Gwdjohnson

1. How did you do during our Play-off run?
- 5 points in 7 games isn't too bad, but -5 is disappointing. We were so close
2. Have you been following the Play-offs after our upset?
- No I did not 😕 I was busy and also don't wanna watch non San Diego hockey lmao.
3. Did you get to listen to our teams newest episode of Inside the Fish Tank?
- Nop, I'm not a podcast man.
4. What are your plans during this upcoming off-season?
- See where I get drafted to basically 👀 looking forward to seeing where I go.
5. What was your reaction to Juice getting pied in the face?
- Lol I watched the video, was a very entertaining watch. Juice is a funny guy.
6. Now that our season and dieting is over, what is your diet looking like this first week?
- Whatever it is, it sure won't be healthy

So its Theme Week, and for this season's theme of alternate realities I wanted to reminisce a little bit and focus on the impacts of trades I've been involved in, and how perhaps things would have gone for teams involved and myself if the trades didn't take place.
 
First trade:  LAS VEGAS -> HALIFAX (VHLM, 1st season)
 
This trade basically saved my VHL career and activity I would say. In an alternate reality where my trade to Halifax did not take place, chances are I would have gone inactive right away. Nothing necessarily against the team, and I remember I got on really well with their Co-GM at the time, but I wanted to play with my buddy who created with me, but wasn't committed enough to request a trade to make it happen. As for the impact, I think Halifax got good value out of me for the one season I played there with my friend, so its nice for them, and for Las Vegas they recouped solid value for a guy who probably wouldn't have stuck around. A pretty win-win trade overall that had it not happened probably would've sucked for both teams. This alternate reality of no trade absolutely blows for both sides in my opinion.
 
Second trade: HALIFAX -> MINNESOTA (VHLM, 2nd season)
 
This was a fun one. After a so-so season in Halifax, they decided it was time to ship players out and bring in some more picks to build for future seasons. As for Minnesota, now was their time to strike and bring in some top quality players. They traded for me and my bud Gabriel Gutzwiler, and in doing so added two players who ended up being a couple of the best players in the league. I'm pretty sure both of us ended up being in the top 10 in scoring in what ended up being a dominant season in Minnesota, and not only that but we ended up going on to win a cup in Minnesota too, with both of us tearing it up in the playoffs. In an alternate universe where this trade didn't happen, its also kind of a lose-lose, because Halifax would not have recouped important picks to build with from the deal, and I doubt that Minnesota would be nearly as likely to win without our impact there. Retention wise I think it would've hurt me if this trade did not take place, as I did very much enjoy going crazy and putting up a lot of point in my last junior season, and especially topping it off with a cup made it super memorable and helped keep me engaged. I am glad that trade happened, annd its another situation where in an alternate universe of it not happening, both teams would definitely be worse off for it.
 
Third trade: New York -> Toronto (VHL, 3rd season)
 
Yeah this one was kind of the nail in the coffin for me, and unlike the last two this one more annoyed me than helped my retention. I liked playing for Esso in New York, and was a little annoyed at getting traded because being not very active in the first place made it hard to settle in and get to know people when I kept getting traded lmao. In an alternate universe where this trade doesn't happen, I think both teams would kinda come out winning. Toronto didn't pay much to get me and my pal but we also didn't develop much at all after the trade. New York could've benefitted from keeping us because I probably would have stayed more active there. In both scenarios of reality and the alternate universe, the results from the trade/no trade are overall pretty inconsequential.
 
Welp that's another media spot where I talk about Leon because of my limited league knowledge, I kind of miss him now but now I hope to make a better player who won't be traded as much lmao.
 
(658 words)

1. What brought you into the VHLForum lifestyle?
- Updating is really easy, so its nice and low maintenance.
2. How do you feel coming into this week?
- Good! Nice to be ahead in the playoff race.
3. When do you start prepping before a game?
- Technically hours before cuz that's when you coordinate meals and stuff.
4. Do you enjoy this teams enthusiasm or do you feel we are lacking?
- We have so much enthusiasm, it's great lmao.
5. The team is going out after a victory! Where are we going?
- Get me some fuckin like pizza or something, whatever it is it has to be greasy.
6. Did you get a chance to listen to the first episode of Inside the Fish Tank?
- I have not, but I'm not much of a podcast listener guy so nothing personal

The San Diego Marlins have had a lot of fresh faces come in, and optimism ran high going into the season, but things aren't all calm and rosy for the Marlins now, who are primed to have to work for every point if they're going to make playoffs this season. They have an intense push against the Yukon Rush ongoing at the moment, and it is looking like it will come right down to the wire to see who will make it in the end. After San Diego started the season pretty poorly, going on a long losing skid, they have roared back, now passing Yukon to hold a one point lead on them after 33 games. Yukon currently have the better offense of the two teams, outscoring San Diego by a margin of 135 to 109, but the Marlins boast a superior defense, allowing only 119 goals compared to Yukon's 135. It will be a tight push to the end of the season as he near the halfway mark of the season, and one good or bad stretch for either team could end up being decisive. (187 words)

Get to be? Look at this guy thinking it’s some great prize
 
But no, blue team would be awfully full of simply beating me in VHFL was the criteria.

