Big Bob

Welcome to Chicago, pleasure to have you both! @Big Bob and @Birdman

I am very happy to welcome you to the squad @Big Boband @Birdman. Hoping you two can be part of the come up of this young squad as we look to take this next step!

Best of luck in Davos @Big Bob!! Sorry things didn't work out for you in LA

Bob Helminen
@Big Bob
 
Philadelphia Reapers S71-S72
 
  GP
G
A
P
+/-
Hits
SB
Regular Season
144
102
133
235
118
173
42
Playoffs
19
10
7
17
4
37
5
 
    Bob Helminen was an amazing player for the Reapers, they currently are in the top 4 for points for the franchise and managed to do so in under 150 games. There’s no doubt in my mind that Bob deserves a spot in this hall of fame. Their former General Manager DMaximus has prepared testimony for them.
 
Testimonial:
@DMaximus Reaper GM S68-S77
 
Bob Helminen showed off his flashy scoring talent right from the get-go. He surpassed the 100-point total in each of his 2 seasons with the Reapers. This includes a fantastic 60 goal, 133 total point Season 72. His career +/- rating with the Reapers is an amazing +118. His hockey sense let him see the whole ice when he was on it. He could predict the flow of the game and get himself into the right positions to make crucial plays happen. That hockey sense contributed to his greatness, evidenced by his 16 game-winning goals. Even with that gifted sense, Bob came to work every day, pushing himself to get better and better.
Bob Helminen was a driven player who always surpassed expectations. His drive for greatness embodies what it means to be a Reaper.

Welcome to the Philadelphia Reaper's Hall Of Fame, here we will honour the former Reapers team members who left a positive impact on the Reapers, and carved their names into the record books and Reapers history.
 
Inducted Members:
@DMaximus - Builder (GM S68-S77)
Bud Knight @Dilly Dilly- Forward (S67-S72)
Genghis Khan @caltroit_red_flames - Forward (S76-S78)
Darius Marimoto @Bobo - Forward (S73-S75)
Tobias Reinhart @Spaz - Goalie (S78-S79)
Zeljko Ranogajec @ColeMrtz - Defensemen (S76-S78)
Jacob Carson @jacobcarson877 - Goalie (S74-S75)
Bob Helminen @Big Bob - Forward (S71-S72)
John Poremba @CrlineDijohn14 - Goalie (S72-S73)
Red Gaming @Lilpfigher - Goalie (S81-S82)
Sebastien Dokis @Sebastien- Forward (S80-S82)
 Alex Johnston @Alex - Builder (AGM S78-79, GM S80-81)
Gregory Bates @Tyler - Forward (S78-S80)

@v.2
Stockholm Vikings: Champions of the ‘E
     Following Season 80, the inaugural season in the VHLE, the Stockholm Vikings had a title to pursue. Despite leading the league in points during the regular season, the Vikings lost to the eventual Renaissance Cup Champion Vasteras Iron Eagles in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. They were set up well for Season 81 though with several core pieces returning. Left wingers Aldwin Craig, Lochlan Chisholm and Brian Schmigel, right wing Florida Man and defenders The Loch Ness Monster, Bob Beach and Mr Duk would all make their way back to Sweden, setting up the Vikings to mount a strong cup challenge.
 
Offseason
     Going into the draft, the Vikings held a pick in each of the eight rounds, their highest selection being eighth overall. With that pick they would make no mistake, drafting a center from the Houston Bulls by the name of Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems. An excellent two-way forward, Miglaskems would provide solid play at both ends of the ice, including 52 points in the regular season and 9 points in 9 games in the playoffs. At 18 Stockholm would pick up right wing Yun Chiang, who would later be dealt to the Oslo Storm in a trade for Nezuko. From then on they would focus on the future and add some great prospects to their pool.
 
     In addition to their retained roster and S81 draft selections, the Vikings had various players in the system to fall back on. Newcomers such as forwards James glove dropper and Matt Avens, as well as defenders Jyuunya Pureya Oneri Desu and Juice Box, made an immediate impact upon arriving in Sweden prior to this season.
 
Timely Acquisitions
     After starting off 11-6-5, and recovering from a 3-5-2 record at one point early, the team realized it could battle through adversity and compete with the rest of the league. However, management decided to make a few moves that would later pay dividends down the stretch and into the postseason. 
 
     On December 5th, Vikings' management pulled off a trade (their first ever) to acquire star winger and two-way forward Zaza Colors. In exchange, the Geneva Rush received Brent Skimmer, as well as Stockholm's S83 1st and 3rd round picks. Colors would post 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists) in 50 regular season contests following the trade, and would add 14 more (7 goals, 7 assists) in 9 postseason tilts. Meanwhile, Skimmer scored 36 points (22 goals, 14 assists) in 50 games with Geneva. 
 
     Two days later, Stockholm would again look to do business with the Rush, dealing Oneri Desu and their S82 1st rounder for help on defense in the form of George Sanderson. Sanderson would have 15 points (2 goals, 13 assists) for the Blue and Yellow in regular season play, while also blocking 89 shot attempts. In the playoffs he would score 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) for the Vikings en route to a championship, and have 12 shot blocks. Oneri Desu scored 19 points (5 goals, 14 assists) in the remaining 48 games for Geneva. In addition, they would make their mark in the defensive zone by blocking 113 shots. 
 
     Finally, on the 10th of December, the Oslo Storm would send standout sniper Nezuko to Stockholm for Chiang and a S82 4th round selection. Nezuko continued scoring at over a point per game once traded, tallying 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists) in 40 games before tying for the second-most goals league-wide in the playoffs (8), only behind linemate Florida Man. Chiang would absolutely break out in Oslo, totaling 49 goals (T-4th) and 46 assists for 95 points while playing just over half a season there. 
 
     Speaking on turning the season around and the trades that were made, Vikings general manager Thadius Sales had this to say: "After a disappointing loss in the S80 playoffs we knew we had to do something different for S81. At first the season wasn't really going in our favor, and we thought that maybe we wouldn't even make it to the playoffs. Kisslinger and I decided that we needed to make some big moves, some that many thought were questionable, if we were going to have a chance at winning the cup. And oh boy did those moves pay off. We were able to take a team that was looking at a rough season ahead and turn them into a team of champions. It took taking a risk, being confident in our decision making, and relying on each other to bring us all the way!" 
 
Playoffs
     The team finished 43-19-10, good for 96 points and third place in the standings. They would face off against the #2 Cologne Express, who earned two more points than them during the season. Losing Game 1 4-1, Stockholm would rip off four straight wins to take the series and advance to the final. Sanderson scored the lone goal in Game 1. In the second game of the semifinal, Beach had three points, and Florida Man and Chisholm each had two. Vikings goaltender Pekka Grubauer saved an incredible 57 of 60 shots in the 4-3 overtime win, with Chisholm scoring the game-winner. In game number 3, Avens had a hat trick, while Colors scored a pair of goals. The Vikings came out victors in the high-scoring, 8-5 contest. Game 4 saw Nezuko scoring twice, and The Loch Ness Monster and Florida Man both having two assists. They won, 4-3. Florida Man came through at the right time, scoring the game-winning goal 12 minutes into the second period of Game 5. Grubauer saved 45 of 49 shots in the 6-4 series-clinching victory. 
 
     The #4 Rome Gladiators defeated the #1 Istanbul Red Wolves, four games to three, to advance to their second final in as many seasons. In Game 1 of the Renaissance Cup Final, Nezuko had two goals and an assist. Colors had a goal and two assists. Grubauer shut the door on 27 of 29 shots as Stockholm prevailed, 6-2. Nezuko had a hat trick and an assist in Game 2, with The Loch Ness Monster and Florida Man assisting on all three goals. Stockholm ended up winning 5-3, now leading the series two games to zero. Game 3 saw Stockholm's versatility and depth on full display. Showing they could win close games with lots of scoring too, the Vikings put up seven, with Rome scoring six. Avens recorded three points, and Beach, Schmigel, Florida Man, Mr Duk, Miglaskems, The Loch Ness Monster and Colors all had two. With the Cup in the building, the club had perhaps their best win of the season to clinch the title. They had 78 shots on goal, but it didn't stop there. Cashing in eight times, Florida Man had 6 points (4 goals, 2 assists), Beach had 5 (1 goal, 4 assists), and Colors had 3 (2 goals, 1 assist), including the game-winning goal. Grubauer returned to form at the perfect time, saving nearly 94 percent of shots. With the triumph, Stockholm completed the sweep, going 8-1 in the postseason overall. 
 
Significance/Looking Ahead
     With the Cup championship, the team will be remembered; their names etched in history. They were the second team ever to win the VHLE, after the Vasteras Iron Eagles won last season. GM @thadthrasher and AGM @Kisslinger did a fantastic job of building this team, and it was a group effort on the ice; many playing pivotal roles. 
 
     Looking ahead, the Vikings have a considerable amount of their roster coming back for S82. Their goaltending tandem, potentially four defenders, and up to five forwards could be returning. Accomplishing what they set out to do, Stockholm may now seek to retool with their remaining picks and prospects. 
 
     In terms of the VHLE in general, up-and-coming teams for next season and beyond are the Oslo Storm, Geneva Rush, Vasteras Iron Eagles and Bratislava Watchmen. It will be interesting to see how Season 82 plays out, with these teams improving and the other four teams looking to go to the playoffs for the second consecutive season, and in the case of Stockholm and Rome, third straight season. 
 
