Garsh

I don't think there is anything that you absolutely need to know.  I just started watching last year and coming in I knew nothing about it (nor am I a car person in general) and I enjoyed it greatly.  I would def recommend Netflix's Drive To Survive if you want to dip your toe in a bit before the season starts.  The second season of that comes out this week I think.  The drama is overdone a bit but it was still really good imo.
 
The season after this one will have huge rule changes that will hopefully shake things up a bit.

Hi Everyone in VHL Land
 
Today I have the admin @Josh joining me on the podcast we talk a range of VHL topics and answer some of the most hard hitting questions in all of the VHL.
 
Thank you Josh for doing the podcast it was a lot of fun.
 
Remember to ask any questions you have here: 
Hope you all enjoy a fair few people mentioned but mainly @Dil
 
See you next time for the VHLM All Star Skills Competition.
 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/30RbMKmqoSe0OiYf57BOTm
 
 

An exciting season is coming down to the end. I’m going to use some advanced metrics to forecast the playoffs.
Here’s the Fenwick data for each team, sorted by Fenwick percentage. Fenwick is the tally of all non-blocked shot attempts in a game. 
 
Team Name
Fenwick For
Fenwick Against
Fenwick Total
Fenwick For Pct
Vancouver Wolves
63.661
48.000
15.661
56.879
Moscow Menace
58.952
48.629
10.323
54.954
Seattle Bears
56.435
48.710
7.726
53.611
Calgary Wranglers
53.968
48.968
5.000
52.895
D.C. Dragons
51.623
48.475
3.148
51.846
Helsinki Titans
51.516
51.065
0.452
50.643
New York Americans
50.065
49.790
0.274
50.340
Prague Phantoms
53.113
54.758
-1.645
49.380
Riga Reign
47.597
52.258
-4.661
47.748
Toronto Legion
47.164
56.098
-8.934
45.993
Malmo Nighthawks
40.323
52.484
-12.161
43.706
HC Davos Dynamo
39.677
54.952
-15.274
41.971
Grand Total
51.179
51.179
0.000
50.000
 
 
Predicting the playoff matchups is a little difficult this season because there’s so much still in flux. Here’s the current standings for the North American Conference:
 
North American Conference
            PO
Team
GP
W
L
OTL
P
GF
GA
Diff
PCT
1
Vancouver Wolves
62
41
16
5
87
193
143
50
0.702
2
Calgary Wranglers
62
34
21
7
75
161
155
6
0.605
3
Seattle Bears
62
34
22
6
74
161
146
15
0.597
4
New York Americans
62
31
24
7
69
150
159
-9
0.556
5
D.C. Dragons
61
30
24
7
67
159
155
4
0.549
6
Toronto Legion
61
20
30
11
51
138
181
-43
0.418
 
Vancouver has essentially clinched the #1 seed and appropriately so, they have the top offense, creating the most shot opportunities (63.661) and allowing the fewest (48.000). Their numbers are very similar to last year, which may or may not provide optimism to the Wolves faithful.
New York and D.C. are in a battle to see who can claim the final playoff spot and face the Wolves in the first round. The advanced metric data slightly favors D.C. at the moment, but it’s so close that we might not know who’s in and out until the last game of the season. Circle game 403 on your calendar where D.C plays at New York.
Seattle should be able to move past Calgary into the #2 spot, but regardless if they do or not the opening round matchup will reignite the heated rivalry between Calgary and Seattle.
 
1st Round Matchups
Vancouver vs. New York/D.C.
                It doesn’t really matter to Vancouver who they face in the first round. They have controlled both teams throughout the season. Their Fenwick percentage is slightly better vs. New York (57.570 vs. 56.745 against D.C.), so they might prefer to face the Americans. But Vancouver should easily win in a best of 7 against either team.
Calgary vs. Seattle
                For as close as they are in the standings, Seattle has dominated Calgary during the regular season. The have a higher Fenwick percentage against Calgary (57.805) than Vancouver has against either of their prospective first round opponents. In fact, Seattle play better against Calgary than they do against the last place teams in each conference. One caveat worth noting, they have only played each other twice the season so far. A lot more data will be available from their 3 remaining games this season. Regardless, Seattle should feel very comfortable going into this matchup and win easily.
 
2nd Round Matchup
Vancouver vs. Seattle
                This is a nightmare matchup for Vancouver. Seattle is the only team to have a positive Fenwick total against Vancouver. Seattle’s Fenwick total against Vancouver is a 5.2 with a Fenwick percentage of 52.466. Could this be a rehash of last year with Seattle taking down a seemingly unstoppable Vancouver team? The metrics support that and give Seattle a chance at winning a 3rd straight cup.
 
 
Let’s take a look at the European Conference.
European Conference
            PO
Team
GP
W
L
OTL
P
GF
GA
Diff
PCT
1
Z -Moscow Menace
62
44
13
5
93
219
157
62
0.75
2
Riga Reign
62
31
25
6
68
168
169
-1
0.548
3
Helsinki Titans
62
31
26
5
67
181
166
15
0.54
4
Prague Phantoms
62
27
26
9
63
157
179
-22
0.508
5
Malmo Nighthawks
62
29
29
4
62
147
154
-7
0.5
6
HC Davos Dynamo
62
19
36
7
45
115
185
-70
0.363
 
Moscow have already locked up the top seed and are the overwhelming favorites to be the European representative in the Continental Cup finals. The next 4 teams are very close in the standings. We could realistically see any order once the season is over. Based on the metrics, it seems like Helsinki will ultimately finish in 2nd place, but the rest is anyone’s guess. Obviously, Riga has an advantage because they are 5 points clear of Prague and 6 points ahead of Malmo, with only 10 games left, that is a lot of ground to make up for either of those teams. That means Riga is likely to end up in 3rd. Prague and Malmo will dual it out for the right to face Moscow. Watch game 409 between the two teams.
 