21st overall pick from the prior VHLM Draft, Arvid Johansson, has been making some major waves at the start of the season, as the young defenseman has been lights out for the San Diego Marlins. He is currently point per game 17 games into the season, with 8 goals and 9 assists to his game thus far. As a defenseman who claims to follow a defense first offense second brand of hockey, these numbers are especially impressive for him to be racking up as a rookie this early in his career. After a rocky start to his VHLM journey last season, where he only got 1 point in 12 games with the Halifax 21st, Johansson this season has managed to show critics and scouts his potential that was spoken about before the draft. He will surely be catching the eyes of VHL scouts with these recent performances, but obviously there is still a lot of the season left for him to maintain this level of form. We will just have to see if Johansson can continue to wow the league like he has done.
 
(184 words)

1. How has this season gone for you so far?
--Super well, love how my player is doing, and even with a young core the team is looking generally pretty good.
2. Have you ever seen a chicken strip?
--Obviously.
3. If you were to get confronted by an opposing teams fan looking for a fight, what would you do?
--Fight. I'm a big swedish boi lemme at em.
4. Where do you go to unwind after a game?
--Home, gimme a nice hot bath afterwards.
5. Did you answer question number 2 with a stupid yes instead of "Chickens don't wear clothes"?
--Hey man I'm sorry I don't have your comedic genius 😡
6. What are your thoughts on GM Juice's call out to our beloved GM thadthrasher?
--I don't know if its smart or not that we took the challenge but bring it on!!!
 

1. How has this season gone for you so far?
--Super well, love how my player is doing, and even with a young core the team is looking generally pretty good.
2. Have you ever seen a chicken strip?
--Obviously.
3. If you were to get confronted by an opposing teams fan looking for a fight, what would you do?
--Fight. I'm a big swedish boi lemme at em.
4. Where do you go to unwind after a game?
--Home, gimme a nice hot bath afterwards.
5. Did you answer question number 2 with a stupid yes instead of "Chickens don't wear clothes"?
--Hey man I'm sorry I don't have your comedic genius 😡
6. What are your thoughts on GM Juice's call out to our beloved GM thadthrasher?
--I don't know if its smart or not that we took the challenge but bring it on!!!
 

1. Are you excited to start S77?
-Yessir! Looking forward to being back in juniors.
2. Did you get picked by a team in the draft or hoping for a wavier?
wavier?
-I don't know what this means exactly but I was picked by San Diego? Lmao
3. What are your expectations this season?
-Just hope to put up some good numbers and have a strong rookie rookie season. A chip would be sick too but one step at a time eh.
4. Do you have a special plan for your player?
-I wanna be pretty defensive. Gonna invest TPE mainly in that then build around it once I max it out long term.
5. Did you experience the DRAFT HYPE?
-Yes! I was pretty sure I'd be going back to Halifax but once they didn't take me 19th I was hyped to see where I'd end up.
6. If there is something you think the management should work on this Season, what would it be and why?
-Block people from speaking in the TPE opportunities channel 😠 I had to scroll up to find this in there. Smh my head

1. Are you excited to start S77?
-Yessir! Looking forward to being back in juniors.
2. Did you get picked by a team in the draft or hoping for a wavier?
wavier?
-I don't know what this means exactly but I was picked by San Diego? Lmao
3. What are your expectations this season?
-Just hope to put up some good numbers and have a strong rookie rookie season. A chip would be sick too but one step at a time eh.
4. Do you have a special plan for your player?
-I wanna be pretty defensive. Gonna invest TPE mainly in that then build around it once I max it out long term.
5. Did you experience the DRAFT HYPE?
-Yes! I was pretty sure I'd be going back to Halifax but once they didn't take me 19th I was hyped to see where I'd end up.
6. If there is something you think the management should work on this Season, what would it be and why?
-Block people from speaking in the TPE opportunities channel 😠 I had to scroll up to find this in there. Smh my head

1. Are you excited to start S77?
-Yessir! Looking forward to being back in juniors.
2. Did you get picked by a team in the draft or hoping for a wavier?
wavier?
-I don't know what this means exactly but I was picked by San Diego? Lmao
3. What are your expectations this season?
-Just hope to put up some good numbers and have a strong rookie rookie season. A chip would be sick too but one step at a time eh.
4. Do you have a special plan for your player?
-I wanna be pretty defensive. Gonna invest TPE mainly in that then build around it once I max it out long term.
5. Did you experience the DRAFT HYPE?
-Yes! I was pretty sure I'd be going back to Halifax but once they didn't take me 19th I was hyped to see where I'd end up.
6. If there is something you think the management should work on this Season, what would it be and why?
-Block people from speaking in the TPE opportunities channel 😠 I had to scroll up to find this in there. Smh my head

Going into the draft possibly thinking he was returning to the Halifax 21st, it came as very surprising to top prospect Arvid Johansson when he instead went to the 21st overall pick, to the San Diego Marlins. Johansson now finds him on the opposite side of North America from where he expected, but he's looking forward to the opportunity:
 
"San Diego is even more different from Sweden than Halifax, but I am excited. I had a good talk with their GM before the draft so I'm glad to be here. We have a lot of exciting rookies here and I'm hoping we all grow into big players."
 
