Big Bob

Welcome to the first edition of VSN’s S73 Weekly recap (Games 1-126).  We’ll cover a host of things in this recap each week including highlights of important VSN happenings, three stars of the week, power rankings, rookie profiles, and anything else of importance.
 
Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more!
Top 25: #5 - #1 | S73 Season Preview | VHL Awards | VHLM Awards
 
Recap
Before I get into the real recap, I would just like to take a second to welcome @PatrikLaine to the VSN family, he will be working with me each week to bring the VHL Weekly to your screen. We also have new release time for the article. Instead of the usual Sunday release, we will now be aiming for a mid-week release. Lastly, after reviewing how last season went, we have decided to change up our power rankings format. No longer will we be ranking each conference, but we will have an overall Top 8 that dynamically changes based on weekly performance. With those formalities of the way, let’s take a look at this week’s action!
 
We’ve had a whirlwind start to this expansion season, and our goalies are feeling the full effect as scoring seems to be on the rise, with 19 hat tricks and only 7 shutouts in the first week. We have rookies scoring at an increased rate, and some new stars are emerging as the old guard ages and gets ready for retirement. There are numerous players poised to be on point per game pace this season, and I would hate to be a goalie in this new era. Who knows if this will keep up as the season goes on, but it’s looking like we might be out of the dead puck era that has plagued the league as of late.
 
3-Stars
 
First Star
Sigard Gunnar (LAS) - 14 G, 18 A, 2 Hat Tricks
Second Star
Greg Eagles (RIG) - 0.943 SV%, 1.58 GAA, 7 wins
Third Star
Lincoln Tate (RIG) - 1 G, 23 A, 28 SB
 
Power Rankings
Players featured on this week’s Power Rankings are Acyd Burn of the New York Americans, Ben Hafkey of the Helsinki Titans, and General Zod of the Calgary Wranglers

We have the wonderful @Pengu to thank for this season's amazing power rankings graphic
 
This season is off to a surprising start, and no one could have predicted these power rankings. Finishing in 1st in this week’s rankings are the New York Americans, who rode a fast start to the season to a 13-2-1 record and 1st place in the VHL. Not too far behind in 2nd place are the red-hot Helsinki Titans. Helsinki starts the season with a 5-5 start but has won 6 in a row thanks to great performances from goalies Zamboni Driver and Samuel Ross. Next up in 3rd place are the Calgary Wranglers, who just like the Titans, rode 6 straight wins to end the week in 3rd place after a bad start. Coming up in 4th are the defending Continental Cup Champions in the Riga Reign, who despite only sporting a 10-6 record, have been getting excellent performances from goaltender Greg Eagles. In 11 games this week, Eagles won 7 games and had an 1.58 goals-against average to go along with a 0.943 save percentage through all 11 games. Up next in 5th is HC Davos, who started the season off strong with a 9-4-3 record this week. Our 6th place finisher this week is the Vancouver Wolves, who had an 8-6-2 record this week and have had a breakout rookie in Gregg Stallion. In 16 games this week, Stallion had 4 goals and 7 assists for the Wolves. The Seattle Bears finished this week in our 7th spot. Seattle started the season off strong with a 9-4 start, but have started to skid recently, losing 3 in a row to end the week. Concluding our list are the Prague Phantoms. The Phantoms started the week with a disappointed 6-7 record, but they have since won 3 in a row. I see them moving up into the top 6 next week. This first week was full of surprises and one can only wonder what else will happen as the week continues.
 
Notable Games
 
 Game 1: New York Americans vs Calgary Wranglers
We didn’t have to wait long this year to get a great game, and we would get our first goal of the season early. Hugh Jass would put one in the back of the net for the Americans just 1:52 into the game. New York would extend their lead to 2 on a late goal by Owen Nolan. It was 2-0 New York after 1. New York wasted no time extending the lead again. A power-play goal from Lance Flowers just 1:15 into the second would make it 3-0. However, Calgary would respond quickly as just 2:25 later, they would get a power-play goal of their own from Latrell Mitchell to cut the lead to 2. The rest of the game was about New York’s goaltender, A Red Guy. New York wanted to sit on their lead the rest of the game and it was evident by the shot totals. After Calgary’s first goal, New York was outshot 43-11. Red Guy would stop all 43 of Calgary’s shots in the final 36 minutes to preserve a win for New York.
 
Game 65: Helsinki Titans vs Riga Reign
Our second notable game is a clash between Helsinki and the defending champs in the Riga Reign. It didn’t take long for Riga to open the scoring, getting a goal from Codrick Past just 1:41 into the first. Despite this early setback, Helsinki would strike back late in the first on a goal from Valtteri Vaakanainen with just 49 seconds left in the first period. It wouldn’t take long for Riga to regain the lead in the second as Guy Saskamoose would score just 2:34 into the second to put Riga in front 2-1. Right after that goal, tensions between the two teams rose and we saw a fight between Phil Marleau and Jim Bob. The fight ultimately ended in a draw. After this point, it was all Riga the rest of the game. Across the last 2 periods, Riga would score 4 more goals after that fight, getting them from Shush Nyko, Patrik Tallinder, Lincoln Tate and Codrick Past’s second of the game would wrap up a 6-1 win for the defending champs. Even though Riga dominated with a 6-1 victory, the final shots were 35-35. Riga just made the most of their opportunities and pulled away from Helsinki early in the third.
 
Game 68: Los Angeles Stars vs HC Davos Dynamo
Our final game this week brings us to a showdown between HC Davos and the upstart Los Angeles Stars. Davos would jump out early, gaining a 3-0 lead just 12:24 into the game on a goal from Robin Winters and a pair of goals from Soren Jensen. However, LA would score 2 goals in 1:14 just a few minutes later to cut the lead to 3-2, receiving goals from Nate Wright and Markus Nygren. However, Davos would put an end to the late period surge from LA, with Fernando Jokinen scoring with just 1:16 left in the first to stretch Davo’s lead to 4-2. Davos came about battling to begin the second, leading in the shot department 11-6 in that period. Their determination would pay off early as Soren Jensen would pot his hat trick goal just 4:06 into the second to restore Davo’s 3 goal lead, making it 5-2. LA would get one in the middle of the second from rookie Jeffrey Pines to cut the lead to 5-3. The lead would be extended back to 3 just 4:17 later on Soren Jensen’s 4th goal of the game. He was having a night to remember and this would put his club up 6-3. LA wasn’t finished and just 1:35 later, Tyler Barabash Jr would score on a great breakaway feed from Sigard Gunnar to cut the lead to 2 again. We would head into the 3rd with the score being 6-4 in favour of Davos. The third was very quiet after the first two periods. Both goalies stood strong in net, stopping every shot in the 3rd as Davos would win a wild one over the LA Stars 6-4. Soren Jensen had a night to remember, scoring 4 goals in the win.
 
Events of the Week
 
Fights
Game 1 - Kris Rice and Owen Nolan fight The first game of Season 73, was a rematch of last season’s North American Conference Finals, and there was still bad blood between these two teams. Towards the end of this one, with about 5 minutes to play a fight broke out between Owen Nolan and Kris Rice. The fight was pretty even with both players landing some punches, and it ended as a draw. However, being the instigator, Nolan was sent for an early bath by the referees. Game 10 - Mac Hooper vs. Alex Pearson As the game progressed, and tensions grew higher and higher between these two teams, a fight broke out between Mac Hooper and Alex Pearson. Perhaps Hooper was taking out all of his frustration on Pearson’s face because he wound up as the clear winner, and both men were sent to the dressing rooms as there were less than 5 minutes to play. Game 13 - Micheal Gary Scott ejected It’s tough to pinpoint just exactly what set Micheal Gary Scott off here. Perhaps feeling the pressure of a tie game, Scott went on an expletive-filled tirade, directed at one of the referees. At first, it seemed like he just had a complaint to make, but after the yelling continued for well over a minute, the refs had seen enough and Scott was ejected from the game and given a major penalty for Abuse of Officials. Game 56 - Lewis Dawson vs. Scotty BigShotty This game was the start of 4 in a row between these two division rivals, and the tone was set by these two heavyweights midway through the first game. It was Lewis Dawson who had the upper hand on Scotty BigShotty and he was able to land some nice shots and eventually send Scotty tumbling to the ice. Game 111 - Owen Nolan vs. Benny Graves This was actually Nolan’s 3rd fight of the week, but the 2nd that is featured this week. After falling behind in the 1st period, Benny Graves decided to try and swing some momentum his way by picking a fight with Nolan. However, he met his match and the Americans rallied behind that fight and marched on to a 5-2 victory. Game 121 - Mikko Lahtinen vs. Andrew Su Last year’s most improved player, Mikko Lahtinen was ejected after this fight for instigating, and he even took the loss on this one as well. This fight happened less than 2 minutes into the game and set the tone for a game that was extremely close and really could have gone either way.  
Hat-Tricks
 
