, @oilmandan, @Matt_O, @Bob Helminen, @BarzalGoat, @flatl99, @Lockdown Defense, @Tape-to-Tape, @PadStack, @Ferda, @Maasa, @pennypenny
 
VSN Writer Mr_Hatter
 

Hope you guys like this logo, and big congrats krice.

Buddy guy doesn't even use the graphics I made specially for the announcement.
 

 
 

 
Grats @Ricer13

@Da_Berr did this one

Congrats @Ricer13
Logo is straight fire, i love it. 

VHLM EXPANSION 
 
It's no secret that the VHLM has had an awkward format for a number of seasons now, with 11 teams being in the league for the past 6 seasons. Well, the league has decided that it's finally time to round that number off and add #12. I could keep writing things to extend the length of this paragraph, or I could tell you the name of the team...I'm sure you would rather the name, so without further ado, the VHLM's newest franchise:
 
 
With 12 teams, there are of course some rules that need to be addressed, as changes include the introduction of Divisions, and a schedule that will follow that of the VHL. There will also be a new playoff format that will be introduced. Oh, and there won't be an expansion draft, either.
 
The changes are as follows:
 
Division
Theusch Division (701) -> HFX, PHI, MIA Glasser Division (DA) -> MIN, OTT, MIS Corcoran Division (Corco) -> SSK, LVA, YUK Kendrick Division (Kendrick) -> MEX, HOU, SDM  
Each of these members for whom the divisions are named after, have made a large impact on both the VHLM, as players, GMs and/or commissioner, as well as the VHL as a whole, and are wholly deserving of the honour!
 
Playoff Format
Each Division winner will be guaranteed a home playoff spot, while the next 4 teams in the playoffs will be decided by Wild Card format. Each playoff round will be determined by a best of seven series.
 
Expansion Draft
What? No Expansion Draft? No, rather than having an expansion draft, the Marauders will be receiving a compensation pick at the end of each round, which will be the 13th draft slot.
 
S72 Dispersal Draft
The Marauders will draft from the 10th slot in each round of the Season 72 VHLM Dispersal Draft.
 
---
 
Welcome and good luck to the Miami Marauders!
  

Damn Davos lookin fine

6th Annual Unofficial VHL Regular Season Awards – S71
Another exciting regular season has come to a close. That means we can dole out some regular season awards! Welcome everyone to the 6th Annual Unofficial VHL Regular Season Awards for S71. Thanks to a comment in last season’s post, I’m including some goalie awards this year! Please keep the award suggestions coming!
 
These awards have been created by me. There is no voting process and they are not officially recognized by the VHL Board of Governors. I wrote descriptions for most of these award names in the original award post. Let’s get things underway!
 
The Pylon Award (worst +/- rating) – John Madden @Thranduil 
HC Davos claims this award for a 2nd straight season. They occupied the bottom 5 spots on this list. John Madden led the way with -43.
 
Previous Pylon Award Winners:
Season
Player
+ / -
S70
Bert Meyers
-45
S69
Basaraba Moose
-57
S68
Sven Hitz
-58
S67
Piotr Jerwa and Nethila Dissanayake
-34
S66
Bryce Zhields
-49
 
 
The Gandhi Award (least penalty minutes, min 1,000 minutes played) – Soren Jensen @Velevra
 
Jensen won this award with 4 PIM in 2,016 minutes played. Teemu Lehtinen Jr @Sixersfan549  also had 4 PIM, but lost the tiebreaker with only 1,112 minutes played.
 
Previous Gandhi Award Winners:
Season
Player
PIM
Minutes Played
S70
Denver Wolfe
2
1988
S69
Hugh Chan
4
2050
S68
Jack Lynch
0
1473
S67
Diljodh Starload
0
2091
S66
Beau Buefordsson
0
1939
 
 
The Timex Award (received most hits) – Hunter Hearst Helmsley @Beaviss 
 
Claiming the award for the 2nd year in a row, HHH was hit 274 times the season. That’s 8 less than last season but still enough to claim the award.  
 