Johansson going 21st seems right now like a steal of a pick for the Marlins, but it all depends on how Johansson can cope with the expectations that coincide with the hype. Despite a lot of eyes being on his performance in the previous season, when he signed in Halifax temporarily, Johansson didn't quite wow scouts, which might explain his fall. We will see how things develop for him this season.

1. Are you excited to start S77?
-Yessir! Looking forward to being back in juniors.
2. Did you get picked by a team in the draft or hoping for a wavier?
wavier?
-I don't know what this means exactly but I was picked by San Diego? Lmao
3. What are your expectations this season?
-Just hope to put up some good numbers and have a strong rookie rookie season. A chip would be sick too but one step at a time eh.
4. Do you have a special plan for your player?
-I wanna be pretty defensive. Gonna invest TPE mainly in that then build around it once I max it out long term.
5. Did you experience the DRAFT HYPE?
-Yes! I was pretty sure I'd be going back to Halifax but once they didn't take me 19th I was hyped to see where I'd end up.
6. If there is something you think the management should work on this Season, what would it be and why?
-Block people from speaking in the TPE opportunities channel 😠 I had to scroll up to find this in there. Smh my head

One of the newest hot prospects in the VHLM, defenseman Arvid Johansson, has been making many waves leading up to the coming VHLM Draft. The young blueliner out of Göteborg, Sweden is touted as one of the better young starlets of the upcoming draft, and has caught the eyes of many in his short stint playing with the Halifax 21st in the VHLM.
 

Johansson representing his home nation of Sweden at a youth level international tournament.
 
Coming up at youth level in Sweden, Johansson was part of his hometown team, Frölunda HC. He came up through their academy starting at a very young age, and was just starting to make his breakthrough towards Frölunda's main team, but eventually decided it would be better for his ambitious career to get right into the system of the world's elite as quickly as he could. In the academy, he was largely considered one of, if not the most promising player Frölunda had with them, due to his great awareness and hockey IQ, a positive of his that outshines a large majority of defensemen his age.
 
A VHLM scout talking about his game in Sweden during a U17 international competition had this to say about him:

"Arvid is a terrific talent and he definitely has a high ceiling at the top level. He impresses every scout that watches him play with his instincts and hockey IQ. 'Hockey IQ' is something that tends to get thrown around pretty liberally when talking about prospects, but this kid really brings a lot of it to the table, more than I am used to seeing from prospects his age. His offensive game still needs some work and polishing, but he has a great base set for himself as a prospect by being so intelligent in his own end and generally knowing all the right decisions to make."
 
Johansson when asked about why he chose to leave for the VHL before really breaking through in Frölunda said that it is more exciting for him to put his skills to the test at the highest levell right now. He added that making the VHL in the end would always be his end goal, so it would be more worth it to try and get ahead and get involved with the league now.
 
It is unknown if Halifax plan on making Johansson's stint with the team permanent after he signed with them for the rest of the regular season, but regardless of who drafts him early signs show that they will land a prospect with much to be excited about.
 
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Well, now that I have recreated on VHL, I wanted to look back on how the career of my first league player, Leon Gutzwiler, went. It was not a long career, but I want to say a lot happened during it! I will make an article detailing the entirety of Leon's career, dating from the time of his creation, to his eventual retirement after being dropped by Toronto for his inactivity. It should be fun going through Leon's entire career and looking back on the stuff he did out on the ice and the things that he accomplished with the 5 different teams he played for. Let's get into it, starting with when I created him in the first place!
 
The Start (S69)
 
It all began when I created along with my friend, as we made the Swiss Gutzwiler bros, Leon and Gabriel. I was pretty excited about the opportunity to join another sim league and have a different experience from what I got in my main league, the Simulation Hockey League. I distinctly remember that we made the mistake of signing up like right after the timeframe you could sign for a team until the draft had expired, and that was frustrating while we tried to figure out how things worked. I earned a lot up until the time of the draft (I think lol) and made a few waves for myself before the draft. My goal was to have both Gutzwilers drafted together, but Daft and I both went in understanding that would be pretty difficult to accomplish. With Gabriel Gutzwiler having a bit of a TPE buff because of the recreate bonus, he went 17th to Halifax, 4 picks ahead of where I eventually went, which was 21st overall to the Las Vegas Aces.
 
Las Vegas Aces (S69)
Going 21st overall was pretty nice for me, it was pretty close to where I went in the juniors draft in SHL, so it felt pretty good to kind of fly under the radar again. As I mentioned before, I was drafted to a different team from my friend the other Gutzwiler, going 4 picks after him, but that ended up not mattering much, as after a very short stint in Las Vegas, I found myself traded over to join Daft in Halifax before my rookie season even started.
 