1st Round Matchups
Moscow vs. Prague/Malmo
                For as dominant as Moscow has been, they have some weak spots against some teams. Prague had a strong showing in their one game against Moscow so far, we’ll learn a lot more how those two teams matchup as they face each other 4 more times before the end of the season. There’s a lot more data between Malmo and Moscow as they’ve faced each other 9 times this season. Moscow has completely dominated Malmo going 8-1 in the regular season with a Fenwick percentage of 61.823. You can bet Moscow is rooting for Malmo to hop over Prague and claim that final playoff spot. Expect Moscow to win against either team, but pay attention to their remaining games against Prague as an indicator for how that series might go.
Helsinki vs. Riga
                Riga is an odd team this season. They haven’t played any team well except for Davos, Malmo, and Moscow. Wait, Moscow?! Yes, although they lost all 4 games against Moscow, they have a Fenwick total of 12 with a percentage of 55.875. If somehow Riga ends up facing Moscow, be ready for an epic upset. Unfortunately for Riga, it appears like their opponent is going to be Helsinki, a team they have not played well against this season. Helsinki’s Fenwick percentage against Riga is 57.689, that’s better than Vancouver’s percentage against either of their possible opponents! Helsinki should be able to sink Riga fairly easily.
 
2nd Round Matchup
Moscow vs. Helsinki
                Moscow would be extremely happy to see Helsinki in the 2nd round. In their 5 games this season, Moscow has a Fenwick percentage of 61.422, their highest against any team not named Davos or Malmo. If this is the matchup, Moscow cruises easily into the finals. Moscow would be much less excited to see Prague or Riga here, as they currently have a negative Fenwick total against either team.
 
Finals Matchup
Moscow vs. Seattle
                This would be a great finals between two closely matched teams. They split the season series 3-3 with Moscow having a slight edge with a Fenwick percentage of 51.293. It’s anyone’s guess who would actually win.
                The only team that has an edge over Vancouver is Seattle, so if Vancouver makes it here, expect them to win it all.
 
1,236 words will claim for 2 weeks.

So I ran a quick draft lottery simulator, and using that I’m going to make a very short mock draft, with a short summary or no summary for the 1st 15 picks.

 
1st overall pick (OTT) = Alexis Lafreniere - I think this pick is obvious, and if Lafreniere ends up with the Senators, he could definitely be their greatest player of all-time up there with Spezza, Alfredsson, and Heatley. He’s a great playmaker with the best readiness with every player, and best potential.
 
2nd overall pick (LAK) = Quinton Byfield - Byfield, while he does definitely have the chance to lower in his stock, but I just can’t see it happening, and if the Kings get Byfield other teams will need to watch out as he will propel their rebuild, and he’s going to be a great playmaker, skater, and gritty type player.
 
3rd overall pick (CHI) = Jamie Drysdale - Now this is probably a surprise for a lot, because this draft is like 97% forwards, and Drysdale is the only defensemen projected top 10, but nevertheless Chicago really needs that defensemen of the future, and Drysdale will definitely be just that.
 
4th overall pick (DET) = Tim Stutzle - Stutzle can really be a Detroit great, and I don’t wanna jinx him, but he’s everything the wings need which is a two-way forward, who is versatile as Stutzle plays every position at forward possible, and he has a high upside to make things even better. 
 
5th overall pick (ANA) = Lucas Raymond - Lucas Raymond is one of the high-end scoring players, as in the SHL he has 9 points in 28 games, and he might need to grow a year or maybe even two you never know with these European prospects, Raymond even has the chances of developing a two-way game he has a high ceiling probably some of the lowest floor in this top 5, but a great pick nonetheless.
 
6th overall pick (NJD) = Holtz- Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond the two Swedes, and I think during this whole time Raymond has had the upper hand, and that just shows how good both these guys are, and Holtz can definitely be that elite forward the Devils are seeking, and even make an elite duo with Jack Hughes.

7th overall pick (SJS -> OTT) = Rossi - Now Rossi in my opinion is a top 5 talent, but due to his size teams are gonna pass because they just don’t learn, and I think one of the few teams that won’t pass is Ottawa considering he plays there already, and considering that he’s a local, and I’m sure he’d love to play with Lafreniere and maybe we’ll see the next best duo.
 
8th overall pick (MTL) = Perfetti - Cole Perfetti is going to higher than he deserves most likely, but nonetheless he’s a great player I think he has a really low floor however, but teams are looking at that ceiling which is a Brock Boeser type player who can snipe, but show that playmaking side. 
 
9th overall pick (BUF) = Lundell - Anton Lundell is a beauty he’s a great two-way player who will compliment Jack Eichel and Dahlin, and hopefully make Eichel have to not have nearly as much pressure, and he’ll be a bright spot while Jeff Skinner rots. 
 
10th overall pick (ARI -> NJD) = Gunler - Noel Gunler is one of the lowkey prospects this year, and he has great playmaking upside, and will hopefully fill out New Jersey's young line of Holtz and Hughes making them a trio.
 