Game 7 - Jeff Blaze Our first hat trick of the season goes to a rookie! In his first game in the big leagues, Jeff Blaze defied all expectation and scored a marvellous hat trick that announced his arrival to the league with a splash. He will be thrilled to have hit the ground running. Game 8 - Ray Sheilds On the same night, Malmo’s off-season acquisition made an instant impact by notching a hat trick in his first game for the club. He scored 3 goals which would’ve won the game single-handedly for Malmo, but he was also the lone assist on their other goal. Game 21 - Sigard Gunnar A player who was selected in the expansion draft by the Los Angeles Stars, they must be ecstatic with the production of Sigard Gunnar early on. He notched his first hat trick of the season against the Toronto Legion, and his 3rd ended up being the game-winner. Game 34 - Scott Greene The veteran Seattle forward Scott Greene had a phenomenal outing against the Chicago Phoenix and scored a hat trick in a 6-1 victory. His 2nd and 3rd goals were scored only 23 seconds apart in the 3rd period which all but confirmed Seattle’s victory. Game 44 - Valtteri Vaakanainen This game between conference rivals and playoff hopefuls was just what we expected. A close-fought battle all throughout but Valtteri Vaakanainen stood out among the rest because of his hat trick that propelled Helsinki to an important win. His goal just 6 seconds into the 2nd period proved to be the game-winner as well. Game 46  - Damien Wolfe Damien Wolfe has earned himself the honour of scoring Warsaw’s first franchise hat trick. The Warsaw forward had a solid outing against the Moscow Menace in this one, and Wolfe did everything he could and more to help catapult the Predators to a 5-2 victory. Game 54 - Raleigh Ritchie This game was all offence from both teams. In this 8-5 D.C. victory, Raleigh Ritchie found himself all over the scoresheet and topped off a great night with a hat trick to boot. He will be looking to build upon this and hopefully have a breakout season for the Dragons. Game 55 - Sigard Gunnar & Jerry Wang This is Gunnar’s second hatty of the week. The LA man is absolutely tearing it up for his new team and turning heads all around the league. This hat trick helped Los Angeles hand the undefeated at the time, New York Americans, their first loss of the season. The very same game had a hat trick from the Americans themselves. Jerry Wang notched 3 tallies of his own to match the Stars, but it just wasn’t enough to get them the win. What an offensive performance shown by both of these players in this one. Game 62 - Adam Syreck Another rookie scored the first hat trick of his career, and this time it was Adam Syreck of the Chicago Phoenix. This one will also go down as the first in franchise history so Syreck will be ecstatic about that. He helped his team to a well-earned victory over last season’s finalists, the Calgary Wranglers. Game 64 - Condor Adrienne & Ray Sheilds Who knows what was said before these two before the game, but they must’ve had money on who would score more. We had a pair of hat tricks from the Malmo men in a 6-2 win over Warsaw. Condor Adrienne had a hat trick of his own before Sheilds decided he had seen enough and went out and scored his own! What a show these two put on, and all fans of Malmo will have left the arena happy. Game 68 - Soren Jensen Jensen scored his first hat trick for HC Davos after being traded in the off-season due to cap restraints. He actually had 4 goals in this game, and his General Manager will be happy that he is proving to be an effective acquisition. This game will hopefully be just a taste of what’s to come from Soren Jensen in an HC Davos sweater. Game 86 - Uhtred Seattle finds themselves with another hat trick, and this time it comes from Uhtred. He helped sparked a magnificent comeback from the Bears as they stormed back from a 5-1 deficit in the 3rd period, to come out on top as 6-5 winners. Uhtred completed his hat trick with two key goals in the final frame and the team was able to rally behind that and come up with a winner with less than 2 minutes to play. Game 103 - Thomas Landry II & Boris the Forest Another game with duelling hat tricks, and what a game it was! Thomas Landry II opened the scoring for Prague and potted another goal before the 1st period had ended. The Phantoms actually had a 4-1 lead and things looked to be over already. However, up steps Boris the Forest, who had his own idea for how things should be going. He scored 3 goals in the 3rd and Landry actually completed his hat trick in the middle of Forest’s scoring spree, but the hat trick from Boris was enough to lift D.C. to a 6-5 comeback victory in this action-packed game. Game 104 - Jerry Wang Another player who found himself with two hat tricks in the first week. This time it’s Jerry Wang of the New York Americans. He got off to a quick start in this game, scoring two goals in the 1st period. It wasn’t until midway through the 3rd where he was able to complete the hat trick. The Americans absolutely exploded offensively in this one, with 68 shots on target and coming out with a 6-2 win. Game 114 - Kris Rice In this victory over the Legion, Calgary Wranglers forward Kris Rice found his name on the scoresheet 3 times. Two early goals in the 1st period for Rice helped set the tone for Calgary and they kept that rolling all throughout the game. Rice was able to notch his 3rd tally early on in the 3rd period and helped to send Calgary fans home happy. Game 116 - Jerry Garcia Davos fans will be thrilled to see Jerry Garcia score his first hat trick of the season. In this close game against the Seattle Bears, Garcia was the star of the show. He helped break the deadlock in the 3rd period between the two teams, and he was able to complete the hat trick on an empty net after some unselfish play from his fellow teammates.  
Shutouts
Game 14 - D.C. Dragons vs. Toronto Legion Our first shutout of the season was awarded to Jaxx Hextall of the Toronto Legion who is looking to have a breakout season this year. Only 15 saves in this one, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable than any other shutout. Jaxx will be happy to have started off his season in excellent fashion as this shutout came in only the Legion’s second game of the year. Game 36 - New York Americans vs. D.C. Dragons New York and A Red Guy pick up their first shutout of the campaign, coincidentally also against the Dragons. ARG is coming up on the tail end of his career and has shown early on that he will be among the top candidates for an Aidan Shaw trophy come the end of the year. He made a solid 26 saves in his first shutout of the season and will surely be looking to pick up more as the season progresses. Game 67 - Toronto Legion vs. London United Jaxx Hextall finds himself with another shutout in this phenomenal performance against the new boys in town, the London United. This one was truly earned by Jaxx, as London peppered him with 35 shots, but he stood tall and had an answer for everything. Some help from the forwards allowed Toronto to run out as 3-0 winners in this one. Game 84 - D.C. Dragons vs. Calgary Wranglers In bizarre fashion, we have 3 separate goalies who picked up their first shutout of the season against the D.C. Dragons. Jacques Lafontaine is the most recent addition to the list, as he stopped 13 shots en route to a 3-0 victory. He didn’t see a lot of rubber but that can sometimes work against goalies, but Jacques did not let it phase him. Game 97 - Seattle Bears vs. D.C. Dragons The Dragons must feel like some kind of sick joke is being played on them, but that is not the case. Rayz Funk finds himself among one of four goalies to earn their first shutout of the season against the D.C. Dragons. This one wasn’t a show-stealer from Funk, but a solid 16 save performance is exactly what he will need to kickstart his season. Game 102 - Malmo Nighthawks vs. London United Similar to last season, we have an emergency backup picking up a shutout victory. This is a weird one, as this is actually London’s first-ever franchise shutout. The emergency backup here is a bank teller by day and backup goalie by night, and he managed to stifle the leading scorer in the league and last season’s top point scorer as well. What a performance from the backup, he will go down in London United history, that’s for sure. Game 123 - D.C. Dragons vs. Seattle Bears Our final shutout of the week finally goes to Stone Wolski of the D.C. Dragons. After being shutout 4 times of their own throughout the week, Wolski had seen enough and stopped 40 shots in what will probably go down as one of the best individual performances of the entire season! Seattle did everything they possibly could to put one past Wolski but he rose to the occasion every time.  
Rookie Spotlight

@Pengu again with another amazing banner.
 
Just because you are a mid to late-round pick, doesn’t mean you can’t play better than a higher pick. This is especially true for Mickey Dickson, a former 2nd round pick from the S71 draft says that draft position doesn’t ultimately reflect how good a player is. “I want to show people that even though I am a lower round pick, I can produce points and have a positive impact on the team I play for” After 3 years in the VHLM, Dickson is ready for his first pro season.
 
Dickson, currently playing on the Malmo Nighthawks, has 3 goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 11 games so far. When asked about the totals, Dickson said he could never have imagined this. “I wasn’t expecting to be above 20 points this season, and I’m already at 13 in 11 games. I have a point per game and even though it is early, I have been able to put effort into my game to start my rookie year off so well.”
 
Dickson spent his first three professional seasons playing in the VHLM for Minnesota, Mexico and Yukon. He put up 187 points in 214 VHLM games and 32 points in 32 playoff games. He is often remembered for being one of the VHLM’s best performers in the clutch.
 
When asked about Malmo’s early successes, Dickson says there is still a lot ahead. “I think we have played extremely well so far. Better than I certainly expected and better than I think a lot of people expected. I do think we will make it to the playoffs, however, I do not know that we will make it past the first round but if we do I don't expect us to go further than the second round. I think next season will be our season to really go deep.”
 
Dickson says he still believes he can be a big player for Malmo all season long. “You always want to win and help your team. It's easy to want to play well when you have a great team and management behind you. You want to win for the guys you are working with or for. I want to be able to contribute to my team and help us win games and the only way to do that is to play my best.”
 
However, the most underrated part of Dickson’s game is his 200-foot aspect. Throughout his VHLM Career, he was always a plus and had a career Plus/Minus rating of 79 in the VHLM. He also had the defensive skills to stand up and play against the VHLM’s best lines. It is currently looking like Malmo is a contender for the S73 Continental Cup, and I can certainly say that Dickson will be a big part of Malmo’s push for a championship.
 
 
 

S73 Donation
Transaction ID: 61873530DY918615J
 All claim immediately
5 Uncapped TPE
Doubles Week
1 Million $ player store

Transaction ID: 50R49938UL350660V
Free Week
5 TPE Uncapped

SUMMARY

Oh boy, where shall I begin?
 
After the rollercoaster expansion and entry drafts, James Rose did find himself in some kind of see-saw limbo.
 
"At first, I had my heart set to play a third season in Houston", said Rose.  :Last season, with the team notching only ten wins, I wanted one last shot at a title".
 
Having been drafted by Helsinki in the 3rd round in season 72, he was left unprotected, unknowing to him.  He was selected by the London United during the expansion draft.
 
"It was a whirlwind moment!" he exclaimed.  "I understood the situation in Helsinki, with many retiring players, it made sense only after the fact that they had to protect their entire VHL roster.  I have an opportunity to gain valuable experience now and share a locker room with experienced guys and fresh blood.  It really feels like I fit in nicely here.  The management team welcomed me and told me I can be a huge part of this new franchise, and I can call London home now.  There are no hard feelings for anyone anywhere."
 
With his happy-go-lucky attitude, Rose showed up to training camp recently and impressed the staff, giving him top line minutes and tons of responsibility.  "Its a different vibe here" said Rose.  "Kinda like a group of misfits trying to find their place in the league.  I've taken some "me time" during training camp to visit some landmarks and attractions, like Buckingham palace, Piccadilly circus and the Big Ben.  During training camp in Helsinki last season, I wore a jacket, barely understood anyone and drove around in a Subaru, sliding in the snow.  While all that was fun, I stayed primarily within the nucleus of the team, learning from the veterans and the systems, trying my best to keep up!!  Haha it was a first for me, so I tried to soak it all in.  This time around, I know what I'm doing much more clearly."
 
At the moment of this writing, he has recorded two assists in three losses, ranking second in the league in blocked shots.
 