Halifax 21st (S69)
 
It was pretty wild getting traded basically immediately after getting drafted, as in SHL I was firmly a one-team person in both juniors and the major league. But sure enough here I was being dealt right away. I completely forget exactly what I was traded for, it was like a 2nd and 3rd or something like that, if only I knew where I could find it. I was traded there off a recommendation from Daft, who was begging the management in Halifax to trade for me and unite us on the same team. Despite the awkwardness, it was very nice to have the boys playing on the same line together and I was ready to hit the ground running with Halifax. Seems like the S69 VHLM index is not functional at the moment, so you will just have to take my word for it when I say that Leon was one of the league's best rookies in his debut season, scoring an impressive 34 goals and 81 points in 71 games. Halifax also won an unlikely playoff round before being eliminated, and in that run Leon scored 13 points in 11 games. It was a great debut campaign, in contrast to SHL where I sucked badly in my rookie season lol. I was looking forward to another season in Halifax, when the unthinkable happened, yet another trade. I was packing my bags again, getting ready to join my 3rd team in the span of one offseason to another.
 
Minnesota Storm (S70)
 
This time, I was traded along with Daft, as both of us, along with I'm pretty sure someone else who I forget (sorry), and we rounded out what was a fiercely competitive Minnesota Storm team. Halifax was nice so it sucked being traded from there, but I understood that with the team's timeline it made more sense to ship Daft and I to a competing team. Playing for a more competitive team seemed to immediately pay dividends in my second and final season in juniors, as Leon scored a whopping 44 goals and 60 assists to crack the 100 point mark, notching 104 on the season. Being one of the best juniors players in the league that season was awesome, because in the SHL one of my biggest regrets in juniors was not having a very productive juniors career before going up. In the playoffs, things only got better, as Minnesota plowed through the competition in the playoffs on route to an emphatic cup win. It was my first juniors cup in sim leagues, and was a nice feeling. You get a very limited timeframe to win something in juniors, so it was very nice to secure that. In the run to the cup, I put up a very impressive 11 goals and 21 points in 14 games, to cap off what was a great season. In the offseason it was unclear what next season would have in store for me, as I was hovering around the minimum TPE to be automatically called up, but in the section I will cover what happened!
 
New York Americans (S71)
 
So I wanted to split my juniors and major career into different sections, but after my rookie season with Halifax, I found myself drafted to the New York Americans in the S70 VHL Draft, going 18th overall to them. The Gutzwiler connection stayed nice and strong because of this, as Gabriel Gutzwiler went 2 picks before me also to New York, 16th overall. Anyway, after the season spent in Minnesota, my future hung a little bit in the balance, and it was pretty unclear whether or not I would be coming up to New York or staying down another season. In what ended up being pretty controversial circumstances, the decision was made to call me up from Minnesota after the VHLM Draft was done, which to say the least did not go over well with Minnesota management lmao *ducks*. That ended up being a whole situation that was pretty awkward for Daft and I, but the conclusion was we were now in the big leagues! Yay!! We started off playing on the third line for New York, and it was nice and relaxing, UNTIL....yet another trade lmao.
 
Toronto Legion (S71-S75)
 
You really are never truly safe in this league. Just 14 games into our VHL major league careers, Daft and I found ourselves traded as a package to the Toronto Legion, for what I remember being very little compared to what I thought our value was at the time (smh Esso). Getting moved for the first time when I was leaving Las Vegas was pretty cool, but by the time it reached this trade it was pretty frustrating to be on a new team every season, and I just wanted to root down somewhere. After being somewhat disappointing in his rookie season, Leon got 19 points in 72 games by the end of S71. To play a bigger role in the team, I switched Leon over to defense, where Toronto could play him in a bigger role. It paid off immediately, as Leon's points improved from 19 to 31 in his first season on the blueline. Unfortunately, I lost interest around this time, which brings me to what I will call "The Corpse Years", where I was an inactive 339 TPE  body on Toronto's team lmao.
 
The End of the Road AKA the Corpse Years (S72-S75)
 
So while the switch from forward to defense improved my role in Toronto's team and gave me more importance in their squad, I still totally fell out of interest with the league at this time and left Leon to the void to collect dust. In S73, Leon had a very good season for a corpse only just over a juniors level player, as he got 15 goals and 54 points for Toronto, completely smashing that previous career high of 31. The season after is hilarious to look at, as after the 54 point season, Leon put up a whopping 6 points in 72 games. I can only guess this was because he was relegated to a basically irrelevant role in the roster, but my head canon will be that he just had THAT bad a season. After that off season for Leon, Toronto in S75 decided to throw him back into the spotlight, dragging him out of obscurity. He put up a season of very similar quality to his 54 point one, as despite Toronto as a team being worse than in S73 (I am assuming this based on plus/minuses), he still managed to put up 17 goals and 52 points for them. Leon was promptly dropped from the team following this season, after honestly getting way longer a stretch with Toronto than he deserved lmao. In S76, Leon was a free agent following his releasing. I found this out through someone else, and at that point concluded that it might be fun to try going with a new player and retired. Such is the end of the not so illustrious but I suppose satisfactory career of Leon Gutzwiler.
 
Thoughts on Leon's Career, and the Recreate (Now!!)
 