Previous Timex Award Winners:
Season
Player
Hits Taken
S70
Hunter Hearst Helmsley
282
S69
John Madden
357
S68
Mikko Aaltonen
297
S67
Rauno Palo
302
S66
Beau Louth
300
 
 
The John Wayne Award (most shots on goal) - Scott Greene @DoktorFunk 
 
Greene was the only player to break the 400-shot barrier this season. He led the league with 402 shots on frame.
 
Previous John Wayne Award Winners:
Season
Player
Shots Taken
S70
Juilius Freeman
453
S69
Juilius Freeman
452
S68
Rylan Peace
466
S67
Matt Thompson
495
S66
Shane Mars
533
 
 
The “Hit the Broadside of the Barn” Award (most own shots blocked) - Guy LeGrande @Steve 
 
LeGrande had a chance of winning the John Wayne Award, but it looks like he had too many shots blocked, He had a league-leading 122 shots blocked.
 
Previous HtBotB Award Winners:
Season
Player
Own Shots Blocked
S70
Shawnomir Jagr
129
S69
Julian Borwinn
136
S68
Rylan Peace
144
S67
Beau Louth
153
S66
Oyorra Arroyo
142
 
 
The “Can’t Hit the Broadside of the Barn” Award (most own shots missed) – Guy LeGrande @Steve 
 
Or maybe it was the number of shots missed that kept him from winning the John Wayne Award. LeGrande missed 299 shots this season.
 
Previous CHtBotB Award Winners:
Player
Season
Shots Missed
S70
Juilius Freeman
343
S69
Elias Dahlberg
320
S68
Rylan Peace
351
S67
Beau Louth
364
S66
Roctrion King
372
 
 
The New Shin Pads Award (most blocked shots) – Aron Nielsen @solas   
 
Was Nielsen forced into early retirement because of all the shots he blocked this season? We may never know. He ends his career on a high note, leading the league with 153 shots blocked.
 
Previous New Shin Pads Award Winners:
Season
Player
Shots Blocked
S70
Guillaume Fontenette
145
S69
Guillaume Fontenette
166
S68
Seabass Perrin
207
S67
Piotr Jerwa
170
S66
Lando Baxter
189
 
The Tired Legs Award (most minutes played) - Julius Freeman @rjfryman 
 
Freeman takes home the award for a second straight season with 2,189 minutes played, an average of 30.41 minutes per game.
 
Previous Tired Legs Award Winners:
Season
Player
Minutes Played
S70
Juilius Freeman
2164
S69
John Madden
2259
S68
Mikko Aaltonen
2290
S67
Shawn Glade
2226
S66
Robert Malenko
2324
 
 
The Snap! Award (most power play minutes) - Julius Freeman @rjfryman 
 
And he claims this award for the 2nd consecutive year as well with 364 minutes on the power play. Vancouver was the only team with players recording over 300 power play minutes.
 
Previous Snap! Award Winners:
Season
Player
PP Minutes
S70
Juilius Freeman
372
S69
Elias Dahlberg
368
S68
Joseph McWolf
351
S67
Beau Louth
437
S66
Jake Davis
412
 
The 1 vs. 100 Award (most time on penalty kill) - Jacob Perry @Liberty_Cabbage 
 
Perry wins this award for the 2nd year in a row. He bested 2 of his teammates the lead the league with 344 minutes on the ice killing penalties.
               
Previous 1 vs. 100 Award Winners:
Season
Player
PK Minutes
S70
Jacob Perry
380
S69
Wolf Stansson Jr
328
S68
Jack Lynch
353
S67
Aron Nielsen
374
S66
Lew Bronstein
352
 
 
The Sean Archer Award (highest face-off win %) - Jet Jaguar @gorlab 
 
Jaguar won 61.84% of the 2,998 faceoffs he took. Last year’s winner, HHH, finished 2nd with 59.98%.
               
Previous Sean Archer Award Winners:
Season
Player
Face Off Pct
S70
Hunter Hearst Helmsley
60.78%
S69
Rauno Palo
59.45%
S68
Podrick Cast
62.56%
S67
Beau Louth
63.09%
S66
Rauno Palo
63.10%
 
 
The Castor Troy Award (lowest face-off win %, min 1,000 faceoffs) - Zeno Miniti @Zeno 
 
Well we might have to rename this award at this point. Zeno takes it home again with a league low 42.07% on 2,337. Amazingly enough he got the exact same face off percentage in consecutive seasons.
               