"I think this season will be quite a challenge, but hey I've bounced around to more teams than the two seasons I've been playing in the league." said Rose.  "Maybe due to expansion, the league is a more diluted talent pool.  I'm craving every chance I get to make a serious name for myself.  I get to play against everyone, that's going to make me much better, much quicker!"

Over the weekend the Titans held a team-wide vote for team captaincy. It was a tight battle from start to finish, including a three way tie for a good portion of the process. I believe this accurately displays the tight knit group we have here. At the end of the day it is just a letter on a jersey but the results presented a wide variety of deserving candidates. With that being said, the Helsinki Titans are proud to announce their captains for season 73;
 
Captain: Erik Summers @Erik Summers
Assistant Captain: Valtteri Vaakanainen @Jubo07
Assistant Captain: Erik Draven @Jbeezy76

Season 73 VHL Expansion Draft
Date: Monday, July 13th, 2020   |   Time: 20:00 EDT
 
Welcome, everyone, to the Season 73 VHL Expansion Draft. For the first time in VHL History, there will be four (4) teams involved in an expansion, as we raise our league's team count to sixteen (16), double the number of teams we started with! The Draft Order is as follows, and GMs will begin making their picks in roughly 1.5hrs. Enjoy, and good luck to the league's newest teams!
 
 London United: C - Jay Jones (RIG)  Chicago Phoenix: S73 VHL Entry Draft Slot A (7)  Warsaw Predators: C - Arthur Dayne (NYA)  Los Angeles Stars: LW - Markus Nygren (SEA)  Los Angeles Stars: S73 VHL Entry Draft Slot B (8)  Warsaw Predators: S73 VHL Entry Draft Compensation Pick - 21 Overall  Chicago Phoenix: LW - Squirrely dan (VAN)  London United: D - James Rose (HSK)  London United: RW - Guy Lesieur (DCD)  Chicago Phoenix: S73 VHL Entry Draft Compensation Pick - 22 Overall  Warsaw Predators: D - Alex Bridges (DAV)  Los Angeles Stars: LW - Sigard Gunnar (CAL)  Los Angeles Stars: S73 VHL Entry Draft Compensation Pick - 23 Overall  Warsaw Predators: S73 VHL Entry Draft Compensation Pick - 24 Overall  Chicago Phoenix: S74 VHL Entry Draft Compensation Pick - 21 Overall  London United: RW - Keith Krestanovich (MOS)  London United: S74 VHL Entry Draft Compensation Pick - 22 Overall  Chicago Phoenix: LW - Adam Syreck (PRG)  Warsaw Predators: S74 VHL Entry Draft Compensation Pick - 23 Overall  Los Angeles Stars: LW - Gary Neal (MAL)  Los Angeles Stars: S74 VHL Entry Draft Compensation Pick - 24 Overall  Warsaw Predators: S73 VHL Entry Draft Slot C (10)  Chicago Phoenix: RW - Vladimir Shaposhnikov (TOR)  London United: S73 VHL Entry Draft Slot D (11)

1. Every game is so important to win.
2. Its gonna be tough series for both teams, thats for sure.
3. Can't pick one, all the guys has been doing a great job.
4. Scoring 60 goals was pretty crazy haha.
5. I honestly don't care. I know that we can beat every team.
6. Passing, i think.

A strong series from the Hounds. Mississauga fans should be optimistic about next season and beyond that.
 
What a great team effort from the Reapers throughout this series. Goals from 10 different players. 6 players averaging a point per game or more. If we keep up this full team effort no one can stop us! #FearTheReaper
 

Note: This article was written before the first round of simulations occurring on 6/27/20
 
Hello, and welcome to the first edition of a new season of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 
Make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! 
 
Ringless | VSN Weekly Review | VSN Australia | Talents Behind The Trophies
 
The Review
 
Another regular season has come and gone, and it is time we head into the playoffs! Who will be crowned this season’s Founder’s Cup Champions? Will it be our Prime Minister’s Cup-winning Minnesota Storm? Or will it be a plucky underdog, taking out the big teams on their route to immortality? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out! Without further ado, let’s dive into our regular season review and see just how the end of the season shook out.
 


The aforementioned Minnesota Storm lead the league as they have for a while now, ensuring the number one overall spot heading into the playoffs. They will be matching up in the first round against the Miami Marauders, who make the playoffs as one of the league-wide wildcard spots. The second overall Saskatoon Wild will go up against the next wildcard of the Ottawa Lynx. Following this is the Theusch Division winners of the Philadelphia Reapers, who will be playing the Mississauga Hounds. The final matchup of the first round will be between the Mexico City Kings and the Las Vegas Aces, two teams which finished with just a point between them, the Kings advancing with their additional three overtime losses, despite their wins being one fewer than the Aces. Missing out on the playoffs we have Halifax 21st, the Yukon Rush, the San Diego Marlins, and the Houston Bulls. Good luck next season!
 
Let’s post the ELO chart one final time, and with those statistics in mind, dive into the first round preview!
 

 

First Round Preview
 
Minnesota Storm (1) vs Miami Marauders (8)
 
Certainly, making the playoffs in their inaugural season is cause for celebration in Miami, but is it crazy to think they have a chance in upsetting Cup contenders in Minnesota? In their regular-season matchups, while the Storm were able to score consistently against the Marauders, Miami also caused Minnesota some trouble of their own, conceding the most goals against of any regular-season series. Granted, there were eight games played against each other compared to some 5 or 7 game series, but ultimately it is clear that the Marauders can do some damage to the solid Minnesota defence, as evidenced by them beating the Storm in 3 of 8 matches. Not a majority, but good enough to not write a surprise victory off! 
 
The Storm relies on a host of depth talent, with top goalscorer in the league Ike Bennet providing a real threat in front of the net. While Bennet is the only member in the top 10 players in the league for points, the whole team produces, as evidenced by their league-leading 345 goals scored. This season, VHLM vet Mickey Dickson has stepped up to the plate, reaching a career-high of 95 points, while defensemen Liam Flaten sits at third in the league for defensemen with 111 points. The Marauders rely on a studded blue line themselves, with Kosmo Kramerev and Wolf Stansson at first and third on their roster for points. They are particularly strong at the centre position, with Dakota Lamb and Andre Lebastard reaching third and sixth in the league for points scored by centres. 
 
Saskatoon Wild (2) vs Ottawa Lynx (7)
 
Our next series will pit the Corcoran Division champions Saskatoon Wild against the Ottawa Lynx. The Lynx finished the regular season last in their division, but their division was the strongest of any, with the highest total points between their three teams. The Wild should feel strong going into this matchup, which they are heavily favoured in after winning all six of their regular-season matchups against the Lynx, including one shootout win. The Wild scored more against the Lynx than any team not named Houston or San Diego, and are looking to continue this trend. 
 
The Lynx are not likely to go down without a fight, but a lot will be riding on their rookie goaltender Ajay Krishna to carry the team as their highest TPA player, after their midseason firesale to Philadelphia. Saskatoon, on the other hand, has a host of top talent, including four players at the cap. Their top centre, Lucas Brandt, will be looking to lead the line along with the team’s highest goalscorer Timothy Brown whose 58 goals is tied for fourth in the league. Tyler Walker is tied for the league lead in assists and is vital in moving the puck around for those scoring opportunities. As shown in the ELO charts, the Wild are top contenders along with Minnesota, as they made up the difference, each with essentially the same ELO by the end of the season. 
 
Philadelphia Reapers (3) vs Mississauga Hounds (6)
 
The Philadelphia Reapers were on a bit of a run there to end the season. With 26 games remaining, they moved for Ottawa’s big stars of Adam Syreck, DeFenz Mann, and Big Chungus, as well as Rich Dickbutt McFudderdudder for some very solid depth, to complement their already star-studded roster. The Reapers have an incredible six capped players and are looking very dangerous on both ends. They have four of the top 10 players in the league for points, including Adam Syreck and Bob Helminen leading the pack with the top two slots, and those two are joined by Big Chungus’s 61 goals, good for second in the league. With all that power it seems difficult for the Mississauga Hounds to mount a challenge, but not impossible.
 
The odds are certainly stacked against them, as the Reapers have shown they can consistently beat the Hounds, winning six times while only losing twice, though each team won once in a shootout. One thing in the Hound’s favour is their own ability to score, and while they might not be exactly favoured in a shooting gallery, it might be their best chance. Other than the Minnesota Storm, the Hounds were the team that scored the most on the Reapers, although they did have three more games to do it in compared to the Aces and Kings, for example. Led by right-winger Michael Mac, the Hounds have a competitive roster, with a lot of balanced scoring options. Their goaltender Jacob Tonn will be very important in seeing how far they can go; the capped netminder had a relatively poor regular season compared to his ability, but if he turns it up in the playoffs the Hounds have the opportunity to go far. 
 
Mexico City Kings (4) vs Las Vegas Aces (5)
 
Finally, we come to the closest out of all the first-round matchups, with the Mexico City Kings taking on the Las Vegas Aces. Despite the Kings maintaining a steady ELO lead, they have never really widened the gap since they split apart around their 45th game of the season. This is the only match in which the lower-seeded team might actually be favoured. Despite the Kings coming away with one more point in the regular season, thanks to their extra overtime losses, the Aces were the team that narrowly took the regular-season matchup. The two teams went three regular time wins apiece, but the Aces took two additional matches in the shootout, giving them a 5-3 edge. Additionally, they scored almost identically, with the Aces once more narrowly taking the lead, 22 goals to 20. 
 
The Kings don’t have many statistical leaders on their team but are built to last with all of their players up and down the roster getting on the score sheet. Chris Hylands is their top guy with 107 points, while their goaltender is Zamboni Driver, a strong performer that is looking to improve on his play in last season’s playoffs that saw his team lose in the second round. Their field general of Viktor Alexei Kamenov is integral to their play, leading the team in assists from the blue line along with Chance Rust on the second pair. The Aces have a little bit more star power, with the top assist man in the league, Alex Letang, leading their blue line (he is tied for first with 94 assists). Gregg Stallion and Jeff Blaze, each with 49 goals, are lethal in front of the net, and will be key in this series. Additionally, the Aces have strong depth options, having attracted a number of midseason signings of players from reputable agencies whose skills will help to even the playing field in the playoffs. 
 
 
That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!
 