To summarize my time with Leon, I think it was definitely an alright career. At the VHL level I accomplished basically nothing before retiring, but I did get to experience an immensely successful juniors career for the first and only time in my experience on sim leagues. Leon was awesome in his rookie season with Halifax, and things only got better when he was traded to Minnesota, as he blossomed into one of the best players in the juniors league, and even managed to get a cup in his cabinet after that dominant campaign with the Storm. I think juniors was pretty alright in the league culture wise, the teams I played for were decently quiet most of the time, but as someone who's priorities lied in a different sim league at the time, I could not really complain about the relatively passive Discords I experienced here. Getting to have my desire to play with Daft's player was accomodated my entire career, with us having played on 4 different teams together across both leagues, and never played a single game apart from each other. Well, that is until Toronto dumped off my inactive corpse but kept Daft's on the team lmao. I think one of the main things that led to my loss of interest in continuing Leon was the trade from New York. I was already losing interest big time in the league at that time as I was pretty busy already juggling real life with SHL, but having to go through yet another change of scenery was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Toronto just did not really offer enough to me to counter my growing loss of interest, so I just ended up dropping the league completely and went back to just being SHL only full time. Well, now I have a new player to start a brand new and different career with on the site, and we will see where his career goes compared to Leon's. I have no idea what to expect in the longevity I can get out of Arvid, because along with being active in two different sim leagues already, I am currently in the hunt for jobs in real life, which has shown in the past to cut my sim league time big time lmao.
 
In conclusion to this long summary of Leon's career, I am looking forward to seeing how far I can get with Johansson compared to Gutzwiler, and hope I can top the peak I reached with him. I believe that no matter what, I should be a pretty safe bet for a juniors player, and I would like to believe I can carve out a lengthier major league career this time!
 
Thanks for reading, now gimme those 4 weeks of 6 TPE  
 
2043 words  

2. Is there anything that helps you to get into the routine of remembering to complete your VHL tasks each week?
- I'm trying to out earn my last player as a goal for this one, so early on that's been motivating me a lot to do more for sure.
3. Can you describe the way your player feels when they are on the ice during a match?
- Right now, not very good because he's just starting out. Hopefully it improves 😕
4. How would you describe the locker room environment of Halifax?
- It's cool and friendly, too bad we missed the playoffs but nice to have a bunch of people I know there already and even people I didn't know before seem cool!
5. What type of boat does your player travel on to get to and from the Ice Rink?
- Easy, canoe. Canoes are the best boat, good exercise and peaceful riding.
6. What does your player do to remain positive during a rough season?
- Know that if he keeps working hard he can hopefully be less bad for his actual rookie season!
8. Your player has to sponsor a brand of cereal, which brand do they choose?
- Raisin bran. It's simply the best cereal and I would feel guilty sponsoring any other cereal.

Sorry to hear about the loss of interest in the league with Leon, having  played with you in Halifax, Minnesota, and Toronto it was cool to share that much time with you. I know in Toronto our locker room was dead at times and I'm sure that made it hard. What I can say this season our LR has been the most active it's ever been. Wish you luck on your new player!

1. Which folklore/cryptid creature do you think would make the best mascot for Halifax 21st and why?
- Hmm, I'll say the Kraken cuz its the coolest ocean related mythological creature I can think of.

2. If you were forming a band with a handful of your team mates, what type of instrumment would you play?
- Easy. I played the sax in high school so pass it over to me baby.
 
3. Is there a song that you listen to while you are training?
- Stronger by Kanye West is my go-to song for getting myself hyped up for something.

4. What are you most excited for in your player's future?
- Seeing how far I can go and what kind of career I can carve out for myself!

5. Does your player have a morning routine?
- Always. A small breakfast, then a coffee then a shower. No need for anything besides the basics.

6. Would you rather be good at figure skating or have more strength?
- Honestly people make fun of figure skating but having that kind of elegance in skating would feel so awesome.

7. What snacks does your player bring on a coach trip to share with the team?
- Definitely some form of crackers, probably wheat thins, god I love wheat thins.

Well, now that I have recreated on VHL, I wanted to look back on how the career of my first league player, Leon Gutzwiler, went. It was not a long career, but I want to say a lot happened during it! I will make an article detailing the entirety of Leon's career, dating from the time of his creation, to his eventual retirement after being dropped by Toronto for his inactivity. It should be fun going through Leon's entire career and looking back on the stuff he did out on the ice and the things that he accomplished with the 5 different teams he played for. Let's get into it, starting with when I created him in the first place!
 
The Start (S69)
 
It all began when I created along with my friend, as we made the Swiss Gutzwiler bros, Leon and Gabriel. I was pretty excited about the opportunity to join another sim league and have a different experience from what I got in my main league, the Simulation Hockey League. I distinctly remember that we made the mistake of signing up like right after the timeframe you could sign for a team until the draft had expired, and that was frustrating while we tried to figure out how things worked. I earned a lot up until the time of the draft (I think lol) and made a few waves for myself before the draft. My goal was to have both Gutzwilers drafted together, but Daft and I both went in understanding that would be pretty difficult to accomplish. With Gabriel Gutzwiler having a bit of a TPE buff because of the recreate bonus, he went 17th to Halifax, 4 picks ahead of where I eventually went, which was 21st overall to the Las Vegas Aces.
 