11th pick (MIN) = Holloway - Dylan Holloway is a guy who could honestly fall out of the top 15, but nevertheless I have him going to the wild, and taking a big development path of 2 -> 3 years give or take, and maybe even trading him. 
 
12th pick (CGY) = Askarov - Yaroslav Askarov is a big guy in this draft literally and figuratively he’s one of the greatest goaltending prospects, and will get that CGY goalie tandem from good to elite, and might even get a vezina or a few and a couple of Jennings, or maybe he’ll be the next a Price and get that big bad Hart Trophy
 
13th pick (NYR) = Amirov - B2B russians in these here picks, and Amirov has a high ceiling and a pretty good floor something we’ve seen in these players a lot. Amirov also will most likely take a 2 year development path however still great nonetheless.
 
14th pick (FL) - LaPierre - Hendrix LaPierre is definitely a controversial pick early in he was much more highly regarded, and he fell for reasons I don’t understand, but nonetheless LaPierre will hopefully fill in next to Barkov and Huberdeau, and be a Panther great, and maybe help them get their first cup.
 
15th pick (CBJ) - Jake Sanderson - Sanderson is a good two-way defensemen, who could really help Jones and Werenski take some time on the bench, and not be the only defensive forces out there, and he might not ever win a Norris, but he will probably always be in Norris talks, and could be a more defensively aware John Klingberg.
 
Thats all what does your top 15 look like, I’m assuming it’s different especially with this being one of the deepest draft we might ever see. 
 

Hello All,
 
Here comes a new series that I will be bringing out called Meet the Member, where I have a conversation with a different VHL member and get to know them.
 
This episode is with @DoktorFunk one of the people I have played with since S66. 
 
If you have any quests you would like to see on the podcast, any questions you have for me or if you want to be on the show post here: Questions
 
You can now find my podcast on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcasts, PocketCasts, Radio Public, Anchor & Spotify.
 
Also this episode we briefly touched on the passing of Elmebeck. I wish I had got to know him better he was a great person everytime I spoke to him and he always was trying to make everyone feel better. I will miss his presence both here and in the Cricket Sim. I wish the best for his family and my thoughts are with them at this hard time.
 
Thanks I hope you enjoy the podcast.
 
- Berocka
 
Players Mentioned: @Banackock, @eaglesfan036, @Spyro, @Esso2264, @GustavMattias, @Rayzor_7 & @Enorama, plus some others.
 
 
 

Analysis
 
With the Season 70 trade deadline rapidly approaching, it looked all but certain that we were headed for another quiet trade deadline. However, with half an hour until the 12 PM EST deadline, the wire suddenly grew red-hot with reports of a trade between the New York Americans and the Vancouver Meute. As the magnitude of the deal became clearer, the league was stunned by the ramifications of the trade. 
 
"Vancouver got robbed," said user ColeMrtz, while another user, solas, called the deal an, "all-time legendary trade." Regardless of your opinion of the transaction, the emotion that gripped the teams following the blockbuster deal was undeniable.
 
"This was a hard trade to make," said a visibly emotional Joel Ylonen, General Manager of the New York Americans. Gripping the podium, he added, "S72 NYA 4th was a staple on our team but sometimes you have to make hockey deals. I wish him the best of luck in Vancouver."
 
But it wasn't all sadness from Ylonen, as he wistfully glanced towards the future. "S72 VAN 4th is great and he will fit in with us."
 
For Vancouver Meute General Manager Keaton Louth, it was also not a fun day at the podium.
 
"Losing S72 VAN 4th is really tough because he has been such a warrior for us," Louth stated. "But we felt that he needed a change of scenery. S72 NYA 4th was an asset that we have had our eyes on for awhile. We are hoping that with the new S72 NYA 4th that it can be the final asset that pushes us over the hump to bring another cup to Vancouver."
 
Will this deal be the move that pushes Vancouver over the edge as they pursue another Continental Cup? Can the sacrifice made by Ylonen help bring a pivotal piece of the puzzle to the Big Apple? I have a feeling this is a trade that we'll be talking about for seasons to come. 
 
Get-to-Know the Players
 
S72 VAN 4th
 
A fourth round pick of the Vancouver Meute in the Season 72 VHL Entry Draft, S72 VAN 4th is taking a short drive down the Information Superhighway to a different area of the North American Conference Portal: New York. All eyes will be on S72 VAN 4th in the big city, so how will this valuable asset shine when the time comes?
 
S72 NYA 4th 
 
Not rumored to be a fan of poutine, it turns out that, despite moving to Vancouver, it's totally OK because draft picks in an STHS league can't actually consume food. But that's just fine, as this seasoned veteran of code will bring street smarts and the toughness of Brooklyn's hardest street warriors to Vancouver's section of the portal.
 
Players Mentioned: @ColeMrtz, @solas, @Esso2264, @Beaviss

Look at these idiots trading lotto picks for lower picks smh

This is also me, with an exception to the 6 point game i had not long ago, any time the team puts up 6+ i look at my stat sheet like 0 points, 4 PIM, -2.   Ok...what was i doing this game?

Philadelphia Reapers:
 
Hardest Shot - Griff Manzer @Garsh
Shooting Stars - Bud Knight @Dilly Dilly
Fastest Skater - Kyle Anderson @Cusemode
Accuracy Shooting - Jared Spaz @Spaz
Save Streak - Isak Sjostrom @Austin2997

What about if there was a link/button/tool-tip popup doohickey on the update player page, that directed you to the forum post that talks about how to earn TPE.  Assuming that post is in good shape and is clearly written.