Congrats to the Stockholm Vikings on a historic season and best of luck to all teams next season! 
 

LET'S GOOOOO

STOCKHOLM VIKINGS ARE YOUR RENAISSANCE CUP CHAMPIONS!

YUKON RUSH
-S31-S80-
Gone but not forgotten.
 
Thank you for coming to the memorial to celebrate the life and times of the Yukon Rush, one of the most historically-rich franchises in all of the VHLM up until its recent execution last week. Yukon made its debut into the VHLM way back in Season 31 when former user Streetlight was named the club's first ever general manger.  Yukon's inaugural season was a huge success as they went on to capture the Founder's Cup in their very first season, a very rare feat for a team in any sport. The franchise would go on to capture three more titles before Season 40, quickly establishing Yukon as a powerhouse in the VHLM.
 
Eventually, Yukon hit a dry spell where they would go 21 seasons without a Founder's Cup. These were trying years for Yukon, but the Rush faithful never stopped supporting its team. Finally, after years of tough losses and heartbreak, the club had a breakthrough. Longtime user @Smarch was handed the reins and eventually led the club back to greatness. Smarch would lead the Rush to their fifth franchise Founder's Cup, defeating the Saskatoon Wild in the finals.  He would come close again in Season 61 but fell just short in the playoffs.
 
After Smarch moved on, the Rush saw a number of different people come in and try to guide the team to success. Both @Josh and @MexicanCow123 served long stints as general manager for Yukon, but neither of them were able to capture a title, but great memories were made nonetheless. Towards the end of Cow's tenure is when I personally joined the franchise as the assistant general manager. Cow taught me all the tricks of the trade and together we established a plan. While Cow eventually stepped down, I stayed on as we brought in @Juice to take over as GM. 
 
Juice was truly the perfect person to take over Yukon. Not only is he FROM Yukon, we also signed his first player Kristoff Welch off waivers and helped him get his VHL career started. There was no better person to bring in to help guide the Rush. He was young, hungry and wanted to excel. And excel he did. Juice came in during Season 77 and we continued to rebuild with our plan being to compete for a title in Season 78. And we did just that. Season 78 will always be my personal favourite experience in any of the three leagues. 
 
We collected a ton of draft capital and assembled an all-star cast that included all-star goaltender @Beketov Papa Emeritus, as well as the Reinhart brothers Jerome (Cow) and Tyler @Zetterberg. They joined a young core of first gens @JB123 Nathan Power and @hockeyis66 Jaromir Lemeiux, as well as the Finnish trio of @jRuutu Erlantz Jokinen, @Big Bob Bob Beach and @Otto Numminen.  We even were able to bring in ex-GM @BarzalGoat Sven Eightnine at the trade deadline. The Season 78 Rush dominated and indeed went on to capture another Founder's Cup. Aside from the hunt for the Cup that season, we were also entrenched in a fierce rivalry with the San Diego Marlins. Juice had a bet with rival GM Thadrasher on which team would do better that season. Officially it ended in a draw, and the two sang an absolutely terrible rendition of My Heart Will Go On, but the Rush eliminated the Marlins in the playoffs, so we all know who came out ahead on that one
 
Juice and I opted to step down following the championship season, and @Domg5 would serve as the teams final general manager. He had built a great foundation but alas it was all for nothing in the long run. Dom was promoted to the VHL as new GM for the Malmo Nighthawks, and the VHLE murdered the Yukon Rush and its 50 seasons of history and tradition. It's been a hell of a ride Yukon. You will be missed.
 

 
 
 
 
 

Welcome to the first ever team awards for your Stockholm Vikings. It was an amazing first season for us and Thad and I are super proud of the team, even though we did not get the results we wanted. Finishing first place in the regular season was a goal for us, but ultimately, we wanted to go on and win the championship as well. The team put up a great fight and we were eliminated in game 7.  We are super happy to present these team awards, voted by myself and Thad for the first ever season in E history!
 
Our first award is none other than the MVP. Our MVP came up big time when we needed him most. He was first overall in points this season with 48 goals, 73 assists for 121 points in 72 games. He was a consistent dominate force out there for us this season and we could not be happier about his performance this season. Our MVP is none other than Omi Aberg @osens!!
 
Our second award is the best defenseman. This award was very hard to decide on due to the fact we have so many talented defensemen on this team, but…. We had to narrow it down to one, and that man is Bob Beach @Big Bob. Bob Beach had a great season with 21 goals, 53 assists for 74 points in 72 games. Beach came up huge with a couple game tying goals when our forwards were struggling to score goals!
 
Our third award is the best forward. This award winner happens to be our very own MVP and he happens to win our best forward award also. Congrats to Omi Aberg @osens
 
Our fourth award is the extra goalie award. This award is for one of our players that sacrificed their body day in and day out to block shots and help our goalies no matter what. This player had 208 shot blocks this season. That player is none other than The Loch Ness Monster! @LuluSalesAway.
 
Our fifth award is the Wrecking Ball. This player was not afraid to throw the body around to make plays. This player had 379 hits this season. This player was also an offensive threat with 26 goals and 59 assists for 85 points this season. This player is Aldwin Craig! Congrats @Eldredman!
 
Our sixth award is the team criminal. This player did not mind fighting or taking a penalty to stop a goal from being scored. This player had 190 PIM this season and probably would have had more if our season continued past the first round. This player is Mr Duk. Congrats @Lefty_S!
 
Our final award was the heart and spirit award. This award was for the most active and engaging person in the locker room. This person went out of their comfort zone and applied for an AGM job and got the job. It feels very odd to write about myself, but Thad picked me for this award, so congrats to me I guess lol! 
              
This concludes the s80 team awards, Thad and I would like to thank the team for giving us such an amazing first season in the E and we appreciate everyone who set the E up and everyone who played on our team. The team awards will be more visually pleasing as time goes on but I am still learning. Cheers to everyone!
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Hello everyone, the playoffs are ending soon, so you know what time it is? Yes, roster reveal time for The WJC. 
 
Starting from the offense, please welcome from Seychelles Zaza Colors. Colors is still fighting for the cup in the VHLM. Having a season of 122 points in the regular season and 17 points in 14 games in the playoff for Yukon. 
 
The second player is Jlloyoid Blloyoiderson from Greenland. He is playing for the Watchmen in the VHLE, having a season of 87 points in 72 games. 
 
The third player is Matt Avens from the United Kingdom, having a season of 93 points in 72 games with Mexico City in the VHLM. 
 
The fourth player from Canada Jacob Richard had a season of 141 points in 72 games with Halifax. 
 
The fifth player, Barry Bonds Jr from the United States, had a season of 136 points in 72 games with Minnesota in the Vhlm. 
 
The sixth player, Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems, had a season of 68 points in 72 games with Houston in the Vhlm. 
 
The seventh player Mason Jones from Canada had a season of 75 points in 72 games with Philadelphia in the Vhlm. 
 
The eight player Robert Wilk had a season of 133 points in 72 games with San Diego in the Vhlm. 
 
The ninth player was William Groves with a season of 33 points in 72 games and 15 points in 15 games in the playoffs for Ottawa in the Vhlm. 
 
That’s it for the forward now the defenseman. 
 
Our first defenseman also from Seychelles, Ryan Vidot playing with the Iron Eagles in the Vhle, accumulated 70 points in 72 games. Vidot is not the most physical player but that’s not his game. He is good in all zones and has a good first pass that gives the offense a quick opportunity to score. 
 
The second defenseman from the Isle of Man, Mr Duk, had a season of 44 points in 72 games with The Viking in the Vhle. Strong and physical, very good at blocking shots. Players are scared when he is on the ice.
 
The third defenseman also played with the Vikings, Bob Beach having a season of 74 points in 72 games. From Barbados, Beach is an all-rounded defenseman. 
 
The fourth defenseman from Guatemala, Cadmael Ixazaluoh, had a season of 86 points in 72 games with Philadelphia in the Vhlm. Ixazaluoh has a great vision and can read the games pretty well so he can block shots or intercept the pass. 
 
Now the Goalies. 
 
The first one is David Davis from New Zealand Davis the Cologne Express with a save percentage of 0.908 and goals against average of 3.69. Davis is a good all rounded goalie, he is tall in his net and also very fast and has good agility. 
 
The second one from Finland Juha Jarvinen playing with Miami in the Vhlm this season he has 0.891 save percentage and a goals against average of 3.9 in his 55 games played. 

 
That is the Roster for Team World!!! 

 
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@Collusion @Josh @Vice @Big Bob @Enorama @Lefty_S @Masu Chan @Tomat0 @Will3 @FrostBeard @Jacob Richard @Jim Kovtrash @Mr Bohannan @McWolf  @Cxsquared 

Welcome back to Under 250! Today we’ll take a look back at every team's season 79 and maybe even take a glance into what the future will hold.
While you’re here be sure to check out some of the other recent VSN articles!
 
Under 250 - S79 VHLM Playoff Preview | The S79 Continental Cup Preview - Seattle Bears VS. Malmo Nighthawks|  S79 Trade Deadline Recap
 
Eastern Conference 

The eastern conference shaped up the way that many would have expected with Mississauga having a dominant regular season, Miami and Philadelphia in that second tier and Halifax taking the last playoff spot. Ottawa and Minnesota then had what looks to be the last season of their respective rebuilds as both teams have built up a fair bit of draft capital for the upcoming draft.
 