Las Vegas Aces (S69)
Going 21st overall was pretty nice for me, it was pretty close to where I went in the juniors draft in SHL, so it felt pretty good to kind of fly under the radar again. As I mentioned before, I was drafted to a different team from my friend the other Gutzwiler, going 4 picks after him, but that ended up not mattering much, as after a very short stint in Las Vegas, I found myself traded over to join Daft in Halifax before my rookie season even started.
 
Halifax 21st (S69)
 
It was pretty wild getting traded basically immediately after getting drafted, as in SHL I was firmly a one-team person in both juniors and the major league. But sure enough here I was being dealt right away. I completely forget exactly what I was traded for, it was like a 2nd and 3rd or something like that, if only I knew where I could find it. I was traded there off a recommendation from Daft, who was begging the management in Halifax to trade for me and unite us on the same team. Despite the awkwardness, it was very nice to have the boys playing on the same line together and I was ready to hit the ground running with Halifax. Seems like the S69 VHLM index is not functional at the moment, so you will just have to take my word for it when I say that Leon was one of the league's best rookies in his debut season, scoring an impressive 34 goals and 81 points in 71 games. Halifax also won an unlikely playoff round before being eliminated, and in that run Leon scored 13 points in 11 games. It was a great debut campaign, in contrast to SHL where I sucked badly in my rookie season lol. I was looking forward to another season in Halifax, when the unthinkable happened, yet another trade. I was packing my bags again, getting ready to join my 3rd team in the span of one offseason to another.
 
Minnesota Storm (S70)
 
This time, I was traded along with Daft, as both of us, along with I'm pretty sure someone else who I forget (sorry), and we rounded out what was a fiercely competitive Minnesota Storm team. Halifax was nice so it sucked being traded from there, but I understood that with the team's timeline it made more sense to ship Daft and I to a competing team. Playing for a more competitive team seemed to immediately pay dividends in my second and final season in juniors, as Leon scored a whopping 44 goals and 60 assists to crack the 100 point mark, notching 104 on the season. Being one of the best juniors players in the league that season was awesome, because in the SHL one of my biggest regrets in juniors was not having a very productive juniors career before going up. In the playoffs, things only got better, as Minnesota plowed through the competition in the playoffs on route to an emphatic cup win. It was my first juniors cup in sim leagues, and was a nice feeling. You get a very limited timeframe to win something in juniors, so it was very nice to secure that. In the run to the cup, I put up a very impressive 11 goals and 21 points in 14 games, to cap off what was a great season. In the offseason it was unclear what next season would have in store for me, as I was hovering around the minimum TPE to be automatically called up, but in the section I will cover what happened!
 
New York Americans (S71)
 
So I wanted to split my juniors and major career into different sections, but after my rookie season with Halifax, I found myself drafted to the New York Americans in the S70 VHL Draft, going 18th overall to them. The Gutzwiler connection stayed nice and strong because of this, as Gabriel Gutzwiler went 2 picks before me also to New York, 16th overall. Anyway, after the season spent in Minnesota, my future hung a little bit in the balance, and it was pretty unclear whether or not I would be coming up to New York or staying down another season. In what ended up being pretty controversial circumstances, the decision was made to call me up from Minnesota after the VHLM Draft was done, which to say the least did not go over well with Minnesota management lmao *ducks*. That ended up being a whole situation that was pretty awkward for Daft and I, but the conclusion was we were now in the big leagues! Yay!! We started off playing on the third line for New York, and it was nice and relaxing, UNTIL....yet another trade lmao.
 
Toronto Legion (S71-S75)
 
You really are never truly safe in this league. Just 14 games into our VHL major league careers, Daft and I found ourselves traded as a package to the Toronto Legion, for what I remember being very little compared to what I thought our value was at the time (smh Esso). Getting moved for the first time when I was leaving Las Vegas was pretty cool, but by the time it reached this trade it was pretty frustrating to be on a new team every season, and I just wanted to root down somewhere. After being somewhat disappointing in his rookie season, Leon got 19 points in 72 games by the end of S71. To play a bigger role in the team, I switched Leon over to defense, where Toronto could play him in a bigger role. It paid off immediately, as Leon's points improved from 19 to 31 in his first season on the blueline. Unfortunately, I lost interest around this time, which brings me to what I will call "The Corpse Years", where I was an inactive 339 TPE  body on Toronto's team lmao.
 