I'm hoping to catch some races this season. Used to watch a ton as a kid, but not as much lately. Hopefully with Hulu I can!

A lot of interesting storylines in F1 rn but I haven't followed too closely since the hamilton/rosberg year.

I'm really hoping for a non-Mercedes dominated season, but I don't have high hopes.

I don’t but we have friends that travel to Montreal for the annual F1 race 

Hello VSN 
 
Welcome to the S70 VHL All Stars Competition, presented by VSN. A recording of the commentary is available for you to listen to, or read below for the results.
 
 
 
Spotify Link coming soon.
 
Results Below:
 
 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
Final Results for the VHL All Stars Skills Competition S70!
 
Congratulations to all participants!
 
 

I feel like anything like this would piss off pure welfare earners. The "force people to claim PF on the forum until they hit 100 TPE" idea is better and probably won't lead to as many issues.
 
What if there were a button on the player update page that pulled up a short guide to earning with forum links to each task's area? That way we could get direct links to the forum right on the same page as the button that these newer guys are clicking every week, and with luck that would redirect some of them out to league civilization. I feel like it would help new members quite a bit in general, too, even those who know the forum exists and use it--it seems most new guys are unable to figure things out unless they're directly handed the information by their GM, and having a concise, easily reference-able list available to all in a place more obvious than one subforum out of many would be of reasonably good benefit.

Basically what i said but with more thought and words.
 
 

The Round Robin of the World Junior Championship has come and gone, and you can count on VSN to cover the recent set of games that have shaken the standings a bit since our last review. Stick around and follow us as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
 
Team Canada
(5-1-1-1, 18 points)
 
As we have seen unfold throughout the course of the round-robin, we end up with Team Canada on top of the standings, defying some predictions prior to the beginning of the tournament. Going back to those predictions, let’s see where it stands. Certainly, their strength was correct; their goaltending has been top-class. Jaxx Hextall has been performing admirably, with a .936 SV% across six games, while Jacques Lafontaine has also done incredibly well, with a .938 SV% posted in his two starts. Their defence has truly carried them thus far, however, as while they have the lowest goals against at 21, they also have the fewest goals for at just 23. Winger Erik Killinger is their only skater in the top ten for points, as he has six goals and six assists; while past that only Daldo and Kristopher McDagg join him in the top 20. While there is no question about their ability to win games, it’s almost difficult to see just how they are winning, outside of spectacular goaltending. We will see if that continues to the next round as they face the winner of the Team World and Team Asia game. 
 
Team Europe
(2-2-2-2, 12 points)
 
Team Europe finished their round-robin games strong, handing Team Canada one of their only two losses this tournament in a 3-2 overtime thriller. Odin Omdahl scored once and assisted twice, having a hand in all three goals to lead them to their revenge against the Canadians. Special shoutout to Markus Nygren for his 11 hits, really laying into Team Canada to give his boys the upper hand. They finished off their games with a 3-1 win over Team World where Joakim Bruden’s 21 saves on 22 shots secured them the victory (Nygren again showed his physicality, dropping the gloves in the second period to support his teammate Will Clarke after Clarke was taken out on the play. Mikko Lahtinen will seek to improve on his goals tally as he is currently tied for a top goalscorer, having found the back of the net on seven separate occasions. Looking ahead to the next round, Team Europe will face the United States, where they will seek to improve upon their last performance against the Americans, where they lost in a shootout after the game ended at 5-5. 
 
Team United States
(3-1-0-4, 11 points)
 
Speaking of the United States, let’s take a look at just how they ended their round-robin games. Short answer? Not well. Last time we took a look at them, they were second in the standings. Now, despite being just one slot lower at third, they come away from the last 4 games with three losses and one win, with their one win coming against Team Asia. That game though, was a masterclass performance from American goaltender Samuel Ross as he made 45 saves on 46 shots for a fantastic .978 SV% performance. Certainly, the Americans will need more of this Ross if they want to push on, as he failed to reach .900 for the next two games, getting a .913 on his final match against Asia. Team USA is a group of young men that favours offence over defence, as they have both the most goals scored as well as the most conceded, with 28 and 30 respectively. They are a top-heavy team; their top line of Thomas Landry II, Nate Wright, and Jaxon Walker are 8th, 2nd, and 1st on the scoring charts across all teams, with first-pairing defenceman Shawn Glade Jr joining them at 7th on that list, the second-rated defenceman by points. Add in Glade’s partner in Gert T. Frobe and you have numbers 3-7 on the rankings for +/- throughout the round-robin. Let’s see if this group can carry their team to the finals, or if they will need a little help from their other teammates. 
 
 
Team Asia
(3-0-2-3, 11 points)
 
Asia is an interesting team to consider this WJC. Going off goal differential alone, they seem to be the worst of all the teams despite being tied for 4th on points alone, as they have the second-worst goals against as well as second-worst goals for. That being said, they ended their round-robin very strongly, losing just once to Team USA before going for three straight victories. They have the grit necessary to win games, but consistency is still an issue. Uhtred remains their only skater in the top ten for points. Derek Eriksson has been a bright spot; having created eight assists throughout eight games, but really stands out with his fundamentals, and has the highest +/- rating in the tournament at +7, showing just how to lock it down while still producing; particularly impressive considering his place on the first line, and the strength of other team’s first lines. Goaltender Bennet Dahl has been tricky to categorize; he is prone to bad games here and there, but also showcases talent, with a few good games taken off of Team World to end the round-robin. Next time Team Asia takes the ice is against Team World in the play-in game, where Team Asia will look to continue their streak if they want to stay alive in this WJC. 
 