Players Mentioned: @Caboose30, @Brewins15, @flatl99, @Mongoose87, @ahockeyguy, @dlamb, @Andre LeBastard, @Hooperorama, @twists, @a_Ferk, @Advantage, @Spade18, @Mike, @Ferda, @Weretarantula, @Big Bob, @LastOneUp, @MexicanCow123, @Hylands33, @Tape-to-Tape, @BigTittySmitty, @turkey2349, @Spartan, @SweatyBeaver, @NyQuil
 
VSN Writer Mr_Hatter

I am the poster child for welfare players.
 
take that rest of the VHLM

Hello, and welcome to season 72, edition 4 of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!

Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more!
 
Ringless | VSN Weekly Review | WJC Update | Deep Rewind
 
The Review
Well into the season now, and things are really starting to clear up for our teams in the VHLM. The standings are, anyway - there’s been an ongoing debate about what the playoff format should be after the expansion Miami Marauders have raised the team count to 12. While strictly on performance, the Marauders themselves should be worthy of a playoff spot, the conference they’re in is stronger than that of the Yukon Rush, who have fewer points but are in as things stand. This will surely have to be looked into at the end of the season, but for now, we have what we have.
 

 
Standings-wise, things are fairly simple now. The Minnesota Storm have really pulled away as the top team overall, a total of 107 points at this stage is particularly impressive. The best of the west title seems to be relatively settled as well, and it will be going to the Saskatoon Wild barring a late-season collapse. In fact, the only real playoff race we have left at this stage is for home ice between the Las Vegas Aces and Mexico City Kings, and that likely won’t make much difference either way as they’ll just end up facing each other in a playoff series. The better team will prove itself the hard way out of those two. The Philadelphia Reapers sit in a sort of no man’s land, definitely contenders and will be favoured to get out of at least one series but will have to pull some upsets (or have upsets pulled elsewhere) to come home with the cup.
 
Both the Mississauga Hounds and Ottawa Lynx are strong, competitive teams that just don’t quite seem to have enough to climb up into that top tier. Mississauga, in particular, were on the heels of Philadelphia last time out, but what was once a two-point gap has blossomed to 14. The Miami Marauders, Halifax 21st, and Yukon Rush have enough about them to always be a threat in a game, even if they come out on the losing end more often than not. Then there is the expected fall to the bottom teams, the San Diego Marlins and Houston Bulls, who are surely just playing for pride at this point. 
 
What does all of this look like in the ELO chart? Have things spread out similarly there, or is there still a cluster of teams in the upper-middle of the chart? Let’s take a look at the chart as it stands and see what effect the most recent games have had.
 

 
One noteworthy thing that was mentioned in a previous edition of Under 250 was the placement of Las Vegas’ line on the ELO chart. They’re still only the 6th line now, but at least their recent upward swing has pulled them close to the lines of the Reapers, Hounds, and Kings, respectively. Plus, they’re now tied for 4th in the standings so having the 6th line isn’t as far from where they’d expect to be. In the same cluster of lines, but performing more highly in ELO compared to the standings, are the Mississauga Hounds. A clear 6th in the standings, well back of the Aces and Kings, surprisingly the Hounds find themselves above both in ELO. In fact, it’s only been within the last few games where Philadelphia’s line has pulled away from that of Mississauga. 
 
The steady decline in ELO of the Ottawa Lynx stands out as another particularly unusual trend - in the standings, they haven’t really moved. They’ve been in 7th for much of the season, and closer to 6th than 8th. Early on, they had been bouncing around with some of the teams in the cluster above them, but for a while now they’ve been pretty settled. On the ELO chart, however, their line has just continued to fall this whole time, and two unexpected things are true of the Lynx at this stage. The first is that ELO seems to consider them closer to the streaking Marauders than any of the teams above them, and by a good margin; the standings do not bear this out, but it’s interesting to note. The second is that they’ve dipped below the starting point of 1000, and trajectory-wise seem likely to be there for good. They’ve been fairly consistently above it all season, with a brief stop on the wrong side around the 36 game mark, but considering the angle the line has taken since about game 51, it doesn’t appear as though they’ll see the better side of 1000 the rest of the way. 
 
At the bottom of the chart, the Marlins and Bulls seem to be levelling out. This makes sense, as a loss by either of them would be expected, and therefore shouldn’t tip the scales a great deal, unless the margin is particularly high. Just above that, it looks as though Yukon may pass Halifax by the end of the season. This would be noteworthy since, despite their proximity in the standings, it was back in the single-digit game days when Yukon was last above Halifax in ELO. The gap has been tight but fairly consistent for some time now, but both are on trajectories where they may meet back up. 
 
The Highlights
There have been some interesting trends in the last 10 games played for each team - strong showings as expected from the Storm, Wild, and Reapers, with 8-2-0, 8-1-1, and 9-0-1, respectively. The most surprising result is that of the Las Vegas Aces. Despite their nudge upward in ELO, their last 10 is only a modest 5-4-1. This is a team tied for fourth yet only going .500 recently. Among the teams outperforming the Aces in their last 10, surprisingly the expansion Marauders have put together a solid late run and have trended upward with a 6-4-0. The only other real standout in this particular category comes from the last place Houston Bulls, who despite only 5 wins in 62, have won twice in the last 10. 
 
In terms of individual performances, this season has been the Adam Syreck show. 133 points in 62 games is more than 2/game on average and is also 18 points clear of his next closest competitor. In fact, tied for second is Syreck’s Philadelphia teammate, Bob Helminen with 115, and it’s likely the two have worked together for a lot of those points. The highest non-Reaper is Lucas Brandt of Saskatoon, also with 115. In addition to topping the total points chart, Syreck also leads in assists with 81, although he’s much more closely followed there by Alex Letang with 79, Tyler Walker with 78, and King Kruul with 76. Helminen, on the other hand, is tied for the league lead in goals with yet another Reaper, Big Chungus - both have 55. Ike Bennett closely follows with 54, Lucas Brandt with 53, and Syreck pops up once more in 5th with 52. 
 
There are a few other stats with a runaway leader as strong as Syreck is in points, however. Fat Palloon has been the shot-blocking king this season with 190, 39 ahead of his nearest competitor. Big Chungus, who popped up a few times in the point charts, has done a lot of his work on the power play - his 25 power-play goals are 8 ahead of 2nd, and the rest of the pack tightens up behind him so strongly that 2nd is only 4 goals ahead of 10th. Lucas Brandt, on the other hand, has taken advantage of the extra ice space when his team has been down a player. Shorthanded goals tend to be rare to begin with, so Brandt’s 5 stands out among a field where only one other player has more than 2. Finally, the current point-scoring streak is led by Tyler Walker with an impressive 8. Defenz Mann has 6, and after that, there are 7 players each with 5, so in comparison, Walker’s 8 stands out. 
 
That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!
GMs: @Rayzor_7 @Sonnet @DoktorFunk @Ricer13 @MexicanCow123 @iRockstar @Dil @ColeMrtz @Spartan @Motzaburger @McWolf @DMaximus

Players mentioned: @Spade18 @Advantage @Mike @twists @Caboose30 @Ferda @LefLop @Big Bob @UnkemptCL4PTP

FINAL UPDATE: Donations have been submitted to both the ACLU and Spirit North. I want to take this time to once again thank everyone for their generosity, and express how proud we are of the community as a whole.
 
The Community perks (Doubles Week + 5 Uncapped TPE) for hitting our goals of $500 and $2000, respectively, will be claimable until the end of Season 73 Theme Week.
 
 

Welcome back to Future Watch, where we analyse the prospect pools of each VHL team! In the last article, we covered the North American Conference. This week, we will shift our focus to the European Conference. Without further ado, let’s get to it.
 

 
PRAGUE PHANTOMS | 6th in EU | 9th Overall
Top Prospect: Woody McPine - S71 3rd Round (35)
 
Prague saw both of their prospects from last season return to the VHLM in S72, and has added two more. Leading the way for the newcomers is third-rounder Riley Knight Gee. The 5’10” defenseman is a solid player at both ends of the ice and has produced at just over a point-per-game rate over his whole VHLM career to date. His TPE earning has varied a lot in his career so far, mostly because he doesn’t earn an overwhelming amount of capped TPE, but he takes advantage of any uncapped opportunities that present themselves to him. Also new to the organization is Ernie King, who is an interesting prospect. After joining pretty late in the season, King had two productive weeks, earning 23 TPE in that time frame. Following that, he went inactive for two weeks, and only claimed 1 TPE in the next week after that. But then he came back, and seemed back on track, until going inactive yet again for the past two weeks. He could be an intriguing prospect if he finds any regularity in his TPE earning, but hasn’t shown the ability to do so yet.
 
Returning from last season’s Future Watch are S71 draftees Woody McPine and Jack John. McPine is a VHL-ready goaltender having an amazing run with Minnesota this season. His record of 40-5-1 is truly unbelievable, displaying his ability to lock it down when his teammates need it most. He had a brief dip in activity not long ago but is back on track to becoming quite possibly a VHL starter. John is exactly where we thought he would be last time we checked in on him, as his impressive steadiness in earning TPE has remained intact. He has seen much growth in his game this season, already setting career-highs in goals and points, as well as tying his records of assists and hits. This is with 26 games remaining too. 
 
Lastly, we have the recently acquired Adam Syreck. Leading the VHLM in points, Syreck is an offensive monster who has torn up the league for two seasons now. With over 350 career points in the minors, Syreck will look to replicate that success with Prague next season with his VHL-ready status. He consistently earns around 7 TPE per week from welfare and practice facility. Prague’s group doesn’t have a crazy amount of upside but will produce some quality players for the future.
 

 
RIGA REIGN | 5th in EU | 7th Overall
Top Prospect: DeFenz Mann - S72 2nd Round (18)
 
Riga’s farm system is one of immense depth at both the centre and defence positions. They have two VHL-ready prospects, and one of them has returned from last season’s Future Watch. That would be JaredN, an S70 draft pick who has steadily made his way to the VHLM’s TPA cap over the past few seasons. He doesn’t have tremendous upside but will provide some high-quality scoring depth for the Reign. The Canadian centre is in the top 10 in scoring in the VHLM in S72 with 84 points, which is a big improvement on what was already a breakout season in S71. DeFenz Mann finds himself in the same boat as JaredN, at least in the sense that they are both waiting for their shot at the VHL level. Mann leads all defencemen in points this season and is following up an incredible S71 performance with possibly an even better one. He earns around 13-14 TPE per week most commonly but can add onto that as well. He is definitely one to keep a watch out for.
 