The End of the Road AKA the Corpse Years (S72-S75)
 
So while the switch from forward to defense improved my role in Toronto's team and gave me more importance in their squad, I still totally fell out of interest with the league at this time and left Leon to the void to collect dust. In S73, Leon had a very good season for a corpse only just over a juniors level player, as he got 15 goals and 54 points for Toronto, completely smashing that previous career high of 31. The season after is hilarious to look at, as after the 54 point season, Leon put up a whopping 6 points in 72 games. I can only guess this was because he was relegated to a basically irrelevant role in the roster, but my head canon will be that he just had THAT bad a season. After that off season for Leon, Toronto in S75 decided to throw him back into the spotlight, dragging him out of obscurity. He put up a season of very similar quality to his 54 point one, as despite Toronto as a team being worse than in S73 (I am assuming this based on plus/minuses), he still managed to put up 17 goals and 52 points for them. Leon was promptly dropped from the team following this season, after honestly getting way longer a stretch with Toronto than he deserved lmao. In S76, Leon was a free agent following his releasing. I found this out through someone else, and at that point concluded that it might be fun to try going with a new player and retired. Such is the end of the not so illustrious but I suppose satisfactory career of Leon Gutzwiler.
 
Thoughts on Leon's Career, and the Recreate (Now!!)
 
To summarize my time with Leon, I think it was definitely an alright career. At the VHL level I accomplished basically nothing before retiring, but I did get to experience an immensely successful juniors career for the first and only time in my experience on sim leagues. Leon was awesome in his rookie season with Halifax, and things only got better when he was traded to Minnesota, as he blossomed into one of the best players in the juniors league, and even managed to get a cup in his cabinet after that dominant campaign with the Storm. I think juniors was pretty alright in the league culture wise, the teams I played for were decently quiet most of the time, but as someone who's priorities lied in a different sim league at the time, I could not really complain about the relatively passive Discords I experienced here. Getting to have my desire to play with Daft's player was accomodated my entire career, with us having played on 4 different teams together across both leagues, and never played a single game apart from each other. Well, that is until Toronto dumped off my inactive corpse but kept Daft's on the team lmao. I think one of the main things that led to my loss of interest in continuing Leon was the trade from New York. I was already losing interest big time in the league at that time as I was pretty busy already juggling real life with SHL, but having to go through yet another change of scenery was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Toronto just did not really offer enough to me to counter my growing loss of interest, so I just ended up dropping the league completely and went back to just being SHL only full time. Well, now I have a new player to start a brand new and different career with on the site, and we will see where his career goes compared to Leon's. I have no idea what to expect in the longevity I can get out of Arvid, because along with being active in two different sim leagues already, I am currently in the hunt for jobs in real life, which has shown in the past to cut my sim league time big time lmao.
 
In conclusion to this long summary of Leon's career, I am looking forward to seeing how far I can get with Johansson compared to Gutzwiler, and hope I can top the peak I reached with him. I believe that no matter what, I should be a pretty safe bet for a juniors player, and I would like to believe I can carve out a lengthier major league career this time!
 
Thanks for reading, now gimme those 4 weeks of 6 TPE  
 
2043 words  

Player Information
Username: Gwdjohnson
Player Name: Arvid Johansson
Recruited From: Member (Jeffie43)
Age: 20
Position: D
Height: 73 in.
Weight: 190 lbs.
Birthplace: Sweden

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Player Information
Username: Gwdjohnson
Player Name: Arvid Johansson
Recruited From: Member (Jeffie43)
Age: 20
Position: D
Height: 73 in.
Weight: 190 lbs.
Birthplace: Sweden

Player Page
@VHLM GM

We go agane 🍻
 
I'm still an FA for this season if anyone wants to pick me up 😳

Vancouver Wolves Receive:
 
D David OQuinn
S73 NYA 1st
S73 DCD 2nd
 
 
 New York Americans Receive:
 
D Micheal Gary Scott
S72 VAN 3rd
 
 
Analysis
 
 There have been rumours swirling around the VHL that a big trade was coming, and they did not die down after the Gutzweilers were moved to Toronto. Surely enough, the New York Americans did indeed make the big move, as Micheal Gary Scott is moving to the Big Apple. After a sudden, unexpected attempt to move to defence from centre in the middle of the Vancouver Wolves' shocking first-round loss to the Seattle Bears last season, Scott finds himself getting a change of scenery. A New York team struggling to meet high expectations for Season 71 after a disappointing end to their year in Season 70 may just be the place for Micheal Gary Scott to get both his and the Americans' seasons on track. Certainly, a bold move by General Manager Joel Ylonen, as he will be parting with two Season 73 draft picks, including New York's first-rounder. Scott joins a solid core of defensemen, and with the highest TPA among defensemen in the VHL, easily takes over as the top defenseman on the Americans. Along with Lance Flowers, New York now boasts quality depth along the blue line, but will it be worth the price?
 
General Manager Keaton Louth can't help but smile after this trade, as surely he feels he got the better end of this transaction. David OQuinn doesn't have the TPA of MGS, but he is cheaper and frees up more cap for future moves for Vancouver. OQuinn's work ethic has been erratic, but he still maintains an active presence around the league and with proper motivation, perhaps the former first-round pick could reach that potential. Additionally, after multiple post-season failures, Louth stated a need to make some changes, and with rumours of strife and discontent in the Vancouver locker room, Scott was likely an ideal candidate to move. The real prize, however, is the draft picks acquired: New York's Season 73 first-rounder and the D.C. Dragons' second-rounder from the same season. If New York's struggles continue, it could prove to be an absolute win for Louth and the Wolves. Even if it winds up being in the middle of the first, it'll be a valuable piece for a Vancouver team likely in need of a re-tool right around that time. 
 