Minnesota Storm
Finishing the regular season with a record of 19-49-4, Minnesota did not have a good season in terms of their record. However, Minnesota did have a few bright spots this season, first off with the emergence of Nils Godlander @Moon_50 as they would join the Storm 40 games into the season and go on to be just short of a point per game and without a doubt have a very bright future. Another player who had a great season with Minnesota this past season was Finn Davis @M1nT who finished the season with 31 goals and 75 points to lead the Storm. The returning roster at this moment is pretty bare with only Barry Bonds Jr @Jim Kovtrash returning, Minnesota does however have their fair share of draft picks and will look to have a huge draft that could see them emerge as one of the potential favourites come S80.
 
Ottawa Lynx
Just in front of Minnesota in the standings is the 23-44-5 Ottawa Lynx. GM 16z has done an incredible job building this team to be very competitive for the next 2 seasons as they have 3 first round picks in the next 2 drafts including Mexico’s and Philadelphia’s S81 firsts, both of which could fall in the lottery. Along with their draft capital, Ottawa has some solid players returning in Louis Vignac @Habs fan, Matty Live @Mattylive3k and Arno Blugers @bukss_a all of which played well this past season recording 14, 33, and 20 points respectively. Last season defensemen and team captain Ben Aky @Lilmar led the way for the Lynx scoring 28 goals and 69 points in 62 games before being traded to Mexico City. 
 
Halifax 21st
Halifax 21st had a strong start to the season but started to trail off towards the end, finishing with a record of 33-30-9. Halifax’s offence was led by the duo of Zach Kisslinger II @Kisslinger and Bryn Yrwy @dylanjj37 who would finish second and third in league scoring and would lead the league in assists and goals respectively. Defensively Halifax was carried by one player all season in their goalie David Davis @Josh, who finished the season with a 0.901 SV% and a 3.44 GAA in 68 starts, expect to see Davis possibly with an outside chance at taking home the goalie of the year award as compared to every other goalie in the league they made the biggest difference for their team as they did not have a single defensemen in front of them for the majority of the season.
 
Philadelphia Reapers
The 49-20-3 Reapers had a great regular season led by Darth Kaprizov @Darth Kaprizov, Gregory Bates @Tyler, and Miroslav Tsarov @PadStack all of whom scored over 100 points. The Reapers captain and starting goalie Tobias Reinhart @Spaz had a solid season and should hold his head high as he managed a 42-17-2 record, while having a 0.885% and 2.94 GAA and will move into the top 5 in Reapers history for both games played by a goalie and wins. This off season will likely mean the start of a rebuild in Philadelphia as most of their players will be moving onto the VHLE and they don’t have many draft picks left after spending the past 2 seasons in search of the success they had in season 75.
 
Miami Marauders
This Miami team got better with each and every game and towards the end of the season surged past Philadelphia and Mexico to finish with a record of 48-17-7 and claim the third spot in the standings. During the regular season Mikey Markov @JetsFan81 stepped up in a big way to score 57 goals and a total of 118 points. Additionally Hari Singh Nalwa @Dil had a great season by having 102 points as a defensemen. In goal Em Em Flex @oilmandan had a great season as they would finish the season with a 0.901 SV% and 2.53 GAA while starting every game. As for the upcoming draft Miami has some later picks and could make some moves to either acquire more in search of another Founder’s Cup.
 
Mississauga Hounds
The Hounds were the odds-on favourites to win the Founder’s Cup from the start of the season, drafting Aj Williams @ajwllmsn, Corey Kitson @Nykonax , and Sven Eightnine @BarzalGoat in the first round and trading for 4th overall pick Tony Adams @fonziGG. During the regular season the Hounds would be as expected as they would walk to having the best record in the VHLM with a 56-12-4 record. Led by Nathaniel Minion @Minion, who now leads the Hounds in all-time scoring, and Otto Numminen @Otto Numminen. Going forward Mississauga should rebound fairly quickly as they currently have the picks and returning cast to be competitive again before we know it.
 
 
Western Conference

The Western Conference had its fair share of story lines throughout the season with San Diego surging into a playoff spot after being last in the league early in the season, and the battle between Mexico City and Saskatoon for the top spot. The season played out as expected for the ever consistent Las Vegas Aces as they would finish in a playoff spot for the 4th time in 5 seasons. Both Yukon and Houston had down seasons as their eyes are clearly set on the future.
 
Houston Bulls
Houston had a season that they likely would like to forget going 11-60-1 as GM @rjfryman sold off every player in order to set up the new GM @MattyIce to build the team their own way. Houston currently has no returning players as expected but they do have more draft picks than most other teams across the next two drafts. Houston will surely be a team to watch as they should be competitive for some time to come.
 
Yukon Rush
Following their S78 Founder’s Cup win the Rush had a down year finishing with a record of 23-42-7. Leading the way for the Rush this past season was Kyosti Karjalainen @UnkemptCL4PTP who was a point per game and is expected to be one of the top selections in the upcoming VHLM draft. Additionally for the Rush goaltender Oskar Lindbergh @Doomsday held them in every game and finished the season with a 0.902 SV% and 3.5 GAA. Heading into the draft Link Zhang @WHY_Bolts remains on the Rush roster and they have a lot of top selections in the draft and will likely be one of the top teams in the league next season.
 
San Diego Marlins
The Marlins are an interesting story as early in the season the Marlins found themselves in last place, with additions to the lineup in all the right places and spectacular play from the core the Marlins rebounded to a 33-34-5 record, good enough to claim the 8th playoff spot. During the regular season Alexander Rivers @DrummerBoy15 and Pippo Coca @pippo played very well both of which finishing the season above a point per game. The real turning point for this team came with a trade with Houston to acquire Xavier Booberry @CowboyinAmerica who would go onto have a 24-12-4 record with the Marlins and propel them into the playoffs. Going forward the Marlins and the Reapers are in the same boat with few or no returning players and minimal draft picks, following the rebuild of these two teams could be a story to keep an eye on.
 
Las Vegas Aces
Trade the picks, trust the process. Las Vegas had a very successful season 79 as they would finish with a record of 38-29-5 and two of their defensemen in Zdeno Chara @Agito and Pistol Pete @PistolP would finish tied for the most points by a defensemen with 111, both of which had no problem putting the puck in the back of the net either as they would have 38 and 41 goals respectively. Going forward Las Vegas has a decent returning group led by Pekka Grubauer @Tendy and could easily take a step towards contention by trading the picks and trusting the process yet again.
 
Mexico City Kings
The Kings had a very good regular season lead by goaltender Bastian Greiss @ThatsGreissy as they would finish with a record of 48-17-7. Offensively Deke Rike @JCV put in work as they would score 106 points. As far as season 80, the Kings have most of their season 80 draft picks and have a of solid returning player in Dookie Headtop @Pengu. Mexico could take another run at the Founder’s Cup next season and you shouldn’t be surprised if this team exceeds expectations.
 
Saskatoon Wild
The Wild had a spectacular second half of the season to catch up to and pass the Mexico City Kings for the conference lead. Led by top goalie Leroy Johnson @Vkobe-v who maintained a 0.902 SV% for the entire season and is one of the main reasons for the Wild’s 51-18-3 record. Along with Johnson you can’t talk about the Wild without mentioning Duncan Montana @124715 who finished the season with 149 points, good enough to have a wide margin between them and the next highest scorer in the league. Alongside Montana was Kyle Peace @Peace and Dekster Jankowski @xsjack who finished with 129 and 109 points respectively, this high scoring offence and solid goaltending propelled Saskatoon into first in the western conference. Going into next season Saskatoon has several returning players in Jankowski, Nikita Eklund @Ekky and Matt Avens @Mr Bohannan who along with Saskatoon’s third through seventh round selections, the Wild could find themselves in a playoff spot next season.
 
Playoffs
Quarter Finals
The quarter finals went as expected for the most part with all of the top seeds winning their respective series. Although the top seed won every series, the length of two of the series were very surprising. First off in what was expected to be a very close series potentially going seven games, Bastian Greiss and the Mexico City Kings completed the only sweep of the playoffs against the Philadelphia Reapers. The second series of interest here is the series in which Las Vegas almost took out the eventual champion Miami Marauders taking them all the way to game 7. The other two series saw the Mississauga Hounds and the Saskatoon Wild defeat the San Diego Marlins and the Halifax 21st in 5 games.
 
Semi Finals
The semi finals saw the Mississauga Hounds experience their first real scare of the season as the Mexico City Kings took the Hounds all the way to game seven in part thanks to their spectacular defensive play, the Hounds would go onto win game seven by a score of 5-4 in a real nail-biter. The other semi final series saw the Saskatoon Wild take an early 2-0 series lead before dropping the next four games to a powerhouse Miami team.
 