After picking DeFenz Mann, Riga would later have two back-to-back third-round picks in the S72 Draft, with which they picked Jay Jones and Bobby Wyman. Wyman is an active member in the EFL and SBA, displaying his experience in sim leagues. His TPE output fluctuates a fair amount, but ultimately he’s still earning enough to be successful. He is a mean two-way defender with a physical edge, which is nice to see in a young player. Jones is also a decent two-way player, but he really shines in the offensive zone, where he’s able to put on a show with his versatile skill set. He also sees his TPE output fluctuate a bit, but usually, he doesn’t fall below 10 in a week.
 
There are some less active players in this organization who could be of importance down the line, and as the trend seems to be, one is a centre and the other is a defenceman. The centre is Cassius Gardner, who has struggled to find any regularity in his TPE earning. However, he can claim 6 TPE from welfare due to his SBA activity, so if he can build on that, he could be a really nice piece for the Reign. On the blueline, we have Joe Jacks, who was earning 6 TPE every week, before dropping heavily in activity over the past few weeks. He could potentially be a good depth piece if he gets back to where he was, but as of lately the signs haven’t been too encouraging. Riga has a decent group with plenty of depth, which is nice to see.
 
 
 
MALMO NIGHTHAWKS | 4th in EU | 4th Overall
Top Prospect: Chris Hylands - S72 2nd Round (14)
 
In contrast to the Reign, Malmo does not have much depth at all, especially with the departure of Adam Syreck. However, depth isn’t all that makes a good prospect pool. What the Nighthawks have is star potential. Their only two active prospects are undeniable stars in the making and have been trending upward for some time now.
 
We’ll start with their top prospect, in my opinion, Chris Hylands. Hylands was selected by Malmo in the second round of the S72 draft and has continued the tear he was on leading up to his draft. He is an extremely flexible player, in the sense that his skill set is adaptable to however the team needs him the most. He can score, set up plays, and break up plays coming the other way. He has established himself in the community with his job here at VSN and is a must-watch for the future.
 
Six picks before Hylands, defender Viktor Alexei Kamenov heard his name called by the very same Malmo Nighthawks. Although I have him ranked lower than Hylands, it is no slight to Kamenov, who has been earning TPE at an almost unbelievably high rate for a while too. He and Hylands have been somewhat similar prospects, rising in the draft rankings around the same time, and finding their current jobs around the same time as well. BigTittySmitty has found his place in the community with scouting, which I can relate to. His series “A Sit With Tit on VHSC” has been a hit so far, and his future looks both secure and bright.
 
 
 
HC DAVOS DYNAMO | 3rd in EU | 3rd Overall
Top Prospect: Mickey Dickson - S71 3rd Round (25)
 
Davos returns this season with a similar boatload of prospects, though this group doesn’t necessarily have the same upside as it did a season ago. With the sheer volume of players here though, you are bound to have some valuable players come out of it.
 
The team has two players who are ready for the big league, one of whom I believe to be the team’s top prospect. That player is Mickey Dickson, who recently made noise around the league with an article about the importance of treating girls no differently than boys in VHL locker rooms. Outside of that article, Brewins15 has been a relatively quiet member on the forums but has been putting in the work behind the scenes extremely consistently. 10 TPE per week is just about a guarantee, and because of that, Dickson has seen steady and encouraging growth for a long time now. Also, VHL-ready is winger Big Chungus, who has been decreasing inactivity lately. Following the S71 Draft, Chungus quickly proved himself to be a huge steal for his draft slot and had a fantastic VHLM season with Ottawa. He is on pace to improve his goal total this season as well, even after the team lost last season’s MVP,  Richard Penisson. If Chungus could just get back to where he was a mere four weeks ago, he goes from a decent prospect to possibly Davos’ best.
 
With two second-round picks in the S72 Draft, Davos elected to choose forwards Joe Exotic and Jer Lefebvre. Joe Exotic is bordering on inactive at this point, but could be a thrilling prospect for the Dynamo should he return. Lefebvre was a bit of a reach at his draft position at the time of the draft but has wasted no time at all in proving his worth to anyone who doubted him. He has earned 69 TPE in under four weeks since the draft and is putting up some nice numbers in the VHLM.
 
Consistency is one of the most common issues for less active prospects, as not everyone has the time or willingness to update every week. Gino Alkamino has flirted with inactivity many times but has ultimately stuck around for three VHLM seasons now. The tendency for his activity to go up and down leads me to believe there isn’t a ton of upside here, but he could definitely be a solid depth piece at the VHL level as long as his activity outweighs his inactivity. Someone who’s had these same habits for even longer than Alkamino is King Kruul. He goes inactive for weeks at a time but never seems to walk away entirely from the league. Being an S69 prospect, his potential is not very high, but he could also serve as a depth piece if he can bring his TPE from 217 to 250 soon enough.
 
In the fourth round of the S72 Draft, Davos seems to have found a lot of success. They picked Turner McHugh with the 37th pick, and he has been exactly what they hoped for. McHugh is a skilful playmaker, which are less common in today’s VHL. His skating and vision stand out the most, and hopefully, they can translate to success at a higher level of play. The team followed McHugh’s selection with American defenceman Chance Rust. This season, Rust returned for his second World Junior Championship, and unfortunately fell to Team Europe in the finals. Rust is a great puck-moving defenceman and will be a solid addition to the Dynamo’s blueline once he reaches the VHL. One more S72 fourth-round pick has become a player to keep an eye on, and that would be Jared Willis. He went from earning 2-6 TPE per week prior to the draft, to an average of 13 since then. His draft position may cause him to have a lower profile than most, but his promise is up there with some of the names taken above him.
 
While it isn’t a player’s dream to go in the fourth round, some would consider them lucky. Multiple prospects go undrafted each season and need to get themselves noticed by VHL teams in order to get a contract to keep their dream alive. Davos has two of these players, being Riley Walker and Trey Nets. Neither of them have been too active lately, but Trey Nets specifically has shown VHL promise early in his career. He left a comment on last season’s Future Watch, explaining that he had to step away from the league for a bit due to some terrible circumstances and that he would be back soon. We here at VSN are rooting for you, and wish you the best moving forward.
 

 
HELSINKI TITANS | 2nd in EU | 2nd Overall
Top Prospect: Spencer Elsby - S72 2nd Round (17)
 
Helsinki saw a big change in the structure of their prospect pool this season. Last season, the draw of their group was the number of decent players who were almost VHL-ready. Well, those players have moved on to the VHL, and now this group has had a complete identity shift. The thing about the active prospects in this system is that each one has shown notable potential. Starting off with the highest potential player, we have my VSN Scouting partner, Spencer Elsby. Elsby has a job as the AGM of Philadelphia, and one as a scout and writer for VSN. As far as his player is concerned, he is unquestionably among the top prospects league-wide. He is approaching 300 TPE and has made his mark on the ice as a premium two-way defender with the potential to quarterback a powerplay. Elsby is a big part of Helsinki’s future and adds onto an already exciting group of defencemen.
 
Also selected in the S72 draft were Zamboni Driver and James Rose. Zamboni Driver seems to be on pace to become Helsinki’s starter one day with his recent increase in productivity TPE-wise. He has been a quality goaltender for two seasons in the VHLM now and has already produced a great VHL player with Joey Boucher. Rose has been earning nicely as well and seems to be yet another fine defenceman in this prospect pool. I would say he is more of a two-way defender with a versatile offensive tool kit and a good mind for the game. Both of these players just back up the idea that the S72 Draft was an absolute slam dunk for this Helsinki team, and will fuel them in the future.
 
Taking a trip back to the previous draft, Bob Helminen and Hex Valentine make their returns to this list in S72. Last season, I called Valentine and Ike Bennett wildcards for the Titans, as Valentine had just come back from a long stretch of inactivity, and Bennett had just gone inactive. This label proved to be accurate, as one ended up inactive, and the other one is still around. Valentine is quite possibly poised to be the backup to Driver if everything stays how it is now, given that his period of inactivity has made it difficult to catch up with his peers. Helminen is back as well, though he certainly won’t be next season. A VHL-ready prospect, the Finnish winger is currently pushing for a goal-per-game average on the season. He has earned his TPE very steadily over the course of time, not necessarily blowing anyone away with it, but proving his reliability. Overall, Helsinki has some nice pieces at all positions and a good foundation for the future with this unit.
 

 
MOSCOW MENACE | 1st in EU | 1st Overall
Top Prospect: Alex Letang - S72 1st Round (11)
 
Moscow’s prospect pool is one with undeniable promise, and the one that I truly believe is at the top of the VHL. Headlining this group are two first-round picks in the S72 VHL Draft, being Lucas Brandt and Alex Letang. Brandt is a centre with close to 300 TPE, and an amazing ability to put the puck in the net seemingly at will. The amount of ground he’s been able to make up on the other stars of his draft class has been a sight to see, considering how late he joined in relation to the majority of them. Letang was recently named Las Vegas’ GM after the resignation of Proto, and also holds a job as an updater. He is a defenceman with high upside on both ends of the ice and is with Brandt on the road to VHL stardom.
 
On the trade front, Moscow has been extremely active in obtaining prospects over the past season. Most recently was Kazimir Komarov, who we actually covered in this season’s North American Future Watch. Komarov has a rich family history, some untapped potential, but also some struggles with consistency. They have also received two S72 draftees, one of which was directly after the draft. Remy Moreau would be that player, and he has inspired a lot of confidence since the deal. A period of inactivity dropped Moreau’s draft stock, but with five consecutive weeks of 12+ TPE, he seems to have left that in the past. Acquired from Davos, Michael Hall makes up the other half of S72 draftees traded to the Menace. Hall has been reliable in his weekly TPE output, with at least 8 TPE in all except his first week. He’s on pace for a second straight 30 goal season in the VHLM, and could even push for 40. He’s a goal scorer at heart, with a great release and some remarkable skating ability. He, along with the other two acquired by trades, is on track to become important parts of this team should their activity stay up.
 