 
Team World
(2-1-0-5, 8 points)
 
And last but not least, we have Team World. If Asia is an interesting team this tournament, then Team World is an enigma. Let me read off a couple of stats for you: 27 goals for, 23 goals against. The first and third defencemen on the scoring chart, Andrej Petrovich, and Edwin THE Encarnacion. The second-best starter by SV% and best by goals allowed, Nicolas Fomba. You might think that sounds like a good team, one that should be on top of the standings; well you are half-right. They are certainly a good team, but somehow, despite these numbers, the best goal difference in the round-robin, and some spectacular performances, Team World has finished the round-robin in the last place, with just eight points after eight matches. Thing is, when Team World wins, they demolish. They dismantle. They took down Team USA early on by a score of 6-1. They beat Team Canada (Canada’s only true loss) in a 6-0 shutout. Yes, you read that right, number one ranked Canada, beaten six goals to zero. Nicolas Fomba kept all 37 shots out of the back of the net, while Petrovich went for two goals and two assists. A great two-goal performance from Iangenere Risteneen, as well as the team going 62% from the faceoff circle sealed the deal on this game. So, World can win. But they also know how to lose, as evidenced by their three-game slide to end the tournament, losing all three games in regulation. The question is then; which Team World will show up to the play-in game? If they bring their A-game and fix their mentality, then they will win this tournament. Not one team can beat them the way they played in their marquee wins, but on the flip side, if they are off, they will lose. Only time will tell, but I for one am keeping my eye on this group. 
 
 
That’s it for now- stay tuned for more WJC coverage!
 
 
Players Mentioned: @ROOKIE745, @SlapshotDragon, @Peace, @Harpskii, @Viperxhawks19, @zepheter, @Devise,
@PadStack, @Will, @Beketov, @Brrbisbrr, @Doomsday, @73MPL4R, @hewasajazzman, @ShawnGlade,
@NumberJ5, @leafsman, @DirtyDerek, @Nothing but goals, @Tyler, @Tagger, @efiug,  @Maasa
 
 
VSN Writer Mr_Hatter
 

It’s been awhile since the VHL did the 12 days of Christmas giveaways and it was super generous of them to not only give out so much free tpe, but also all the actual prizes they doled out too. 
 
If you recall, the grande prize was an NHL jersey with cresting on it. And the winner was none other than @MMFLEX. What a lucky duck. Or Predator. 
 
And as some of you may know, he is not that big of an NHL fan. His loss for sure, but it also put him in an interesting situation, being that he had just won a jersey. So being the awesome guy that he is, he looked upon myself with favour and offered his prize to me. 
 
I had been looking at buying a jersey and the idea of saving money and having this one was too hard to pass up. The BOD kindly allowed the jersey to passed along to me and I just received it this past week. I hope to be able to replay the kindness Flex showed and also wanted to post here to thank both the BOD and Flex for this awesome gift. We truly have a good set of people running this league and I feel this is proof of it. 

Yes I got James Neal. My fiancé is a diehard Flames fan and I take every opportunity to bring up the Lucic - Neal trade. And a jersey was a great way to dig the knife in deeper 
 

What about if there was a link/button/tool-tip popup doohickey on the update player page, that directed you to the forum post that talks about how to earn TPE.  Assuming that post is in good shape and is clearly written.

Leaving A Legacy: Season 63's Best First-Gens
 
First generation players are the lifeblood of the VHL. They keep things new and exciting, bringing ever-essential enthusiasm to league jobs and media while challenging the old greats of the past. They're one of the few ways that we can progress as a collective and re-define what it means to have a thriving community: some help us migrate from one platform to another, some make the league more accessible to younger and older users both, and yet others introduce fantastical new builds and strategies to the league that invariably alter its course forever.
 
Today, I begin a series that celebrates the careers of some of the league's first-time users -- most of which have become grizzled veterans and leaders in their own right. As their eighth or ninth season on the site comes to a close, their first players' careers must end. And while I could exhaustively comb the accomplishments of these users, I instead hope to bring to light their retiring players. We'll start with an unmistakable face, Ryan Kastelic.
 
 

D/C Ryan Kastelic @Enorama, Riga Reign (1941 TPE)
 
We start with Ryan Kastelic, a defender-turned-forward who has set the bar for work ethic and success among first generation players for the last ten or so seasons. Born on a farm just outside Slovenia’s capital, he was first exposed to hockey rather late – and instead was a multi-sport athlete in what we’ll call less contact-heavy sports. Inspired by his late grandfather’s outlook on life, Anze Kopitar, and a chance encounter with an extracurriculars board, he fast-tracked his way on to his high school hockey team and a chance at greatness.
 