Founder’s Cup Finals
In a rematch of the S78 Founder’s Cup finals we saw the Miami Marauders and Mississauga Hounds go toe to toe yet again, the Hounds looking to avenge the season 78 sweep, and Miami looking to pull off yet another upset against the Hounds. In game 1 the Marauders would find themselves trailing 3-1 early in the third before 4 goals between Omi Aberg @osens, Bob Beach @Big Bob, and Mikey Markov secured the 5-3 win. In game 2 we saw Miami take an early 2-0 lead before giving up 3 straight to Mississauga, before the end of the second Maximus Decimus Meridius @Beaviss would tie it up and in the 3rd Alessandro Nano @leafsman would score the eventual game winner giving Miami the 2-0 series lead. Game 3 would have 11 goals between both teams as they would go back and forth all game before Nathaniel Minion would score his second of the game in the third giving Mississauga a 6-5 lead that would hold up for the rest of the game. In game 4 Miami would wake up in the third period with the game tied at 3 and score 3 straight to take a stranglehold on the series with a 3-1 series lead. In a do or die game 5 for Mississauga it would be all Miami as they would take an 2-0 lead in the first and never look back winning the game 5-2 with a Founder’s Cup winning goal scored by Omi Aberg in the second period. Both teams had a great playoffs and it will be very interesting to see where this rivalry goes in the future. 

Going into next season the VHLM will look very different with @InstantRockstar, @Zetterberg, @KaleebtheMighty, @thadthrasher, @Advantage, and @rjfryman moving on to the VHLE and taking their place six new GMs in @youloser1337, @MattyIce, @Ledge and Dairy, @Alex_J32, @JB123, and @N0HBDY, the VHLM could be a very interesting place in the future and we’ll see soon the new direction of all these teams.

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Now that the season has had some time to take shape it brings us to our first VHLM power rankings of the season. There’s a lot of teams that are neck and neck and it will be very interesting to see how the season shapes up as we near the playoffs. We’ve got a tight race among the top three teams that could have realistically been in any order and then most other teams are in a close battle for the rest of the playoff spots. While you’re here be sure to check out some of the other awesome VSN articles!
 
A Sit-Down With the New VHLE GM's and Commissioners | Season 79 Off-Season Trade Reviews
 
 

Current: 1
GM @KaleebtheMighty has put together a team that is currently on fire winning their last 14 games to advance to a record of 22-4-1. During this stretch, Philadelphia’s offence has been the best in the league as Darth Kaprizov @Darth Kaprizov, Miroslav Tsarov @PadStack, and Gregory Bates @Tyler find themselves 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in league scoring respectively, with Tsarov leading the league in goals.Philadelphia’s defensive group has been the very definition of shutdown defense and have as they have allowed only 77 goals against specifically, waiver signing NinelQPro @NineIQ v2 has worked their way to a +24 and the hard hitting Ron Gorgonzola @Ron Gorgonzola is on their way to a solid season themselves. In net, Tobias Reinhart @Spaz looks to build on his previous season in Philadelphia and hopes to carve his name into the Philadelphia record books as they are quickly closing in on 4th all time in wins and SV%. Philadelphia has proven themselves to be a true powerhouse in the league and it is without a doubt that they are currently the team to beat in the league and will have a game against another Eastern Conference favourite later today that may bring the streak to an end.
 

Current: 2
The Hounds take the spot here given their solid record and that they will only get better as the season goes along. Currently 16-4-2 and in 2nd place in the eastern conference the Hounds are trying to make a statement. Led by off-season trade acquisition Otto Numminen @Otto Numminen who’s recorded 37 points on the season so far. Alongside Numminen you’ll find Nathaniel Minion @Minion and Sigard Petrenko @SlapshotDragon, both of whom already have over 30 points. On the defensive side of things is where Mississauga falters a little bit, as they lack defensive depth like most teams in the M this season. A top pair of Corey Kitson @Nykonax  and Tony Adams @fonziGG is solid, and both will approach the 250 TPE cap towards playoffs. In net is longtime VHLM veteran Luke Spinelli @Lspinelli who has put together a 24-4-2 record with a 2.70 GAA, and a 0.899 SV%. Over the course of the rest of the season Mississauga will try to work their way back to being the favourites after suffering losses to Saskatoon, Ottawa, and Yukon.
 

Current: 3
The Mexico City Kings have worked their way to a dominant lead over the rest of their conference and have proven difficult for other top teams as well. Led by Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen @Thunfish who is currently 5th in VHLM points with 47 points in 28 games, as well as Deke Rike @JCV who has recorded 34 assists. The true leader of the Mexico City Kings however comes in net, with Bastian Greiss @ThatsGreissy who has put together an MVP like performance so far this season posting a 2.58 GAA, 0.907 SV%, on his way to a 23-5-0 record. In front of Griess Mexico has a solid defensive core that does leave a little to be desired, but with pieces like Rhys Trenton @DeeGoat and Flynn Remy @jhatty8 they will only get better as the season goes on. Mexico has found their way to being the team to beat in the west by playing a solid defensive game and limiting the opponent's scoring chances. It will be interesting to see if they can be caught down the stretch by Saskatoon.
 

Current: 4
After coming into the season as a potential favourite Miami struggled against Philadelphia losing the season series after going 3-5-0. Since then, Miami has found their stride breaking out to a 14-10-3 record, good enough for third in the eastern conference. Offensively Mikey Makarov @JetsFan81 has put together a respectable season for Miami scoring 22 goals and having 47 points in 27 games. Supporting Makarov, Matty Fire @MattyIce and Roberts Stuzle @Coldex are both above a point per game. Miami has possibly the most complete defensive group in the VHLM following a trade that saw them acquire Bob Beach @Big Bob and Ryan Vidot @Enorama from Yukon in exchange for draft picks, adding onto an already strong group featuring Alessandro Nano @leafsman and Hari Singh Nalwa @Dil. Backstopping this team, S79 10th overall pick Em Em Flex @oilmandan looks to be a great addition after having a 2.90 GAA, and 0.896 SV% through 27 games. Miami has worked their way back into the title conversation following a rough start to the season and will only get better as the season goes on. Miami will likely find themselves in a battle with Saskatoon for the 4th seed and home ice advantage in a tight battle with Saskatoon.
 

Current: 5
Saskatoon has had another season where they are sneaky good and pose a threat to any of the top teams. Lead by an offensive juggernaut in Duncan Montana @124715 who has had more than 2 points per game so far this season. Additionally, Kyle Peace @Peace has found his way to being 8th in league scoring alongside Montana. In stark contrast to their offence Saskatoon’s lacks a clear number 1 defenseman and would benefit greatly from another D-man or 2. In goal Leroy Johnson @Vkobe-v has taken the starting job and ran with it to a 17-4-2 record as backup Orion D H Chiester IX @Donno100 struggles and has yet to earn a win in 6 games played. Look for Saskatoon to try to add some defensive depth as the trade deadline nears as they’ll need it to truly be competitive with the top teams. 


Current: 6
The Ottawa Lynx have had a tough start to the season in a very tough Eastern Conference and have stolen games from both Philadelphia and Mississauga, proving that they can compete with the big dogs. Ottawa boasts a very well-rounded team with no one standout player, a top line of John Baard @Birdman, Zen Raider @bRaidsz, and Armani Calamari @WildfireMicro shows promise and will continue to improve. On the defensive side of things, the free agent signing of New Player @I'll change this later has been mutually beneficial, and will likely continue to be a great signing. Alex Parise @Joker_TM has the pleasure of backstopping this team and will likely be under a lot of pressure as the season goes on to perform to the best of their abilities as they will be instrumental to Ottawa’s success. Ottawa appears to be targeting a run for the Founder’s cup next season as they currently have a pair of first round picks in the upcoming draft. Should Ottawa choose to they could just as easily go all in and quickly find themselves in the mix for one of the top spots in their conference. 
 

Current: 7
The Storm currently have the worst goal differential in the league, to Minnesota’s credit they have also already played the top three teams a few times each in which they have had a few very close games. Like Halifax Minnesota could see their playoff hopes dwindle throughout the season as teams in the Western conference play each other more. Minnesota does have a good top forward line of Finn Davis @M1nT, Logain Ablar @Kelsier, and Caleb Gaudette @Gaudette. Possibly Minnesota’s biggest trade asset comes in their number 1 pure offensive defenseman Jocke Jockesson @ThomasSyster, who has found themselves in the midst of a close defensemen scoring race and only trails by a few points. In goal, Minnesota has their likely goaltender for next season in Alexei Volkov @Silver Warrior who has only allowed 1 goal on 35 shots against during the one game they have played. Minnesota’s window to win a Founder’s cup may have closed with their previous team but, they could very well find themselves back in the playoffs this season if they are able to shore up their lackluster defensive play.
 

Current: 8
The 21st may just sneak into a playoff spot this season after clearly defining themselves as sellers by shipping Jlloyd Blloyoiderson @Cxsquared to Miami for season 80 draft picks. Halifax still has some scoring options with Jacob Richard @Jacob Richard, Bryn Yrwy @dylanjj37, and Zach Kisslinger II @Kisslinger up front of a near empty defensive group. Truthfully, Halifax’s playoff hopes ride on one person and one alone with David Davis @Josh in net. Davis has had a good season so far with a 13-10-5 record, 3.52 GAA, and a 0.883 SV%. At this point I think it’s fair to assume that we will start to see Halifax slide down the standings and possibly out of the playoff picture all together. Crazier things have happened though and Halifax could hit a stroke of luck and suddenly be battling with the other teams in a stacked eastern conference as the playoffs near.
 