In terms of their own success at the S72 VHL Draft, this team had it in abundance, especially in the later rounds. Kicking off their later picks is Keith Krestanovich, who they chose early in the third round. Krestanovich earns a base of 8 TPE per week and frequently adds onto that as well. His player is a quality sniper with a lot of offensive potentials, but his defensive game is lacking. Moving on, Moscow then picked Cole Newhook later in that same round. Newhook was a late joiner, and only really hit his stride in the league after the draft. Now, he is one of the most active members on the forums and earning far more TPE than ever before. There is legitimate star potential here if everything goes right, which is rarely said for a third-rounder. With the second last pick in the draft, the Menace struck gold yet again with Pietro Angellini. This is another player with star potential, and who only showed that after the draft. He excels in protecting the puck down low and taking it to the net as much as possible. He went from earning 37 TPE over his first 8 weeks, to suddenly earning 89 over the next 4. Hopefully, all these prospects can keep it up because there is an almost unfathomable amount of upside to this group.
 
That concludes another season of Future Watch. I wish the best for all these prospects, and hope to see you at the VHL level soon!
 
Here at VSN, there are many outlets for you to follow these prospects yourself. Consider catching up on the WJC with daily updates, or seeing if any of them are making noise in the minors with VHLM Weekly! Here is some of VSN’s most recent work:
WJC Updates | Deep Rewind | VHL Weekly | VHLM Weekly
 
Players mentioned: @KnightRiley @Greg Ernest @HearnNation67 @GoadenGoalie35 @Spade18 @jared @Mike @TTtheT @Lefty_S @jhatty8 @ashton112 @Hylands33 @BigTittySmitty @Brewins15 @Ferda @Joe Exotic @Jer_Lefebvre @ChaceT @LefLop @Turner @turkey2349 @Jared Willis @GlowyGoat @KillaScrilla @Spence King @Tape-to-Tape @MattyIce @Big Bob @DrHexDex @twists @Spartan @Gooningitup @Da Trifecta @Hops @Boragina @GrittyIsKing09 @okifenoki

Ottawa receives:
S74 PHI 1st
S73 PHI 3rd
S73 PHI 1st

Philadelphia receives:
DeFenz Mann
Big Chungus


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

I like this theme week, although it does seem similar to the unsung hero theme week from S69. Regardless I welcome any opportunity to talk about the great players on the Philadelphia Reapers. I’m going to highlight some of the first gen players on the Reaper roster.
 
Bob Helminen @Big Bob – Bob signed with Halifax right at the start of S71 and started performing at an elite level immediately.  He averaged over a point a game as a first gen waiver signing. Philly was able to draft him 18th overall in the S71 draft. He has been a model Reaper ever since. His on-ice performance speaks for itself, over 100 points last season and on pace for over 125 this season. His warm positive personality keeps Reaper spirits high between our soul harvesting runs.
 
Jer Lefebvre @Jer_Lefebvre – Jer joined the league in the middle of S71 and signed with Houston. Much to the consternation of the draft stream due to not being able to pronounce his name, Philly drafted him 19th overall in the S72 draft. Jer quickly got to work on his player, displaying his best quality, tireless work on his craft. His dedication has paid off as evidenced by him recording over a point a game. He’s proven he can be a top line center not only in the minors but in the big leagues as well.
 
Spencer Elsby @Spence King – Spencer joined after the S70 trade deadline, signing with Mississauga. He barely got a taste of hockey before the season ended. As an unknown player, he fell in the S71 draft to 35th overall. He may turn out to be the biggest steal in Reaper draft history, rivaled only by consummate pro Charlie Paddywagon who was drafted 47th overall by Philly. I don’t know the precise moment, if it was hearing his name called on draft day, or putting on the Reaper jersey for the first time, or stepping on to the ice at the Crematorium; but something clicked with Spence and he knew he was meant to be a Reaper. He’s the ideal defenseman, blending skill with raw power and athleticism. He’s on pace to have over a point a game this season. Even more important than that are his off-ice contributions. His passion, energy, and love for the Reapers is unparalleled. Working with him on the team is undoubtedly a highlight of my GM career.
 
Turner McHugh @Turner – Turner joined mid S71 and signed with HOU. He jumped right into things, notching 32 points in 45 games. This drew the attention of the Reaper scouts and we picked him up with the 31st pick in the S72 draft. Just like he did in Houston, he immediately started performing on the ice. A selfless player who makes everyone else on the ice better. His perfectly timed passes from anywhere on the ice are a thing of beauty. The Reaper organization and fans are excited to watch him continue to grow.
 
John Poremba @CrlineDijohn14 – John signed with Houston right before the start of S71. It was a difficult season, but John showed he could be a starting goalie for any team in the league. His workhorse mentality is exactly what you look for in a goalie. John shows up, gets to work, and stays working for longer than anyone else. His tireless effort pays dividends as he is now a top tier goalie with a fantastic 7 shutouts so for this season. He is expected to be the top goalie in the VHLM next season, if he chooses to return to the minors.
 
Thank you to everyone in this list! You, along with the other Reaper players, are what make GMing this team such a pleasure. #FearTheReaper.

Hello, and welcome to season 72, edition 2 of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 
Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! 
 
Ringless | VSN Weekly Review | Future Watch | Talents Behind The Trophies
 
The Review
 
This week’s biggest story is arguably the most newsworthy thing to happen to the VHLM in quite some time. One of the league commissioners, @Banackock, a man I worked personally alongside for several seasons, is no longer in the role. The issues and reasoning that have resulted in this outcome are beyond the scope of this article at this time, but it is surely a watershed moment for the league as the torch is passed from one of the standard-bearers of the league and a beacon of stability. He was, as we know, a bit of a firebrand, but none can question the amount of work he put into the league to make it what it is now. 
 
As a result of this departure, a quick hire was made to fill the vacancy, and while there are certainly many qualified candidates, the position has been filled by @Sonnet, current GM of the Houston Bulls. This was his second stint with the team, and it has proven to be a brief one, as he will be stepping down from the role at the end of the season. For the time being, he will occupy both positions, and the replacement GM will be found when the current Bulls season is complete. Sonnet will surely bring a fresh perspective to the leadership of the VHLM, and surely a voice coming directly from the GM ranks can only be a good thing. The VHLM gladly welcomes Sonnet and looks forward to what is hopefully a long and fruitful tenure. 
 
Of course, while the commissioner change is the biggest event of the week, it certainly hasn’t stopped games from being played. The standings as we last presented them didn’t leave much room for the discrepancy - there was a lot of tight clumping toward the middle, and one would have been hard-pressed to pick from among a handful of teams. As the league has progressed, some things have started to spread out, whereas others have remained nearly as tight as before.
 

 
At nearly the halfway point of the season, the Minnesota Storm have pulled out of what was previously level pegging with the Las Vegas Aces, to take sole ownership of first. The Aces, on the other hand, have fallen behind the Saskatoon Wild as well. Conference-wise, the Storm lead the East by 13 points. Second is currently being held by the Mississauga Hounds but only by a single point; they and the Philadelphia Reapers were level at this point last week so given the gap is now only one, these two will likely be battling it out to the end. 
 
The Ottawa Lynx, who were also level with the Hounds and Reapers, have now fallen behind (8 to the Reapers and 9 to the Hounds) and seem to be a relatively stable fourth. The Halifax 21st have to feel a bit like the VHL’s New York Americans, as they’re out of the playoff picture by 7 points despite being ahead of a team in the other conference that would currently be in. 
 
Bringing up the rear are the expansion Miami Marauders. This isn’t terribly surprising as the Marauders are in their first season and are working with just what was available to them out of the expansion, and they’ll likely see a bit more competitive hockey down in South Beach next time out. 
 
In the West, as stated before, the Wild have overtaken the Aces. Still, the gap is a meagre 2 points, so there’s not likely to be a clear and definitive conference winner anytime soon. This race will keep the interest of fans in both Saskatoon and Las Vegas until the very end of the season. An interesting thing to note regarding the race between the Wild and Aces would be their goal differences. Saskatoon have a +90, while Las Vegas only have a +51 - this difference is almost entirely in goals for, as they’ve conceded nearly identically across the season. 
 
In third with 44 points are the Mexico City Kings, a team that doesn’t have much to play for in their own conference as there is a sizable gap on both sides in the standings, but they’ll want to fight for seeding in the playoffs, where they’re in direct competition with the Hounds and Reapers. The Yukon Rush, who sit in fourth in the West on 28 points, are the classic example of a team who will make the playoffs due less to their own ability and more to the lack of rostered players on the teams below them. They should be quite the attractive destination to waiver players, as they’re good enough to provide a playoff opportunity, yet should be able to offer larger roles to new players than those above them. 
 
Rounding out the conference are the San Diego Marlins and the Houston Bulls, two teams that will be composed almost exclusively of waiver players and looking to make a run next season, at 9 and 4 points respectively. 
 
That’s how the standings appear at the moment, but what effect has that had on the ELO ratings for the teams at this stage?
 

 
The first thing that jumps out to me about the ELO graph this time around is the gap between the Marlins and Bulls. It has only manifested itself in a 5 point differential in the standings, but the ELO chart shows the Marlins as being a pretty significantly better team than the Bulls at the bottom. Additionally, Yukon is performing worse in ELO than not only Halifax (which makes a bit more sense) but also Miami. Miami’s line took a big jump when they went on a 3 game winning streak - two of the wins were over Houston and San Diego, but the other was over an Ottawa team that’s well above them. A similar dip can be seen in Ottawa’s line at around the same point.
 
Minnesota looks to be the class of the league by a wider margin here than in the standings, and that jump in their line is likely the result of two margin of victory wins over Halifax, 10-2 and 8-0. The line for Ottawa is also seemingly closer to the teams just behind them than the teams just ahead of them, even though the standings don’t reflect that.
 
Something that wasn’t as immediately recognizable, but seems to tell a larger story, is the placement of that green line in the middle. That’s our third-place team, the Las Vegas Aces. The ELO chart only has them in a comparatively paltry 6th at the moment, while Saskatoon, who are only 2 points higher in the standings, are in 2nd in the chart which matches their place in the standings. Mexico City, the team chasing the Aces, are ahead of them in ELO, as are the Hounds and Reapers from the East. Could the ELO chart be a predictor of some unexpected movement up and down the standings from some of the unexpectedly placed teams? 
 