After a sudden disappearance from his hometown team earned him the nickname “The Snake of Ljubljana,’ Kastelic had a brief stint with the Sudbury Wolves in his first professional hockey appearance. A few possibly-tamper-like talks later, the VHLM snatched up this promising young Slovenian defenseman, earning a spot on the Ottawa Lynx in Season 62. Heralded as a high-class skater with excellent athleticism and an eye for passing lanes, Kastelic easily earned his place as a first-pair defenseman alongside now-Americans’ defenseman Joseph McWolf. He placed ninth among defenders with 62 points (15G, 47A) and 108 hits – an excellent start for an unknown quantity on a mid-table team. More impressive was his composure as he and fellow blue-liners Lando Baxter and Jesse Wilson led the Lynx to an improbable 4-game sweep of the Halifax 21st for the franchise’s twelfth Founder’s Cup, including a Game 4 victory with a 31-15 shot disadvantage and a 0-3 deficit before the end of the first period.
 

ABOVE: Cows on Kastelic family farm, Ljubljana metro area
 
Kastelic’s first-overall selection of the S63 Entry Draft was of no surprise to the league’s more astute scouts, as his rapid ascension in the minors made him a consensus first pick. The Reign were quick to cash in on Kastelic’s talents, and the team – led by captains and future Hall-of-Famers Podrick Cast and Edwin Preencarnacion – earned their way to a Continental Cup. He’d managed a perfect point-per-game pace (14 goals, 58 assists), improving on his VHLM performance despite being a pro-league rookie.
 

Both non-cow image credits to Enorama.
 
Though he continues to be regarded as one of the top talents in the VHL, Kastelic’s individual numbers have not recently reflected his perceived stardom. His point production increased gradually through his first four seasons, and Riga has continued to be perennial playoff contenders, but never managed to win the Continental Cup since Kastelic’s rookie season. At his peak as a defender, he was an 80+ point player with over 100 shots blocked – certainly at least putting him in the argument for Top Defenseman. This was particularly the case in Season 66, when he earned second team All-VHL honors. With a Riga Special (i.e. D -> F position change) in Season 67, Kastelic doubled his hits per season and had a reasonable argument for the league's best two-way forward.
 
Season 69 was arguably the Slovenian skater’s least impressive, with 64 points scored on a team that was as staunch defensively as the league had seen in recent seasons. But as one of the team’s primary scorers since converting to forward, the line chemistry hasn’t been quite what history book writers would have liked to see from Kastelic. All of the tape suggests that the Slovenian has one of the best shots and pass touches in league history, as well as the strength and skating ability to match the absolute best in spite of Riga’s recent struggles. His performance in three consecutive World Cups (one gold, two silvers) corroborates that. Independent of some subtle Halifax voodoo magic (a.k.a. STHS) or a subtle mismatch in surrounding talent, however, he’s proven that he has the wherewithal to outmatch any other forward in the league. As a first generation player, there are fewer better arguments for greatness.
 
 
Image credit to Dil for signature below

LW Julian Borwinn @Jubo07, Helsinki Titans (1724 TPE)
 
It’s hard to separate Julian Borwinn from his teammates Kronos and Matt in a historical context, largely because they formed one of the most feared first forward lines in league history. Born to an unassuming household in Ontario, Canada in 1991, Borwinn’s early career starkly contrasts that of Kastelic. He scored his first goal in his first game of pee-wee ice hockey after receiving his first hockey stick as a present from his uncle, and was quickly scouted for bantam league by the age of 12, an ostensible prodigy at age 14 while leading his high school club to two consecutive city championships.
 
Tragically, he suffered pulmonary collapse during a boating accident on his 16th birthday and was kept off of the ice for months – a poison pill for most players’ professional ice hockey aspirations. After a lengthy recovery, he found a home in roller hockey and was a perennial national championship contender over his eleven years in the sport. The call of the ice proved too powerful, however, and a career change at 27 years of age found a more senior Borwinn as an elite playmaker even on entering the VHLM with the Las Vegas Aces.
 
The Canadian forward made his mark immediately on the minor leagues – scoring 87 points and a massive +44 on an Aces team that featured past and current teammate Alexander Pepper. Arguably more important were Borwinn’s 121 hits (1.5/g), an early showcase of his two-way forward talents. This set him up for a high first-round draft selection – which the Titans made good on by taking him third overall in a draft that proved to be incredibly top-heavy.
 
It didn’t take long for Borwinn to achieve individual recognition, as an 84-point rookie campaign in Season 63 earned him the Christian Stolzschweiger Rookie of the Year award. He received the best possible individual outcome as a rookie, but a rebuilding Helsinki team (with just two defenders in total) proved to be enough to keep the Titans out of the playoffs.
Seasons 64-65 were quiet ones for the Canadian forward, as the Titans took on aging forwards in The Charm, Vesto Slipher, Oleksiy Revchenko, and Keaton Louth in a final push to earn Helsinki a championship – all to no avail. It was in Season 65 that the team introduced Kronos Bailey to the team, and Season 66 that the team burst through with a massive 55-14-3 regular season by introducing Matt Thompson to their first line.
 

Image credit to Jubo07 for above.
 
Borwinn’s production matched the talent surrounding him, as he broke out for an incredible 114 points (including 51 goals) in the team’s no-brainer championship run. Borwinn ultimately had more trophies to hoist in that season than most players do in their entire careers: the Funk, Slobodzian, Brooks, Campbell, and (the first of his) Szatkowski trophies were all added to his trophy case at the end of Season 66. At the half-way point of his career, Borwinn had an argument for the Hall of Fame already.
 