Current: 9
Prior to the season Las Vegas was one of the favourites to come out of the western conference, a deep forward group, a solid top 2 D, and a good goalie. With this combination of pieces, we could very well see Las Vegas start to climb the standing any day. Las Vegas has one thing not a lot of teams in the VHLM have, 2 top defensemen in Zdeno Chara @Agito and Pistol Pete @PistolP who have both had a great season already with 34 and 23 points respectively. Las Vegas has a solid tandem in net with Anime Protagonist @Jericho and Pekka Grubauer @Tendy, Grubauer will likely take over for Protagonist next season as the starter in Las Vegas and currently has the pleasure of watching a long-time VHLM great. The Aces offensive group has more depth than any other team in the VHLM with 10 total skaters, featuring a top line of Mats Zuccarelo @Battlepopcorn, Bill Nye @Big Newff, and Giles Sweeney @Giles Rigel, all of whom have at least 15 points so far this season. With Las Vegas’ already deep forward group, and good defence and goalie this team should be performing better, and I’m sure we will see a sign from them on what their direction this season will be soon as they very well could start to climb the standings and battle it out for a playoff spot. Don’t be surprised if you see this team up around the 6th/7th seed come playoffs as they nearly have all the necessary pieces to pull off an impressive playoff run.
 

Current: 10
Much like Las Vegas San Diego did look like they could extend their playoff streak to 3 seasons and still very well could as they have filled the gap in their first line center position with recent free agent signing Brock Hampton @SamTwoSix who joins San Diego after being released by Halifax due to inactivity. With the new signing, San Diego has a great starting lineup and has been able to gain a lot of offensive depth with waiver signings. San Diego also has an above average top 2 D pair in Jyuunya Pureya Oneri Desu @Guriinwoodo and Vanek Lospenov @usouj, the latter of which has shown some discontent with San Diego’s position in the standings as they clearly want to win now. In goal San Diago has their goalie of the future with Calgary Wranglers prospect Elijah Mikaelson @Da Trifecta who will need to improve their play for San Diego to have a chance at the post season as they currently have a 0.865 SV% and a 4.06 GAA, with this it is important to note that San Diego has allowed the 5th most shots on goal so Mickaelson will be in for a long season ahead. Much like Las Vegas, this San Diego team could make a run at making the playoffs and the signing of Brock Hampton appears to be indicative of that, the question is with San Diego already 9 points back of the final playoff spot it may just be too deep of a hole for them to climb out of.
 

Current:  11
The season 78 Founder’s Cup champions may just squeak their way back into the playoffs this season in a weak western conference. This is a team full of players who will more than likely be back in the VHLM next season as Yukon will look to win it’s second Founder’s Cup in 3 seasons. Earlier this season Yukon traded their top 2 defensemen for a handful of draft picks to build on their already massive number of picks. This season their playoff hopes fall on their goalie like a few other teams as Oskar Lindbergh @Doomsday will need to carry this group to the playoffs and just maybe into postseason success. Currently Lindbergh has a very impressive 0.911 SV% good enough to be one of the best goalies in the league. Only time will tell if this Yukon Rush group can make some noise this season having already pulled off an underdog victory against Mississauga, we may be in for a show in the near future though as Yukon has all the draft picks they need to be a number 1 contender next season.
 

Current: 12
The Houston Bulls have a great starting lineup but lack depth as a whole for this very reason they find themselves near the bottom of the league and could start to sell pieces soon, as GM @rjfryman will be going to the VHLE next season and could look to leave the new GM with a mountain of draft picks to build the team their own way. As a result, we should look for Houston to be a top contender in the coming seasons and potentially be Founder’s cup favourites in seasons 80 and 81 under their new management team.
 
That’s all for this edition of the VHLM power rankings, and we are left with a lot of questions at this point; will Philadelphia be able to continue their ridiculous winning streak, will Mississauga crumble under the pressure as they have done in previous seasons come playoffs, will Las Vegas and San Diego be able to climb the standings and compete for the final few playoff spots. Only time will tell, and we should get some answers soon as the season moves along. Comment down below if you agree or disagree with the rankings. Until next time stay safe and have a good day!

Yukon receives:
Link Zhang
S80 MIA 2nd
S81 MIA 1st
S81 MIA 2nd

Miami receives:
Bob Beach
Ryan Vidot


This trade has been accepted by all parties and is pending league approval.

Very interested, hire me!

The last time the Yukon Rush captured a Founder’s Cup title, it was way back in Season 59 when the Rush survived a seven game marathon versus the Las Vegas Aces. Since then there’s been highs, lows, management changed, you name it. They’ve definitely come close from time to time, but have never been able to recapture the biggest prize in the VHLM. Two seasons ago when the Yukon GM job became vacated. @Juice stepped in and immediately initiated a plan to get Yukon back into the upper echelon of the league. The road to the Cup was a long one that truly started in the Season 77 VHLM Dispersal Draft.
 
Going into the draft, GM Juice was severely hamstrung with his draft stock with his first pick not coming until pick 56. Fortunately for Rush fans, Juice was meticulous in his draft prep and was able to unearth some gems with his late picks. At pick 57 Yukon took a young offensive-minded defenseman from Canada. Little did they know that come Season 78, @JB123 Nathan Powers would be their team captain and anchor the team's defensive core. Or if you delve even deeper, at pick 64 the Rush drafted European winger @hockeyis66 Jaromir Lemeiux. These two players spent Season 77 developing their talent on a weak Yukon roster. But the fact that the team wasn't strong meant there was tons of opportunity for these young players to work on their game. While the Season 77 campaign was a losing one, the Rush management were busy behind the scenes, wheeling and dealing to load up for a big S78 Dispersal Draft. Before the draft they made their first big move by acquiring defender @diamond_ace Tynan Sylvester from the Mississauga Hounds for a package of picks. Sylvester would slot in nicely alongside Powers to complete the top defensive pair for the team. 
 
In the aforementioned draft, the Rush added a couple of major staples to their team. With the third overall pick in the draft, Yukon took right winger @Zetterberg Tyler Reinhart. This move not only gave them the best rookie in the league for Season 78, but it also opened the door for Yukon to scoop up Reinhart's brother @MexicanCow123 Jerome when he opted join the VHLM at the start of the season. Netting both Reinhart brothers proved to be a game changer for Yukon, but they still were missing a number of components. Identifying that, moments after picking Reinhart third overall, the Rush traded up to secure the fourth pick in the draft. With this pick they chose the Satanic overlord @Beketov Papa Emeritus.  Yukon pledged their souls to their new ruler and in exchange they were provided the services of one of the best goaltenders in the league in Season 78. These consecutive picks really helped vault the Rush from pretender to contender in a hurry.
 
The Rush continued to draft well in the later rounds. Most notably they picked up a pair of Fins to bolster their depth. Center @Otto Numminen and defenseman @Big Bob Bob Beach. The Finnish talent continued to flow into Yukon as they scooped up rookie @jRuutuErlantz Jokinen off waivers. The Finnish trifecta have been huge fan favourites in Yukon all season. In fact, the popularity has reached such a high that their is a special district in Yukon dedicated to them dubbed "Little Finland". Finally, days before the start of the regular season, the Rush reached out free agent @Pythonic Gaspar Yakrevsky. The team had rostered Yakrevsky for the better part of two seasons and in Season 77 he experienced a breakout campaign and at one point he was leading the league in scoring. The Rush opted to trade him away for draft stock. Surprisingly, Yakrevsky never went up to the VHL so he was available to be had by any team in the M. Yukon was quick to bring him back into the fold and add yet another lethal weapon to their arsenal.
 
With much of their roster assembled, the season began and it became clear quite early that the Rush were for real. They were the last team in the league to earn a regulation loss. They were winning early and often. The team was getting offense from everyone and scoring in bunches. One of the main storylines during the regular season was their heated rivalry against the San Diego Marlins. A bet was placed between the two general managers before the season began. The GM of the team that lost the season series would be forced to sing a karaoke song of the opposing GM's choosing. The Marlins were a worthy adversary and rival all season and in a fitting fashion, the season series ended up tied 4-4. So the bet was a push and now the league will be treated to a duet of both Juice and @thadthrasher singing a song together (coming soon)! Aside from the friendly wager though, the Marlins were one of the few teams that played the Rush close in every game and it seemed likely the two teams would run into each other at some point in the playoffs.
 
After a non-eventful trade deadline passed, the door opened for new rookies to join the league and sign with teams. The Rush were quick to add two VHL community veterans, not to mention two solid defensemen for their playoff drive. Both @fonziGG Tony Adams and @BarzalGoat Sven Eightnine were quick to put pen to paper and get acclimated with their teammates. Adding these two latecomers really did make an impact, especially during the playoffs as the Rush were force to drop a couple of players due to inactivity. Adams and Eightnine really were invaluable to the team down the stretch and also were a great presence to have in the locker room. The Rush concluded the season the same way they started it, red hot. They finished with 375 total goals scored which was the most in the league by a ton. Amazingly, they had four players finish in triple digits for points (with a fifth coming up just short with 97). Tyler Reinhart led the team with 64 goals and 69 assists for a whopping 133 points in total. Of his 64 goals, an astounding 15 of them were game winners. Captain Nate Powers finished with 108 points including 87 assists! Any time a defenseman can break the 100 point plateau it's quite an impressive feat, so hats off to him. While the skaters were doing their thing, goaltender Papa Emeritus dominated the crease, posting a 55-10-4 record with a 2.91 goals against average and an .892 save percentage. Additionally he was able to post five shutouts. He will no doubt be in the running for Goaltender of the Year.
 