While this is an even trade, in my opinion, Vancouver comes out ahead in terms of value with this trade. The Americans bulk up on defence and it could right the ship in their quest for the Continental Cup, but this is a very nice move for the future for Vancouver. Quinn could prove to be a solid addition, and the two draft picks to add depth at a critical point in time for the franchise. 
 
 
Get-to-Know the Players
 
David OQuinn
 
The first overall pick of the Season 69 (nice) VHLM Dispersal Draft, he was also drafted with the 12th overall pick in the VHL Entry Draft the same season. As a member of the legendary Season 69 (nice) Saskatoon Wild, OQuinn scored an absurd 114 points and was instrumental in the Wild's record-setting season. With a VHLM-leading 99 assists, OQuinn won the Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy to cap off his career in the M. To date, however, he has not found the same success in the VHL, although his sophomore campaign is showing a lot of promise. It will have to finish in Vancouver, however, as he moves on to the Wolves. Will this change in scenery help OQuinn become the dominant force he was in the M?

 
Micheal Gary Scott
 
At 5'6, 179 lbs, the top-earning defenseman in the VHL doesn't seem to be built like a defenseman at all, and that's because his career started as a centre. After one season in the VHLM with the Mexico City Kings, in which he tallied 84 points, MSG was drafted 8th overall by the Vancouver Wolves in the memorable Season 67 VHL Entry Draft. Although he struggled his first two seasons, despite becoming a Continental Cup champion in his rookie season, Scott broke through in Season 69 (nice) with 32 goals and 36 assists for 68 points. He followed it up in Season 70 with 69 (nice) points, continuing his strong play. Despite looking better than ever at the center, Scott shocked the league by announcing a position change to defence in the middle of the playoffs. Seemingly tired of playing in the shadow of Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Micheal Gary Scott got 18 games on top of Vancouver's depth charts on defence, posting top-ten calibre numbers. He'll now finish in New York, hoping to become a star on one of the VHL's biggest stages. 

 
Players Mentioned: @David O'Quinn, @Motzaburger, @Esso2264, @DaftRaincloud, @Gwdjohnson, @CowboyinAmerica@Beaviss, 

@st4rface and his alt account @bigfatzuu have been permanently banned for spamming our members and not listening to our warnings about self promotion. 

(2x theme week bonus) 584 words. @Gwdjohnson
 
Leon Gutzwiler. The name alone strikes fear into the hearts of men. The name "Gutzwiler" traveling through locker rooms like the cold wind of death. A man who's status exceeds his stature. The type of hockey player who will have not one, but multiple statues carved in his honor. Leaguewide jersey retirement? Definitely not out of the question. Actually, I'm going to guarantee that one day it will happen. The Minnesota Storm are having a historic season this year, and a large driving force behind that success is the first forward line, centered by Leon Gutzwiler with two elite scoring threats - his brother, Gabriel, on his left and Dick Cheezy on his right. 
 
In just his second season in the VHLM Leon is putting up a 97 point campaign, a majority of his points coming off of assists showcasing his elite playmaking abilities. I will now compare the stats of Leon's sophomore campaign to those of some recent centers that have been inducted into the hall of fame. Keep in mind that this season still has not been completed, so it's possible if not likely that Leon's point total will improve from where it currently stands, perhaps to 100 points or beyond.
 
First up - Lukas Muller. Lukas was the most recently inducted center that there was a full write-up available for so for the sake of simplicity that is where I will start. In Muller's second year he put up a point total of 102. He had 11 more assists than Leon currently has, but had 6 fewer goals. If Leon can maintain or improve his scoring output to reach the herculean 136 point season high for Muller I believe that there will be no argument against him being inducted into the hall.
 
Next - Franchise Cornerstone. Cornerstone had only one year in the VHLM, but he lived up to his namesake with this campaign. He put up 125 points. And while this is clearly more than what Leon currently has, Leon is on pace to potentially beat this point total if he spends another year in the VHLM next season with more experience under his belt. His record setting minor league outing saw Cornerstone dish out 64 assists, which is only 9 more than Gutzwiler's current assist tally. 
 
The last hall of fame center we will look at is Aleksi Koponen. In Aleksi's first season his point total was exactly where Leon currently sits, but Leon has 14 more goals than Aleksi had (Aleksi therefore with more assists). These point totals show both of these players at their rawest - the beginning of their careers. If Leon is currently bang on with the points that a hall of fame level center had at the same part of his career - it posits that Leon himself is then also on a collision course with the VHL hall of fame. 
 
Knowing Leon and his dedication to improving his level of play and finding the best strategies and tactics to maximize his abilities, I have no doubt in my mind that instead of following the current trajectory that he is on (which, even if he did, would be impressive), he will instead change his trajectory, increasing his efforts along the way and turning that 45 degree line into a 90 degree line and take his production all the way to the moon. By the time the last page of Leon's book has been turned it will be indisputable that he belongs in the annals of the hall of fame.