In the seasons since, Borwinn has been over 1 ppg without fail – including seasons approaching 100 points in S68 and S69. He’s gradually transitioned from pure scorer to a high-quality two-way forward, arguably peaking in his second-to-last season with 93 points and 241 hits (penalty minutes aside). Like Kastelic, he has remained loyal to his drafting team for his entire career, extending with the Titans for one final ride last season. With a Boulet, Szatkowski, and first and second-teams All-VHL in the interim, Borwinn has the accolades and the statistics for a Hall of Fame berth. But with the Titans sitting in fifth place with a top three offense, Borwinn might just have one more season of trophies to throw on to the pile.
 
 
Image credit to BOOM™

 
D Joseph @McWolf, New York Americans (1433 TPE)
 
Oh, McWolf. As a beat writer for the Reign, seeing two (current or former) Riga players on this list in the first three is a pleasant sight for sore eyes. This young English defenseman started his career in New York, and after a trade in his sixth season, will end his career the same way. He claims Worcester Park as his home, born to parents that own the family-run Wolf Gardens Café. He grew up under modest means and largely uneventfully – but with a competitive streak corroborated by his brothers. A multi-sport athlete, McWolf was originally on track to become a footballer as a top-flight defender, but gradually was swayed over with encouragement as a stay-at-home defender on the ice in spite of a rocky secondary school start.
 
McWolf’s moment of clarity came not as part of a world-class team, but instead after a menacing hit on his school team’s captain that caused gloves to drop and fists to be exchanged. Though not perfectly transferable, the English defender’s football mentality translated well to ice hockey and a gradual development of point-scoring ability. He eventually finished as the UK’s Defenseman of the Year in college and drew some interest from the EIHL before committing to the VHL Minor League, best-known for his defensive technical ability and physical play.
 
Like Kastelic, McWolf started on the Ottawa Lynx – and he quickly re-established his identity as a stay-at-home defenseman with hard hitting (238 hits) and defensive efficiency to his name. As a result, these two budding stars helped lead the Lynx to an improbable Continental Cup victory over the Halifax 21st. His impact wasn’t as visually obvious as Kastelic’s, but a remarkable +8 in just 9 playoff games showed that the young English defender had a significant positive effect on the ice even when faced with high-quality opponents. Though he had not developed his scoring acumen to a pro league-effective level, McWolf was the second overall selection in the Season 63 Entry Draft and made an immediate impact for the New York Americans.
 
Though his impact on offense was clearly felt by the Americans, McWolf’s most startling career numbers come from acting (basically) as a puck sponge in his first two seasons – where he accrued 196 and 189 shots blocked, respectively. His scoring numbers (64 and 80 points) were notable for a defenseman in any season, let alone his first two, and he started his streak of >200 hit seasons with his rookie campaign. For his efforts in his first season, he earned an All-Rookie Team berth. It should come as no surprise that in his second season he earned the Labatte (and a First Team) – his first of two. After four seasons, he was traded away as part of a New York fire-sale to Riga, joining a consistently playoff-worthy Reign team with a chance to put them over the edge.
 

Image credit to Enorama. I miss you McWolf ;-;
 
Through all eight of his seasons, he has firmly established himself as an elite defender with unrivaled shot blocking acumen (>100 SBs/season) and is most certainly on pace to continue that trend  45 games into this season. He’s remained steady at 60-70 points per season, and notably earned both Top Defensive and Top Overall Defenseman trophies (and another First Team, of course) in Season 67, his first of two with the Reign. Afterward, he gave something of a veteran presence to the Malmo Nighthawks, a recent expansion team with what was a miracle trip to the finals in Season 68. He capped this off with another Second Team in Season 69. Now he’s back to where it all started: the New York Americans, fighting and clawing for a North American Conference playoff spot.
 
And I suspect that’s exactly how he wants it to be.
 
 
RW Dan Wilinsky @oilmandan, Malmo Nighthawks (1423 TPE)
 
Strangely, Wilinsky’s hockey career was initially more tightly bound to the NHL than any VHL team. Born in Edmonton, Wilinsky’s father was an icemaker for the Oilers – and as a member of a sport family, his start with hockey was early and constant. A record breaker from the beginning, he flipped the Edmonton hockey system on its head as a multi-sport athlete before eventually narrowing to strictly hockey at age 15. At that point, he played a couple of years with the Prince Albert Raiders (winning one Memorial Cup) and eventually chose the VHL over the NHL in spite of his ties to the Oilers.
 

Image credit to DollarAndADream
 
As if they hadn’t been featured enough, the Ottawa Lynx also had Wilinsky in Season 62 – a pretty good sign of what was to come in the playoffs. Some suggest that he was the most impressive member of the Lynx at the time as the goal leader (40), second overall in points for the team (84), and the fourth-best plus-minus in the league at the time. Despite his impressive numbers, the Canadian winger fell to seventh overall in the draft, and was one of three first round selections by New York, who seemed poised to take the league by storm with McWolf, Shawinganen, and Wilinsky.
As many in the league know by now, that promising New York roster was not able to hang a championship banner from the rafters in the interim. Although they kept their first rounders for multiple seasons, they unfortunately weren’t able to break through to the finals before sending off their promising S63 class. Regardless, Wilinsky established himself as a prominent two-way forward, accruing over 100 hits and points in the 50s-60s in each of his four Americans seasons. In his rookie season, the Americans were understandably bad: they had just three forwards and two defenders. But after drafting Joel Ylonen and Ryan Sullivan, Jr. the roster filled out a bit.
 
The Americans managed a playoff berth in S65 after acquiring Leph Twinger, Carles Puigdemont, and Matthew Materazo among others. But when New York failed to make the next step forward in Season 66, the Americans decided to fire-sale most of their mid- and late-career players in favor of high draft picks and younger/cap dump options. Wilinsky was shipped off to Helsinki immediately after their S66 Continental Cup, and immediately experienced a resurgence – 86 points and 230 hits later, he earned his way to a Scott Boulet Trophy.
 

Image credit to Bushito
 
Season 68 brought him a similar level of personal success (84 points, +22, 206 hits) on a Helsinki team that managed a close third place in the regular season – again without a championship, but with ‘proof-of-concept’ including Wilinsky as a featured player. In the following offseason, he was traded to Seattle – a team with burgeoning playoff success – in exchange for a second rounder and a semi-active forward.
 
Wilinsky was steady as ever, accruing 81 points, a cool +40 plus/minus, and the greatest number of hits he’d ever had in his career (273) en route to hoisting the Continental Cup with the Bears. He fittingly had several key contributions – including the assists on the third game’s tying and winning goals – while sweeping the Riga Reign and earning an All-VHL Second Team, the second of his career.
 
Still one of the better scoring defensemen in the league, he’s found his way to Malmo in the off-season – the fourth team of his career. Though they’re facing tough times, they have a battle-tested and championship-experienced leader in Dan Wilinsky.
 
G Alexander Pepper @Sonnet, Helsinki Titans (1380 TPE)

Image credit to Sonnet.
 
In a strangely perfect way, we cap off our S63 First Gen players with a top-flight netminder in Alexander Pepper, part of the tandem synergizing with Julian Borwinn in his time with Helsinki. One of the core career Titans, Pepper had far humbler origins in an arid Clark County, Nevada – and remained there for the greater part of his early career. Left without a major professional sports team, Pepper initially followed a few minor league teams in his youth – but Nevada, a desert-filled state, had a few barriers to entry with regards to ice hockey. Nonetheless, he honed his athleticism with baseball, a sport he displayed natural talent for, and gradually convinced his peers to approximate hockey with roller skates and goalies with baseball mitts. He eventually earned his way to proper goalie equipment and university resources at UNLV before finding his way on to the Las Vegas Aces.
 
His impact on the Aces was well-understood that season as he accrued a 50-15-7 record, among the best in the league with an 89.6% save rate and just a hair under 2 goals allowed per game. Pepper pitched ten shutouts that season while facing nearly 1,400 shots and earned a well-deserved Devereux Trophy in goal for Las Vegas.
 
Unfortunately for Nevada, Pepper couldn’t become a proper VHL professional in Vegas. And in spite of his success with the Aces in Season 62, some scouts still doubted his ability to convert to a pro style, suggesting his over-reliance on his primary glove hand would be a curse on his career. He was drafted tenth overall by the Helsinki Titans, sending the young Nevadan over five-thousand miles away to Finland in a draft filled with early Titans picks. Borwinn and Sidney Crosby became core members – with both playing their entire careers with Pepper.
 
As the clear-cut #1 goalie in his class, Pepper was a lock for the S63 All-Rookie team – and with a 0.918 save percentage, he was a no-brainer in spite of his 25-31-8 record. After all, he managed to make it through his rookie season without becoming Swiss cheese, facing an absurd 2,599 shots on a rebuilding team. The next two seasons saw improvement on Pepper’s behalf, as he pitched thirteen shutouts between S64-65 and greatly improved his win percentage (38 & 41 wins, respectively), all while allowing nearly a full goal less per game. He deservedly earned a Season 64 Second Team selection for his efforts.
 

Image credit to gregreg
 
The mid-60s saw Pepper reach the top of his game, and the Titans not-so-coincidentally ascended to perennial Finals contention as his save rate approached 0.92. In spite of facing a red-hot Beau Louth and Jake Davis, Pepper’s lowest save percentage in the four-game Season 66 finals was 0.929 – including an impeccable 22 of 23 shots saved in Game 3. Indeed, Season 66 Playoffs Pepper posted a 0.931 overall save percentage and just 2.15 goals against while leading his team to an 8-1 playoff record. To no one’s surprise, he hoisted both the Continental Cup and the Daisuke Kanou.
In the back half of his career, Pepper has remained with the Titans and has been remarkably consistent in spite of the team going into something of a rebuild. He posts a few shutouts per season, about 40 wins, and just about 2.5 goals per game – and his percentage has remained a steady 0.91-0.92. Unsurprisingly, Helsinki has had an incredibly difficult time finding a protégé for the Nevadan; Season 67’s Virgil Ligriv has been steadily improving and has shown glimpses of excellent goaltending, but it’s unclear as to whether he will prove a worthy replacement.
 
In the meantime, Helsinki has swelled into a playoff-ready beast for Crosby’s, Pepper’s, and Borwinn’s swan song. Will they ride out on the sunset champions or bittersweet shadows of their former selves?
 
 
[3,344 words]

Happy valentines day?

awesome job as always man, appreciate it!

@Garsh

Hello,
 
I'd like to thank everyone who applied for the position. As always, a great amount of quality members applied and we're continuously grateful for having such a strong showing who wish to get more involved in the success and enjoyment of the amazing VHLM. With that being said and after discussions with the member and a very, very short 2 messages with the trusty partner @diamond_ace, we've made a decision... Please join me in congratulating and welcoming..... this member... to the team!
 
 
We look forward to having you amongst the ranks of VHLM GM and wish you the best of luck in the position. 
 
Thank you,
@VHLM Commissioner