After handling their business in the regular season, it was time to shift gears and focus on the road to the Cup. The Rush won the Continental Cup (best record in the regular season in the VHLM) and therefore held the #1 seed in the playoffs. Drawing the #8 seed was the quickly rebounding Mexico City Kings. The Kings recently won the Founder's Cup back in Season 76, and fielded another strong team in Season 77. But time had finally caught up with them and new management had also been brought in as well, so it was definitely time for an overhaul. Surprisingly though, the Kings exceeded all expectations and snuck into the last playoff spot, which is quite a feat for themselves. Led by the strong play of their goalie Bastian Greiss, the Kings found themselves in a David vs Goliath matchup versus Yukon. Mexico actually played Yukon relatively tough in the regular season and even took a few games off of them so the matchup wasn't entirely a done deal.  The Kings kept it competitive, however the Rush took the series in five games. Mexico was able to take Game 3 at home, but once things were back on home ice for Yukon in Game 5, they locked it down with a 4-2 win to move onto the semi-finals.
 
The semis featured the matchup the whole league was clamoring for. The Marlins versus the Rush. Finally a winner was to be decided! San Diego came into Yukon for Game 1 and left it all on the line. In what was maybe the most entertaining game of the series, the Marlins topped Yukon 6-5 in a double overtime thriller. The lead flip-flopped multiple times throughout the game. Player/AGM @Eldredman Aldwin Craig scored with just over five minutes left in the third period to put the Marlins up 5-4. The Rush fought back though as rookie sensation Tyler Reinhart netted his fourth of the playoffs with just over a minute and a half left in regulation. The first overtime would solve nothing, so we went to a second frame of free hockey. At 8:55 of the second overtime  @Adrest245 Brent Skimmer buried a one timer from 16 feet out and the Marlins would take the pivotal 1-0 series lead. The Marlins kept the momentum rolling into Game 2 as they shocked Yukon and won 5-3. Goaltender @Erik Morgan Karlsson played a spectacular game in this one, making 40 out of 43 saves to earn the road sweep and head back to San Diego with a 2-0 series lead. 
 
In most situations like these, teams may panic and come apart at the seems. However, Yukon was built with a ton of savvy league veterans that brought a ton of internal leadership. The vets calmed down the younger guys and Yukon marched into San Diego for Game 3 and shutdown the Marlins. Down 2-1 in the second period, the turning point of the game was when Jaromir Lemiuex was sprung on a breakaway during a penalty kill and buried a wrister glove side on netminder Karlsson. This shorthanded marker tied the game and shortly thereafter, younger brother Jerome Reinhart picked up a drop pass from his brother Tyler and wired home a clapper to put Yukon ahead 3-2. From that point forward, Yukon locked it down and Papa Emeritus made no mistakes. The Rush avoided going down 3-0 and instead made the series interesting again. Game 4 was a bit of an odd one as all the goals came in the first period. The Marlins found themselves up 2-1 halfway through the first before the Rush scored three unanswered goals to go up 4-2. Despite the Marlins best efforts, Yukon took the game and the series was down to a best-of-three with the Rush re-establishing their home ice advantage.
 
When the puck dropped for Game 5 back in Yukon, it was clear that the series momentum had swung back in favor of the Rush. Despite a quiet night on the score sheet from the Reinhart brothers, Yukon grinded out a 5-2 victory off the performance of their captain Nathan Powers who had a big four point game. Also the fans in Little Finland were overjoyed as the trio of Fins all put up points and Otto Numminen had four points of his own. Yukon was really showing its depth on full display. In Game 6, Yukon dominated play and completely shut down the Marlins entirely. The Marlins could only muster 17 shots with their playoff lives on the line and would fall by a score of 4-2. After a quiet game 5, Tyler Reinhart was back in a big way for Game 6, scoring a hat-trick and leading his team to victory. Though the regular season series may have ended in a tie, there was certainly a clear cut winner in this series as the dispute could finally be put to bed. The Marlins will likely be regressing next season as they will be losing a good chunk of their roster to players making the jump to the M. 
 
Meanwhile in the other semi-final, the Houston Bulls would face-off against the Minnesota Storm. On paper this seemed like it could be an exciting matchup.  Game 1 was a back-and-forth affair that ended in heartbreak for Houston fans. The Bulls were up 4-3 in the third when Jannik Nylen scored his first of the playoffs on the powerplay to make it a tie game. Then with less than two minutes left in the game, Henri le Massif took a high sticking penalty for Minnesota.  During the powerplay though, a Houston defenseman made an errant pass that was picked off by veteran Ron World Peace III and he made no mistake and buried the game winner. This really set the tone for the series as Minnesota went on to win the next three straight games and make short work of the Houston Bulls. They enjoyed some rest days while San Diego and Yukon went on to battle each other for a few more days. Eventually the stage was set for the final. It was the top seeded Rush taking on the #3 seed Minnesota Storm.
 
The Rush wasted no time making their impression on the Storm as they capitalized on their first power play of the series when Jaromir Lemiuex buried his third of the playoffs just three minutes into Game 1. Minnesota stormed back and tied it quickly but a pair of goals by defenseman Tynan Sylvester quickly made it a 3-1 lead by the end of the first. From then on the game tightened up for quite a bit but midway through the third, Gaspar Yekrevsky erupted with two goals in less that a minute to put the Rush up 5-1.  This was a dominating win for Yukon in which they only allowed 11 shots on goal. Yukon was making the Storm look more like a light drizzle at best. Game 2 was more of the same as Tynan Sylvester stayed hot and scored a hat-trick giving the d-man an incredible 8 goals in the playoffs! Yukon more than doubled the Storm in shots and took the game by a score of 4-2. The series would shift to Minnesota with the Rush needing just two more wins to clinch that elusive Founder's Cup!
 
Unfortunately for the Storm, the change in scenery didn't help them as the Rush took a commanding 3-0 series lead after taking Game 3 by a score of 3-1. In a 46 shot barrage, the Rush again proved the Storm were no match for them. Jaromir Lemeiux netted his fifth goal of the postseason and third goal in consecutive games. Tyler Reinhart also added an insurance goal he scored his first of the series in the third period. With their backs up against the wall and their lives on the line, Minnesota came out flying in Game 4 with four unanswered goals in the first period. Though they tried to stage a comeback, this deficit proved to be too much to overcome. Zarek Kaczka led the Storm with a goal and three assists while rookie Jonathan Ori and Miks Sunish both added in three points of their own. Though it was disappointing to lose Game 4, the Rush and their fanbase were tantalized at the thought of winning the Cup in Game 5 on home ice.
 
Game 5 saw the Storm completely shut down the high powered offense of Yukon. Minnesota netminder Dexter Vaughn stood on his head this game and made 37 out of 38 saves. Otto Numminen scored a power play marker at 14:31 of the second period, but that was all Yukon could muster. The third period the Storm completely clamped down and held Yukon to just two shots all period. Coming off two straight wins, excitement was starting to build and it felt like momentum was swinging back to Minnesota. When the series went back to Minny for a second time though, Yukon got the job done. Game 6 saw Yukon put up three quick goals in the first half of the opening frame. Tynan Sylvester got the ball rolling with his ninth of the playoffs, and from there the Rush didn't look back. Nathan Powers put an exclamation point on things in the second period with a power play goal to make it 4-0. The game would end up being 4-1, and as the final seconds ticked down, the celebration began. The drought had finally ended and the long-term plan set out by Juice had finally paid off. 
 
Celebrations continue to rage on throughout not only Yukon, but Finland and Greenland as well. It was a dominating season from bell to bell for Yukon this year. Going forward, who knows where this team goes. Will they try to be competitive and go for the ever-elusive back-to-back Founder's Cups? Or is it time to head back to the drawing board and start from scratch? Many of the top players from the Rush will be graduating to the VHL next season, so it will be a daunting task for them to be competitive next season. But at least those players will be able to move up to the pros with a feather in their cap. They can now say they are champions!
 
 

@PatrikLaineGG my guy, can't say that I spent the last few days chewing my nails dry as you had me spooked after game 4 and 5, but you should be proud what you and your team did in short time.
 
To all my players, absolutely deserved for the great locker-room that we built and I'm glad we can send most of you off with a cup ring ❤️

It's been a crazy year for @LuluSalesAway and me. Between switching jobs, moving states, and still being in school it seems to never end. Well, we decided that it wasn't enough and that we wanted more to add on. 

Since I consider the VHL to be another family of mine, I wanted to share with you all some amazing news. Coming January 2022 the VHL will gain another member (don't worry, I'll manage their player until they're old enough...kidding of course).

Here's to our first baby!

@Big Bob

Player Information
Username: Dil
Player Name: Hari Singh Nalwa
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 25
Position: D
Height: 80 in.
Weight: 250 lbs.
Birthplace: Pakistan

Player Page
@VHLM GM

I dont get why Paris is so popular. Is the VHL that desperate for a french team? Is it because London has a team? My vote has to go for nations who have a little more of a real life hockey presence.
 