The Highlights
 
The top of the goals and assists leaderboards are surprisingly both players from a relatively middling Ottawa Lynx team - Big Chungus with 38 goals as more of a scoring specialist (his assists are low enough that he falls a bit back on the total points leaderboard) and Adam Syreck with 55 assists as well as the overall points lead with 78. There are only a handful of players who have broken that 70 point barrier thus far: Syreck, Kazimir Komarov, Ike Bennett, Michael Mac, and Bob Helminen, all representing different teams (Ottawa, Saskatoon, Minnesota, Mississauga, and Philadelphia, respectively). 
 
The recurring theme here, and it’s something that matches up with the ELO charts as well, is a conspicuous lack of Las Vegas representation. For a team that’s third in the standings, and with a decent lead over the 3-team chasing pack behind them, they don’t really show up as often as might be expected at the top of the scoring charts. Their top scorer is Alex Letang with 53 points - this is certainly a fine performance from Letang, especially as he’s a defender, but at the same time it’s a full 25 points behind the leader overall. It’s also saying something that their top scorer is a defender at all - where are the forwards? The first place to look is at goaltending, maybe they’re being carried from the back, but while Nils Friedriksen is doing very well in goal with a 2.24 GAA and 0.898 SV%, he’s largely in line with the other top goalies. Are these Aces paper tigers?
 
While on the topic of goaltending, there is a player that deserves to be noted for something that is rather unusual. The top of the save percentage charts one might expect to see someone like Woody McPine, Grekkark Gyrfalcon, or Zamboni Driver. Those three, along with Friedriksen, are among the top 5 in both GAA and SV%, but they also have good teams in front of them as well, to varying degrees, and that is not to take away from any of their performances either. However, the current SV% leader is none other than Jean Pierre Camus of Yukon. He’s not nearly as high on the GAA board, at a 3.49 and a full goal lower than any of the goalies listed above, but GAA is more heavily affected by the team. There is no true stat measuring just a goalie alone, but SV% is the closest thing to it, and Camus is carrying Yukon to a better performance than they otherwise might have had. It’s an interesting thing to point out, and Camus deserves credit, regardless of where his team is. 
 
That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!

GMS
@Proto @Ricer13 @Rayzor_7 @Motzaburger @MexicanCow123 @InstantRockstar @DMaximus @Dil @McWolf @ColeMrtz @DoktorFunk

Players Mentioned
@Spartan @HearnNation67 @Sharkstrong @Tape-to-Tape @Spade18 @solas @Biggreen10 @LastOneUp @Gooningitup @Caboose30 @Big Bob @Ferda

The Philadelphia Reapers Organization @DMaximus are very proud to announce today that this season for S72 our leadership group. The team will be Co-Captained by @Big BobBob Helminen and Spencer Elsby, Where Bob will wear the “C” at home and Elsby will wear an “A”. Vice versa when away Elsby will wear the “C” and Bob will have an “A”. Lastly, we are proud to announce that @Jer_LefebvreJer Lefebvre has been named our Assistant captain and will have an “A” on both home and away jerseys. These decisions were based on a team poll as well as input from upper management. Front office wasn’t sure about naming captains due to the layout of the VHLM and usually the team captains aren’t around longer than 1 season before graduating. However, we decided these three men have put forth so much dedication too the team and leadership helping their teammates be there best and being as active as possible in the locker room. We wanted to have it known who leaders are are and keeping active with the team in the LR is how our prospects can learn and hope to wear a letter in their future. These 3 were chosen to help teach and encourage everyone through their leadership skills and I am very proud to have these  three men representing our organization.

 
The Philadelphia Reapers  are very proud to announce our leadership group for the S72 Season. The team will be Co-Captained by “Bob Helminen” and “Spencer Elsby”. Coincidently Helminen and Elsby are both drafted and highly touted Prospects for the Helsinki Titans of the VHL where they will stick together and go pro as teammates. Bob was drafted in S71 by the Philadelphia Reapers after putting up an outstanding rookie campaign with Halifax with 74 PTS in 72 GP, He followed that up last season putting up 102 PTS in 72 Games played with the Reapers and also 7 Playoff Points in 7 Playoff Games. Helminen was a chosen to represent his country at the S71 WJC where he won gold. At this point in the season Big Bob is leading the VHLM in scoring with 19 points in his first 8 games of the season and does not look to be slowing down. This man is on a mission

Our other Co-Captain just like his partner in crime this young stud of a defenceman really made a name for himself quick last season , exploding out of nowhere. After being a late pick in the VHLM draft Elsby started off on the 3rd D pairing and within a month he was the Quarterback on the 1st PP unit and logging well over 22 Minutes on average. Elsby was even selected to play in the S71 WJC where he managed to make it to the gold medal game , unfortunately Asia came up short but it was definitely some invaluable experience for Elsby playing against the best in the M and some VHL players By the end of the season Elsby was a unanimous 1st round prospect quoted by VSN scouts. Elsby is now coming into his sophomore season and already shown great improvement to his game all round , you can really tell he learned a lot at training camp this summer and a fan favorite and determined to bring hardware to Philadelphia.

 
Lastly and of course not least sophomore center Jer Lefebvre,  the man that the Reapers have put a lot of faith in and were praying on draft day he would still be available , we knew Jer was the player we wanted from the beginning, he is the quintessential Reaper, Jer is coming of a strong rookie season in Houston, and started very strong so far this season , Centering the 1st Line Jer has 12 points in eight games so far. Jer has been a great guy to have around in the locker room and a great teammate. He is constantly helping the rookies out and always working to improve. Jer has a work ethic like no other.
 
 
 

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

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

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

Mother fucker

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

Welcome back to Future Watch, where we analyse the prospect pools of each VHL team! Last week, we covered the North American Conference. This week, we shift our focus to the European Conference. Without further ado, let’s get to it.
 

 

MALMO NIGHTHAWKS | 6th in EU | 9th Overall
Top Prospect: Gary Neal - S71 2nd Round (21)
 
Unlike North America, every European team has more than one significant prospect. Even the group I have ranked as the weakest in the conference still has three active prospects with VHL upside, which you can never complain about. Malmo’s group is headlined by Gary Neal, a winger who put up an impressive 116 points for Saskatoon this season. Although he does have the occasional hiccup, he earns around 10 TPE most weeks. His 191 TPE suggests that there’s still some work needed to be VHL ready, but he is definitely on track to being a solid player for the Nighthawks. 
 
After tearing up the VHLM in Ottawa this season, Adam Syreck also projects to be a good player for Malmo. His 181 points were second in the league, behind only his teammate, Richard Penisson. Syreck has had some issues with activity lately, but hopefully, with two straight weeks of 7 TPE, he has put those days behind him. Another prospect who has recently put their inactivity behind them is Domonique Williams, acquired this season through trade with Riga. Williams had previously signed with the Reign as an undrafted prospect and immediately went from inactive to a potential VHL player. While his TPE earning has seen some peaks and valleys recently, I think that overall he’s still a pretty exciting prospect.
 

 

PRAGUE PHANTOMS | 5th in EU | 8th Overall
Top Prospect: Woody McPine - S71 3rd Round (35)
 
Like Seattle, Prague didn’t really have anything before the S71 Draft. But they left that draft with two players that would soon prove to be the best possible picks at their respective slots. Goaltender Woody McPine heard his name called in the third round and immediately went to work. His progression has seen him go from a mediocre prospect who would take a few seasons to be ready for the big league, to a potential VHL starter. His TPE earning has been tremendous for quite a while now, and he could find himself as Prague’s backup as soon as next season, with Wahl retiring this offseason. The team’s other pick in the S71 Draft was Jack John, who is steadily earning 6 TPE every week and adding onto an extremely balanced build. His scoring does stand out though, easily being his most prevalent asset. John will take some time to develop but could end up a Phantom if he stays consistent over time.
 

 

MOSCOW MENACE | 4th in EU | 7th Overall
Top Prospect: Aleelee Kiak - S70 2nd Round (15)
 
The reigning champions of the VHL, the Moscow Menace, currently have a great team. But their recent success hasn’t had a negative effect on their prospect pool, which is by no means shallow. Up front they have Aleelee Kiak, who is already VHL ready with 281 TPE. The winger’s season included an outstanding 120 points and 59 goals, which were among the league’s elite. Kiak should be a pretty nice piece for the club moving forward.
 
With back to back picks in the S71 Draft, Moscow selected two defensemen by the names of Gavin Harris and Jason Goeson. The former of the two has struggled with inconsistency lately but displayed a lot of promise not too long ago. He put up a solid 49 points this season, as well as some good defensive numbers. He will need at least one more season of development, but if Harris can get back to the consistency he had before, he could be a vital part of that blueline. Moving on, we have Goeson, who has had an interesting season. Despite showing plenty of growth in his game, his stats took a bit of a dip in comparison to the season prior. In the long run, Goeson could definitely end up as the best of the bunch if he remains on his current trajectory, in which he earns 10-12 TPE a week.
 

 

RIGA REIGN | 3rd in EU | 5th Overall
Top Prospect: Pengu - S71 1st Round (10)
 
Riga’s group is a deep one that contains five active prospects. Nicolas Fomba, a goalie prospect drafted in the third round of the S69 Draft, prepares to take on the backup role for the Reign next season. His save percentage in the VHLM has risen every season since S68, leading up to this season’s 0.900 save percentage. Fomba has been earning around 8-12 TPE per week for over a month now, but even before that his TPE earning wasn’t too bad.
 
Fomba is one of four active third-round picks in Riga’s prospect pool. Two of them, Cassius Gardner and Rich Dickbutt McFudderdudder, were selected in the S71 Draft, seven spots apart. Although Gardner had a brief period of inactivity, he is back to form now and earns at least 8 TPE a week. After putting up 0 points in S70, Gardner had a terrific breakout season with 63 points in 72 games this time around. McFudderdudder has put up great numbers all around for Ottawa this season, more than doubling most of last season’s stats. His TPE earning has been fairly inconsistent lately, but if he can get back to earning roughly 8 TPE per week again, he will be one to watch for sure. The last third-round pick is one who was picked in the S70 Draft. Canadian centre JaredN, or Jared Newman, has progressed steadily so far in his career, increasing his point totals every season with San Diego. His TPE earning ranges from 4 to 10 TPE a week, and if he can get it consistently closer to 10, he could end up in Riga as early as next season.
 