Previous Castor Troy Award Winners:
Season
Player
Face Off Pct
S70
Zeno Miniti
42.07%
S69
Zeno Miniti
32.27%
S68
Gritty
36.31%
S67
Gucci Garrop
35.07%
S66
Bryce Zhields
30%
 
 
The Triple Deke Award (most penalty shot goals) - Sigard Gunnar @Big Mac 
 
Gunnar scored an impressive 6 penalty shot goals on 9 attempts. Chad Magnum @Corco  also scored 6 goals but on 16 attempts, so the award goes to Gunnar.
               
Previous Triple Deke Award Winners:
Season
Player
Penalty Shot Goals
S70
Owen Nolan
6
S69
Owen Nolan
6
S68
Jorgon Weyed
6
S67
Veran Dragomir
8
S66
Leph Twinger
5
 
 
The Rocky Award (most fights won) – Owen Nolan @studentized 
 
Nolan went undefeated this season going 3-0-8. That’s enough to not only get him the Rocky award but also the VHL World Heavyweight Champion title belt.
               
Previous Rocky Award Winners:
Season
Player
Fights Won
S70
RJ Jubis and Ambrose Stark
2
S69
Edward Vigneault
4
S68
Tyler Barabash Jr
2
S67
ACL TEAR
6
S66
Ryuu Crimson
4
 
 
The Glass Joe Award (most fights lost) – 
We have a tie! Benny Graves @STZ  and John Madden @Thranduil 
 
Both had an equally poor showing this season. Their records were both 0-3-3.
               
Previous Glass Joe Award Winners:
Season
Player
Fights Lost
S70
Walter Clements
3
S69
Rusty Shackleford
5
S68
Podrick Cast and Jordan Tonn
2
S67
Kronos Bailey and Hunter Hearst Helmsley
4
S66
Rauno Palo
3
 
The Stars Award (most stars won) – Hunter Hearst Helmsley @Beaviss 
 
HHH lead the league in both 1st stars (13) and total stars (28). For the first time I also included goalies in this evaluation. Jaxx Hextall  @ROOKIE745  deserves special recognition for tying HHH with 13 first stars.
               
Previous Stars Award Winners:
Season
Player
Total Stars
S70
Randoms
25
S69
Julian Borwinn
27
S68
Matt Thompson
32
S67
Rauno Palo
25
S66
Matt Thompson
28
 
 
The “Always a Bridesmaid” Award (most stars without winning 1st star) – Condor Adrienne @OrbitingDeath 
 
Condor had 12 stars this season without every winning the 1st star.
               
Previous Bridesmaid Award Winners:
Season
Player
Stars
S70
Luciano Valentino
6
S69
Tzuyu
12
S68
Zeno Miniti
9
S67
Dan Baillie
13
S66
Mikka Pajari
7
 
The Biggest Backpack Award (player with the largest difference in points from the rest of their team) - Roque Davis @Josh 
What’s crazier? The fact that a rookie defenseman scored 20 more points than his next closest teammate or that the next highest point getter also on Davos was also a defenseman Andrej Petrovic @Tyler
           
Previous Backpack Award Winners:
Season
Player
Point Difference from nearest teammate
S70
Julian Borwinn
22
S69
John Madden
28
S68
Mikko Aaltonen
28
S67
Podrick Cast
23
 
 
 The Anniversary Award
 
This award goes to the player whose total points rank matches the season number. This season was season 71. That means this award goes to the player who finished 71st in total points. The winner of this year’s Anniversary Award is…
 
Elasmobranch Fish @Sharkstrong 
Fish ended his career with a 46 point season, placing him exactly in 71st spot in the league. That’s how you win this award.
 
Previous Anniversary Award Winners:
Season
Player
Points
S70
Orion Slade
44
 
 
Now for the much anticipated and long-awaited goalie awards!
 
The Egghshell Award
Overtime hockey is a pressure filled situation. You either stand up to the pressure or crack like an egg. The winner of the Eggshell Award is the goalie who lost the most number of overtime games.
 
The winner is:
Jaxx Hextall @ROOKIE745 
 
Jaxx lost a league worst 11 overtime games.
 
 
The <Insert best slasher movie of all time title> Award
Ok I’ll admit it. I don’t really like scary movies. All I know is that I wanted to name this award after the best slasher movie of all time and a quick google search yielded way too many results for me to figure it out. Can someone please suggest the proper movie title for this award? This award goes to the best “slasher”, I mean the goalie who had the most penalty minutes.
 
The winner is:
Greg Eagles @Greg_Di 
 
Greg took home the award with 10 PIM.
 
 
The Poke Check Award
There might not be anything more beautiful than a well-timed poke check to stop a penalty shot. I like to think the winner of this award used a poke check to make a majority of their penalty shot saves. This award goes to the goalie who stopped the highest percentage of penalty shots (min 10 penalty shots against).
 
The winner is:
Jacques Lafontaine @SlapshotDragon 
 
Jacques stopped 79.3% of the penalty shots taken against him. Some would argue that is an All-Star level performance.
 
 
Phew that is a lot of hardware! Thank you to everyone reading. Congratulations and/or condolences to all the winners! Have a good night!
 
 
 
1,700ish words. Will claim for 3 weeks.
 

Handing out tpe in the tpe inflation reduction era

 
Thank you and happy birthday!

1. Seattle Bears , Markus Nygren 2 (β-SEA LW1 1, β-SEA D1 1) at 3:57
 
@gorlab get in here, simmer is rigging

1. Seattle Bears , Markus Nygren 2 (β-SEA LW1 1, β-SEA D1 1) at 3:57
 
@gorlab get in here, simmer is rigging

1. Seattle Bears , Markus Nygren 2 (β-SEA LW1 1, β-SEA D1 1) at 3:57
 
@gorlab get in here, simmer is rigging

wow Robbie and Bushito livin' the life and ballin' in Iqaluit, Nunavut

Hello VHL @Members,
 
Today is an auspicious occasion, my birthday! As your benevolent leader, I am allowing all members to claim 1 Uncapped TPE, and all you've got to do is post something nice about me! Or don't, I'm not your mother. Point is, I'm giving everyone 1 free TPE, to be claimed by the end of this week.
 
Enjoy!

 
Just for @DMaximus: To claim, claim as Uncapped > Other > Other, with the description "Quik is a benevolent god!"

Charlie Paddywagon has accepted a Signing Offer from Calgary:

S72: $5,000,000

S73: $5,000,000

Well done Vancouver! 
I respect your team. I honestly hope you go all the way to the finals !!!

Happy Sunday VHL! As per last season's fairly low key announcement, the blue team and BOG decided to introduce the Fredrik Elmebeck Memorial Trophy in S70, but announced no winner in its first year of existence.
 
This season after a bit of deliberation in the BOG, we have decided to let you decide who goes on the ballot. The criteria is pretty broad, but every member can nominate one other member who they feel demonstrated great work ethic, passion for the VHL, and/or made some notable contribution which in your eyes made them stand out in S71. Ideally don't nominate yourself but we'll allow it. Hopefully this helps us whittle it down to a few candidates to vote on prior to the off-season awards ceremony.
 
To nominate a fellow member, simply fill out the short form linked here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScka6zunnkJ3PARS_8jsV0gHAkg8d0QedArhQ-oeoDPczKkeg/viewform?usp=sf_link
 

 
 
@Members

https://imgur.com/a/sEqe0ny

It's the end of the day, and the town has reached a verdict. Communication gets a lot easier in smaller groups, as @Spartan is not too happy to find out. The two people left not named Spartan (goddamn Athenians) agree to go for the lynch and end it.
 
He smells quite a bit like hair oil and ravioli, but @DoktorFunk brushes it off. It's time to put this whole situation to bed, once and for all. Spartan dies, and at this point nobody really reacts to it. After all, they've seen everyone else they know get killed off one way or another. Dok and Berocka head over to Spartan's house, where they find @Proto's old handgun, now passed down twice. Spartan was the MAFIOSO.
 
What happens now, you ask?
 
 
It's time for everyone who hasn't gotten an invite to get an invite to the Dead server, should they like to join! Here it is: https://discord.gg/xvGcmQ
 
 
GAME OVER! I'm taking a bit of a break after this one, but next one should be fired up in a couple weeks--so stay tuned!