I voted for Oslo, Norway and Berlin, Germany. yes I understand Russia has a bigger hockey presence but they already got the Menace going for them.

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new segment from the VSN Scouting Department! We're all still recovering from the thrills that were the VHL and VHLM draft in the past week, but the draft hype train never stops. As the S78 Draft closed up shop, the portal opened up the player listing for the S79 VHL Draft - leading @Patrik Tallinder and myself to get the hype going nice and early, with a wayyyyy too early mock draft.
 
While this draft class has only really existed for a few weeks, it has the potential to be a very strong class, featuring multiple players from high profile agencies, such as the commissioner's office, the recruitment team, and many other recreates. It'll certainly be a very strong top of the class, but the dropoff from the top players may not be as steep as the dropoff in the S78 class, making this a very exciting group to cover over the next season.
 
Before diving into the mock draft, I'd like to mention that this is merely a very, very early guess at how the draft will play out, as well as explain the rationale behind the order of the draft. I briefly conjured up a projected power rankings for the VHL, which is not the official season preview/predictions endorsed by VSN. The "Around the VHL" crew will be providing more depth into a season preview later this week. For now though, this article uses a very loose speculation of how teams will finish off the season. Enjoy!
 
1st Overall
 

 
RW - Tyler Reinhart - @Zetterberg
 
This is a relatively simple selection for the Vancouver squad that has committed to the retool. In a fiercely competitive NA conference, look for the Wolves to end up with the top odds in the lottery, and the opportunity to select the clear #1 prospect in the class - Tyler Reinhart. The smooth skating sharpshooter looks to become the next offensive juggernaut in Vancouver, as the franchise will be looking to replace Andrew Su, their former face of the franchise. Reinhart is not very physical, but more than makes up for the lack of physicality with silky-smooth hands and a fantastic offensive and defensive IQ, making him the surefire #1 selection.
 
 
2nd Overall
 

 
D - Poopy Peepants - @JardyB10
 
This may come as a mildly surprising selection to many, considering that Peepants is barely in the top 5 of the class in terms of TPE, but his earning and former reputation suggests that he could easily earn his way into the top 3. Moscow selected defenseman Hard Markinson with the 2nd overall pick in the S78 draft, but they could still use a 2nd high-ceiling defense prospect on their very young and unproven defense core. Peepants will be closely examined by many GM's over the course of the season, as they'll all like to know whether Peepants can develop into a top pairing role in the VHL.
 
 
3rd Overall
 

 
C - Jonathan Ori - @ROOKIE745
 
Malmo is in desperate need for a center, as current centers Kevin Sterk and Arthur Dayne are each within a few seasons of retirement, with no clear replacement in the Nighthawks' prospect pool. Recent S78 selection Nathanial Minion could surely grow into the role, but for now, his growth is a question mark and Malmo could look to Jonathan Ori to fill the void. Ori is a newcomer to the VHL and VHLM, only declaring his intent to participate in the league in the past week, but has already showed a massive willingness to learn - exponentially increasing his growth. This class is looking very thin for centers, with only Omi Aberg as the other center, so look for Malmo to fill a key hole while also selecting a premium position.
 
 
4th Overall
 

 
LW - Jerome Reinhart - @MexicanCow123
 
Davos follows a similar principle to Malmo at 4 overall and selects a position that fills a hole on the squad, while also selecting the best player available. Jerome Reinhart only declared his eligibility for the draft in the past week, but he comes from a very strong agency that managed the career of Jacob Tonn, the former star goalie for Seattle, Moscow and London. The only potential risk here is if Jerome wants to eventually play with fellow Reinhart, 1st overall selection Tyler Reinhart. That’ll be for the GM’s to evaluate and decide though.
 
 
5th overall (from CGY)
 

 
D - Erlantz Jokinen - @jRuutu
 
Fate is certainly on Seattle's side as they land yet another player from jRuutu's agency, one they are very familiar with from the era of Jim Bob. Like his predecessor, Jokinen brings a consistent two-way game to Seattle, looking to slowly develop his physical side as well. Seattle's largest weakness of the future is their aging defense corps, and Jokinen would provide a fresh new face to keep Seattle's window open for even longer (does Seattle even know what rebuilding is?) A familiar face at a position of need feels like a no-brainer - pencil in Jokinen to Seattle if Calgary's selection happens to fall between 4-6 overall.
 
 
6th overall (from NYA)
 

 
G - Papa Emiritus - @Beketov
 
This draft is really shaping up to be a dream come true for almost every team involved so far. Warsaw is fortunate enough to hold NYA's 1st round selection, while also conveniently being in the market for a new franchise goaltender with the retirement of incumbent starter Ajay Krishna approaching quickly. All the teams that have selected so far all have franchise goalies in place, or have recently selected goaltenders to be their franchise netminders of the future. Warsaw stops Emiritus' fall, and selects one of the best prospect goaltenders to come out of the M in quite a while - a truly fantastic pairing.
 
 
7th overall (from DCD)
 

 
RW - Taylor Mourning - @scoop
 
Prague barely misses out on selecting their replacement for Grekkark Gyrfalcon, but are awarded a very strong consolation prize in Tayor Mourning. Mourning would immediately slot in on either the first or second line and provide a strong two-way game, as well as consistent playmaking to set up the other shoot-first forwards - this could potentially be the replacement Prague will need for retiring star forward Thomas Landry II. Scoop’s development has shown consistency, and has continued to grow each week at a very high level. Expect to see this young man drafted in the top 10 on draft day for sure.
 
 
8th overall 
 

 
D - Lilith Lunar - @Lilith_Lunar
 
In what may eventually be perceived as a tad bit of a reach, Helsinki addresses the largest team need of defense, even if it means selecting a player above their projected rank. In a shallow defenseman class, new GM Frank Funk will need to decide whether to go with the best player available, or take a chance on the best defenseman available in Lunar. Another new entrant to the VHL, GM’s will be keeping an eye on Lunar to determine whether she can be consistent both on the ice, and in her development. Coming out of the gates swinging with very intense training sessions, Lunar could easily lay a serious claim to be considered a top 10 selection, but she’ll have her work cut out for her to prove that ranking.
 
 
9th overall
 

 
LW - Miroslav Tsarov - @PadStack
 
With the 9th pick in the draft, Los Angeles decides to take the best player available with Miroslav Tsarov. The Ukrainian winger will join a group of young forwards in LA, and he will get the chance to grow among the likes of wingers Trevor Wallace, Henri le Massif and Lenny Sanderson. This is a group with good potential, and they will have the abilities necessary to complement their elite center group. Tsarov earns around 8-10 capped TPE every week, making him a reliable option for the team in the future. He will need a season to develop after the draft in all likelihood, however he has the potential to be a real contributor in the VHL once he does get there.
 
 
10th overall
 

 
RW - Baby Bob - @Baby Boomer
 
Moving on to a first gen with quickly increasing potential, London picks up recent Mississauga draftee Baby Bob. Bob played 2 games to end S77, signing with Mexico City right before the season concluded. Although he didn’t record any points, he did show a lot of potential in those two games. With this selection, London gets a player with upside that is rivalled by few players that go below him in this mock draft. He could inject some youth into the United’s forward unit, and bring the scoring touch that he has been working on this offseason. This is a player who could quite possibly end up higher on this list by the end of this season based on his TPE earning resume so far.
 
 
11th overall (from SEA)
 

 
D - Bob Beach - @Big Bob
 
After grabbing a future first line center at 3rd overall, Malmo aims to add some depth to their blueline with Yukon’s Bob Beach. Beach is a smooth skater with a precise shot and a good mind for the game. He will have to compete with some quality prospects for ice time in the big league when he gets there, but there will certainly be spots available to replace some of the aging pieces of the team’s defense. Bob Beach is likely the best player available at this slot, and it would make sense for the Nighthawks to vary their picks a little bit in terms of position.
 
 
12th overall
 

 
G - Em Em Flex - @oilmandan
 
User oilmandan has long been one of the most dependable users in the league, always creating solid players with no streaks of inactivity whatsoever. This dependability makes him a very enticing option in the crease, as a goalie fallen inactive can seriously damage a team’s situation. Prague can absolutely count on Em Em Flex being their starter of the future, as they add another core piece to the puzzle after selecting Jerome Reinhart earlier in the round. Flex is a netminder with exceptional ability down low; His skating technique and rebound control allows him to direct play from the ice and cover the bottom of the net with ease.
 
 
13th overall
 

 
G - Emiko Spector - @Emi
 
This pick from Riga would mark the first time since S73 that two goalies were drafted back to back in the first round of the VHL draft, when Grekkark Gyrfalcon and Jean Pierre Camus went 6th and 7th overall. Emiko Spector is a goalie with stunning potential, capping out in the first week of her young career. She will have the chance to prove her worth in Halifax this season, where she will serve as the backup behind Jonathan Bustard. After an early retirement with her last player, Emi may find herself below Em Em Flex to begin the season, but that could always change when you consider the impressive TPE earning that has continued into her second career.
 
 
14th overall (from TOR)
 

 
C - Omi Aberg - @osens
 
This pick is an interesting one. It presumes that Aberg starts earning TPE like osens’ last player did, because he has only earned 2 TPE since recreating two days ago. Osens is a well-liked member in the community, and it would be no surprise if he was picked even earlier than this pick if he begins earning again. He would join Tyler Reinhart in Vancouver, possibly forming a future C-LW duo for the team. Aberg is a playmaker that makes the players around him better; Slotting him with goalscorers will almost surely boost the numbers of his linemates.
 