Lastly, we have the team’s top prospect, Pengu. The former first-round pick is now VHL ready and looks to be one of Riga’s core pieces for the future. He regularly earns 14+ TPE a week, though he did have an off week just a couple weeks ago. His 73 assists this season ranked top 10 in the VHLM, and they were accompanied by a really nice total of 44 goals as well. Pengu leads the way for this group, and the others provide depth at each position.
 

 

HELSINKI TITANS | 2nd in EU | 4th Overall
Top Prospect: Vladimir Shaposhnikov - S70 2nd Round (20)
 
Moving on to Helsinki, this team has an unbelievable amount of depth too, but in a very peculiar way. Their prospects generally haven’t been the most active, but are either VHL ready or really close. A perfect example of this would be Joakim Sakic, who sits at 252 TPE, but only earns 2 TPE a week, joined by an occasional 6. Sakic will be ready to make an impact right away, but likely doesn’t have too much upside because he is already in his fourth season since being drafted, and doesn’t have many more seasons to develop before regression hits. Despite this, he will still be a good depth piece for the Titans in the near future.
 
Another player in that same category is forward Jack Russell, who has 248 TPE. Like Sakic, he will play next season and provide immediate depth up front for the big club. Russell earns 6 TPE every week or two and had career highs in points, goals and assists this season. The security of knowing two of their less active prospects will be VHL players is a luxury no other team has.
 
Helsinki really has two wildcards in their system, being Hex Valentine and Ike Bennett. Bennett was a pretty highly regarded prospect and still is, but his activity has really dropped as of late. Being at 242 TPE already, he could be a scary good prospect if he picks it back up. He broke 50 goals and 100 points this season and already has 8 points in the playoffs as well. Also at play here is Hex Valentine, who would be considered a wildcard because of the fact that he has come back this week after a long stretch of inactivity. His 11 TPE this week does inspire a lot of confidence, but only time will tell if he can keep this going. If so, this team has a very enticing goalie prospect on their hands.
 
Now, we move on to the cream of the crop. Selected fourteenth overall in last offseason’s draft, Bob Helminen seems to be on track to make his VHL debut next season, with 220 TPE. He cracked 100 points as well and looks to be a really good prospect for the team in the future. The team’s top prospect, in my opinion, Vladimir Shaposhnikov, went from claiming 6 TPE a week to exceeding that each and every week for two months now. At 260 TPE, he’s ready for the big league, and with over 50 goals in S71, he will provide some quality scoring depth.
 

 

HC DAVOS DYNAMO | 1st in EU | 1st Overall
Top Prospect: Alex Bridges - S70 2nd Round (19)
 
And finally, here we have it: the best prospect pool in the VHL, belonging to Davos. It’s truly remarkable how many elite prospects find themselves in this group, and it took me some time to really decide who the top prospect would be here. I went with Alex Bridges, because of his great forum activity, willingness to pursue jobs and the fact that he has the most TPE here. He definitely seems like one who will have a long, successful career. In terms of earning TPE, he commonly earns around 12 per week and takes advantage of uncapped opportunities as well. Bridges is coming off of a monster VHLM season, in which he put up 135 points and 234 hits.
 
Another prospect fresh off of a fantastic VHLM season is Joakim Bruden, who may have just had a Benoit Devereux Trophy calibre performance in S71. With the combination of Bruden’s 310 TPE and Bridges’ 325 TPE, Davos has two prospects who are not only VHL ready, but who are primed to be quality players as soon as they enter the league. Other than one week in March, he has regularly earned 8-12 TPE per week, and occasionally more. There’s definitely potential for a VHL starter here.
 
Selected with the very next pick after Bruden, was Vin Calia. Calia was a bit of a wildcard in the draft because of how late he joined, but he has panned out in what Davos must’ve considered the ideal scenario when they drafted him. Even having a great deal of ground to make up on all the prospects selected around him, he has already passed a lot of them and is quickly catching up to others. He was top five in points in the regular season and is currently leading the playoffs in points. When everything is all said and done, Calia could easily end up as the best player to come out of this group.
 
Two of the prospects here were undoubtedly steals at their draft slots, and they would be Nikita Kulikovich and Big Chungus. Kulikovich was arguably the top defenseman in the minors this season, and could quite possibly be on Davos in S72. He earns a baseline of 6 TPE a week, but he also takes part in some uncapped opportunities. Chungus was picked in the VHL’s most recent draft and has rapidly surpassed many of those selected above him. Like seemingly every Davos prospect, he also had a tremendous season, with a league-wide third-ranked 143 points. He was also one of only two players to finish with at least a goal per game average in S71. Earning 10-12 TPE a week, he will be a great piece for the Dynamo for now and the future.
 
While they may not have been the steals that the prior two were, there are two more really solid third-round picks here. S70 draftee Jack Feriancek is just about ready to join the big club and almost tripled his previous career-high in points this season with Minnesota. He earns around 8-10 TPE per week as well. Mickey Dickson is another third-round pick who is the definition of consistent. Looking at his weekly TPE earning, it’s tens across the board. He’s still got some work ahead of him before he graduates from the VHLM since he does have just 187 TPE at the moment. Producing at almost a point per game this season, Dickson will soon be an impact player for Davos.
 
There are another pair of players who have been a bit on and off with their activity lately, being King Kruul and Gino Alkamino. Kruul often earns 8 TPE a week, but also tends to miss a fair amount of weeks entirely. Consistency will be key moving forward for him. Alkamino took a massive step forward in terms of his stats this season, but his tendency to go inactive for weeks at a time is a bit concerning. When he is active, he earns 6+ TPE, which is serviceable. Both of these guys could become quality players down the road if they become more consistent.
 
Undrafted S71 prospect Trey Nets was signed by Davos this season and has shown some VHL upside, though it has mainly come in flashes. His numbers in the VHLM took a hit this season, but he could easily bounce back if he keeps progressing. Lastly, we have Brenden Rose. Rose claims practice facility each week, and sometimes he earns some capped TPE to go with it. To date, he hasn’t shown too much upside, but could quickly turn it around if he starts earning more capped TPE on a weekly basis.
 
 
Well, that’s it for this season’s edition of Future Watch! I can’t wait to see these prospects become the next wave of VHL players, and play out their careers. Good luck to all of them!

To follow these prospects for yourself, consider keeping up with the VHLM Weekly Review, written by VSN’s @Mr_Hatter! He, along with the rest of our team, is constantly putting out great content that any member could enjoy. Here’s some of our most recent work:
| Talents Behind The Trophies | VHL Weekly | VSN Radio | VHLM Weekly |
 
Players mentioined: @LittleRiDog @Spade18 @HearnNation67 @GoadenGoalie35 @Grant @BigIrish @Legend0985 @Gscx420 @quanack @DrHexDex @Caboose30 @Bob Helminen @ng1291 @efiug @jhatty8 @Weretarantula @jared @Pengu @Alex Bridges @PadStack @VinCal @Lockdown Defense @Ferda @Jackie4967 @Brewins15 @LefLop @ChaceT @KillaScrilla @btown03
 

Watching old hockey games with my family. The brawls, grit & passion that was needed to win back then was astounding. It was very different than today. Overall, there is more skill in today's game, but I miss the grit from the past.
 
After getting out of prison, I went back to training big cats. I still own over 200 tigers at my zoo despite that bitch Carole Baskin trying to shut me down for good.
 
I am a bad mother f*cker. We haven't had many really rough games this season, but when shit goes down in the playoffs, I will straight up beat down opponents.
 
@Dilly Dilly - He led our team in scoring during my first year with 49 goals, 54 assists, 103 points. On top of being a +42. This guy is good. @Bob Helminen ain't too bad either (42 goals, 102 points). They both lead by example every day.
 
I will forever be the VHLer with a #1 Netflix show for 18 weeks while serving prison time at the beginning of the season, to being second line center for the Reapers by seasons end. I hope to someday lead my team in scoring.
 
I will be in the VHL. I can't predict with who, but there are a lot of potential suitors that have been tampering a bit with me by trying to know I'm in their future plans. tsk tsk, shame on them.
 
 

SUMMARY

I'm sure some of you already have heard the news but a former VHL member, and long-time sim league community member, David Theusch aka @701 passed away on Monday, April 13th. He was only 24 years old and his passing was tragic and unexpected.
 
David was a bit of a polarizing member who was never afraid to speak his mind and bring his thoughts/suggestions to the community. This rubbed some people the wrong way but also endeared many people to him. Speaking from my own experience, Dave was a genuinely caring and friendly guy who, like most of us, used sim leagues as an escape from the tedious grind of day-to-day life. He was always down to chat about anything and was fiercely loyal to his friends. Although he hasn't been active on VHL for the past couple of years, he was an important and active member when he was here. He was a very underrated graphic designer and loved to represent his hometown of Minot, ND, playing a pivotal role in establishing/rebooting the Minot Gladiators VHLM franchise. 
 
I'm making this post in honour of his memory. Dave was somebody who, although I never met in real life, talked with very regularly. There was a good period of time where he and I spoke every day. He had a great sense of humour and was just very easy to talk to and was a major influence in helping me, and others, learn how to make graphics. He was always willing to help, give advice, or just shoot the shit. Over the past couple of years, as we got older and more irl responsibility took up our time, we slowly lost touch and the news of his passing hit me pretty hard. I truly regret not reaching out and catching up with him when I had the opportunity to do so.
 
 
 
 
Regardless of knowing 701 or not, please feel free to pay your respects or post any memories of him you have in this thread. Also, I want this post be a reminder that, even though most of us have never, and will never, meet each other in real life, real human connections are made between members in our community and to be thoughtful of this. Let people know you care about them and that they've brought a positive influence to you and your life. 
 
 
 
 
RIP David Theusch. You were always a real one and a guy I'm proud to consider a friend. You will be missed.
 
 
 
 
I'm also including a link to a memorial fund that was setup to support his family and help alleviate the financial burden of his passing and funeral. If you have ability, please consider donating to his memorial gofundme page: Here.