 
15th overall
 

 
LW - Jakub Brozik - @Wolverine
 
Chicago already has a very well-established forward core, and for this reason they can confidently take a bit of a risky pick to shoot for high upside to eventually replace some of the older forwards on the roster. User Wolverine has retired early multiple times in the past few seasons, but there is no doubting that he is an extremely active member with tremendous upside as a player. Perhaps Brozik will go the distance for a full career, and the Phoenix will be over the moon with this pick. Brozik has capped out for four straight weeks to kick off his new career, and he is looking to make an early impression with the Hounds after being chosen 25th overall in the VHLM Draft.
 
 
16th overall (from WAR)
 

 
RW - Luke Pastrnak - @GoldGear88
 
With their third and final selection in the first round of this draft, Malmo drafts Luke Pastrnak of the Mexico City Kings. Although Pastrnak wasn’t placed in a large role on the Aces last season, he did gain some valuable playoff experience on a 9 game run that was cut short in the second round. This season, Pastrnak will showcase his skills in a more prominent role with the Kings. If Malmo likes what they see, maybe he will land here at 16th overall.
 
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Thanks all for reading this mock draft! Myself and @Patrik Tallinder will claim this for 2 weeks each.

Why just Europe, this is making it very difficult for Mumbai expansion

VHL's Third League
 
Hello @Members!
 
For awhile now the @BOG have been teasing a more robust option to deal with the roster room issue we have been experiencing lately. Many of you have been assuming this means more expansion, despite us continuing to refute those claims. Well... the expansion claims and us saying they are wrong were both correct in a sense. Today the VHL is announcing that the VHL and VHLM will no longer be the only leagues contained within our Community, we are adding a third, the Victory Hockey League: Europe.
 
Be design the VHLE will fit between the VHLM and VHL so that players are not stuck at the VHLM level passed when they should be there, making the M as a true developmental league, but also not getting pushed to the VHL before they are ready for it. This will open up the rosters of the VHL teams as they will only contain the higher TPE players. Specifically the caps for the individual leagues will be:
 
VHLM: 30-199 TPE*
VHLE: 200-399 TPE*
VHL: 350+ TPE
 
*Of note these limits operate in the same way as the VHLM does now. So you can claim past the TPE limit but you cannot apply past it.
 
Obviously there's a bit of weirdness at the bottom there as the VHL starts at 350 while the VHLE doesn't end until 399. This is intentional to allow players above 350 TPE to enter the VHL if they so choose but they are not forced to do so until the 400 TPE mark. This does mean that some players can, or will be forced to, skip the VHLE completely; know that this is not necessarily a guaranteed step in your progression. If you are above 350 TPE by your VHL draft and want to skip the VHLE completely you may do so.
 
VHLE Leadership
 
Obviously the @Commissioner and @VHLM Commissioner  teams are already quite busy with the VHL and VHLM respectfully so running a whole third league will not fall on them, a new Commissioner team will be added to cover the VHLE. @Acydburn and @Victor have graciously offered to head up this new leadership group. This will of course involve Acyd giving up his current Green team role (which we will be hiring for) to head this new league into the future including hiring the GM's for the new roles, which leads me nicely into the next topic.
 
VHLE Teams and Mentality
 
In effect the VHLE is not a developmental league like the VHLM. Its purpose is not to recruit and retain members and it's GM's will not be bound to that mantra like the @VHLM GM's are. The job of an VHLE GM is to be competitive within their bracket. It will still have the fast turnarounds of the VHLM given it's small TPE window but teams may use their assets as they please to get the most out of their teams and win.
 
Notice I did say VHLE GM's. TheVHLE teams will not be controlled by @VHL GM's or VHLM GM's but rather be new GM opportunities in their own right. But for what teams? Well that's up to you all to decide.
 
Seeing that the league has many amazing old European teams that have been left to the sands of time, we will use those teams to make up the VHLE with the league voting on which 6 they want to see. This means that the Vasteras Iron Eagles, for example, could return; and / or the Cologne Express, Stockholm Vikings, and many others. We have the teams, we have the logos, and we see no reason to not use them so they will make up the pool of teams you all can decide on. The poll for this will be going up soon.
 
Layout wise with the league being only 6 teams at the moment will be simple: 1 conference with the 4 top teams making the playoffs per season. In addition the VHLE will not be affiliated in any way with the VHL or VHLM so it will be simulated as an entirely separate league, the same way the two are now. Think the KHL rather than the AHL.
 
Contract wise the league will be similar to the VHLM with more or less a "free for all" mentality. If a player has been drafted to the VHL they will receive their VHL contract but otherwise all players are signed to $1.5M contracts with no bonuses or salary cap to speak of. This could change in the future if we feel a cap and formal contract structure would improve the VHLE but we want to see if that's necessary first.
 
 Draft Structure, Career Length, and Depreciation
 
Adding a third league will obviously affect how drafts and career lengths operate within the VHL. With the VHLE placed where it is in a player's career, and the expectation that they will spend at least one season there, it would obviously create problems for the career clock if we didn't address it. For that reason player careers will be formally extended to 9 seasons, with draft seasons being set the same as they always have. This means you will be eligible for both the VHL and VHLE draft in the same season; potentially all three if you time it right. If, at the draft, you are at or above 350 TPE and would like to go straight to the VHL you still get the 9 season VHL career, adding a year onto the total you can have now. If you spend a season in the E league, as most will, you don't lose out on a VHL season and still retain the 8 that is currently available.
 
So, for example, let's take a player that creates at the S79 deadline. We follow the same rules as now so his VHL draft is S81. In his season and a bit in the VHLM this player earns 200 TPE. This player is drafted to both the VHLE and the VHL. He does not have the minimum TPE to play in the VHL so goes to the VHLE for S81, finishing with 350 TPE or the minimum to play in the VHL. At this point he can choose to either go up to the VHL and play 8 seasons from S82 or he may chose to stay down for a season and would enter the VHL in S83. In either case he retires at the end of S89, having played 7 or 8 seasons.
 
An alternative example is a super heavy earning player. Let's assume he creates at the same time and has the same draft date but has a bunch of carryover and gets a very large amount of TPE in the VHLM. He enters the drafts at 350 TPE, the minimum to play in the VHL. He may choose to skip the VHLE completely and go straight to the VHL in S81. He will then play for 9 seasons and retire at the same time in S89.
 
Nine seasons does add one caveat however; depreciation. As it stands right now depreciation only hits for 3 seasons, season 6-8 of your career. This holds two problems, one exists currently and one is new. The more obvious one is that having 9 seasons means we need to add a depreciation level. For this the same percentage (7%) from year 8 will be used but we will not be adding an additional depreciation fighter to the store that can be used for this season. That means only the Jagr purchase can help you fight 9th season depreciation, you must take the full 7% hit.
 
The second problem, which exists now, is that players can spend extra time in the minor leagues and be hit with depreciation in their "6th" season but that could be, in fact, their 4th VHL season. This does not seem fair to hit lower earners with so quickly, even being percentage based, so we are changing depreciation slightly. Depreciation seasons are now based on VHL seasons played, not seasons since your draft. That means a player who skips the VHLE and plays 9 VHL seasons will be depreciated 4 times. A player that plays 1 VHLE season will be depreciated 3 times, and so on. So if a player takes his time to get to the VHL and only plays 5 VHL seasons he will not face depreciation by the time he is forced into retirement.
 
Call-Ups, Send-Downs, and Graduation Bonus
 
As all VHLE players will be owned by VHL teams as well the issue of call-ups and send downs must be addressed. Like the cap situation this may change later but to start we will only be allowing call-ups and send-downs during the off-season and, obviously, only if the player in question meets the TPE bracket for the league they are being sent to.
 
This means that at no point mid-season can a player be plucked away from their VHLE team to join their VHL team, similarly no player will be pulled from the VHLM to join the VHLE. Whatever league you start the season in is the league you finish the season in.
 
In addition the graduation bonus will remain in place where it is, exiting the VHLM. With the VHLM remaining as a "training ground" of sorts it makes the most sense to reward players for graduating from there. The VHLM to the VHL or VHLE is what we are looking at as the "upwards" movement while the VHLE to VHL is more of a lateral move in your career.
 
 Introduction Timeframe
 
Obviously a change this large can't be implemented immediately and start next season. We would not want players who have already created but are undrafted to be left suddenly being told there's an extra league before the VHL that they were unaware of. There's also a matter of dealing with the players who currently sit on VHL rosters that are under 350 TPE and wouldn't be allowed under these rules.
 
Therefore, the VHLE first season will be S80 meaning players that retire at this deadline will be the VHLE's first draft class. Players currently on VHL rosters who are under 350 TPE at the start of S80 may remain on the roster if they so choose or they may be placed into the VHLE draft, remaining as prospects for the VHL teams that drafted them. Likewise any players currently drafted who are still in the VHLM will be given the option of going to the VHL or the VHLE at 200 TPE. Their career clock remains unchanged however; only players starting in the S80 draft will be given the 9 season career and new depreciation rules.
 

Hi, my name is Beketov, and if you have any questions, please try to direct them here: